Akinyemi said: “Hook fishing catches one fish at a time. Net fishing brings in quite a number of fish. The time is so short before the trumpet sounds that we cannot afford to waste time. The time has come for us to deploy all our resources to bringing in many fish. We use our net to bring in many fish. Jesus called us to be fishers of men and the best way to fish is net fishing. But that does not exclude hook fishing because we still need to meet people one-on-one, talk to them one-on-one, witness to them one-on-one, impact their lives and harvest them into God’s kingdom.”
Explaining the four basic things that could happen to their nets as they embark on this journey, Akinyemi identified four different categories of net handlers such as net casters, net menders, net breakers and net washers.
He said: “There are four things that can happen to our nets. That gives us four kinds of people, or four kinds of fisher men or four kinds of net handlers. The first category is net casters. This is in Mark 1:16: ‘Now as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishers.”
“As fishers of men, like Simon and Andrew, we should cast our nets to bring in the fish. If I may ask, every programme we organise in church do they actually bring in fish into God’s kingdom or we just organise jamborees to entertain ourselves? The first category is the net casters. There are people who are casting their nets.
“The second category is in Mark 1:19; ‘And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. These are net menders. These are people that ensure that when the net is cast to enclose the fish, the fish do not fall out of the net back into the water. They are those involved in ensuring the back door is shut so that the people that come into the church do not escape back into the world.
“The net menders ensure the shutting of the back door of escape back to the world through discipleship, follow-up, intercession for the people until Christ is fully formed in them. This also involves mending fences, healing relationships and dealing with offences to ensure nobody leaves the kingdom on account of offence.”
The cleric who called on the participants to change their strategy and approach said: “Maybe your strategy is wrong and your approach needs some mending because some of us are still using 1970 approach to preach in 2023.
“Lagos has become too sophisticated for that one. I am not against morning cry but I wonder how many people hear you or give their lives to Christ. The traditional approach that we used to bring the fish in the past is quite different from today’s approach. The modern day fish is too sophisticated. You need to mend your approach, mend the method you are using in order to bring in the fish.
After you have mended, corrected or upgraded, then cast your net again for the drought. The drought is coming. Peter said we toiled all night, we caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net. Peter decided to go back to being a net caster. Of these four categories of net handlers there are only two we should be; a net caster and a net mender. Never be a net breaker. Never be a net washer.
“After this seminar, as we return to our various duty posts, we should start casting the net and bringing in the fish in this end-time harvest. Always tell yourself nevertheless at thy word I will cast my net again. I can never be the less of His word. I will always be more at His word. I will go back to cast my net and bring in the fish; one hundred and fifty three at a time; a thousand at a time.
And the Lord will give me my mighty harvest. I pray, as you do all of this your ministry will blossom again. Your church will grow again. Your efforts will be rewarded. You shall not labour in vain. You shall not bring forth for nothing. The good hand of the Lord will rest upon you as you do his work in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
