Reel Talk
Pt. 1 - Kong Skull Island
I. Introduction
Godzilla. The Creature from the Black Lagoon. The Blob. Frankenstein. All classic monster characters. However, the one monster that has stood the test of times and continues to end up on film is King Kong. The story line doesn't change much. King Kong arrives on the scene and there seems to be this perpetual conflict between man and the beast while at the same time the giant ape seems to have a soft spot for the woman lead in the movie. Not too much different in the Kong Skull Island except for a small twist in plot. You saw the basics of the story line. Scientists discover what they believe is the last frontier. An uncharted island which unbeknownst to them is not uninhabited. They make their way to Skull Island and begin dropping seismic charges from helicopters. These charges provide scientific data about the island. However, in the middle of dropping the bombs Kong shows up and attacks. This begins the one on one war with Samuel Jackson's character who believes that Kong is determined to destroy them. So, after crash landing, Samuel Jackson goes on a mission to kill Kong in retribution for killing his men. It is on this mission that you hear one of Jackson's men make the statement "Sometimes the enemy doesn't exist until you go looking for one!" In the mean time, the scientists encounter an old soldier was stranded on the island since after World War 2. He informs them that Kong is actually not attacking them but reacting to the bombs because the bombs wake up creatures from the under earth called "Skull Crawlers". So in other words, Kong isn't against them. He is, in fact, for them. He isn't trying to destroy them but rather protecting them and the lost people group that inhabits the island.
"Sometimes the enemy doesn't exist until you go looking for one!"
Text: 1 Kings 16:29-30 (Message)
Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel in the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah. Ahab son of Omri was king over Israel for twenty-two years. He ruled from Samaria. Ahab son of Omri did even more open evil before God
than anyone yet—a new champion in evil!
1 Kings 17:1
And then this happened: Elijah the Tishbite, from among the settlers of Gilead, confronted Ahab: “As surely as God
lives, the God of Israel before whom I stand in obedient service, the next years are going to see a total drought—not a drop of dew or rain unless I say otherwise.” (NIV - Except at my word)
Elijah, at the direction and leading of God and in response to Ahab's evil, proclaims there will be a drought. He also says this drought will only conclude by my word. I don't know about you but if I come into contact with someone who can not only turn the rain off but is also the only one who can turn the rain back on, then I am going to go out of my way to protect that individual at all cost. If you hold the key to ending my famine, then I am going to guard you! However, 3 years later, Elijah arrives on the scene to bring an end to destruction, danger, and drought and instead of honor, favor, protection you see a downward progression in Ahab's attitude toward Elijah.
1 Kings 18:17-18
The moment Ahab saw Elijah he said, “So it’s you, old troublemaker!”“It’s not I who has caused trouble in Israel,” said Elijah, “but you and your government—you’ve dumped God’s ways and commands and run off after the local gods, the Baals.
So, Elijah calls the famous showdown between himself and 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The prophets try to call fire down on an altar and fail. Elijah soaks the altar in water and with a short prayer calls down fire from God to engulf the altar. A stunning victory. Elijah kills the 450 prophets. The nation repents and rain falls again on the parched earth. Friend. Protector. Savior. Not so fast . . . Check out the next exchange between these men.
1 Kings 21:17-21 (NIV)
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’” Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!” “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. He says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free.
Did you catch it? Ahab has progressed to the point of now addressing Elijah as "my enemy!" He is addressing the man who has provided direction, correction, and provision as an enemy.
"Sometimes the enemy doesn't exist until you go looking for one!"
Elijah was not an enemy until Ahab turned him into one. How many of us have a tendency to create enemies out of those who are trying to help?
I believe we can learn a lesson from Kong and from this biblical account! Some of us have way too many enemies not because they are enemies but rather because we have fashioned them into enemies.
This takes place for several reasons and I will only mention some of them while we look at a couple more closely so that we will learn to label people correctly.
Here is a quick list:
We create enemies because:
1. We misjudge motives.
2. We refuse to give others the benefit of the doubt while we demand it for ourselves.
3. We have poor communication skills.
4. We allow others to control the paint brush!
This happens in Kong. Samuel Jackson paints Kong as an enemy to his men until they follow him on this mission to kill the ape. Ultimately they follow him to their own destruction.
Ahab allows his evil wife, Jezebel, to paint Elijah as an enemy. She convinces Ahab to try to get rid of Elijah and then ultimately she gets Ahab to kill Naboth so that he could steal his vineyard which causes God's judgement to fall.
This is our tendency. We allow those around us to control the paint brush. In doing so we allow them to paint someone incorrectly. Out of sincere heart, correct motives, love for us someone tries to help and we allow someone to paint them as sneaky, conniving, controlling, and corrupt. When someone who has our best interests at heart and corrects us the person with the brush paints them as an enemy on attack and we walk away from a now ruptured relationship that was supposed to provide protection.
We have forgotten the truth of Proverbs 27:5-6 which says, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."
So the result is too many of us only allow people to get close to us who applaud and approve. As soon as a real friend shows up and reluctantly but out of necessity inflicts what would be temporary pain for long term health we allow the clappers and the back slappers to pick up the brush and paint pictures in our mind that causes us to cut off the real friends.
Listen, we need someone who can correct! Confrontation is rarely painless, never easy, often rejected and always risky. Elijah refused to let Ahab sin and because Ahab let Jezebel paint the picture Ahab considered Elijah an enemy. Some us see an enemy simply because they don't approve of our actions. When the truth is that person and the truth of the spotlight they turn on our actions is the only thing saving us from destruction.
When someone imputes evil motives to another person’s heart, they are merely revealing what’s in their own.
Be careful who you allow to control the paint brush!
We prefer enemies over change!
In an earlier scene, Samuel Jackson gets word that the mission they have been on is over. He has no one wars to fight. All his men are excited about going home but he is depressed. He is a career soldier and without a war to fight he has nothing to live for. So in Kong he sees a means to continue the only thing he knows to do. He creates and enemy so that he won't have to change.
Even though Elijah is the doorway to blessing Ahab chooses to make him an enemy rather than doing the hard work of dealing with the sin, jealousy, lust and anger of his own heart.
Turning someone into an enemy is easier than actually making the change they call us to.
I have seen it over and over. People will turn the pastor into an enemy because the change that he was calling them to is too hard. I have watched people confronted with biblical truth walk away from relationships simply because that was easier than addressing the sin in their lives.
Our own unwillingness to change can cause us to go on the attack!
Who have you turned into an enemy who was really a friend?
Who was trying to bring rain to your life who you have now cut off?
Who was willing to confront you but has been dismissed because change was too hard?
Some of us need to rip the paint brush away from a spouse, a co-worker, a classmate. Others need to go back and repair some relationships that causes us pain but pain for our good.
"Sometimes the enemy doesn't exist until you go looking for one!" Quit fighting the wrong people!
