07/25/10 - Reel Life PT4 - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "Reel Life" with the movie "UP" in this Sunday service.

Reel Life Part 4
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, July 25, 2010

www.churchatmirrorlake.com


Sermon Notes:


UP

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Note we have a race ‘defined’ for us by God. We have a journey laid out for us that is designed by our loving Father to bring us good, hope, peace a future. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) Too many of us are either running the wrong race--one we designed or that was designed for us by someone other than our Heavenly Father—or we are so focused on the finish line we are not enjoying the race. Our lives become filled with “someday”: Someday when I have enough money. Someday when I find the right person. Someday when I feel better. Someday when I have more time. Someday when I am more successful.

Big Idea: Clip 1: Carl and the Picture Album

Don’t let “someday” rob you of the joy “set before you” today. Take the journey, but learn to find the adventure of living with and for God each day. Enjoy the journey.
- Today is the only day God has placed in our hand. (Matthew 6 and John 17)
- What we do with today determines our tomorrow.
- Quit waiting for the someday “when…”. God to Moses—“What’s that in your hand?” The staff that Moses used for his work TODAY became the stuff God used to part the sea!

- 2 Kings 7:3 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. “Why should we sit here waiting to die?” they asked each other. 4 “We will starve if we stay here, but with the famine in the city, we will starve if we go back there. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.” 5 So at twilight they set out for the camp of the Arameans. But when they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” they cried to one another. 7 So they panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.”

Take action NOW! Once they made a move God made their move sound like an army of chariots and used that to drive off the enemy.


Takeaways from the Movie:

Clip 2: Carl attacks

Waiting on “Someday” will eat us up. We become defensive-protecting what we have gained. We live with a shortage mindset—there’s not enough so I will get mine. We become bitter and disillusioned—because we are chasing an illusion. We are just not fun to be around.

Proberbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Clip 3: My Name is Doug

Waiting for “Someday” causes us to become “Love Withholders”—waiting to see what the benefit or agenda is before giving our love wholeheartedly. Enjoying the journey teaches us to love recklessly and fearlessly. To be people whose love “casts out fear” for others.

2 Samuel 6:20 “David returned home to bless his family. Michal, Saul's daughter, came out to greet him: "How wonderfully the king has distinguished himself today—exposing himself to the eyes of the servants' maids like some burlesque street dancer!" David replied to Michal, "In God's presence I'll dance all I want! He chose me over your father and the rest of our family and made me prince over God's people, over Israel. Oh yes, I'll dance to God's glory—more recklessly even than this. And as far as I'm concerned...I'll gladly look like a fool...but among these maids you're so worried about, I'll be honored no end."

Clip 3: Russell Receives Badge

“Someday” keeps us focused on us, but enjoying the journey turns our view outward. The journey is full of adventure if you will invest in others and their dreams. Value people by adding value to them.

Genesis 24:17-22 “Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” “Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels. The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission. Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.” (Rebekah drew about 400 gallons of water!)

Clip 4: Carl Empties the House

What is holding you back, weighing you down, stopping you from enjoying the journey today?
- Our dreams instead of God’s dreams for us
- Our failures and mistakes.
- Our past experiences, hurts, rejections, betrayals.
- Guilt and shame
- Fear, doubt and unbelief
- A measure of success (How long has it been since you emptied all your accounts to invest in the Kingdom?)
- What is the weight that is keeping you tied to “Someday”?

Philippians 3:13-14 “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”