SIM International Director Malcolm McGregor and his wife Liz.

The theme for the SIM Global Leaders Gathering (22-29 March 2009) was based on Matthew 4:19, “Jesus said, ‘Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.’” In mission, the words that often grip us are Jesus’ last words to the disciples (Matthew 28:19- 20). But Jesus’ first words to his disciples also have so much significance for us.

These words summarize Jesus’ ministry: making disciples. They are also a launching platform for Jesus for the next three years. They show us that the person of Jesus is central to ministry—we are to be his followers. Finally, multiplication is the goal.

The verse easily breaks into four sections:

1. Come—To come, there needs to be a letting go of what you are doing or holding onto.
2. Follow me—There needs to be a stepping away from where we are, a willingness to be vulnerable; a sense of courage to follow another path in life; a trust and confidence in the person we are following. There will be a new way of living, modeled on Jesus, the son of God. A God who exemplifies love.
3. I will make you—We are going to be different if we step out in this new way. Change will take place, and that will not be easy. This change will come about through a relationship with Jesus, and learning from him.
4. Fishers of men and women—This is the vision Jesus is driving us towards, helping others become his followers. This is a legacy that he desires us to leave behind.

In his book First Things First, Stephen Covey explains that we all have four basic needs: “The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economic wellbeing and health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love, to be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and grow. The need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence and contribution.”

Any one of these unmet needs reduces the quality of life. But people have taken these needs and turned them into their own selfish desires. But here is what God has planned for us:

To live—“come” to a life of letting go, a life dedicated to having Jesus at the center of who we are and all we do.

To love—“follow me”—live out the love of God exemplified in Jesus himself. Our God is a God of love, and it is so important that we come to terms with what true love is. Love and our relationship with God are at the center of who we are—it is something we all long for.

To learn—“I will make you”—we are made in the image of God and have potential to grow in knowledge and understanding of all that is around us, yet access to the greatest knowledge in this universe from God himself is broken and needs repairing. We need to be restored to a living relationship with him and through that come to know this great God who “exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth” (Jeremiah 9:24).

To leave a legacy—“fishers of men”—influencing the next generations to be followers of Jesus is the greatest legacy we can pass on.

These words at the beginning of Jesus’ journey to the cross set the scene for his ministry, and they continue to be a guide for all he has called to follow him.

*Note: This article was originally published in Serving in Mission Together, Issue 126.