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Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Intersection of Cedar Creek Road & Roger Wooten Drive, Springfield, AR (2026)

11/30/2021

We wish you a blessed and merry Christmas! Remember the true meaning of the holiday....Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born. May the Lord bless you, Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Springfield, AR.

06/02/2021

WHAT MEAN THESE STONES?”
(Joshua 4.6)

Strewn across the pages of God’s Word and history itself are certain objects and memorials that provoke questions from children in every generation. For example, after the Great Flood of Noah’s day God put the rainbow in the heavens as a witness to each succeeding generation. And because the rainbow is so spectacular and extraordinary, children naturally ask what this sign in the heavens means. It affords Christian parents the opportunity to share the Biblical account of the flood with their children and to tell them about God’s promise never to destroy the world again with water.

Then, there was the Passover Feast that God gave the families in Israel to observe. Among other things, it was intended to cause children to ask questions. And so, the Passover meal was purposed to be a “spiritual feast” within the homes of Israel wherein families dined on God’s Promise of His Coming Lamb.

And what is true of the Passover was transferred to the observance of the Lord’s Supper. When the Lord’s Supper is observed, it provokes questions from children. The same is true when children watch someone being baptized. Their questions become for us and opportunity to tell them about our Savior’s love and salvation and what it means to be His disciple.

The Psalmist declared, “I will make Thy Name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever” (45.17). My dear brethren, we have this crucial responsibility to make known the Name of God and His great power to save to a new generation. Above all else, we must tell them about God’s love for them, and how they too must be saved by faith in Christ. “For God so loved the world . . .”

May we read the Biblical account of Israel’s crossing of the Jordan River (Joshua 3.14- 4.11; 18-24) and consider a searching question that is twice repeated.

And it came to pass the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priest bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth al his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city of Adam, that is beside Zeretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the Ark of the Covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever” (Joshua 3.14- 4.11; 18-24).

“What mean these stones?” Throughout world history and across the globe, stone monuments have been raised to serve as enduring reminders to each new generation. The Egyptian obelisks, the stone monuments of the Celts, Stonehenge, the Avebury stones. and the stone faces at Mt. Rushmore and Washington DC in our own nation are but a few examples.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day in the United States of America. Our attention will be drawn to “stone memorials” found in valleys and on hillsides of every state and to hundreds of thousands more in distant lands.

They most usually have the shape of the cross, but sometimes the Star of David and even a crescent. These stone monuments line the hallowed grounds of national cemeteries and military cemeteries the world over. There on land and in sea their bodies lie, wherever brave men and women gave their lives in service to our country and for freedom’s sake.

“What mean these stones?” They testify that the freedom we enjoy was paid for, and it has been preserved with . . . rivers of American blood. These “stones” cry out: “Freedom is not free.” “Freedom is precious, and liberty must be guarded by every generation, or else this nation, as we know it, will “long perish from off the face of the earth.”

Brethren, we must teach children and “childish,” ignorant adults alike what these “stones” mean! There is a powerful, wicked movement in our land to change history and defame our noble heritage. We must stand against the socialists and the Marxists who are tearing down our national monuments, seeking to change and even destroy the U. S. Constitution, and who labor to indoctrinate our children to hate our country!

“What mean these stones?” They bear witness to this great and extraordinary nation that was founded by the Providence of God. They testify of a nation of people that is “endowed” with “certain unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” These rights do not come from “government,” but they come from the Almighty Himself. And these “rights” are still worth fighting for!

“What mean these stones?” This would be the question that children would ask when they would see these two heaps of stones: one on the eastern brink of the Jordan River, and the other at Gilgal in the region of what is now called “the Western Bank”. These stone memorials afforded parents the opportunity to tell their children about the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River by the multitudes in Israel.

By faith, may we see these stone heaps and ponder their meaning.

ONE HEAP OF STONES WAS RAISED AT GILGAL FOR AN ENDURING MEMORIAL.

For many years, the children of Israel anticipated the day that they would cross the Jordan River to get to Canaan Land. They knew that on the other side was “an exceeding good land” . . . “a fair and happy land”. Yet, between their tents in the wilderness and that fair land was “Old Jordan” whose waters were dark, muddy, and out of their banks.

When there seemed to be no way, God Himself made a way for His people. The LORD instructed Joshua to put the Ark of the Covenant, which was carried by the priests, out front of the people the space of about a half of a mile.

Now, the Ark represented God’s Presence with His people. And so, in effect, the LORD Himself would go ahead of the people, and they would watch Him go down first into the River.

What the children of Israel saw on that day struck them with wonder and gave them hope and courage. The Bible records that, as soon as the feet of the priest bearing the Ark touched the brink of those flooding waters, the entire River “stood up as an heap”. And one by one, family by family, and tribe by tribe, the great host of Israel passed safely through Jordan to the other side. There at the place where the feet of the priests stood firm in the midst of Jordan, Joshua set up 12 stones for a memorial of God’s mighty deliverance of His people.

May we dwell for just a moment on what God’s Word is teaching. First, there is a natural dread and fear of death. “For it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment.” On our own, there is no way for us to face death and get to that blessed Promised Land that the Bible calls Heaven. Death would bring eternal destruction to man.

However, God in His infinite love and amazing grace has provided a way for all of us to face death and overcome it. God sent His Only Begotten Son “down into Old Jordan” for us, that He might provide a way for us to get safely to the other side. And so, as we read the Scriptures, “we see Jesus made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” There at the Cross, the Son of God made a way for each of us! He bore our sins and was wounded for our transgressions. The moment Jesus “went down into the waters of death”, He shouted, “It is finished!” with the victory shout of a Conqueror, for that He was. Christ “destroyed” the power of death as He came forth in resurrected glory from the tomb. He has ascended back to the right hand of God, and is there “to save those to the uttermost that come unto God by Him seeing He ever liveth to make intercessions for them” (Heb. 7.25).

Therefore, death cannot overwhelm the believer in Jesus Christ. I believe the moment we die, we go down, as it were, into “Old Jordan”. As the Lord’s redeemed, we will find it to be a “dry passageway” filled with the footprints of Jesus, and countless saints who have passed safely through to the Promised Land! My dear brethren, there is nothing to fear if we have put our trust in the Lord Jesus to be our Savior!

THE OTHER HEAP OF STONES MARKED THE PLACE WHERE THE FEET OF THE PRIESTS “STOOD FIRM” WHO BORE THE ARK.

As I read the Biblical account, it seems that this heap of stones was not submerged in the Jordan River, but it was entirely visible most of the year. Remember that Jordan was out of its banks, when the children of Israel crossed.

The priests, who bore the Ark of the Covenant, went to the “brim” or brink of the river and perhaps a distance onward. It was there that the priests “stood firm” until all Israel had passed over. Therefore under normal conditions, the elevation of the river would be much lower and these stones would be visible. Those who approached Jordan could see them on the east side, and those who had passed over could see them from the other side.
The words “stood firm” (3.17; 4.3) literally meant “to cause to stand upright.” There is a glorious picture of our Savior’s steadfastness in these words. When Christ faced Jordan that He might provide a passageway for us through death, He “stood firm”! He was nailed to the Cross, and He was “caused to stand upright” until the power of death was overcome! The Lord Jesus did not retreat when the waters of death enclosed about His pierced feet, but He “stood firm”!

And so, Christ has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through His Gospel” (II Tim. 1.10). For those who put their trust in Him, there is nothing to fear. Jordan’s waters have been parted! The Promised Land is made accessible by “the wonderful grace of Jesus”!

“WHAT MEAN THESE STONES?
Think again about the location of these two monuments. John Bunyan saw the placement of these stones as being set up “for the encouragement of pilgrims”. Sooner or later, each of us will complete our journey through the wilderness of life. We will, then, come face to face with old Jordan. Even now, we contemplate that day and that moment of our crossing. However, as we come to the floodwaters of death, we see this “heap of stones,” the witness left behind by the people of God. These stones testify that God has made a way for His people to safely reach the other side.

We see in these stones, then, the dying testimonies of the saints. We read of the fearlessness of the saints of old, of those who triumphantly laid down their lives for Christ’s sake. We have gathered at the bedsides of our saved loved ones and have seen and heard them give their dying witness. “These stones” cry out to anxious Pilgrims, assuring them that there is nothing to fear! The way through death has been prepared for those who put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He Himself said, “Fear not, I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen. And have the keys of hell and of death” (Rev. 1.17-18).

For those who believe on this Savior, there is nothing to fear in death. But for those who reject Christ, there is nothing but fear and destruction ahead. The death of an unbeliever is a horrible death! The departing soul of that unbeliever will be swept by Jordan into the abyss of hell! That Christ-rejecting soul will suffer eternally in the darkness and torment of hell! Jesus described hell as the place where “the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9.43). He died so that no one would have to go there. He tasted death, so that we might have life!

Are you prepared to cross over? Will you make it safely to the other side? Or will you be swept away into everlasting destruction? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” . . . receive Him as you personal Savior, and you shall be saved and pass safely over Jordan. Reject Christ in your unbelief, and you will not escape the damnation of hell! Everything necessary for your salvation stands finished! “Prepare to meet thy God!”

Again, there was another monument, a heap of 12 stones that was raised at Gilgal.
Gilgal was on the other side of Jordan in the Promised Land. This monument represents how we will always commemorate and worship “the Lamb that was slain”! We will stand in Beulah Land, because He went down into Jordan for us, so that we might pass safely over in time. In the ages of the ages to come, we will forever remember Calvary!

In closing, I want to exhort those of us who’ve been saved by God’s grace to consider our witness as a “stone”. There is a new generation of pilgrims growing up, little children who are going to need to know how to cross Jordan some day. They are going to need spiritual instruction, and they are going to need lots of love and encouragement! God help us not to be ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. May God strengthen us to be witnesses of our Savior to these little ones and to other family members who need to know the way through the waters of death.

And when it’s our time to cross Jordan, may we leave our testimony behind as a “stone” placed on the “heap” for a “memorial” to our children, and our children’s children, and so on till Jesus comes!

“What mean these stones?” They testify to the veracity of Christ’s own words, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14.6).

(Message preached to the Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church of Springfield, Arkansas by her pastor Randy Hawkins on Sunday, May 30, 2021. May we teach our children and our grandchildren what these “stones” mean.)

05/13/2021

“THE UNFEIGNED FAITH” OF CHRISTIAN MOTHERS

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see the, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (II Timothy 1.1-5)

One of the great hymns we sing is “Faith of Our Fathers”. It reminds us of our Christian heritage and of our “fathers in the faith” who died as martyrs for Christ’s sake. It also reminds us how their “holy faith” has been handed down to us; and how it inspires us likewise to believe in the one True Savior of the world.
Yet as the Apostle Paul began what would be his last Epistle to Timothy, his son in the ministry, he began to praise the faith of certain Christian mothers. Had there been a hymn to accompany what he wrote, it might have been “FAITH OF OUR MOTHERS, HOLY FAITH”.
In these opening Verses of Second Timothy, this faithful apostle of Jesus Christ reflected on the many reasons why he so respected and loved Timothy as his son in the faith. He cited Timothy’s sincerity and his recollection of him shedding tears of compassion and joy as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. We notice that there is a connection between Timothy’s “tears” and “the unfeigned faith” that was in his heart.
As Paul contemplated Timothy’s faith in Christ, he remembered those who taught him about the Lord Jesus and were instrumental in his salvation experience. They were his mother, named “Eunice” and his grandmother named “Lois”. It’s interesting that the Greek word translated “grandmother” is mamme (). The word was primarily a child’s name for its mother, but it later came to denote a grandmother (cf. Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words by W. E. Vines). It was one of the first words to come out of child’s mouth. The Greek word translated “mother” is meter () and is pronounced with long “a” sounds. We get the word “maternal” from the Greek.
The Apostle Paul recalled how “the unfeigned faith” that was in Timothy’s heart had also dwelt in the hearts of his grandmother and then in his mother before him.

“UNFEIGNED FAITH” DEFINED
By definition “unfeigned” faith is “SINCERE AND WITHOUT HYPOCRISY”. The original word in the Greek New Testament is anupokritos (). It is the word hupokritos (‘) with the prefixed negation, which literally meant “not a hypocrite,” or “without hypocrisy”. The word hupokritos (‘) primarily denoted “an answer; then, to answer on the stage, to play a part, and so, metaphorically, to feign, or to pretend” (Expository Dictionary of N. T. Words 89). The part of the “hypocrite” in Ancient Greek drama was that of a PRETENDER. In contrast, “THE UNFEIGNED FAITH” in Timothy’s heart was PURE, SINCERE, AND WITHOUT HYPOCRISY.
Again, this “unfeigned faith” was first found in Lois and then Eunice before it came to dwell in Timothy’s heart. These godly mothers didn’t live as the pagans to get along with others and to blend into society, or even to be accepted by their own family. Their faith was bold, yet “tender with sincerity”. It was “unashamed” and “uncompromising”. We read the background of Timothy’s faith and devotion in Acts 16. Luke recorded,
Then came he (i.e. the Apostle Paul) to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16.1-3)

“UNFEIGNED FAITH” IS CHARACTERIZED BY “LIFE”.
If “unfeigned faith” is “sincere and true” faith, then it must be a faith that is “alive” according to God’s Word. James described a faith that is “phony” and “without works” as being “dead” (James 2.17, 20, 23). Timothy’s faith, the same kind of faith that was in his mother and grandmother before him, was “alive” bearing much fruit to the glory of God! There was “life,” then, in his faith in God.
It’s noteworthy that the “living quality” of such faith is pictured in these godly mothers. There is a sense that “life” is bound up in motherhood. In Genesis Chapter Three, we read that “Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (3.20). “Eve” means “life” in the Hebrew. Through his transgression Adam BROUGHT DEATH to the human race. But it would be through “THE SEED OF THE WOMAN” that the Savior would be born who would BRING “LIFE” to fallen mankind.
When a mother is a godly lady, redeemed by the Blood and filled with the Holy Spirit . . . everything about her radiates with “life” from God. Her children are exposed to the “abundance of life” that is in Christ Jesus. They see “eternal life” in their mother. Her faith is “alive,” and it most usually comes to dwell in the hearts of her children. A woman can be instrumental in the formation of life; but it takes a Christian woman and mother to influence her children’s rebirth and the formation of “unfeigned faith” in their hearts. This is why it’s so important for a young lady to be saved and filled with the love of God, so that she might be equipped to fulfill her highest role as a Christian mother. God will use her, perhaps above all others, to bring spiritual life in her children. God’s salvation, however, involves individual choice.
Regardless of what those in this corrupt and wicked world are saying . . . there are distinct differences in a man and a woman. The Lord God who created man and woman designed them with purpose and distinction. The Bible declares, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; MALE AND FEMALE CREATED HE THEM” (Gen. 1.27). Though men and women are spiritually equal in God’s sight, for there is no respect of persons with God” (Rom. 2.11; Gal. 3.38), there are distinct differences between them.
According to the Word of God, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139.14). Some of us were made to be men with all the special endowments and features that God purposed. Others were made to be women with the particular constitution and characteristics that God ordained for a woman. A man and a woman are different physically. Their basic cell structures, their DNA, their average skeletal sizes, the average sizes of their internal organs, and more differ. Men and women are also wired differently emotionally. God designed man to think “logically with his head,” and a woman to think “analytically with her heart”. Men are purposed to be “providers,” while women are designed to be “nurturers”. And there is something wrong when a man seeks to be a woman and a woman seeks to be a man. It is a serious violation of God’s plan and purpose. It is seeking to reject and undo what God in His wisdom wrought in our mother’s womb (Ps. 139.13-16). And such is a serious threat to the well being of the family unit and society at large.
The Scriptures teach that a Christian mother is specially prepared for communicating the love of God to her children. Within the “unfeigned faith” that had come to dwell in Timothy’s heart, there was this element of sincere love. It had produced tears in his eyes and faithful service from his Christian life. In the absence of a believing father, Eunice had taught her son the Holy Scriptures which she had learned from her mother Lois.
The Bible declares that it is the father’s primary role to teach his children the truths of the Holy Scriptures. Isaiah wrote, “The father to the children shall make known thy truths” (Isaiah 38.19). Yet to do this, he needs to be a saved man who has grown in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. And I might add that there is a real shortage of men who are “qualified” to be spiritual leaders in the home. Should we then be surprised by the growing chaos and wickedness that we see in this present world?
While God ordained that the believing father instruct his children in the truths of His Word, He purposed the believing mother to teach her children “THE LAW” OF LOVE. King Solomon wrote, “My son, hear THE INSTRUCTION OF THY FATHER, and forsake not THE LAW OF THY MOTHER: for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head and chains about thy neck” (Prov. 1.8-9). Notice carefully what Solomon exhorted. There is “instruction” that is purposed to be taught to children by their father. But there is a unique “law” that can only be taught children by their mother. I believe this “law” is “the law of love” and more especially “the law of God’s love”. Solomon ended the Book of Proverbs extolling the “virtuous woman” who was a “godly mother”. He declared, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is THE LAW OF KINDNESS” (31.26).
My dear mother was no Bible scholar but God used her quiet, devoted life to impress “the law of love” on her children’s hearts. One of my earliest recollections of my mother was being in her lap with my younger in her mother’s rocking chair. She would hold us in her arms as the day had turned to night, rock us and take turns patting my sister’s back then mine with her tiny hand. All the while, she would softly hum the tune to hymn “In the Sweet By and By”. She taught us the words to the children’s songs of faith such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children”. Today, my sister and I are both saved by God’s grace. In ways we won’t fully understand this side of Glory, the impressions that came to us from our precious mother influenced our lives and pointed us to the Savior.
Notice how this wisdom in the Proverbs was manifested in the life of Timothy. “The unfeigned faith” of his mother and grandmother came to dwell in his heart. By walking in this “faith” and in “God’s love” . . . it was as if Timothy was wearing a crown on his head and a gold chain of honor about his neck. The Bible records that Timothy was “well reported among the brethren that were at Lystra and Derbe” (Acts 16.2). This means that he was held in high esteem by the other Christians in that region.
Young people, if you want to be someone special and enjoy honor and respect from others . . . then honor and obey your parents and do the will of God in your life. Live your life “crowned with the honor’ of your “sincere faith” in God. Honor your mother today. And if you are blessed to have a Christian mother, then honor her by following the godly example she has taught you in faith and love.

“UNFEIGNED FAITH IS TRANSFERABLE TO EVERY GENERATION
Lois had taught the Scriptures to her daughter, Eunice. And Eunice had in turn taught the truth to her son, Timothy. These faithful mothers did this because there was no godly father in the home. But God used them powerfully nonetheless. Timothy’s mother was a Jewess who “believed” according to Acts 16.1. This means she “believed on” the Lord Jesus Christ and was saved by God’s grace.
By the time Paul visited the twin cities of Lystra and Derbe where young Timothy dwelt, he was described as “a certain disciple” by Luke. He was not only saved, but he was following in the footsteps of Jesus. God would mightily use this young man as a servant of His dear Son to impart the same “holy, sincere faith” that was in his heart to many others. Timothy not only became a missionary companion of the Apostle Paul, but he would go on to be the faithful pastor of the church at Ephesus.

Such a full and honorable life for Christ is lived day by day and one decision at a time. And spiritual decisions are largely made based on the influence we receive from others. Remember, my beloved brethren, that there’s nothing more precious and influential that we can leave our children and grandchildren than the testimony of our sincere faith in God.

And since today is Mother’s Day, we join King Solomon in tribute to our mothers, especially those who feared the Lord. “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Prov. 31.30-31).

Does this same “unfeigned,” “holy,” “sincere” faith that was in the hearts of Lois, Eunice and Timothy dwell in your heart? “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10.17). “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” (John 3.16). “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16.31).

(Message preached on Mother’s Day, May 9, 2021, to the Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Arkansas by her pastor Randy Hawkins. May God bless “the unfeigned faith”
of Christian mothers, “living still”.)

05/05/2021

DISCIPLESHIP IN EVANGELISM
“And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
(Matthew 4.19-20).

“Let Down Your Nets:” Invitation (Luke 5.4)
The Greater Objective of This Series:

To enlist, encourage and equip the membership for personal and collective evangelism,
that others might be saved and likewise become soul-winning disciples, ensuring the growth, spiritual prosperity and perpetuity of this New Testament Church.

Introduction
This record of Christ’s enlistment of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him and to “become fishers of men” (Matt. 4.19) parallels the same account given by Matthew and also by Mark. However, Luke adds the record of the miraculous draft of fish that these men took when they followed Jesus’ instructions. This great experience was both the pledge and working concept in how they would later catch lost souls with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m quite sure that this great experience was ingrained into their thinking; and from it, they drew encouragement and instruction for the evangelistic work that Christ had called them to do.

“Launch out into the deep, and LET DOWN YOUR NETS FOR A DRAUGHT” (Luke 5.4)
The focus of this message is on what might seem to be a small detail. The Lord called on Peter and the others, not only to get into their fishing boats and go out into the deep, but He further instructed them to “LET DOWN THEIR NETS FOR A DRAUGHT (or DRAFT)” (5.4). Here, the spiritual analogy in “LETTING DOWN THE NET” represents the crucial need to extend an invitation for lost men, women, boys and girls to be saved. “LETTING DOWN THE GOSPEL NET” doesn’t involve a suggestion for a lost person to be saved at their convenience sometime in the future. It’s inviting them to be saved by the wonderful grace of Jesus then and there! It’s pleading with them to call on the Name of the Lord in prayer and to ask Christ to forgive them and save their soul.

UNLESS WE LOWER THE GOSPEL NET, WE’RE NOT TRULY FISHING.
I remember, when my sister and I were little, Dad would take us fishing. My favorite part was “the boat ride”. I still like to “boat ride”. I remember how I often got bored waiting on the fish to bite, and I would point out how people were catching fish on the other side of the lake. I knew that, if we moved over there, we probably wouldn’t catch anything. But I was after a “boat ride” to break the monotony.
When we get right down to it, “boat riding,” or merely “launching out into the deep,” isn’t “fishing” in itself. Certainly, those who are water skiing are not fishing. BELOVED, UNLESS WE PRESENT THE GOSPEL TO THOSE WHO ARE LOST, PLEAD WITH THEM AND INVITE THEM TO RECEIVE THE SAVIOR . . . WE AREN’T ACTUALLY “FISHING FOR MEN”. We may carry a big Bible. We may speak about the need for people to be saved. We may even go out and socialize with the unsaved. We might even go so far as to invite them to church. BUT WE AREN’T “FISHING FOR THEIR SOULS” UNTIL WE, OR SOMEONE, “LOWERS THE NET”!
In the case of what might be called “COLLECTIVE EVANGELISM” it’s helpful for the membership, as a whole, to invite the unsaved to church services. It’s likewise necessary for prayer to be offered on behalf of the lost and for the preaching of the Gospel message. Moreover, when the unsaved do come to church, it’s important for everyone to welcome them and reach out to them in God’s love. But, again, UNTIL “THE GOSPEL NET IS LOWERED” DEEP INTO THE HEARTS OF THE LOST BY A WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT . . . UNTIL WE ACTUALLY INVITE THEM TO RECEIVE CHRIST BY FAITH THEN AND THERE . . . WE’LL JUST “TOIL ALL NIGHT AND CATCH NOTHING”!
I remember a true story that happened years ago in a big bass tournament on Lake Millwood in Southwest Arkansas. Before the crack of dawn, there were more than a hundred “souped-up” bass boats positioned on the starting line. The shot was fired, and the race was on to get to the far extremities of the lake, perhaps miles away. Why is it that the fish are always supposed to bite best miles away from the landing? Well, on that day this was not the case. After all the loud noise from the powerful engines had dissipated, after the great waves that were generated from all those speeding boats had subsided . . . an old fisherman, who was a registered participant in the tournament, took his flat-bottom, aluminum boat off the roof of his old station wagon and slid it into the water. Instead of an outboard motor at all, he had a wooden paddle in hand. He paddled from the boat landing a few hundred feet into some submerged timber and began fishing, not with the latest fishing lures and artificial bates, but with a bucket of minnows. You guessed it. He caught the biggest bass and won the tournament!
It struck me that he was actually “fishing” long before all those in their big, powerful rigs finished “boat riding”. Again, we are not “fishing for men,” until we “let down the Gospel Net”!

HOW ARE WE TO “LOWER THE GOSPEL NET”?
Dr. L. R. Scarborough wrote, “Some will use only the rod and reel of personal evangelism. Others must throw out and haul in the Gospel net in public evangelism” (With Christ after the Lost 145). Of course, he was distinguishing between the lay Christian who witnesses to one lost soul at a time in contrast to the evangelist or pastor who draws the Gospel Net in a public invitation that may involve many people.
Nevertheless, there are principles involved that are the same. For example, we must extend an invitation for salvation based on the same Gospel Message. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the ONLY “power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1.16)! We must present it with simplicity and with clarity. We must be careful not to confuse the pressing need of the Gospel with doctrinal discussions. Doctrinal teaching follows salvation and not before. The lost must hear the Good News of God’s salvation in Christ. Nothing else will get the job done!
We must tell them about the wages of sin.
We must share with them the Good News that God loves them and has provided a way for them to be saved, although they have sinned.
We must tell them that Christ died the awful death of the cross to pay for all their sins and that He rose from the dead on the third day with infinite power to save us “to the uttermost” (Heb. 7.25).
We must also show them from the Scriptures what they must do to be saved.
BUT WE MUST LOWER THE NET; WE MUST INVITE THEM THEN AND THERE TO REPENT AND RECEIVE CHRIST BY FAITH AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR.
When we “lower the Gospel Net,” we must do so WITH CONFIDENCE in God to bless His Word and also to bless our efforts as Christ’s witnesses. We must trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to convict the lost, to draw them to Christ and to work the work of regeneration in their soul. The Bible promises that the Word of God will never return to Him void, but that it will accomplish God’s purpose whenever it goes forth (cf. Isaiah 55.8-11).
We must lower the Gospel Net IN EARNESTNESS. We must plead with them earnestly, realizing the peril of their lost souls and the eternal consequences should they “get away” still lost in their sin. Moreover, we must earnestly consider what great blessings will follow if they are “taken alive” for Christ. Whether the analogy is sowing seeds or fishing for men, we must go forth in earnest, “weeping o’er the erring ones”.
We must also “lower the Gospel Net” PRAYERFULLY. We should pray before we invite the lost to Christ. We must pray for the Holy Spirit to convict them “of sin . . . of righteousness . . . and of judgment” (John 16.8-11) to come. We should pray silently while we are “lowering the Gospel Net”. And we should add an audible prayer for their soul while we extend the invitation for them to receive Christ. Prayer acknowledges our dependence on the power of God’s Spirit. It opens up the portals of Heaven and brings the sinner before God’s Throne of Grace. Only the Lord can reveal His love and mercy to a lost soul and cause the Light of the Gospel to shine in that heart dark with sin.

THE EXCITEMENT OF “CATCHING FISH”
Try to imagine Peter’s excitement when he saw the net braking with the great catch of fish. Try to imagine the excitement in his voice when he shouted out to James and John in the other boat to come and help them! This was one for the record books, and these disciples knew it. They also clearly sensed that the Lord would give them success in “fishing for men,” if only they would “follow Him”. How do we know this? Luke recorded, “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him” (Luke 5.11).
Notice that they experienced more than “EXCITEMENT;” they discovered “ENTHUSIAM” in their souls. ENTHUSIAMS literally refers to “AN EXCITEMENT OR JOY IN GOD.” Their “excitement” reached beyond the great catch of fish, and their hearts were filled with “enthusiasm” in what they might experience IN THE LORD.
You may or may not remember the first fish you caught. But each fish we pull in stirs us to catch another! And there’s an excitement in “fishing for men” in that to “catch one” is to earnestly desire to “catch another”.
I once went fishing with the late, Bro. Paul Goodwin. Dr. Goodwin was a past President and Instructor of the Missionary Baptist Seminary and one of the greatest soul-winners I’ve ever met. He “fished for men” with passion and caught many. On this particular fishing trip that I share, he was having great success catching catfish on crickets. Again and again, he would reel one in and ask me to pass him another cricket. He would say each time, “I believe I’ll try just one more cricket!” Until the Lord called Bro. Goodwin Home, he continued to “fish for men” with the same passion and enthusiasm.
Brethren, in a spiritual sense we need to “get hooked on fishing”! Joy and enthusiasm will not only fill our hearts when souls are saved, but this church will be filled with the same. A soul-winning church is a church filled with “rejoicing” and excitement. It’s a church where the shouts of joy are “heard afar off” (Neh. 12.43), and people come to be part of it all.
My beloved brethren, let’s obey the Lord and “let down the Gospel Net,” trusting in His Word. Let’s go beyond “the boat ride” and “fish for men”. Oh, the possibilities . . . oh, the rejoicing that awaits us . . . if only we trust and obey!

(Message delivered to the Cedar Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, Arkansas on May 2, 2021 by her Pastor, Randy Hawkins. Revive us again, O Lord and give us “children”!)

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