THE ADVENTURE OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Acts 9:1-16 II Cor. 11:23-28
Introduction
On the TV show Jeopardy, they had a category called "Oxymorons". An oxymoron is a combination of words that seem to contradict each other. For example:
Old news, Work party, Hot chili, Peace force, Same difference,
Bad luck, Dull shine, New tradition, Harmless sin, Loose tights,
Dodge Ram, Bitter sweet, Jumbo shrimp, Pretty ugly, Icy hot,
Confirmed atheist, Feather weight, Freezer burn, Mandatory option,
Postal service, Military intelligence, Ill health, Microsoft Works,
You might say, "Pastor, where are you going with this message." Well from a non-Christian point of view, who would put "adventure" and "Christianity" together.
What could be adventurous about sitting in a church, singing songs written 200 years ago, and listening to a boring sermon from the Bible.
Read Acts 9:1-16 and II Cor. 11:23-28
Acts 9:1-16
1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name¡¦s sake.
2 Cor 11:23-28
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Now that sounds like an adventure to me.
What does the word "Christian" mean to you.
1. To some it means a stiff, upright, inflexible way of life that is colorless and unbending.
2. To another it means an exciting, surprise filled life of excitement and challenges.
Illustration
Sir Ernest Shackleton was a British explorer. He was born in Ireland on Feb. 15, 1874. He was educated at Dulwich College and served in the merchant marines. He was also a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. But he is known primarily for his expeditions to Antarctica. He established all kinds of records in exploring this continent at the bottom of the earth.
On one occasion while he was there, he ascended Mount Erebus, a mountain covered with ice, 13,120 feet high. On January 16, 1909, he determined the position of the south magnetic pole.
On another expedition his ship, The Endurance, got caught in the ice pack and sank. He had to leave 22 men behind. And with 5 companions he made a 1200 mile journey in a 22 foot whale boat through the stormiest ocean in the world to South Georgia, an island off the coast of Argentina, for help. After four attempts, the stranded men who had been left behind were rescued more than ten months later.
On his return trip to the Antarctic, Shackleton had a sudden heart attack and died at sea. His life was a life of exploration, of pioneering, of adventure, and of challenge.
Before taking one of his trips to the Antarctic, he assembled his crew by putting the following ad in a London newspaper.
"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages; bitter cold; long months of complete darkness; constant danger; safe return doubtful; honor and recognition in case of success."
The ad was signed - "Shackleton"
Hundreds responded instantly to the call. They were ready to sacrifice all for the elation of adventure and uncertain honor.
My question to you this morning is this: Should God¡¦s children do less?
Where do you have to go to find adventure as a Christian?
a.) A missionary like David Livingston or William Carrey
b.) An evangelist like D.L. Moody
c.) A minister to the poor in the slums of India.
The adventure of the Christian life begins when you trust Christ as your Savior and surrender your life to Him. - It begins where your are.
There are three unique qualities of the Christian life that make it different.
I. We Have A Commander We Can Count On.
1. We have a leader who gave himself for us.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
The world offers us leaders who don¡¦t always have our best interests at heart. He is going to serve his
interests first.
2. We have a leader that we can count on to give us direction in our life.
The moment we trust Christ, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us as our "Spiritual Compass".
When we find "True North" everything else falls into place.
3. We have a leader who offers us strength and peace.
We not only have a leader we can count on.
II. We Have A Mission That Really Matters
Where are you going in your life? When your life is all over, what will it have accomplished?
Illustration
I heard a story about a reporter who came to a construction site and found three men at work.
„h He asked the first man what he was doing. - "Hauling Bricks" was his reply
„h He asked the second man what he was doing. - "Earning a living" was his reply.
„h He asked the third worker what he was doing. - "Building a skyscraper" he replied.
Christians who live a life of adventure see themselves as builders. - They have a vision of God¡¦s Kingdom.
What is a "difference maker?" - A difference maker is an individual whose attitudes, values, and actions encourage and help, or in some way benefits the lives of others.
We tend to think of big-name Christians when we think of difference-makers. Yet it is the faithful Christian workers who really make the difference.
General MacArthur didn¡¦t win the war in the Pacific. It was the privates on the beaches and in the fox holes.
We no only have a leader that we can count on and a mission the really matters:
III. We Are Empowered By Equipment That Is Unequaled.
The Bible says that God instills in every believer a phenomenon called a "spiritual gift". A divine enablement so that every individual can share in the adventure of God¡¦s plan. It may be the gift of teaching - of giving - of mercy - of encouragement, ect. Every Christian is equipped to serve.
Unfortunately many Christians are "tour bus" Christians. They are spectators instead of participants in the Christian adventure. They are insulated from the excitement of God¡¦s work.
The adventure begins when you tell your Tour Bus to stop and pray.
"Lord, I want to get into the battle. I want to play a role in the biggest adventure of all time. Use me Lord."
Use me to impact this teenager¡¦s life.
Use me to ease someone¡¦s loneliness.
Use me to witness to some lost soul about Jesus.
Use me to deepen someone¡¦s faith.
Use me to help this broken and wounded person.
Use me to feed someone¡¦s hunger.
Use me to touch lives in your name.
