Un:scripted Series

THE POINT: When I’m in a tough situation, worship will bring a peace that worry never will.

ME

I’m going to admit something… something that many people would not be brave enough to admit… I like reality TV!

• I know that most of it isn’t real.

• I know that the idea of reality TV is contrary to everything TV has historically stood for.

• I know that there is a weird voyeuristic part of reality TV

• I know that some of it is just bad… in so many ways

But I still like reality TV…

And I’m not alone – Reality TV is BIG MONEY. It’s big money because it is so popular and so loved by so many Americans…

From America’s Funniest Videos to Dancing with the Stars to Survivor to Big Brother to American Idol to American Chopper to Intervention to Rock of Love w/Brett Michaels… WHATEVER

Reality TV is KING… we love reality TV.

But why? WHY is it that we love reality TV so much? Why is it that we are willing to invest our time in watching non-celebrities or “B” grade celebrities behave poorly while trying to win money and restart their careers? I mean, if I want to watch a mid-life/mid-career crisis I don’t have to give up my evenings to do it…

So why is Reality TV so popular? I think I know the answer.

It’s the unknown. It’s the fact (or at least the perception) that, in reality TV, things are UNSCRIPTED… we love the fact that ANYTHING is possible. We love the fact that we don’t know what’s going to happen next. We love the fact that there are no guaranteed outcomes.

WE LOVE UNSCRIPTED TV BECAUSE IT IS MORE EXCITING…

… BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LOSE THE SCRIPTS TO OUR LIVES?

What happens when we lose that sense of control? What happens when we come to the realization that we don’t know what will happen next? What happens when – what happens next ISN’T what I planned?

Suddenly “UNSCRIPTED” is a lot less attractive… am I right?

When we suddenly recognize that our lives are unscripted… that our greatest plans are not going to happen… That no matter how much planning we do, no matter how much energy we expend, no matter how much we try… WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL…

When our best laid plans collapse in a heap on the ground…

When our dreams have to be put aside…

When we are diagnosed with an illness…

When we lose a job…

When a child is sick and hospitalized…

When a marriage crumbles…

WHEN EVERYTHING BECOMES UNCERTAIN…WHEN OUR PEACE IS DISTURBED…WHEN LIFE ISN’T WHAT WE EXPECTED…WHEN GOD CALLS US TO WALK THE HARD ROAD…

When we come face to face with the UNSCRIPTED we have a tendency to respond with fear, with doubt, with anger and with worry.

BUT…

We don’t have to. We don’t have to respond like that…

Open you Bibles to Luke 1:46-55. If you don’t have a Bible with you this morning, raise your hands and our ushers will make sure you get one so you can follow along.

[Ushers hand out Bibles to those who need them]

We’re going to continue looking at Mary’s story. We’re going to see what she did when she realized that her life was UN:scripted.

You see, when my life is UN:scripted, I want to complain, I want to whine, I want people to feel sorry for me. When my life is UN:scripted I feel like I’m not in control and I DON’T LIKE NOT BEING IN CONTROL…

That’s when I get angry and depressed and worried.

But not Mary…

WE

[Video Clip]

Worship or Worry? Which do you choose when you’re in a tough situation…? What an awesome question to consider.

It’s no secret that often God calls us to difficult tasks – painful tasks. It’s not a secret that life is sometimes incredibly painful and seemingly cruel. It’s not a secret that difficulty is part and parcel with life.

Some of you are dealing with that right now.

…sickness & pain

…strained and broken relationships

…disappointment

…job loss

…worries about the economy and our uncertain future

The fact is that life is painful and stressful!

So what do you do when you find yourself neck deep in trouble? (By the way, trouble often happens AS A RESULT of obedience to God.)

Mary had done nothing wrong. Mary was a righteous young woman. She was chosen by God because of her exemplary character… But in choosing to obey God (as we saw last week) her life was suddenly UN:scripted… and when life is UN:scripted, life is painful…

What do you when life hands you a raw deal? What do you do when God calls you to obey him in a way that is difficult and will lead to pain and loss on your part?