There was a tightrope walker, who did incredible aerial feats. All over Paris, he would do tightrope acts at tremendously scary heights. Then he had succeeding acts; he would do it blindfolded, then he would go across the tightrope, blindfolded, pushing a wheelbarrow. An American promoter read about this in the papers and wrote a letter to the tightrope walker, saying, “Tightrope, I don’t believe you can do it, but I’m willing to make you an offer. For a very substantial sum of money, besides all your transportation fees, I would like to challenge you to do your act over Niagara Falls.”
Now, Tightrope wrote back, “Sir, although I’ve never been to America and seen the Falls, I’d love to come.”
Well, after a lot of promotion and setting the whole thing up, many people came to see the event. Tightrope was to start on the Canadian side and come to the American side. Drums roll, and he comes across the rope which is suspended over the treacherous part of the falls—blindfolded!! And he makes it across easily. The crowds go wild, and he comes to the promoter and says, “Well, Mr. Promoter, now do you believe I can do it?”
“Well of course I do. I mean, I just saw you do it.”
“No,” said Tightrope, “do you really believe I can do it?”
“Well of course I do, you just did it.”
“No, no, no,” said Tightrope, “do you believe I can do it?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Promoter, “I believe you can do it.”
“Good,” said Tightrope, “then you get in the wheelbarrow.”
(http://net.bible.org/illustration.php?topic=526)
Getting into the wheelbarrow would be an act of great faith, putting your life in the hands of the man pushing it. It makes you question whether you would do it, doesn't it. At the same time, it is easy to say that we would get in the wheelbarrow if it was God pushing the wheelbarrow, but do we really step out on faith when God prompts us to?
Coming into ministry was an act of faith, as was moving to Kentucky to attend Seminary. Even coming here to Hallam and Martell was an act of faith. Now going into the Army as a chaplain is an act of faith.
I've thought a lot about what to say during this last sermon—somebody told me I needed to say something memorable—but I'm not sure that I will. Ultimately, I don't want you to remember me—I would pray that you were somehow able to see Christ in me and remember that.
The passage read earlier today about the Transfiguration has significant meaning for me. I'd like for you to focus for a minute on Peter. Remember that Peter has been with Jesus for some time now. He has seen miracles and experienced Jesus' power in the feeding of the 4,000. the feeding of the 5,000, healing the blind. As a result of all this, he has given a clear confession of his belief. He told Jesus “You are the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”
Now he is on the mountain. Jesus has been transfigured before his eyes, and Peter, in a moment of not really knowing what to say, or perhaps actually making plans of his own, said, “It is good that we are here! Let's build three houses and stay here!”
I can imagine the look on Jesus' face—something like, “Silly Peter, if only you knew what I have in store for you and for the rest of humanity.” If they had not come to down from the mountain, Christ would never have gone to Jerusalem, shared in the Last Supper with them, been nailed to the cross, or raised from the dead.
Sometimes our plans, no matter how good they seem, are not part of God's plans for us or those who we will meet as we travel through this world. When my family and I came here, said, like Peter, “It is good to be here, let's stay.” Yet I believe that God calls for more from me and more from you than to stay here. I believe that God is calling me and for you to get into the wheelbarrow of faith because there is much to be done.
Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians that expressed his love for them, and his prayers for their future. My prayer for you is an echo of his prayer for them.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins.
Paul's prayer is not that they would remember him, but that they would abide in Christ, and that Christ would abide in them, and that they would remember that no matter what they do as a church or individuals, it must be done prayerfully and for the glory of Jesus Christ. That is my prayer for you. If you must remember anything about me, remember that I long for nothing more than for you to climb into the wheelbarrow of faith, and that my prayers are that you will bear fruit and that Christ abides in you and that you would abide in Jesus Christ.
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