Daring to dream big causes us to ask questions such as “What does God want for my life?” “How does God fit into this plan, or this plan into God’s?” “Does an infinite God even care about the finite details?” “Why did that roadblock stop me in my tracks?” and “Why does that person always seem to have more, while others have less?”
The Mystery of the Kingdom
In our quest to discover more of who we are and more of who God is, it is natural that we will come up against the unknown—the mysterious and often unanswerable. Even the apostle Paul referred to the mystery of Christ twenty-one times in his epistles. But perhaps it was Job who said it best when he wrote,
Do you think you can explain the mystery of God?
Do you think you can diagram God Almighty?
God is far higher than you can imagine,
far deeper than you can comprehend,
Stretching farther than earth’s horizons,
far wider than the endless ocean. (Job 11:7–9, MSG)
Jesus often used parables to peel back the great mysteries of the kingdom of God. He started almost all His stories with “The kingdom of God is like …” or “The kingdom of heaven is like …” and then went on to expound truth to listening crowds. These parables are simple, enabling us to relate the gospel to our everyday lives, even today, by talking of farming and fishing, vineyards and seed sowing. Yet they are also profound and layered with wonderful mysteries. We can find varying interpretations of every single one online at the click of a button.
Life with Jesus is filled with possibilities, and when we enter into relationship with Him, we enter into a world of wonderful secrets and revealed truth, especially when it comes to things beyond human understanding.
The statement “There is more” could not be truer about anything than that which we experience in the Christian life. There is more to know, there is more to understand, and there is more to come. The more we know about God and His Word, the more we realize we don’t yet know. Layer after layer, mystery after mystery, treasure after treasure, indeed more after more is revealed to us when seeking Him is our prize.
The Mystery of God’s Will
It was three o’clock in the morning. In the pitch black of night, the men peered over the side of the boat they were sailing in and saw a mysterious figure moving toward them across the water. Was it a ghost? What could this frightening encounter be? They had just finished ministering to a crowd of thousands earlier that day and were crossing the Sea of Galilee:
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:25–33)
Let me tell you, just as the disciples discovered, there is so much intrigue, mystery, and suspense when you choose to follow Christ. Maybe you are asking the same question Peter asked: “God, is that really You?” Perhaps you are wondering what is next for you on your faith journey. Or you may be asking the question that seems to pop into every believer’s head at least once a year: What is the will of God for my life? Well, I’ve got news for you. Sometimes to discover the mystery of what is next—the mystery of God’s will—you, just like Peter, will need to step out of the boat.
The Great Unknown
There have been many times in my life when, in a quest to move forward, I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone. I’ve had to stretch, trust, and take steps forward into unknown territory.
Hillsong Church was birthed with absolutely no guarantees. There was no promised financial support, no guarantees that people would come, and no certainty—beyond faith in Jesus and confidence in His calling—that God would bless this brand-new little outreach church. A priority of safety would have kept us where we were. The church my parents pastored was strong and flourishing, and there was a sense of inevitability that if we continued to serve their vision and live in that opportunity, the day would come when I would naturally become the senior pastor. It was clearly the safe option. But God was leading me to believe there was something more.
When I announced we were leaving and moving to the rural fringe of the city, my father never resisted it, but he was clearly in denial, and there was no official farewell. I was left to announce to the congregation myself, “This is our last Sunday.” I had to buy my office desk so I could take it with me, and my friends began, in jest, to call me a disparaging name related to the area we were moving to. Yet we were excited. I never felt aggrieved about the start we were given, because I was more excited about the mysteries of the future than concerned about the comfort and safety we were leaving behind. We went out without much support and pioneered this brand-new church starting with a small group of people who attended Bible study in the area, and I guess that’s all that was needed. Everything else was the great unknown.
Often people can read that story of walking on water in the book of Matthew and think, Yeah, but Peter sank! But we have to remind ourselves that at least Peter got out of the boat! The other disciples didn’t even get out of the boat. That said, at least the disciples got in the boat—there were five thousand people who never left the shore! If you reflect for a moment on your attitude, are you more like the people who were comforted by the safety of the shore or like the disciples who took a little risk and got in the boat? Or are you like Peter, who not only left the shore but also got out of the boat, all because Jesus said, “Come”?
I have often referred to the will of God as a tightrope. Too many people think that means it is easy to fall in and out of the will of God, but He is way better at keeping us on course than we give Him credit for. I believe that when we are walking in step with the Holy Spirit, according to the Word and in the will of God, the Lord will continue to give us promptings and green lights as we keep putting one foot in front of the other. He is also well able to put red lights, warning signs, and detour billboards directly in front of us, signaling us to stop and reconsider our next moves. We just need to trust Him to direct our steps.
What has been your response when Christ has beckoned you? What have you done with the promptings in your heart and the giftings in your hand to follow Christ into the mystery of your God-given future?
Ephesians 1:9 tells us that Jesus has “made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure.” Have you ever thought about what pleases the heart of God? I have no doubt that in the mystery of your glorious future, you will have seasons of disappointment and heartache, hard times and missteps, but if you are following Christ and putting one foot in front of the other when He beckons, then His pleasure, His will, and His purpose for your life will come to pass.
Too often, I