It’s Good to Stay on the Mountain

Series: Lies Christians Like

Title: I should stay on the Mountain – MS Video Teaching

Author: Matt Wunderlich

Key: Video Scripture Slides Personal Stories

EMCEE Intro

(Emcee note: Kickoff your teaching with a personal story about a time where (like Peter in Luke 9:33) you misread the situation and tried to hijack a moment that wasn’t about you/you didn’t know what you were talking about).

(Teaching Nameplate)

Have you ever seen something happening and thought “It is good that I’m here”? 12Stone has an amazing Residency Program that helps train young pastors. When I was a resident wayyy back in ancient history, I happened to stumble upon the perfect situation that had everything it needed besides one (points to self) Matt Wunderlich.

One of our production staff was moving these insanely heavy cases (show picture) by herself. She had somehow moved like 5 of them out through the doors already and had one left. I thought, wow, good thing I’m here to help because there’s no way she could do this last one all on her own so I drop my stuff and run to help her push the last case through the doorway. While we’re going through the doorway, the wheel gets stuck on the door. Being such a good helper, I give it an extra shove… all the weight shifts off the wheels and it starts to tip and crushes her hand in the door before we shift the weight back to free her hand…

I’m completely embarrassed in the moment so I humbly apologize and run off to get an ice pack… wait… that’s not what I did. I said “ooooo…. Shake it off”. What. A. Moron. Shake it off? Y’all it turns out she BROKE HER HAND. I told her to shake it off 😂. Don’t worry, I have a group of people in my life who never let me forget this moment.

You see, sometimes we see a moment playing out and we misunderstand our role in that moment. Which is exactly where we find ourselves in Luke 9 tonight. Jesus has just explained to his friends that he has to die. The disciples are not excited about this conversation. That’s where we pick up.

Luke 9:28-33 NIV

28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

I feel like we can laugh at Peter a little bit here when he says “it is good for us to be here”. Just like (reference your personal story), he misread the moment. But if you just went to CAMP last week, you may have had your own mountaintop moment. Tonight, we’re going to finish up our Lies Christians Like series with a teaching from our Lead Student Pastor, Matt Wunderlich talking about what we do when we’ve been on the mountain.

VIDEO START

Three of Jesus’ closest friends are having this incredible moment on the mountaintop. They are experiencing the glory of God in a way they’d never experienced before but they didn’t know what to do when they got there.

If you were with us at CAMP last week, you might’ve had an incredible encounter with God. Maybe one that felt different than you had ever experienced. A closeness you haven’t experienced, emotions you didn’t know you could have in your faith, spiritual things just… made sense, right? Maybe it was simply during worship, next thing you know your hands are up and you’re singing loud but you’ve never done that before. You might wish that you could just stay there. I don’t want CAMP to end!!! In those moments, I think we can believe the lie that LIE: “It is good to stay on the mountain.”

I love to hike and my happy place is Mt. Yonah. Has anyone ever made that hike before? It’s pretty challenging but if you can get to the top, it’s got incredible views. If you’ve ever been to Mt. Yonah, you know this spot right here: (Yonah 1) This is almost exactly the halfway point and it’s got this cool lookout and a great view (Yonah 2). There are always people taking pictures on this rock or hanging out at this spot for a rest. What bums me out, as someone who loves this hike, is how many people get to this spot are content with a nice view and turn around and walk back down. Which, sidenote: How many of us make it halfway up the mountain with God in our faith and think we made it? We worked to spend a little bit of time with God for a day or two at CAMP and we went higher up with God than we’ve ever been before and we are content.

Back to Mt. Yonah… the next half mile after the halfway lookout by far the hardest part of the hike. It’s straight up. My legs are burning, my lungs are burning but I can remember that the beauty of the mountaintop is worth it. Pictures never do it justice but I always take a picture at the top because it’s so beautiful. (Yonah 3)

I think for us to understand why it isn’t good to stay on the mountain, we have to know God’s purposes for us on the mountain.

Luke 9:32a NIV

32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory…

God takes us up the mountain to wake us up. When you’re in the presence of Jesus, you perk up! Not just “I drank 2 Alanis and I’m jittery” awake but you begin to wake up to who God is, what He’s done for you. You begin to wake up to sin in your life. You begin to wake up to a bigger purpose in your life. The reason we do CAMP and Retreats and the reason your Student Pastors and your Small Group Leaders were so annoying about getting you to come is because they hope that you would wake up to something incredible that God wants to show you! But why isn’t it good to stay there?

God gets our attention on the mountain but he doesn’t want us to stay there.

Luke 9:33b NIV

… Peter said to him [Jesus], “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

Peter is trying to build three shelters because he’s thinking that they’re supposed to stay on the mountain. “Wait, this is awesome! I love being in God’s presence. What if we could live here???” And we can judge Peter for saying this but how many of you have ever wished CAMP or Retreat could just keep going for another day or that it would never end? I definitely have. I’m not sure if you remember what happened right before they went up to the mountaintop, but Peter was arguing with Jesus. Peter was telling Jesus he didn’t need to die. If they had stayed on the mountain, Jesus wouldn’t have gone to the cross. Peter didn’t realize that staying up there would’ve meant missing the point of why Jesus came. Peter is trying to pitch a tent and Jesus is starting a movement that will save the world. Peter, James, and John would’ve had the warm and fuzzies and been close to God if they stayed but their lives would’ve been without purpose.

God takes us up the mountain to send us not for us to stay.

Luke 9:37 NIV

37 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.

God takes us up the mountain to send us not for us to stay. Maybe the reason so many of us want to stay up on the mountain is because God has asked to do something hard when we come back down. The mountain is a commissioning time before he sends us out into the world. He fills us up, he shows us more of his glory than we’d see on a normal day. We are woken up to what he’s doing in us and around us… then he sends us down on a mission.

Truth: It is good for us to come down from the mountain

The reason I hike up Mt. Yonah is because, when I’m at the top, I just always have amazing time with God. I set up a hammock next to the cliff and just read and journal and it’s great but I don’t go to the mountain for the mountain, I go to be filled up for when I come back down.

God takes us up the mountain carry us through the mundane. God asks me to do hard things when I’m on the mountain and I get to decide when I come down, with my obedience, if the mountain was worth it or if it was just an emotional moment. It was on Mt. Yonah God asked me to deactivate my social media so that he would have my attention, it was on Mt. Yonah that God invited me into deeper quiet time rhythms, it was on Mt. Yonah that, in a time when I was so busy, He just held me close and reminded me that I’m a son of God before I’m a husband, a father, a pastor.

What has God told you on the “mountain” that you need to follow through on now that you came back down? What did God show you on the mountain? Where is He sending you? Now that God has woken you up… how will you live differently?

VIDEO END

(Emcee Note: Connect with your student pastor and bring your heart for your room coming out of CAMP in this moment. Prayerfully ask God: what are things God is asking you to challenge and encourage your flock with in this moment. Keep your tone hopeful. It’s easy to come across like a disappointed parent that “needs their kid to do better” in a moment of challenge. Get your heart right in prayer and let the Spirit lead you.)

What has God told you on the “mountain” that you need to follow through on now that you came back down? Who has been called to something new as you get ready to start the school year?

Who is God asking to:

Start a prayer group before school

Serve the next generation in Kids Ministry

Wake up 10 minutes early to start your day with him

Start reading your bible with some friends. Who cares that you’re in Middle School!!

Etc.

(End with a commissioning prayer over your students before dismissing to groups)

God, thank You for what You did on the mountain. Thank You for the way You woke us up, opened our eyes, and spoke to our hearts at CAMP. But now we’re back. And, it’s easy to want to stay where things felt clear and powerful. It’s tempting to think faith only happens at the top. But You don’t just meet us on the mountain… You walk with us in the valley. So Jesus, would You remind us of what You said up there and help us obey it down here. Remind us we were never meant to stay on the mountain. Help us forgive, speak up, stay consistent, love people, and walk with You when it’s not loud and hype and obvious. Holy Spirit speak to us. Give us courage. And send us from the mountain into the mission. In Jesus’ name, amen.