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“Risk is Not Just a Board Game”
Acts 3 and 4
IPC, June 14, 2009

For the past two weeks we’ve looked at “Crossroads” issues.  We talked about our past being a roadblock to serving God.  At one point all of us were living the world’s way and many of us have scars and stories from our past.  We talked about forgiveness and the need for us to get past our past, because God has.  Last week I brought a stuffed elephant to the pulpit and we talked about the roadblock of conflict.  Conflict is like an elephant…difficult to maneuver around.  We said, “Conflict is inevitable, but misery is optional, so in conflict, I choose peace.”  So far, we’ve recognized that it’s often easier to make decisions based on the world’s values and standards.  Going God’s way often takes conviction, confidence and sometimes a push by the Holy Spirit.  It takes focus and a lot of hard work. 

We’ve read Jer. 6:16 (NIV) each week: “This is what the Lord says, ‘Stand at the crossroads & look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is & walk in it, & you will find rest for your souls.’” 

As we close today, I want to talk about the fear of risk, which often keeps us from going God’s way.  We all can identify with fears.  Fear is universal.  Some of us have fear of the dark, a fear of falling, a fear of sharks, fear of lobsters, fear of falling in the dark on lobsters who think they’re sharks.  One of my biggest fears is of the phrase, “Some assembly required.” 

I want to talk about a specific fear today.  Throughout our lives, God places opportunities before us where He can use us and worth through us to accomplish His will.  Many times, we don’t seize these opportunities because we’re afraid.  We’re afraid to take the risk. 

Each time you grab an opportunity that God lays before you, God uses those times to change and mold you so as you do, walking God’s way becomes more natural to you.  God’s goal is to make you more like His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Folks often shy away from grabbing spiritual opportunities.  Now what am I aiming at today?  Two weeks ago I talked about your past and folks knew what I was getting at.  Last week we talked about conflict and you knew right away what we were talking about.  We all have different fears.  You may be afraid to join a small group.  That is truly a God-size opportunity for you because you would be close to people.  You would really get to know some folks in this church on a deeper level.  But you may be afraid for people to get to know you.  They may find out that you’re not as confident on the inside as you appear publicly.  That’s a legitimate fear. 

You may be afraid of getting involved in ministry at the church.  You like to “do” your faith by yourself.  You’re not sure you can work alongside people who may be different than you are or who do things differently.  “If I work with children, they’re going to cough in my face…”   There is fear there. 

You may be afraid to talk to a family member, neighbor or co-worker about your life with God.  About your relationship with Jesus Christ.  You’re afraid if you tell them, they may ask you a question that you can’t answer or you’re afraid they may doubt your intelligence or the authenticity of your faith. 

You may be afraid to formally commit yourself to a church family.  You’ve heard the questions of membership here and the promises you make may sound intimidating. 

You may be afraid of being pushed out of your comfort zone.  God may lay things before you that are scary.   

You may be afraid to ask for help for one of your relationships.  If you ask for help other people may see that you’re not actually part of the fictitious “Cleaver family.”   

I’ve been using accounts from the Book of Acts during this brief series.  Chapter 3 this morning!  In the first verse it says Peter and John but we’re going to focus in on Peter.  Acts 3:1-2 “Now Peter & John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.”  This lame guy has set up shop in front of the temple.  That is probably the best place to beg.  He knows he has a better chance hanging out outside the temple than at the Jerusalem QT.  There people were running in and have lotto tickets on their mind or the camel jerky they’re going to buy. 

So this guy is outside the temple.  Check the scene in verse 3-7: “Seeing Peter & John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John & said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver & gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up & walk!’ And he took him by the right hand & raised him up, & immediately his feet & ankles were made strong.” 

When I read stories from the Bible, I try to place myself as one of the characters.  How would I feel if I was this person?  How would I feel if I was observing from the side?   I put myself in the beggar’s shoes here.  When Peter says, “I don’t have any money for you BUT…”  Don’t you think that guy had heard that a million times before?  As soon as Peter said, “BUT,” he checked out.  But this “but” was different.  This “but” was one that would change this lame guy’s life.  Peter saw an opportunity and he took a risk. 

Now what could Peter have done?  He could have walked right by him, right?  But Peter saw an opportunity, he took a risk and somebody’s life was changed. 

Not only was a life changed but the Bible says that when people saw the lame guy now dancing and running into the temple, he draws a crowd.  Everybody wanted to know what was going on. 

That is what happens when a life is changed.  Changed lives draw crowds.  In our story a crowd has gathered.  Let’s skip down to verse 12:  “And when Peter saw it he addressed the people.”  Peter saw an opportunity but he didn’t just see it.  He SEIZED it. 

We have all had opportunities from time to time that we have let pass.  Opportunities where we could have been used.  Times we could have helped someone.  Times where God could do something in our lives that would push us spiritually.  We SEE opportunities all the time, but Peter SEIZED the opportunity.  He addresses the crowd.  He goes on to teach a message about the resurrection of Jesus. 

If Peter had passed the lame guy, there wouldn’t have been a crowd.  He could have seen the crowd and passed the crowd up too.  He could have said, “There are too many people.  There’s not a microphone.  What am I going to do?”  But he took a risk and seized the opportunity. 

I want you to leave here this morning thinking, “What are the opportunities in my life?  Where can I risk to seize an opportunity?”  As much as I want you to do that I want to be fair and let you know that every time you risk there may be a cost.  There may be a little pain.  There may be a little push back.  There may be some problems.  If there wasn’t it wouldn’t be a risk. 

Peter’s message to the crowd is continuing as chapter 4 begins:  “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests & the captain of the temple & the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people & proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them & put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.”   Here’s an example of where a cost is attached to an opportunity.  Look at the irony here.  The lame man walks and the healthy man sits in jail.  Here Peter pays the price. 

Seizing opportunities may cost you something.  It may cost time or money.  It could cost you your reputation.  It might cost some relationships.  These government leaders arrested him.  Risk equals cost.   

The next morning, Peter is pulled out in front of these government leaders and he’s almost standing trial here.  This is the question they ask him (vs. 7): “By what power or by what name did you do this?”  How did you heal this guy? Peter takes the risk and seizes the opportunity.  Five important words in verse 8: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people & the elders…’” and he goes on to teach a message about God and salvation. 

If you know the Lord Jesus and have asked Him to be in charge of your life, the Bible says that God enters our lives through His Spirit.  Peter is at this crossroad moment and he’s filled with the Holy Spirit.

That is available to you.  If you’re a Christian, you have God’s Spirit.  It not only gives you God’s presence in your life, but it gives you God’s power.  The Holy Spirit is like a GPS system, leading us to go God’s way. 

We don’t have a GPS but one of my friends who does called his GPS computer voice Gertrude.  He says Gertrude’s voice comes on and she guides you, but at times you want to turn her off.  You know which way you’re going and you don’t want her voice anymore. 

We can respond to the Holy Spirit like that.  We feel the Spirit’s nudging and leading but we don’t want to listen anymore.  We want to do what we want to do. 

Going back to Peter, he saw opportunities and took a risk and paid a price and God used him to change a life.  Let’s apply this to ourselves.  Let’s look for opportunities to be used by God.  When we see them, we need to seize them.  To do that, we may have to get over our fear of risk, recognizing that there may be some pain and a cost attached.  There may be failures, but there may be great success. 

To face my personal fear of risk I need to…

1. Identify my Personal Fear.

Sometimes, naming the fear actually shrinks its size.  Identifying your fear is like turning the lights on.  You minimize its power.  Whatever your fear is this morning, if you define it, you are beginning to close in on it.   

2. Confess your Fear of Risk to Someone.

This could be someone in your Home Fellowship Group or a best friend.  Admitting you’re afraid of something is difficult to do, right guys?  Guys don’t like to admit that we’re afraid of anything.  So what we do is lie and we hide and we appear to be resilient to all fear. 

It boils down to a pride issue.  We don’t want to admit that we’re afraid, but when you do, you get your excuse out in the open. 

3. Take One Risk.

I’m not asking you to take on the world…just take one risk and after you take that risk you take another one soon after. 

It may be serving God in some tangible way at the church.  It may be simply starting a conversation with a stranger.  It may be getting into a small group.  I don’t know what it is.  It could be reading your Bible at work.  Take one risk that faces your fear.   

Now, I’m not pretending that any of this is easy.  None of us grew up in environments where our moms sent us off the school and said, “Have a risky day! When you cross the street just look one way.  Don’t wear your helmet.  Helmets are overrated.  Ride your bike carrying scissors in one hand.  Stare into the sun.  Have a risky day!” 

We didn’t grow up that way so we have an aversion to risk.  If you don’t step out and risk, you add more fuel to your fear.  You have to practice. 

If you listen to this biblical account of Peter, I’ve somewhat painted him like a super star, haven’t I?  Everywhere Peter went, he saw an opportunity, he took a risk, and he seized an opportunity. 

However, if you read earlier in the Gospels, you will see that Peter, at times, was a poster child for failure.  He wasn’t that strong in his faith.  You may see what a spiritual knucklehead he was at times.  What he’s most famous for is when he boasts in front of the other disciples that he will walk on the water toward Jesus, who was walking on the water toward them.  He hops out of the boat, and the Bible tells us he took his eyes off of Jesus, fear took over and he began to sink.  Folks scoff at Peter for doing that.  However, I look at that account and think, “Peter’s the only guy that got out of the boat.  The others stayed in the boat.”  Peter instead practiced. 

This is what I’m asking you to do.  Take one risk at a time and go after it and practice it.  A couple of things will happen.  One thing I can guarantee you is when you take a risk your fear will come back.  You may have been avoiding being in a small group and have used excuse after excuse.  Now you say, “I’m going to attend a Home Fellowship Group.”  You decide on one, get an address and you show up at that house and as soon as you step on that porch and are about to ring that doorbell, you’re going to feel that fear.   

You may be thinking, “You know, Bill, I’ve been sitting here week after week.  I’ve been here five years and I haven’t been serving at all.  I’m going to get involved.”  So you sign up to help with the pre-k group of kids.  You walk into that class and all of a sudden you think, “What if they ask me a tough question?  What if I drop Noah’s Ark on the flannel graph figure of Jesus?” 

Maybe you’re having coffee with a friend and you decide to tell them about your life change…about your relationship with God.  You arrive at Starbuck’s early and you watch them get out of their car and they walk in and all of a sudden you’re thinking, “Maybe this isn’t a good time.  Maybe I can do it another time.”  And that fear is going to arrive. 

Another guarantee I can give is that somewhere along the line, you’re probably going to fail.  At some point there may be some pain.  You help out with the toddlers downstairs and that Sunday they cry…and you cry.  You take the risk to host Home Fellowship Group at your house.  That is a big risk for you to let people into your house.  Your freshly baked cake may fall.  Your a/c may go out just before they arrive.   

4. Feel the Pleasure of God in Your Risk.

When you see the opportunity and seize it this is the image I have of God.  He’s putting His arm around you saying, “Great job!  Way to go!”  We can feel His pleasure.  You can almost hear Him saying, “That’s a good step. I’ve been laying that opportunity out there for you for so long.  Now you’re taking it.  I’m so excited.  Take another step.  Here’s another opportunity.  I’m going to use you.  I’m going to work in you and through you.”  And you can realize that He is giving you the ability to accomplish it.   

Let’s go back to Peter one more time as we close.  I want you to see what people saw in Peter that I believe they can see in you.  Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter & John, & perceived that they were uneducated common men, they were astonished.  And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”  Could that define you?  An ordinary person?  Those are the kind of people God uses.  He uses ordinary people with no special training.  However, they had been with Jesus.  That can define you. 

I hope you walk out of here today with new eyes to see opportunities laying before you.  Take a risk…one at a time.  Don’t go all crazy.  One risk at a time and battle those fears.  We’re ordinary people with no special training, but we have been with Jesus. 

If you see God work in your life, you may begin to get almost cocky and think, “I can do this.  I just did that.”  Then God, through His Spirit will remind you, “WE just did that.”  Let’s pray. 

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In Christ,
Bill Bratley - Pastor