What Are You Doing Here?

A few years back, Barb and I attended the Small Town Pastor's Conference in Morton, Illinois, where we met and sat under the teaching of a bi-vocational pastor by the name of Steve Scheibner. He was retired military, and his second profession was that of pilot for American Airlines. He tells his story in an award winning video by his son entitled: In My Seat: A Pilot’s Story from September 10th-11th.

The video tells how he was the pilot assigned a certain flight on September 11, 2001, but was, by protocal, bumped by a more senior pilot, so he remained home that fateful day. Of course, he soon learned how that very plane flew into one of the World Trade Center towers, killing the pilot and all aboard, along with thousands more. It was a flight he was supposed to be on that day, but he was spared as another took his place.

 Steve Scheibner began traveling all around the world telling his story, inspiring many to take a step of faith, move out of their comfort zone, and begin living their Christian lives as what he calls "Borrowed-Time Believers." Everywhere he went he was asked this question—Why did God spare your life? Steve rephrased that question in the video—Why does God take one servant and spare another?

A couple of very good questions? God spared my life in 1979, when on the boundary waters of northern Minnesota, I was struck by lightning. My answer has always been that God wasn't finished with me yet. He wasn't finished shaping my life into His image and He had a ministry for me to fulfill.

Steve gave a different answer as to why God spared his life—an answer that is as intriguing as it is challenging. He turned to John 21. There Jesus appeared a "third time" to His disciples "after He was raised from the dead" (v. 14). In those verses, Jesus asked three questions that we must answer. We will consider the first question today, picking up the other two questions over the nest couple of weeks.

Seven of Jesus' disciples were together (John 21:2), and Peter said, "I am going fishing" (v. 3a). So everyone chimed in, "We are going with you also" (v. 3b). So what did they do? "They went out and immediately got into the boat" (v. 3c). And guess what? "That night they caught nothing" (v. 3d).

Why was the fishing so poor that night? Let me suggest one reason—they were out of God's will. Note that it was on this occasion that "Jesus showed Himself again" to His disciples (v. 1). Look at verse 4: "But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus." Why didn't they recognize Him? They had already seen Him twice before (v. 14). Perhaps it was because they were out of God's will, living as "Someday Saints" (Steve's term).

What is a "Someday Saint"? It is a believer who each day says, "Someday I will get around to it"... "Someday I will live as I should and do what God wants me to do"... "Someday." This is the believer who is saved, but comfortable. They are used to the status quo and they are comfortable where they are. They talk about someday doing great things for Jesus, but not yet. That is for "someday."

Jesus wants us to quit living as "Someday Saints." What He wants is for us to start living as "Borrowed-Time Believers." A "Borrowed-Time Believer" is one who realizes that he is living on borrowed time. He is a believer who lives with a sense of urgency and passion. He is the one who God uses. He is the one who gets things done for Jesus.

Steve Scheibner was on borrowed time—God had spared his life. Likewise, you might say I am on borrowed time—God spared my life as well. The disciples were also on borrowed time, as God spared their lives. Peter denied the Lord three times because he feared he would be arrested and crucified along with Him. All of them could have died with Jesus right then and there, but they didn't. God had spared them as well.

If you think about it, you are also on borrowed time. You deserve death because of your sin. You deserve to spend eternity in hellfire, separated from God, but you won't. Not if you have trusted in Jesus by faith. Jesus died in your place, sparing your life. So we are all living on borrowed time.

In verse 4, a question is implied: What are you doing here? Is this really where you ought to be? Think about it. Where are Jesus' disciples? Out in a boat fishing. Where should they be? Out in the world spreading the Good News about the Lord Jesus. They are "Someday Saints," comfortable where they are, when they should be "Borrowed-Time Believers," passionate about their faith, with a sense of urgency.

How about you? Are you a "Someday Saint" or a "Borrowed-Time Believer"? Go and tell others about Jesus. Amen.