Getting Back on Track

A few years ago I was visiting Tikal with a group of people. The group decided to return to the hotel in the park but I wanted to stay and watch the sunset and listen to the Holler monkeys scream like lions. On the way out of the park it started to get dark while I was walking with another group of people. Somehow I got separated from them and I went on a different trail. I walked for awhile and it got pretty dark. Finally I saw a sign indicating the road I was on led to a town 20 kilometers away! I was off track and I needed to get back to where I had wander off so I could get out of the park. I was a little panicked at the time and I stopped and prayed that God would help me. As soon as I finished praying a pickup truck came around the corner and they stopped and asked me where I was going. They were going the same direction I needed to go so they told me to get in and they safely took me to the exit of the park. They helped me get back on track and I was very grateful.
Tonight I want to talk about getting back on track with the Lord. The disciples got off track after the resurrection of Jesus and I want to look at their story and draw some principles from it.
John 21:1-19
1 Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples.3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”“No,” they replied.6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. 9 When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.12“Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.18 “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”
Disciples Dilemma
After the resurrection of Jesus the disciples even after seeing Jesus the evening of his resurrection and on one other occasion, became discouraged and disillusioned about their mission. Peter who was the real leader of the group made a decision to return to his profession as a fisherman and six other disciples agreed to do the same. The waiting game was too much for the disciples and their contact with Jesus after the resurrection obviously was not a frequent as they thought they needed to be assured that there really was a mission and purpose for their lives. Some of the most difficult times for us as believers are the times that we are waiting for direction or waiting for changes to happen so we can move on with our lives. We like the disciples can get impatient, discouraged and disillusioned. When we find ourselves in this situation it is easy for us to look back at what we left behind and think about returning. The disciples’ faith had wavered and a decision was made to go back to their nets and live a life they had previously experienced. Peter declared, “I am going fishing.” This was not recreational fishing but occupational fishing. This seemed like the only option available at the time. Yet I wonder if Peter had regrets about returning to the fishing business and deep in his heart was a greater desire to continue with the mission and ministry Jesus had told them they would have. I am not sure how eager Peter was to return to his previous life after spending three miraculous years with Jesus, nonetheless the decision was made and they returned to Galilee to resume their trade.
John recounts that they had spent all night fishing and had caught nothing. This was pretty unusual for experienced fisherman who had previously made their living in the business. They had probably cast their nets out numerous times throughout the night but each time their nets were empty. You have to wonder if their wheels in their minds began turning and if they began to think that maybe the fishing business was not what they were supposed to be doing. Had they caught a lot of fish maybe they would have thought otherwise but it seems that God made sure they had empty nets as a way of getting their attention.
Many of us have found this to be true in our lives as well. When we are not doing what we know to do and go off on our own, things just do not come together and there is a lot of emptiness. What we are doing is not productive and we soon realize that we are not doing what we should be doing. There is a feeling of satisfaction in your soul when you are doing what God has asked you to do and when you are not doing it, there is a leaness of the soul that sets in and disturbs us. You can try to block out the feeling but it is always there to remind you that something is not right. I think with each casting of the net with no results had to make the disciples think about what they were doing.
Jesus’ Surprise Visit
On the day they began to fish, Jesus came to visit them early one morning. He knew they were discouraged and disillusioned and needed to be encouraged so he showed up on the beach, close enough to them where they could hear him when he talked to them while they were in their boat yet far enough away that they did not immediately recognize him. He could have walked out to them but he wanted them to recognize him through the events that would shortly take place.
When Jesus came on the scene everything changed. He firsts asked them if they had caught anything. I think he knew the answer before he asked but they needed to acknowledge among themselves that their efforts had produced nothing. There needed to be a confrontation and evaluation of what they were doing and an acknowledgment that it was not working for them. God in his mercy and love for us often brings us to the same point when we are not walking in obedience to him. He causes things to happen that make us want to evaluate where we are, what we are doing and how productive and satisfying our lives are. It is a hard question but one that is very necessary to get us to realize what has happened. Sometime we need the perspective of another person to call to our attention that what we are doing is not what the Lord has asked us to do. At times we find ourselves responding in direct disobedience to the Lord because of our pride and impatience. We revert back to living according to the flesh where we think we will find pleasure. Or we may find they we go off on a little rabbit trail, take a little diversion or side trip to avoid going where we need to be. It does not necessarily imply that we are doing something immoral we are just doing something different. We know what we are to do but we decide to take a side trip and delay our obedience. It is like the little boy whose mom sent him to the store to get food but on the way got distracted by a baseball game and decided to play for awhile and forget about completing his real mission. Playing baseball is not a bad thing but it was not the right time for him to be playing baseball. When the little boy returns home, he knows exactly what his mom is going to ask him to make him accountable for his actions. Jesus did the same thing with the disciples by asking them the question about the productivity of their efforts.
The disciples respond with honesty to this man who they at least up to this point have not recognized. They admitted that they had nothing to show for their efforts. It must have been a little humiliating for them to admit their unproductive efforts. God will honor a humble and contrite heart. When we are really willing to admit our faults and see ourselves as we really are then God can begin to bring change. Until we reach that point we will continue to cast out our nets and try in our own strength to make things different. We have to be willing to come to an end to our self efforts if we truly want God to make real changes in our lives.
Jesus then offers them help by instructing them to cast their nets to the side of the boat. In order for the disciples to do this they had to either trust that this unknown person really knew something they did not and was worth following his advice or they could have thought we may as well try one more time, it cannot get any worse. I heard someone say the difference between an optimist and a pessimist is a pessimist says it cannot get any worse but an optimist says yes it can. I don’t know if the disciples were optimists or pessimists at this point but they decided to thrown their nets one more time. They listened to the advice of Jesus and did what he asked them to do. This is the next thing we need to do to get back on track with God. After we are confronted, accurately evaluate ourselves and admit where we are at, we have to be willing to listen to wise counsel and act upon it. The disciples did what was asked of them perhaps with some doubts as to whether anything would change but with a willingness to do it. When we want to see change in our lives we have to be willing to take advice and act upon it. Their obedience to Jesus brought a blessing that Jesus wanted to give the disciples. He wanted them to see his goodness and let it be a motivation for repentance and change. God’s goodness is what leads people to repentance. When they followed Jesus’ advice they had a miraculous catch of fish, 153 keepers. John was the first one to realize that this mystery man on the shore really was Jesus! John immediately informed Peter. At this point Peter could have cared less about the fish. I think in his heart he never wanted to return to fishing and after seeing the emptiness of it, his heart hungered for Jesus. When he recognized him he immediately dropped everything and made himself look decent by putting on his tunic and got to the shore as quickly as possible. I think Jesus had a huge smile on his face as he watched Peter jump out of the boat and make a beeline to him. I am not sure what the other disciples thought as they were left with trying to haul in the great catch with one less person but for Peter the most important thing to him was to be with Jesus. His heart was renewed with a desire to be with him. He knew that only Jesus could bring satisfaction, fulfillment, purpose and joy to his life. On our way back to God we need to experience his goodness to us and let that drive us to him. God longs for our hearts to want him above all things, to find our joy in serving him and knowing him and loving him. God desires us, he wants us to be in right relationship with him, he wants to restore us and reconcile us to himself so we can enjoy life as he has planned for it to be.
 
Breakfast with the Champion
Jesus was prepared to receive the disciples and had a fish breakfast waiting for them. The disciples were hungry, probably pretty tired and when they came to shore the special breakfast Jesus made for them had to have been a huge blessing to them. But more important than the food was the time of fellowship they had with Jesus. Their hearts reconnected with Jesus, their spirits were renewed, they realized they had not been abandoned. Jesus was there for them. It was just what they needed at this point in their lives to get them back on track and motivated to continue believing that the ministry they had been told about and had witnessed in Jesus would come to pass. There was no turning back from this point, no more desire to fish for food but a renewed desire to become a fisher of men.
Peter’s Special Session
Jesus had a special session with Peter to make sure he understood very clearly what his mission would be and what would be the proper motivation for carrying it out. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him with the agape kind of love that God has. Peter was honest with Jesus in his response when he stated that his love was not equal to the love Jesus was asking of him. Jesus was identifying that Peter’s motivation for service had to be based in love for Jesus, not for pride, power or special position. When this love was motivating Peter he would be able to do what Jesus asked him to do, feed his sheep and lambs. Though Peter did not have this kind of love at this point he mentioned agape love at least six times in his epistles. Peter grew in this special love as he ministered to the sheep of God’s flock. If anything other than love for Jesus is motivating our ministry we are doing it for the wrong purpose and the wrong way. Real love can only come through a real relationship with Jesus. When Jesus becomes the true passion of our lives and the highest priority of our lives then ministry can flow out of us and we will feed God’s people in the way God wants us to feed them.
After this special encounter with Jesus, I believe the disciples went from being discouraged to being determined to get back on track and fulfill the mission Jesus had for them. Their eyes were on him and they would give their lives in service to him from this point forward. None of them knew what was going to happen in the future but they were promised by Jesus that they would do greater things than he did.
 
What Peter did not know…
Peter had no idea that:
After he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he would preach his first sermon and see 3,000 people give their lives to Christ! Acts 2:14-41
He would command a lame man to walk and see it happen! Acts 3:1-11
People would be astonished at his confidence in declaring what Christ had done! Acts 4:13
The Holy Spirit would reveal to him the deception of Ananias and Sapphira and he would see them struck dead before him. Acts 5:1-11
He would have many signs and wonders demonstrated in his ministry! Acts 5:12
His shadow would bring healing and deliverance to the people lined up on the streets! Acts 5:16
An angel would be sent to miraculously release him from prison twice! Acts 5:19; Acts 12:7-12
He would lay hands on the Samaritans and see them be filled with the Holy Spirit! Acts 8:17
He would pray for Dorcas and see her rise from the dead! Acts 9:40
He would introduce Christ to the Gentiles and see them filled with the Holy Spirit! Acts 10:44
He would be used of God to change the attitude of the Jewish believers toward receiving the Gentiles into the Kingdom of God! Acts 11:18
He would offer godly wisdom and counsel to resolve the conflict between Jewish believers and Gentile believers regarding keeping Jewish customs. Acts 15:6-12
He would write 2 letters that would be included in the bestselling book ever!
He would die a similar death to Christ’s crucifixion and have no regrets.
Jesus had great things in store for Peter and at the end of his life I am sure that Peter was glad that he had not returned to the fishing business! Peter got on track and stayed on track and God used him powerfully to impact the world while he was alive but also after his death. His legacy continues inspiring millions of people today.
 
What does God have planned for you?
God desires that each one of us stay on course; keep on track with him because he has great things in store for our lives. At times like the disciples we revert back to our old ways of being in control, walking in our flesh, being impatient and forgetting or forsaking what we know to be true. God in his mercy will intervene and place things in your life that will cause you to be confronted with where you are at and what you are doing. He will let you see the emptiness and vanity of your ways so they can be repented of and left behind. His love for us and his goodness to us will be evident when we respond in obedience to him. He wants us to be drawn to him by his cords of love so that his judgment can be withheld.
If you have gotten off track in your relationship with the Lord, you need to see Jesus waiting on the shore, by a cozy fire with food prepared for you. He is waiting for you to leave your past behind and enjoy the fellowship that he desires to have with you. He is not there to rip you and punish you for what you have done, he is there to forgive and restore you as you humble yourself before him. God has great things for our future but we will never see them happen if we go back in our faith and return to our old ways. We have to realize that looking back is looking at a graveyard. God has blessing prepared for us as we wholeheartedly follow him. His Holy Spirit is in us and the human limitations have been lifted. Your greatest days of ministry are ahead of you! Get back on track, stay the course, receive the fullness of all God has for your life and ministry as you serve him with love as your primary motivation.