The God of Adventure is Alive

I grew up in Lebanon, MO. I am the product of Antioch Baptist Church and the Laclede Baptist Association Camp. My dad is Jim McGuire who owns McGuire Performance Center.

I graduated from Lebanon High School in 2001. My claim to fame at Lebanon High School is that my name is on two of the banners in the wrestling gym. I was a three time state qualifier and took 3rd in State my Senior year.

I always wanted to wrestle in a semi final match or a finals match. I got beat in the quarterfinals. Crazy story about this is that the guy who beat me in quarterfinals I had to wrestle for 3rd place and I beat him for 3rd. I wrestled every single guy on the podium except the 1st and 2nd place guy. I never all year long got the opportunity to wrestle them. (I am still waiting my opportunity for this lol).

I will never forget when I came home from Laclede Baptist Association youth camp and I was 13. I was sharing in front of the church what the Lord had done in my heart that week. I was crying and I am sure you could not understand a lot of what I was saying but it was clear the Lord had moved that week.

My grandmother came up after the service and stuck her long pointy finger at me and said, “you are going to be a preacher one day!”

I said nope and at the age of 17 I surrendered to the ministry. I went to college and wrestled and played baseball 2 years at St. Louis Community College at Meramec.

This was a trip. Baseball practice started at 1:00 and so I would start with them. I was on a wrestling scholarship so I would leave baseball to go to wrestling at 2:00. I would practice with wrestling from 2-4 then go back to baseball at the end of wrestling and finish up with them about 5:00.

I would warm up with baseball and then warm up with baseball. I was in the best shape of my life. I remember for wrestling we would get timed for the 3 mile run and I was getting that done in under 19 minutes. Some evenings after baseball was over the wrestling team had a free 24 hour fitness membership and so my wrestling roommates and I would head down to the gym after baseball practice was over.

After two knee surgeries, I gave up wrestling and focused on baseball. I transferred to College of the Ozarks thanks to my 2nd cousin Dustin Young getting me the opportunity. I met my wife Amy and got married then I graduated from College of the Ozarks.

In 2006, I graduated and we found Bridge of Faith Community Church in Rockaway Beach, MO. I served under the lead pastor for a year then he had me over to his house late one night and said he was leaving and I would be the next pastor. (I did not say another word the rest of the night) My wife said it best. There was no way we could keep from doing this. This July I will celebrate 15 years of pastoring at Bridge of Faith. Amy and I have 4 kids. Macy is 13, Colten is 11, Kylie is 8 and Brianna came into our home when she was 17. She is now 24 and living on her own in Kansas City.

What an honor to be back in my home association teaching again at the Winter Men’s retreat. I have to tell you all that it was an honor to be invited the first time, but to be invited back was a true blessing to my soul. I mean that! It encouraged me.

It is so important for us to get this weekend started off right.

Do I have any builders here?

Do I have any want to be builders?

Do I have people that tried to build and should not have?

I have learned through doing community development in Rockaway Beach how important in building for the building to get started off right.

What happens if a building starts out and it is out of square. You will fight it the rest of the way right.

So it is important to get started off right tonight. The theme for the weekend is

Micah 6:8 NIV

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

What does the Lord require of you?

To act justly

To love mercy

To walk Humbly

So are going to kick this off right talking about

The God of Adventure is Alive.

We will then look at what it means for us to act justly, to love mercy and to walk Humbly.

1 Kings 18:20–24 HCSB

20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire, He is God.” All the people answered, “That sounds good.”

(Pray)

The God of Adventure

What is adventure to you?

May involve going places

Learning

Out of your comfort zone

Going into the great unknown

Taking Risk

Adventure involves Risk

“Adventure begins when everything goes wrong”

Tom Bauer

Is it really Adventure if it goes according to plan?

How has 2020 been treating you?

In many aspects these last 2 years have felt like the longest years ever. It is evident that many today are facing a crisis like they have never experienced in their lives.

In some aspects it has drained us physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally

I think this is what the enemy desires. He comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

I am convinced there has never been a better time for the church to rise up with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus then right now.

I am convinced that there is not a better time for the church and for us men to rise up and Act Justly, Love mercy and walk Humbly.

I also know that the God of Adventure is Alive and at work.

Is God Adventurous?

When you read the truth of scripture, you see that God is a God of Adventure.

One of my favorites is the Exodus story. Just the amazing amount of adventure in this story.

One of my favorites is when God tells the Israelites to go back and camp near Pharoah so that the Israelites might look like they are walking around in confusion and boxed in. God says I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them.

I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army,

and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.

Story of my life. God says I am going to use Jonathan in Rockaway Beach. I am going to make him look confused and this will cause the enemy to pursue him and I will get the Glory and everyone in Rockaway will know that I am God.

God sends them back closer to the enemy. It becomes a great risk.

“Safe? Who said anything about Safe? ‘Cause He isn’t safe. But He’s Good” C.S. Lewis

No part of following God is going to be comfortable or safe

Following God is not boring

Let me speak quickly as the Lord has laid this on my heart

Counterfeit Adventure

Here are some things that are counterfeit Adventure

Social Media, Media, Porn

Society today is fixated on creating counterfeit adventure.

My kids don’t go play outside they watch a youtube video of another family playing together outside.

If they want to build a fort, then they get on minecraft and build a fort. They still have all the same fights that we had as kids but theirs is without the risk.

Dad Colten just killed my horse or dad he just destroyed my house. If you blow mine up I will blow yours ups.

As a kid if you tried to kill my horse or friends horse they would attack you with whatever they had and try to take you out.

I was the baby of the family and I have had my fair share of chasing my older siblings around with a bat or whatever I could find. It did not always end well for me.

Here is the problem. Their goal is to fill you with dopamine without the risk.

That’s why looking at stuff on your phone can be so attractive. You can view that stuff without the risk of rejection. You tell your wife that she looks good and you love her then there is risk that she might reject you.

Kids falling off hiking trails because they have not been outside and they don’t think that cliff is really a risk.

The God of Adventure is Alive and now is the time for us to return to Him

Elijah and the prophets of Baal. You remember this story?

Let me give you some quick background about Baal and Asherah

Baal

Was said to appoint the season of rains

Clouds were thought to be his entourage

Lightening was his weapon and thought to be his invention

The windows of Baal’s palace were thought to correspond with the clouds in which the rain would pour through. When the clouds would open up it was as if the Baal’s palace windows were opening to bring rain

He was thought to be the god of fertility

Baal’s battles that he supposedly fought and won causes him to rank first

Asherah

She who treads on the Sea

She is the partner of Baal

1 Kings 17:1 HCSB

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from the Gilead settlers, said to Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel lives, I stand before Him, and there will be no dew or rain during these years except by my command!”

So the economy was dependent on rain for the crops to grow. They did not have large irrigation systems they were dependent on God for rain.

Everything was great and so they worshipped this god little g because the crops were growing and he was sending rain.

Thank you Baal and Asherah for the rain

Rockaway Beach was once a thriving resort town on the white river. In 1913, Bull Shoals dam was completed and created a warm water lake known as Lake Taneycomo. The Merriam family came down out of Kansas City and discovered Rockaway Beach.

The White Hotel and the Brown Hotel were built in Rockaway Beach. One of the hotels was all inclusive. You could pay one price and get all your meals and lodging covered. The other hotel was not. You would just pay your room and board and then meals was on you.

Rockaway was booming place. Senior class trips were in Rockaway, Honeymooners and vacationers came to Rockaway. Our town is currently a town of 841 people.

Silver Dollar City was started because the owners family out of Chicago area vacationed to Rockaway Beach and then found Marvel Cave that later became Silver Dollar City. It was the tourism to Rockaway Beach that sustained Silver Dollar City in the early years of their business.

1958 They completed Table Rock Dam. The water from the Dam comes off the bottom of Table Rock lake at 900 feet deep. This made Taneycomo to cold to swim in. The water in Lake Taneycomo is 63 degrees year round.

The resorts in town continued to survive in the early 60s because they built their own swimming pools. In 1965 there was a riot.

The riot consisted of a group of drunk college students. Rockaway Beach had one police officer and one jail cell. They had to load up 12-15 college students and take them to the County jail. This story got out to the news stations in Springfield and it went down as the riot of 1965.

The resorts did not want to be known for riots so they stopped booking college students and families did not want to come to a riot town. 1965 was when the downturn really started to speed up.

Fast forward to 2005. There was a statewide ballet vote to allow riverboat gambling in Rockaway Beach. Also in 2005, Bridge of Faith Community Church was planted in Rockaway Beach.

Imagine with me for a second. You have been fighting for this town for a long time and you are not a believer and God and the church is far from your mind. You own property in town and you are tired of fighting. The hope of an “economic engine” in a casino is coming to town. You begin to pour a lot of time, energy, finances and resources in to bringing this casino to your town. You believe this will be the savior for your property values and community.

At the same time a church is planted and you believe the rumors that the only reason a church was planted in town was to stop the casino.

The casino fails and the church is still there and now your neighbor. How would you feel about the church?

I am sure you can guess but the town was not happy that we were there. We have been accused of stealing all the property in town, being a cult and trying to take over.

For many years the casino in their eyes was to be the Savior.

Now look at 1 Kings 18.

1 Kings 18:1–3 HCSB

1 After a long time, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year: “Go and present yourself to Ahab. I will send rain on the surface of the land.” 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. 3 Ahab called for Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. Obadiah was a man who greatly feared the Lord

The Lord said it would not rain and this caused a famine in the Land.

We have learned that when you don’t have jobs that poverty, drug addiction and alcoholism flourish. We did not have many jobs in Rockaway Beach so this was true.

We believe God wants to redeem all things back to himself and we are seeing him do this including the economy of Rockaway Beach.

1 Kings 18:16–17 HCSB

16 Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him. Then Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you destroyer of Israel?”

We started developing the town and working with kids. We started to see some good things happening in the community.

I will never forget one night before a city council meeting a lady meeting me at the door and she said you, you are the one who took all the fun out of this town.

It used to be fun in this town until Bridge of Faith got here!

God is fun!

I believe in times of persecution mercy and grace are on display the greatest if you are obedient to Jesus.

1 Kings 18:18–21 HCSB

18 He replied, “I have not destroyed Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals. 19 Now summon all Israel to meet me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 20 So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word.

Look at this adventure Elijah replies and says you have destroyed Israel that is you and you father’s house have.

Because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals

Elijah knows the wrong Ahab has done according to scripture. We like the thought of keeping people accountable to our own thoughts and ideas. Notice that he calls him out according to breaking God’s commands and not his own ideas and thoughts.

We must know the word of God well in order to call others out like Elijah does with Ahab.

1 Kings 18:22–28 HCSB

22 Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. 23 Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire, He is God.” All the people answered, “That sounds good.” 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” 28 They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them.

You talk about counterfeit adventure and counterfeit god.

It never ceases to amaze me what people are willing to do for these counterfeit gods.

Here they are shouting loudly and cutting themselves with knives and spears.

They are willing to self mutilate on behalf of this god little g hoping this will answer their prayers

If we are honest we still see this today. I believe we have watched this happen over the last two years in times of suffering or crisis. People have sacrificed a lot to little g gods and have abandoned Jesus.

1 Kings 18:29 HCSB

29 All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention.

1 Kings 18:30–35 HCSB

30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the Lord’s altar that had been torn down: 31 Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, “Israel will be your name” — 32 and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. 33 Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” 34 Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. 35 So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water.

What is happening here? They are in the middle of a drought. What is very valuable during a drought? water.

Fill four pots with water and said do that again, and do it a third time. There is so much water that is ran all around the alter and even filled the trench with water.

Can you imagine what kind of talk this might have stirred up in our churches today?

Look at Elijah wasting all that water. How come Elijah is not in his office. Every time I stop by he is never there. His car is never in the parking lot. What is Elijah doing out there wasting our water?

It sure seems like a waste for Elijah to use all our water on that sacrifice.

Elijah has lost his mind.

Might I remind you of Baal and Asherah and what they were connected to. They were connected to water.

1 Kings 18:36–46 HCSB

36 At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said, “Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. 37 Answer me, Lord! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.” 38 Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!” 40 Then Elijah ordered them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let even one of them escape.” So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the Wadi Kishon and slaughtered them there. 41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a rainstorm.” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the summit of Carmel. He bowed down on the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look toward the sea.” So he went up, looked, and said, “There’s nothing.” Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” 44 On the seventh time, he reported, “There’s a cloud as small as a man’s hand coming from the sea.” Then Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Get your chariot ready and go down so the rain doesn’t stop you.’ ” 45 In a little while, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and there was a downpour. So Ahab got in his chariot and went to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord was on Elijah, and he tucked his mantle under his belt and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

2022 In Rockaway Beach, MO God has moved. Our desire is to see as Jesus prayed Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

We strive daily to create a community that reflects the Kingdom of Heaven. So we have set out to create a healthy heavenly economy, we have strived to ensure that children have access to healthy food, we have worked to give children the opportunity to engage in healthy community activities like sports with a baseball field and basketball court, We have strived to display kingdom politics and for us that means that our discipleship and care pastor is the Mayor, My wife’s mom is an Alderman, Our next Gen leader’s husband is an alderman and they hold 3 of the 5 elected seats of our community, We have a fitness center that helps people with their physical body, We have thrift stores to help clothe people at a price they can afford, We teach children financial literacy, we help them with education, we have a lodge for mission teams to come experience this, and we are opening a Biblical counseling center This June with 5 trained Biblical counselors.

A key part of heaven on Earth is Acting Justly, Loving Mercy and walking humbly

Let me tell you when we started in Rockaway Beach there was no rain and the economy was broken.

God has indeed opened up the sky and poured out his amazing grace in Rockaway Beach.

The God of Adventure is Alive and working to that thy Kingdom Come on Earth as it is in Heaven. The amazing thing is that our God chooses to use you and I to make it happen!

What about you?

Do you have some counterfeit adventure that you need to deal with?

Do you believe that Our God of Adventure is Alive?

Is he calling you to accountability with yourself or someone else?

Have you abandoned Jesus? It’s time to return to Him.