Home Alone-Movies Luke 15:1-7 12/2/2012

Sermon 12-2-2012 Luke 15:1-7 home alone- movies 9

Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

New series- Christmas goes to the movies

Finding the message of hope as cradled in some of our beloved shows

Today, home alone

Produced in the Year 1990.  As of 2009, highest grossing comedy all time.

Mcauly culkin as kevin mcallister

Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister: Kevin's mother.

Roberts Blossom as Old Man Marley: An elderly man and a neighbor of the McCallisters who is said to have murdered his whole family, causing Kevin to run scared of him every time he sees him.

John Candy as Gus Polinski: A member of a band (The Kenosha Kickers) whose flight is canceled due to the weather.

John plays a minor role, but it is so funny, I had to mention him and his polka band

Several themes that speak to our faith from this movie

The angst of being alone Being Alone

Kevin is happy about it at first, but later really misses his family

We have all felt it

It does not feel good.

There is a lost-ness to the feeling of being alone.  Powerlessness

This is not about if you are single or married.  You can be married and be alone.  You can be single and have tons of friends.

Introverts are energized by time alone.  Yet they get lonely too.

Psalm 25:16
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted

Jesus withdrew to the lonely places to pray

Imagine how the sheep feels when it realized that it is alone. 

This Scripture is followed by lost coin and lost son. 

How does the son feel when he comes to his senses.

Being alone can be a very difficult thing.

The second theme that I would lift up to you  from this movie isThe visual of the pursuit of God

One of the most touching aspects in the film is the persistent desire of the mother to find her son.  To make sure that he is safe.  Nothing is going to impede her.

There is a desperate sense of pursuit on her part.

Lets watch a clip of this.

2 first class tickets, pocket translator, $500 ring, watch and earrings to get on the plane

Kevin is going about life, [eating junk food, grocery shopping, ordering pizza and fighting burglars] and mom is pursuing him.

We go about life, all the while, god is pursuing us

God is like this.  His is pursuing us.  Wooing us.  Desiring us.

From the moment of our birth, before we are even aware of it, God is seeking us

This is the concept of prevenient grace.  God acting in the world to reach us, before we even know it.

When a child is brought for baptism.  2 questions

Will you keep this child under the nurture and admonition of the church so that when he/she comes to the age of decision……

God is desperately pursuing us

Not me, I am too big of a sinner

Hosea and Gomer

Old testament book.  although she sins repeatedly, Hosea takes her back.

The greatest example of God seeking humans is the incarnation

The fact that jesus came from heaven to earth to reach us

The son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost-  lk 19:10

The names of the savior show God desire……

Mt 1:20-23

an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[d]—which means, “God with us.”

The final point from this movie –reconciliation

God doesn’t chase us because he wants the exercise

The goal of pursuit is capture

The story of seeking is never done until there is a reconciliation

Kevin has a change of heart.

Tells santa, instead of toys, I want my family back

When our hearts change, we realize what is really important in life.

Home alone is not just the story of Kevin…..there is this neighbor man

Old man marley – Kevin is afraid of him

They meet up later in the church

Talk about family. Old man marley is broken.

They are both home alone

Kevin talks to him about reconciliation with his son

He encourages him to call the son

Lets watch the clip of them at the end

what would be our take aways today.

1.   Is there someone that you need to reconcile with- never forget that one of the……the core doctrine of Christianity is forgiveness. Though it seems impossible, the is always hope when grace is extended.

2.   Be on the look out this Christmas season for those who are alone.   Broken, lost, frightened.  Reach out to them

3.   You may feel alone, but God is all around you and actively seeking u

Nothing can separate us from the love of God - Romans 8:38-39