Safety Is Not First! Series

Turning Our Church Inside Out – Part 3 – Safety is not first!

1) Opening Illustration:

a. Three Amigos

b. Clip: "I’m drawing a line." This clip begins in the middle of chapter 11 if you are using a DVD. If you are using VHS, begin the counter at the opening of the movie where the Orion Pictures logo appears. The clip begins at approximately 49:40. In the scene, the Amigos return to the town of Santo Poco after having been run off by El Guapo, the leader of the bandito gang. The town is now in shambles, and the Amigos must decide whether to return home or to stay in Mexico and fight El Guapo. Ned, one of the Amigos, draws a line in the sand and asks the other two to make the choice. The scene ends with the three riding off into the sunset.

c. Clip Introduction: Today we’re going to watch a clip from a really funny movie called The Three Amigos. The movie is about three actors, who used to play the parts of three heroes called the Three Amigos, but now their show has been canceled. However, some people in Mexico saw their show and thought it was real, and have hired the Three Amigos to come and fight off the evil El Guapo, leader of the banditos. The Amigos don’t realize that this is real, so they go to Mexico thinking they will be making a movie. Now, they have discovered that El Guapo is a real man and that his banditos are real, adn that if they stay and fight, they actually may die. But if they leave, they will be leaving a small village unprotected from El Guapo and his gang. Let’s watch the clip and see exactly what the Amigos decide to do.

i. LUCKY: Let’s go back to Hollywood.

ii. DUSTY: The sooner the better.

iii. LUCKY: It’s too hot down here.

iv. DUSTY: Bad for my hay fever.

v. LUCKY: We don’t belong down here anyway.

vi. DUSTY: Where’s Ned?

vii. (NED is reloading his pistol with real bullets.)

viii. LUCKY: Ned, what are you doing?

ix. NED: What do we have to go back to? We have no jobs. No money, no place to live, no friends, no women, no self-respect—

x. DUSTY: Ned, we could get killed.

xi. NED: Back there the Three Amigos are already dead. Here we could be the Three Amigos for real. I’m drawing a line. Men or mice, what’ll it be?

d. Transitional Statement: I love the Three Amigos. These guys are guys who have found a mission, a life-altering opportunity, and they have gone for it.

i. This particular scene is the pivotal scene in the movie. All their lives, the Three have only been the “fake” Three Amigos. But now, they decide that they must finally make a decision: return to the comfort zone of home, where things will be dull, or become the real Three Amigos and live a life of adventure and danger. And in this scene, it’s one or the other. There is no middle ground.

ii. They must make a choice: stay on their side of the line or cross the line. Either way, they will forever changed by their decision.

e. This is because every decision we make changes us.

i. When we say “YES”, even though we don’t do it perfectly, we grow in grace. Through success and setback, we embark on a great adventure and are often used to change the world.

ii. When we say “NO”, we are changed as well. We become a bit harder, a bit more resistant to God’s call, to His voice, to His love, and are more likely to say no again. We also miss out on a great adventure!

f. We are talking today about letting God turn us inside out, allowing God to change our focus from being internally focused to becoming externally focused, with all of its risks and rewards.

2) Get out of the Boat!

a. Matthew 14:22-32 NIV: Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It’s a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid." 28 "Lord, if it’s you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."