Toy Story 4

It was raining cats and dogs that night. Thunder. Lightening. Darkness. Storming. All of the toys were thought to be in Bonnie’s room safe and dry. After a quick conversation, it was discovered that RC, a remote controlled car, was missing. He wasn’t inside, which meant he was probably all by himself outside in the storm. Oh no. He was left outside in the rain and the thunder and the lightening. The toys rushed to look outside. There he was. Struggling. Exhausted. Drenched. Scared. He was caught up in a stream of water flowing down the side of the street. The current was too strong for him to get out of. He was about to be washed away. The toys jumped into action. They opened the window. Woody jumped on Slinky’s back. They stretched and stretched and stretched some more. They were within inches of RC. Losing his grip, RC thought it was over. His tires were losing grip. His battery was dying. He had given it all he had. Just as he was giving up, Woody grabbed him by the fender and snatched him up to safety. They rescued him. I see the parallel.

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you were born, how many Benjamins you have in the bank, how many degrees you have hanging on the wall or who’s in your network, there’s a storm with your name on it. It gets dark and we can’t see our way. When it rains, it pours. Thunder shakes the foundation of our lives. Lightening cracks our skies. We all get caught in storms. Relationship storms. Financial storms. Educational storms. Social storms. Racist storms. Classicist storms. Career storms. Emotional storms. Health storms. Bigger than those. Spiritual storms. There are times when we say like Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots, “Into each life some rain must fall. But too much is falling in mine.” There are storms, but worse than that are streams of opposition. It’s bad enough to be caught in a horrific storm. Then you have to deal with streams of opposition. You have to fight against the current to survive. Sin is the biggest opposition in your life. Over confidence in the flesh or self is the second biggest opposition in your life. Frenemies, people you thought were in your corner but really aren’t, are the third biggest opposition in your life. Storms and streams of opposition.

Mary J. Blige once said, “You can look at my palm and see the storm coming. Read the book of my life and see I've overcome it.”

Though the storms keep on raging in my life. And sometimes it’s hard to tell the night from day. Still that hope that lies within is reassured. As I keep my eyes on that distant shore. I know He’ll lead me safely to that blessed place He has prepared. But if the storms don’t cease. And if the wind keeps on blowing, in my life. My soul has been anchored in the Lord.

But thank God Jesus looked around heaven and didn’t see our names on “The List.” He looked out of heavens window and saw us caught up in the storms of life and struggling in the streams of opposition. He jumped in a borrowed body. Came through Mary’s virgin womb. Became Joseph’s stepson. Dwelt among us. Taught us. Corrected us. Lead us. Healed us. Delivered us. Prepared us. Lifted us. Most importantly, He LOVED us so He could SAVE US! He saved us from sin. He saved us from streams of opposition. Hallelujah! He came to our rescue. Snatched us by the heart and lifted us up. Safe!

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

Blessed be God. Not I’m blessed. It’s different. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this sense, Paul is saying God is worthy to be praised. He rescued me from my storms, my sins and streams of opposition. He deserves to be praised. But hold on. He’s not just saying we should bless God, he’s in the very act of blessing God. As he’s writing this statement, he’s blessing the God. We have to move from discussing how much we should bless God to demonstrating how much we bless God. Bless God. Why? Because He’s God. He’s the Creator. He’s Almighty. He’s awesome. He’s magnificent. He’s wonderful. He’s all together lovely. Bless God. Why? Because He’s the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Bless God. Why? Because He blessed us with all spiritual blessings! Tell somebody, “I know it storms at times, but we still have a reason to rejoice.” He blessed us. Verse 4. He chose us before the foundation of the world. Others may overlook you, but God picked you. Verse 5 In love, He predestined us. He planned the perfect path for your life prior to your arrival. Verse 7. He redeemed us through the blood of Jesus. He forgave us. Verse 8. He lavished us with His grace. Verse 9. He made know His will for our lives. Verse 10. He united us. He brought us together. He keeps us together. And for these reasons, all these spiritual blessings, I rejoice!

In case you missed it, let me sum up the reasons we rejoice. God rescued us from sins. He removed our trespasses. He reveals His will for our lives. He reconnects us with a community of believers. Go ahead and bless His Holy name!

When Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Old Timer, the Potato Heads, Rex, Slinky, Trixie and Slinky rescued RC and they were safely back in the room, they rejoiced. What reason has God given you to rejoice? He blessed me with life. He blessed me with joy. He blessed me with relationships. He blessed me with all spiritual blessings! You still looking for all physical blessings. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, God has blessed you with all spiritual blessings. I can pray. I can serve. I can make peace. I can forgive. I can worship. I can heal. I can level up. I can endure. I can overcome. I can move mountains. I can walk on water. I can connect people to God!

Let me share another theme with you from TS4. Remember when it was time for Bonnie to go to school? It was a new school. Bonnie wasn’t feeling it. She was terrified. She cried. She hid under her bed. She didn’t want to go to the new school. She cried out, “Can I take a toy?” “Of course not”, her dad said. “No toys allowed.” Woody saw Bonnie’s distress, jumped into her bookbag. They arrived at school. Went to her new class. It was awful. None of the students talked to her. She put her bookbag up. Sat at a table. Woody knew she needed a toy. It would make her day. He ran to the trash can. Pulled out a spork, red pipe cleaner, some eyes, clay and a popsicle stick. He threw it all on the desk in front of Bonnie. She Bonnie took all pieces of trash that nobody wanted anymore and put it together. Trash fork. Trash eyes. Trash arms. Trash feet. She put all that trash together and made something new. She made Forky. Forky brought joy to her life in a new place. It made the new place better!

I see God in this. God had to take you to the new place with new faces because He wanted to do something new with you. Yes. You’re blessed, but God wants to do something new with you.

But I see something else here. There are people who trashed you. They trashed your dreams. They trashed your potential. They trashed your ideas. They talked trash about you. But God had a Bonnie, we call them Jesus, who saw all the spiritual blessings God invested in you. Jesus put your head on straight. Let this mind that is in Christ be also in you. Jesus put fill my mouth with the power of life and death. I can speak those things that are not as though they were. Jesus filled my eyes with vision. Jesus put my hands in the right places on the right things. You can keep the Midas touch. I got that Jesus touch. Whatever you do in His name will prosper. Jesus put His word in my heart and stabilized my feet. He took what others thought was trash and made a treasure. I’m not trash. I’m a treasure. My thoughts aren’t trash, they’re my treasure. My brown body isn’t trash, it’s my treasure. My church ain’t trash, it’s God’s treasure chest to a dying world.

I was cracking up on Forky. He kept looking for trash. He was always running towards trash. He was born in trash. He was comfortable in the trash. Remember. Forky jumped from a moving RV. Here’s the good news. Woody was dedicated to rescuing Forky from the trash. No matter how many times Forky jumped in the trash, Woody was right there to rescue him.

Gen 2:7. Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. God planted him in the garden. Sin crept in. Sin nature made them enemies of God. The flesh doesn’t want what God wants. It misses the mark. It aims at the wrong target. It cheats. It fornicates. It lies. It kills. It dishonors. It damages. It discourages. It trashes. But thank God! 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us

He redeemed us according to the riches of His grace. He lavished His grace all over us! Tell somebody, GRACE looks good on you. Grace smells good on you. Grace sounds good coming from you. We’re drenched in His grace.

It was grace that led Woody and Forky to Second Chance Antiques. Woody saw Bo Peep’s lamp in the window. He wanted to reconnect so he went to Second Chance. Lord have mercy. This is the place where toys get a second chance. RC got a second chance. Woody got a second chance. Forky got a second chance. Bo Peep got a second chance. Even Gabby Gabby got a second chance. Duke Caboom got a second chance. All the lost toys got a second chance to be loved. To be taken home!

I’m done. He rescued us from the storm. He redeemed us from sin. Verse 10. God has a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

I can sum up the life of Christ easily. He reunites us for the heavenly celebration. Reunited and it feels so good! Woody reunited with Bo Peep and it felt so good. Forky reunited with Bonnie and it felt so good. As a matter of fact, Woody and Bo Peep dedicated the rest of their lives connecting toys to children who would take them home. And it felt so good!

We ought to be like Woody and Bo Peep. We ought to spend the rest of our lives connecting the lost to Christ; connecting the wounded to Christ; connecting the broken hearted to Christ; connecting the hated to Christ; connecting the depressed to Christ; connecting the homeless to Christ. Reach out and connect somebody to Christ. Connect atheists to Christ. Connect the unchurched to Christ. Connect your spouse to Christ. Connect your children to Christ. Connect your friends to Christ. Connect someone to Christ! Walk away singing. Reunited and it feels so good!

"When writing on “The Satisfaction of Christ” John Owen said: “This then is what we ascribe to the death of Christ, when we say that as a sacrifice we were reconciled to God or that He made reconciliation for us. Having made God our Enemy by sin, Christ by His death turned away His anger, appeased His wrath, and brought us into favor again with God.”"