Adventures in Living: by Jason Salamun

Below is a transcript of a recent message I gave at Project Church. I hope it encourages you.

I love the television  show Deadliest Catch.

The allure of a show like this is the possibility, no probability, of danger and excitement.  If the show was about fishermen on quiet waters, trust me, there would be no show. Each episode features rugged crab fishermen who are battling a furious sea in the hopes of scoring a boatload of crabs. There’s drama, tension, humor, adventure, action, and heartache. It makes for good television because it reflects real life.

We can relate because our life is like a ship a sea. Some of us stay close to the marina and others of us crank it up and head full blast into the unknown waters.  There are days where the sun shines bright, the breeze kisses our skin, and the waters are gentle.  Then there are times when the storms hit causing colossal waves to crash into our ship and often wrecking our lives.

I know for a fact that right now, many of you are here feeling the sting of the storm. Some of you feel lost at sea.  You sense that all hope is lost.  You’re out of work, your relationships are strained or falling apart at the seams, there’s more bills than money, you or a loved ones health has taken a turn for the worse, or your own messiness has finally caught up with you and now you’re dealing with the consequences.

Others of you are picking up the pieces after the storm with one eye on the reconstruction of your lives and one eyes on the clouds.  But for now, you’re enjoying life and everything is cool.

Then there are the rest of you who never left the shore.  (We’ll get to you in a bit).

Your life is like a ship.
Some days are smooth sailing.
But inevitably, a storm will hit.
What will you do then?
How will you make it through?

Jesus is no stranger to the storms of life as we will discover in this scene from Matthew 14.

Let’s enter the story in Matthew 14.

Prior to this scene Jesus and his disciples had experienced two dramatic events.  One was the beheading of John the Baptizer.  He was a cousin of Jesus and a prophet who had a unique role in preparing the way for Jesus.

Shortly after Jesus heard the news he got in a boat (it seems) to have some time alone. Remember, Jesus at this time was fully human and fully God.  Meaning, he experienced the pain of loss and the storms of life.  Eventually, the crowds (a size of a sports stadium) caught up to him and we’re told he had compassion on them and healed them.  It’s during this moment that he turned the fives loaves of bread and two fish and fed over 5,000 men plus the women and children. It was a miracle of biblical proportions.   The disciples and the crowd just witnessed something unexplainable- unless of course, Jesus was the Son of God.

The scene then cuts to the perhaps the most infamous moment in the life of Jesus outside his crucifixion and resurrection. Let’s pick it up in verse 22 and look at the whole passage and then walk back through it together.

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Wow! That’s a powerful story. Yes, Jesus walked on water! But there’s so much more for us. Let’s look at the beginning of this scene.

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.

Notice who put the disciples into the boat.  It was Jesus! He sent them into danger. It’s early evening and Jesus goes with the disciples and puts them in a boat doesn’t get in with them. I wonder what they were thinking?  “So, are we just supposed to hang out in the boat?”  “Anyone bring a deck of cards?”

Jesus went to pray until their ship was about 3-4 miles away.  This was not by accident and something we can learn from.

First, this is a picture of what Jesus does for his people in Heaven.  He is our mediator with God (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus knows the best teacher is experience and these 12 young men are about to experience something dramatic.

What Jesus wanted to teach them wasn’t on the safety of the shore but in the danger of the unknown waters.

He does the same with you and I. Have you ever felt like you were a ship a long way off from shore.  Ever wondered if God was there?  Ever felt alone?  Hopeless?  Confused?  Ever think that perhaps God wants you to feel like that?  To get to the end of yourself? To find yourself in situations that are uncomfortable and unsure?

Like the wind which was against the disciples, so it seems like everything is against you. Can you feel it?  Fear creeps into the bottom of your gut and worry and anxiety fill your mind.  WHERE IS JESUS NOW?!!!

I’ve been here.  I’ve been here so many times in my life and I’ve shed angry tears wondering where God was.  Whether it was the death of good friends or the heartbreak of love lost or the helpless feeling of being out of work. I have been there!

Storms are a great teacher and God uses them to teach us and to grow us.  He’s like a parent who seeks to develop us into the people we’re meant to be.  Sometimes, the storms are discipline, consequences of our actions.  Other times, they are teachable moments in life that shape us.  We often pray for God to get us around the storms but really he wants to get us through them. Growth comes by going through the storm, not by avoiding it.

Have you been there? Are you there right now?  Do you feel like a small ship overwhelmed by a giant raging sea?

In moments like this, our view of Jesus is critical.  If he is merely a good teacher or a prophet of old, then what good is he right now?  The teacher and prophet is up in the safety of a mountain, probably under shelter, away from the fury of the storm.

But if you believe Jesus is who says he is.  God become man who loves you and promises to never leave you.  If you can hear his voice in Isaiah 43:1-2 where he says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, YOU ARE MINE. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Is this your Jesus? Only this Jesus, the real Jesus, can rescue you and I.  Not just from the circumstances of our life but from the depravity of our own soul.  Jesus cares about both your life and eternity.  Without Jesus, your heart is a ship at sea and it will tip over and wreck unless you believe that Jesus indeed is God who came to rescue you from your sins.  The good news is Jesus has come like a rescue-diver to save us.  He never lets go.  Check out this clip from the film, “The Guardian.”

Can you see Jesus in that? I hope so.

Jesus has left the comfort of heaven to the messiness of earth to save you.  He is the Great Rescuer.

Let’s continue.

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

The fourth watch is between 3am-6am.  This storm has come at the darkest time of the night and the disciples have spent about 9 hours battling this storm. At sea, that feels like forever. But Jesus walks on water to them and he rose from death for us.  He does the impossible and THIS IS FREAKY to the disciples in the boat!

The disciples try to use their limited human description to describe the indescribable.  How would you feel if you saw what they’re seeing?  Their fear has kicked into high gear and Jesus calms the sea of their heart by saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

As the storms rage in our lives, he says the same thing to us. “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”  He’s calling you to a furious faith.

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

Don’t you think Peter is being foolish here? Jesus is calling him to a furious faith. A faith so explosive it sees not the storms, but Jesus.  Peter is walking on water! The same dude who will later deny Jesus three times when it mattered most.  God has a habit of calling unlikely people to do unlikely things. This is one of them. Imagine the thrill.

For a moment in time, Peter experience something none of us will. He walked on water.  To do that, he had to leave the boat of safety.  What’s your boat?  What’s your source for safety and security besides God?  If you don’t know just look at what you’re afraid of. Your fears will tell you what your boat is.

The story takes a turn.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Peter saw the wind.  To see the wind he had to take his eyes off Jesus. Peter doesn’t sink and become afraid.  He becomes afraid and then sinks. There’s a big difference.

We could focus on Peter’s failure but perhaps there are 11 bigger failures sitting in the boat. Peter’s the only one with the guts to get out of the boat.

Some of you are sitting in the boat but Jesus is calling you outto him.  Peter didn’t ask for a guarantee, just a chance.  A chance to come after Jesus and get a taste for the life in full.  God’s calling is not to survive- it’s to be faithful.

This is why some of us don’t even leave the shore.  We’re scared.

Fear prevents many of us from doing what God has called us to do. I’ve heard it said that fear and faith cannot reside in the same heart.  it’s true. We must choose to trust God or see the wind.

Is there anything in your life that you’re doing that you could not do without God?  If not, dream bigger. God calls his people out of the boat.

Faith calls us into some crazy places I know.  The Spirit of God leads us beyond what is normal. A raging storm in the middle of the night.  Living on less so you can give more to those in need. Taking a new job. Staying where you’re at. Teaching in a dangerous place. Beginning a new business. Going back to school.  Starting a church.

Why not put your faith in the one who can make the winds cease.  The one who is not only above all, but in all.  He’s right there with us calling us to a better story.  Hope got Peter out of the boat and hope is calling you out too.

This is why he gave us the church. We need each other because together we’re called to do something far greater than any one of us can do alone. To bring good news and be good news to this world.

Churches are not called to safety, they are called to be far from shore. For churches, storms are not unusual, but expected. Jesus commands his church to leave the boat of safety and walk on water to him. He’s on a rescue mission in this world and has called us to join him in a journey of faith, hope, and love.

Are you a part of a church community? If not, let encourage you to connect with one that’s centered on Jesus, guided by scripture, driven by the gospel, and rooted in love.

Finally, if you’re in the midst of a storm, let me leave you with this: God’s love for you is more furious than the storm. He has promised to be with you.  Nothing is beyond him.  He is greater than we can ever imagine, better than we realize, and bigger than your storms.

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Why is it flight attendants stress the importance of putting an oxygen mask on first before assisting other passengers during an emergency situation?

Because you can’t be a hero when you’re dead.

Oxygen gives you the capacity to help others. Without it, you die, as well as the potential lives you could have saved. Putting the mask on is not selfish, it’s wise.

The same principle is true for leaders.

As I work to get back in shape I ‘m seeing how much it impacts my capacity to lead. I have more energy, mental clarity, discipline, and drive.  I just plain feel better.

As a result, I’m more motivated than ever to do what I need to do.

You might be bright.

You might be talented.

You might be passionate.

You might be focused.

You might know it all.

But if you don’t take care of yourself, your capacity will dwindle and you’ll likely leave untapped potential on the table.

The oxygen mask just might be the difference between one life saved or twenty lives saved. It might be the gap between good and great. It might be the key to lead you from where you are to where you want to be.

At Project Church we value authenticity.  We give one another permission to not pretend to be any more or any less than we really are.

As a leader I know that if we’re going to create a community of openness and honesty then it begins with me. Pastors aren’t professional Christians, we’re proof that a perfect God calls and uses imperfect people for his purposes.

I have weaknesses just as much as anyone.  Allow me to share a couple:

Authenticity doesn’t come easy for me
I have a tendency to put on the face that people want to see. I want to give others freedom to be real but don’t often give myself that same freedom.  This is why it’s good that I’m part of a church that keeps it real because they challenge me to do the same.  They help me in my recovery from hypocrisy.

I’m fiercely independent
We live in a culture that values independence but I’m learning that it’s overrated.  Early on in my life I felt that the only person I could depend on is myself.  Getting married really helped me to discover the beauty in harmony as you intertwine your life with another.  Being in a church as shown me how much more effective people are when they latch on to something bigger than themselves.  My community helps me learn to depend on others and see that life’s about more than what I can accomplish alone.

Authentic community helps protect me from my natural inclination to be a lone-ranger Christian.  We’re so much better together than we are apart.  God was on to something when he built the church.  Go figure.  We aren’t meant to do life alone.  We’re meant to journey through life together and help each other live the lives we’re meant to live.

These two values (authenticity and community) aren’t born out of the strenghs of the leader (me). They are rooted in scripture, provide guardrails for our church, and guide me out of my weakness.

I made this brief video for those supporting thismustchange.org on the secret to taking an idea/dream/goal and making it a reality.

One tool that has been very useful for me and my crazy, busy life is a time budget.  It helps me align my schedule according to the direction I want to go.

Here’s how it works:

1. Print out two copies of the time budget.
2. The first copy is to assess how you spend your time in a typical week. Fill it in and be as honest as you can. Include sleep, tv, work, commute, eating, etc.
3. After it’s completed, review it and ask, “Is this how I want to spend my time in light of my goals and what’s most important in my life?”
4. Now, take the second copy of the time budget you printed out and schedule a typical week in light of your goals.
5. As you do this, let me challenge you to take one day a week and chill (Sabbath).
6. Once it’s completed, stick with it.  (Life happens so don’t beat yourself up when it does. But do your best to stick to it).
7. Every once in a while, repeat this exercise. I find I have to do it every couple of months.

You’ve got one life. Make it count. I hope this helps!

DOWNLOAD

A sneak peek at tomorrow’s message at Project Church.

“Come All You Weary” on Matthew 11:25-Matthew 12:8.

Thanks to Thrice for the title and soundtrack for this message.

Thanks to Jesus for the inspiration and the invitation!

If you’re pumped like I am for the “Where the Wild Things Are” movie then you’ll be excited about yet another movie based on a classic children’s book, “Everyone Poops.”

Enjoy!

On Sunday, October 18 at 10am, Project Church will hold our first service at our new venue… The historic Elks Theatre.

For those outside the Black Hills, The Elks is a vintage theater located in the heart of Rapid City and boasts the largest movie screen in South Dakota.  The main theater seats upwards of 600 people and it’s a cultural landmark for our community.

This move is a huge step of faith for our baby church!

The story of Project Church began in my living room as some friends and I began to dream of a church that was driven by the gospel on a mission to do what Jesus said: Go and make disciples who love God and people.

About a year ago, we decided to gather in public at Alternative Fuel Coffee House where a revolving door of fifty people (give or take) gathered to explore and follow Jesus.  Since then, we’ve seen God begin to build his church as strangers became friends and friends became family.  The coffee house has been a wonderful spot for us and we’re really going to miss the relational aspect of the space.   We were comfortable and had no intentions of moving until we absolutely had to.

Then a phone call from a friend (an assistant manager at the Elks) disrupted our comfort when she asked, “Would Project Church be interested in renting the Elks Theatre?”

This began a huge soul-searching, mission-clarifying journey for me and my crew at Project Church.  We asked each other questions like:

• “In light of our mission, what’s the wise thing, and most loving thing, to do?”
• “What about the people who just drop into our gathering at the coffee house? Will we lose that?
• “How can we afford to get all the resources to make this happen?”
• “Will people think church in a movie theater is strange?
• “How do you foster a relational vibe in a theater?”
• “Is it too churchy being we sit in rows rather than tables?”
• “What about the coffee?!!!”

This decision wasn’t merely about where we would meet.
It was really about who we are.

There are so many categories for churches these days.  Attractional, Missional, Organic, House/Simple, Traditional, Seeker-Sensitive, and so on.  The thing about our church is this: we don’t fit neatly in a given category.

We wondered what a theater communicates. I’m cautious of us being a big show and luring people in with Christian entertainment and teaching 7 Ways to a Shiny, Happy Life.  Fluffy churches like this reduce the church down to something much less than she really is.   She becomes a showgirl rather than a bride.  And I don’t want Project Church to be a showgirl church. I want us to a biblical one.

That said, we should be compelling. Like a cup of cold water in a parched world.  We should express our creativity, after all, God’s a creative God.  We should desire for as many as possible to know, love, and follow Jesus.  That’s our mandate!  We both invite people to come into our story (attractional) AND we bring our story to the people (missional). I guess you could say we’re missiottractional.

We meet in homes during the week (which is our purest expression of church) where we eat, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, share, learn, pray, and serve.  These look a lot like organic house church gatherings AND we meet on Sunday mornings where we connect, worship, and teach the scriptures. This looks a lot like what an outsider might expect a church would be.

In this decision-making process, we began to see our unique fingerprint as a church.  We don’t have to fit in a category, we can be who God has called us to be.  After much prayer, discussion, and outside input, we decided to go for it.   This decision led us to make these defining statements:

We’re relational and believe the church as expressed in the scriptures as a community of believers who share life together.  We will meet during the week to eat, celebrate, learn, pray, help, discuss, and serve.  We call these missional communities to remind us that it isn’t just about us, but about God’s mission in this world.  These groups are organic in nature and our hope is that they reproduce other missional communities.

We’re missional and we will be intentional about entering the stories of others.  Both as a church and as disciples.  From Beer & Bible to ThisMustChange.org to Rock-Paper-Scissors tournaments for local causes to preaching the gospel. We want to bring good news and be good news to our city and this world.

We’re attractional and invite people into our story.  We will embrace and express our creativity in worship to our Creator. We will gather in public on Sunday mornings for a worship service and this will be an entry point into our community. We will call it The Jesus Sessions (because that’s how we roll).  In addition, we use social media, the web, and technology more intentionally as we continue to share our story which is wrapped up in God’s Epic story.

We’re biblical and believe the scriptures should guide our church and lives in all things.  Our plans may change (such as venues) but our mission remains the same: to go and make disciples who love God and people.  We believe it’s the power of the gospel that changes people’s lives and its also the truth of the gospel that informs our lives.  At Project Church, we’re all about Jesus.  We simply want to tether ourselves to him and go as far as he leads.

It’s funny how one decision will lead you to hammer down who you are.  This is the lesson we’re learning as we make our move to the Elks Theatre.   We are excited about the next chapter of our church.  We’re still in diapers but we’re growing.

If you think of it, please pray for us.  We could use it. Pray that we would be faithful to our calling.  That we will be effective in making disciples who love God and people.  That we will be a drop of heaven here on earth.

Also, if you’d like to help us out tangibly, we’d greatly appreciate it.  We’d love for you to be a part of this story. You can give online or if you wish to give a specific item (equipment, resources, etc.), feel free to contact me.

Thanks for reading this blog and for your support!

We’re just getting started.

The unchanging truth of the gospel is like a kaleidoscope. It can be viewed in many angles and can be seen in every aspect of life.  It’s not just a historic act of yesterday but a living force that’s at work today. May we have eyes to see the gospel in all things.

Each Christmas we celebrate the incarnation.  When God broke into human history and left heaven for the messiness of earth.

When we Christians become escapists from culture and divide everything by what’s good and bad, we forget the incarnation. We forget that he set an example of what we are to do.  We forget the words of Jesus in John 17:15 when he prayed, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

Jesus entered our story in order to change the story.  He has called us, his people, to do the same.  How will anyone know what’s good news if we refuse to engage a world full of bad news? Our call is to be shaped by the gospel and then shape our culture with it.

In the everyday, we can see examples of the incarnation.

The friend who sits beside her friend in a waiting room while she awaits word on if the tumor is cancerous.

The big brother who plays toys with his baby sister in her room.

The church who throws a block party at a trailer park full of kids who are often forgotten.

The dad who could easily stay late at the office but chooses to be at home with his children instead.

The teacher who could teach in a cushy private school but instead teaches in the troubled public school.

If you want to change a story you must enter it first. This is what Christ did by stepping into human history to redeem it and what we do by stepping into the stories around us.

The unchanging truth of the gospel is like a kaleidoscope. It can be viewed in many angles and can be seen in every aspect of life.  It’s not just a historic act of yesterday but a living force that’s at work today. May we have eyes to see the gospel in all things.

Take for instance the critical piece of the gospel: The Resurrection.

When Jesus rose from death on the third day he caused death to tap out to life. In fact, if you wanted to disprove Christianity, you would look no further than the resurrection. Target that and the gospel begins to crumble on itself. Paul even wrote to the Corinthian church that “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

The resurrection has vast importance in the life of the believer. We should be about celebrating Easter in the everyday.

Martin Luther proclaimed that “Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in spring-time.”  Consider that. Flowers, plants, grass, and trees appear dead every winter yet every spring we see new life come.  What a beautiful picture of the resurrection!

If you look for it, you’ll find the resurrection elsewhere as well.

When your car battery dies and after a jump, it begins to purr again. (And you breathe a sigh of relief).  That’s a little resurrection.

When you can love again after your heart has been shattered. That’s a little resurrection.

When you wake up after sleeping. That’s a little resurrection.

When your bad breath is overcome by a mint. That’s a little resurrection.

Open your eyes to it and you’ll begin to see little resurrections in the everyday.  And when you do, let it be a reminder of the big Resurrection of Jesus and what he did for you and I. This is what it means to see the Gospel in all things.

How have you seen little resurrections in the everyday?