Monday, November 6, 2017
Download MP3 (right click to save)
It's been a lot of years now, the "Star Wars" trilogy of movies exploded into our popular culture like, well, like Darth Vader's Death Star. Millions of people developed a fascination for the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and, of course, the infamous Darth Vader. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.) Hero Luke Skywalker became a Jedi knight and he learned the power of what was called The Force. Darth Vader, who was the villain, had mastered the power of the "dark side" of The Force. And then, decades later, a new "Star Wars" trilogy began, telling the story of the events that preceded the original episodes. So there's not Luke or Han or Princess Leia for a while, but guess what was still there? Yeah, The Force. And in subsequent movies, of course, still there. And what is The Force? No one's really sure, but it seems to be the spiritual power you can tap into to help you win your battles.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Star Wars - and Our Wars."
Spiritual power you can harness to help you win battles that you can't win with your own resources-that's actually a pretty interesting idea. Of course, our battles aren't about storm troopers or villains with light sabers.
No, we're trying to make a marriage work, to beat the monsters of anger, depression, addiction, selfishness, or loneliness. We battle real challenges, not computer-animated fantasy foes. And as you face the battles raging around you right now - maybe even in you right now - you're having to admit that they are bigger than you are. Actually, there is inside us a deep desire for some power-some spiritual power really-beyond our own to enable us to be the man or woman we desperately want and need to be.
But we need something better than The Force. That's a fictional, impersonal spiritual energy that only the spiritually elite can tap into. Our biggest struggles are actually against the "dark side" that's inside us. In our word for today from the Word of God, one of the writers of the Bible spoke about our dark side when he said, "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out ...it is sin living in me that does it." And then he speaks for all of us who battle our dark side when he says, "Who will rescue me?" (Romans 7:15, 20, 24)
Thankfully, the Bible doesn't leave us there. The answer follows. "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The "force" that we need to conquer the dark side is actually a Person - Jesus Christ, the One who gave His life on a cross to pay the death penalty for all the sinning we've ever done. His act of deep love for you broke the power that sin has had over the human race since the first man and woman took their lives into their own hands.
We don't need some impersonal force that doesn't really exist. We need a living Savior! That's what we need. The power of Jesus is demonstrated, above all else, by His empty grave there on Easter morning. He walked out of His grave under His own power! Now, look, if He can conquer death, the darkness that has stopped every person who has ever lived, He can sure conquer the darkness inside you!
Jesus says to those who belong to Him, "All power is given to Me in heaven and earth...and I am with you always." (Matthew 28:18, 20) Man! Wow! He's the spiritual power you need to win your battles. He is the love you've been looking for all your life, and Jesus becomes your Savior from your sin when you tell Him you're putting your life into His nail-scarred hands.
You want to begin this powerful relationship with the Son of God? Well, tell Him that right now where you are. Our website's called ANewStory.com, and that's for a reason. Because the information you'll find there about Jesus is the key to your story becoming a new story starting this very day - Page One. Let me invite you to go to ANewStory.com before this day is over.
Look, your battles have probably left you pretty wounded and pretty tired. The dark side has won long enough; it's hurt enough people. You don't ever have to fight those battles alone again though. Jesus Christ-the Creator of every faraway galaxy-stands ready to fight for you from that moment that you open up to His amazing love.