It’s a Wonderful Life
Apparently I’m in a cinematic
phase since this is the second week in a row we’ll be using a movie as our
theme! While we won’t be focusing too heavily on George Bailey, Clarence
Odbody, or Zuzu, we will be diving a little deeper into the wonderful life God
tells us He will give us if we will care about the same things He cares
about. He doesn’t leave much room for
misinterpretation and at the end of this study you will be given an opportunity
to tap into His blessings TODAY.
Isaiah 58:10b
“…then your light will
rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.”
and your night will become like the noonday.”
Things to think about:
· Sometimes we
wonder why God doesn’t seem to be hearing our prayers or blessing us like we
are expecting. God is an “IF/THEN” God meaning that many of His promises are
linked to something we need to do in order to avail ourselves of His promises.
o
Does this sound counterintuitive at all to you?
o
Can you think of any of His if/then promises?
o
Are you in one of those places where God doesn’t seem to be
hearing you or acting on your behalf?
· What if I
could promise you:
o
Hope when things look their darkest
o
Healing
o
To be called a friend of God
o
To be called blessed and righteous
o
To have an inheritance in eternity that God has been preparing since
the creation of the world
o
To have your prayers answered
o
Proof your faith is genuine
o
To have peace
· Can you guess
what might be the common thread to access all of these promises God makes in
His Word?
o Isaiah 58:6,9
- Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
o
James 2:15-16 - Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily
food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep
warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is
it?
o
Matthew 25:35-36 - For I was hungry and you gave
me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a
stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you
clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and
you came to visit me.’
§ What stands
out to you about these verses?
§ Why do you
think God puts such an emphasis on taking care of the poor?
· Revelation
3:17 - You
say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you
do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
· James 2:5-7 - Has not God
chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and
to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the
poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who
are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are
blaspheming the noble name of Him to whom you belong?
§ Have you ever
been really poor? In light of Revelation
3:17, would you agree or disagree that we are all poor in God’s sight?
§ What has been
your experience in personally serving the poor?
· Now let’s
look at some of the companion pieces to these “IF” statements:
o
Isaiah 58:8-9 - Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
o
Isaiah 58:10-11 - then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
o
James 2:18 - Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my
faith by my deeds.
o
James
2:22-23 - You see that his (Abraham’s) faith and his actions were working
together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled
that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”
and he was called God’s friend.
o
Matthew 25:34 - “Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
· How has the
Lord gotten your attention this morning?
· Which one of
His promises sounds especially attractive to you today?
· I said at the
beginning I’d give you the opportunity to get in on His promises today, so here
it is:
o
In our hometown of Cincinnati, City Gospel Mission serves over 10,000
individuals per year providing food, shelter, counseling, clothing, and most
importantly, the Good News of Jesus Christ.
o
Use this
link to see the kinds of things they can use all year-round but especially
during this season of giving to serve the poor, the hungry, the naked, the
homeless, the hopeless
o
If you have never volunteered serving the poor, it is a priceless
experience. City Gospel has many ways to
serve and I can promise you it will be a blessing to you.
If you're reading this and you're not from Cincinnati, please find a local mission where you can be used to make a difference.
