Beam Me Up

In a scene from the new Star Trek movie, a very young James T. Kirk is caught up in a pub brawl. The then Commander of the Enterprise (Captain Pike - no relation to B.C.C.'s Jon Pike as far as I'm aware) finds Kirk and challenges his with these words, "Your Father saved 600 men, your Mother and you...I dare you to do better." This talking to inspires Kirk to join Star Fleet and the rest, as they say, is history. In recent weeks I have been talking to some of the young people about where they are at in God. These conversations are still being worked out but it has got me thinking about the importance of Jesus' followers carrying this same sense of challenge and adventure as we live for Him.

I think the early disciples went on the adventure of a lifetime: they saw Jesus do awesome, life-changing miracles and then had a go too! Hundreds of thousands of people wanted to see Jesus but they were the ones who had the quality time with Him. Imagine waking up every day not knowing what was going to happen. Pause and reflect how these men and women were filled with the Spirit and saw 3000 added to the fledgling Church on the Day of Pentecost. Think about how those disciples and subsequent converts went on to plant hundreds of Churches across the middle east and beyond. They carried a sense of adventure, mission and PASSION! It cost them all they had but they were willing to pay the price, live the life and do greater things than Jesus did, just as He promised they would (John 14:12)!

As I talk to young people I am concerned that they have lost this prophetic 'dare' to do greater things for God than any preceding generation. I am concerned that today's young people are more interested in Face Book than faith. They want to party rather than party with Jesus. They love the world more than they love being followers of Jesus. Some of them are spiritually bored, lazy and overweight! I'm not tarnishing everyone with the same brush but we must continually challenge them and one another to live this adventure of faith. "To go boldly" into the world with a message of life-transforming salvation based on personal experience, dynamic faith and spiritual signs/wonders.

How do we do this? Well, it all starts with us. Are we living out this message ourselves? Are we seeing healing, signs and wonders following us? Do we love Jesus with an intense passion which influences our choices and decisions? I believe there is a generation who are hungry for meaning and just need a cause to which they can dedicate their lives which tests, stretches and provokes them to go further, live harder, pray longer and love stronger.