Genesis 12:1-5, Acts 18:1-11

September 9, 2007

It was a dark and stormy night. (Well, it was.) Six friends from seminary days were sailing a small boat through the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. We were somewhere between Bimini and Miami _ we hoped. You see, we didn’t have a loran or global positioning system. And the radio was on the fritz. And the engine was, shall we say, temperamental at best. But we had a compass. And we had a good wind. So we were sailing home.

Suddenly in the middle of the night, in the middle of the Atlantic a squall came up. Now if you know anything about sailing _ and really only our captain did _ you know that the last thing you want is to have your sails up during a storm. It’s too easy to capsize. Our tiny ship was tossed.

Captain Bob told me to go up on the top deck and take down the mainsail and the jib. The wind was whipping around us. Cold rain pelted our faces. The deck was slick like a Popsicle beneath our feet. If I fell overboard, I knew they’d never find me. As I grappled with the flapping canvas, I felt my left foot slip out from under me. Down I fell. I groped for the mast and missed. But my foot stopped against the rail on the lower deck. I pulled myself back up and got the sails down.

The storm passed pretty quickly. Bob asked me if I was okay. All I could say was something like, “What a ride!” It was a great adventure.

Do you like adventure? I hope so, because the Christian life is full of adventure. Listen to this.

1. Scripture.

1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

2 "I will make you into a great nation
       and I will bless you;
       I will make your name great,
       and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,
       and whoever curses you I will curse;
       and all peoples on earth
       will be blessed through you."

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. (Genesis 12:1-5)

Did you catch that? God told old man Abram to walk away from the familiar. Chuck the ordinary. Pack up and go someplace new. Go where? Do what? Live how? God didn’t say! God just said, “Go. I’ll show you. And I’ll bless you. In fact, I’ll bless the whole world through you.” So Abram and Sarai launched out on the adventure of a lifetime.

And listen to this story from the New Testament, which happened about 2,000 years later.

1After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

5When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. 6But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

7Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.

9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." 11So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. (Acts 18:1-11)

Paul traveled the known world launching churches that would change history. He experienced miraculous success. He struggled with bitter failure and disappointment. He faced obstacles and opposition. But he had vision, and he heard God speak to him. So he lived his life like a running back charging toward the goal line. Once he joined up with Jesus, Paul’s life was one adventure after another.

2. One of the greatest adventures of my life.

One of the greatest adventures of my life _ even greater than sailing back from Bimini -- has been leading the launch of a new church. What a ride!

It was almost twenty years ago that Pat, Jessi and I packed up and moved from North Carolina to Orlando to launch the “East Orange Presbyterian Mission.” (Mike was born six weeks after we got here.) We didn’t know where the church would meet. We didn’t have any staff. We didn’t know if we would even have any members! Truth be told, we didn’t know what we were doing. But we believed that God had called us. So did Presbytery, and they promised to help us get started.

Those were adrenaline-pumping days. We remodeled a rented storefront at the Bunker Hill Center on East Colonial and started this church. Jean Clark was one of our first members. Jean, would you come tell us a little bit about what it was like to be part of this church launch?

[Here Jean Clark shares her testimony.]

In the early days we didn’t have a piano player -- or a piano. Stan Cording used to record the hymns for us on cassette tapes. We would play the tape and sing along. Later we got a little electronic keyboard and Esther Sikkema volunteered to play for us. I was the choir director. One Christmas Eve, Pat was the choir! We worshipped in cheap brown stacking chairs from Home Depot. Parents and others took turns caring for the children in the nursery. Sandi Cole and Susan McNair directed the youth ministry.

When we grew too big for Bunker Hill we moved into a school cafeteria. Every Sunday morning people like Fred Hile would come in and move tables and set up chairs. We had session meetings in elder’s homes and choir practice at my house or Ray Smith’s (with his pet pig, “porkchop” roaming the room). And we had a blast!

Sure, we faced obstacles and opposition. There were times we got so discouraged we were all tempted to quit. In fact, a few people did quit, but even they made invaluable contributions to who we are today. And we experienced God’s grace and power in exhilarating ways!

When we finally moved into this building, it felt like we had gone to heaven! I remember the day we set up for our first service. Mary Ferguson was dancing in the aisle!

God bless those early church members. About 120 precious saints worked hard and sacrificed comfort, convenience, energy and money so that you and I could worship God in this wonderful church today. Vacation Bible School. Alpha. Mission Trips. It all traces back to those dedicated, bold pioneers.

I’d like to ask all our charter members who are here at this service to stand so we can thank you. Stay standing. I’d like to ask all the folks who were with us before we moved into this building to stand, too. We are so grateful to all of you.

3. Time for new launch.

Last Sunday morning I got a phone call from my friend, Rick Amos. He’s the pastor of the new Discovery Church that meets at Discovery Middle School. He wanted to borrow 400 Communion cups.

400 Communion cups! On Labor Day Weekend! In a school. Their first service was Easter of this year. And the sermon each week is a DVD of a sermon that was preached downtown the night before. Did I mention they needed 400 Communion cups?

Discovery Church east was launched little differently from the way were. They’re a campus of the Discovery Church on Orange Avenue. They started with about 100 core members from the downtown church. From the first Sunday they had a 5-piece band, a professional sound system, three projectors and screens, children’s ministers and small group leaders who had been trained at the downtown church and so on. Oh, and a bounce house in the children’s area. The downtown campus handles all their business affairs. And now the Discovery Church, east campus, averages about 325-350 people per Sunday. They already have a vision to launch another Discovery Church in the future. Isn’t that exciting?

Lifesong church on Alafaya Trail launched with similar resources. I wonder what would have happened if we’d had resources like that when we launched?

Many of you know Bill Lee. He was a mentor and an inspiration for me. Bill was the founding Pastor of the Tuscawilla Presbyterian Church, and the Merritt Island Presbyterian Church, and about 5 or 6 other churches in this Presbytery. When he left Tuscawilla in his 60’s to launch a new church in Virginia, he told me, “I think I’ve got one more in me.” I can understand that drive. Launching a church is a thrilling adventure.

You know, I think I’ve got another one in me, too. I want a launch a new church. But this time I want to do it differently. This time I want to do it with a great team already in place before we start. This time I want to do it with a choir and a praise band. This time I want to do it with bold, experienced, faith filled elders. This time I want to do it with dedicated Sunday school teachers, youth workers and small group leaders. This time I want to start with about 280 growing disciples of Jesus. In other words, this time I want to do it with you. And I want to do it here, at 1501 Woodbury Road.

What do you say? Will you launch this new church with me? Or maybe I should say re-launch Woodbury like a new church? I’m talking about a church that will be what Mike Hutter calls “a beacon of Christianity to our community.” I’m talking about a church where many people will experience the life changing love of Jesus.

Did you see the building plans that were in your bulletin this morning? On one side there’s the floor plan for our next building. It will have classrooms for the kids, a complete kitchen, a “panera-like” cafŒ for informal meetings and just “hanging out.”

You also see a full size fellowship hall where we’ll share meals, Christmas plays, movie nights, Alpha dinners and more. We’ll probably try moving our contemporary service in there and restoring this room for traditional worship. (That’s what it was designed for.) Imagine what we’ll be able to do with facilities like that. And that’s just phase 2. (We’re in phase 1 now.) Turn the page over and you’ll see where we’ll later add office space and a worship center.

Do you know what you’re looking at? You’re not looking just looking at a monument. You’re not looking at a religious museum. You’re not looking at cushy digs where you and I can be more comfortable in our faith. (I’m not sure “comfortable in faith” isn’t a contradiction in terms.) You’re looking at a launching pad! You’re looking at the place where hundreds of people’s lives will begin to soar as their relationship with God takes off. You’re looking at a place where new ministries and missions will rise up.

It will take more than a year for that next building to be built. But when it goes up, we need to be ready to blast off!

I can’t do it alone. As they say at the Space Center, “Launch work is team work.” So will you join the team? Will you join me on the adventure of a lifetime?

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4. Of course there will be risks involved.

Of course there will be risks involved. That’s true with any adventure. And there will be costs. It will cost us time and dedication. Members of a launch team aren’t consumers, we’re contributors. We’re missionaries. We aren’t so concerned about our likes and our comfort, but about the effectiveness of our mission.

That means each of us needs to be involved in some form of ministry. Get ready to lead a small group or teach a class. Learn to be an usher or greeter. When this takes off, we’ll need parking attendants, too. Start practicing now. Adopt a part of the building or the church grounds that you’ll keep clean and beautiful. Learn to run the sound system. Help with the web site and the newsletter. Work with the food pantry. Invite people to church.

And pray. Pray, pray, pray. Pray alone. Pray with your family. Pray with your small group. We have two services. Attend one of them every Sunday, and once or twice a month go to the youth portable during the other service and ask God to touch all the people who are in here.

Here’s another thing about this adventure. Expect uncertainty. We won’t always know what’s going to happen next. We won’t always see how we’re going to be able to overcome this or that obstacle that will surely arise. Our faith will be stretched. Many times. What God is calling us to do is huge. It’s so big we won’t be able to do it without the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, and through us, and for us. But that’s okay. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would work in us, and through us, and for us. Carole McCutcheon recently gave me a book by her friend Joy Dawson. One of the great quotes from that book was, “We do the possible, God does the impossible!” We can be certain of that. We’ll face obstacles, and overcome them.

We may even face opposition. People are often afraid of something new. People are often afraid of stepping out on faith. And some may be so afraid they’ll even try to talk us out of it. That’s a normal part of the journey. Paul faced opposition in Corinth. But he didn’t let that stop him from going on with God.

And of course, this is going to cost money. In a couple weeks the Session is going to present you with a very bold, forward looking budget for 2008. In the Presbyterian Church the Session sets the budget. But a bold budget doesn’t mean a thing if the people don’t support it.

The new building won’t be free either. We don’t know an exact price yet, but I’m pretty sure it will include the “M word.”

If we’re going to do this, we need to be prepared to make some sacrifices _ just as the people who helped build this church made sacrifices for us. For example, I know one family who has decided that instead of getting Christmas presents this year, they want people to make donations to the building fund.

As I said, this is huge. It won’t happen without sacrifices on our part and a few miracles from God. But I wouldn’t have it any other way, would you? If we were only building a clubhouse for ourselves, I don’t think I’d care to be involved. If we were trying to undertake something that didn’t need God’s involvement, then what’s the point of being the Church of Jesus Christ?

5. Three reasons we should re-launch.

And that leads me to three reasons we should do this.

The least important reason is this. Do it for yourself.

Your faith will grow tremendously on this adventure. You’ll see God work in astonishing ways. Your passion for life will surge as you commit yourself to something so significant. And you will have a great sense of satisfaction, knowing that you were part of God’s work in your part of the world.

When God told Abraham to set out on his adventure, he made a promise. “I will bless you.” God makes that same promise to us as he calls us on our adventure. He will bless us. Do this for yourself.

A more important reason is this: Do it for others.

Imagine the sense of satisfaction our early members have when they see people being baptized, or children coming forward for the children’s event, or hungry people being fed, or missionaries and seminary students going out into the world, or scores of other great things that happen in the church God used them to help launch. That’s an awesome feeling. And you’ll have that feeling someday too. Years from now lives will be changed for eternity. Children who aren’t yet born will grow up learning about Jesus. This community will become a more joyful, loving community because of the church you helped launch.

Let me say a special word to parents. I know you love your kids and want to give them the best of everything. That’s why you enroll them in sports and the arts, encourage them in their studies and so on. But think about this. One of the most important and worthwhile things you can give your kids is a vibrant church where their faith will be nurtured and grow.

God made a second promise to Abraham. He said, “You will be a blessing, … And all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” That promise also applies to you and me.

God told Paul to stay and work in Corinth because God had many people in that city. God has many people in east Orlando, too. And he has put us here show them His love. Do this for others.

And the most important reason is this. Do it for God.

It is God who is calling us on this adventure. It is God who wants to work in us and through us and for us. I’ve invited you to join me on this launch team because I need you to pull this off. But please don’t do this for me. Do this for God, who gave you all the gifts and blessings you enjoy in life. Do this for God who gave his Son Jesus for your salvation. Do this for God, who loves you more than you can imagine, and who is teaching us what love really is. Do it for God.

Do it for yourself. Do it for others. Do it for God.

God is calling us to the adventure of a lifetime. God is calling us to launch this church. Part of that is building a new building. Part of that is becoming a launch team of Christians who fully invest ourselves and our resources in a mission that’s bigger than our selves _ the work of God. We’ve got a year or so to get ready. That leaves no time to waste. The countdown has started. But getting ready will be an adventure in itself.

Will you join me in the adventure of a lifetime? Will you let God work in you and through you and for you? We need each other. And we need the power of God. If we’ll say “yes” to God, he will launch us on an adventure that is out of this world.