It's A Wonderful Life When We Discover a Divine Perspective
December 14th
Late in the movie It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey's uncle Billy has lost an $8,000 deposit on the day of the Bank Examiners visit. When it can't be found he despairs, considers suicide and ultimately thinks that the World would have been better if he had never been born.
An angel is sent with his answer.
Watch this clip
Phil 3:7-14
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
THERE ARE FOUR POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE THAT MAKES IT A WONDERFUL LIFE.
I. Divine Perspective changes our value system.
Phil 3:7
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
A. How we define success changes.
Phil 3:4-6
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
NIV
How to Americans define a successful life.
Nearly one-third of all adults (32%) said that their life would be a success if they were able to have a strong family unit, a solid and lasting marriage or if they had done a good job of raising their children.
Not far behind was some indication of tangible accomplishment during one's life.
One out of every seven adults (14%) stated that success was due to personal emotional fulfillment. This was most often reflected in obtaining a prestigious job or achieving a state of happiness or satisfaction with life.
Similar and smaller numbers of people said that success was a result of spiritual experiences or development (7%) or experiencing good health (8%).
Also of significance was the finding that one-quarter of the adult population has no idea what would make their life successful.
B. Our basis of self worth is changes.
Discovered the righteousness of Christ. It's the undiscovered treasure.
On the Antique Road show. People sometimes walk in with items they have no idea what they are and discover a real treasure. The Biggest find ever was a hand-woven Navajo Ute First Phase wearing blanket that was made for a Chief. The dialogue right after the appraisal goes a little something like this..
"I had no idea, it was just laying on the back of a chair."
"Well, sir you have a national treasure. A national treasure. When you walked in with this, I just about died. Congratulations."
The owner discovered that the blanket that had been hanging on the back of the chair was worth $500,000
I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Out basis of self worth changes from what we deserve, earn of live up to an imparted value that is truly amazing. His righteousness becomes ours.
II. Divine Perspective Alters our Purpose --
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.
A. Obsession -- To know Him.
When we first fall in love we can become almost obsessed with thinking about her or him. We call all the time; we want to know all about. We daydream about them. We can't tear our minds from them.
Paul reveals a similar obsessions he want to Know Christ
B. Never Ending Obsession.
Guitar Hero 4
Halo 4
Gears of War 3
Madden 09
Video Game Sequels, why to explore the never ending obsession. Faithful players will dole out the money for new games, new systems, why? Because why want to experience more. This is a reflection of Paul's declaration of his purpose. He has let go of everything else to pursue his never ending passion of knowing more and more of Christ.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Appl: Life remains wonderful when we are discovering more and more about this incredible relationship we can have with Jesus Christ. When he is redefining what worth, value and success mean in our lives. Are you discovering that?
Ideas:
III. Divine Perspective sees beyond our past.
Some of us struggle to live down the mistakes of our past. They haunt us even today.
In Nathaniel Hawthorns The Scarlet letter. A young woman, Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter in her arms and the scarlet letter "A" on her bosom. The scarlet letter "A" represents the act of adultery that she has committed and it is to be a symbol of her sin -- a badge of shame -- for all to see. The book is her struggle to create a new life of repentance and dignity.
Paul understands that a divine perspective sees beyond our past.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Appl: Are you able to see yourself as freed from your past? Are you able to see beyond your past.
A Divine perspective understands that our sins and failures of the past are remembered no more.
A man who lived in England came over to the United States to go to a resort for several months. He wanted to bring along his Rolls-Royce for the trip, so he had it carefully packaged and shipped overseas. While visiting the U.S., something happened to the car--a mechanical failure of some sort--so he called over to England and explained his problem to the company. Rolls-Royce told him, "That's fine. Within 48 hours, we'll have a mechanic with the auto parts there to fix it for you."
They put a mechanic on a plane with the necessary car parts and flew him to the United States. He worked on the car in the parking lot of the resort, fixed it in good time, got on a plane, and flew back to England. The man happily drove his Rolls for the rest of his time in the U.S. Then he packaged it back up, put it on a ship, and sent it to his home in England.
Nearly a year after the man returned to England, he discovered he had never received a bill from Rolls-Royce. So he wrote the company a letter, saying, "This date last year there was something wrong with my Rolls-Royce and you flew a mechanic over to help me. You fixed it, but I've never received a bill. If you should find that bill in your office, I'll be happy to pay for your efforts at fixing my car."
He received a letter back from Rolls-Royce that simply said: "In the files at the headquarters of Rolls-Royce, there is no such account saying anything has ever been wrong with a Rolls-Royce anywhere that you speak of."
Appl: God do I owe you anything for that failure, that sin, that horrific shame of my past. It's a wonderful life for those in Christ because he responds, what sin, what failure what shame?
IV. Divine Perspective defines our future.
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
It's all about
A. Pressing on
Ongoing continual process of our lives. To become more and more transformed.
Pressing on like climbing a mountain one step at a time
B. Toward the Goal
Your nature is a hard thing to change; it takes time.... I have heard of people who have life-changing, miraculous turnarounds, people set free from addiction after a single prayer, relationships saved where both parties "let go, and let God." But it was not like that for me. For all that "I was lost, I am found," it is probably more accurate to say, "I was really lost. I'm a little less so at the moment." And then a little less and a little less again. That to me is the spiritual life. The slow reworking and rebooting the computer at regular intervals, reading the small print of the service manual. It has slowly rebuilt me in a better image. It has taken years, though, and it is not over yet.
--Bono, lead singer of U2
Our ultimate goal remains the same. Where ya headed?
Heavenward.
Heavenward.
THERE ARE FOUR POWERFUL THINGS ABOUT A DIVINE PERSPECTIVE THAT MAKES IT A WONDERFUL LIFE.
A divine perspective changes our value system altering our purpose.
A divine perspective sees beyond our past, defining our future.
CHALLENGE
In the movie It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey needed to be reminded of the divine perspective that brings meaning to our lives. A 2nd class angel named Clarence helps him rediscover it. This Christmas season we need to remember to keep a divine perspective.
We have a gift for you again today. It a little angel bell. Hang it on your tree, from your rear view mirror, from your purse. Let it remind you through out the holiday that It's a wonderful life when we discover a divine perspective.
