Years ago I started a sermon by asking for five volunteers to come help me with an illustration. As I selected them, they came forward. I gave each of them a little plastic fireman’s helmet and a badge, the kind our local fire department handed out to kids when they visited schools. I told my volunteers: “You are all firefighters. And I’m going to give you some extra tasks to perform in-between fires.”

I gave one and apron and told him to cook the meals. I gave another a towel and told her to was the truck, keeping it nice and shiny. I gave another a bucket of cleaning supplies and rubber gloves and told him to keep the firehouse clean. The next one was given and wrench and the task of keeping the vehicles in good running condition. The last was given a bag of dog food for feeding the Dalmatian.

In order to make sure there was no misunderstanding, I asked each to tell me their job. Each one told me the task they had been given, to which I replied, “Very good – you’re all wrong. What you just told me was a responsibility you were given, but that is not your job. Your job is to be a firefighter.”

In our lives as Christians, we all have tasks and responsibilities, which sometimes confuses us about our calling. As the followers of Jesus Christ, our primary job is to be Fishers of Men.

You and I know what God has done for us. We know that if we had to pay the price for sin on our own, we would be forever condemned in Hell. We know that our sins deserve that awful punishment. And we know that we keep on sinning day after day, that we continue to fall short of the standard God would have us live up to. But you and I know that when Jesus died on the cross, it was to pay for all of our sins. We know that His resurrection proclaimed the victory over sin and death. Because we have faith in Jesus, God’s grace will not let our sins be held against us, but forgives us and invites us to be with Him forever in heaven. That is who we are – that is what we have become through our Baptism, through faith in Jesus. People who are certain of God’s love and forgiveness.

As such, you and I are not just supposed to sit on our hands and think about how lucky we are to be saved. God had given us a job. Earlier I called it “fishers of men” because that is what Jesus said:

Mark 1:17  “Come, follow me…and I will make you fishers of men.” (Also Matthew 4:19)

If you don’t like that terminology, you can use what He said in Acts 1:

Acts 1:8 … you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Your job as a follower of Jesus Christ is to share Him with others. That is job one. You may have other duties, like teachers, accountants, law enforcement, bankers, salesmen, pastors, whatever. But your primary job in life is to be an ambassador for Christ. You are to show Him to everyone you meet. Don’t let your other duties or your other pursuits distract you from your job.

Someone sent be a story about a Pastor, and Assistant Pastor, and Youth Pastor were hanging out in the Pastor’s office talking about doctrine.  Suddenly, through a partially closed door, they see Jesus Christ himself strolling down the hall. They recognize Him and look at each other aghast. The Pastor walks across the office, sits down behind his desk at his computer and starts typing furiously. Over the clatter, the Assistant Pastor shakily asks “What are you doing?! That’s Jesus himself coming down the hall!” The Pastor, still typing away, looks up and says, “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna look real busy.”

Just looking busy is not what it is all about. Being about our work as disciples is our job. And God knows whether or not you are doing it. It is to be our response to all that He has given us. One more word picture that Scripture uses to tell you what you should be doing:

Matthew 5:16 …let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.