"Satan wants us to live in a defensive posture, and he uses two primary tactics to accomplish it - fear and disappointment. He wants us to run away from fear, uncertainty and risk. But Christ calls us to chase lions. Satan would love nothing more than for our ultimate goal to be to avoid sin. However, doing nothing wrong doesn't constitute doing something right. Goodness is not the absence of badness." (Mark Batterson, Chase the Lion page 20
The chase continues. This weekend at The Community we are talking about taking risks. Oh, this is gonna be good.
But wait. Does the church like risks? Do you like risks? Most of us would answer NO. We would rather be involved in situations where we are in control or someone we can touch and trust is in control. Never would we choose, or rarely, to let go, have faith, jump out or do something that is risky.
Lets give this some thought. The quote above says that just being good doesn't lead you from bad things. Often, avoiding the tough things means we miss some of the best things. I recently commented that we sometimes, lots of times, regret things we did NOT do rather than what we did. It is like an opportunity that passes us by. It is blessings from God that we miss fully. Don't want to go there. Be aware.
1 Peter 5:8 (nlt) --- Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Ephesians 6:11 (nlt) --- Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
Yep, those are defensive positions, but God calls us to be ready to be on the offense against Satan. In my football career, however short that must have been, I learned that when I have momentum on my side that I am not as easy to tackle. But when I am standing still, I am a target and more likely to be taken down.
The same is true in our spiritual lives. God has great stuff for us. Here is the case:
John 10:10 (nlt) --- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
The abundant stuff God talked about comes to people who are seeking God and doing God stuff. It is not for the 'pew potato pleasantly passive' every week at church. It is for the lion chasing, risk taking follower of Jesus that is not gonna let Satan get his way. So, RUN, don't just sit there. God has some abundant stuff for us as we chase the lion. Stay where you are, and you are going to miss it.
Here is that last verse from The Message: A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
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