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BRUCE ALMIGHTY
(ME ALMIGHTY)
Stop Playing God and Discover God Almighty’s Plan
Good morning and welcome to Bethany—greet guests, etc.
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How many of you have been to the movies this summer? It seems like I get to the movies more in the summer than any other time. How does that work with you? Summer is sometimes seen as the season for “Blockbusters” to appear on the big screen. So I thought I’d bring the summer to a close here at Bethany by using Summer Blockbusters as the theme for my messages for the next 4 weeks. I’m kicking off the series with “Bruce Almighty.” How many of you have seen that movie? It is an interesting and funny movie.
Here’s a synopsis of the movie in case you haven’t seen it. Jim Carey plays the lead role as a TV news reporter in Buffalo. The movie opens with Jim playing Bruce, complaining about God ruining his life.
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God, played by Morgan Freeman, decides he’s had enough of Bruce’s complaining. God decides he’s going to teach him a lesson. So God encounters Bruce and agrees to give up his power and give it to Bruce—Bruce will have all of God’s power for a short time—hence the name Bruce Almighty.
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8:30
(Audio clip will play when you click on this slide)
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Well, in the process of acquiring the power of God, Bruce begins to realize it’s not all that it’s not as great as he thought it would be. Why do you think that is? Because Bruce is not wired to be God. Neither am I or neither are you.
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So today’s lesson could really be named “Me Almighty” -- How to deal with the need to be in control—to be in charge. Or how to stop playing God and discover God Almighty’s plan for you and me.
(Many of the ideas ffor this message come from a simliar message by Dan Southerland)
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I like telling people what to do—don’t you? Don’t you like having the power and authority over your relationships? If you’re honest you’ll admit it, I think. So how to you deal with that desire to control and take charge of everyone and everything. That’s the idea behind the movie Bruce Almighty. So I want to take that humorous but true reflection about human beings from the Bible and explore what the Bible has to say about wanting to be in control.
Hear what Paul wrote to Timothy, a young Pastor in the early church: (Read it out loud with me—this will help you wake up this morning)
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1 Tim. 6:11,12 (NLT)
“But you, Timothy, belong to God; so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for what we believe. …..”
How do we deal with the desire to be in charge?
Have you ever been to a family reunion or had large gatherings of extended family together? What happens often in that setting is you have about 25 chiefs but no Indians. Everybody wants to be top dog.
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HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE DESIRE TO BE IN CHARGE?
How do you deal with desire to be ME ALMIGHTY?
If you’d like you can write the suggestions down.
1. STOP PLAYING GOD.
Paul says to Timothy in the letter he writes to him:
“But you, Timothy, belong to God…..” 1 Timothy 6:11.
What’s that got to do with what I’m discussing?
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Paul is mentoring this young Pastor. Timothy is his star pupil, he is like the super stud of the churches. Every church he pastors grew and flourished; everything he tried seemed to work. Hw was sharp, young, intelligent, good-looking, gifted, talented. There was a chance that Timothy could think, “Hey, I’m pretty cool. I’m Timothy Almighty.” Paul wanted to remind him that it is all about God. Don’t get the big head Timmy.
I think this a big temptation for Pastors. This is the root of so much of the clergy abuse we’ve heard now for months in the news. Pastors—and it happens in other professions too—sometimes think hey “I’m Preacher Almighty.” We have feelings just like anyone else. I want to be liked and needed and feel important. And it so easy to begin to feel like it’s all about me—not God and helping a person form their own relationship with God.
One of the most painful times in my vocation as a ordained minister in the United Methodist Church was last year when I was called by the Bishop to be on what was a essentially a jury panel to hear charges against a fellow Pastor in the Conference. The charges were that he became sexually involved with a female parishioner. I sat and listened to testimony and evidence for an entire week last July. And the verdict was that the Pastor was guilty of the accusation by this woman. The evidence was overwhelming. The pastor was so flattered by this woman’s attention and needs that he thought he could become God to her. He forgot that he was entrusted to care for her soul and to place boundaries on his behavior.
How painful it was for me and all the other clergy to have to reach that verdict and recommend that his orders be suspended for a time until he got help. But I have to remind myself that but for the grace of God there I go too. I have to remember as Paul said to Timothy: you belong to God. Ministry is about God—not about me and getting my ego inflated at the expense of damaging the soul of another.
In fact, you know what my job is as your Pastor? My job is to help you not to need me, my job is not to try to control you and take charge of your thoughts and feelings. My job is to help you to grow to where you think for yourself, you come to your own faith and beliefs, and that you develop your own personal relationship with God. I am not to be Don Almighty.
It’s not about playing God but realizing I belong to God, that I am accountable to God. You may want to write this down:
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The way to get over your tendency to play God is to learn to submit to God in every area of your life.
So I think there are 3 implications of submitting to God as your savior, your leader, the CEO of your life.
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If I belong to God then…
· My possessions belong to God.
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The Bible reminds us:
James 1:17 (NLT)
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all …..
Every good thing in your life comes from God—every talent, every opportunity, every blessing in your life.
I understand some of you bought a new car while I was away this summer, maybe even a new motorcycle. Now here’s a test—are you willing to loan out that new vehicle? If you are willing to loan your things to others it probably belongs to God. If you are unwilling to loan out something it probably belongs to you.
Think about this: There is nothing in your life that God has given you for you to keep. All my stuff is given to me to share with others. So turn to your neighbor and say, “Your stuff is my stuff.” It all belongs to God.
Not only do my possessions belong to God, but if I really belong to God then
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· My surroundings belong to God.
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Hear this:
Romans 8:28 (NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Now is that verse saying that everything that happens to us is good? No. Really crumby things happen to God’s people and all people. Some of you have some crumby stuff going on in your life right now—with your health, finances, emotionally or relationally.
Anybody got anything tough going on in your life now? All right, the rest of you see me after the service. I’ll loan you some tough stuff!
The Bible says he walks behind me, before me, and God is with me—in both the good and the bad that happens in my life. God is with me
My possessions belong to God, my surroundings belong to God and notice this:
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· My status belongs to God.
Gallup did a poll recently in which he asked people who do not attend, “Why do you not go to church?” Do you know the number one reason people don’t go to church? What is it? Hypocrisy. Why would I want to go? The people who go don’t live any differently than I do who doesn’t go.
Bill Johnson told me this joke this week before he took off for England: There was this parrot who lived in a bar. Well the barkeeper decided to sell the bar and a group of church people who needed a new church bought it to convert it to a place to meet for worship. So the bar was open it’s last night for business. After midnight when the bar closed down and the parrot was sleeping, people cam in and redecorated the bar to look like a church. On Sunday morning the parrot woke up and saw the people coming in for church. The parrot squawked, “Same old crowd, just a different décor.”
You get the message of the joke?
How many people who claim to be Christian, are the real deal—who live out what they believe? That is do you just talk about kindness or do you really try to display kindness in your life? Do you just talk about love, or do you live a life of love as best you can with God’s help? Do you show hospitality to all people—are you a prodigal hugging Christian?
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Do you live out the mission statement of our church: “To know, to live and to share Jesus Christ?” Say that Mission Statement with me “To know, to live, and to share Jesus Christ.” Easy to say—not so easy to live.
But there may be a prodigal out there whose life could be influenced by the way you live out that mission.
If people were watching you and the only witness of Jesus Christ they had were what they could see in your life, would it be enough to convince them that they should become a follower of Christ?
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1 Thess. 4:11, 12 (NLT)
“This should be your ambition: … (that), people who are not Christians will respect the way you live…”.
I have to stop playing God and realize that all that I have, all that I am and and all my being belongs to God.
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So what’s the next step? No. 2 on today’s outline:
2. START PURSUING GODLINESS.
I believe we have been wired to know God, to get close to him, and to be intimate with God. But if that spiritual intimacy is absent in your life, then you want to feel in control on your own resources. In fact, you can become a total control freak. Any of you have that problem? Confession is so good for the soul.
Read with me again a portion of the verse we read earlier from 1 Timothy 6:11-12:
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“….so run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for what we believe. ….”
Paul spells out for Timothy and for you and me what we can say YES to in our lives that will helps us to become Godly. Notice the distinction here—we do not become God but we become like God in our behavior and attitude.
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· Pursue faith.
How does faith develop in your life? Notice this verse from the Bible:
Romans 10:17 (NLT)
Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good News about Christ.
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Here’s what this verse could mean to you:
One way you grow in faith is by getting in the book.
It is essential to get what is written in the Good Book, the bible into your head, to listen for the message that is there for you and whatever is going on in your life. Now I’m not saying you need to sit down and read the Bible 3 hours a day, though maybe that wouldn’t hurt some of you. I’m not saying you should rush home and read the entire book of Leviticus today. Probably wouldn’t work too well.
8:30 Or that you have to camp out in the Bible look this fellow up her on the screen.
The goal is to get into reading and reflecting from the Bible a few minutes each day to help feed your soul and grow your mind. As your Pastor I can’t do that. I can’t feed you. I’ve heard some people say about their pastor, Oh he’s not feeding me. I don’t get anything out of his sermon.
Well that is not my responsibility. It is your responsibility to study, read and meditate everyday in some way—to be responsible for your own spiritual nourishment. Now you may get with a group of people or with another person and have some dialog about what you think you can learn from study of the Scripture. But coming here and listening to me speak for 20 minutes on Sunday morning ain’t gonna do it. Oh excuse me—I mean 30 minutes.
There are many ways to do that---I’ll be glad to pass on some materials and suggestions for reading through the Bible if you want to use your response tab to let me know—just write HELP!!! But to become more like God you have to take the responsibility to pursue your own faith. No on else can do that for you. So turn to your neighbor and say “Get into the book.”
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Secondly, to pursue Godliness you have to
· Pursue love.
Jesus said it this way:
Matthew 22:39 (NLT)
’Love your neighbor as yourself.’
And sometimes we get some challenging neighbors. Any of you have any challenging neighbors? Hope it’s not a church member.
One way you learn to love people is by being in small groups of people. I want to teach you something here for a minute.
We’re going to pretend that these people in these first 3 rows are my small group here at this church. Why is it that me being in your small group is going to teach me to be more loving? To teach each one of to be more loving? Because we’re going to see different images of God. I’m going to a different image of God in each one of you.
Why else? We’re going to share problems. Share experiences—I can learn from your mistakes.
What else? We’re going to have disagreements. When you get close to people in a group God uses them as heavenly sandpaper to rub off the rough edges in you and me.
So
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One way we grow in love is by small group
I’m going to make a prediction this morning—you’re going to get lost in this church if you just show up on Sunday morning and don’t get involved in a group—whether it be a Bible study, a SS class, a Ministry team, a music group, choir—some way to be in connection with other people. We are offering new groups—see the bulletin board in the lobby—or you can become a part of a group that is already established.
How many are in a group, class or ministry team this morning? How many are sitting with any of those folks in any of these groups? I encourage you to get into a group of some kind.
To pursue godliness you got to pursue faith, pursue love, and next
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· Pursue perseverance.
Notice this verse:
James 1:3 (NLT)
For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Circle the word endurance. It is from the same root word in the original language of the text as “donkey.”
If you grew up on a farm you know that a donkey is not built for speed, grace, or looks. But it is the most effective animal for carrying a load. It is a beast of burden. Load it up and donkey is slow but it gets where it is suppose to go.
So when your faith is tested your “donkiness’ has a chance to grow. You see, God wants to make a donkey out of you.
Often a trial comes our way and we cry out “God why are you letting this happen? I’m serving you. Why this heavy load?”
Could it be that God is more committed to my character than he is my comfort? And if he has to load me up once and a while to stretch my character, to stretch my endurance, he will.
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We grow in perseverance by going through trials
Turn to your neighbor and say, “Be a donkey.”
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Finally, you’ve got to
· Pursue gentleness.
Paul is writing to a Corinthian church and he’s trying to correct them on an issue and he writes:
1 Cor. 4:21 (NLT)
“ Should I come with punishment and scolding, or should I come with quiet love and gentleness?”
What is our tendency? To try to use force, intimidation, manipulation on others but….
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One way we grow in gentleness is by choosing finesse over force.
To the extent that I become gentler in my Spirit to that extent I am becoming more like Jesus Christ. If you want to test your gentleness you’ll probably get a chance this afternoon. How gentle will you be when someone else touches the remote control? How gentle will you be when they interrupt your nap? How gentle will you be when they say something you don’t like and you are waiting to come right back?
To the extent that I become gentler in my Spirit to that extent I am becoming more like Jesus Christ.
Paul said to young Timothy quit trying to be God and pursue Godliness through faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
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I want to close with this challenge to you: Which truth in this lesson had my name on it today?
You see the double asterisk on that statement on the outline? I invite you to look through the outline and put a double asterisk by the point you most needed to hear today. Don’t mark them on all because it’s better to work on one thing at a time—so just find the one area that you can work on and think about this week.
I often find that when I come to worship with an open heart and mind that I can find at least one idea that really had my name on it that day. Have you found the one that has your name on it today? Here’s the invitation that I give to you today:
Turn to your neighbor and say this is the idea that had my name on it—not this is the idea that had your name on it. Take about 30 seconds and share it with someone near you if you are comfortable with that. I’m going to do it too.
(Pause 30 seconds)
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I have been a Christian most all of my life. Here is one thing I keep learning: to the extent that I pursue Christ to that extent I’ll be a little more like him tomorrow than I am today. And a little more like him next week than I am today. And if I continue that journey next year I could be much more like him than I am today.
What will it take for you to stop playing God like Bruce Almighty and instead pursue godliness?
If today you have a commitment you’d like to share complete the response tab and place that in the offering plate. Or I’ll be around in the lobby and over in the gym for refreshments after the service. If you’d like to talk with me or someone about these ideas or have someone pray with you stop and talk with me.
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PRAYER
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Next week’s message
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The summer is coming to an end, school bells will be ringing thisweek, you’ve had your vacations—so you should be relaxed and raring to go. Now I want to be sure you’re not stressed out so I’m going to give you a stress test before we leave this morning—listen to the instructions:
DOLPHIN STRESS TEST
It’s a simple test designed to indicate whether people have too much stress in their life. It’s a picture of two dolphins. The two dolphins appear normal when viewed by a stress-free individual. This test is not accurate enough to pick up mild stress levels. It’s quite simple. If there is anything that appears different about the dolphins (ignore the fact of the slight color differences) it is often an indication of potential stress related problems. Differences, if any, may also indicate the source of your stress. Sit upright and viewing the screen head-on, take a deep breath, breathe out and then open the picture and look directly at it. If there is anything out of the ordinary then you should consider taking things a little easier..
OK? Ready for the test—here we go
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If you see anything other than two dolphins,
take a few days off and unwind.........
