I think most of us probably like adventure to some degree. I do at least. As kids we played in the woods behind our house, pretended we were explorers, imagined we were part of something exciting. We reenacted the stories we read and watched. Now I do the same thing with my own kids. They like to look for dinosaur bones and Bigfoot, pretend they're super heroes or pirates looking for treasure. Imagination is a wonderful gift from God. Now that I'm an adult I don't imagine quite as much as I used to, but I still read a lot. Some of my favorite books are The Hobbit and the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series. And my kids are into the Chronicles of Narnia right now. It's fun to read about misfits going on magical journeys and unlikely friends triumphing over evil. We like to pretend and read about these adventures. But the truth is much more real and exciting! I believe God designed us to have purpose and a desire to be a part of something. And it turns out we are part of something very special. And if we find our purpose in Him, we'll be on a journey that ends at the beginning of another one -- an adventure greater than our human minds can imagine!
One of my favorite books in the Bible is Acts. It's the story of how the Church began -- the start of an adventure for those who wish to be a part of it. Roughly two thousand years ago Jesus, the Son of God, came and walked the earth as a man. He died. He rose from the grave and defeated death. And then ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. And that's where He is now. But where does that leave us? Not alone. Fifty days after Jesus' resurrection the Holy Spirit was sent to the upper room to indwell the hearts of men and women. The disciples were filled with God's Spirit and instantly changed! Now they were the Body of Christ, and God used all kinds of people along the way to form this mysterious new group. There was Peter the fisherman and Paul the scholar with a not so good past. Mary the mother of Jesus and Cornelius the Roman centurion. Phillip and his four daughters who prophesied. Priscilla and Aquila the married missionaries. Stephen who waited tables and stood up to the Pharisees. Just to name a few. Jews and Gentiles alike. Each one with a certain place and job to do. But the world they were living in was pretty dark and at unrest. The Jews had their laws and the Romans had their idols. And together, some of them had just put to death the Author of Life. I can only imagine the atmosphere after something like that happened. But Jesus had a lot of friends still on earth to defend His name and share His message. The unlikely mix of people were emboldened with power and love from above that could not be quenched. They offered something that people wanted and needed -- a savior willing to forgive, love, and a promise of eternal life. You would think everyone would be excited about something like that. But the Christians seemed to make a lot of enemies. As this new group called "The Way" grew in size, both the Jews and the Romans grew in anger. But out of their persecution these first Christians became a family. They had to, the world was against them. They called each other brothers and sisters as they went to prison together, stood up for one another, hid each other in their homes, and wrote each other letters of encouragement. They carried each other's burdens. And as darkness rose, the light grew brighter. Their adversity strengthened them. And so here we are today. We're still the Church - still filled with His Holy Spirit - still a bright light! Those very first brothers and sisters of ours succeeded.
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And so the adventure continues. It's hard to ignore the fact that the world is growing darker and further away from God. Persecution is rising, even in America. Maybe we're not put in prison yet like the first disciples. But we are still an incredibly misunderstood group of people. As we're often falsely accused, silenced, threatened, or forced to make compromises. But I don't think we need to be frightened. We are on an real life adventure after all. With a very real antagonist. But there's more to this real story that is pretty exciting. We're sons and daughters of God. We're priests and kings. We're a peculiar people. Strangers in a strange land. This is not our real home anymore. We're just passing through a world that's largely unaware that it's our prayers answered by our God keeping our countries, cities, and schools safe. Maybe we've lost some battles. We have enemies waging war on us. But God will win in the end. And so will we if we're on His side. So just like the first Church, maybe we can allow the adversity to strengthen us. We can stick together and become a family. We are the body of Christ and there is a place for anyone who is willing to follow Him -- whether you have everything together or your life is in pieces. It doesn't matter who you are, what you do, or what you've done. You can be forgiven and have a place. We're all misfits. But as we remain in Him, Jesus becomes our life source -- in our weaknesses He becomes our strength. Maybe you don't know where to start. Well the Word is a great place and it's also our greatest weapon. And never underestimate the power of a simple prayer, a kind word, an act of service, or a gesture of thoughtfulness. We might not be able to see it with our physical eyes, but when we do even the smallest act of faith and love we're piercing the darkness and allowing God to move. I believe He takes what we can give and muliplies it. So let's hold each other up. Take our places. Put on our armor. Pick up our swords. Join God's army. And follow our King and Savior, Jesus, into the greatest adventure!
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
Matthew 4:19
1 Timothy 6:12
Blessed are those whose strength is in the Lord, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
Psalms 84:5
Grace and peace from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever!
Revelation 1:5-6
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
John 14:16-18
"Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."
John 15:4
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
John 15:18-19
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Ephesians 6:10-18
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