Living the Adventure of His Calling

Matthew 10:5-16

Quite exceptionally strong and abounding in a restless energy, possessed of a thrusting mind which swept away all unproven obstacles, Ed Hillary’s personality had made an imprint. A tall skeleton with a hatchet-thin face that seemed tied together with steel, Edmund Hillary took charge on an adventure that few even dreamed. Becoming interested in mountaineering while in secondary school, he made his first major climb in 1939, reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier in New Zealand. Adventuring was in his blood and on May 29, 1953, he became the first to summit Mount Everest. Despite the obstacles of frozen boots, weather delays, and oxygen system failures, Hillary well understood that adventure was a calling and literally lived his life on the edge of the world. (Wikipedia)

Daniel’s life is an adventure that we follow from start to finish. Gong all the way back to Jeremiah 29 (and then the book of Daniel), we see the adventure laid out for Daniel as he receives his call to be a loyal subversive in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom, then for Belshazzar, then Darius, and then Cyrus. He sought the good of the land he lived and considered it his home. We are expected to live for the benefit of those around us, pouring our lives out for their sake (a living sacrifice) as our spiritual act of worship. With Jesus sending out the disciples on their initial missionary adventure, we get a glimpse of the adventure Jesus calls for His Loyal Subversives.

Serve at Your Own Risk (v5-8)

Shortly after Jesus officially called his 12 disciples, he sent them out on their first excursion into the world, giving them instructions on what they were to do. They were to help others, living off of what’s provided them in the moment. This is risk – no extra cash or clothes – this is going out to give to others with no idea whether or not you’d be taken care of. Cinema has given us some popular superhero characters lately, like Batman or Iron Man – two heroes who live to serve the populace without powers of their own. Yet they do have a power—excessive money. I’d love to see a superhero without powers or money protecting their city. That’s real risk – no back up, all they had was what they were wearing. But what’s the greater risk – obeying Jesus or living for the world?

Live in the Wilderness (v9-12)

I am amazed looking back at Billy Graham’s evangelism crusades – he would spend 3-4 days in a city preaching the gospel, literally pouring out his life to share Christ with people. He gave 417 of those during his career and did 32 of them in 1982 alone! (Wikipedia) That’s life on the road. Granted, the disciples didn’t have to fly (their destinations were walkable), and for us, it’s not about distance, but it does mean that our life is designed to be lived out in the wilderness – around pre-believers and outside of our comfort zone. Hiding away amongst the church is not God’s calling! We are to live out amongst the unsaved and pour ourselves out for their hope of salvation.

Driven by Purpose (v13-16)

This, friends, is our purpose. Jesus finishes by telling the disciples, “if they listen, great. If not, shake off the dust and leave”. Purpose is not due to results, but to the commissioner. The one who calls gives purpose. We love because he first loved us! The end result is not greater than the reason. It’s said there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who Live to eat vs. eat to live. How about looking at that from God’s perspective? Live to love vs love to live? Jesus calls his followers to be “live to love” people. People who live their lives FOR THE PURPOSE of loving others. That’s what we live for – every opportunity, every action, all to serve God for the purpose of bring others into the kingdom. Things like comfort, security, excess, while are certainly blessings, are not to be what matters. What matters should only and always be the harvest.

Next Steps

Living as Loyal Subversives means we trust in our God enough to not live in safety and withdrawal, but on the front lines of faith, laying down our bodies as a sacrifice. I find it interesting that the best baseball players fail 70% of the time. If they played for the results, the game would have died eons ago. It’s not about the result, but about the call. Catch this: their response is not our responsibility! We are called to go, God provides the rest. How can we live in Jesus’ calling this week?

1. Discuss with others the risks of following Jesus. What gives you hesitation?
2. I’ve said it before and will continue – be out in public. Make friendships out in the world – shopping, hair cuts, etc… Be out in public!
3. Look at your life today and challenge yourself with this – what is your why? Is it your life, or are you on God’s adventure?

As an exile, we are not home yet. Jesus commissioned an adventure for us. Are you willing to step out as an exile and live as a loyal subversive for the Kingdom? Please note: adventures only exist outside your door. Let’s go together.