It’s a Wonderful Life: Part 1
A World Of Difference (It’s a Wonderful Life Part – 1)
Yes, my favorite Christmas movie is: It’s a Wonderful Life…
- Released in 1946 starting Jimmy Steward, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore, the great-uncle of Drew Barrymore as Mr. Potter…
- The movie was directed by Frank Capra and according to box office reviews at the time…a complete flop…lost 3 million dollars…
- In 2007 according to the American Film Association it is the Number 1 inspirational film of all times…Jimmy Steward said later in his life that it was the most important movie he ever did…
Introduction: Christmas…I love the sounds, the shopping (when it’s on my terms), the food, the music and especially the movies…the majority of Christmas movies center around family and friends…
Transition: I know for many this is the most wonderful time of the year, but for others it isn’t…the thought of being with family can fill some with anxiety…but what if we approached it completely different this year.
I wonder what our holidays would look like with our families…if we thought of it as a missions trip…you were always ready to serve, to encourage, to love, to be on the lookout for those who are hurting, alone or in need. The only way we accomplish this would be to have a paradigm shift…see the holidays not just as a vacation…but a missions trip.
What if the grace we extended to others, we extended to our families this year…wonder what a difference that could make….
John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
NIV
- Grace and Truth
- The glory of the Lord was the fact that he was full of Grace and Truth…
- Truth
- When we see the Glory of God we are captured by the Truth of His holiness
- His perfection
- Truth reveals how painful and ugly our sin is
- Truth tells me I’ve broken the heart of God and that has separated me from Him…
- But Grace
- Jesus came full of Grace
- Grace says I don’t get what I deserve but rather the exact opposite
- Grace says, God values us and others…
- Jesus is asking us to let His glory show through us…
- Loving Others
- John 13:34-35
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (NIV)
- A new command I give you: Love one another. (that doesn’t sound new) As I have loved you, so love one another (that is the new part)
- 35 says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciple.”
- How will they know
- Because we love our spouses
- Our kids
- Our best friends…NO!
- Because we love like he loves – we are full of Grace and Truth…
Transition: But it isn’t easy to live this way…when you have family members who are difficult to deal with…
Movie Clip: George and Mary
- Elsewhere
Introduction: George wanted to do something Big, Important…He thinks the only way is to Leave Family, Friends and in his words…Crummy ole Bedford Falls!
- Let’s be honest…we all have big plans like George…because if we are honest…it’s easier to dream of doing big things elsewhere…verses making a difference right where we are…
- We all go into the holidays desiring this year to do it better than last…
- Even when I said…Let’s make this year with family like a Missions trip…it sounds great…but let’s be honest, they’ll be setbacks, obstacles
- If you’ve seen the movie…you know George keeps facing road blocks to his big plans…
- Tragedy Interrupts our plans
- People Interrupt our plans (I’ll say more about that in a moment)
- The Unexpected Interrupts our plans
- S. Lewis said: “the great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life – the life God is sending one day by day.”
- In the movie George allowed all the interruptions of ‘his life’ to only cause him to get more and more angry…until he actually wishes he wasn’t ever born…
- Evil Interrupts our Plans
- In the movie Mr. Potter is evil…
- When Mr. Potter steals the $8,000, equivalent today to $139,000, he is never caught or found out…
- Sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you think, and evil does win in the temporary…
Transition: We all face interruptions in “our ideal” Wonderful Life…but we are talking about Making this season with our families a missions trip…
- People who Interrupt
- We all have those difficult people in our families and in our lives…
- The critic – they make you feel like you are in a movie, and they continually give a thumbs up or thumbs down…saying things or remarks…
- The Wet Blanket – suffers from chronic negativity, spirit of defeat, and it affects everyone.
- The steamroller – insensitive, they hurt people’s feelings, damage relationships, they’ve got to be right and in control…
- The sponge – emotionally needy, nice, but they are always in a crisis, make you feel guilty….
Transition: God loves these kind of people and God may be in all the interruptions…no matter the difficulty or dysfunction…. God commends us when we love like He loves…
- Gift of Grace
1 Peter 2:19-24
For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is
conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong
and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable
before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an
example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was
found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he
suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
- Jesus entrusted himself to the Father…. when he was done wrong….he didn’t retaliate…he
didn’t seek revenge or to get back….he just committed himself to the Father…..Peter tells us to do the same in chapter 4….
1 Peter 4:19-5:1
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their
faithful Creator and continue to do good.
- You may have difficult people in your family….people who are hard to be around…giving them the gift of grace can be costly…..
Loving these people will…
- cost you time
- cost you pride
- cost you emotional strength
This gift will take intentionality….to give….a shift in your thinking….
The Gift of Grace…
- Wrapped up in Prayer
Matt 5:44 NIV But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…
- God will work on them
- God will work on you
- God will work on the situation
- God will give you a word of
encouragement for them
- With no strings attached
Rom 5:8 NIV But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
I can’t love them and accept them…they are on drugs, they are living with their girlfriend, I don’t
agree with their lifestyle and I won’t condone it. They know you don’t agree with their
lifestyle…..but they want to know if you love them anyway….just the way they are…..
- Don’t try to fix them
- Love them unconditionally
- Given in Love
- Looks of Love –
You’ve heard “If looks could Kill…” guess what….that opposite is also true…you can give looks that encourage and strengthen the soul…
- Words of Love – “I love you” say it, mean it, say it a lot
- Touches of Love- arm, shoulder, handshake, hug, pat on the back
- Acts of love- serve them, play a game with them, listen to them
When we have family gatherings….some things you may ask each other or just yourself…
- What could go wrong?
- What do you need from me?
- What do you want from me?
Closing: The gift of GRACE will probably be one of the most expensive gifts you will ever give, but it will be one of the most glorious gifts you will ever give. You know what surprised me about Giving grace to my family…..it didn’t just bless my family…..it blessed me…..it’s hard to explain…but when I posture myself to serve and love my family…..I am encouraged and built up…way more than when I don’t.
Peter Bailey, who is George Bailey’s Father had a plaque hanging in his office and if you’re not paying close attention you’ll miss what it says: “All you can take with you is that which You Give Away.”
Jesus said it this way: It is a greater blessing to give than to receive!