we set out thursday night with initial intentions to see the new documentary on intelligent design by ben stein called "expelled: no intelligence allowed". but, i love super hero movies (cindy likes some and loves mainly one; x-men) so when i saw that "iron man" was actually playing that night instead of friday, its announced released date, i said, "babe! babe! iron man is playing! we have to see it! it's iron man babe!
iron man. . ."
"oh yay! okay," she said, "let's see that."
so, we paid to see the new marvel comic studios production of
iron man. needless to say i was extremely excited. i love superhero movies; i love the biographical journey of becoming wolverine (can't wait for that one) or superman, the hulk, batman, or in this case, iron man. i'm tuned in. i was nudging cindy periodically and whispering my excitement and anticipation in her ear, "look babe. he's becoming ironman. . .he's building it!" there's was a point when the movie died down after a very intense beginning and cindy thought it was over. "over? no way!," i said, "it's just beginning. he hasn't even become iron man yet."
i won't spoil the film for anyone who reads this and might have the same esteem for superhero flicks as i do. i give the movie a 4.5 out of 5 stars (just because i'm saving my 5 for the wolverine movie that comes out next year).
so we're leaving the movie and i still kind of beguiled and excited about what we just watched. then, i felt something like conviction, at least i thought it was conviction. conviction for, even for a moment, exalting someone or something other than God in my mind. and as we were driving away i asked God to help me see the movie through a God centered lens. i asked Him to make good out of what i was just entertained by and for Him to be glorified in my thoughts over and above a fictional character.
i thought; people (including myself) are fascinated by fictional superheroes because most of them are just ordinary men and women who have extraordinary powers and abilities. "oh look, it's a normal man. no! wait! there's claws coming from his hands! wow!"
many a minds are captivated by the "superness" of these ordinary looking human beings. but, the excitement dies down when we're halted by the realization that they're not real and they're
just fictional.
somewhere in my thought process revelation 22:20 came to mind, where Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon." then revelation 19:11-16 where John talks about Jesus coming back on a white horse with a sword coming from His mouth etc. . .i'm aware of the fact that much of these descriptions are john reaching for something that best described what it was he was actually seeing. none the less, if you read it you get the sense that this Christ is not coming as He came the first time, He'll come back with evident power, with blood on His robe (wow) and a white hot passion for clearing His name. His coming will be bright and superb and dramatic. His coming, and even now, His present reality and eternal existence is
real and far succeeds the fictional powers had by some two-dimensional superhero penned from the imaginations of men.
God was answering my prayer. He was turning my gaze away from flimsy entertainment to the bold reality of Jesus Christ, who's power and force isn't created or imagined, but completely real. frighteningly real.
although
iron man was entertaining, it was a man's attempt to captivate the imaginations of others using the story of an ordinary man who does extraordinary things. scripture on the other hand, tells the factual story of a man who posses all the capabilities and powers comic writers and super hero fans fanaticize about, and who will one day come back and unveil this power and authority for all to see.
one day soon, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father.
That's captivating.
The motive and essence of the love of God is a topic that's been debated and discussed in many circles, including Christian ones. Prayerfully, this sermon communicates an accurate, scripturally based picture of God's love and its infinite distinction from any finite and tainted definition.
