Sermon Details
- Pastor Name: Jonathan Cornell
- Date & Time: August 25, 2013 | 10:00am
Amy and I have one prayer that we pray over and over again for our children, it was prayed over us, and it’s this: O Lord, let them not miss Jesus. Let us not miss Jesus. Because it is very possible for a person to go through life, and even be in church all along, and somehow still miss Jesus. And one of the main reasons why I think we often miss out and don’t experience more of the presence and power of Jesus is described in a story told by the founder and CEO of International Justice Mission Gary Haugen.
Gary talks about being a 10-year-old boy going hiking with his brother and dad on Mount Rainier. As they set out on the trail, he saw a sign detailing all the terrible things that could happen on the trail, and that scared him, but he couldn’t admit that, so he told his dad and brother he thought the most boring thing in the world would be to hike on Mount Rainier and he’d far rather stay in the visitor center, which he did.
At first, he thought he had made the right choice. It was warm. He had all the exhibits to look at, but pretty soon he was bored, and the air just seemed stale. When his brother and dad came back filled with all kinds of stories, he felt kind of sad he missed out on a really cool day. I think that is a great metaphor for the church in the West, which has too often become a visitor center.
It’s safe, it’s warm, and it’s comfortable, but we’re missing the power of Jesus, the presence of Jesus, and the excitement of following Jesus because we’re playing it safe. Let me start by asking you this question: Where might you be playing it safe in life?
Download the entire transcript: 2 Corinthians 12 Safety Last
