Matthew 4:19
“Come follow me” Jesus said “and I will make you fishers of men”
In Part One I dealt with the fact that fishing involved a whole community, and in part two I looked at the training and preparation (discipleship) that was needed to become a professional fisherman.
In this post I just wanted to touch briefly on the need to occasionally mend the nets.
After repeated use nets would wear out. From time to time the nets needed to be unfolded and examined thoroughly, they needed to be inspected for holes, and weaknesses that had developed, and mended accordingly.
I believe that is what the questions being asked by those who consider themselves part of the Emerging Church (or conversation) is all about. Many people (myself included) see that the church has gone to long with out inspecting the nets. We see that a good thorough re-evaluation of what it means to follow Christ and share the Gospel is overdue.
For the critics of the Emerging Church who say that many within the movement are going to far and abandoning the true Christian faith I just ask that you vave some patience and wait and see if God is behind it all
Acts 5:34-39
34But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
Filed under: Christianity, Church, Emerging Church, Faith, God, Institutional Church, Missional, Missional Christianity, Missional Theology, The Gospel, The Gospel of Matthew, Theology, Thoughts, ecclesiology | Tagged: , Emergent Church, Fishers of men
