GO LIVE AN ADVENTURE WITH JESUS

What was your favorite game growing up?

When I was six, I got a Nintendo NES and the original Super Mario Bros. game for Christmas. Growing up, I spent many hours with Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Princess Peach.

You may not know the story behind the video game (and may not care), but let me share it because…it will help you to understand what God wants for us.

Mario sets out on a mission to rescue Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom People from the evil Koopa king Bowser. At every turn, Mario has enemies trying to stop him. He travels through pipes that take him from world to world. He never knows where the pipes will lead him or what will happen, but it’s a journey he must go on because ... he has an enemy to defeat and a princess to save.

It’s a big adventure. And millions of kids have been inspired to join Mario on his important quest.

The Christian life is supposed to be an adventure.

We often think about living for God in terms of ...

• Restrictions - things we can’t do.

• Obedience - things we have to do.

That makes following Jesus primarily about do’s and don’ts.

But that is an over-simplistic and shallow way to describe being a Christian.

Following Jesus is so much more than a list of do’s and don’ts - it’s an amazing adventure. It’s a personal relationship with the God of the universe who knows me and loves me. He knows where my life is supposed to go. He’s invited me to join Him in His rescue mission. He has a plan and a purpose for me. And if I will follow Him, my life will become an adventure.

What Can Keep Us from the Adventure

Mario repeatedly goes down tunnels and never knows where they will lead. But he has to go for it if he wants to live out his mission and save the Princess.

Throughout the Bible, God calls people not just to believe in him but to follow him.

Believing doesn’t give you an adventure. Following does.

The issue is that we don’t know where God will lead us. That induces fear, and no one enjoys feeling afraid. We prefer feeling in control and comfortable.

Can I be honest with you? There is nothing more dangerous than being in control and comfortable. Why? Because if you live a life dedicated to staying in control and feeling comfortable, you will miss out on the great adventure God has for you.

Playing it safe is the most dangerous thing you can do.

God’s Adventurers in the Old Testament

The Bible is full of men and women of faith who lived an adventure because they were willing to follow God without knowing where He would lead them.

There’s a great list of some of these people in Hebrews 11, which is like God’s Hall of Fame, or Hall of Faith, of people in the Old Testament who were willing to follow him without a map (or a flashlight).

Read this inspiring chapter, and you see what faith looks like in a person’s life. Each person’s story begins, “By faith,” and then describes how, because of God’s leading, they were willing to follow God into the unknown.

One of the best examples is Abraham:

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).

Can you imagine? Abraham was settled. He had a wife and was very wealthy. Then God speaks to him.

“Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).

I imagine Abraham was shocked and must have asked, “Okayyyy, sooo, you want me to go. Where exactly am I going?” “You’ll know,” God says, “when you get there.” Abraham might have asked, “Could you give me a hint? How about just the weather so I’ll know what to pack?” But God didn’t give him any details. He just asked him to go.

What would you do? Would you have the faith to say yes?

Abraham did. He obeyed. God led him exactly where he needed to go. And along the way, Abraham had an adventure.

Everyone in Hebrews 11 lived adventurous lives worth writing about. Why? Because of their faith. We read in Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Faith is surrendering our lives to God without reservation because we trust Him as our loving Father. We trust Him so much we become indifferent to every outcome except His will.

God’s Adventurers in The New Testament

In the New Testament, it’s more of the same. We see Jesus meet people and ask them not, “Will you believe in me?” but, “Will you follow me?”

Some said no, but those who said yes got caught up in the adventure of walking with Jesus.

A great example is Peter. Peter was a fisherman who had spent his life doing the same old thing. Getting up, eating breakfast, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, sitting around, going to sleep. The next day? Same old thing.

You might relate. A lot of people would say their lives are good but ... boring. They get in a rut of doing the same things in the same way at the same time. They wonder, “Is this the life Jesus died for me to live? Doesn’t there have to be more to life than this?”

There is more, and Peter found it when he said yes to following Jesus.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20).

From that moment on, Peter’s life went from the same old, same old, to a wild roller coaster ride. From fishing for fish to fishing for men. From breakfast and work to healing lepers, preaching to thousands of people, and writing some of the books of the Bible.

You might think, I can’t imagine God would do anything exciting with my life if I committed to truly following Him.

I understand, but guess what: Peter never would have expected any of that. He was an ordinary, uneducated fisherman.

You have no idea what God will do with your life if you just say yes to following Jesus wherever he leads.

Faith is an adventure with an incredible destination!

My challenge to you: Go for it! Go live an adventure with Jesus.

Jesus is worth it.

And life with God as the leader of your story is better than the story you would have lived on your own.

Questions...

1. How would you rate the amount of adventure in your life right now? If your life is lacking adventure, why do you think that is?

2. In what way might fear be holding you back from following Jesus? What could help you overcome your fear?

3. How do you sense Jesus calling you to follow? What mission is he calling you on? What’s the boldest step of faith you can take in his direction?

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*If this has been helpful, please send me a message and let me know. And please share this post with others who could benefit. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you. To receive weekly emails, subscribe at www.bradjenkins.me