“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19, NIV)
I’ll start with this: One of the greatest privileges I have as a regional director for Links Players is seeing men and women fishing for people in their golf clubs.
That said, I also have come to recognize that this is not always a quick and easy process. After 15 years at the same club, one of our Links players joined a new club last year. At the time, I thought it was a bad idea, but after praying and seeing what God is doing, I realize God had a bigger plan. After many months, this man began to meet potential members to help start a Links Fellowship at his new golf home. It took patience to find these golfers who would say, “We are in!” Now they are coming.
God raises up those who believe and follow to go get others. This is how we follow Jesus.I met with this Fellowship not long ago and one of the participants said something that hit home with me. We were discussing whom to invite to the Fellowship, and this man observed that there are fans of Jesus and followers of Jesus. A healthy Links Fellowship will have both, because we want people all along the path of growth. But you’re going to need to start with followers. They are the ones willing to do the fishing.
Don’t be too concerned about the mixed metaphors here. You know, many golfers like fishing too! The idea is that followers do what Jesus has called them to do, and in our passage today, we find Jesus calling fishermen to fish. That means he may be calling you to play golf!
If you really want to reach golfers, you probably need to be one. In fact, my pastor once reassured me in my ministry. He told me he would never be able to reach the people that Links Players reaches. We have access to golf club members that he would not be able to influence. It’s our work to bring Jesus to these people.
Let me throw another of Jesus’ metaphors at you. He told the disciples, his followers, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Luke 10:2).
God desires people to come to him with belief in his Son and faith that he has brought salvation. Then God raises up those who believe and follow to go get others. This is how we follow Jesus.
A Links Fellowship that exists only for its regular attenders isn’t fishing. It isn’t harvesting. It’s only stagnating. So let me encourage you today, as individuals and as Fellowships, to take Jesus, whom you love and serve, to the game you love—to the golfers, the staff, the social members at your club. You don’t have to be eloquent (even the apostle Paul said he wasn’t a great speaker!). But you have to be energetic and eager. These are the traits that make for good fishermen, good harvesters, and good golfers—at least when we’re talking about those who are catching fish, bringing in the harvest, or leading golfers to Jesus.
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Dereck Wong
April 12, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.