A sermon preached by the Reverend Scott D. Nowack on July 31, 2011

at the First Presbyterian Church of Kilgore, Texas.

Taking Risks

Genesis 32:22-32

Jerry Richardson played professional football in the days when it was all guts and no glory. He was a star wide receiver for the Baltimore Colts in 1961, but he couldn't make ends meet.

He was trying to support a wife and three children on less than $10,000 a year. He asked for a $250 annual raise and was turned down. That was when Jerry decided it was time to do something else.

He and a college buddy bought a hamburger stand--the first Hardee's franchise. Now they faced twelve-hour days flipping burgers, scrubbing grills, and mopping floors. In addition to having to work harder, he was making even less money than before. However, he refused to give up. He focused on making his restaurant efficient, his employees friendly, and his prices affordable.

Eventually the business took off, and Richardson bought more franchises. Today, Richardson heads TW Services Inc., one of the largest food-service companies in the United States, with $3.7 billion a year in sales. With his wealth, he achieved a life-long dream of owning an NFL franchise becoming the owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers Football Team. Today, Jerry says, "I couldn't have gotten to where I am without working hard and taking risks."

It’s the same with our faith. When it comes to our faith, the more we risk, and the more we wrestle with the challenges before us, the more of God’s blessing and promise we receive.

Risk is not an unfamiliar word to any of us. Risk is about taking chances and not knowing in advance what the outcome will be. We take risks with financial investments, when we play sports, or when we start a conversation with a complete stranger, especially a cute one! In 1960, John F. Kennedy described his nomination as the first Roman Catholic candidate for President as "a new and hazardous risk". It was author Frederick B. Wilcox who said, "Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first."

Jacob is no stranger to taking risks. From tricking his father to give him Esau’s blessing to risking the loss of all his riches by sneaking away under the dark of night from Laban, taking risks is second nature to him.

But Jacob’s biggest risk of all was wrestling the man, often thought of as God himself, for his blessing. Jacob takes a chance. He put everything on the line: his wives, his children, his servants, his possessions and his very life. He wrestles in the dark of night unable to see his opponent; going all night until the break of day. And before day break they are dead even. If the man he is wrestling is God, Jacob must remember that if anyone looked at God directly, they would die on the spot. And with daylight coming over the horizon, unless Jacob lets go, he will die. Jacob is taking a big risk here. He’s risking his very life.

In an effort to end the stalemate, the man struck Jacob on the hip and knocked his hip out of joint forever changing Jacob’s life. But Jacob doesn’t stop wrestling. The man says, "Let me go, for the day is breaking" and Jacob won’t let go until he is blessed. Eventually Jacob receives the blessing and with it a new name, the name Israel because he has battled against God and humans and prevailed. With this, he receives the blessing all before the sun comes up. We know Jacob recognizes the risk he took when he says afterwards in verse 30, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." Jacob took a chance and risked everything in his encounter with God. The blessing he receives is beyond measure and transforms him into a new man.

French author and Pulitzer Prize winner Andre Gide said, "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

I remember when I was kid my family belonged to a private swim club in our neighborhood. The club had a huge high dive. It was so high that on a cloudy or foggy day you couldn’t see the top. And once you were at the top, looking down you couldn’t see the water. I was so afraid to jump off the high dive. I tried several times to do it.

First time I froze at the base of the ladder and after a few minutes a big kid shoved me aside because I was holding up the line. The next time I tried it I got half way up the ladder, froze in fear, and my dad had to bring me down. I didn’t try again until the following summer; when I climbed the ladder going past the half way point into the upper atmosphere many feet above sea level. Birds flew by me as I climbed gawking at me. After a near fly by with a couple of robins and a small Sessena twin engine plane, I finally reached the top! I slowly and carefully walked to the edge of the board afraid I would lose my balance falling sideways off the board to the ground below. With teeth chattering and legs shaking, I stood at the end of the board staring down at the water. I was scared and nervous not knowing what to expect. After a great deal of waiting, I finally stepped off the end of the board and began my descent. Two seconds later I slammed into the water feet first. As I returned to the surface and swam for the ladder, all my fear and anxiety melted away. I told my mom what I did. I said, "That was great. I’m going to do it again!" Progress always involves risk: you can’t jump into the pool and leave your feet on the diving board.

In your everyday life, are you willing to take risks? As the poet, critic and teacher George Woodberry said, "The willingness to take risks is our grasp of faith." My friends, God has taken the initiative in creating us and engaging us to be in relationship with Him. God took a big risk on us and I believe our response to God should not be passive or submissive, but equal and in-line with God’s engagement with us.

When it comes to living our daily lives, we can count on God to mix it up with us. We can rely on God to challenge us, convict us, evaluate and judge us. And this may mean we must put ourselves at risk, for as the Bible says those who lose their life for God’s sake will find it. God is with us in the beginning, in the initial struggle and promises to follow through in our struggle, whatever it may be, through good and bad, thick and thin. This reassurance gives us faith to take risks for the Kingdom of God.

Methodist Bishop William Willimon explains it this way, "The story we’re called to tell and live and die by is one of risk confronted, death embraced. What’s more, Jesus calls us to walk the narrow way, take up a cross with him, daily. It’s terribly risky business. Ask that bright company of martyrs that quite recklessly parted with goods, security, and life itself, preferring to be faithful in death rather than safe in life." Proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is risky, sometimes dangerous stuff. It’s not an easy road to walk. It’s not a walk through the park. It’s messy, dangerous and exhilarating stuff! You leave yourself vulnerable to getting mocked and insulted. But when it comes to faith, the more we risk, the more of God’s blessing and promise we receive.

We take a risk whenever we reach out to help a stranger in need without accepting anything in return. We take a risk when we allow someone to see us for who we truly are. We take a risk when we put our life on the line so someone else can have life. We take a risk every morning when we wake up to experience a new day filled with possibilities to do great things. We take a risk when we stand against injustice in all its forms even if it means losing a job, a career, a friend or loved one.

We take a risk every time we open the Bible to learn about God, Christ and ourselves because as we learn more about God from the Bible we will change and never be the same again. We take a risk whenever we share with someone what Christ means to us personally; whenever we give life away in Christ’s name because we are blessed and changed forever.

A life without risk is a life not worth a thing. A few years ago, I took the risk of hiring a stranger off the street to work on my home hoping for the best. I was blessed with beautiful vinyl railings that improved the curb appeal of my house. The man was blessed to have the chance to work and make some money. It was a risk that paid off in numerous ways.

Former NBA star Michael Jordan was quoted one time saying, "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." The greatest professional basketball player ever took risks in every game. Sometimes the risk paid off for his team and other times it led to defeat. Jacob didn’t always get it right every time, but he took risks with Esau, Laban and God Almighty himself in human form and they paid off.

When it comes to faith, the more we risk, the more of God’s blessing and promise we receive. When it comes to faith, do we want to be safe and good, or do we want to take a chance and be great?