Sunday, August 26, 2018

A Fisherman's Dream




A fisherman’s dreams are perhaps not much different from yours and mine. Their dreams are often conceived within the context and boundaries of the world they know and understand, and as with you and me, their dreams are not often realized as desired or expected. But what happens when a fisherman’s wildest dreams actually do come true? What does he do then? 

A Fish Story

“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:4-11 NIV) 
Up until the time of this event, Peter had but one means of making his way in the world and that was to bring in each day’s haul and maybe… just maybe, bring in the “big catch.” That’s what fishermen dream about — bringing in the big catch. Whether it’s the size of the fish, or the number, this is the prize that they feel will affirm their hard work and will prove their worth. 

The Big Catch

Then suddenly one day, it happened. Peter brought in a catch so epic that it nearly sunk two boats. Such a haul was unheard of. This isn’t one of those fish stories he was probably used to telling about the one that got away. This is a story about a massive haul that was so abundantly more than Peter could ask for or think about, that it brought a finale to his dream. When it was over, Peter got exactly what he wanted and his dreamed was finally fulfilled. But, that was also the problem.

For, where does one go when they realize that they’ve achieved it all, especially when they discover that achievement alone doesn’t bring real fulfillment? What does a fisherman do when at a young age, he's reached the zenith of his career? That’s where Peter found himself—undone and at the feet of Jesus. There, his heart was laid bare, realizing that it was by Jesus' intervention that God had moved to fulfill his dreams. And, it was this same realization which prompted him to declare, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” I guess nothing makes us feel more unworthy then when God moves on our behalf when we know deep inside that without our selfish ambition, we don't have anything else to live for. But it was not Jesus’ plan to throw Peter back for being too small. It was his plan all along to lure him in, skillfully choosing the right bait, knowing just how deep and how shallow to go to attract his attention and catch this fisherman. 

Daring to Dream

And so we might ask whether it was wrong for Peter to dream such dreams, and more directly, is it wrong for us to aspire to more than what we are? If that were the case, Jesus might have set out instead to squash Peter's dreams of a big catch instead of fulfilling them. God is not opposed to a fisherman’s dreams, nor is he dead-set against the dreams we dare to dream. It is God who gives us the power to imagine and to set up goals for ourselves. But we must also realize that he gives us this gift of imagination and ambition so that we may put ourselves in a position to seek for the greater and to desire those things which go deeper than what we ourselves can imagine. 

Be warned, however, once we are hooked, God will not hesitate to upset our dreams so that he might reveal himself to us amidst the process and that's what happened to Peter. In one instant, he was given everything he desired, but also in that moment, he realized the futility of those dreams in light of meeting Jesus. But that does not mean that Peter’s dreams were wasted. Not at all. For, Jesus was able to turn this fisherman's dream on its side, using it to awaken Peter to discover his own identity and calling—not as a catcher of fish, but as a fisher of men. 

Dream Upgrade

What do you dream about? It is not a foregone conclusion that if fulfilled, your dreams will lose their attraction, but once encountered by God, it is a certainty that you will view and gauge your dreams from a new, and perhaps even a heavenly perspective. Maybe you too will leave your nets behind and discover that God has repurposed your dreams, enabling you to see outside of yourself and live to propel others forward, bringing their destinies to the surface. 

If Peter had been content to stay where he was, his encounter with Jesus may have fallen flat. So just maybe, dreaming, hoping, expecting, and placing the goal just out of reach is not as futile a practice as it sometimes seems. For Peter anyway, a fisherman's dreams led him to connect with God in such a way that his story is still being told today. Do you have your own fisherman's dream?

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Another Paul?



Another Jesus?

There will never be another Jesus. That’s not to say that the world can’t see Jesus expressed in his body today, but Jesus came and finished his earthly ministry. I think we all understand that. But here’s a question—will there ever be another Paul? 


Another Paul?

Many look to Paul and see him as their model in ministry. But, many also see his life as a goal beyond reach. So again I ask, when God created Paul, did he “break the mold?”

Paul is unique. He was a man who, in his own words, was “abnormally born” (1 Co 15:8). He was set on this earth for a certain place, a certain time, and for a certain task, yet still speaks to us today. He likely shines as the greatest voice for the Gospel outside of Jesus himself. Yet Paul is not the pinnacle. Jesus is the goal. While Paul told his readers to look to him as a model, he did so within the context of how he followed Christ.

Following Christ

We are all called to follow Christ. In doing so, what can we hope to attain? Can we attain to the stature of Paul, or Peter, or John? What did Jesus mean when he said that those who believe in him will do greater works than he? Was he speaking only to those whose lives fell within the confines of canonical Scripture? Do the apostles set the high-water mark while we operate at a lower water pressure? What goal should we set for ourselves and what can we set our faith towards?

Imagine a Kingdom

Imagine for a moment that there is no penalty for over-reaching. Consider a Kingdom that allows believers to pursue the highest ability to love and one that encourages a burning desire to be extremely effective ambassadors for Christ. Like I said, imagine that in this scenario, there is no penalty for over-reaching and along with that, there is a limitless supply to draw from. Imagine that in this kingdom that within this generation, there is not only the ability for people to have the same impact as a Paul or an Apollos, but that there is a demand for such people—and not just them. Imagine that there is a great need for people today who can fill the shoes of a John or a Timothy, a Barnabas or a Luke,  a James, or a host of others we’ve read about.

The Stars

In this storyline, every believer gets to shoot for the stars. But you may ask, "What if they reach for the stars and fail?" Did I mention that there is also forgiveness, restoration, and second, third, and hundreds more chances to overcome? I know this sounds too good to be true, but perhaps that’s been the problem all along. What if many have turned down the gospel they heard because they felt like it was setting them up for failure? And even worse, what if the gospel some have accepted has done the same thing?

Comparison

Perhaps we've made the mistake of not heeding Paul's admonishment that we don't compare ourselves to each other, or to him. If we compare who we are today to what Paul ultimately accomplished, we will always come up short. Instead, we must set our hopes upon what is not yet seen, but what has been promised to us. “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed…Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20 NIV)


Laying Hold

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:10-14 NIV)

When Paul called us to follow him as he followed Christ, this is what he was talking about. He believed that he could take hold of it, and more importantly, he believed that we could as well.