When was the last time you took a risk? Was it when you climbed aboard a scary roller coaster or was it when you merged onto 169? Have you ever viewed the Christian faith as a risk? Since we live in a country that has freedom to express our religion, we do not feel the risk of faith that many in other parts of the world experience. It is heart breaking to hear the news of Christian persecution around the world. Being a Christian is starting to become a risky business.

 

Matthew 10:37-39 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Now these words from Jesus are risky. When I think of risk, I think of the life work of Thomas Alva Edison. He was a hard worker who took risks. Just take a look at this list of facts from his life:

? Learned to read despite only three months of formal education.

? Sold apples and newspapers on the Grand Trunk Railroad at the age of twelve.

? Realizing that good news about the Civil War sold papers, he once telegraphed the news of the Union victory at Shiloh ahead of the train and sold a record 1,000 papers in a day.

? Lost all his money more than a dozen times by risking his profits on the next invention.

? Designed a cement production system that enabled plants to make five times the amount of cement previously produced.

? Watched his whole fortune go up in flames when his largest factory and research lab burned to the ground. Although his oldest son was devastated and felt responsible, Edison responded, “Oh shucks, it’s all right. We’ve just got rid of a lot of old rubbish. I’m 67, but I’m not too old to make a fresh start. Where’s your mother? Get her over here, and her friends too. They’ll never see a fire like this again!”

? At the age of 84 he fell ill and, realizing he would not be able to continue his laboratory work, Thomas Alva Edison died on Sunday, October 18, 1931. At the time he was working to free the U.S. from foreign dependence on rubber.

 

Sometimes faith takes risks. If we want to be disciples of Jesus Christ, then we are going to have to take risks with how we have approached faith. In order to move from one expression of faith into a deeper expression of faith as a disciple of Jesus, we have to be willing to risk everything, and in between those two expressions there is only Jesus. That is the true risk of faith. It’s a risk my family and I made when we moved to Tulsa to be your Pastor. Are you willing to take the risk of faith as we move forward together with CTR? If we do, all we will have is Jesus! That’s all that we really need!

 

Amen.