This sermon by George River emphasizes the call to become fishers of men, drawing parallels between leaving behind secular work like the fishermen in Mark 1:16-20 and answering the call to missions. George highlights the overwhelming need for workers in unreached areas, urging listeners to repent and cry out for mercy if their hearts are not moved by this need. He also stresses the importance of making the need for workers and finances known, sharing insights on stewardship and the impact of giving towards world missions.

We join George River, International Director of Operation Mobilization, speaking at the North American Training Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. 200 young Americans, Canadians and Mexicans were present, receiving instruction to equip them for OM's summer missions program in Europe and Mexico. George's message is based on the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, verses 16 to 20, becoming fishers of men. In Jesus' name, Amen. What are some reasons why you, sitting here, should consider going in the way that those men who were there fishing that day should go? In other words, leaving your nets, leaving secular work and launching out. Let me give you my reasons. Number one, and you write these down and share them all over the world. I keep a lot of this stuff in my Bible. Sometimes the only thing I have with me is my Bible, and I don't like to lose some of my little nuggets, because my memory isn't so great. And I found all these blank pages in the back of my Bible, and they're all filled up with all these outlines and quotations and messages and exhortations for myself, quotes from Hudson Taylor. I ran out of blank spaces, and then I saw all these maps. I couldn't figure out what you're supposed to do with these maps. I've tried to travel in these areas with these maps, and it's very confusing. So I bought a modern map, and I pasted up more outlines and notes over these maps. And then there was this funny thing in my Bible, index to subject chain references. That didn't seem very useful, so I've covered that up with this little sticker that I had typed up called Seven Reasons Why You Should Go. And the first reason, write it down. The need is so overwhelming. The need. We have only given you a tip, a taste of the need, during our prayer concert and during other meetings. You devour that book, Operation World. I forgot to push it tonight. The maps and the prayer cards. If you haven't got those, see the people at the book table, say, what's this man talking about? Prayer cards and maps. Operation World. I don't understand all this. What is it? He'll be happy. He'll even take a post-dated check into 1988. I'll cover it with an IOU. The need is so great. The unreached people. We've referred to the Uyghurs, the Baluch, the Kurdish people. We've referred to the Afars, the Wolof, the Turkmens. We could just go on and on, giving you the names of people's groups where the church does not yet exist. If that doesn't move your missionary heart, you need to just repent and cry out for mercy. I often do. Not many people really are gripped with this need. I know the first time I went into First Baptist in Atlanta many years ago and I gave the message, people responded. The next time I went in, I gave an invitation. Many came forward. We haven't just started working in Atlanta. You know, last month or last year. And those people began to talk with others. And soon other invitations came. Last year, the invitation to speak at the Missions Conference, I wasn't able to go. Others went. God used them. They met with Charles Stanley. He encouraged us to come. Others were doing the same. We prayed about all this, put other factors together, and here we are. Still a big step of faith. And I'll be back in November to again this time speak, not only in the evening but throughout the entire day, at that Missions Conference. Let us understand that if you and I would present this vision to more people through lip and literature, more people would be inviting us to get involved. More people would be joining us. More people would be responding to the call. Let's make the need known. Not just the need for workers. Let's make the need for finance known. Every Christian movement has blind spots. We had ours. We still do. If I knew what it was, it wouldn't be a blind spot. I got some ideas. But one of our blind spots was that we, in a sense, overreacting to begging, overreacting to financial manipulation, we wouldn't hardly even talk about money. I would because I got a big mouth and I talk about everything. I haven't just in the last two years started talking about money. I've been preaching, except you forsake all that you have. Can't be my disciple for 30 years. What you think's got me in so much trouble? But we would certainly never put anything in our prayer letter specifically about the need for funds. We thought we should just take this to God and let it move on people's hearts. We haven't changed very much over these last years. But we feel that we must teach the whole counsel of God. And that means we must talk about money. And we must be honest so that people know how to pray and they know intelligently how to give. I will tell you many things around the United States that I have studied and I do a lot of research. I will give them a dime. I'll give them a glass of water. I might buy them a Coke if I'm trying to win their heart. But I'm not going to give my money to some of these groups because I just know so much. Do you know what Oswald J. Smith said, one of my mentors? Oswald J. Smith said, look, those of you who have world vision, you're so few, so few of you have world vision, you give all of your money basically to world missions. Plenty of others will take care of building a church. Plenty of others will take care of the pastor's salary. Plenty of others will buy the video equipment for the church and the new organ, the stained glass window, the four-inch carpet, the luxury pews, and the air-conditioned conveyor belts to take the people in and out of the church. People got all kinds, all kinds of visions and they're giving money for all kinds of things. So if you, if you have a vision for world missions, that's where you ought to give your money. And God hit me with that, it changed my stewardship. And you know, I don't think the church in America has suffered because my stewardship didn't go in their direction. I don't think so. Unconverted people, listen, unconverted people are given to the church. You know that? In fact, some groups specialize in getting money out of the unsaved since the saved are often so tight. It's bizarre, isn't it? The need is so great. Millions and millions and tens of millions haven't even got a gospel tract that costs maybe a fifth of a cent. Much less a New Testament or a New Bible. Many of us here have seen people fight for scriptures. We've seen them grab for gospel tracts. I remember this big football player from one of the great Minnesota football teams, one of the original four horsemen. Years ago, big Glen Wagner, I don't think he ever got hurt on the football field, but he got hurt giving out tracts in Asia. People rushed him. And you're going to see some things that are going to surprise you. The need. So overwhelming.