Hunting versus Fishing - Marcus Sommerville

Marcus Sommerville returned to Listooder on Saturday night to consider the attitude of believers towards personal evangelism. Opinions range from those who believe that we should be hunters: using quick, aggressive tactics to persuade unbelievers to come to Christ. Others see our responsibility as more of a fishing role: where we slowly and cautiously draw the unsaved towards the truth of God’s Word. Taking the lead from the conversations of our Lord in the New Testament, Marcus presented the reality that neither of these scenarios are truly relevant to personal evangelism. The journeys of two sinners to Christ are never the same: one may need to be removed from a ‘comfort zone’ before they can begin to see their need of Salvation, whereas another might simply need to hear the Gospel presented once, before turning to Christ. As believer’s, and more particularly as men and women, we do not have this knowledge, and so both the fishing and the hunting can only be directed of God. He is both the Hunter, and the Fisherman. So then, what is our role? What is the role of a believer in drawing men and women to Christ? Marcus proposes that, at best, it is merely as the ‘bait’. God, in his infinite wisdom, often chooses to use the lives of other believers to bring sinners to Himself. He doesn’t need to, but He chooses to. So the question is this: Are we attractive bait? Do our lives reflect the Glory of God? Do our words reflect the Word of God? Does our attitude reflect the Love of God? Are we ready to be used as the bait that draws precious souls to the Saviour, or will we be discarded as vessels, as bait, not fit for the Master’s use?