Mend the Net!

As we held a large fishing net, Leslie & Chad Seagraves led our second presentation with these words:

Just as Jesus is both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God, we too are both fishers of people and the net itself. Notice the diversity of those of us who are holding the net as the fishers of people. We are from Australia, North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. We are from different tribes. We’re different shades of color. We’re all gifted in diverse ways. Jesus prayed that we would be one. Not all just the same, but unified in our diversity. The Bible tells us that the Spirit has gifted each of us “just as He apportioned it” (Ephesians 4:7). The Bible says He gifts all believers, but the Word never says He gifts us with gifts based on our gender. Yet, at times, believers tell other believers that they cannot hold that certain part of the net because of their gender. The results of this exclusion and inequality can be disastrous.

1. Men, hold onto your net. Women, drop your part of the net. What happens? We lose some fish. We don’t catch as many as we could if we all worked together. Women, hold the net. Now men drop your net. Again, we lose some fish.

2. Men, hold the net high. Women, get on your knees and hold your net. What happens if we work with men over women? We lose some of our efficiency in catching fish. Fish get out. Reverse it, women standing and men on knees. What happens?   

God did not create man and woman to stand at different levels in Genesis. He created them side-by-side. Jesus redeems this picture through the Cross as Galatians 3:28 where the Word says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all One in Christ Jesus.” He makes it possible for man and woman to again reflect His image of partnership, unity, and equality.

First Presentation from Main Stage