Dive In Friends...(Sermon in the songs series) Day 1

I'm going to start a new series on this blog I will call the Sermon in the Song.  It will be a serial blog post.  There may be many other posts between each sermon, but I'll try to number them so you can know how many there are and which to read to keep up.  Each sermon will be a short message based on some song lyrics.  They will mostly be Christian music, especially Casting Crowns because they are basically just sermons in themselves, but I may branch out into all genres to find interesting new ways to make a message from music lyrics.  *I may/may not have a Rock N Roll and Jesus type of book that I'll borrow from sometimes ;)

Anyways, here's today's sermon in a song.

I want everyone to really contemplate this message I'm about to share with you!!

First off I'll start with the lyrics that started this sermon in my mind to begin with...

Casting Crowns- Somewhere in the Middle
(Chorus)
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle??

Christians ask yourselves this...are you living inside your picket fence world with a heart of a warrior but no guts to really fight the battle? Are you reckless and willing to abandon all that you are and all that you know but won't because common sense tells you it's crazy? Are you faithful enough to call yourself "deep water" but yet stuck in the shallow end instead? Are we all just going to keep God at arm's length and let Him be what we create Him to be so we can keep on with our American dream lifestyles or are we really faithful enough to lay down our lives and become true disciples and follow Him everywhere He leads, be it to Africa, Middle East, San Francisco, or across the street? People won't hear the message of Jesus if we are stuck in this lukewarm world where we just won't GO when He says GO! Don't be a Jonah. I want to be Fearless, a warrior armed with my shield and sword, reckless and deep. I want to be someone that's not afraid to loose my common sense and just GO when called.

Let's look at the scriptures on this:
Revelation 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Hebrews 11:13 and 39-40 (Read Chapter 11 in full for context) All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Matthew 14:29
“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

I don't want to be lukewarm in my faith. I want to be on FIRE. And what if all the men and women in Hebrews just used their common sense or stayed inside their little picket fence comfortable lives? They would have not furthered the kingdom at all. Yes, they may have done radical things and didn't even live to see the full results, but we know that radical things came from their choice to not stay in the shallow end.

Peter walked on water...common sense was completely obliterated here. Aren't you glad he chose to ignore the warm fuzzy of that boat and walk out onto that stormy sea? How would the world be changed if every person who calls upon Jesus steps out in faith and starts doing these CRAZY, RADICAL, and AMAZING feats that common sense would tell them not to do? We could really change the world, for today and for tomorrow. Trust in Jesus, take the leap of faith, and GO BIG!! Dive in friends, the deep end is waiting for you! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KwqFvucdw