Central Presbyterian Church, Mobile, AL

Rev. Taylor Morgan, March 15, 2009

Text: Mark 1: 16&17, Mark 16: 15

Topic: Spreading the Nets for God

Introduction: This week we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17th. I will wear a green tie on Tuesday, so I won’t be pinched. Why do we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? In America, St. Patrick’s Day is basically a time to wear green and party. The first American celebration of St. Patrick’s Day was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737. However, now the day is celebrated all over the United States. As the old saying goes, on this day, "everybody is Irish!" Over 100 U.S. cities now hold St. Patrick’s Day parades, the largest held in New York. We wear green because it is associated with the color of spring, Ireland, the shamrock and it is considered "good luck." Leprechauns have become associated with the holiday, probably because capitalists needed something cute to put on greeting cards. However, like many holidays, some of the true meaning of St. Patrick’s Day has been lost to capitalism.

So, why is there a St. Patrick’s Day celebration? It is a day to commemorate or honor the Patron Saint of Ireland, Patrick. Actually, St. Patrick was not even Irish. Historical resources report that he was born around 373 A. D. in either Scotland (near the town of Dumbarton) or in Roman Britain (the Romans left Britain in 410 A.D.) His real name was not Patrick, but is believed to be Maewyn Succat. He took the name Patrick or Patricus, after he became a priest. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his 6 year captivity, he worked as a shepherd, he began to have religious visions, and found strength in his faith. St. Patrick finally escaped (after a voice in one of his visions told him where he could find a getaway ship) and went to France, where he became a priest and later a Bishop.

When he was about 60 years old, no retirement for St. Patrick, he traveled back to Ireland to spread the "Good News of Jesus Christ. Although there were already Christians in Ireland, St. Patrick is credited with making people of Ireland, mostly Christian. As a missionary to Ireland, he had extraordinary zeal, energy, courage and careless of his own safety in his fervor to what St. Patrick said; "to spread the nets for God." It is said that he used the shamrock to explain the trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For 29 years, Patrick labored among his beloved Irish, converting and baptizing them by the thousands until his death on March 17, 461 A.D. He was recognized as a saint in the 17^th century by the extension of his feast day to the universal Church calendar.

This man, St. Patrick is honored because of, in his words, "spreading the nets for God" in Ireland.

I. As one who has worked in the institution of a healthcare for almost twenty years, I know that hospitals are always changing. They have to change or they will become antiquated and no longer competitive in an extremely volatile environment. They change because of new technology, state and federal guidelines that seem to always change. Most hospitals have had to become leaner to remain profitable or stay in business. For those who work in healthcare, we know that change is a constant. However, any hospital that I have been affiliated with, including Mobile Infirmary Medical Center, is always striving to remain focused on the primary purpose of the hospital. And that is the care and needs of the patient. Focusing on the needs of the patient is what is most important. Hospitals are fully aware of this and to survive in an extremely competitive business, the hospital tries to focus on the needs of the patient.

As a business, a hospital has to reexamine or continually focus on its basic purpose. What about the church of Jesus Christ. What is our basic purpose of the church of Jesus Christ? Obviously, it is not to build more stately churches, even those great and inspiring cathedrals of Europe. It’s not building larger churches with big family Life Centers. It’s not stewardship. It’s not primarily feeding the poor and healing the sick, or even striving for peace in our time, though all of these are essentials to the work of the church. But, the church’s basic job is, as St. Patrick said, "...spreading the nets for God," "to become fishers of men." To do exactly was St. Patrick was doing in Ireland. That is what is the basic job of the church.

In our scripture this morning Jesus called Simon and Andrew to become fishers of men, just as He called St. Patrick to "spread the nets for God" in Ireland. What great imagery that Jesus used by calling them to become "fishers of men." He use language they understood and language that had so much depth. For many of the apostles were fishermen and they understood the imagery. The human souls are the fish, the world is the sea, the gospel is the net, and abundant life and eternal life is the share when the catch is drawn.

Jesus calls you and calls me to become fishers of men. We are to be ambassadors, for Christ. The disciples were sent out to preach that the "Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe.” They were sent out to preach "the Kergyma," the Greek word which means (to proclaim, herald, announce, to make known, the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.)

You and I have chosen to become followers of Christ. And, as a follower of Jesus Christ, we are God’s ambassadors, His emissaries. We are to go out and share the gospel (which is an Old English word meaning "good news," which is taken from the Greek word Evangelion, which is where the word evangelist comes from.) What is the job of an evangelist? The evangelist preaches the good news! When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are called to become a disciple, fishers of men. As Gerald Mann said in his book "Common Sense Religion," that we as Christians are the "Good-News-People. Dr. Mann wrote a rhyme that the good news Jesus brings is that there is:

No rut so deep you cannot leave it,

No dream so lost you can’t retrieve it,

No pain so great you can’t endure it,

No sin so bad that God can’t cure it.

If we are following God and have become His ambassador, His disciples, then all else will follow. As Christians, we will then feed the hungry and care for the poor and promote peace. We will then be faithful stewards and missionaries. But, our basic job, our basic calling as Christians, as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, is to proclaim the good news of the gospel.

However, what is the gospel that we are to share?

Joke of Boudreaux and Thibaudaux Cheating:

Boudreaux and Thibaudaux wanted better jobs working with the oil refineries. However, they had to take an intelligence test, before they could be hired. They went to the teacher and he gave them the test. When Boudreaux and Thibaudaux had finished the test they gave it back to the teacher. He then graded the test and said to them, "Ya’ll did pretty good on the test. You only missed two questions. However, I think there was some cheating." Boudreaux and Thibaudaux said, "We didn’t cheat. Why you calling us a cheater?" The teacher said, "Well Boudreaux, I think you were the one who cheated." Boudreaux said, "I’m no cheater! Why you say that?" The teacher then said, "Let’s look at question five. Thibaudaux’s answer to question five was, ‘I don’t know.’ Boudreaux, your answer to question five was, ‘Me neither.’"

Let’s do a little cheating this morning. Let’s take a look in the Bible and see the answer. What is the gospel, the good news we are to share?

The answer in found in the Gospel of John 3:16 & 17. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

That is what we are to share: The life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Patrick had the courage and zeal for "spreading the nets for God," As Jesus called Simon and Andrew to become fishers of men, He calls us as well. May we have the courage, zeal and fervor as St. Patrick, "spreading the nets for God." We are the Good-News-People. We are His voice, We are His hands, we are His feet, We are the instrument that God has chosen to go forth and share His good news to the world. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation."

Spread your nets for God. Become fishers of men.