I’d Rather Be Fishing

November 22, 2009    

JOHN 12:27-28   “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!”

You’ve have seen bumper stickers that say “I’d rather be flying, sailing, jogging, swimming, fishing, playing golf or tennis,” and the like. For a while there were so many of those bumper stickers it made you wonder if anyone was actually doing what they want to do!  Everyone seems to wish they were somewhere else. And we all understand this attitude. Life has duties and responsibilities. Some things are more fun than others. Some things are more satisfying than others. There are times I am sitting in my office and I get a phone call from someone who just came in off the lake and had a fantastic catch, and I find myself thinking, “I’d rather be fishing.”

The message of those bumper stickers seems to be ‘I want to have fun all the time!’ We all do. But life is not like that. We are called upon to be responsible individuals in our families and in our communities. There may be some things that we do not like, but we still have to do them. And as the followers of Christ, we need to recognize that God has called us to duties and responsibilities, not just privileges.

The Christian faith is a marvelous thing. We know beyond all doubt that our God has given us the richest treasure imaginable: complete forgiveness for all sin. Our sin had separated us from God and doomed us to punishment in hell. But our loving God intervened to provide the forgiveness we need. He did that by offering His Son to die in our place, making payment for sin, and raising Him again as the victor over death. Faith in Him gives forgiveness. This forgiveness entitles us to live in the certainty that we will live and reign with Christ for all eternity. It is a message that should make you feel warm inside, secure and happy.

However, the Christian faith is not a feel-good do-nothing faith. It is not centered in self. Rather, it continually leads its followers to ask, “Where can I serve?  How can I help you?  What can I do to make things easier for you?  What are your needs today?” That is what your faith in Jesus Christ should lead you to ask. But what I so often find is people doing everything they can to make life easier and more enjoyable only for themselves.  They stop at nothing in their efforts to feather their own nests. Some act as though they think God has called them to serve themselves, not others. Who is my neighbor? I am my neighbor! I will meet my own needs!

This philosophy is espoused by many in our society. And this attitude was most evident when a lady offered to take care of a six-year-old daughter of a friend, who was leaving town for a few days. On the first morning, the lady prepared breakfast, and brought a big plate of ham and eggs to the table. The little girl said, “My mother always fixes biscuits.” Wanting to be cooperative, the lady returned to the kitchen and made some biscuits. When she brought them to the table, the little girl said, “No, thank you.” “Didn’t you say your mother always had biscuits for breakfast,” the lady exclaimed. “Yes, she does,” replied the six-year-old, “but I don’t eat them.” Do you get it? I do what I want to do, and I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. If you don’t like it, too bad. 

Some adults are behaving like six-year-olds. It is easy to let this attitude creep into your lives. 

• I don’t want to go to Bible Class; I don’t want to take my kids to Sunday School–I’d rather sleep in on Sunday morning.
• I don’t want to be an officer–I’d rather not have any responsibilities in the church. I’ve served my time already. Let someone else do it.
• I don’t want to tithe–I’d rather spend my time and my money on myself and my family.

Actually, I’d rather go through my whole life and do only that which I want to do, and what I want to do is be happy, secure and comfortable. This attitude of society has spilled over into the church, and it can be summed up easily: ME, ME, ME, ME.

The attitude of the Christian should be just the opposite of this attitude of selfishness. Our faith in Jesus tells us that God is first, other are second, and we are third. Instead of ME, ME, ME, it should be GOD, GOD, GOD and OTHERS, OTHERS, OTHERS.  It is only after we have seen to the needs of others that we should attend to our own needs. This is quite a contrast to the way most people live. Our sinful flesh would have us consider only our own needs.

It is a good thing that Jesus didn’t take that attitude. In the text for today, we do not find Jesus taking the ME, ME, AND ONLY ME attitude. He is struggling with it, but it does not prevail. He had just come into Jerusalem, with all the people hailing Him as their Messiah on Palm Sunday. It was only a matter of days before His cruel execution for the sake of others. He knew what was coming. Just a few verses before this, He had said “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds (12:24). He knew of the impending death, not for His own wrongdoing, but for yours. So He was struggling with the issue of what to do: Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour…  Jesus was a man. He had human emotions like you and me. He experienced the feelings we undergo. And when it came time for Him to serve others, what did Jesus say? “I’d rather be fishing? I’d rather be golfing? I’d rather be sailing?”

Even though Jesus was wrestling with what to do, Jesus knew the will of His Father and He wanted to do that. He knew there were difficult days ahead. But did He ask to be excused, saying He would rather be somewhere else? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name! He could have looked ahead at the arrest, the trial, the mockings, the whipping, the humiliation, the pain and crucifixion and said, “No thanks! I’d rather be fishing.” But He did not. He did not because His purpose was bigger than fishing. There is nothing wrong with fishing, but there is a time and a place for everything. His bigger calling was to glorify His Father, and at the same time bring salvation to all who would believe in Him.

You have come to this hour for a purpose as well: to glorify our God and bring honor to his name. Do you find yourself going through life always wishing you were somewhere else or doing something different? How much time do we waste wanting to be somewhere other than where we are? There is so much that you can and should be doing in response to the love of our gracious God. For one thing, the church is always in need of full-time workers: Pastors, teachers, missionaries, DCEs, deaconesses, even administrators and bookkeepers. I believe that God is calling some of you sitting here today to be full-time workers in His Kingdom. Will you listen?

Of course, you don’t have to be a full-time church worker to see all the things that need to be done. There are plenty of things that need doing right here at Grace: prospective members to visit, people to invite to church, sick and shut-ins, jobs at the church ranging from helping in the office to serving as an usher or greeter to teaching Sunday School and Midweek. In fact, there may seem to be too much to do at times. If you take seriously your calling to serve God and others, you might find yourself overwhelmed.

There was a doctor who lived through the terrible bombing of Hiroshima. He was waiting for a streetcar only a mile away from the blast, but was sheltered by the corner of a concrete building.  Within seconds after the explosion, his ears were filled with the screams of victims all around him. Not knowing what had happened, he stood there for a moment bewildered. One doctor, wondering how he could help this mountain of patients. Then, still somewhat stunned, he knelt down, opened his black bag, and began treating the person lying at his feet. He may not be able to help them all, but he did something, which was better than doing nothing at all. You, too, must do something. Don’t despair that there is so much to be done. Bloom where you are planted, and do something. Do good to those around you. Share your faith. Pray, and give sacrificially to the work of the church. All God asks is that you do what you can with what He has given to you.

Ask yourself what you are giving to your church. And I don’t mean just money. You’ve already made your financial pledge. I want you to think about all that God has given to you: Time, possessions, abilities, income. What are you giving back to him of yourself? If you were gone, would your contributions of yourself be missed? Or would anyone even notice? Wouldn’t it be great if more were giving so much of themselves, their talents, their time, that their absence would be immediately noticed?

God has called each of you to be His own. Not only did He bring you to faith, but He called you to live for Him. The victory that Christ has won for you through His death and resurrection gives you the assurance of forgiveness. But it also gives you the power to overcome your sinful desires of the flesh, the power to live as God’s child. For this purpose you have come to this hour, that you might glorify your Father in heaven. Will you live for Him as you move forward from this point?