Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1991

Job and Fishers of Men
Scott Molebean

Most of us know the children's chorus I will make you fishers of men. We also have seen a row of little ones singing these lines whereby the children make the action of casting with a fishing rod. It is interesting that the fishing done by the disciples of the Lord Jesus was always with nets and not with rods. Furthermore the fishing with nets was always done from a boat. Be that as it may, the action by the children fits in very well with the present-day efforts of many to bring people into their churches. During vacation I observed various fishermen at work with their rods. Some were fishing for catfish and carp. These fish feed on the bottom. The fishermen had fair size balls of bait at the end of their lines with the hook buried deeply within the ball. Thus the fish was to be fooled, swallow the bait, and so get hooked. The important thing, of course, is to have a bait which really attracts the fish. The bait-ball must simply be irresistible. But from my observation that was not really the case. A couple of fair size fish among three fishermen per night seems to indicate that the fish was not particularly impressed. This method of hiding the hook in the bait appears to me to be a fair representation of what is today known as evangelical evangelism. People have to be attracted by things that appeal to them in order to not only to get them to come to church but also to keep them coming. The bait, in other words, has to be attractive not just for one visit, but for many visits. It often takes quite a while before the church-fish is truly hooked.

How do you know which bait will work? The answer is simple: Find a need and fill it. Appeal to something which the fish out there wants but cannot get anywhere else. This is the method which in various ways is used practically everywhere and which, so it is said, appears to be successful as well. Church-growth and evangelism people will do market research to establish what the needs are of the people in the area of the church reaching out. For the bait must fit the local species of the unchurched. For they will only come when they get something out of it that meets their needs.

Is this outreach philosophy new? Something from the last 40 or 50 years? Not really. It was already known during the time of Job. Now job was a rancher with seven sons and three daughters, who possessed 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and many, many servants. In fact this man was the greatest of all the people of the east (job 1:2, 3). job was also a blameless and upright man, who feared God and turned away from evil (v.8). It sounds like this Job was a wonderful believer. But there is one who questions job's sincerity. That is Satan. He asks the Lord God: Does Job fear God for nought? Hast Thou not put a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the works of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Thy hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse thee to thy face (v. 9-1 1). Satan suggests that job serves the Lord his God only because of what he gets out of it: a nice family, riches, status. But take that all away, and Job will immediately stop serving the Lord. Satan is saying, in effect: You've got him worshipping you only because of what you have given him. He has swallowed the bait and you have him on the line. But take the bait away and you will quickly find out that you have not got him hooked, not even after so many years. This is Satan's opinion: As long as you keep giving the people what pleases them, they'll keep coming back. But as soon as it does not appeal to them any more, they are gone.

We know the result of Satan's opinion. job loses all his children, and all his livestock within twenty-four hours. But Job stays faithful to the Lord God. Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I shall return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Satan is not convinced. He still has his health. Take that away, and you will find out the truth. So Job's health is affected. He is covered with putrid boils from head to toe. Yet he remains faithful. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? Herewith the theory of Satan why people worship and fear God is destroyed. Herewith it is clear that the thought that churches must hook people with attractive bait was first held by Satan. As a matter of fact, the Lord Jesus Christ declares that there is no bait in the world which can draw a person to God (John 6:44). There is only one way: The Lord Jesus gathers them by His Spirit and Word (Heidelberg Catechism Q.& A. 54). He must open their hearts and only then shall they hear and give heed to the Gospel (Acts 16:14). So we do not need fishers of people? Yes, but fishers with nets, that is, those who let down the nets of the Gospel, at the places where the Lord Jesus commands them (Acts 16:6-10). But the Lord God does not fish with bait. He does not gather His people by deception. Satan thought so. But then, deception is his middle name. The biblical method is totally different.

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practise cunning or to tamper with God's Word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing (11 Corinthians4:1-3).

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