Introduction:
A. I hope and pray that you had a wonderful Christmas, we sure did.
1. I also hope you gave and received some special gifts.
2. I received a special gift from one of my daughters that will aid my preaching preparation. The title of the book is The Best of the Good Clean Jokes, by Bob Phillips.
3. Here’s a sample – An after dinner speaker was in such a hurry to get to his speaking engagement that when he arrived and sat down at the head table, he realized that he had forgotten his false teeth.
a. Turning to the man next to him he said, “Oh no, I forgot to bring my false teeth.”
b. The man said, “No problem,” and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of false teeth. “Try these,” he said. The speaker tried them, but said, “They are too loose.”
c. The man said, “I have another pair, try these.” The speaker tried them, but said, “Too tight.”
d. The man was not taken back at all, he said, “I have one more pair, try these.”
e. The speaker said, “They fit perfectly.” With that he ate his meal and gave his speech.
f. After the event was over, the speaker went up to the man to thank him for his help with the teeth. He said, “I want to thank you for coming to my aid. Where is your office? I’ve been looking for a good dentist.”
g. The man replied, “You’re welcome, but I’m not a dentist. I’m a funeral director.”
4. That has absolutely nothing to do with today’s sermon, but I thought you might enjoy it.
B. Today’s lesson is our final sermon in this three-part series I’ve called Christmas Classics.
1. We been looking at three of the best holiday films of all time, and we have been drawing some spiritual lessons from them.
2. Today’s Christmas Classic movie is my all-time favorite – It’s A Wonderful Life.
3. How many of you have seen that film? I figured that most, if not all, of us would have seen it.
C. It’s A Wonderful Life was made in 1946 and went into general release on January 7, 1947.
1. It was produced and directed by Frank Capra and loosely based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern.
2. Stern had tried to get someone to pick up his short story and make it into a movie, but it was going nowhere. So he decided to make it into a Christmas card which he sent out to all his friends and contacts.
3. It got picked up by a movie company for $10,000 and three movie scripts were made from the short story, but none of them made it to production.
4. When Frank Capra discovered the short story, he bought the rights to it and the three movie scripts for $10,000 and the rest is history.
D. Capra assembled a fantastic cast including Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore.
1. The film did okay at the box office, coming it at 26th among the 400 features released that year, just one place ahead of the Christmas movie we discussed last week – Miracle on 34th Street.
2. It became the Christmas movie classic it is today only because of its repeated television showings at Christmas-time in the 1970s, when its copyright protection slipped and it fell into the public domain and TV stations could air it for free.
3. Currently, it can be shown only on the NBC-TV network, and its distribution rights belong to Paramount Pictures.
E. It’s a Wonderful Life was nominated for five Oscars without winning any, but the film has since been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made, and placed number one on their list of the most inspirational American films of all time.
1. In 1990, It’s a Wonderful Life was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry.
2. Years later during an interview, Jimmy Stewart reflected, “Today, after some 50 years, I’ve heard the film called ‘an American cultural phenomenon.’ Well, maybe so, but it seems to me there is nothing phenomenal about the movie itself. It’s simply about an ordinary man who discovers that living each ordinary day honorably, with faith in God and a selfless concern for others, can make for a truly wonderful life.”
The Story:
A. It’s A Wonderful Life tracks the fortunes (or misfortunes) of George Bailey, the unsung, beloved hero of Bedford Falls, whose every attempt to leave what he perceives as a humdrum existence in this small town is stunted for various reasons.
1. As a child, George was selfless, risking his own life (and losing his hearing in one ear) to save his younger brother who fell into a hole in the ice.
2. As a young adult he had big dreams. He says, “I know what I’m gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that. I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I’m comin’ back here to go to college and see what they know. And then I’m gonna build things. I’m gonna build airfields, I’m gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I’m gonna build bridges a mile long.”
3. But soon there after, he gave up his dreams of traveling the world and going to college to stay at home and manage the Bailey Building and Loan after his father had passed away suddenly.
4. So George stays and works hard to help honest hardworking people enjoy the American Dream of owning of their own house.
5. He marries and just as they are about to leave for their honeymoon, they notice a problem at the building and loan.
6. They stop to see what is happening only to discover that people are scared of a financial crisis and have all come to withdraw their money.
7. When it becomes obvious that they don’t have enough cash to cover the run on the bank, Mary suggests that they use the $2000 they had saved for their honey moon.
8. When the end of the day finally arrives and they can close the bank, the staff celebrates closing that day with only two dollars remaining.
9. George says, “Get a tray for these two great big important simoleans here.”
10. Uncle Billy says, “ We’ll save ’em for seed.”
11. George says, “A toast! A toast! A toast to Mama Dollar and to Papa Dollar, and if you want to keep this old Building and Loan in business, you better have a family real quick.”
B. Despite knowing that he had been forced into a job that he never wished to pursue, George is hard working and generous-hearted.
1. During his career, George is offered a business proposition promising an impressive wage, “the best house in town” and holidays to Europe from his archrival Potter who seeks to buy the building and loan in order to gain a town monopoly.
2. However, George rejects these offers because of his principles and in respect for his deceased father’s efforts.
C. Noble as his decisions seem, George becomes increasingly embittered, hardened and angry.
1. He never leaves Bedford Falls, has four children and watches his friends achieve “great things.”
2. Meanwhile, George sees only wasted opportunities and regrets everything around him, feeling that life is passing him by.
D. This resentment turns to desperation when George’s absent-minded and eccentric uncle misplaces $8,000 leaving the company in a hopeless situation.
1. George yells at Uncle Billy, “Where’s that money, you silly stupid old fool? Where’s that money? Do you realize what this means? It means bankruptcy and scandal and prison. That’s what it means. One of us is going to jail - well, it’s not gonna be me.”
2. He goes and begs for help from his business rival, the cruel Mr. Potter, but all he can offer for collateral is a $15,000 life insurance policy with a cash value of $500.
3. Potter chuckles and tells him, “You’re worth more dead than alive!”
4. After a storming rage at home where George pushes his wife and children away, he gets hopelessly drunk at a local bar where he is punched and scorned by a schoolteacher’s husband whom he had insulted and is left bewildered, lost and alone.
E. I’m sure that many of us can relate to the character of George Bailey in this film.
1. At the climax of It’s a Wonderful Life, George looks back at his life as little more than wasted potential.
2. His huge boyhood dreams to become an adventurer have amounted to nothing, while his vision to escape the mold of his family’s seemingly insignificant small-town traditions and become something significant just never materialized.
3. On Christmas Eve, after mentally scanning his life George honestly believes that he is truly a waste of space and he contemplates suicide on the edge of a bridge.
4. Bitter, resentful and angry, he slumps his head in his hands and prays to God, “Dear Father in heaven, I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me (he begins crying) show me the way... show me the way.”
F. Convinced that he is worth ‘more dead than alive’, George eyes the water below the bridge and contemplates jumping.
1. He is rescued by the intervention of a lovable and bumbling guardian angel named Clarence Oddbody, who has come to Bedford Falls in answer to prayer.
2. He has come to show George that his life is worth living and to earn his wings in the process.
3. Clarence jumps into the water, convinced that if he is drowning, George will take action to save his life, and he was right.
4. As they are drying out from their dip in the cold river, George mentions that the world would have been a better place without him, and that he wishes he had never been born.
5. Clarence decides to grant his wish and proceeds to show George Bailey how very different the lives of his family and friends would have been if he had never lived.
6. Clarence the guardian angel says, “You’ve been given a great gift, George, a chance to see what the world would be like without you.”
G. As Clarence and George travel through this nightmarish alternate reality, they observe how much worse off many people would be if George was not around.
1. Clarence reminds George, “One man’s life touches so many others, when he’s not there, it leaves an awfully big hole”.
2. George comes to realize that although he never fulfilled his boyhood dreams, he was far more significant to others than he had previously imagined.
3. In the alternative life, Mary, George’s wife, is a lonely spinster.
4. His younger brother, Harry, is dead.
a. Clarence explains, “Your brother, Harry Bailey, broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine.”
b. George angrily replies, “That’s a lie! Harry Bailey went to war - he got the Congressional Medal of Honor, he saved the lives of every man on that transport.”
c. But Clarence explains, “Every man on that transport died! Harry wasn’t there to save them, because you weren’t there to save Harry.”
5. George discovers that his uncle, Billy, is in an insane asylum because of the failed family business.
6. And George also discovers that Mr. Potter owns the entire town and it has been transformed from the idyllic Bedford Falls into ‘Pottersville’, an unrefined, coarse place filled with dubious- looking bars. What he sees looks a bit like Sodom and Gomorrah.
7. Only then George understands, his life has made a difference.
8. What seemed to him at the time like a series of difficult, meaningless, frustrating sacrifices had actually created a life of great meaning - a truly “Wonderful Life.”
H. Clarence declares, “You see, George, you’ve really had a wonderful life. Don’t you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?”
1. So George runs back to the bridge where this strange nightmare began.
2. He begins praying, “Clarence! Clarence! Help me, Clarence! Get me back! Get me back, I don’t care what happens to me! Get me back to my wife and kids! Help me Clarence, please! Please! I wanna live again. I wanna live again. Please, God, let me live again.”
3. It begins to snow again, and Bert, the police officer, drives up and says, “Hey, George! George! You all right? Hey, what’s the matter?”
4. George replies, “Now get outta here, Bert, or I’ll hit you again! Get outta here!”
5. Bert says, “What the sam hill you yellin’ for, George?”
6. George is suddenly stunned, “You…Bert? Do you know me?”
7. “Know you? Huh. You kiddin?”, Bert says, “I’ve been looking all over town trying to find you. I saw your car plowed into that tree down there and I thought maybe you - hey, your mouth’s bleeding. Are you sure you’re all right?”
8. George licks the corner of his lip and checks his mouth with his hand and says, “Ha, ha, ha, ha! My mouth’s bleeding, Bert! My mouth’s bleeding!”
9. Then George checks his pocket for his daughter’s flower petals, “Zuzu’s petals...There they are! Bert, what do you know about that! Merry Christmas!”
I. George then runs back through town toward his house, passing by all the things he used to despise, he greets them all with delight.
1. “Hello, Bedford Falls! Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas, movie house! Merry Christmas, Emporium! Merry Christmas, you wonderful old Building and Loan! Hey! Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter!”
2. Mr Potter says, “Happy New Year to you...in jail. Go on home. They’re waiting for you.”
3. Upon arriving home, George bursts through the door yelling, “Mary! Mary! Mary! Well, hello, Mr. Bank Examiner. How are you?”
4. The bank examiner says, “Mr. Bailey, there’s a deficit.”
5. George says, “I know. Eight thousand dollars.”
6. The district attorney says, “George, I’ve got a little paper here.”
7. George says, “I’ll bet it’s a warrant for my arrest. Isn’t it wonderful? I’m going to jail. Merry Christmas!” George runs around the house, “Where’s Mary? Oh, look at this wonderful old drafty house.”
J. Then Mary comes rushing in and she and George embrace with desperation like they haven’t each other in 20 years.
1. Mary says, “George, darling! Where have you been?”
2. George says, “Mary! Let me touch you. Let me touch you. Oh, you’re real! You have no idea what happened to me. You have no idea what happened.”
3. Mary cuts him off, saying, “Well, well, come on, George, come on downstairs, quick. They’re on their way. Come on in here now. Now, you stand right over here, by the tree. Right there, and don’t move, don’t move. I hear ’em coming now, George, it’s a miracle! It’s a miracle!”
4. Uncle Billy arrives first with a basket full of money, followed by the entire community.
5. He says, “Mary did it, George! Mary did it! She told some people you were in trouble and then, they scattered all over town collecting money. They didn’t ask any questions - just said:
‘If George is in trouble, count me in.’ “
6. Then Ernie speaks up and reads a telegram he just received, “Just a minute. Quiet, everybody. Quiet, quiet. I just got this. It’s from London. Mr. Gower cabled you need cash. Stop. My office instructed to advance you up to twenty-five thousand dollars. Stop. Hee-haw and Merry Christmas. Sam Wainwright.”
7. Immediately, His brother, Harry arrives, in uniform, just returned from the war and having left a banquet in his honor in New York, he raises a glass in toast: “To my big brother George; the richest man in town.”
K. They all begin singing Auld Lang Syne
1. And then a branch on the Christmas tree shakes making a bell ring, and Zuzu says, “Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.”
2. Her dad says, “That’s right, that’s right. Attaboy, Clarence.”
3. George looks down and sees the book that the angel Clarence had with him sitting in the basket along with the money that had been contributed.
4. George opens the book and sees a hand written note from Clarence that says, “Dear George, Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings! Love Clarence”
Application:
A. What can we learn from this wonderful story?
1. One obvious and powerful application we could make would be to explore the question of what the world would be like if Jesus had never been born, but that’s not the direction for us today.
2. Rather I want us to focus on the difference we can make by living a wonderful Christian life.
B. We learn from this movie that even small acts of kindness and generosity can have great meaning.
1. Everything we do can make a difference.
2. It’s A Wonderful Life is a story about leadership.
3. George becomes a leader through his life of service to others, especially to the meek and lowly.
4. Though this wasn’t a path he intended, George responded faithfully, daily, with small acts of generosity and compassion.
5. In so doing, he unknowingly created a community of powerful compassion.
6. When James and John asked Jesus to put them in places of honor and leadership, Jesus said to all his followers, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.” (Mk. 10:42-44)
C. It’s a Wonderful Life has earned its legion of followers because it so effectively touches upon one basic truth of life; that each of us, no matter how apparently insignificant, has the opportunity to make a difference.
1. It shows that the true impact of our lives has nothing to do with power, position or possessions, but how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis.
2. Throughout his life, George lived by a creed that always placed human need above riches, and as a result, his only real wealth was found in his family and friends – but that made him the richest man in town.
3. That’s not typically how our culture defines “A Wonderful Life.”
4. In fact, many people in our time would we define a “Wonderful Life” as one filled with material gain, financial prosperity or a successful and ever thriving career.
5. And they might add to that a life packed with adventure, enriched by frequent and luxurious visits to far-off lands.
6. But we who know the Lord know better than that.
7. Jesus’ teachings often remind us of the infinite value of investing ourselves in the world of people instead of the world of money and possessions – And that we serve Him by serving others.
8. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).
9. And Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Mt. 25:40)
D. I want to end with the lyrics of a powerful song called Thank You, By Ray Boltz.
I dreamed I went to heaven, And you were there with me
We walked upon the streets of gold, Beside the crystal sea
We heard these angels singing, Then someone called your name
You turned and saw this young man, And he was smiling as he came
And he said friend you may not know me now, And then he said, but wait
You used to teach my Sunday School, When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer, Before the class would start
And one day when you said that prayer, I asked Jesus in my heart
Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave
Then another man stood before you, And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church, And his pictures made you cry
You didn’t have much money, But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave, And that’s why I’m here today
One by one they came, Far as your eyes could see
Each life somehow touched, By your generosity
Little things that you had done, Sacrifices you made
They were unnoticed on the earth, In heaven now proclaimed
And I know that up in heaven, You’re not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure, There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand, And you stood before the Lord
He said, my child look around you, For great is your reward
Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord, I am so glad you gave
I am so glad you gave.
E. Because of Jesus, you and I can live A Wonderful Christian Life.
1. We can be abundantly blessed and we can be a blessing to others.
2. And then someday when we get to heaven we can really see the difference that our lives made.
3. As we head into a new year, let’s make it our best ever as we live wonderful Christian lives – to the glory of God.
4. We are here to help each of us live a wonderful Christian life, let us know how we can help you do just that as we stand and sing this song.
Resources:
“It’s a Wonderful Life” Sermon by the Rev. Lowell E. Grisham, Rector
”It’s A Wonderful Life” Sermon by J. John
