Have Faith

We're continuing on an advent series looking at It's a Wonderful Life so show that many have seen its John time and time again Christmas season after Christmas about the fact that most people even if they haven't watched it. They've heard whenever a bell rings an angel gets its wings. Unfortunately. That's probably one of the least accurate theological things inside the whole movie, but I don't want to take away from it because it has wonderful beautiful glorious Parts in it. That are straight out of the Bible. Give us wisdom from the Bible and from God and they're infused throughout the whole movie. We've been looking at those wonderful Parts looking at them and seeing what we can glean out of it for our lives. George Bailey on the screen the reason it resonates so well with people that watch it is because we understand the normal average person just like all of us and people that we know. We had good times and bad times who's had times of Great accomplishments and then times when the accomplishments were not reached. I can understand that store and we see someone who who who is true and honest the character is so on. We're going to look at that further this morning and previous week's we talked about in during the darkness knowing that into each and every life. We will have times of Darkness pain sadness loss. We will all experience it the movie shares with us that we need to endure that was moments, and then we looked further and to say that after we endure we also have to have hope hope that there is something better to come and do we need to live in to that hope And this week we're looking at having faith The Next Step, so I have a couple questions to ask you. Do you have faith in God's plans? That's a tough question? Cuz we like to say yes, of course I do until we're in the midst. Problems in situations that over Wellness where the boat that were in feels like it's going down and there's nothing we can do. And then you forget about God and we tried bailing out the boat ourselves. We try to come up with their own ideas. in the boat

Are faith and trust in God often in those moments dissipates? Do you have God show you the way do you take time to just be present with God and say God, this is too much for me. I do not know. Candlewood Show me the way. Do we or do we still continue to try to do it on our own? This morning. We look at the story from Luke 1. In the six months of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth a town in Galilee to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph a descendant of David the Virgin name was Mary. So it's telling us that here was this guy who is with this woman teenager actually in this town know where come

But an angel comes to her head Angel comes to speak to her. Angel winter and said greetings you are who are highly favored the Lord is with you. Mary was greatly trouble that is worth and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her to not be afraid Mary you have found favor with God. So this teenager who knows she is no great person. She is not some person that is known throughout the world. She has done nothing that would Merit everybody looking at her and hear the angel says that she has found favor with God. If that was you I'm thinking you start to question your sanity yet question whether or not maybe a dehydrated or did you catch the flu? Maybe I need to go to the doctor for a shot? Well, that's what happened to think about. This. Is Mary perceived this message. You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most high God the Lord. God will give him the Throne of his father David and he will reign over Jacobs descendants forever his kingdom will never end. Mary was a Jew and Israelite. She knew the Old Testament prophecy and scripture. And so this Angel by what was being said is letting her know that she was going to give birth to the Messiah.

What a wait, what a burden what a thought to receive. And she responds this did Mary Alice the angel since I am a virgin the angel answered the holy spirit will come on you and the power of the most high will overshadow you so the Holy One to be born will be called The Son of God now, once again you receiving this message still you're not going to get it. I don't understand what you're saying here. The holy spirit is going to what I just don't understand you cannot conceive or understand this we know the storage we've shared it. Are we still share the story, but she didn't know what was going on.

But she was just told. That she was going to bear this child. And she's going to have to let her friends or family. her future husband now this Not knowing what they would think what they would do how they would treat her. Cuz most like they're not going to trust your story about an angel coming to her. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age and she who is said to be unable to conceive in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail and so this Angel says I know you're not trusting me. You're not trusting me. So if you don't believe me go check with her that'll give proof to this message. And then ends for no word from God will ever fail. And so this angel I just let her know that she is going to be part of this amazing plan that God has and that she is going to have to bear this burden.

And just like that. her response I am the Lord's servant Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled and the angel left her. What she must have had to that quickly say I am the Lord's servant. I meant she was willing to bear. This upon her that she would be willing to do this and to follow it and to say may your word to me be fulfilled. She had great faith and trust in this plan. It would not be easy. We know the rest of the story. Yes, she would give birth to Messiah, but it would mean that she was going to be traveling to Egypt going across country borders through deserts long roads tired and thirsty. You know, that means that she is going to watch her son. Be crucified and died. And yet she just simply says may your word to me be fulfilled. and now we look to its Wonderful Life and see what's going on there and how that parallels we We've reached a point where we talked about how. George was offered a job by mr. Potter. What are you get this huge salary where he get this money be able to see the world like he'd always want to a given up and he said no he walked away from it. But since then his uncle lost $8,000 at the bank examiners there. They're going to find out that the bank doesn't have the money. And George is trying to find out how is he going to solve this problem? What can he do to fix this problem? And so after exploring all these other options, he growls and goes back to mr. Potter to ask him to be the one to solve this problem. And this is what happens.

I need help. There's some sort of an accident like on a short in their account the bank examiner got there today. I got the raise $8,000 immediately called man from your building alone man over there from the DA's office looking for you.

Courtesy call so there's nothing wrong with a buck. I just misplaced $8,000. I can't find it anywhere.

A beautiful woman that you've been giving money to become quite important. What kind of security would I have, Georgia?

real estate

Platinum life insurance $15,000 policy

Hurricane, you used to be so cocky you were going to go out and find a human with a first-rate is young man a miserable little crawling on your hands and knees and begging and begging me to grab so much unless I'm glad to have anything. Caroline Building & Loan, I'm going to swear out a warrant for your arrest misappropriation of funds relations.

You can't hide in a little town like this.

This was the last plan that George had. Throughout his life. He always done. What was right the correct thing to do. Of course, mr. Potter put that all in his face that you had all these plans and you know, he's helping Violet out. Just giving her money to help survive any turns that in 200. Is that where the money went all these things come against him. He was always trying to do the right thing. And now it's all being turned against them his uncle's the one that lost the money but he's saying it's him because he doesn't want anything bad to happen to his uncle

So he leaves that office. Not knowing what to do no longer anywhere else to turn. Want to share a story? Man named George Muller Johann Georg Ferdinand Muller on September 27th 1805. He was born in crop in style a village near hollar stock in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1810 family moved to nearby Commerce 11 where Bueller's father was appointed a collector of taxes. Georgia's early life was not marked by righteousness on the contrary. He was a thief a liar. Again Blur by the age of 10 Mueller was stealing government money from his father while his mother was dying he at 14 years of age was playing cards with friends and drinking while in seminary. Yes Seminary at the University of Hull in Germany Miller described his status as one of wicked behavior and unrepentant spirit. He's broke despite my sinful lifestyle and cold heart. God had mercy on me. I was his car careless as ever. I had no Bible had not read any scripture for years. I saw them went to church and out of customer only. I took the Lord's Supper twice a year. I never heard the gospel preached. Nobody told me that Jesus what Jesus meant for Christians, then you are attended a prayer meeting in a private home in 1825 that are Swift transformation began his behavior. I have no doubt that he began to work Grace within me, even though I scarcely had any knowledge of who God really was that evening was the turning point in my life and it truly was at that point. He started to bring everything to God In Prayer. Everything came to God In Prayer from George anytime you wanted to do anything anything he hoped to do he brought up before the Lord. I got an appointment in Bristol England. The story is too amazing how we got from where he was and Prussia all the way to England, but he gets there. And it is first appointment. He's told that the money he will receive will come from those that give money for the front pews with families names are written on their they give money to the church to have those pubes and he says, I can't do that that's wrong. I don't think certain people should have better seats than others just cuz they have money. I refuse that money you do not have to pay me. I will just put out a box at the church and whatever money comes in that is all I will take because that's what God told him to do in prayer and him and his wife after the first year of that. They realized life was no harder than it was before but he had done the right thing. He brought everything to the Lord in prayer and show others about faith in God and trusting in God and this is what he wrote in his journal. This seems to me that's done by establishing an orphan house something which could be seen by the natural eye. If I were Poor Man simply bride prayer and Faith obtained without asking any individual the finances first evolution carrying on an orphan house. This might strengthen the faith of the children of God. It would also be a testimony to the unconverted of the reality of the things of God. This is the primary reason for establishing the orphan house. I certainly do desire to be used by God to help poor children and to train them in the ways of God, but the primary object of work is that God would be magnified because the orphans under my care will be provided with all they need Through prayer and through faith. Everyone will see that God is faithful and hears prayers. He kept a journal over the years about all the things he went to the Lord in prayer for it's over a hundred Pages 167 page autobiography when it comes to the orphanage and how he actually got the funds to run it day-by-day a hundred pages of entries each and everyone saying we had no money we had no food. We had no coal to heat the place with and how he would go to the Lord in prayer were part of the orphanage to be in prayer and how he would trust in God. There's a story out there that if you hear they would they tell about that he would have this children sit down even though there was no food Penny would offer a blessing and then there was a knock on the door and a baker came and said I thought you might need food. So I made extra bread and it's dropped off and right after that. There's another knock on the door. The milk guy had his cart brake and it was easier to unload the milk and give it to him to go back and repair the car and then the milk was provided. That's the story we but I went out and found that it was much greater than that day after day after day. He went to the Lord in prayer.

Keep on going to the Lord in prayer. Why doesn't he just provide for me right now all that I need. That's not what George did I'll give you two entries from his journal November 28th. This is for half the most remarkable day as yet, we believe that the Lord would send help although all seem dark in natural appearances as usual with the brothers and sisters for prayer. Only one shilling had come in and all but two pants that already been spent I found that we had everything necessary for the dinner in the three houses. But neither in the infant's nor the boys or some house was there enough bread for tea or money to buy milk. We United in prayer leaving the situation in the hands of the Lord while we pray there was a knock at the door and one of the sisters went out after the two brother in and I had prayed aloud we continued for a while silently in prayer. I wish I was lifting up my Lord my heart to the Lord asked him to make a way for us. I asked him if there was any of that I could do with a good conscience besides waiting on him so that we might have food for the children. At last we Rose from Arnie's I said God will surely send help the words have not passed my lips when I saw a letter lying on the table, which have been brought while we were in prayer. It contained 10 lb for the orphans.

Chris but nothing more came in during the morning and afternoon. I can ask the Lord to send us help then sat down to meditate over the word. I did not know whether there was a morsel of bread for tea and any of the house but I thought the sure the Lord would provide Your Grace my mind is fully assured of the faithfulness of the Lord in the midst of the greatest need. I'm an able to go about my other work in peace indeed of the Lord did not give me this trust in him. I would scarcely be able to work it all soon after I set down to meditate a note was sent to me from the master of the orphan boys. He wrote when I visited the sisters in the infant and girls orphan house. I found them in the greatest need there was no bread in one of the houses 40 this evening and the six shillings Sixpence was scarcely enough to supply what was needed for dinner. I cope in the offering box in the boys orphan house and unexpectedly found one pound us through the kindness of the lord. We were again abundantly supplied. George cared for 10024 Orphans during his lifetime provided educational opportunities

Singapore above their natural station in British British life He established 117 schools, which offered Christian education to more than a hundred and twenty thousand kildrum. And this operation is still continues today. I'm still they do not sound out any letters asking for support. They only trust that has people feel that and people are moved that they will give to fund the orphanages. George Miller went on to write his autobiography about faith. I desire that all the children of God who read this account of God's work in Bristol be led to trust him for everything. They need under any circumstances. I pray that many answers to prayers. We have seen May encourage them to pray particularly for the conversion of their friends and relatives their own growth in Grace and knowledge Of the Saints the state of the church and the success of the Gospel being preached and received by many a warning against being led Away by the deception of Satan to think these things are particular to me and cannot be enjoyed by all the children of God. He would say that he was no more special than you are. I just like Mary. Common people and yet they had uncommon faith and trust in God's plan amazing things were done and have been done by those who have faith and keep the faith. So now let's go back to George after he's left. Mr. Potter's office knowing that the police are being call. He's being tracked down and he still has no solution first problem. He still doesn't know how it's going to be paid for and how his family is going to be taken care of.

Ardent prayer And as he said that line as the that's the movie was going as they were filming it. The first time those were real tears. He wrote In 1970 that has he said that prayer the weight of all those that were experiencing pain all those that felt helpless crashed upon him and he felt like that this prayer needed to help others to know that they can turn to God, but even if even if they don't know what to say, even if they're not the best churchgoers

Go to the Lord in prayer and furnace and to share their heart. And so he wanted it to be real and tears came down. If you notice when you watch the movie, they actually this is a gray near portion because they can never get that same field. I got that first time that he did it and Sophie went and they had him go through and they extracted it to the tequila close up of his face cuz they didn't have that and the old the first time was the only time where everybody could feel God's holy presence as he prayed and he could see that was something that touched people something that would help people and give them hope and so that is how we get that seen that we have he goes to Martini's bar the place where he could help keep open Martini family TX to make sure they had a home ever. There was a blessing and they got bread and he was there to help with that there he goes. Giving up he knows there is nothing else he can do there is no more than he can do and so finally just breaks down in prayer to God and as this happens member at the beginning of the film. There was prayers lifted up at the same time. Those prayers are friends and family are also being lifted up.

immediately after this the guy next to him punches him It's the husband of his teachers kid who he had yelled at and punches him even says later on. I prayed to God and this is what happens and sometimes it feels that way if you go through and you read George Mueller's ladders there were times where It didn't seem like that was listening. They passed the time that they needed and it still wasn't provided then finally it would happen on God's time frame. And so I go back to the question that I asked you originally. Do you let God show you the way? George finally reached a point where he realized there was nothing he could do and said God show me the way.

Options other options are gone. We sent our self and we're tired and weary pain. There's nothing else we can do and that's when we go to the Lord in prayer.

May we be so bold to go before the Lord before we're desperate before we've done all the things on our own and turn to the Lord. So this Christmas we're looking at things that we can learn from It's a Wonderful Life and what the Bible also shares with us endure the darkness. Living Hope have faith. These are principles that are easier said than done. But if we are able to live them out God will be able to enter into care for us to answer our prayers till I was to see God's holy presence with us even in the midst of the tears even in the midst of hardship. Let us prey. Holy One

It is sometimes hard. To turn to you we think we have to do it all on our own. Sometimes we give up before even turning to you Lord have us help us to turn to you to trust in you to offer up prayers of our hearts to you knowing that the solution may not come as quickly as we would like but that you do listen to that you are in the midst of us have faith that you are in this world bringing hope for healing and listening to our prayer. Give us Faith to trust in you we pray this in your holy name. Amen.