Start taking Risk

Hello everyone. Are you excited to be here this morning? I know I am. I cannot believe what God is doing here. You all heard that we will be having another baptism next Sunday the 16th. Look at what God is doing. People ask me, why do you do so many baptisms? Because I don’t want to wait. John didn’t send people away for days or weeks on end. To let them stew about it. No. When they came and said I want to be baptized there were probably already in the water. lol So he just did it. My job is not to dictate to you whether you are ready to be baptized or not. My job is to facilitate the move of God on you. Thus when you say you are ready, we jump on it. Once you tell me that, I have a discussion to make sure you understand what it means and why you are doing it and then here we go. Baptism. It’s not hard.

Well let’s jump right in. If you are watching online you can get my notes by joinin our event on Youversion bible app. We want you to be a part and not miss out on anyhting just because you couldn’t get here this morning. Next week though we want to see you. Ok?

This series started last week and we talked about us as a church and the risk that it took for us to plant the chruch and the risk it takes for you to stay here with us. We talked about the enemy and his agenda to destroy God and anything that resembles him and that is you.

This week it really becomes about you. You have to

Start Taking Risk

In fact that is kind of the goal for this series. You can write it down in your notes, it is this.

GOAL: For YOU to take borderline steps that will lead to boundless success

This is a life of faith that we lead. That means you don’t see the answers. That means you don’t see everything. That means that you don’t get to see the whole path. That is why the bible says, his word is a light to my path and a lamp to my feet. The bible also says...

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The evidence of what kind of things? If you can see it, then it doesn’t require faith. If you can hold it, i don’t need to prove it’s existence. You just have to hold it. You just have to use it. Faith points you to things outside of yourself. It isn’t blind. Faith says I know there is something bigger. So let me go to that.

In this series we are going to talk about people that took risk from the bible. They shouldn’t have been successful, tehy shouldnt have reached out but they were and they did. God honred them for it. This week as I said we are saying that you have to start. Playing the safe bet isn’t an option for you any more. It isn’t working. So

Start Taking Risk

In America, we are addicted to safety. We have mottos like safety first. We tell people not to take to big of risk because they might fail. It is taught from a very early age by different phrases that we use. See if you know or can finish some of these phrases.

What goes up, must come down.

Look before you leap.

Keep both feet on the ground.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

The one that really bums me out and I still don’t know that I quite believe,

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

The last one is this...

If it can go wrong, it probably will.

I feel like we are just programmed not to move. We want a life that is predictable, safe, acceptable, definable, possible or what I call it. Boring But we just want everyone to be safe. You mom says that when you drive away. Drive safe and be careful. It is said to our kids. Be careful. IN fact the home security industry is went on record of making 100 billion dollars in 2017.

America will spend 15 billion this year on gun safety. Mark Zuckerberg the anti gun guy that he is spends millions on his security team. With 16 armed gunmen around him 24/7. Safety is important to us. I just wanna know who is trying to kill the founder of facebook? lol Maybe he knows something I don’t. But if that wasn’t eccentric enough, the estimated cost of keeping the president safe is 1 billion dollars a year. We love safety here. Ladies for sure love security. That is number one thing most women are looking for. Security. Especially in their husband or boyfriend. So much so, you can purchase this on Amazon for $36 dollars plus tax.

(Insert picture of boyfriend pillow)

We want safety. We want security. I am not the safety person of our family. That would be Bella. I am the one who jumps out of planes, off cliffs and rides the crazy rides. My wife is a safer person than i am. She goes and buys all of this stuff for the girls to start ridding bikes. The helmet, shin guards, elbow guards, etc. They wore them one time and then they never put them back on becuase they realized they couldn’t ride the bike with all that extra stuff on. Their knees didn’t bend right. They could barely steer. She is the one who packs them 14 pairs of clothes and the hat and gloves and the snow suit when get outside to play and the only thing they can do is make snow angels. I am like you have shoes on and a hat. Ok let’s go. No your purple finger means its time to go in. It will be ok though.

Safety is good but it can become an issue when we attempt to stay safe in our spiritual life. When we put up guards to keep us from going anywhere outside of our comfort zone. If it limits your ability to accomplish the mission your Father has for you.

When it comes to faith, safety is the largest hindrance we have. In order for you to become who God wants you to be, it will involve risk. You must take them. There is no way around it.

Some of us in our faith are so afraid to die that we aren’t living.

The life that God has for you is right on the other side of comfortable.

We get right to the edge and look out and then we say well that feels uncomfortable so I am not going to go there. We get to this precipice and if your me, you go and sit right on the edge. In fact, I think I have a picture. See this is me. My wife and kids freaking out. Or what about this? Does it give you hives.

(Insert picture of fake cliff)

You have to get over being comfortable. It was never written in scripture that Jesus came and died for you so that you can be comfortable.

You take risk in other things in your life. You take risk in businesses when people tell you not to. You go after the reward. Men, you took a great risk when you proposed. I mean the fact she could make or break your life with a simple yes or no. Wives kiss your husbands. You don’t know what it took for him to get down on that knee. You don’t know what power you yielded over his life. Take it easy on him. You took a risk on a job. Poeple said that doesn’t fit you. But you took the risk.

The Bible is littered people who took risk. They had a decision to make just like you and i. To live life to the full in which God promised and take a risk or to stay safe. Let’s look at our first one today. Turn to Acts chapter 9

I love Acts. It is where there is a lot of Action. If it were made into a movie it would be a number one seller. If it were a netflix it wouldn’t be under love story but drama, action, murder, intrigue, mystery. I love this book.

So let’s look at it.

The early church is growing. Miracles are happening. Things are taking place. God is moving. Where those things are happening, the enemy attempts to raise his head. In this time the enemy had a name of Saul. Saul was zealous against Christians and for the temple. He was murdering people. He was putting people in prison. So the story continues and we will jump in right there.

Acts 9:1–2 NKJV

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

So let’s look at it.

The early church is growing. Miracles are happening. Things are taking place. God is moving. Where those things are happening, the enemy attempts to raise his head. In this time the enemy had a name of Saul. Saul was zealous against Christians and for the temple. He was murdering people. He was putting people in prison. So the story continues and we will jump in right there.

Acts 9:3–4 NKJV

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

Acts 9

Acts 9:5–6 NKJV

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Acts 9:7–8 NKJV

And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

Acts 9:

Acts 9:9–10 NKJV

And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

Acts (

Acts 9:11–12 NKJV

So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”

Acts

Acts 9:13–14 NKJV

Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

Acts 9:15–16 NKJV

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Acts 9:

Acts 9:17–18 NKJV

And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

Acts 9:19–20 NKJV

So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Nothing about this story makes sense in our culture. This story is full of risk takers. How many of you being Anias would have gone. Be honest with yourself. I mean, I know me personally, as soon as God said his name and I knew who he was talking about, I ain’t going. No he will kill me God. You are crazy. It makes no rational sense to go to him. This story has 3 main risk takers that we will discuss.

The first one is God and you can write down like this

God takes risk because he entrust people.

Now hear me when I say this. I know God knows everything and I am not attempting to take that away from Him or discredit His plans. But just think for a moment. God entrust poeple with His one commandment. They failed. He entrust them with His word, they failed. He entrust them with His son, we killed Him. He entrust us with His word, we abuse it. He entrust us with His spirit, we don’t use Him. You see what I am saying. It is a risk for him to entrust us. But if He does it with so much important stuff, why don’t we entrust people?

He chose Saul. If that wasn’t a risk. I mean this guy killed his children for a living. If I had been God, I would have picked someone completely different. I would have picked someone with a bit more likeness to me. Someone with a better history or track record. And wait a minute am I talking about Saul or myself or you? See God doesn’t see the issues you have. I put it this way in your notes,

God doesn’t see the problems in you. He see the potential.

this is exactly why, the bible describes us as clay and God as the potter. Because the potter sees what the clay in all of its imperfections could be. I mean someone can take this to this. Or that.

(Insert pictures of clay and vases)

In order to do that it takes seeing something more that what is there. God still believes in us. He uses weak flawed people. Look at what Paul says.

1 Corinthians 1:26–27 NKJV

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

1 Cor

Paul is saying right here that God doesn’t really call the strong ones, or the smart ones, or the rich ones. He does sometimes but that isn’t really his MO. He doesn’t really pick those that have it all together. He calls the ones that are broken. He calls the ones hurting. He calls the ones down and out. He calls the ones who are poor in spririt and he makes the rich. He calls the ones weak in spriit and He makes them strong. He calls the ones lost in spirit and makes them found. He calls the ones like me. He calls the ones like you. The ones that no one else would pick. Just so He can say, look what you missed.

So how does that apply to me Pastor? So God takes risk on us. He took a risk on me. what am I supposed to do with that? I am glad you asked. I want you...

To take a risk on people even when they don’t deserve it.

That is so hard but so needed. If God hadn’t taken a risk on Saul, where would we be. If the disciples didn’t take Saul in, where would we be? If Ananias hadn’t taken the risk and decided to go, what might have happened? If God didn’t take a risk on this broken, beat up, torn up, man where would this church be? It may not exist. You wouldn’t be sitting here. we wouldn’t be talking about God together. We wouldn’t be seeing lives changed and baptisms happen.

You are hearing it right now about someone in your life that God is saying to take a risk on. Who is that person that God wants you to take a risk on. To trust and believe in.

The second person to take a risk in this story is Saul. He is sitting there after this encounter with Jesus. And could have said ok, I am now going to preach. but he didn’t. He didn’t stay alone. He knew that he couldn’t do it alone and that he needed the church. So your next risk is this.

Saul took a risk on the church.

I have heard it said so many times from peopel that they don’t need the church. The church is full of hypocrites. They have hurt me so that’s why I don’t go. Listen the church is full of imperfect selfish prideful selfrighteous human beings and you are one of them. I am one of them. I don’t get it right all the time, my wife might say I don’t even get it right half the time. But we are trying and trying together. We are hoping to better each other. That’s why we come.

Saul could have said there is no way that I am going to them. If I go there they won’t like me. They won’t listen to me. They won’t let me in. But he didn’t. He said that I choose not to learn by doing it on my own. I don’t want to make it happen alone. He chose not to use online videos for church services. He made the decision that I have to get connected somewhere to some people. My challenge to you is are you making that connection? Have you made it. Yeah church has had a bad wrap. I would say in the last 2000 years all of the problems have been our fault. I know this. There are still problems in the church. Namely we don’t follow the bible or the spirit. But there are a lot of people in the church, trying to do those things. Trying to make it right. So if you know how to do it better, come help. I don’t sy that to be smart. I say it becuase we want to be better. We want to be more like Christ and if you cna help. Do it.

You have so much potential. You are a Saul when you are alone. But with the church you can be a Paul and amke a impact. So here is the point for you.

Take a risk on community or relationships even when it is easier to be alone.

We just started small groups. Some of you didn’t come last night to the launch party because you didn’t know if this was going to be for you. I am saying, I don’t know if its for me or not either. I mean no one signed up for my outdoor group. So I had to pull another one out of the hat and do a coffee one. But join up. Take a risk. God uses imperfect people. Come to next steps after church. Join us.

The last person that took a risk in this story. Ananias. He is sitting there and all of a sudden God speaks to him. God took a risk on people, Saul took a risk on the church. There are three Ananias mentioned in this book. They are not the same person.

Let me give you a bit of history on these there. The first one lies to God and gets struck down. The second one is later on and Paul goes before him. He is a judge. This one those is a disciple of Jesus. This one scholars tell us that he was saved while Jesus was on earth doing ministry. How he got saved we don’t know. We just know that he is faithful. He went through next steps and joined small groups. He probalby led one. But the Lord spoke to him as he was sitting there probably reading the law or watching a youtube video about the bible and prophecy. Either way God felt that he could trust Ananias to do this one thing. So he asks him. Ananias has a choice in that moment to say no or to go. It is a yes or a no choice. He had obviously already said yes in heart but that choice that day was a different one. We have all been there when God is prodding us or speaking to us or pulling at our heart strings to give something, to go somewhere, to speak to someone. We have a choice. Go or no.

(Start music) When you move

Ananias made his choice and it was a yes. He

Ananias took a risk and trusted God.

He could have easily said no. He could have easily made the choice not to trust. But if he hadn’t siad yes, there was a hurting broken Saul that would have been left in that state right there. He would have never been brought over to the other side to make the difference. There is someone who is needing you to take a risk, so they can hear your story and take their own risk. So here is the take away for you.

Take a risk on God even when it doesn’t make sense.