Who is flying your airplane?

Hey Friends…
 
​  “I’ve got the controls,” my flight instructor said tersely, issuing a command to let him handle the airplane for a moment. I had just screwed up and I knew it. He let quite a bit of silence transpire as I sat there with my hands neatly folded on my lap, looking out the window at the countryside below. “I want you to tell me what you were trying to do back there,” he finally said. A longer moment of silence. “I honestly don’t know,” I replied. “I could tell,” he snapped back. I’ll explain--and tell you how this relates to Jesus—in Deeper Thoughts below…
 
But first…
 
·      Are you reading the Acts of the Apostles? Join the Mt. Hope family reading through this important biblical book detailing the first Christian Church as we seek to understand “The Normal Christian Life.” Click here to download this week’s study guide and jump in with us!
 
o   Also, check out “The Daily Six” video series and join me every morning, Monday through Thursday, as we work through Acts verse by verse. Click here to subscribe to our daily reminder emails, or just go to our YouTube channel and pull up The Daily Six videos each day!
 
·      Let’s pray fervently together! Just as in the early church, the Mt. Hope family is gathering THIS Sunday night, 6:00 p.m. for an evening of prayer, worship, and seeking God for our future. We will provide an important update to our facility expansion plans, pray fervently for God’s provision, and seek the Lord for the future of the ministry and culture of Mt. Hope Church.
 
·      Ladies: Join us for a one-day women's retreat featuring Cynthia Campbell and "The Steps to Freedom in Christ" with a special focus on the importance of forgiveness. Saturday, October 19, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Mt. Hope Church. Click here for more details and to RSVP!
 
·      ALSO… a new 7-week Ladies Bible Study led by Audie Hall kicks off on October 8 exploring “Jesus & Women in the First Century and Now”. Click here for more info and to RSVP!
 
·      Please be in bold prayer for our Family Life Ministry Resident Chris Bowen and especially his wife, Krista, who was diagnosed very recently with an acute form of leukemia. Chris will need to avoid crowds so as to not risk her compromised immunity as he supports his wife. This presents a huge opportunity to consider joining our kids and teen ministry teams--even if just temporarily—as we depend on dedicated volunteers to backfill roles Chris may not be able to fulfill in upcoming days. Click here for a full update from Chris Bowen.
 
OK…that’s it today for you email skimmers and those who love being out of control.  BUT…
 
 
Some Deeper Thoughts…
 
I was practicing a rather delicate procedure in pursuit of a new aviation certification. It was an advanced skill set, learning how to land an aircraft that has no forward nosewheel, but rather two main wheels below the wing and a swiveling mini-wheel on the tail. In layman’s terms, it’s kind of like learning how to drive a grocery shopping cart backwards at a very high rate of speed.
 
Most pilots have a touch of ego about them. The culture of aviation breeds bravado. It is not so commonplace to admit when you need help.
 
After this attempted landing had bounced through four or five porpoise moves up and down the runway, my instructor told me to let go.
 
“I’ve got the controls,” he said, first to save his own life, and then to make his teaching point.
 
As we climbed away from the embarrassment, he let me linger in silence for a bit. Maybe he was allowing for a few moments of shame to soften me for the lesson. Or, more benevolently, perhaps he was allowing me to come to my own conclusions on what I had done wrong.
 
The learning occurred when he asked me precisely what I was trying to accomplish.
 
“I have no idea,” I replied. As the aircraft bounced up and down along the runway, I had no clue what to do. So, brilliantly, I just kept wiggling the controls back and forth in hopes that something would do the trick. It did not.
 
You can see the core problem here, can’t you? No one was really flying the airplane.
 
I wonder if we ever do this with our spiritual lives.
 
My flight instructor could see that I was randomly and helplessly twisting the flight controls in search of a solution to a terribly failed landing attempt. I wonder how often our Creator watches carefully as we twist and turn and wrestle and wiggle the circumstances of our life in the vain hope that something will rescue us from the chaos. He knows all along that we have no idea what we are doing. No one is really flying our lives. We’re not letting Jesus handle the controls, but then again, we are not in control either.
 
Aviation culture breeds bravado that seldom humbles itself to let someone else be in charge. Human nature breeds the same in everything.
 
The goal of good flight training is that the student pilot will fly exactly like the instructor when they are alone. The goal of Christian discipleship is that the Christ-follower will live exactly like Jesus in everything we do. But just like in flying, the Christ-following disciple cannot just hope something will work itself out. Someone needs to fly the airplane; someone needs to fly our lives.
 
The Holy Spirit had just been poured out upon the early Christian believers. It was a stunning event, replete with miraculous signs and wonders. The curtain between this world and the spiritual realms had been pulled back. The crowds were amazed. The disciples were emboldened. The world would never be the same.
 
Peter stood up among the crowd and explained what they were seeing. “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel,” he said. “‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people’” (Acts 2:16-17).
 
But this mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit was not meant to be mere entertainment. It was not just a novelty, nor was it a freak show. It was a declaration of authority. Peter concluded: “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).
 
Most of us are more than willing to let Jesus be our “Christ,” which means “savior.” We absolutely love the idea of Jesus rescuing us from our mistakes, just like I was really glad my flight instructor saved me from that terrible landing.
 
But how many of us are truly ready to let him be our “Lord?”
 
“Jesus is Lord” means he is in control. It means he flies the airplane. It means he leads our life, directs our choices, and determines our destination.
 
“Jesus, take the wheel” may sound refreshing. Until he takes us where we do not want to go. Until he asks us to surrender something we do not want to give up. Until he tells us something we do not want to hear.
 
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’” Jesus asked, “but do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)
 
Jesus goes on to use a different metaphor than my aviation example. But the point is the same. Jesus suggests that the one who listens to his words and does what he says will be like a man whose house is built upon the rock; the floods came and the house withstood the storm (see Luke 6:46-49).
 
This Sunday, as we continue our fall teaching series “The Normal Christian Life,” our beloved Pastor Will Cravens will take us into the words of Jesus to settle who is truly in control of our lives.
 
Who is flying your airplane? Who is in control of your life? The stakes are high. My bet on the best pilot is Jesus. But we’d better be willing to hear him say, “I’ve got the controls,” and then let go.
 
Much love to all…
 
Chris Eads
Mt. Hope Pastor
Friend