A New Servant in a Fishing Town

Rev. C. Vogelaar, Zwolle, the Netherlands

Since the busy winter season has ended and there are no catechism classes, house visitations, and meetings of societies this time of the year, several significant changes have taken place on this side of the ocean. In the month of May, four new students were accepted to the studies at the theological school. This was very encouraging. (May there be much prayer for our churches in North America where it has now been eight years since a student was accepted.) In June, the three students who became candidates were eligible for calls by the vacant congregations. Many calls were sent out to “Come over and help us.” Three churches have now received a gladdening answer that the Lord inclined the heart of a candidate to accept their call.

Candidate J. van Rijswijk accepted the call to the small congregation of s Gravenzande. Candidate G. Bredeweg gave a gladdening answer to the church of Barneveld South. Formerly, there was just one church in Barneveld with about 3400 members and baptized members. Because of the continuing growth of the congregation, it was decided to split the church in two: Barneveld Centre and Barneveld South. This was finalized a few months ago when a consistory was chosen and they were officially organized as a new church with a beautiful new building. The first call they sent out received a positive answer, so they will not have been vacant very long when they receive their first minister, D.V Lastly, Candidate K. Boeder accepted a call to the congregation of Terwolde DeVecht. However, about seventy churches were disappointed. This shows that the need is still great as it is also in Canada and the U.S.A.

A fisher of men

Our classis Kampen, where we may labor, also received some more help. Rev. J. van Belzen from Veenendaal accepted the call from Urk, a well-known fishing town. The church in Urk had not been vacant for long, since it was only half a year ago that their former minister, Rev. E. Bakker, had departed for Scherpenisse in Zeeland. Urk is a town where many of the fathers are employed in the fishing industry and are away from home from Monday morning till Friday evening. This was the reason that the installation and inaugural services for Rev. J. van Belzen took place on a Saturday.

In the morning, Rev. A. Schot from Nunspeet led the installation service and preached from Luke 5 about the rich catch of fish that the Lord gave unto His disciples. This brought back memories of my own inaugural service in St. Catharines, in 1984, in which I spoke from Luke 5:5b: “Nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net.” It was an unforgettable time for us. The Lord is still the same although many things have changed over the years, also for our family.

The Lord Jesus said to Peter, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Rev. van Belzen also may cast out the net of the gospel in this fishing town. In the afternoon Rev. van Belzen preached his inaugural sermon from Isaiah 40:1&2, in which a rich message of comfort is given for a people in exile and a good tiding for poor and needy sinners, also in our days. It was his wish to meet many of such mourning people and to be used to bring the message to them of the true comfort in the finished work of Christ.

On behalf of the classis Kampen and the Particular Synod East, I was called to address the new minister of Urk with a word of welcome. It is a great privilege to be made a fisher of men and to be enabled to labor as God’s servant in His vineyard. It is our hope that the Lord may use His servant’s labors to the extension of His kingdom and to the instruction of His children.

The desire of the apostle

The Apostle Paul knew of the great privilege to have been made God’s servant. In 2 Corinthians 4:1, he mentions the cause of this. He writes, “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy,” glorifying his Master for His undeserved goodness. Then, Paul spoke about the false teachers, that “the light of the glorious gospel” did not shine unto them and they were blind for the preciousness of Christ.

The apostle had a sincere desire not to preach himself but Christ Jesus the Lord. He speaks about this in verse 5, where he also makes that contrast between his King who is Lord and himself who is but a servant, devoted to his labors for Jesus’ sake. This Word of God written by Paul expresses his desire to deny himself, to have the honor of God in view, and not to seek to attract people to himself or to promote his own honor. How we need to be kept from being self-pleasers and self-promoters instead of seeking to exalt Him, the precious Lord Jesus, who alone is worthy to receive all the honor.

There is also the danger of becoming men pleasers, which is contrary to our calling. We have to seek men’s welfare, especially for their souls, but we may never seek their admiration or favor instead of obeying God’s will. It was Paul’s desire to exalt the precious King of the church and to be used to lead sinners to Him. How dangerous our office can be, and how terrible it is if we use our high calling to seek vain glory for ourselves and thus steal what belongs to the Lord who graciously called us to be a fisher of men. How we stand in need of the humbling instruction of the Spirit in order to be kept from this.

The Lord knows how to bring His servants and His children to the right place and to keep them there. It was the desire of John the Baptist as a friend of the Bridegroom: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This is not something that our flesh desires, but the new nature longs that God may receive all the honor. They learn—nothing in us and all in Him. In such a way the church travels to Jerusalem. There they will never steal anymore but give all the honor to a Triune God and praise Him alone for what He has given.

Has this already become your desire, or do you still live for yourself as a restless seeker of happiness in the creature or in the world where you will never find it? Ask the Lord to take away your blindness and to show you your awful guilt and His righteous judgments. May you learn to flee from the wrath of a holy God. There is still a Refuge for such fugitives. Blessed are they who may be hidden in this eternal Refuge. There is still place for the greatest and most filthy sinner, for older ones, but also for our young people and children.

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