The Rightness of Risk

Lead Vocalist (Joel)

Welcome & Announcements (Mike K)

Good morning family!

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Now please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart for worship.

Call to Worship (Revelation 4:8–11)

Prayer of Praise (Bibi Laborte)

Holy Forever

We Fall Down

Prayer of Confession (Colin Smith), Sinful fear

Assurance of Pardon (Matthew 6:31-33)

No Not One

My Worth Is Not in What I Own

Scripture Reading (Eccl. 11:1-6)—page 663 in the black Bibles

Pastoral Prayer (Mike K)

Prayer for PBC—Boldness in generosity

Prayer for kingdom partner—Hampton Roads Fellowship (Paul Speight)

Prayer for US—Upcoming elections

Prayer for the world—Brunei*

Pray for the sermon

SERMON

START TIMER!!!

When you hear the word “success,” what comes to mind? Luck? Talent? The right connections? For most of us, it seems effortless. But real success almost always begins with risk—bold, costly, persistent risk.

Let me tell you a story about a young man named Robert.

Robert grew up in a small Pennsylvania town. By the time he got to college, his faith was practically nonexistent. He wasn’t looking for God—he was looking for a good time.

One Friday night, he and a few friends planned to drive to a bar in Youngstown, Ohio where they didn’t check IDs. But before they left, Robert realized he was out of cigarettes. So he went back inside his dorm lobby to buy a pack from the vending machine.

When he walked in, he saw two upperclassmen sitting at a table with an open Bible between them.

They looked up and, in that moment, those upperclassmen took a risk. They invited Robert to sit down and study the Bible with them.

He agreed. And in the providence of God, they were studying Ecclesiastes 11.

And that’s exactly where we’re going to spend our time this morning.

Life is uncertain. We don’t know which efforts will succeed, which relationships will flourish, or which steps of obedience will bear fruit.

But...

The only safe way to live in an uncertain world is to understand and embrace the rightness of risk.

That’s the Big idea I want you to see from God’s Word.

Life is filled with opportunities to risk—I’d imagine there’s an opportunity in front of every person hearing my voice today.

Maybe it’s applying for that job you’re not sure you’ll get.

Or finally asking that girl out on a date. Or asking her to marry you. (Just make sure you take her on a date first, though).

Maybe it’s a big family decision, like cutting expenses so mom can stay home with the kids. Or having another baby. Or embracing the initial awkwardness of family worship. Or praying with your wife.

Maybe it’s a decision to give more of your money, even if that means having less in savings. Or a decision to start giving, even though it’s never been a habit.

Maybe the risk in front of you is simply asking someone for help. Or giving up your time to help someone else.

Maybe it’s volunteering in a ministry that’s outside your comfort zone. Or sharing the gospel with your neighbors, or inviting a friend to church. Or discipling a new Christian.

Or maybe it’s following Jesus in believer’s baptism. Or taking the next steps towards joining a church.

Every one of those moments is a step into uncertainty.

But the only safe way to live in an uncertain world is to understand and embrace the rightness of risk.

To help us do that, let’s consider four truths about risk from God’s Word:

First, in verse 1, we’ll see Why Risk is RIGHT.

Then, in verse 2, we’ll learn When Risk is WRONG.

In verses 3-4, we’ll uncover How Risk is RESISTED.

And finally, in verses 5-6, we’ll see Where Risk is REDEEMED.

First, consider with me…

1) Why Risk is RIGHT.

Before we consider what the Preacher has to say about the rightness of risk, let’s stop for just a moment and think about risk.

In his book Risk is Right, John Piper says “I define risk very simply as an action that exposes you to the possibility of loss or injury.” [2]

Something is risky because you could lose something. You could lose face, or lose a friend, lose some money, lose your health, or even lose your life.

And risk is possible because we live in a world filled with unknowns. [3] If you and I were omniscient, risk wouldn’t exist. It’s what you don’t know that makes the world risky.

Which is one reason why the Preacher repeats the phrase “you do not know” four times in our text this morning.

Ignorance creates risk.

But why is risk right? Why not do everything in our power to minimize risk at all costs?

Because a life without risk is a life without accomplishment. A life without risk is a wasted life.

That seems to be what the Preacher is communicating in…

Ecclesiastes 11:1—Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.

At first glance this is a strange verse.

Why would Solomon want me to cast my bread on the waters? Are we feeding ducks or something?

Most scholars believe this is an ancient metaphor describing sea trade, taking your produce and sending it on a ship across the waters to sell.

Now in those days this was a risky business.

The journeys were long and dangerous. They were susceptible to storms and pirates and mutinies.

The Bible tells us King Solomon had a fleet of ships that would return with their gold, silver, and ivory once every three years [4]

If that’s what Solomon is talking about here, the TNIV translation is helpful: “Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.”

Ships in harbor are safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

Today people would say, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” [5]

The bottom line is simple: Risk is right because it’s the pathway to reward.

Now, I am NOT saying that every risk leads to reward.

But the reality is, every reward worth having is preceded by some level of risk.

Every reward I’ve ever received in this life came on the other side of risk.

It was risky for me to ask 19-year-old Holly to be my girlfriend, especially for a guy who had an unhealthy fear of rejection.

It was even riskier for me to ask her to be my wife a year later.

Although it didn’t feel like we were taking a risk when we welcomed our first four children into our home, it was risky. Their are many complications that can arise to both mom and baby during pregnancy. And think about all the risks that happen after your little bundle of joy is born: like the terrible twos! And puberty!

It was risky for us to leave our home and our families two times to pursue training in seminary.

It was risky to leave Louisville and move here to Pawkwasawn!

It was risky to take our entire family to Colombia to welcome our fifth child into our family through adoption.

And yet every single one of these risks led to rewards so great I wouldn’t trade them for anything!

Brother, sister, friend: what risks has the Lord put in front of you?

Is He calling you to turn from your sins and trust in Him? That’s certainly a risk, because following Jesus requires you to die to yourself!

Is He calling you to make your faith public through baptism? Or join a church? Or give more regularly or sacrificially? Or proclaim the good news about Jesus to the lost people in your life? All these things are risky in their own way. And by the way, none of these things are optional for followers of Jesus.

Or what about a risk that God calls some—but certainly not all—Christians to take? Like pursuing marriage? Or having another child? Or adoption? Or foster care? Or a career change? Is He calling you to serve as an elder or a deacon? Or train so you can devote your life to full-time ministry? Or move overseas to take the gospel to the unreached?

What is God calling you to risk?

Now before you take that risk, just remember: it’s still a risk!

Part of the reason why risking is scary and hard is because we don’t know how it will turn out.

Don’t risk naïvely, assuming that everything will work out in end because you trust Jesus!

Once again, John Piper is helpful here. He writes this: “Risk is right. And the reason is not that God promises success to all our ventures in his cause. There is no promise that every effort for the cause of God will succeed, at least not in the short run.” [5]

So we take risks, even though we don’t know the outcome. Because risk is right!

Now I know what some of you are thinking.

Pastor, wait just a minute! What you’re encouraging us to do is foolish! Aren’t there times when we shouldn’t risk?

Absolutely! Consider with me…

2) When Risk is WRONG.

In verse 1, the Preacher’s message was essentially, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Fill your boat with grain and send it off to trade—even if it’s risky to do so!—because you’ll likely make a profit in the end.

Risk is right because it’s the pathway to reward.

But the Preacher is also a realist. He knows firsthand just how risky this endeavor would be.

So look at his advice in…

Ecclesiastes 11:2—Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.

Imagine you’re engaged in maritime commerce in the ancient world, and you have large quantities of grain to trade. If you put all that grain on one boat, you’re taking a foolish risk.

That boat could sink. Or get attacked by pirates. And then all your investment would be lost.

So what do you do? Well, you could be like the foolish farmer in Luke 12 and just build bigger barns to store all your grain so you don’t have to take a risk.

Or, you could do what Solomon is suggesting here and divide your grain among multiple ships. If you take your grain and spread it out on seven or eight ships—even if one gets shipwrecked, and another gets hijacked by pirates, and another suffers mutiny—you’ll still receive a reward for your investments because you’ve got four or five other ships!

Today we would say, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket!”

This is a call to be wise and discerning as we engage in risk. Not to be foolish and naive.

To put it simply: Risk is wrong when it’s reckless.

Now we have to be careful here, because reckless is a relative term.

Some of you are tempted to think nearly everything risky is reckless. You get nervous when a kid slides down a slide. Too dangerous! You’re extremely safety conscious, and very risk-averse.

Others are tempted to think nothing is reckless. You’re naturally brave and adventurous. You’re a Gryffindor. You'd be fine putting all your eggs in one basket and all your grain in one boat.

So how do we determine what is and isn’t reckless behavior?

Consider Apostle Paul as an example.

He was a man who knew how to take risks. He traveled into dangerous cities knowing he could be beaten, imprisoned, or even killed for preaching the gospel. Paul’s life was full of uncertainty and real danger, yet he didn’t let fear stop him from obeying God.

At the same time, Paul wasn’t reckless. He often fled persecution when he could. He was willing to appeal to Caesar when he was falsely imprisoned. He trained other leaders, so his ministry didn’t ride or fall on him.

Paul shows us that risk for the sake of obedience is never reckless if it’s guided by wisdom and trust in God. He didn’t let fear paralyze him, but he also didn’t act impulsively. He trusted God and made calculated steps forward—just like Solomon’s advice about spreading your grain across multiple ships.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell if you’re risk is right or reckless, but here’s a few questions that can help.

Before you step out in risk, ask yourself: Have I prayed about this decision? Does it align with God’s Word? Have I sought wise counsel from other godly people in my church family? Have I counted the cost? Am I motivated by faith or fear? Am I prepared for setbacks? Am I putting all my resources or hope into this one decision?

But even as it’s right to ask these questions, be careful.

Because sometimes we can be so consumed with getting things just right that we never do anything.

So consider with me…

3) How Risk is RESISTED.

In a lot of ways, what the Preacher’s doing in our text looks a lot like trying to balance a seesaw.

In verse 1 he taught us that risk is right because it’s the pathway to reward.

Then to keep us from overcorrecting into foolish behavior, verse 2 taught us that risk is wrong when it’s reckless.

Now to keep us from overcorrecting again, he tells us about the dangers of being so fearful of recklessness that we never do anything.

Ecclesiastes 11:3–4—If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.

If there was ever a verse that deserves a “Captain Obvious” sticker, it’s this one.

If the clouds are full of rain, it’s going to rain eventually. If a tree falls, it will lie wherever it falls.

Wow, Solomon, you really are the wisest sinner who ever lived! Thanks Sherlock!

But Solomon is making a point here. Even though there are a lot of things we don’t know in life—which is why many of our decisions include risk—there are things we do know.

And if you take the information you know and wait for perfect conditions before you act you’ll never do anything.

Ecclesiastes 11:4—He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

The farmer who’s always watching the weather channel won’t scatter any seed. It’s windy outside, and the wind might blow the seed away.

And he won’t ever harvest either, because the forecast looks bleak and he doesn’t want to reap in the rain.

To put it simply: Risk is resisted by waiting for perfect conditions that never come.

If you focus too much on avoiding reckless risk, you will be tempted to wait for the perfect conditions before you do anything. And more often than not those perfect conditions never come.

Think about the risk of evangelism.

If you’re a new Christian or you’re not a Christian, let me explain what we mean by evangelism.

The word “evangel” literally means “good news” or “gospel.”

The gospel is the good news about what God has done to save sinners.

You can explain the gospel very simply, using four C’s.

It begins with God the Creator. He’s real. He’s not a myth or a fable. He made this world and everything in it. And He’s holy, meaning that He must punish those who do evil.

That might not seem like such a big deal, until you understand the Curse of sin. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God and as a result every single one of us are evil by nature. Which means all of us deserve to be eternally punished by an eternally holy God.

But God loved us so much He sent His Son Jesus Christ to live a sinless life and die a sinner’s death on the cross in our place. Then on the third day, He rose from the dead so that whoever believes in Him can be saved.

The Bible says whoever Calls on Jesus will be saved. But that’s more than calling out His name. You need to turn from your sins and trust in Him. You need to give Him your life!

That is the gospel, the good news, the evangel.

Evangelism, then, is simply telling people that Good News. And the truth is, it’s risky to do this.

Most of us won’t get arrested or tortured or killed for evangelism—although that is a reality for some Christians in some places.

But we can be rejected. We can lose friendships. We can be cut off by our family. We can be mocked or mistreated. And all of those things hurt.

So what do we do? Most of us just wait for the perfect conditions. We’re waiting for the moment when someone comes up to us and says, “What must I do to be saved?”

I’ve been following Jesus for nearly 20 years and I’ve never once had that happen to me!

If your experience is like mine, and if you’re waiting for perfect conditions before you share your faith you’ve probably been waiting for a long, long time.

In one of Jesus’ parables he compares evangelism to the farmer who cast seed.

Some of the seed fell on the path and was eaten by birds.

Some of the seed fell on rocky ground. The seed sprang up, but the roots couldn’t go deep and the plant died.

Some of the seed fell among thorns, and the thorns choked out the plant.

And some of the seed fell on good soil.

Based just on this, the farmer only had a 25% success rate! But he kept scattering seed anyways.

You and I need to do the same thing! We can’t sit back and wait for perfect conditions that never come. We can’t say, “I’ll only cast seed if I’m 100% certain it will land on good ground!” No, we need to scatter seed liberally, trusting that God will use the seed we plant in ways we can’t imagine.

Brothers and sisters, do not underestimate what God can do through your faithfulness to risk for His glory.

Whether it’s telling someone about Jesus, or asking that girl to marry you, or having another baby, or surrendering your life to ministry, or getting involved in some service opportunity, or committing to faithfully give ten percent or more of your income, don’t wait for conditions to be perfect before you act.

I know you’re scared. I know you’re unsure.

But it will help if you consider with me finally…

4) Where Risk is REDEEMED.

Alright, remember our seesaw.

In verse 1 we learned risk is right because it’s the pathway to reward.

In verse 2 the Preacher balances the seesaw by reminding us that risk is wrong when it’s reckless.

Then in verses 3-4, he keeps us from overcorrecting again by cautioning us not to wait for perfect conditions that never come.

Now to tie everything together, leaving us with a balanced view of risk, the Preacher shows us where risk is redeemed.

Ecclesiastes 11:5—As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

This verse highlights God’s sovereignty. He is in control, we are not.

The truth is, no matter how much risk analysis we can do there are still things we cannot figure out.

We don’t know how the biological product of reproduction receives a human soul, worthy of dignity, value and worth. But we believe it.

And so we fight for the protection of the unborn, because that’s not just a clump of cells growing inside a woman. It’s a human being with a soul, made in the image of God.

The world is filled with things like this that we cannot measure and we cannot figure out entirely. But we believe them, because we trust our sovereign God.

How should we respond to a belief in the sovereignty of God? Should we say, “since God is control and I can’t figure out His works than I won’t take risks—why risk anything if God is just going to do what He wants anyways?”

That’s the response of a person with a very shallow understanding of God’s sovereignty. If you read the Bible, it’s clear that God sovereignly works through the free decisions of His people.

God’s sovereignty doesn’t negate human responsibility.

Ecclesiastes 11:6—In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

Notice that the Preacher exhorts us to embrace human responsibility.

Work hard, day and night. Not because you know what will prosper and what will fail, but because it’s right. And because you trust the Lord.

To put it simply: Risk is redeemed where divine sovereignty meets human responsibility.

Charles Spurgeon was once asked if he could reconcile these two truths to each other. “I wouldn’t try,” he replied; “I never reconcile friends.” [7]

J.I. Packer adds, “In the Bible, divine sovereignty and human responsibility are not enemies. They are not uneasy neighbors; they are not in an endless state of cold war with each other. They are friends, and they work together.” [8]

Why are you averse to risk?

Perhaps it’s because you don’t really believe in divine sovereignty. You don’t believe in a good, powerful, sovereign God who is going to work all things together for good. Even your failures. You can’t trust Him to turn evil into good. So you’re terrified to risk anything because you think you will mess things up.

Or perhaps it’s because you don’t really believe in human responsibility. Maybe you believe in luck, fate, or chance. But you think good things just happen. You expect God to just do whatever good things need to happen in your life. And you’ve forgotten that He calls you to do some things as well. And you’re apathetic to risk because you don’t see the point.

The solution to both extremes is the turn from your sins and believe the Good News.

In Jesus Christ, we find the perfect Redeemer of our risk-averse and reckless hearts.

He knew exactly what the cross would cost Him, and He obeyed anyway. He laid down His life with full knowledge of the pain, betrayal, and wrath He would face, and He did it willingly—because He trusted His Father’s sovereign plan and loved us enough to pay the price.

When you believe that gospel, you’re set free from both fear and folly.

You don’t have to control everything, because the One who controls everything loves you.

And you don’t have to sit idle, because the One who saved you calls you to act.

So go ahead—plant your seed in the morning, and don’t withhold your hand in the evening.

Take the step of obedience that faith demands.

You don’t know how it will turn out—but you know Who holds the outcome.

And that’s enough.

And remember that story I told you at the beginning—the college freshman named Robert?

You might know him by his full name, Robert Charles—also known as R.C.

That night, when R.C. Sproul was asked to read Ecclesiastes 11:3—If a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie”—he saw himself in that verse. Fallen. Lifeless. Helpless.

He left that Bible study, went back to his dorm room, and knelt beside his bed in the dark. He confessed his sin, asked God for mercy, and that night, he was born again.

R.C. Sproul would go on to become one of the most influential theologians of the late 20th century. But it all started with two college students who took a simple, faithful risk—inviting a lost friend to study the Bible.

They didn’t know what would prosper—this or that. But they sowed their seed. And God gave the increase. [8]

May we do the same. Because the only safe way to live in an uncertain world is to understand and embrace the rightness of risk.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

For the Cause

Benediction (Philippians 4:19)