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Articles
Preach the Word
One growing movement in today’s religious circles is a call for the removal of the Bible. While the Bible, in a paraphrased version, may still be scarcely quoted, the literal texts of many modern versions have been declared outdated and not complimentary to our current situations. This movement away from the literal text is magnified by the lack of true spiritual knowledge and growth among many religious people today. These “churches” may boast large numbers, contributions, and good works in the community, but their spiritual foundations are crumbling. The rejection of Jesus’ divinity, His resurrection, and a literal heaven and hell are already believed by a the majority of those who profess to be “ministers” of God’s Word. Why has such a degradation of spiritual knowledge become so acceptable? Why has the religious world rejected the Author and Savior of the Bible?
In the early years of Jesus’ ministry, His popularity grew and spread throughout the lands of Canaan. The crowds appeared to have grown daily and at times left Jesus with little, if any, comfortable space to speak and to teach the word. On one such occasion, Jesus was along the shoreline of Galilee and saw two boats lying on the edge of the lake. Jesus entered one of the boats, which belonged to Simon, and asked for him to put out away from the land and Jesus taught from the boat (Luke 5:1-10). When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon, who is also Peter, could have given Jesus a long list of reasons for not launching into the deep, but rather he humbly submitted and let down his nets.
The request made by Jesus in the eyes of these four tired fishermen could have only ended with inconvenience and discouragement. They had already fished all night and caught nothing, but Jesus asked for them to go into the deep and let down their nets. While Jesus had greater things in store, how many of us would have let down our nets? How many of us would have made whatever excuse to leave Him and return home for rest and relaxation? This is the very mentality that plagues our religious friends today. They have given up hope in the old pathways and doctrine by replacing them with the new ideas of entertainment and fun. The Bible is simply not enough anymore to attract the masses and retain them. The very thought of just letting down the nets would no longer be sufficient in their viewpoint.
Simon and Andrew let down their nets and to their surprise a great quantity of fish was found enclosed when they began to retrieve them. The catch was so large that their nets began to break, and they signaled to their partners to come and help them. What a magnificent sight this must have been? It is truly Peter’s remarks that magnify the occasion, “Go away from my Lord, for I am a sinful man!” These men were amazed at such a catch! Jesus told them, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” The lesson these fishermen learned that day was to trust in the Lord and He will furnish the power. This catch was not made possible because of some elaborate tactic or new fishing lure, but simply the power of Jesus.
Are we willing to learn the same lesson today? We do not need new ideas and practices to help in attracting the lost to the gospel. We do not need entertainment, games, pizza parties, etc., to help in the retaining of our youth and children. The only thing we need is the very thing our religious friends continue to push out, the WORD of GOD! We need to adopt the heart of Paul as he wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
“When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him” (Luke 5:11). These four men were eyewitnesses of the power and providence of God. They saw that day on the sea of Galilee that Jesus was more than a mere man, and the things He spoke were much more than just words! The religious circles today need to relearn the lesson of these four fishermen. There needs to be a return in speaking where the Bible speaks, and remaining silent where the Bible is silent. The religious society that surrounds us desires for the Bible to be replaced, but may this never be said of anyone of us. May God bless our efforts to preach His Word, nothing more and nothing less!
