This Week's Light Service Sermon

Light Service Sermons for the Month
Living on the Edge of Adventure
The Adventure of Grace
DATE: October 4, 1998
TEXT: Matthew 16:24-26

Last summer Linda and I packed our two bags and took off for Nassau. As many of you know she won this all expenses paid trip for filling out a questionnaire. We enjoyed four days of walking on the beach, sailing out to a reef to snorkel, hunting for exotic restaurants, and cruising the stores for gifts to bring back home.
That trip reminded me once again that we humans are wired for adventure. God has placed deep down in our hearts a need to live on the edge of adventure. If we don't have at least some adventure in our daily routine, we invent it. That's why we stand in line for two hours waiting to get on the Raptor at Cedar Point or to see the latest James Bond movie. That's why we drive many miles and pay big bucks to go to DisneyWorld or Universal Studios. That's why a man close to my age pulls off his tie, throws on black leather jacket, hops on a Harley and drives to Sturgis, South Dakota every year. (Go figure!) The need for adventure!
When senior citizens are asked, "If you could live your life all over again, what would you do differently?" They respond hands down, "I would take more risks!"
God has wired us for adventure. This week and next we are going to explore together the most exciting adventure imaginable. Today we're going to talk about the Adventure of Grace.
But first, let us pray. Dear God. You invited us on an adventure through your son Jesus. So much of life is predictable, routine that we often find ourselves just going through the motions. When we step out in grace, we find our eyes lighting up from the discoveries that come, from the fun that is had, from the excitement that is enjoyed. Infect us with your adventuresome spirit that we wake every day with anticipation. AMEN
Two thousand years ago, a young man roamed the dusty roads of Palestine inviting people to join him. This was nothing unique. Many leaders at that time invited people to join them. "Follow my teaching," they would say. Or "follow my political agenda," they would say. But this man, this Jesus, spoke something unique when he said, "Follow me."
Follow me! Now why would these people leave their homes to follow Jesus? Why would Peter drop his nets and leave his fishing business? Why would Matthew throw away his lucrative tax collecting business? Why would Mary leave? Why would all these people leave the comforts of home? Why leave their families and friends to follow this Jesus? What captured their hearts? What motivated them to sell all and give all to follow Jesus?
Jesus invited them to an adventure. And not just any adventure. Not an economic adventure. Not a political adventure. Jesus invited them to an adventure of grace. Think about it. Whereas these other teachers and leaders might pour salt into the wound of those who were hurting; Jesus healed the wounds. Whereas these other leaders might impose heavy weights and burdens through their teaching on the shoulders of their people; Jesus lifted their burdens. Whereas these other leaders might reject those who were outcast or downcast, Jesus welcomed them in. Jesus had a message and a ministry of grace.
Grandpa went to visit little Joey, his grandson, one day. But just before Grandpa arrived, Joey did something naughty and so had to stay inside his playpen until lunchtime. Joey didn't like that. But then Grandpa arrived. He came in and was ready to pick Joey out of the playpen when Joey's mom stopped him and said, "Joey, remember the rule. You must stay in the playpen until lunchtime." Then mom left.
Grandpa faced a dilemma. He wanted so desperately to play with his little grandson, to hold and hug him tight. And yet he knew the rules must be obeyed. A few moments later Joey's mom walked back into the room. Guess what she found? Grandpa in the playpen with little Joey.
Two thousand years ago God so desperately wanted to be with you and me that he sent his Son Jesus into our world, to live with us, to become one of us, to understand us and to feel our pain—to live life with us. But not only did he live life with us, he literally gave his life for us.
Queen Victoria had a very sickly daughter named Alice. She grew up sick and into her adult years she was sick. Yet she had a husband and children. Tragically her son contracted diphtheria which at that time was always fatal. The medical experts told Alice that she could not come hear her son, lest she contract this disease and die as well. For weeks Alice watched her son from a distance as the nurses tended to him and put him to bed. Until one night she overheard her son as he was being tucked into bed say, "Why doesn't Mommy kiss me goodnight? Mommy used to always come and kiss me goodnight. Why doesn't she kiss me goodnight anymore?" Alice's heart broke. She raced toward her son, picked him up, kissed him and hugged him, kissed him and hugged him some more.
Four weeks late Alice and her son were buried together.
Not only did god send his son to live with us, but also he sent his son to die for us. Jesus came to forgive us for what we could not ourselves forgive. Jesus came to love us when we could not love ourselves. Jesus came to heal us when we could not heal ourselves. He accepted us when we could not accept ourselves—and it killed him. We killed him. But he rose from the dead. This sacrifice was a victorious sacrifice given for you. This is the Jesus who says, "Follow me. Follow me."
Now imagine, if you were Peter, Matthew or Mary and Jesus said to you these words that we hear today, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."
"Jesus, you want me to deny myself? Deny my pleasures? My joys? Jesus you want me to take up my cross? You want me to suffer for you? Oh, Jesus, if you want to hear about suffering, I'll tell you about my cross….my work is my cross, Lord." Or, "My children, they are my cross. My mother-in-law, she's my cross!" But Jesus says, "No, no, no. I'm not asking you to suffer…I'm asking you to die." Not physical death. But to die to your own efforts.
You see, when Matthew penned these words around 80 or 90 AD there was a tremendous, terrible persecution among Christians. If you claimed to be a Christian the government leaders might chop off your head. They might burn you at the stake. They might nail you to a cross, or throw you in the lion's den. So Matthew says, "What would it benefit you if you gave up your faith and lost true life?"
Jesus is inviting us today to make an exchange. He says, "Let's exchange your failure for my forgiveness. Let's exchange your weakness for my almighty power. Let's exchange your hurt for my healing. Let's exchange your hard efforts to try to please God for my unconditional acceptance. Let's make an exchange." That what it means for us to die, to take up our cross—it is to let Jesus Christ be the center of our life.
Jesus invites us today to the adventure of life. He invites us to step out of our comfort zone to follow—to make this exchange. It's a little bit risky, isn't it? Sometimes it's a lot risky.
I'll never forget my first roller coaster ride—Buckeye Lake Park. As I climbed into a car of this rickety old coaster, and it began to click-click-click up the steep hill, I recalled all the rumors that my friends passed on to me just week—maybe even only days—before. People had lost their limbs and some their heads on this very same coaster! I'm sure my friends had only MY safety in mind when they shared those stories with me! I, of course, believed them. So, every foot that we climbed, my knuckles grew whiter and my heart pounded heavier and my stomach got tighter. As we neared the top I saw these steps along side the track and I thought to myself that if I could just figure out a way to stop this car I'm going to get out and walk back down. Fortunately for me I didn't know how to stop the car. Just then I saw this sign overhead that said, "Point of no return!" Oh Lord! My life was about to end. Somehow we made it over that first hill unscathed and –whoosh—on through the course we flew. Within moments I found myself putting more money on the table to ride again and again and AGAIN! Had I never climbed into that car or had I stepped out of that car before I got over the hill, I would have missed the whole adventure.
Jesus invites us to take a risk and to step into the car—to go for the ride with him. This God of grace, the one who knows you best and loves you most says, "follow me."
There's a big difference between just living and LIVING. To exist, our hearts beat and we breathe, but to really live we take risks. We step out in faith and trust our life into the hands of Jesus Christ.
OH! So often we play it safe!
Living in Ohio in 1998 we probably aren't much worried that we will be killed for our faith. But as we walk through each day and if we only take safe steps all the time, if our whole goal is security, ease and comfort, we might miss out on true living! Our life might become soft and flabby instead of the adventure that God dreams for us. Our life might become a selfish self-serving thing rather than a time of glowing service. Our life might be earth-bound instead of reaching for the stars! God invites you and I to this adventure of life with faith. The adventure of grace puts our trust in Jesus Christ to make an exchange with him.
A middle-aged man shared with me recently his attempt to provide security for his family. He said, "I worked so hard to provide for my family and myself, but in the process I've lost it all. I've lost my children—they don't know me and I don't know them. And I've lost my wife." What does it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our own life?
What a tragedy should we spend our whole life focusing our energy on that which will give us comfort and ease and safety and security and we then wake up one day and find that we've really missed out on life. Jesus says, "Let's go together and step out and take a risk. Follow me in faith."
I think of one of our members who is living on the Edge of Adventure. Ken Nouse could spend every Saturday and Sunday watching football or baseball games. Now, it's okay to do that, but many Saturday mornings, you'll find Ken cutting up vegetables and stewing meat for soup for hospice. Several others are joining him: Sally Hauth, Jean Goddard, Charlotte Shuff, our Youth and LayWeeders.
When you look into Ken's eyes you see the adventure. You see the joy that he finds in giving himself away by stepping into the Lord' adventure and taking a risk.
Or Dana Singer who is even now sitting down with a group of our kids in the Explorers Club sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. It's a wonder to see the smile on her face when she talks about her little 4 & 5 year old Discovers.
Today as we celebrate the gift of Holy Communion, with others all over the world on the World-Wide Communion Sunday, I am going to ask you to take a step. Take a risk. Knowing how deeply this Lord loves you and knowing that as we celebrate communion we are reminded that Jesus Christ was willing to go all the way to be your Father, to be your friend. Remembering that, I invite you to step forward today and as you do so say, "Jesus, I want to give you my whole life. I want to make that exchange and let you be not only my friend but my Lord."
There's a true story about a little girl who waited for the offering plate. As the usher came by instead of taking the plate she motioned downward to him, so the usher moved the plate down a little bit. She motioned again. He moved it down a little further. She motioned again and again. Before long the usher had the plate right on the floor. Then the little girl stepped into the plate. She had it right. Following Jesus is more that throwing a few coins into a plate. It's more than giving an hour here or an hour there for God. Following Jesus is giving our whole life and saying, "Lord, I'm yours. Take my life. Take my pain. Take my weakness. I give my life to you. I am yours."

AMEN