Summer at the Movies
Yesterday we heard from Clay Shiver about what we can learn as families from the 2018 movie A Quiet Place directed by John Krasinski. If you're familiar with the movie, the human population and families are being attacked by alien forces that are blind, but have an acute sense of hearing. If you make any sound at all, even walking on a crackling leaf, you are susceptible to being attacked and destroyed by these alien forces. Amazingly the Abbot family is able to survive and overcome these incredible challenges ultimately because of four important things:
1. THEY RECOGNIZED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING OUTSIDE THEIR FAMILY THAT WANTED TO HARM AND HINDER THEM. Clay shared from Nehemiah 4:13-14, 16-18 where families were rebuilding the wall in the Old Testament and realized that they needed to build and battle, in other words, they had enemies who didn't want them to succeed.
"Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked."
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE ENEMIES THAT WANT TO DESTROY YOUR FAMILY?
2. THE FATHER WAS WILLING TO SACRIFICE AND LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FAMILY. This is a great picture of how Jesus was willing to come and lay His life down for us, as God's family and how we are called to live in our families. Families that routinely sacrifice for one another are much more successful.
"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesisans 5:1-2
WILL YOU TAKE THE LEAD IN SACRIFICING FOR YOUR FAMILY?
3. THEY DISCOVERED THAT IT WASN'T BEING "QUIET" THAT WAS THE KEY, BUT CREATING A DIFFERENT "SOUND" THAT LED TO VICTORY. At the end of the movie, the family realizes that when they slam their daughter's hearing aid into a microphone the resulting noise makes the creatures shriek in pain and take off their armor which allows them to be defeated. In the same way, the enemy many times in our lives makes us believe that if we are quiet and don't make much noise we will ride out our families challenges. On the contrary, the family that boldly declares Jesus as the Lord of their home, regularly practices the presence of God, and creates a culture of blessing in their home are the ones that overcome.
WHAT SOUND ARE YOU CREATING IN YOUR HOME?
What steps are you going to take this week that will allow you and your family to take ground from the enemy?
