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RISK Unpacked!
Posted by Rev. Jeff Dixon, CCC Ministries on Aug 21, 2007, 09:54
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Risk Unpacked!
2 Samuel 23:20-21
Here is the passage....
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.
Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
You are responsible forever for what you have tamed
If you have tamed your faith, it is your fault!
Risk is what it takes for the untamed to be unleashed
Without risk it does not happen
What you are reading is a summary that is pulled directly from the Bible Study notes that Jeff Dixon used in Celebration Worship. So as you read, remember you are not reading a transcript as much as a review or outline. Hopefully having these notes to read as you listen or watch RISK UNPACKED will be a valuable resource to you.
A study in 2005 revealed that People who enjoy taking risks may be more content and satisfied with their lives. German researchers surveyed more than 20,000 people about their risky behavior(WEBMD)
How about you? Do you enjoy life and are you a risk taker?
Buried in the book of 2 Samuel, the 23rd chapter, is one of the most inconceivable and inspirational passages in all of Scripture
Entrance Ramp: Missing Information
It is easy to read this in the comfort of your home or office and miss the monumental acts of courage displayed by Benaiah.
The passage is intersting for a variety of reasons as much for what is not there as for what is there....
Benaiah doesn’t have a hunting rifle
He doesn’t have a Land Rover…this is no jungle safari
We don’t even know where he was going or what he was doing when he encounters the lion
We don’t know the time of day
We don’t know his frame of mind
But we do see his gut reaction….
Usually the image of man eating beast travels through the optical nerve and registers in the visual cortex, the brain then has one over arching message: RUN AWAY
Normal people run away from lions
They run as far and as fast as they possibly can
But lion chasers are wired differently
Lion chasers are risk takers!
Risk taking vs Irresponsibility
Most people think that risk taking is the same as being irresponsible but that is just not the case. That is not what I am talking about spiritually
Risk takers are always aware of the dangers the risk implies and prepare themselves as best they can, this is a spiritual way to live and face life…preparation begins by getting to know God…and following Him intimately.
Risk takers know that God is victorious in every situation and they take the action He calls them to.
This is in stark contrast to…Irresponsible people take risks without ever paying attention to the dangers the risk brings, and take action out of “impulse” instead of spiritual preparation and careful thought and insight.
Timing of Risk
(v.20-21) Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear.
God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time….BUT…here is the catch….
The right place often seems to us like the wrong place, and right time often seems like the wrong time!
The greatest opportunities were the the most risky..or so we think!
The Race for Risk
(v.20b) He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
Another time he chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it
1 Chronicles 11:22
Is anyone else tired of reactive Christianity that is known more for what it is against than what it is for?
We are defensive, we are passive, we are too protective
RISK takers are proactive
Risk takers are always looking for God-ordained opportunities
Maybe we have measured spiritual maturity the wrong way
Following Christ is safe because He promised to be with us…but it an unleashed, untamed, risky existence
What sets risk takers apart isn’t the outcome
What sets them apart is the courage to chase God given dreams
The Reality of Risk
(v.22-23) Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.
He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.
Risk takers don’t let fear and doubt keep them from doing what God has called them to do
Spiritual maturity is seeing and seeing God-ordained opportunities
Think of every God given opportunity as His gift to you
What you do with that opportunity is your gift to God
Goodness is not the absence of badness…you can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right
Our calling must be more than simply running away from what is wrong-instead we are to run to the opportunities that God has placed before us and be willing to risk for God’s best
The immigrants who settled America literally risked their lives crossing the ocean to come here. These are our ancestors. It's as if we're hard-wired to be risk takers.
Think about the explorers Lewis and Clark. They traveled nearly 4,000 miles without a map.
Consider the Wright brothers: Every time they flew, they took their lives in their hands. In fact, Orville Wright once crashed during a test flight, killing his passenger. Still he kept on taking to the sky....
Your life has been impacted because they were risk takers!
Risk taking is exactly what Dr. Barry Marshall did, and he ended up winning a Nobel Prize for it.
For years, all the experts said that ulcers were caused by stress. They advised ulcer patients to eat a bland diet, to drink milk, and to take antacids for a lifetime.
Marshall had a hunch that ulcers were caused by bacteria found in the stomach.
He shared his thoughts with gastric experts like Dr. Walter Peterson who thought Marshall was crazy. Peterson and others thought the bacteria Marshall was studying was harmless.
So to convince his colleagues, Marshall did something drastic. He infected himself by drinking a glass full of the bacteria and then recorded what happened.
"I started having stomach pains and vomiting attacks," Marshall told "20/20."
Finally, when his stomach started to show the beginnings of an ulcer, his wife made him take antibiotics. Marshall was cured and he went on to cure millions of others.
He is well-known for proving that the bacteria Helicobacter pylori is the cause of most stomach ulcers, reversing decades of medical doctrine which held that ulcers were caused by stress, spicy foods, and too much acid.
The discovery came because he was willing to take a risk...
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT YOU MIGHT DISCOVER SPIRITUALLY IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK AND TRUST GOD TO BE AND DO ALL HE HAS PROMISED?
The adventure of a lifetime awaits....
The link below allows you to watch, listen, or download the study
http://www.touchandchange.com/artman/publish/article_1432.shtml
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