At The Movies | One Life | Jen DeWeerdt

All right, well, good morning church Give yourselves a hand you're here. It's gonna be an incredible day We are so glad that each and every one of you are here and I want to welcome all of our city first church Locations Cape Coral Janesville and you guys give it up for our God behind bars crew. Come on It Dixon and Hardy correctional facilities. We love you guys Well, we are as you just saw in our at the movie series where each week we are looking at a movie and we are talking about the stories that they tell and how they can pertain to our lives and Really? we say this every week that the movie is just the beginning of the conversation as we take some of the ideas and then we pair it with spiritual principles that we find in the Bible and apply it to our lives and today's movie is one life and You know I was scheduled months ago to preach on this movie on this particular Sunday and then this week happened and I honestly don't think it's a coincidence. I think God in his kindness was already preparing a message for us Because it has been a heavy week in our nation, it's why we paused to pray as a church You know and even myself I found myself driving in the car this week I was by myself and I was kind of like kind of just like alright God What do we do? What how how are we is the church to respond in dark times? Who are we called to be whom I called to be as a follower of Jesus in moments like this and You know, there is a passage found in Luke chapter 10 where Jesus is having a conversation with an expert of religious law and Jesus gives us the key to true life the the key to Truly living and it's found in Luke chapter 10 and it says this it says love the Lord your God With all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself Love God Love people

You know Jesus also said elsewhere in Scripture that these are the two most important commandments It's the one that everything else we're supposed to do rests upon Meaning this this is the foundation of life good times uncertain times heavy times dark times What are we supposed to do? We love Jesus and we love people That's it. That is our true North Church. It's our true North. So yes, the world is incredibly complex and It's incredibly heavy But I don't believe that our response needs to be complicated What do we do? We stay the path of loving Jesus and Loving people Jesus didn't give like like it wasn't circumstantial love Jesus love people. It was all circumstances So first we love Jesus meaning this guess what we hold tight to him We center our hearts and minds on him every single day John 1633 says this it says in this world. You will have what's that word trouble? You're gonna have it but take heart. These are Jesus's words to us by the way take heart. I have overcome the world Even when it doesn't seem like it What's he say you're gonna have trouble take heart I have overcome That that that word that I highlight in red those words take heart take is a verb. Okay? Meaning this it will require Intentionality on our part to Center our minds on Christ It's gonna take intentionality Isaiah 26 3 says this you will keep meaning God God will keep in perfect. Peace all Who trust in you all?

Whose thoughts are fixed on you? Fixed on him not fixed on the problem Not fixed on the chaos Not fixed on the darkness Fixed on God our thoughts You know this week I even found myself Kind of getting sucked into the rabbit hole of chaos. Mentally, my mind got fixed, not on the right things. And guess what? When we fix our mind on the problem and fix our mind on the struggle and fix our mind on the chaos, that is not when perfect peace comes, amen. Right? If we want the gift of perfect peace, then we have to fix our minds. I looked at Jared and I said, I have to delete social media off my phone. I have to get rid of it. I can't go there anymore. And then I had to do some other things. I put on worship music. I took some walks. I prayed. I had to do some intentional things to fix my mind on Christ. And that is when the peace came. So the question is, as we're loving Jesus,

what are you fixing your mind on? Is it Jesus or is it the problem? Because we have a choice. And this is what I know, okay? Is that when we contend, when there's a complex problem, we can look and go, but Jen, this seems way too simple of an answer. Love God and love people. Sometimes you have to be brought back to the very basic things, church. Because we have to, you can give that hand of applause. You know, this is what I know. We love Jesus first, and then it becomes the filter for everything else we say and do. Because we are like, what do we do? How do I respond? Blah, blah, blah. Well, love Jesus first. And then everything else gets filtered through that. And what does Jesus say next, right? Love your neighbor. It'll become clear how to love our neighbor if we filter it through loving Jesus. How do we love our neighbor? The movie today is One Life, and it took place during a heavy, dark time in history. The movie is based on the true life story

of a man named Nicholas Winton. And it's a stunning story about an ordinary man who did an extraordinary work in very dark times. And it's 1938, and it's a story about a man who in 1938, and World War II hasn't officially started, but Hitler has already begun enacting his evil plan. And Nicholas Winton happens to be going on a trip. He's traveling to Prague, Czechoslovakia, to meet up with one of his friends. And while he's there, he sees firsthand the desperate conditions of displaced children and families. Let's go ahead and watch this. Nicholas Winton, after discovering there are thousands of children refugees in Czechoslovakia, decides to act. Before having the proper documentation, enough money or a plan, he decides something must be done, continually saying, we will find a way. Despite hesitations from the representatives at BCRC, he continues to press the matter through the eyes of hope and faith. He repeats, let me try. Through their doubting looks, the BCRC reluctantly agrees for him to begin the process of rescuing these children. He starts to make phone calls and finally is connected to a man in Prague. He pleads with him for help, saying, I have seen this and I cannot unsee it. And because I may be able to do something about it, I must.

I have seen it and I cannot unsee it. Loving your neighbor begins with what you see. And what do I mean? So back to Luke chapter 10, the religious expert that Jesus was having a conversation with asked Jesus a question. And he says this, who is my neighbor? Meaning this, who am I supposed to love? Who do I have to love? And then Jesus tells this famous parable, okay? If you've grown up in church, you've heard it probably 100 times. If you haven't grown up in church, you've probably heard of the Good Samaritan. And I'm gonna read us this parable that Jesus tells us, even if you've heard it 100 times, I want you to read it and listen to it like you're hearing it for the first. So Luke chapter 10, verse 30 through 35, it says this. A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was. And when he saw him, he took pity on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wound. pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have. So we have the traveling man who was attacked by robbers and now left for dead on the road. Jesus then talks about three more travelers that happen upon this man. All three of them, if you caught this, all three of them see the man, but one sees differently. And I think that's the question. Will we see people differently than the world does? Do we see people, it's kind of like these glasses here, do we see people through the lens of a soundbite? And we kind of come up with our conclusions on someone that way. Do we see the people through the lens of our news source? Do we see people through the lens of our own personal experiences? Do we see people through the lens of our own hurt? Do we see people through the lens of our expectations of them? They should act this way, they should do this. Do we see them that way? I mean, I want you to think about this, okay? Do we see people through our lens

or do we see people through the lens of Jesus? How Jesus sees them. Do we even pause to ask ourselves, how does Jesus see these people, the people in our path? Three different times, this is, I mean, if you put yourself in the story, it's pretty crazy. Three different times the shuffling of sandals approach the man who is on the side of the road. The first two people are priests and a Levite. They are spiritual people, okay, church? And Jesus is hitting a nerve here like Jesus often does, right? He's making a point. It's the spiritual people that pass by on the other side. Now for, you know, when we read this story in our modern context, we're like, like a road. Okay, well, maybe that was like, hey, Jerusalem to Jericho was like a six lane highway for all the donkeys heading that way. You know, but it wasn't, it would have been more like, kind of like a little wider dirt walking path. And some commentary suggests that the priest and the Levite may have actually had to step over the man to pass by. Because that's the way, how narrow the path was. Whatever the reason, as they were journeying, they happened upon this man, they saw him, and they passed by. They stepped over.

So why? Why did they step over? Which I think leads us to ask the question, why do we step over? Is it busyness? Well, that is definitely part of something in our culture right now, right? But here's the deal, when your pace is too fast, people become a blur. Instead of a priority. Is it familiarity? We get so used to the pain around us, it's like a fog, we can't, we just aren't noticing it. Is it selfishness? We get so focused, our eyes are always on us, that we miss what's happening to other people. Is it greed sometimes? Focusing on what we want blinds us to what others don't have. Or is it comfort? We don't expose our hearts to the things that might make it hurt, because man, it just makes us uncomfortable. But the priest and the Levite, the two, they pass by. They step over, but then the unlikely hero of the story shows up. And like we'll see in just a moment, he was just an ordinary man. Kind of like Nicholas Winton. As the team bravely decides to rescue the children,

they discuss details over dinner. A two-day trip by train which would cross Holland, whose borders are now closed to Jewish refugees. They discuss the difficulty of the trip and many hoops to jump through in order to complete the mission, including finding British foster parents for the nearly 1,000 children they are sending. In response, Nicholas says they need to get the press moving because ordinary people wouldn't stand for this if they were to be killed. He knew what was actually happening, which leads the table to realize that is exactly what they need, an army of the ordinary. That's what we need, isn't it? An army of the ordinary. Do I have any ordinary people listening to me today? Just normal, everyday people. I have a lot of faith in ordinary people, because I am one. And guess what? I've seen what an army of ordinary people can do. I've seen it. And so if you're ordinary in here today, you are the perfect candidate to love your neighbor. You know, and I was thinking this too as I was watching that clip, is that, you know, they actually did the work, these ordinary people.

Wasn't like, I'm gonna leave a comment on social media, and that's how I'm gonna change the world. No, no, no, no. City first, we're gonna put our money where our mouth is. We're actually gonna love our neighbor. It's why we do things like food distributions and empowerment center and life groups and kids ministry, because guess what? We're just ordinary people, but we understand what can happen when there is an army of the ordinary people. And we're up for it, right? See, our final, okay, you can give him a hand clap. See, our final traveler, he didn't come from the right pedigree. He wasn't a spiritual elite, so you don't have to be that. In fact, he would have been the unlikely hero, because guess what? The crowd that Jesus was speaking to actually had a prejudice sense towards Samaritan people. So as the Samaritan, the unlikely hero, is traveling his normal everyday life, guess what? Who knows how many times he'd traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho, right? Normal everyday life. He came to where the man was, just like Nicholas Winton, traveling to go see a friend. Then he saw something on his path that he could not unsee. And I wanna free you of the pressure of trying to figure out who's your neighbor today, okay?

See, we make it too complicated. We stress out about it. We question ourselves. We pray about it for a year. Who's my neighbor? And God's like, it's the person on your path. See, Jesus doesn't give details in his parables for no reason. I think he's giving us a visual, a picture of who our neighbor is. As you are traveling throughout your day's church, guess what? You will happen upon needs. Hello, this world, you don't need to go looking for things. You don't need to go looking for ways to love your neighbor. They will be on your path. The person in need will be on your path. The pain you're the solution to will be on your path. The problem that you can help fix will be on your path. And you'll happen upon it in your normal everyday life as you are dropping your kids off at school, as you are helping a customer at work, as you are hanging out with your family, as you are checking out at the grocery store, as you are talking with a friend and hear of a need, as you run into that old high school buddy that's having a hard time right now. See, the question I think is really this. What do you see? What do you see?

Or maybe we can even ask this. Who do you see? Who do you see? See, I have a dear friend right now. She has a beautiful child who has complex medical needs. And right now, she is bravely stepping out and she's starting a mentorship group for moms who are walking through the same thing. That right there. Okay, you guys, here's the deal, okay? It's not gonna be plastered somewhere on a news cycle. But guess what? It was in her path. And so she decided she'd be the solution, right? So what happens next in this story that Jesus tells? It says, and the man came upon him, saw him and took pity on him and went to him. See, the priest and the Levite came and stepped over. They came, they saw, they stepped over. But the Samaritan came, saw and stepped up. And what we need is a church who will step up. The Samaritan took pity, or other translations say this, took compassion. And I think sometimes we look at the word compassion and we quietly think to ourselves, we either have it or we don't. You know, you look and go, well, that person, yes, they have a compassionate heart, good for them, way to go. But when we love Jesus, compassion will be an overflow for all of us,

not just a few. We have to take compassion. We take it, again, it's a verb, we take it. And I want us to notice something that the Samaritan just simply used once he saw the need and he went to him and he stepped up, what did he use? He used what he had. He used his oil, he used his wine, he used his donkey. I'm sure it was the latest model. Sorry, I gotta make some of you laugh today, I know it's serious. He used his time, right? He used his money. What do you have? What do you have? Again, we make it too complicated. What do you have? Because this is what I know, we all have something. Every single one of us. Within the sound of my voice, we all have gifts, we all have talents, we all have passions. They're sitting right in this room, every location, God behind bars. There's people who have the gift of hospitality, use it for his purposes. Gift of loving kids, use it for his purposes. Gift of making money, use it for his purposes to help fund kingdom work. Gift of organization, that's what Nicholas Winton had.

Use it for his purposes, you guys. You know, in a great way, because I'm a pastor and I always feel like I have to give practical steps, is this, a great way to find out your gifts and talents at church is we have this amazing thing called Growth Track and we actually help you discover your purpose and then how you can use it for God's purposes. So man, there's information you can check out online or in Next Step booth on how to sign up for Growth Track. See, ordinary people see what is in front of them and use what they have, plain and simple. That's loving your neighbor. You're an ordinary person, they use what they have in their hands and make a difference with what they see. You know, a few months back, I spoke on the passage in Scripture where Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to the tiniest mustard seed, which grows into a large tree and then becomes a home for the birds of the air. It is the small things that can change things. Mustard seed, sometimes we contend to discount the power of small acts of kindness and obedience. Jesus says, love me and love your neighbor. And can I tell you, that is how the kingdom of God spreads. It's what his word says. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It seems insignificant, it seems so tiny, but Jen, it's not that big of a deal. No, no, no, what is in your path and what do you have? Do something with it and that's how the kingdom of God,

thy kingdom come. We think it's gonna be some big lightning bolt moment. No, no, no, God's like, it comes when we all do our part in army of the ordinary. The quiet small acts that produce a ripple effect. True kingdom work is rarely glamorous. It's just doing the next thing. And that's what Nicholas Winton did. He did the quiet work. Nobody was applauding him. In fact, no one knew the story of this ordinary man for decades. 50 years later, in fact, in 1988, through a series of events, he was invited to attend a TV show in Britain, just as like an audience member called That's Life. And here's what happened. 50 years later on a BBC show, they are finally bringing to public awareness the work of Nicholas Winton. His bravery and courage are being celebrated. As they talk about his accomplishments, they surprise him with a woman that he rescued who happens to be sitting next to him. In a tearful exchange of a hug, she thanks him. We jumped to an additional scene with a secondary show featuring Nicholas because of the overwhelming response from the public with stories upon stories of rescue. The host tells the tale of a young man

who again is right there in the audience to thank Nicholas saying, I've often wondered who was responsible for organizing my rescue. I would dearly love to meet him and thank him for helping us children without any hope of acknowledgement. After another tearful meeting, the host surprises Nicholas yet again saying, can I ask, is there anyone in the audience tonight who owes their life? to Nicholas Winton, one by one, the entire audience begins to stand. Nicholas, overcome by emotions, stares into a sea of faces who would not be there without him choosing to act those 50 years ago. You can give that a hand clap. We're running out of time, but you know, I can't help but think when I watched that, like someday when we get to heaven, I believe there'll be those moments where we hear people say, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that invite. Thank you for praying for me. Thank you for inviting me to church. Thank you for telling me about Jesus. Thank you for giving me that smile. It got me through. Thank you for serving in the kid's department because it helped create a space where my kid learned about Jesus. And I found faith. I mean, people, our one life can affect one life. And you know what I love about that video is that guess what? There are generations standing up. Jesus calls his church, the light of the world. And I know things seem dark right now, you guys, but when we love Jesus and we love our neighbor, we are lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness. And this is a newsflash. This is not the darkest time in history. There's been other dark times, but throughout history, believers in Jesus knew that although they couldn't control what was going on around them, they could control their response. And our response, it's the greatest commandment. Love God and love your neighbor. Now I have this quote hanging in our kitchen and it says this, it's by Frederick Buechner. It says, one life on this earth is all that we get, whether it is enough or not enough. And the

obvious conclusion would seem to be that at the very least, we are fools if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can. So ordinary people, I guess the question is this, how are you going to live your one life? How are you going to live it? No matter what's going on around you, we have a choice. So let me pray for us. Heavenly father, thank you so much. God, I thank you that the times we live in are not a surprise to you and you still give us your command. Love me, trust me, lean on me, and then do the work of loving your neighbor. And so God, I pray that you would give us eyes that see even this week, even as we leave this church today, all of us, no matter where we find ourselves at, help us have eyes that truly see people through your eyes. Help us to pause in the path, God, and then help us to use what we have. God, we want to use our one and only life to serve your purposes, no matter what. With every head bowed and every eye closed, I've got good news today. Maybe you walked in here today and you're just like, I needed to get to church because the heaviness of everything, just it's too much. And I need answers. Well, guess what? Jesus is the answer. And he gave his one life on a cross, paid the debt for our sins so that you do not have to walk this life alone and you can walk it with purpose and forgiveness and grace. So if you are here today and you want to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of your life, there's that still small voice inside you that says today is your day and Jesus is the way. I want you just to raise your hand right where you're at. If you say today, I want to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of my life. There's hands going up. I see them. I see them. And I know that there's hands at all of our locations. So let's just pray together. And we're all going to pray together so that the people who are making this decision don't feel alone. So let's all lift our voices. Dear Jesus. Today, I choose to make Jesus the leader and forgiver of my life. I turned from my ways. I repent of my sins and I choose to follow Jesus. I received the gift of grace and forgiveness. Help me to live for you in Jesus' name. Everybody said amen. Let's give them a huge round of applause. Wow. What an absolutely encouraging and challenging word today from Pastor Jan, and I hope it

was an encouragement to you and a reminder of the importance of the role that we play in people's lives. And if you made that decision there at the end to make Jesus the leader in the figure of your life, congratulations. It is the greatest decision you'll ever make. It is the game-changing decision, and so maybe you're sitting there going, hey, I prayed this prayer. Right. Now what's next? Well, we have a couple of things that we just encourage you to do. The first one would be to let someone know. Do you have a family member or a friend or a coworker, somebody that you can let them know about the decision that you've made, because you're not designed to do life alone. And then secondly is there's a QR code for a resource on your screen right now, and it's simply called New Beginning, and it's just gonna help you answer some of your basic questions like where should I start reading in the Bible, like how do I pray? Some simple things that are gonna help you get this journey started, and then Dakota's got something else that's gonna help you out as well. That's right. Another great next step that you can take is to go through GrowthTrack, and you can do it all online at your own pace, but really it's designed to help you discover your God-given gifts and how to use those to grow closer to him but also grow his kingdom. So if you wanna do that, you can sign up on the app or even on our website and take GrowthTrack at your own pace. It's really a great resource for you. Yes, it is. It's really helpful. And then just if you're going through something right now and you're going, hey, I would really like prayer for something, we would love to pray with you. We have teams that are praying around the clock, so you could drop it in the chat there

or you can go on the app or the website. There's spaces to do that. And then if you've been praying for something and God has answered that prayer, share that with us. We wanna celebrate with you all that God's doing in your life, and then a quick reminder about next Sunday, if you are close to a physical location and you would love to get water baptized, we would love to celebrate with you all that God has done. And so you can get signed up. You can do that on cityfirst.church forward slash baptism, and we'd love to see you be a part of that celebration this next week. That's right. And the best thing that you can do is just keep coming back to church. If this message encouraged you or challenged you, share it with a friend or a family member. Let's be people who are sharing the hope and love of Jesus in this season. Well, we hope you have an amazing week. We're so glad you tuned in today. We'll see you next time.