Sunday Sermon
The Christian Adventure
Speaker: Pastor Gerry Gregoire
Scriptural Reference: Joel 2:28
Listen to Audio Sermon

Joel 2:28 “...and it shall come to pass afterward that i will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on my menservants and on my maidservants i will pour out my spirit in those days.”

We are there !!

We need to be excited, not just another church, not boring, preaching an uncompromising word, not settling for 2nd best.

The unchurched world may see the christian life as an oxymoron. We need to change that perception!!

Some would say that an adventure is white water rafting the colorado river, bicycling on the great china wall, hiking in the himalayas.

But we as christians have opportunity to bring changes into peoples lives / not someone who is trying to keep rules, boring legalist.

Look at what God says christians need to be doing.

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-40; Luke 24:46-53; Acts 1:7,8

Three reasons why the christian life is an adventure:

1. A commander we can count on.

Mt 28;20 he said he would never leave or forsake us.
I.e. sergeant and private with grisly bear, running shoes etc. Only have to out run you.

Most leaders don’t have our best interest at heart but their, but jesus said in john 15:13(read) lay down his life for his friends.

He is a leader who is faithful in all his promises. The only one under which we can experience true peace.

2. Mission that really matters.

What is your mission or objective in life?

Good- we are making good time, bad- we are lost. Too many people are lost in their lives heading somewhere without a purpose or sense of direction.

Reporter for chicago tribune worked 20 years and asked to verify a story he did almost 20 years ago. In the vault he saw all his stories in the last 20 years held together with 2 or 3 paperclips. And said to himself is that all my life added up to, just a bunch of paper clippings?

Everyone trades their lives off for something, for some there whole life is baseball, bowling, football.

What will you say on your deathbed?
I should have spent more hours at the office...
I should have invested more in stocks

Your mission as a christian should be to touch as many lives as possible. See what jude 20-22 says: “read” pulling some from the fire of hell. We can touch lives now and for eternity by what we do, say. You can rewrite their history. Our prayer needs to be, lord, bring me into contact with someone who needs you to change their life. And i will say and do what you want me to.

There was one man who lived for nothing
Except getting into the guinness book of world records. So he yodeled non-stop for27 hours. He also ran for 3 ½ hours juggling 3 balls. This same man did a no-stop somersault for 12 miles.

You may say that is crazy and your right, but there are so many people who are wasting their life without a worthwhile mission.

As a christian you have your name written in the lambs book of life and you are a part of a sweeping, meaningful exciting enterprise in the whole world. Rescuing man from eternal damnation as an ambassador for christ

Compared to that, most men walk in drudgery even if they are in important positions. A brain or heart surgeon may be able to give a person a few more years but you my friend offer eternity.(mark 10:45) read jesus gave his life a ransom for many.

How are you looking at your life today in comparison to god’s plan?

Three construction workers doing the same work were asked, what are you doing here on this job site? One said breaking rocks, another said earning a living, and a third said i’m helping to build a cathedral.

You my friend are helping to build the body of christ and you need to see it that way.

Psychologist gary collins evaluated christian workers who made a difference in the lives of people. Their attitudes, values and actions brought encouragement, freedom, equipping, teaching, helping, or in some way benefitted the live of others. These people knew the importance of the mission god has given christians.

When we talk about these people the tendency is to think about the big names like the well know evangelist and pastors. And we underestimate and give little value to the differences we can make in peoples lives. Gideon saw himself as a failure and nothing but god saw him as a mighty man of god.

Our mission is the most important one in the world and we need to act like it and get excited that god chose you.

3. God has empowered us with equipment and weapons that are unequaled.

1 cor 12:7-11 gives us the gifts of the spirit that builds up the body.

We also have the 5 fold ministry to help us become effective in doing the great commission.
All these ministry are made available to us to keep us on track.( 1eph 4:11)

The true christian life is all team members working together to get the mission done.
Jesus has given us help in every area of out lives. Its almost impossible to fail if you remain faithful and trust god.
Many people are tour bus christians. Looking out the window at people who are helping those who may be on their way to hell.

But we here are in the trenches doing the work of god in his strength.

Conclusion:

To sum it up – the term christian adventure is not an oxymoron. It really is an adventure. Because we have an/a:
Leader who will never let us down.

The greatest mission in all the world
The greatest tools to help us accomplish what he has set before us in the great commission.