Maps are Important
One of my absolute favorite movies from my childhood is The Goonies. If you have never seen or heard of the movie, it is about group of young misfits that call themselves the Goonies. These young people are facing the reality of losing their homes to a developer when they discover a treasure map while packing their home in preparation for the move. They set out on an adventure hoping to save their neighborhood with the promise of pirate treasure. In an early scene, two of the boys, brothers, have a discussion about the map they have discovered disputing its value. The older brother, Brandon Walsh, argues that if the map was real then “why would it be up in this attic instead of some safety deposit box.” His younger brother, Mikey Walsh, responds by saying, “What if? What if this map could lead to One-Eyed Willie’s rich stuff? Then we wouldn’t have to leave the Goon Docks!”
Mikey Walsh may have seemed like an unrealistic optimist. However, in my opinion, he saw value in a map and wanted to follow where it would lead them. I have often heard people refer to the Bible like a map or even a GPS to God. While I believe the Bible is more than that there is also a lot of truth to it. Like an ancient treasure map, the Bible is filled with pages that are the written experiences of people from many years ago. Instead of directing people to a pirates treasure the Bible directs us towards God’s plan for salvation. As we read it we learn of the many paths that have been taken and the pitfalls that we should avoid on our way there. We discover that God has prepared the way and even sent to us someone, Jesus Christ, to guide us in the right direction and save us when we have gotten lost on the trail. We are encouraged to know that this map is interactive and that God has provided for us the Holy Spirit to illuminate the path before us. The Bible is an important tool for all us, but why has it become an unutilized and stationary object for so many people?
I believe that like the parents of the Walsh brothers in the movie, we have put it away as if it is a piece of art to admire rather than a tool to use. Like their parents, we tried it before but gave up the treasure hunt. So my response to you is this, “What if? What if this map could lead to God’s rich stuff?” On the road trip of life we need maps that will help us to get where want to go. One map is scripture and it is a valuable and underutilized resource. God has provided other maps as well and this Sunday (August 2nd) we will talk about a few of them. Join us for worship at 8:30 AM (Traditional) and 10:45 AM (Contemporary) as we continue this discussion.
In God’s grip,
Pastor Chuck Church
