His father wanted him to follow in his footsteps, so he sent him to Paris to study law. While there, the young man fell in love with the theatre and tried his hand at writing plays. Though some were purchased, he had to become a stockbroker to make ends meet. However, legend has it that in 1862 he stood on the steps of Paris’ stock exchange and told his associates,

My boys, I believe that I’m about to desert you…. I’ve just written a new kind of novel, and if it succeeds it will be an unexplored gold mine. In that case I’ll write more such books while you’re buying your stock. And I think I’ll earn the most money!¹

When his friends laughed at him, he said, “Laugh, friends; we’ll see who laughs longest.”²

It was Jules Verne who had the longest laugh, for in 1864 he wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth. Then, in 1870 he produced Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and in 1873 Around the World in Eighty Days.

What made Jules Verne such a widely read author was that he took his readers on fantastic adventures. He wrote of space, air and underwater travel before the means for such were invented.

For me, the book of Acts has an even more powerful appeal than the writings of Jules Verne. Jules Verne’s works are science fiction; what Luke wrote is spiritual fact. Jules Verne’s books come from the imagination of a man, while Luke’s words are inspired by God. Jules Verne’s adventures happened only on paper, but Luke’s adventures actually occurred in the lives of people. Furthermore, they are still happening today. In fact, when you find people today enjoying an adventure with God, you will have encountered the seventh evidence of a vibrant church.

Luke’s Two Volume Set of Adventures

The spiritual adventures Luke writes about appear to two volumes—the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. Both works open with similar acknowledgements. Luke 1:1-4 states,

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Then in Acts 1:1-3, Luke writes,

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

In Luke 1:1-4, Luke confesses that he has investigated the experiences of firsthand witnesses and put together an orderly account of the adventures of Jesus Christ. In Acts 1:1-3, Luke makes it clear that he is continuing the journal of those adventures. However, in Acts they are the adventures of the followers of Christ—the adventures of the church.

You probably noticed that both volumes were written with a man named Theophilus in mind. The name literally means “friend of God” and may be the pseudonym or nickname for a high ranking government official. In Luke 1:3, Luke calls him “most excellent Theophilus.” Luke uses those words “most excellent” three other times in the book of Acts as titles of respect for governors (Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25). Furthermore, in Luke 1:4 Luke divulges that his purpose for writing Theophilus was to reinforce what Theophilus had heard and learned about Jesus. And it’s clear that the purpose behind the book of Acts is to inspire Theophilus to get in on the adventure with Jesus.

With a solemn heart, I confess my fear that many believers live in the gap between the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. We sit in church so a preacher can reinforce what we’ve been taught for years about Jesus, but never step out to use it on a real adventure with Him. Until you are on an adventure with Jesus, everything you’ve heard about Him will be theory, not theology. It will be what someone else has said about Him, not what you’ve experienced to be true with Him.

That’s why I sincerely believe that what Helen Keller said about life in general is especially true about life with Jesus. She said, “Life is either a daring adventure or it’s nothing.”³ Therefore, make no mistake. I want to use Luke’s account of the early church in the book of Acts to give you a picture of the daring adventure that’s waiting for you. That means you’ll need to accept the impossible cause that’s before you.

Accepting an Impossible Cause

According to David Murrow, the very ones who would love what I’m about to say aren’t in the church to hear it, and those who are in the church to hear it won’t like it. In his book Why Men Hate Going to Church, Murrow writes that today’s churches are filled more and more with older adults and women. Why? Because decades of studies show that, in general, women and older adults want security while men and younger adults want a challenge. Thus, many churches today are filled with members who come for the ambiance instead of the adventure. They are filled with believers who settle for what’s possible, forgetting that we surrendered to a cause that by the pure numbers is impossible.

The Impossible Numbers of Acts 1:8
When you tie 1 Corinthians 15:6 with Acts 1, it is believed that five hundred heard Jesus’ charge to accept the following impossible cause in verses 4-8.

4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Five hundred heard Jesus’ charge to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. Yet, Acts 1:15 indicates that only a hundred and twenty accepted Jesus’ call. Three hundred and twenty walked away, probably thinking that according to the numbers the cause was impossible.

Jesus charged five hundred to make a difference in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the world. Researchers believe that at that time Jerusalem had a population between 30,000 and 50,000. During the festivals, which were taking place in Acts 1-2, the population could surge to 80,000-125,000.⁴

Though they probably didn’t know the numbers, they felt them. The region of Judea had a population of 200 to 300 million,⁵ while the world population at that time was somewhere between 2 and 2.5 billion.⁶

It is likely that, as Jesus was delivering His charge, many among the five hundred took a quick head count. By the pure math, 380 decided that Jesus was asking the impossible and left. However, 120 must have remembered what Jesus said in Luke 18:27, that “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” They accepted the cause. They stayed for the adventure. As a result, church historian C. H. Dodd reported that 100 years after Jesus’ charge in Acts 1:8, every civilized country of the world had held the feet and heard the words of a witness of Jesus Christ. This happened because 120 were willing to accept the cause and take on the adventure.

The Impossible Numbers of Today
If you think the numbers made the cause impossible then, consider the numbers today. If we accept the charge Jesus gave in Acts 1:8, then our Jerusalem would be greater Richmond with a population around one million. Our Judea would be Virginia, a commonwealth with nearly eight million citizens. Our Samaria would be our nation, with over 300 million residents. And our world is rapidly approaching a population of seven billion.

Our cause is to make a difference in all four fields. Yet, some would say we are not called to make a difference, just to be a witness; and since we have a witness for Christ in every country, that should be enough. If you believe that, then for you the adventure is over, while for Christ, the adventure is still on.

Today there are over 11,000 different people groups throughout the world. Over half of them have a mere 2% representation of evangelical Christians. Furthermore, there are still over 600 people groups who have never heard the name Jesus.⁷ The need for witnesses is not only true in other nations but true in our own neighborhoods. One of our members was surprised to hold a conversation with a student who had little to no knowledge of Jesus.

In recent history, others have accepted the impossibility of the cause. Around the turn of the 20th century, British evangelist F. B. Meyer said, “We never test the resources of God until we attempt the impossible.”⁸ And during the turn of the 21st century, American pastor and author Chuck Swindoll agreed with Meyer saying, “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”⁹

Therefore, I have come to the conviction that there is no adventure with God until you accept the cause that is impossible without God. Only then will you experience the adventure of the original 120 who prayed in an upper room in Jerusalem. Only then will you be a part of the adventure with God—an adventure that is full of surprises.

Responding to Constant Surprises

Since 1952, Holiday Inn has provided rooms for weary travelers. Realizing that most travelers experience a variety of surprises, a few years ago Holiday Inn enticed travelers to stay with them by saying, “The best surprise is no surprise at all.” If God were to come up with a slogan to describe your adventure with Him, it could be, “Surprises guaranteed!” Part of the adventure with God is learning to respond to all the surprises. Just ask the Apostle Paul.

Acts chapters 1-8 describe the adventures of the church as they witness in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. In Acts 9, you have the conversion of a radical Pharisee named Saul, who would become known by the church as the Apostle Paul. The majority of Acts chapters 9-28 read as a journal of the adventures of Paul with God.

Over a ten year period, Paul would travel by land and sea through the Roman provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia. The book of Acts chronicles the pendulum swing of surprises he faced. Half of entire cities responded to his message. Masses from the region gathered to him. Yet with the swing of favor toward Paul and his message there was also the swing against him. In 1 Corinthians 11:24-29, Paul gives a brief synopsis of the challenges he faced in his adventure with God,

24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

The preachers who preach health, wealth, and success for believers living fully obedient to God would love to talk about the masses responding to Paul’s message. However, they wouldn’t know what to do with the beatings, shipwrecks, and imprisonments he endured. Yet in God’s mind, both extremes are part of the adventure with Him—and the pendulum can swing one way or the other at any moment. Just look at the surprising swings in Paul’s life in Acts 16.

Surprise #1: People are responding daily to Paul’s message in Lystra and Derbe (v. 1-5).

Surprise #2: Paul dreams of a man in Macedonia asking him to come, so Paul leaves for Macedonia (v. 6-10).

Surprise #3: Paul stops in Philippi, meets Lydia and her family and helps them surrender to Christ (v. 11-15).

Surprise #4: Paul encounters a fortune-telling slave girl and exorcises a demon from her (v. 16-18).

Surprise #5: The owners of the slave girl have Paul beaten and thrown into jail (v. 19-24).

Surprise #6: God sends an earthquake that breaks the shackles and opens the doors of all prisoners (v. 25-26).

Surprise #7: Paul uses the opportunity to help the jailer and his family surrender their lives to Christ (v. 27-34).

With the rapid succession of extreme experiences, Acts 16 reads like an action thriller written for Hollywood. However with the dramatic movements from one extreme to another, I’m amazed at Paul’s composure. In the midst of all this, Paul seems unfazed.

If I could identify one quality that enabled Paul to be effective for God regardless of the surprises he faced, it would be his sense of focus. Regardless of his surprises, he never lost sight of his cause—to advance the kingdom of God by being a witness for Christ at all times.

It must be a missionary trait. Dr. Jerry Rankin has been the President of the International Mission Board for nearly fifteen years and I’ve been his pastor for almost half that time. Through our meals, talks, and prayers together, I’ve learned so much from him. Though I doubt he realizes it, during his years as President, missionaries and churches working with missionaries have seen around 6,000,000 surrender their lives to Christ, and over 140,000 new churches started throughout the world. This has not come without heartache and challenges. We’ve held memorial services at our church for missionaries killed because of their faith.

Yet in an impromptu conversation with Dr. Rankin one Sunday, he made a simple statement that, for me, expressed why he’s been so effective with God. After talking about his travels in the months ahead, I asked, “Dr. Rankin, how can I pray for you?” Without hesitation, he said, “Pray that I stay focused. I don’t want distractions to take my eyes away from God’s direction.”

On your adventure with God, you will face constant surprises. At times, you will be surprised by what God allows you to experience, and you will see God do things only He can do. Other times you will be surprised by what God allows you to endure as your actions, the actions of others, or just the frailty of life causes you pain. Whether you are surprised by the power of God or the pain of life, remember this. Stay focused on your cause with God. In the midst of and in spite of every surprise you face, be the witness you surrendered to be.

Discovering Invaluable Lessons

Bob Biehl is the President of Master Planning Group International specializing in personal and organizational development. Bob has consulted with over 200 companies and believes one of the keys to hiring the right person and getting the best out of him or her is asking good questions. So, I paid $10 and bought his book of a hundred questions. And I wish I could sit down with the Apostle Paul, and ask him each one of them.

The Apostle Paul has been on a greater adventure with God than most. Therefore, he’s probably learned more lessons about being on an adventure with God than most. However, if I was allowed to ask him only one question, I guess it would be,

What were the five lessons you learned on your adventure
with God that every adventurer should know?

Though I can’t say with certainty that these are the five lessons Paul would share, I can say with some confidence that his writings suggest they would be high on his list.

#1: “Only God Moments” Mean “Only God”
Throughout Paul’s writings, you find him aware of two realities present in his life—his weakness and God’s power. And it’s through his adventure with God that Paul confesses in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s power is made perfect in his weakness.

While in seminary, I learned of the mighty acts of God in history and prayed to see God do them again. I wanted God to do the things that would cause people to say, “Only God could do that.” In seminary, it sounded like a noble prayer. But out of seminary I learned that for God to answer such a prayer, I had to be in the midst of something only God could do.

Our love for comfort and control often causes us to avoid those circumstances, but not Paul. He understood that to experience an “Only God Moment” he had to submit to something only God could do.

#2: Deep Truths Come From Deep Places
It’s also clear through Paul’s writings that he learned that deep truths come from deep places. Paul’s adventures with God led him to places we would never want to be—places of alienation, persecution, physical pain, and imprisonment. Yet it is clear that God uses deep places in our lives to teach us deep truths.

It was while Paul was shackled to a Roman soldier that God inspired him to write in Ephesians 6:10,“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might,” and then to use a soldier’s armor as an example of all we have in Christ that keeps us strong. And while Paul was in prison, he wrote to the believers in Philippi his clearest treatise on the joy we have in Christ.

None of us wants to find ourselves in a deep place of pain, doubt, heartache or fear. However, deep places are a part of the adventure with God, and it is in those deep places we learn the deep truths about God.

#3: You Can’t Survive Without Prayer
Another lesson that surfaces in Paul’s writings is you can’t survive your adventure with God without prayer. There are around fifty references to prayer in Paul’s writings. Some describe his prayers for others, and other references cite his pleas for prayer.

One of Paul’s most revealing verses on prayer occurs in Romans 8:26-27. Here he writes,

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Apparently, Paul had been where many of us have been in prayer. The pain was so deep, the need so great, the circumstance so confusing that he couldn’t find the words to pray. Then, he learned that in those moments the Holy Spirit interceded for him and prayed the perfect prayer on his behalf.

Paul’s adventure with God teaches us that in our adventure we need prayer from others, to prayer for others, and when we can’t find the words to let the Holy Spirit pray for us. We learn we can’t survive our adventure with God without prayer.

#4: When God Says, “No!.
The fourth lesson may be the most painful to learn because of our feeling of entitlement. When we sacrifice to be on our adventure with God, we feel we are entitled to extra benefits from God. Because of our sacrifice, He should meet more of our needs, answer more of our prayers, and provide more protection. Paul learned that’s not true.

In 2 Corinthians 12-7-10, Paul prays three times for God to heal him of a physical pain. Some scholars believe this physical handicap was caused by all the beatings and the stoning he endured. With each earnest request, God answered, “No.”

Many of us would be livid with God. We’d list all we had sacrificed and that we were entitled. After his third request, however, Paul never asked again. Verses 7 and 9 explain why. He understood that God allowed this challenge to keep Paul humble and dependent.

The moment you feel you are entitled to something by God, you are placing yourself as equal with God. You have forgotten that He is your Lord, and you are His servant. He owes you nothing, but you owe Him everything. Thus, Paul says in verse 7 that to keep him from becoming spiritually conceited God said, “No.”

Paul also learned that when God says “no” to what you want, that doesn’t mean He won’t give you what you need. In verse 9, Paul says that God assured him that His “grace” would be sufficient. I love the word “grace.” It refers to something unearned and undeserved. This means God’s gift had nothing to do with what Paul did, but it had everything to do with who God is. God didn’t remove the challenge so Paul would always be dependant on God and see God meeting every need.

In short, Paul would say when God says “No,” see it as a blessing, for in God’s eye, that’s what it is.

#5: The Fun is Getting There
The last lesson to mention comes at the end of Paul’s adventure with God. Though it comes at the end for Paul, this lesson acts is an encouragement for all in the middle of their own adventure with God. Mentoring Timothy, a man young in the ministry, Paul tells him in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

As the end of Paul’s adventure with God draws near, it is clear in verse 8 that he is eager to stand before God and receive his crown of righteousness. Yet before that happens, verse 7 sounds as though Paul is looking back reflecting on his journey. I picture him smiling as he writes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

In his autobiography, Racing to Win, it seems that Hall of Fame football coach Joe Gibbs understands what Paul was feeling. After their victory in Super Bowl XXVI, Coach Gibbs found his defensive end Charles Mann standing in the middle of the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Coach writes,

As I walked out onto the field after the hoopla had died down a bit, I saw Redskin defensive end Charles Mann staring dreamily around the stadium. Charles looked at me and with awe in his eyes said, “You know, Coach, the fun thing was getting here.”

Charles was right. The taste of victory is sweet, the trophy is awe-inspiring, and the financial reward is real. But the thrill of the journey – the anticipation, pain, work, fun, frustration, practice, struggles, shoestring wins, gut-wrenching losses, leaving the stadium with your head down, the grit, and grind – that’s the truly rewarding aspect of winning a championship.¹⁰

For Super Bowl champions Joe Gibbs and Charles Mann, the rings and rewards were nice, but the fun was in getting there.

For Paul, he was looking forward to his crown from God, but even more meaningful was his time of reflecting on his adventure with God. Thinking of the impossible cause he had accepted, the constant surprises he faced and all the lessons he had learned, Paul’s last lesson for the adventure is the one that should inspire us all to remain faithful in our adventure with God—the fun doesn’t start when you get to heaven. The fun is in the adventure with God before you get there.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Verne
[2] Ibid.
[3] Edythe Draper, Draper’s Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry 6962.
[4] Allen Ross, “Daily Life in The times of Jesus,” http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=3953.
[5] Encyclopedia Judaica, Macmillan Company, Jerusalem, volume 13, 1971, pp. 869-871
[6] “Roman Empire Population,”  http://www.unrv.com/empire/roman-population.php
[7] For further information see imb.org/globalresearch.
[8] Draper, entry 3815.
[9] Ibid, entry 8228.
[10] Joe Gibbs, Racing to Win, (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, 2002), 33-34.