Introduction - I Samuel 13 & 14
I. WAKE UP YOUR DREAMS
When I was a child I had a pretty active imagination.I could day dream with a lot of energy - it was nothing to be transported to 1860 in the old west to fight outlaws and be called out into a silent street for a gunfight..I was Wyatt Earp or Wild Bill.fighting for Justice and for good... and Then.., within seconds I would be against another backdrop - a castle in front of me complete with a moat - drawbridge and fire breathing dragon.oh yeah..there was always a princess in need of rescue by a knight in shining armour. and it never really seemed like a big deal for the prince (me) to do the rescue... I was a dreamer by day or night but it was always the same plot/storyline - I dreamed of adventure - of good fighting evil.of quests and conquering and heroes.
But that was when I was a child.and somehow as adults our dreams change or fade (or something) ......because only once in a while do I catch myself mind adventuring these days and the difference is.... now, the adventure comes in the form of sleep walking during a very vivid dream.fairly regularly I have a dream that causes me to sleep walk. and the dream always involves other people and a search for something. (no end of laughter and frustration for my wife)..
Anyway, the other night I was walking and dreaming, and I was "searching" for something in the corner of our room - trying to open up a dresser drawer in the middle of the night ..when my wife said (in her gentlest voice) - What are you doing? "Just looking.I said."but I can't open it up.."
Here I was in the corner, my head near the carpet fumbling with sleepy hands.trying to open up the sock drawer which I'm sure in my dream held the keys to life..Well folks I don't know if that's ever happened to you or not.but waking up from that is one of the most embarrassing things you will ever do.
The cool part is that those dreams remind me of my childhood.where the call to adventure was very vivid.and where I was in a constant state of not wanting to miss out on any thing life had to offer me.even if it was in the middle of the night..It's like someone is calling me.to another place.to get another adventure..
Ever heard that voice? . It calls you to abandon the monotony of life and to begin an adventure. and It's a tempting voice.a voice that threatens to leave you in the mundane if you refuse to ask all that you have for all that might or could be.and if you ignore the voice.there is only silence that follows..and that silence sounds like retreating footsteps. as adventure walks away..
I think deep within our psyche's we are all haunted with the Fear of living lives of insignificance - of not following the voice of adventure.I think we were created to hear that voice.and somehow we just know that to play it safe in life is to lose the game..
Here's how Webster defines Adventure.
"An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature"
Interesting wording..Folks I am here to tell your (as we start 5 weeks in a row of learning to live the adventure.) That the life God intended for us, and the Life He calls us to, is nothing less than an adventure.and it comes with great risk. and significant cost - Jesus described it like this.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. Luke 9:24
Jesus calls us to live a life of incredible adventure..and it begins with the moment we choose to follow him - yes I said choose - it doesn't just happen.. it begins with a choice - - a choice that leads to life
Jesus said this .
Here is why I am calling you..
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)
Folks. Jesus is inviting us go on an spiritual adventure - to be pioneers - explaining the far reaches of our souls..calling us to follow his lead into the great unknown.
Everything you will hear for the next 5 weeks is gonna remind us of that invitation.a calling to another life.
II. LIFE BY THE MOMENT
So here's what we've said.
Every adventure starts with a choice.to walk.to move forward and every choice has within it - a critical moment - a pause.. sometimes it's stretched out - expanded.but within every choice is a moment and within every moment is a choice.
Let me help clarify this.
If you could capture (or re-capture) one moment in your life - which one would it be?
Folks - moments are as numerous as the stars in the sky.Far to many to count - but within those millions and trillions of moments - will be a handful that become the defining moments in your life.
The trouble is, you don't always see the vital moments coming...so I think the trick is this - (catch this) to handle each moment as a treasure.. as a gift - and to make a choice to really live each moment - to siege and squeeze the very most out of each one - to choose to live moment by moment brimming with life.. taking personal responsibility for the one right in front of you.
Here's something I learned just this week. That the beginning or root of the word moment - the essence of the word(s) moment is the same as the work motion.
Moment and Motion are intertwined.
That little bit of knowledge unlocked a bunch of stuff for me about life. and about How God works in our lives. (think about it) Moments are constantly in motion - they are moving -they're not still - not stagnant - but in constant motion. Now Here's what I believe to be true about who God is - God is Active and Alive in this world we live in - and He is about doing his work..All around us everyday.and He is moving and surrounding and directing much more than we realize or are willing to see..
Now - How he chooses to work most of the time, is by partnering with us. He allows us to enter into what he is already doing - We can choose to move and partner with God moment by moment - To merge and Flow together with God in what his purposes are..
That's the picture we get From the story of Jonathan in I Samuel 14.. see.It would be absurd to think that Jonathan did that all on his own without God.
That he won the battle with out God's input. No.., what happened is that Jonathan's choice to believe that God wanted to show his power - Jonathans clarity about what God was already doing or purposing to do.allowed him to make a choice - to partner with God..in fact Jonathans choice to step out in Faith believing God would act was the defining moment
That choice in that moment is what ignited a cosmic chain reaction that saw God work in a mysterious and powerful way..
See Jonathan understood who God was.He understood God's power and God's ability to act.. and that understanding changed the way he chose to live in a moment ..and that moment changed his life forever...
That's how God chooses to work - partnering with us .. using our Faith to ignite explosive life changing results
Folks God calls us to a life of adventure, and the path is full of mystery - Full of danger and Full of the unknown. but it lies before us.and He is inviting us to partner with him as we walk, to live the life God created each of us to experience.
And Don't Miss it, it's a choice .. and The Journey begins right now - in this moving moment..
But whatever you do... Don't underestimate what you might find ahead.
Let me talk for a minute or two more about moments..
The Band U2 has a couple songs on their last album that speak of moments - One is called "Beautiful Day" and the other is called "Stuck in a Moment." One speaks of opportunity and life -available every day.. and the other speaks of the Tragedy .of being stuck in a moment you can't get out of...
The older I get - the more true these two pictures of Life become. because if you are stuck - or hung up on a moment in the past - there is no way to see the blessing in the now - today
Ever been stuck in a moment?
Maybe your are today - right there - right now - and you can picture the moment I'm talking about - Its right in front of you - in Bright and Living Colour - it's a moment that haunts you every minute of your life and it steals your future, as you relive and relive and relive that past moment every day..
Folks if that's you..then all I can say is this - I've been praying for you this week that God would break through to you in this moment -
That you would experience the Freedom that Christ brings into life..that you would experience in a moment - this moment.... The freedom of being able to turn around - and to stop looking backwards - I've been praying this week that you would have the courage to look forward . because there is adventure that awaits you.an opportunity to explore walking boldly into the future.
Listen to this promise from God..
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD , 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Folks - That's the life God is calling us to - and it begins with a choice to follow him.in the moment. and that's the mystery of a moment.a moment is small enough to ignore and big enough to change your life forever.
III. CHOICE MOMENTS
In case you haven't heard the simple message today - here it is..
Life happens to be full of moments and moments are full of choices.. And that is the way God created us - We have been given the power to choose - We have the gift of Free will . Free choice. and with that gift comes great freedom and even greater responsibility.
The responsibility is this, Our choices, in each moment determines our destination.
Since the very beginning of time God has been setting choices in front of People..
Way back in Genesis 2:15-17 - the very 1st man and woman - God sets them into this paradise and says.. "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2: 15-17 (NIV)
In other words - the garden is full of endless pleasure and possibility and selection - Lots of good choices, in fact every choice was the right choice except one - and He chose it. and in that choice - in that moment - he chose to walk on a path that was away from God..
The book of Deut, in the Bible is filled with choices.for God's people (Israelites) Listen to Deut 30:15-20 Moses says. "See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
I love that line - Now choose "Life"
God pointed the way to two different paths. One is a journey that parts ways from Him; the other is a journey in which He parts the way. Without ambiguity He defined one as the road to death; the other as the path to life. And if we were still confused, He clarified further, "The LORD is your life." No excuses, no ambiguity. The options are clear, and the journey is determined by something as simple as a choice.
Folks - I will tell your this....., every day of your Life God sets a choice in front of you - and every moment you are alive He gives you a choice - to choose Life and hope and opportunity --- or to choose to walk away and Live apart from God.
Today.. this moment, is a moment of choice.and I've been thinking about these moments for a while now - praying about them - praying that each of you would understand that following Jesus Christ can radically affect your future.
No matter what kind of life you have Lived or how many wrong choices you've made.., that you would understand that at our worst - good (and God) is only one decision away..
No matter how stuck you are in a past moment... because of a choice you've made, or a choice someone else made - you are in a new moment now, and have a choice - will I follow God? - will I walk on his path? - will I begin fulfilling his purpose for my life or not? - That's the choice.and it's right before you today..
Joshua is one my Favorite Bible Guys - strong leader -rough and ready -filled with Faith.great man of God.
Anyway - Joshua gets near the end of his life after leading the nation of Israel strongly..and He gathers all the people around him and says this.
"Choose for yourselves this day who you will follow (God or not).. But as for me and my house.we will follow the Lord." Joshua 24:15
Folks
That's the choice I'm gonna offer your today, to part ways with God..continue on your own path.. Or to join with him - to partner with him in a life of Adventure.. |
