Life Is an Adventure
Notes
Transcript
Intro; Most people today are usually labeled with either type “A” or “B” personality.
Type A personalities are those who are characterized by traits such as ambition, competitiveness, and drive. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving, hard-working, and goal-oriented. They are often seen as go-getters and can be quick and decisive. However, they can also be impatient, hostile, and have trouble relaxing.
A type B personality is characterized by a relaxed, easygoing, and patient disposition. People with type B personalities are often less driven by competition and urgency, and are able to handle stress more effectively than type A personalities.
Even though these personalities differ, I believe that each of these personalities has a sense of adventure in them, one more than the other.
Adventure- an unusual and exciting, typically risky experience or activity; exploring unknown territory
Adventurer- a person who enjoys or seeks adventure, willing to take risks
If I were to ask you this morning how many of you have an adventurous soul, who would raise their hand?
Whether you raised your hand or not, “Life Is An Adventure!”
Life is exciting, and there are risks, and if you have kids you have explored unknown territory on a daily basis! Amen.
And if you know Christ as your Savior this morning, then whether you realize it or not, you are an adventurer, on a journey with Jesus in a “Life of Adventure”.
Text; Ecc. 11:1-6
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.
Summary: In Ecclesiastes 11:1–6, Solomon encourages us to live boldly and to invest in the opportunities presented to us, even while life is often unpredictable and outcomes can be uncertain. He stresses the necessity of taking risks and acting in faith as part of life’s adventure.
Teaching: The sermon could teach that every decision we make is an investment, whether it’s in our relationships, our work, or our faith. Just as we are called to cast our bread upon the waters, we are reminded that we cannot control every outcome, but we can be faithful in our actions and leave the results to God.
1. Purpose of Adventure; 1-2
1. Purpose of Adventure; 1-2
Adventure is taking risks in life, not being reckless with life!
Risk- a situation involving exposure to danger; the possibility of something unpleasant or unwelcome will happen
Reckless- acting without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action [stupid]
Solomon is saying if you never take risks their will never be rewards!
Financial realm;
Be Generous; It takes money to make money! Solomon had a fleet of ships in a joint venture with King Hiram of Tyre [1 Kings 10]. They sent out many ships for full of grain for trade with other countries. Those ships did not return for three years but they came back full of gold, silver, wood, jewels, garments, spices, ivory, monkeys.
Seven/eight; Good and multiple investments increases the chances of better returns. Solomon didn’t put all his eggs in one basket and neither should we!
You don’t know; that’s the risk in financial investing, you don’t know what will happen but that shouldn’t paralyze you from investing. One thing is for sure, if you don’t take the risk you will never reap a reward!
Spiritual realm;
Be generous; In giving to God we must never think that our money, time, or works is being wasted.
Ecclesiastes 11:1–2 (MSG)
1 Be generous; invest in acts of charity. Charity yields high returns.
2 Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around. Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.
Investment of your finances in the spiritual realm shows mercy [favor]
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.
Investing your time shows care and compassion for the hurting
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Investing in good works advances godly morals in evil times.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
There is a sign along the Alaskan highway that reads, “Choose your rut carefully, you’ll be in it for the next 200 miles.” We should never lose our purpose of adventure in Christ!
2. Prepare for the Unpredictable; 3-4
2. Prepare for the Unpredictable; 3-4
Part of the definition of adventure is “exploring unknown territory”, the unpredictable.
There are certain things in life we have no control over, such as the weather [clouds], or the affects it may have on things that seem stable [trees], but that doesn’t mean we quit trusting God. Many times embracing life’s uncertainties are the greatest part of the adventure!
What if Abram would not have trusted God to leave Ur of the Chaldeans, look at the adventure he would have missed. Sure there were a lot of unpredictable things that happened on that journey [separation from Lot, God telling Abram that his descendants will be slaves for 400 years, Sarah carnal plan for children, destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abram lying to Abimelech about Sarah being his sister]. Yet God remained faithful to His covenant to Abraham and fulfilled it by giving Abram/Sarai a son of their old age, Isaac, in which God would bring about the nation of Israel and the Seed of Abraham that would bless all mankind, Jesus!
Ever since we came to faith in Christ, life has been unpredictable, but man what an adventure! We’ve seen God change our lives, our finances, our giving, our service, our ministry and our locations. But God is faithful and continues to give calm assurance even in uncertainties of life.
1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.
2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp;
3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.
4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”
5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”
If we observe things and only get involved with the things that we can control, we will never see the wonders of God in our life! Preparing for the unpredictable is the adventure of keeping our eyes on Christ and following Him!
3. Practice Perseverance; 5-6
3. Practice Perseverance; 5-6
Perseverance is the key to adventures of life. Some adventures are short lived while others can last a lifetime.
The wind can come and go in an instant, but the pregnancy in the womb can be long, difficult and tiring. But in either case we have to prepare for them and persevere.
Practice- actual application or use of ideas, beliefs or methods; habitual performance of an activity or skill
Perseverance- persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success:
[v.6] It should be the practice of our lives as christians to hunger and thirst for righteousness every morning so that we can sow the seeds of righteousness throughout the day.
Solomon gives the illustration of a farmer sowing seed. I know today most farmers plant one type of crop in their field and after the harvest, they will rotate a crop [peanuts, cotton]. But as a home gardener, I plant various types of crops in my garden at different times of the year, expecting good results. In either case, just planting the seed is not the end of the process. You water, fertilize, weed and prune to help the seed grow into a healthy plant that produces fruit.
It is no different in the spiritual realm of sowing seeds of the gospel.
Matthew 13:3–8 (NKJV)
3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
We must practice what we believe and be persistent in doing so regardless of the difficulty or the delay in success. If we will be faithful and persevere God will bring the increase.
Close;
Life is an Adventure of Faith, and each of us is like a merchant, investing today in that which will pay dividends tomorrow. We are like the farmer, sowing various kinds of seeds in different soils, trusting God for the harvest.
Whether you are type “A” or type “B” personality, God has an adventure for you, it’s called life with Jesus, and I can assure you it will be exciting, risky and you will explore unknown territory, but the journey will be an adventure well worth it!
