Message based off clips from the motion picture, "The Village"
Clip one (DVD counter: 7:20-7:40)
It has been just 2000 short years, give or take a few, since the birth-life-and death of Jesus Christ. Our faith in Christ, which is simply believing that He is who He said He is - the Son of God, has not necessarily changed. Being a Christian now is a simple as it was two thousand years ago. Foundationally, Christianity is the same. It’s about belief.
John 1:12 ‘But whoever did want him (CHRIST), who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made (them) to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.
John 3:16 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Something though has changed over the past 2000 years. Much like the clip we just watched, borders have been established. A line has been drawn in the sand. The line is held firmly in place by both sides. Here are some examples from each side. 1962 - Prayer and Bibles were removed from the American school system in - America, the worlds leading Christian nation and we can’t have a Bible in the classroom. Late 80’s early 90’s - many in the Christian community decided to support, and still uphold, a ban of all things Disney. If it is made by, for, or about Disney - it is off-limits. This one is interesting - it started as a line that was held firmly by those on one side and it has evolved to be held now by the other. The separation of Church and state. It’s original purpose was to protect the Church from being influenced by the state or government and now it is used as a tool to keep the government from being influencing the Church. One that is most notable because tomorrow is Halloween is the great debate over this holiday. There are many Christian leaders who advocate complete separation from this day. Tomorrow night, many people will literally lock their doors, turn off their lights, and pretend not to be home when the neighborhood kids come knocking on their door for candy. They aren’t doing this out of spite or cruelty. They are attempting to act out what they in their heart believe is the right thing to do with Halloween and that is to not acknowledge it and therefore not glorify or celebrate what they see as an evil holiday.
The purpose of the boundary line is clear, if not slightly different depending on which side you are standing on. Keep Christians and Christian principles on their side of the line and keep all things un-Christian-like on the other side of the line.
I am not attempting to criticize anyone for their beliefs - regardless of which border you tend to side with. However, I will say that as a Christian, I believe we have wandered into some dangerous territory here. Watch this clip one more time and take special note of the last line.
Clip two (DVD counter: same)
Christianity is fairly simple. We have two main jobs. The rest is by-product. The two main jobs are outlined in
Luke 10:27
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
The most important thing we can do in our time on this earth is to love those we are on it with. My question to each of us sitting here today is this, are we doing this? Are you loving people with all you have or have you placed a border between you and them? If we are to be the tool that God uses to reach the people on the other side of the border we better evaluate our perspective of them.
Clip three (DVD counter: 9:46 - 10:00)
(Tell past story of family who wanted the church to be a safe place for their family from the world)
You know what he was essentially saying? He didn’t want the church to be like a lighthouse that draws people to safety. We wanted it to be like a safe tower that is set up high above the horizon, it is impenetrable and when ‘undesirables’ come close you can sound the alarm and run away.
Clip four (DVD counter: 30:18 - people scattering)
The movie calls the beings on the other side of the border ‘Those we don’t speak of’. The people in the village are terrified of them. Terrified that if they go into their territory, which is the woods that surround their village, they’ll be harmed. They’re terrified that if ‘those they don’t speak of’ come into the village, they’ll bring destruction. Because of their fears they live according to these borders. God’s will for us has never been to shape our lives according to our fears. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of isolation. God wants us to tear down the borders in our lives that separate us from the very people we are meant to impact.
John 17 tells us that just before Jesus was arrested, He prayed. His prayer was threefold. First He prayed for Himself. Second He prayed for His disciples, the believers. He was speaking to God about Himself and believers when He said this,
8b ‘They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them.
14b for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
There it is! We aren’t suppose to separate ourselves from the world around us - we are suppose to seek God’s protection while we are in it. But look carefully at that scripture. He says that we are not of the world anymore that He is. That is a very strong statement. Does the world see a difference in you? Because look what God says in verse 18
‘As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.’
He has sent us into the world - in other words - crashing through those borders - to fulfill the third part of his prayer,
which says
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,’.
How exciting to me to think that God is not just willing but purposes to use me to help bring others into relationship with Him. Honestly, I will tell you that sometimes that is scary. Because there are times when I know I am not necessarily communicating who I am in Christ to the world around me. Is it just me or have you ever felt like a walking contradiction? Like somebody watching how you live your life to get an insight into Godly living is like someone taking advice from a personal trainer while the trainer lights up a cigarette. Talk about scary. But I know this. God is truly the one in control. It is my job to do my best to stay close by his side daily. The closer I get, the harder it is to get out of step with Him. But with all the rest, their is no need to fear. If I were to focus on my fears I’d never have another conversation. I’d be too afraid of rejection, or failure, or just saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But I don’t have to fear.
Clip five (DVD counter: 46:40 - 46:56)
Our faith should be like a lighthouse. It draws others because it permeates every part of our lives with hope. Examine your daily life. Do those around you know about your faith? Not necessarily because you are constantly talking about it but because you are living it? One of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard is ‘Preach the gospel all the time... and if you have to, use words.’ What story is your life telling? Romans 12:1 says this:
‘So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering.Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.’
My prayer is that our ordinary lives speak volumes about who God is! That we reach out in love, acceptance, and forgiveness to those around us in our everyday lives in such a way that others are drawn to the life they see in us. The life of Christ. That is God’s ultimate will - that we would come to know Him personally and that we would share Him honestly. And He’s patient. He wants everyone to know Him.
2 Peter 3:8 says
‘but do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’
He will use you to impact the lives of those around you and when he does move in love.
Clip six (DVD counter: 1:16:18 - 1:18:00)
Wow. God’s Love. Your here today because of it. Whether you’ve known God all of your life or you are just journeying toward Him. God’s love brought you here. He makes no mistakes your here on purpose. That last scripture
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