By Jeremiah Daniel Baba
The truth about the reality of Gospel preaching today is that there are many things we need to correct within the Christian community, especially among our preachers, apostles, evangelists and church leaders.
If we study the Bible carefully, we will discover that the early disciples understood something that we seem to be losing today: the Gospel was never meant to be about competition, denomination or personal glory. It was about reaching people and bringing them closer to God.
In Luke 5:1–11, Jesus met Simon Peter and the other fishermen at the riverside after they had worked all night without catching anything. Jesus instructed them to let down their nets again, and they experienced a miraculous catch of fish. After the miracle, Jesus told Simon that from that point forward, he would become a “fisher of men.”
That statement carries a powerful lesson.
Jesus was essentially showing them that their purpose could no longer be limited to catching fish. Their lives were going to be used to reach people, transform lives and spread the message of God's Kingdom.
And that brings me to Christianity today.
ARE WE REALLY FISHERS OF MEN?
One of my major concerns about Christianity today is that we sometimes spend too much energy on things that do not directly advance the Gospel of Christ.
We argue over denominations.
We attack one another.
We compete over whose church is bigger.
We debate who is the “real” preacher.
We sometimes create unnecessary divisions over churches, doctrines and personalities while millions of people are still searching for meaning, hope, truth and God.
The question we should ask ourselves is:
Are we still fishing for men, or have we become too busy fighting among ourselves?
I commend the pastors, evangelists, content creators, missionaries and ordinary believers who are actively using social media to share the Gospel. In today's world, platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and X can become powerful tools for evangelism when they are used responsibly.
But we can go even further.
CHRISTIANITY AND TECHNOLOGY
Technology is advancing rapidly, particularly artificial intelligence.
AI is already changing education, communication, entertainment, research and the way people access information. Instead of seeing every new technology only as a threat, Christians should also ask:
How can we responsibly use technology to reach people with the Gospel?
Imagine Christian organisations developing ethical AI-powered educational tools that can help people study the Bible, understand historical and cultural contexts, explore biblical concepts and find relevant Scriptures.
Imagine a young person who is afraid to walk into a church being able to ask sincere questions about Christianity through a carefully designed Bible-learning platform.
Imagine technology helping translate biblical educational materials into languages that have limited Christian resources.
Technology should never replace the Holy Spirit, genuine Christian fellowship, pastoral care or the authority of Scripture. But it can become a tool that supports evangelism and Bible education.
The question is not whether technology will advance.
It will.
The question is whether Christians will use the opportunities available to them wisely.
WHY ARE WE SO DIVIDED?
Another major concern is denominational division.
Sometimes I genuinely struggle to understand why people who claim to believe in the same Christ and read the same Bible spend so much energy fighting one another.
Yes, there are important theological differences between Christian traditions. We should not pretend that every doctrine is identical or that every teaching is correct.
But disagreement should not automatically become hatred.
We should be able to disagree without destroying one another.
The early Church understood the importance of unity. Jesus Himself prayed for the unity of His followers.
John 17:21 records Jesus praying that His followers would be one.
Paul also reminded believers in 1 Corinthians 12 that although there are different members, they form one body.
So why have we allowed denomination to become more important than the mission?
Why do we sometimes behave as though Christ belongs to our particular denomination?
Christ is not the property of one denomination.
WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIANITY ARE WE LEAVING BEHIND?
We need to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question:
Is the Christianity we are handing to the next generation the Christianity we received from Christ and the early Church—or a version we have modified around our own interests?
The Christianity of the early believers was characterised by sacrifice, fellowship, service, evangelism, generosity, prayer and commitment to Christ.
Today, we must be careful not to replace those things with competition, celebrity culture, materialism, unnecessary controversies and denominational superiority.
The Church must return to the central mission.
Preach Christ.
Make disciples.
Serve humanity.
Love one another.
Defend the truth with humility.
Use available tools to reach people.
And stop making ourselves the centre of the Gospel.
IT IS TIME TO WAKE UP
This is not an attack on every preacher or every denomination. There are countless pastors, missionaries, evangelists and believers doing incredible work for God's Kingdom.
Rather, it is a call for reflection.
The world is changing rapidly.
Young people are searching for answers.
Technology is transforming communication.
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life.
People are looking for meaning, identity and hope.
This is not the time for the Christian community to be consumed by unnecessary internal battles.
This is the time to go fishing.
Jesus told His disciples, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19.
The question for our generation is simple:
Are we still fishing for men?
Or have we become so busy fighting over the boat that we have forgotten the people drowning in the water?
It is high time for the Christian community to wake up.
Wake up to the mission.
Wake up to unity.
Wake up to technology.
Wake up to evangelism.
Wake up to Christ.