Your Story
Pt. 1 - Booted?
I. Introduction
They seem lifeless. Motionless. But then we watch the documentary called "Toy Story" and the truth is revealed . . . toys come alive when we leave the room. Right? So, Toy Story introduces us to Andy's toys. Characters like Rex the dinosaur. Stinky Pete the prospector. Bo Peep. Porky the Piggy Bank and of course Woody a rag doll cowboy. Eventually, Woody meets bullseye, his horse, and Jessie his cowgirl counterpart.
In Toy Story 1, Woody's rank as the favorite toy is threatened by the arrival of a new toy that Andy gets on his birthday. A toy by the name of Buzz Lightyear arrives on the scene. I want to show you an interesting exchange that takes place when Buzz shows up that becomes a theme that is carried throughout the rest of the movies.
VIDEO #1(Buzz shows name to other toys.)
Buzz is seen as an interloper. An invader. An outsider. A stranger that is to be suspicioned until he shows the other toys the bottom of his boot. What is inscribed there is something that changes everything. This one thing causes him to be completely and totally accepted. It brings him into the fold and makes him one of them. It is, of course, Andy's name written on his boot. It authenticates him. It is an indication of who he belongs to and that inscription gives him access into the toy family.
A couple of things this scene teaches us . . . if you are familiar with the movie Buzz has no clue who he really is. He thinks he is a real space ranger until he sees this mark on his boot and a revelation comes that he is, in fact, a toy. He has identity issues. But with the help of the other toys and Woody he comes to realize he is a toy owned by Andy. Buzz also struggles to gain acceptance into the toy family and belong until he reveals that he has this mark.
No mark = confusion and exclusion.
What are you talking about? When you don't have the mark of your master on you, then you will struggle to know who you are because you don't know whose you are. You will struggle to find your place and where you fit because people will exclude you because they don't know if you are part of the family! Everybody is talking about inclusion these days but exclusion for lack of mark is common sense - no mark at Sam's Club, Costco, gang member, fraternity and you can't get in! Some of you are wondering why you are struggling to know who you are, what you are supposed to be about, where is my place? The truth is those answers only come when you have the mark! You discover those answers when you know whose you are!
Don't misunderstand if we haven't allowed our rightful owner to mark us, then others begin to label us and try to define us and direct us. So, it is absolutely essential to be marked by our owner.
So how do you get the mark? This mark is obtained when and only when you believe in Christ as your savior!
Text: Ephesians 1:13-14 (GNT)
And you also became God's people when you heard the true message, the Good News that brought you salvation. You believed in Christ, and God put his stamp (mark) of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit he had promised. The Spirit is the guarantee that we shall receive what God has promised his people, and this assures us that God will give complete freedom to those who are his. Let us praise his glory!
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
It is God himself who makes us, together with you, sure of our life in union with Christ; it is God himself who has set us apart, who has placed his mark of ownership upon us, and who has given us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the guarantee of all that he has in store for us.
When we hear the good news and believe we are marked. Or in the terms of Toy Story . . . we are booted!
This is why Paul so often implores us to live our lives marked in Christ. In fact, in his epistles, he encourages us to be “in Christ,” “in him,” or “in the Lord” 160 times! That’s 160 times we are told to be marked or find our identity in Christ! Paul says it again and again and again. In Christ … In Christ … In Christ … he recognizes that the mark is essential to be able to live our purpose, to find our identity and to belong.
So Paul, takes time in Ephesians 1 to teach us what this mark does (it does what it did for Buzz). . . It reveals that . . .
Ephesians 1:5 - We are adopted as His sons.
Ephesians 1:5 says, “…he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” So, this mark makes us part of His family.
Ephesians 1:6 - We are accepted.
“…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Even if I experience rejection from people, God will never reject me. He accepts and delights in me.
Ephesians 1:7 - We are redeemed.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins . . ." So, it is only when we are marked that we find redemption, restoration and forgiveness.
Ephesians 1:11 - We are chosen.
"In him we were also chosen . . .to praise God's glory." Some of us were never chosen for any team but when we believe in Christ the good news is that we are chosen to bring praise to God.
You need to be marked! Too many of us want the benefits of being adopted (which gives us access to His blessings), accepted (which gives us sense of completion and belonging), redemption (which gives us a new start) and being chosen (which gives us purpose) but none of those things are available to those who don't have the mark!
The good news is that you can have His name written on you today! All you have to do is believe!
However, there is another part of the story.
VIDEO #2 (Andy has boot panted and then scrapes off boot.)
Woody is captured by the toy collector. He is sent to the fixer and the fixer paints over Andy's name on Woody's boot. This causes a problem. For the next few scenes Woody forgets who and whose he is. It isn't until he scrapes the paint off the bottom of his boot and Andy's name is once again revealed that he comes to his senses. The challenge that those of us who have already been marked face is that too often we allow the things we go through, painful experiences, interaction with people to to paint our boot. We forget who and whose you are. I want to ask you a question . . . has your boot been painted?
Have you forgotten that you are marked with His love, His purpose, His call? Some of us need to take some time and uncover the mark again. We need to remember who we belong to!
If the enemy can cover or conceal the mark on you, then he can capture you! If he can cover your mark with bankruptcy, sickness, divorce, pain, sickness, or dryness, then he can cause you to miss your purpose, destiny, and cause you to sit on the sidelines rather than impacting your world.
I want to encourage you remember your mark! Uncover your mark! Peal off the paint of pain. Scrape off the cover of confusion. Scratch off the sickness. Dust off the distraction.
When we remember our mark, we remember we are different!
We need to remember that His mark makes us different - not better - different. Not ego - set apart to be different. Buzz finds out he isn't better - he thought he was a real space ranger but discovered he was a toy like the rest of the toys. But he was different! He could fall with grace.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.
Colossians 3:12
You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Come on tell you neighbor "I have been booted!" Neighbor look back at them and say, "Then live/act like it!" Some of you need to get marked. But too many of us are acting like we aren't marked. Some of you have forgotten your mark.
