"Reflections to Prepare Us for the Season of Lent"
Sermon Transcript for February 22, 2004
By Rev. Mike Beck
The season of Lent is a time of reflection and repentance. This particular Lenten season promises to be very special with the release of Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ. We as a church cannot ignore this film and go through Lent as if it were not taking place. Its message is at the very heart of the gospel. If you are not aware, your un-churched neighbors are already talking about this film. The message of that story hasn’t changed for 2,000 years. But Jesus, as He spoke of the Kingdom of God in parables, taught us that we who are entrusted with His gospel must always relate it to the events and the culture around us. And so, during this Lenten season at Grace, we will be focusing on The Passion of the Christ.
I sincerely believe that this film is going to cause Christians, it’s going to cause your pastors, to reflect upon our faith in deeper ways than perhaps we have ever done before. For I’m afraid that as we get in the habit of “doing church”, that we have minimalized the seriousness of our sin—my sin, your sin—that sent Jesus to the cross. We have “sanitized” the cross to where it only becomes a beautiful brass symbol on our altars, a decorative piece that we wear around our neck that causes us to forget the fact that the cross of Jesus went to representing the worst form of human torture and execution ever invented. We have failed, I think, to realize the tremendous price that God paid for our salvation. And as we view the film and get in touch with the awesome price that God paid, I pray that correspondingly we will realize in new ways the awesome love of God for us who was willing to send His son to the cross.
Non-believers are going to see this film. They are going to leave the theatre with questions. Some of those persons are going to walk through the doors of our church seeking for answers. Will we be ready to provide them those answers? Friends, if we are first of all we have to prepare ourselves. That involves self-examination and genuine repentance. So we are going to take some moments now in this service for prayers of repentance. And in these moments I would ask that you not be focused on your neighbor—that you simply focus on your own heart and life. Let your attitude, let my attitude, be that of the Psalmist who said: “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me to see if there be any wicked way in me.” So as Sarai plays quietly, would you bow your head that I might leave you in some prayers of repentance.
Would you take a moment to bring before Almighty God, becoming aware of those ACTIONS in your life that are displeasing to God? God expects that our actions reflect Jesus Christ. And as Jesus dealt with the religious leaders of His day, He said that even more important than the outward actions were the attitudes of our hearts. So would you reflect and bring before God those ATTITUDES that are counter to the ways of Jesus Christ? Oh, Lord, do I need to deal with pride? Do I need to deal with self-centeredness? Oh, Lord, is there within my heart unwillingness to forgive? Look within, God, and show me if my relationship with Christ and the church is one of genuine commitment or one of convenience. Search my heart, oh, God. Does my life reveal a servant’s heart or most of the time do I expect to be served by others? Oh, Lord, help us to be willing to acknowledge our sin and to make this season of Lent a time of genuine repentance realizing where I am walking in the wrong direction, turn and walk in your ways. May our prayer, Oh Lord, be the words of that great hymn: “Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me, after Thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still.”
As we continue in an attitude of prayer, and before we pray the prayer of our Lord, I want you especially to pray for Eleanor Logan who had successful surgery on Thursday. There was no cancer; we rejoice in that. But she is experiencing post-operative complications and in this moment needs our prayers. So would you join your hearts for Eleanor and Bill. This coming weekend, twenty-five precious folks here at Grace Church will be sharing in the ALPHA retreat. We just rejoice in what God has been doing in the lives of these people. Would you pray in this moment and be in prayer throughout this week that God’s Holy Spirit to be poured out in special ways upon the leaders and participants of the ALPHA course.
Let us join now in the words that Jesus taught us to pray saying, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name. They Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is your Kingdom, and power and glory forever. Amen.”
During the season of Lent as this film causes us to focus on the cross of Christ in ways we perhaps have never done before, let’s sing in response to our prayer that great hymn, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”.
1. When I survey
the wondrous cross
on which the
Prince of Glory died
my richest
gain I count but loss,
and
pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it,
Lord, that I should boast,
save in the
death of Christ, my God;
all the vain
things that charm me most,
I sacrifice
them to his blood.
3. See, from his
head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and
love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such
love and sorrow meet,
or thorns
compose so rich a crown.
4. Were the whole
realm of nature mine,
that were an
offering far too small;
love so
amazing, so divine,
demands my
soul, my life, my all.
Excerpts from DVD: Hi, I’m Lee Stroebel. I am the author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Easter. You’ve probably heard that Mel Gibson has a new motion picture coming out. It’s called The Passion of the Christ. In a few moments you are going to hear from Mel Gibson and also from Jim Kveisal who plays Jesus Christ. And you are going to see a four-minute preview of this motion picture. I recently had the opportunity to watch the entire movie myself. And I’m telling you what; it was a powerful, and a life-changing experience. I’ve spent my life studying the evidence for the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I’ve interviewed leading experts about it. But until I sat and I experienced this motion picture for myself, as if I were sitting almost in a front row seat to history watching it unfold, I was never impacted at the kind of deep and profound level that I think God wants us to feel about what it is that His Son went through. This motion picture has incredible potential for you to reach your friends and your family members with this message of Jesus Christ.
This film is a product of Mel Gibson spending twelve years of his life contemplating and meditating about the wounds that Jesus Christ endured as He suffered and died for you and me. As you might expect from someone like Mel Gibson, the artistic quality of this film is on a par with all of his Oscar award winning performances. Friends, this film presents a message that every single person must hear and respond to. Just like Mel’s obedience to his calling and making the movie, I believe that God has a role for you and for me in sharing this message with unbelievers. And that role can be summed up in one word. And that word is “invite”. Invite your friends and your family members to first experience this movie and then invite them to come to church with you. You’ll notice that The Passion doesn’t hide how painful the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was. And that’s part of the power of this film. I mean, it is so vivid and it is so real that it’s important for us to experience it, to be touched at the kind of level I think we need to be touched at.
Well, as of this taping it hasn’t been decided yet, but it could be that this film may receive an “R” rating from the secular media. But this film wasn’t made with regard to what rating it might receive. It was made with regard to reality. And so in this case the “R” would stand for that word, for “reality”. And one thing it doesn’t do, friends, it does not glorify evil. Whatever rating it receives, this is a movie that must be seen by all believers and all seekers everywhere. In fact, as you view this movie preview, I want you to ask yourself how God might want to use you through this opportunity. Ask yourself, “Who does He want me to invite to this movie? How would God use me to take my friend or my family member beyond this movie to an enduring relationship with Jesus Christ? How can I work personally with my church to reach out so that every single member of our community can hear and experience the message of this film?” Just imagine how God could use you and your church. This is a powerful bridge. It’s going to start first with bringing people to the very neutral ground of a motion picture theatre. And then I believe it’s going to result in millions of people coming to church to hear the very message that God wants every single person on earth to hear. And that is the message of the cross of Jesus Christ.
Unchurched people are going to be seeking satisfying answers to the type of questions that this film is going to generate inside of them. Who was Jesus Christ really? Why did He die? Did He really die for me? Is the resurrection believable? What does this have to do with my future and with my eternity? Does God really love me that much? I think that Christians and through this movie and churches have a divine appointment to present Jesus Christ to our culture and you are the messengers. Lots of incredible stories have already started to unfold. People who have seen this motion picture in the early stages and even though they are not believers in Jesus Christ, their initial reaction has been to go out and to read all four gospels at once. That’s the kind of impact this movie has.
You are going to be part of this story. Your church is going to be working with you to make the most of this opportunity so that Easter 2004 becomes an incredible outreach opportunity the likes of which we’ve never seen probably in our lifetime. As you preview this movie trailer, prayerfully ask yourself this question: God, how would you use me to share Jesus Christ at this incredibly important time in our culture?
Now I would like you to listen to our friends, Jim Kveisal and Mel Gibson before the preview begins. Hello. I’m Jim Kveisal and I play the role of Jesus in the upcoming film, The Passion of the Christ. I wanted to let you know how much Mel Gibson and I appreciate your support. This film portrays the most important event in history. It is a true story that we believe is true. And it is a message the whole world needs to hear. So, thanks again for helping us get the word out. We look forward to seeing you at the theatre. God bless you.
I’d like to take the opportunity to say thank you for your support for my new film, The Passion of the Christ. I know you are out there and your prayers and support have given me strength to face the challenges of actually getting this film out. My hope is that its message will change people’s lives; remind them of the enormity of the sacrifice that was made for us all. It’s a story that I believe in and it’s a message the whole world needs to hear right now, particularly, I think.
(Preview of the film)
How does God want to “change me” through this film? And a related question, how does God want to “use me” through this film? We are going to seek here at Grace Church to partner with what we believe God is doing in our culture and through Mel Gibson’s film during our Lenten services here at Grace. If you want to take out the insert in your bulletin this morning, let me draw your attention to some of the things we will be doing. Let me urge you to take a few moments this coming Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. to join us at the beginning of Lent for the Ash Wednesday service. In two of the three coming weeks, we are going to ask some fundamental questions so that believers who see the film are going to be asking, “What does it mean when we say Jesus died for me? What do we mean when we say that Jesus is the way to God?” If you have not had the chance to experience the Jews for Jesus presentation, “Christ in the Passover”, mark that on your calendar. You will never partake of Holy Communion the same way again if you have seen that presentation. And then, we want people not only this Lenten season to experience a movie but we want them to experience what the passion of Christ is designed to produce in the life of believers--for them to experience pure love, to experience forgiveness, to experience wholeness, to experience eternal life. And on Psalm Sunday evening, in a video simulcast that will be broadcast nationwide, here at Grace we’ll have a chance to hear Lee Stroebel that you saw this morning as he presents “The Case for Easter”.
We have been able, here at Grace Church, to secure blocks of tickets for two performances of The Passion. We have most of the theatre reserved for those two times—next Sunday afternoon at 12:15 p.m. and then the following Sunday afternoon, March 7th, at 4:15 p.m. Tickets are available to those two performances following the worship service today out in the lobby. As you purchase tickets so that you might attend with people here at Grace, let me encourage you not only to buy tickets for yourself, but to buy a couple of tickets for an unchurched neighbor or friend or coworker that they might attend the film as your guest.
We want to close this message this morning by allowing you to hear these reflections that were written by Jody Dean who is a CBS News Anchor in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. As Reverend Dan reads them, let the Holy Spirit speak to you through the words.
You might want to close your eyes as I read.
There have been tons of emails and forwards floating around recently from those who have had the privilege of seeing Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ prior to its actual release. I thought I’d give you my reaction after seeing it last week. The screening was on the first night of “Elevate!” a weekend-long seminar for young people at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. There were about 2,000 people there, and the movie was shown after several speakers had taken the podium. It started around 9:00 and finished around 11:00, about two hours in length. Frankly, I lost complete track of time – so I can’t be sure.
I want you to know that I started in broadcasting when I was 13 years old. I have been in the business of writing, performing, production and broadcasting for a long time. I have been a part of movies, radio, television, stage and other productions – so I know how things are done. I know about soundtracks and special effects and make-up and screenplays. I think I have seen just about every kind of movie or TV show ever made—from extremely inspirational to extremely gory. I read a lot and have covered stories and scenes that still make me wince. I also have a vivid imagination and have the ability to picture things as they must have happened—or to anticipate things as they will be portrayed. I have also seen an enormous amount of footage from Gibson’s film, so I thought I knew what was coming. But there is nothing in my existence—nothing I could have read, seen, heard, thought, or known—that could have prepared me for what I saw on screen last night.
This is not a movie that anyone will “like”. I don’t think it’s a movie anyone will “love”. It certainly doesn’t “entertain”. There isn’t even the sense that one has just watched a movie. What it is…an experience—on a level of primary emotion that is scarcely comprehensible. Every shred of human preconception or predisposition is utterly stripped away. No one will eat popcorn during this film. Some may not eat for days after they’ve seen it. Quite honestly, I wanted to vomit. It hits that hard.
I can see why some people are worried about how the film portrays the Jews. They should be worried. No, it’s not anti-Semitic. What it is, is entirely shattering. There are no “winners”. No one comes off looking “good” – except Jesus. Even His own mother hesitates. As depicted, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day merely do what any of us would have done—and still do. They protected their perceived “place”—their sense of safety and security, and the satisfaction of their own “rightness”. But everyone falters. Caiphus judges. Peter denies. Judas betrays. Simon the Cyrene balks. Mark runs away. Pilate equivocates. The crowd mocks. The soldiers laugh. Longinus still stabs with his pilus. The centurion still carries out his orders. And as Jesus fixes them all with a glance, they still turn away. The Jews, the Romans, Jesus’ friends—they all fall. Everyone, except the Principal Figure. Heaven sheds a single, mighty tear—and as blood and water spew from His side, the complacency of all creation is eternally shattered. The film grabs you in the first five seconds, and never lets go. The brutality, humiliation, and gore are almost inconceivable – and still probably does not go far enough. The scourging alone seems to never end, and you cringe at the sound and splatter of every blow—no matter how steely your nerves. Even those who have known combat or prison will have trouble, no matter their experience—because this Man was not conscripted. He went willingly, laying down His entirety for all. It is one thing for a soldier to die for his countrymen. It’s something else entirely to think of even a common man dying for those who hate and wish to kill him. But this is no common man. This is the King of the Universe. The idea that anyone could or would have gone through such punishment is unthinkable—but this Man was completely innocent, completely holy—and paying the price for others. He screams as He is laid upon the cross, “Father, they don’t know. They don’t know…”
What Gibson has done is to use all of his considerable skill to portray the most dramatic moment of the most dramatic events since the dawn of time. There is no escape. It’s a punch to the gut that puts you on the canvas, and you don’t get up. You are simply confronted by the horror of what was done—what had to be done—and why. Throughout the entire film, I found myself apologizing.
What you’ve heard about how audiences have reacted is true. There was no sound after the film’s conclusion. No noise at all. No one got up. No one moved. The only sound one could hear was sobbing. In all my years of public life, I have never heard anything like that.
I told many of you that Gibson had reportedly re-shot the ending to include more “hope” through the Resurrection. That’s not true. The Resurrection scene is perhaps the shortest in the entire movie—and yet it packs a punch that can’t be quantified. It is perfect. There is no way to negotiate the meaning out of it. It simply asks, “Now, what will you do?”
I’ll leave the details to you, in the hope that you will see the film—but one thing above all stands out, and I have to tell you about it. It comes from the end of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness—where the Bible says Satan left him “until a more opportune time”. I imagine Satan never quit tempting Christ, but this film captures beyond words the most opportune time. At every step of the way, Satan is there at Jesus’ side—imploring Him to quit, reasoning with Him to give up, and seducing Him to surrender. For the first time, one gets a heart-stopping idea of the sense of madness that must have enveloped Jesus—a sense of the evil that was at His very elbow. The physical punishment is relentless—but it’s the sense of psychological torture that is most overwhelming. He should have quit. He should have opened His mouth. He should have called 10,000 angels. No one would have blamed Him. What we deserve is obvious. But He couldn’t do that. He wouldn’t do that. He didn’t do that. He doesn’t do that. It was not and is not His character. He was obedient, all the way to the cross—and you feel the real meaning of that phrase in a place the human heart usually doesn’t dare to go. You understand that we are called to that same level of obedience. With Jesus’ humanity so irresistibly on display, you understand that we have no excuse. There is no place to hide.
The truth is this: Is it just a “movie”? In a way, yes. But it goes far beyond that, in a fashion I’ve never felt—in any forum. We may think we “know”. We know nothing. We’ve gone 2,000 years—used to the idea of a pleasant story, and a sanitized Christ. We expect the ending, because we’ve heard it so many times. God forgave us. This film tears that all away. It is as close as any of us will ever get to knowing, until we fully know. Paul understood. “Be urgent, in and out of season.”
Luke wrote that Jesus reveals Himself in the breaking of the bread. Exactly. The Passion of the Christ shows that Bread being broken.
Go see this movie.
E-mail Comments to: Reverend Dan Sinkhorn