Seizing the Day Summer Series: Living Beyond The Limits: How Jesus Saves Us From Excuses Matthew 8:18-22, Excuse III, (I'm just not ready)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Seizing the Day Summer Series: Living Beyond The Limits: How Jesus Saves Us From Excuses Matthew 8:18-22, Excuse III, (I'm just not ready)"

Brent Kennedy
5 years ago
Views:

1 Seizing the Day Summer Series: Living Beyond The Limits: How Jesus Saves Us From Excuses Matthew 8:18-22, Excuse III, (I'm just not ready) Investors who are serious about their returns will tell you the secret to good investing. One can know much about analysis but that really isn't it. The secret to good investing is all about timing. A friend of mine recalls how several years ago he was invited to a home where all the guests were to hear about an investment in a newly formed company. The company was just getting started and there was talk about how their products would be the defining mark of the future. There were brochures about how the company was anticipating big things. My friend listened to the pitch. Asked some questions. Asked some more questions. And then asked some more questions. At the end of the evening, he left saying four most dangerous words, I'll think about it. He wanted to be extremely sure about the investment. He did more research. There were no perfect guarantees. Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months. He continued to wait and see what happens. Watching at a distance. Reading the papers. Listening to the news. He was interested. He was thinking about it. When he felt ready he would take the plunge, but he wasn't ready. could just see something that would entirely eliminate the element of uncertainty. Start up companies are always making big promises. Maybe it was best to go with something that had little or no risk which is what he and his wife did. The company they decided to passed on was IBM. Just in my lifetime I've seen opportunities at the beginning that looked like it could be a big thing but how do you know for sure? When Amazon first came on the scene I was buying books from them nearly day one. This might be a good investment but how can you know for sure? When Netflix came on the scene I was getting movies from them nearly day one. This might be a good investment but how can you know for sure? When Apple came on the scene I was getting the I phone nearly day one. This might be a good investment but how can you know for sure? I'm just not ready. I'll take the wait and see approach. I'll think about it. In simple terms, the business world calls it a window of opportunity. Those who are successful learn to strike when the iron is hot. There's no way to entirely eliminate risk. One has to learn to navigate in the sea of risk. One of the most interesting classes I took in college was a course on investments. At the beginning of the semester we were given $10,000 in play money. There was a software program that works exactly the same as E Trade. We were to buy and sell over the 15 week term. At the end, we 1 If he

2 were given a grade based on how we performed. A student could get extra credit if they made a real investment. A friend of mine came into some money and decided to invest. All of this was going on as the walls were coming down in communist countries. He decided that perhaps a good investment was UPS since markets would open in these countries and it would mean increased deliveries. Over the years he kept throwing everything he had into that business. I ended up with an A in the class working with risk free play money. He's now a millionaire with real risk. This summer season we're doing a series called, Living Beyond the Limits: How Jesus Answers Our Excuses. So far, we've seen how Jesus answers two excuses, I m just not interested and I'm too busy. We come now to the third excuse, I'm just not ready. Notice how each of these three involve the way we live within time. I'm just not interested is a different kind of excuse than I'm just not ready. With the person who isn't ready the problem isn't indifference. They are interested. In fact, they are keenly interested. The problem is that one is hoping for an interest that requires little or no risk. We'd like to increase reward and minimize risk. In this instance, we are living as if there's no such thing as a window of opportunity. We live as if decision is convenience. In the worldly realm, with most matters, if we are in need of clarity, then we reflect. Let me think about it. I'll sit and think some more. In time, I'll arrive at greater clarity than before I did the thinking. In the spiritual realm, if we are in need of clarity, we are called to act. Sitting and thinking about it isn't going to reduce the element of risk. In fact, there's such a problem as over thinking. It's impossible to do an end run around the element of risk. Jesus intends to bring us to a place where there's just enough information to see his attraction. He gives us just enough to bring us to the point of a decision. Faith is required. Trust is required. Decisive action is required. The temptation is to suspect if we can take more time then the risky element will disappear altogether. It's not that we're uninterested. We recognize the value but we need more time. We hope that with enough time we can receive the high reward and by pass risk. How often Jesus encountered people who were interested. One would think it's a compliment when a person is willing to take your literature. They're not slamming the door in your face. I'm just not interested! No, that's a different kind of excuse. I'm just not ready is a person who is interested but there's something that's need done first. They're not seeing life as a window of opportunity. There are moments when we need to strike when the iron is hot. Let me take care of this. Let me take care of that. Shortly before Jesus arrived on the scene, there was a Roman poet named Horace who became famous for using a phrase that makes for a great bumper sticker today. The message is Carpe Diem. 2

3 It's translated from the Latin as, Seize the Day. Even a secular Roman was able to see there are some things in life that require a mentality ready for the action. Whoever feels entirely ready? Are we to assume the disciples who dropped everything and followed Jesus were ready at the time? Follow Me! Well sure. I don't have anything else pressing at the moment. This seems convenient. This seem easy. This seems effortless. The difference between the successful investor and the one watching from the sideline isn't that one has talent and the other doesn't. It's not that one has more information and the other has less. It's not that one has inside connections and the other doesn't. What it comes down is a person who is willing to act and not just think. It comes down to a person who is willing to accept that life involves windows of opportunity. It comes down to a person who is willing to accept that risk is unavoidable. It comes down to a person who is willing to embrace their fears rather than avoid them. There were moments when even the disciples had their doubts. They plunged forward despite their doubts. Consider that moment right after the rich young ruler has walked away. Here was a person who appreciates a good investment. The element of risk for the return was too high for this young man. He was interested. If he was uninterested he wouldn't have come to Jesus. If he was uninterested he wouldn't have left with grief. The disciples watch this young man disappear into the sunset and then they ask Jesus, We've left everything. Where is our reward? They had been listening to messages like we hear from televangelists. Plant your seed of faith and reap a windfall. Where are our thrones? Where are our mansions? Where are our seats of power in the kingdom? We took the risk but we identify with that doubting young ruler. What separates the embrace of excellence from those who watch from the sidelines isn't talent or ability. It's highly possible all 12 of the disciples combined didn't have as much natural giftedness as that single, rich young ruler. And yet, they followed despite their doubts while he walked away. Their question shouldn't discourage us. Their question should inspire us. It shows that despite their lack of clarity they were acting. They were following. They were launching forward. If we wait until we're ready it will never happen. Jesus intends to make it a matter of investment. There is a wager we must put on the table. We show by the wager that we believe in Jesus. We accept the risk. We're willing to establish by faith that Jesus will provide a return. If not in this world, then in the next. Jesus says all who invest in Him will harvest abundance. I've always love little guys that live big. One of my favorite athletes is Drew Brees. It's great to see a person about my size conquering in the National Football League. In 2005, after playing four 3

4 years in the league, Brees had suffered a severe injury to his throwing shoulder. At the time, physicians had cautioned it could be career threatening. In 2006 he was attempting a comeback and was looking for a team willing to sign him. Brees was hoping to play for the Miami Dolphins. He grew up admiring Dan Marino and made it clear this is where he'd like to go. Miami had some doctors look him over. They had some more doctors look him over. They had him throw with several people watching. They were interested but they were unsure about that injury. Let us think about it. From Miami, Brees visited New Orleans. He expected some more skepticism. New Orleans looked at the medical records. New Orleans watched him throw. Before he left their office, they put the money on the table. We believe in you and we want to show it by our investment. That was 13 years ago and Brees has done nothing by shatter records ever since. I saw an interview where Brees commented on that experience. He noted how there's no greater pleasure than to shine for someone who has taken the risk to show how much they believe in you. There's no higher delight than to year after year reward the investment with a rich return. It was the turning point for both teams. Nick Saban was the coach for Miami at the time who was skeptical. He would say later that entire event defined his experience. He was the coach who missed the window of opportunity for playing it too safe. He was interested but not willing to act. Nicodemus comes to Jesus under the cover of night. We can imagine Nicodemus with a hood over his head. Nicodemus is keeping the voice down low. Doesn't want to draw unwanted attention to himself. He approaches Jesus with compliments. One would think Jesus would have at least a minimal degree of flattery. Thanks for the kind words. Instead, Jesus launches right into a diagnosis like a doctor examining a patient. If you really want to make a discovery then you need to take off the hood. If you really want to have an encounter then you need to step into the light. If you really want a full embrace of the truth then you need to demonstrate with action where you are putting your investment. Jesus isn't complimented by anyone following and watching at a distance. Jesus is complimented when we put our investment at his feet and take risk. Nicodemus is interested. If he was uninterested he wouldn't be visiting Jesus. He's interested but he's not quite ready. He's still fearing he might end up short sold. He's still worried that he might put something on the table and end up with a low or no return on investment. He's still afraid he'll accept the risk and end up denied in the end. Jesus shows He has no higher pleasure than to go above and beyond for people who've made an investment. There's no greater delight than to shine for the people who've shown they believe in you and accepted the risk. Jesus' pleasure becomes our pleasure. We 4

5 can sense His delight and know that our faith is the highest compliment. This is how He is exalted. Nicodemus is working harder avoiding faith than if he put valuable time and investment into seizing the window of opportunity that is available. Risk is unavoidable. Jesus is often accused of demanding too much. He's accused of putting a standard that is impossible to live up to. I'll follow you but let me attend to my deceased father first. Jesus then gives a response about how this is a window of opportunity. Strike while the iron is hot or miss the opportunity. There was a time I wasn't sure how to handle these words until I witnessed something first hand that forever changed my perspective. Indulge me to offer another sports story because it proves the point as good as anything I've come across. On December 21 st, 2003, Brett Farve's father passed away. Bear in mind that Brett Farve's father had attended every football game he'd played from 5 th grade all the way to the NFL. He was the coach of the high school team. His father was why he played the game in the first place. This was no small loss by any estimate. Brett Farve was scheduled to play the next day on a nationally televised Monday night game. No one expected him to play but he decided it was the thing to do and it was the way he would honor his father. Before taking the field, he dedicated the game to his father. From the moment he took the field, he played like a man possessed. It was like he was emitting electricity and the entire team was drawing from it. They were playing in Oakland and even the opposing team fans were cheering him on. By halftime, he'd thrown for over 300 yards, 4 touchdowns, and had a nearly perfect passer rating. Years later, it's still considered the best game of his entire career and he played for almost 20 years. He decided a best way to pay honor is with our actions. When we are investing ourselves to the full. Honor is happening and everything becomes electric. It was Brett Farve's performance that helped me to see the truth of Jesus' words. We show our highest honor by investing ourselves. If Brett Farve could do this for a football game that is here today and gone tomorrow, then surely we can invest ourselves in what matters most and will carry a value for all eternity. Jesus enables us to put our lives in ultimate perspective. We don't devote our actions as if death is the final word. We devote our actions as if life is the final word. Regardless of our burdens, regardless of our wounds, regardless of our discouragement, we show Jesus by our investment that we believe Him and that He will have the final authority. We show by our investment what we believe has the highest value and what matters more. We do not give good things higher value than Jesus. And, we don't give sad things higher priority than Jesus. Despite whatever it is competing for my heart's attention, I will show by my investment what I 5

6 think will ultimately win. Let the reward outweigh the risk. Let your pleasure of my believing in you overflow. Let me live as one possessed. Let everything around me become electric as the reward of faith gushes forth. Every excuse Jesus received from people who weren't ready may have sounded legitimate to their ears. It may have sounded justified. Jesus' correction may have sounded extreme and may have come off as insensitive. Jesus knew better and He knows that it's impossible to live without making investments into something. All of life we are putting something on the table and it represents what we think has the dominant word. Sometimes it's good things. Sometimes it's sad things. Regardless, it's inferior and misses real opportunity. Life is about standing on a shore line and looking out at the horizon. What is out there? We can think about some possible distant land awaiting discovery. We can talk about some possible distant land awaiting discovery. We can analyze some possible distant land awaiting discovery. We can dream about some possible distant land awaiting discovery. Jesus arrives on the scene and He has a diagnosis. Get in the Boat. The temptation is to think if we can just think about it longer then it will enable us to have the right motivation. We can never alleviate the element of risk. I'll think about it, most of the time is the way we delay for so long that the window of opportunity is passed before we decide to act. Jesus expects action and not reflection. The reward will always exceed what risk we invested. Jesus isn't being insensitive. Jesus isn't expecting too much. Jesus desires that we show by our investment that we believe in Him. By our investment we show that He will prevail over all things good and all things bad. There is nothing no matter how good or how bad that takes the place of how Jesus triumphs. Jesus has no higher pleasure than to display His delight on the people who believe in Him. There is nothing He enjoys more than to shine for the people who've made investments of risk on His behalf. He's promised that when we seize the opportunity He places in our lives that everything will become super charged. Everything we touch will become electric. Lay aside your fears that you will be short sold. Let aside your fears that Jesus will let you down. Come unto Him all who are heavy laden and He will give you rest. No one who invests in Him will ever be denied. 6

Pastor's Notes. Hello

Pastor's Notes. Hello Pastor's Notes Hello We're looking at the ways you need to see God's mercy in your life. There are three emotions; shame, anger, and fear. God does not want you living your life filled with shame from