“What Would Jesus Say to Frosty the Snowman?” - Peachtree ...

prayer life. They say there are three ways toget something done: do it yourself, paysomeone to do it, or forbid your children todo it. This morning we may be standing,paralyzed, on a mountaintop overlookingthe new year, wondering “What now?”An angel comes to the disciples and says,“What are you still doing up here? Youhave so much to look forward to.” Theangel then makes promises. In the text weread this morning, God gives us fourpromises here in this text. Promise #1:Your life is in the hands of a loving God.Acts 1:7 says “It is not your time to knowthe times or dates the Father has set by hisown authority.” We can’t know what thefuture holds, but we do know who holds thefuture. The future is a secret known only toHim. I know many of us would love to gohome and find that God has e-mailed us adetailed itinerary for the year 2001. It’s notgoing to happen. We have no choice but totrust God for our future.I once had a profoundly spiritual experiencewhile watching “Indiana Jones and theTemple of Doom.” In one scene, Indiana isrunning as fast as he can from the bad guyswith machetes, when he comes to aprecipice with a thousand-foot drop. Thereis no way to get across it. The bad guys arecoming fast. This is the end of IndianaJones! We see a closeup of his face. (Youknow, Harrison Ford has made a career outof looking worried.) Then, Indiana Jonesdoes a crazy thing. He steps out into thinair, and as his foot comes down, a bridgematerializes out of nowhere! He crosses thebridge and escapes. When I saw that Ithought, “That’s the Christian life!” We arealways stepping out, trusting that God willbe there for us – that’s the Gospel accordingto Indiana Jones.When I think of trust, I think of the mosttrusting creature in the world, my ChocolateLab, Carolina. Recently David Lettermanlisted ten reasons why dogs are better thanwives. The one I remember was “The lateryou get home at night, the happier the dog isto see you.” Carolina is the most trustingdog in the world. She positions herself infront of a doorway, rolls over on her back,spreads her legs out, and trusts you will notstep on her. She even trusts that you willlove her so much that you will reach downto pat her on the most tender part of hertummy. Do we trust our Master as much asour dogs trust us?You cannot be a Christian without trust.What was salvation for Adam and Eve in thegarden? Did God say, “Now, you must pickeighteen boxes of apples every single day”?No, He said, “Do not eat of the fruit of thattree. You must trust that I know what isbetter for you than you yourself know.”For us, trusting God in 2001 means goingforward without knowing the future andtrusting that everything that happens to us inthe coming year will occur for a reason.In Psalm 59, David mentions enemies lyingin wait for him. His “bad guys” aren’tbehind him like Indiana Jones’ pursuers; hisenemies are out ahead, and David is terrifiedto move forward. He prays, “O Lord, Yougo before me. You are already out therearound the bend, preparing my future full ofblessings and goodness and hope.”A friend of mine always signs his letters, “InHis grip.” That is how we must go forwardinto the year 2001: with the sure knowledgethat our lives are in the hands of a loving-3-

into the operating room, and his clothes arestripped off in preparation for emergencysurgery. Present in the room are Dr. Bentonand an African-American nurse who isabout to insert an IV. As the patient’sclothes are removed, a tattoo on his arm isrevealed. That day on ER they used a wordI would never use from the pulpit, but I needto allude to it. The tattoo on the skinhead’sarm said, “Die, N-----, die.” African-American Dr. Benton and the African-American nurse gasp as they read it aloud.Then Dr. Benton looks into the faces of allthe people around the examining table andsays, “Folks, we’ve got a job to do; let’s doit.” He operates and saves the man’s life.He gets home an hour after his mother’sbirthday party has ended. His waiting sisterberates him for missing the party and stormsout of the room. Dr. Benton stands in thedark and says, “Can you beat this? I missmy dying mother’s birthday party to savethe life of a man with that word written onhis arm!”God’s love is so powerful that it can help anAfrican-American doctor save the life of askinhead and maybe even forgive his sister.It is a love so powerful that it can help uslove the flawed, imperfect people in ourfamilies and in our jobs and all around us. Ithelps us bear all things, believe all things,hope all things, and endure all thingsbecause it comes from one who loved us somuch that he gave his own life on ourbehalf. His love is enthroned in our hearts.He gives us Promise #4: Don’t cry, I’ll beback again some day. One of the angelssays, “This Jesus whom you have seen gointo heaven will return in the way you sawhim go.” Our Creed says, “He ascendedinto heaven and sitteth on the right hand ofGod the Father Almighty, from thence heshall come....” Who knows, 2001 may bethe year. On that day we get our loved onesback, and our family circles will beunbroken, and there will be hugs and tearsof joy forever and ever.David Peterson, pastor of the MemorialDrive Presbyterian Church in Houston,Texas, is a good friend of mine. One day ashe was working on a sermon, his littledaughter, Angie, ran in and said, “Daddy,can I give you a hug?” Like any compulsivepreacher, he said, “No, honey, wait until Ifinish working on my sermon.” Angieturned around and started to walk out. Thenshe ran back, threw her arms around herdaddy and gave him “a chiropractic hug,” asDavid calls it. He said, “Hey, I thought youwere going to wait until I was finishedworking on my sermon.” Angie looked upand said, “I know. I just wanted you toknow what you have to look forward to.”You and I have so much to look forward toin the year 2001 and forever and ever.Would you join me in prayer?Lord, we thank you that we don’thave to fear tomorrow because Youare already there preparing blessingsand wonderful things for those wholove You. Today, especially, wethank You for “all the saints whofrom their labors rest, to Thee byfaith before the world confessed.”We know that many familiesgathered here are still reeling fromthe loss of loved ones in the pastyear. You are so patient with us inour grieving. You understand thatwe need time to heal. We thank Youfor the hope that is ours in ChristJesus, for the party You are-5-

planning, for the hugs and kisses,and for your last promise: that Youwill wipe away every tear from oureyes. It is in that hope that we singYour praise, in Christ’s name.Amen.-6-