Who's Your One: Week 1, March 10, 2019

Istrouma Baptist Church Podcast

What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Commonly mentioned ones include “Elf,” “Home Alone,” and “Miracle on 34th Street.” But my personal favorite is “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

The main character is George Bailey. As a young man, he is full of dreams about what his life will become. He wants to leave his quaint hometown of Bedford Falls and see the world. But family responsibilities keep him tied down there.

He never makes a lot of money. He never travels widely. His name is not up in lights. To make matters worse, a mistake by his uncle puts George in hot water with the law. In desperation he wonders if his life has made a difference and whether it’s even worth living. He contemplates ending it all.

When word spreads about George’s crisis, friend after friend comes to his home to offer help. As they do, they mention the ways that he has impacted their lives. One would not have had a roof over his head were it not for George. Another would have gone to prison were it not for George. The last of his friends to arrive is actually his younger brother, Harry. George had rescued him from drowning when they were kids. Because of that, Harry was able to grow up and become a hero in WWII. He was responsible for saving a whole ship full of men. Had George not lived, Harry would not have been rescued and, in turn, none of those sailors’ lives would have been saved.

George Bailey learned that his had indeed been a “wonderful life.” His life was wonderful because he had impacted others. He was instrumental in saving the life of one who, in turn, was instrumental in saving the lives of hundreds.

Now, as we all know, that movie is fiction. But the Bible gives us several true accounts of individuals who impacted others for God. This Sunday I will tell you about the real life story of a man that God used to help bring salvation to his brother and, through him, to many, many others. I am speaking of Andrew and Simon Peter. Though Andrew is less renowned than Peter, Andrew, too, lived “a wonderful life.”

The truth is that God wants to use each of us in a similar way. We discover that “it’s a wonderful life,” as we impact others in positive ways—particularly in leading them to life in Jesus. Join us this Sunday at Istrouma!

Who’s Your One

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

John 1:35-42

1. A declarationabout Jesus

The next day again John . . . looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”(John 1:35-36)

1. John is the speaker
2. Jesus is the substance

2. A decisionfor Jesus

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus(1:37).

1. A consideration of who Jesus is
2. A commitment to who Jesus is

3. A duty to Jesus

He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus(1:41-42a).

1. To care
2. To connect