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This week we wrapped up our current series The Lost Adventure of Following Jesus.

Adventure
• Jesus wants to lead us on an adventure, where God is active in our lives
• Living in God’s presence there is always something happening and about to happen (adventure – adventurus – “about to happen”)

Spirit Led

In our day heaven and earth are on tiptoe waiting for the emergence of a Spirit-led, Spirit-intoxicated, Spirit-empowered people. All of creation watches expectantly for the springing up of a disciplined, freely gathered, martyr people who know in this life the life and power of the kingdom of God. It has happened before. It can happen again. - Richard Foster

• Jesus was “led by the Spirit” as He begun his adventure and was continually led by the Spirit throughout his life
• John 3:8 – the Spirit is like wind
• Following Jesus always includes being Spirit led
o Can be dangerous
o Requires obedience, trust, risking, and yielding control
o Worth it!

Luke 19:26 MSG - Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.

Mission
• the adventure of following Jesus will also always move us out into a hurting world
• this was Jesus’ mission (he came to seek and save the lost; it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick) and when we follow Him in the Spirit it will become ours as well
• this is the adventure of putting love in action and faith in obedience

Transformation
• the internal adventure of character transformation
• this is sometimes the most difficult adventure of all
• God wants to work through us, but he also wants to work in us
• When He transforms us and makes us more like Jesus we will then DO the things Jesus did and commands us to do
• God wants to make us into a good tree that will bear good fruit
• This is an adventure because God takes us inward and addresses the deep parts of us and changes us – change is hard, but it is necessary
• The process can be painful, but it results in beauty

Worship
• Living life as worship – central
• Living in response to who God is and what he is doing
• Doing everything in the name of Jesus
• It’s an adventure because it requires us to become Christ centered instead of me centered.

Community
• People are God’s plan A
• Sharing our lives is adventure – risky, vulnerable
• This is the way of life modeled by the Trinity – perfect Relationship
• We will see God at work when we open our lives to others

Baptism
• The adventure of identifying with Christ in his death, burial, resurrection
• A new identity

Suffering
• Adventures aren’t all fun and games
• They require sacrifice and often involve suffering
• Christ learned obedience through his suffering
• We follow Christ – therefore…
• early Christians counted it a privilege to suffer for the Gospel – in this they knew that they were following the way of Jesus
• do we run from suffering or embrace it as something that is worth the treasure that we seek?
• “Jesus didn’t come to make life easy, he came to make people great.” – Barclay

Evangelism
• sharing the Gospel is an adventure
• this is were we invite others into the adventure
• our story is the most powerful tool
• if we are living the adventure people will want in – they will ask for the reason we have the hope we have

God wants to make us adventurous and dangerous for the Kingdom. The Kingdom is not passive and boring; it is active and growing and moving and God wants us in on the adventure! Saying ‘yes’ to the adventure means saying yes to living the life that is truly life and to living it for something else besides ME.

The Adventure of Following Jesus in the Spirit into the Mission of spreading the Gospel in word and deed, while being transformed to live a baptized life of worship and suffering in community is like rafting down a wild river. There may be moments of calm water, but around the corner may be rough rapids. Jesus is our leader, our guide, and we when we follow Him, we follow him into the wild adventure. And he promised that he will always be with us if we do!

Discussion Questions

1. Of the different “adventures” we have discussed*, which do you feel most drawn to? Why? Which do you feel least drawn to? Why?
*Spirit-led, mission, transformation, worship, community, suffering, evangelism

2. Has your faith ever felt dull or boring, lacking excitement and adventure? Why do you think that is?

3. How might your life be different if lived even more as an adventure with Jesus?

4. How might we be able to impact the world and fulfill the Great Commission* if we say YES to the adventure of following Jesus?
*Matthew 28:19-20

5. What is the next step you need to take in saying ‘yes’ to the adventure of following Jesus? (try to be specific)

Next week we will not have Quest due to the All Church Picnic. We will be back on Sept. 7 for a brand new series Doing Life Together with Jesus