“Boats, Boxes and Other Plan Bs”

Pikeville UMC

July 8, 2018

John 21: 1-14 (NIV)

¹Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.  It happened this way:  ²Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. ³"I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

⁴Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

⁵He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered.

⁶He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

⁷Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.  ⁸The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. ⁹When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

¹⁰Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

¹¹Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.  ¹²Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.  ¹³Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  ¹⁴This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Introduction                

In January of 1986, Israel was in a drought more severe than any in collective memory.  While the drought affected the entire country, the area most impacted was what you and I know as the Sea of Galilee.  The Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake and not only was no water coming in, but – since it provides roughly one-third of Israel’s drinking water – water was going out at an alarming rate.     

The drought was, however, a huge blessing for archaeologists.  With water levels falling, artifacts were being discovered around the shore line.  The most significant discovery was that of a boat.

The boat was shallow enough to allow for fishing along the shoreline and capable of seating 12-15 people.  Carbon dating placed the origin of the boat as being from the early first century, which immediately led some to nickname it “The Jesus Boat” because of its similarity to the types of boats referred to in the gospels. 

We know that Jesus had worked as a carpenter, but some of Jesus’ disciples – namely Peter, Andrew, James and John – had been fishermen.  That is until they met Jesus and left that life behind.  In Mark 10, Peter said to Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you.” 

Had they really?

After all, as we read in John’s Gospel, these disciples were so deeply moved by the resurrection of Jesus from the grave that they… went fishing???

Years ago, in studying this passage, I had this thought – the kind that is known to get me into trouble… I couldn’t help but wonder, “Where did Peter get the boat?”

What do you mean, “Where did he get the boat?” you just said, he had been a fisherman.  Yes, but if they had left those old lives behind, why did they need a boat?

It seems like they found their way back to their old life rather quickly doesn’t it? 

It’s as if the moment things turned out differently than he expected, Peter went back to his former life as quickly as he could.  In fact, it’s as if Peter had a boat put back for just such an occasion. 

I cannot help but wonder if the boat Peter was using represented more than a method of navigating water or obtaining fish for Peter.  I suspect that the boat represented a “Plan B” in his spiritual journey.  It’s his contingency plan just in case this Jesus thing doesn’t work out... a way of hedging his bets if you will.

In the gospels, we discover that many people Jesus encountered had some form of boat or Plan B.  Truth be told, some of those boats are still around today.  It is possible that even some of us have a boat or a Plan B.

There’s the boat of relationships. 

In Matthew 10, Jesus was instructing the disciples about what it meant to follow him.  In doing so, he identifies one of the most common boats… our relationships.  Jesus makes it clear that those who would follow could place no other relationship ahead of him – not even the most intimate ones.  He said, “Anyone who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” 

That is difficult to comprehend, but Jesus’ demand for lordship in our lives exceeds even these dearest of relationships.  Let’s be clear… Jesus is not asking us not to love the most crucial people in our lives, but it is always with the understanding that he comes first.  Christ demands preeminence in our lives.  Christian writer and speaker, Tony Campolo, explains it by saying, “If you want to be a good father, husband, wife or mother, put Jesus first in your life.”

Relationships – even the closest of relationships – were never meant to take the place of Jesus in our lives.  If they do, they become a boat.

There’s the boat of wealth and possessions.

In Matthew 19, Jesus had a well-known conversation with a young man who was quite wealthy.  He was a holy man, who had been obedient to the Law.  He’s everything we would want in a member of our church.  However, as Jesus looks below the surface and into the young man’s heart, he identifies a problem.  The young man doesn’t possess his wealth.  His wealth possesses him.  To break free of this boat, Jesus instructs him to go and sell all that he has; give it to the poor and come follow him. 

When the young man is unable to bring himself to do so, Jesus makes the statement that it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.  The boat of wealth is hard to overcome. 

The boat of the success

The Apostle Paul identified a third boat; it’s one that some of us Type A, high achievers in our midst especially have to be on guard against… the boat of success. 

In Philippians 3, Paul listed his resume.  It was one that anyone of his time and place would have loved to have and one worthy of being proud of, but Paul – in very graphic language that is lost in our English translations – says that in comparison to knowing Christ, it’s a pile of manure (and yes, in the Greek language, that’s what he said).  

Some of us spend a lifetime climbing the ladder of success only to discover we had our ladders propped up against the wrong wall.  We discover what we are chasing either cannot be caught or – if we do catch it – is ultimately not satisfying. 

Even churches struggle with the boat of success.

Sometimes, we, who are part of a great church with a powerful history and legacy, can become so tied to our past accomplishments, that we struggle to minister to the present and are ill equipped to face the future. 

A successful past cannot take the place of a vital relationship with Jesus. 

Now, you may be thinking, “Gee sounds like you think a lot of people have boats.”  And the truth is I do.  In fact, I believe that most of us have boats… even United Methodist pastors.

One of my boats is a box. 

When I was in seminary I served as a student pastor.  The two country churches I served were wonderful, but it was clearly understood that once I was finished with seminary, I would move to a full-time appointment.  As we moved into the parsonage, we would unpack a box and stack it in the dining room.  As we did so, I had a great idea.  We should hang on to these boxes.  “After all,” I thought, “we’re only going to be here until I finish school, and these are good boxes.  I should keep them to use when we move again.” 

But even as that thought crossed my mind, there came a nudge from the Holy Spirit, “Get rid of the boxes.  As long as you are holding on to these boxes you will have one foot here and one foot in your next appointment.  You will never be able to serve me completely here if you’re thinking of someplace else.” 

Keeping those boxes seemed like a good idea.  Shouldn’t we keep our options open?  Peter was able to go back to his old life because he kept the door of fishing open – and that’s the problem.

Years ago, an aspiring actor from Augusta, Kentucky – some kid named George Clooney – was interested in pursuing his dream of becoming an actor.  His father, Nick, a celebrity in his own right, encouraged his son to have a Plan B or, as he called it, a fall back plan.  To which George replied, “If I have something to fall back on, I’ll fall back on it.” 

George understood that to pursue his dream he had to do so with abandonment.  That certainly is true in the life of faith. 

No matter what form our boats, boxes or other Plan Bs may take, the hard truth of Jesus’ teaching is, until we get rid of them we are inhibited from becoming everything that Christ longs for us to be. 

A disciple of Jesus cannot audit the class on total commitment and, make no mistake, Jesus isn’t interested in half-hearted fans.  He wants fully devoted followers. 

There really is only one solution.  One might think of it as “The Cortez Solution”.  We have to burn the boats.

Burn the Boats

In 1519, the explorer Hernando Cortez led an expedition of eleven ships and seven hundred men into Mexico in search of treasure.  After they unloaded and went ashore, Cortez ordered the boats to be burned.

Cortez did not know what he and his men would encounter in their expedition, but he knew as long as getting back on the boats and going home was an option, his men would never put their entire heart and soul into the mission.  They would hedge their bets.  By burning the boats, he eliminated their option of going back - at the same time creating an intensely powerful motivation to move ahead on their mission and succeed.

As disciples of Jesus, we need to burn the boats, get rid of the boxes and eliminate the Plan B’s.  But how do we do that?

Might I offer three potential solutions…

1.    Surrender control.  I never cease to be amazed at how easily I lose control of my life.  Control is an illusion.  It is an illusion, however, many of us work very hard to maintain. We map out everything from careers and schedules to vacation plans and hobbies, but something as simple as a stomach virus can wreak havoc upon all our most carefully laid plans.  Control doesn’t really exist, but we fight hard to maintain the illusion of having it only to discover that Jesus calls us to relinquish it.

I want to be clear.  Surrendering control does not mean that we turn off our brains and stop planning for the future.  What it does mean, though, is that we are willing to adjust – or even abandon – our carefully, color coded plans when the Holy Spirit whispers to our hearts.        

Even Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, had to relinquish control and surrender himself to the Father’s plans.  “Not my will,” he prayed, “but yours be done.”  He surrendered his natural desire to live to be obedient to the plans of the Father and, in doing so, opened the door for us to be reconciled to God.

To burn the boat, we have to surrender control.     

2.    Trust God. – One of the most quoted verses in the bible is Jeremiah 29: 11, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” 

It all sounds good until our plans blow up like fireworks on the fourth of July but then what?  To burn the boat means that we trust God even when things around us start falling apart. 

I finished my first three years of college at Asbury with – shall we say – something of a cavalier attitude.  My motto was, “I went to college to get an education and academics wasn’t about to stand in my way.”  I took my education for granted.  I passed all my classes, but I really wasn’t committed to learning.  

But then something terrible happened.  A paperwork snafu resulted in a missed deadline which resulted in a significant loss of financial aid.  I had no money to return to Asbury for my senior year of college.  How was that a part of God’s plan for my life? 

I don’t think God caused the error – that was no one’s fault but mine – but I do think that experience (as terribly painful as it was) was invaluable to my growth as a disciple.  I became passionate about learning.  Moreover, when I returned to Asbury, I made a new friend.  Less than three years later, he would introduce me to Julie.   

Sometimes our plans have to blow up before we will start listening to God and trusting God’s plan for our lives and for His church.  There, in the ashes of our dreams, we truly realize that God really does love us and has our best interest at heart and we find the courage to arise and burn the boat.

3.    Finally, as we intentionally cultivate our relationship with the person of Jesus, we become more willing to burn the boats and follow where he leads.  Last week I mentioned that our building relationships with each other will require us to spend time together and that there really is no shortcut for that.  Well, if that’s true in our human interactions, it is also true in our relationship with God. 

Cultivating a relationship with God means we spend time in God’s Word, spend time with Jesus in prayer, and commune with Him in worship.  As we do so, we begin to hear His voice more clearly.  As Jesus said in the 10^th chapter of John’s Gospel, “My sheep know my voice.”

When we hear the voice of Jesus, we begin to hone in on what it is God desires.  We begin to desire what God wants as well.  As we build our relationship with God, we can risk burning the boats.

When we surrender control, trust God and cultivate our relationship with Jesus, we can burn the boats, get rid of the boxes and other Plan Bs and trust that God will direct us as he desires.  But it’s not easy; even for United Methodist clergypersons.  It is often a daily struggle.

Get rid of the boxes

With each move that we have made over the years, it’s been our desire to unpack the boxes as quickly as possible.  It’s a statement that says, “We’re here.”  No boats.  No boxes.  No other Plan Bs. 

It’s like that old gospel song:

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back.  No turning back.

Conclusion

In the remainder of the New Testament, there’s no reference to Peter ever fishing again.

Now, wouldn’t it be something if the boat they found in Israel wasn’t the Jesus boat, but Peter’s boat?  I know… it’s probably not, but Peter left his boat behind and God used him to change the world.  May we wise enough to follow his lead.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, let us pray….