I am a Jesus pusher!!! Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). There is COMPLETENESS about the call of Jesus. Evangelism is not one part of Christianity emphasized whenever this aspect is needed. It is the summary focus of the throbbing heart and soul of the entire Gospel. Jesus is not calling His disciples to “do” evangelism, but to “be” witnesses. “I will make” is an expression of the creative flow of the Spirit of Christ within the believer. This call is fulfilled in the promise of Christ just before His ascension, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This statement opens with the declaration of the power to accomplish it. Jesus boldly declares the aspect of what the disciples will “be” rather than what they should “do.” He closes with where this shall be accomplished.
Do not be fooled into thinking that “fishers of men” is one aspect to be emphasized during special seasons of the Christian calendar. Often we are presented with various aspects of the Christian faith. No single aspect should be considered more important than the other. For instance, there is the activity of tithing. This is an important aspect of Christianity as one considers his financial obligation to the church. However, this is not the “whole” of Christianity. Other aspects would include Bible reading, prayer, and worship. All of these are important. Notice we did not include “witnessing!” It is not one of the aspects of Christianity; it is Christianity. This is who we are in intimacy with Jesus. Jesus must declare Himself. I am a Jesus pusher!!!