A Star Wars Themed Message: The Force and The Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-13)

 Star Wars themed Message for Milledgeville and Whitestown UMC

The Force and The Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-13)

 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, 
but against the rulers, against the authorities, 
against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 
Ephesians 6:12

Did you know that Jedi Temple has an air freshener system powered by the Force?

 

If you think about it, it makes scents.

 

May is loaded with Star Wars anniversaries. The annual May the 4th (International Star Wars Day) was last Sunday. The 14th is Makers Day (George Lucas' birthday). May 19th is the 20th anniversary of the release of Revenge of the Sith. And the 25^th of May is the day the original Star Wars premiered in 1977.

 

In honor of my affection for Star Wars, or my affliction, I'm doing a topical sermon comparing our faith to Star Wars mythology.

 

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there lived a farm boy on a desert planet. Tatooine orbited two stars and was covered in sand. Luke Skywalker worked at his uncle Owen’s moisture farm, but he dreamed of adventure out among the stars. Little did he know that the adventure he desired would come with lethal force and his life would change forever.

 

The family purchased two used droids from traders known as Jawas.

 

What is a Jawa’s favorite drink? Martini!

 

Favorite pasta? Rotini!

 

Luke was cleaning the droids when he stumbled across a recorded plea for help from a princess. That night the astromech droid, R2-D2, left the farm to complete his true mission, to get the princess’ message to Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 

The Jedi were a community of mystic knights who once served the Galactic Republic as keepers of peace and justice. But now, the few Jedi who still lived were forced to hide for fear of the evil emperor who brought about the utter destruction of their order. For the galaxy far, far away suffers under a perpetual battle between forces of light and goodness and forces of darkness and evil. Jedi Knights dedicate their lives to the will of the Force, an energy field that surrounds all living things and binds the galaxy together. The light led the Jedi to stand against the dark side of the Force which is marked by malevolence, selfish desire and a lust for absolute power.

 

In Ephesians, we learn that the Church is in a battle with forces of darkness. These forces of darkness are in the spiritual realm, the heavenlies, and are manifest in our earthly realm in people, politics, and military powers. The battle with darkness is waged within and without. Paul often speaks of the disciple’s call to turn away from selfish fleshly desires like lust, greed, and malice, and submit to the Spirit of Jesus. Jesus will lead us to love, forgive, and build mutually beneficial relationships with all.

 

The devil and dark spiritual forces would lead us to try and crush our enemies, to kill and to dominate. But Jesus will lead us to surrender ideas of domination and humbly serve Him in hope of love conquering all.

 

When Luke is trained by Jedi Master Yoda, the wise instructor said, “My ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere!”

 

The Force sounds a lot like pantheism. God is the universe. God is in everything and everyone. God is the result of creation. But classic theology understands God as creator of all things. God transcends creation, as the supreme authority.

God is not the result of creation. Creation is the work of God and would have no existence apart from God.

 

Yoda instructed Luke to feel the Force. In the same way, we must feel the Spirit surround us, and fill our hearts with the love and power of Jesus Christ. We must live by the Spirit and not by the selfish cravings of the flesh. We must turn our hearts ever towards the light, and conquer dark impulses within. It is easy to say, but a difficult journey to truly master ourselves. Fortunately, it is not our effort that conquers the dark, as much as it is our submission to the light of Christ. For Jesus has conquered the darkness. In His resurrection, He has conquered our greatest enemy, Death. Paul wrote to the disciples in Rome,

 

Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? 

 

No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:32, 37-39)

 

The love of God is our greatest hope and most vital weapon in the war against the devil and darkness. We must learn to live by God’s love as the guiding light and the source of power that gives us victory over all this broken world can throw at us.

 

Luke Skywalker fell victim to the evil empire. Stormtroopers executed his aunt and uncle in search of the R2 unit which was carrying the death star plans. Luke joined Obi Wan Kenobi to get the death star plans to the Rebel Alliance. Ben tutored Luke in the ways of the Force, just as he had his father before him. Luke learned to face his own darkness, before he became a true servant of the light.

 

In the same way, everyone who chooses to follow Jesus must learn to face their own sinful impulses, and turn toward love, light and life in the Spirit. This is the battle we wage. It is a turning away from self-centeredness and fear, toward God-centeredness and hope.

 

Paul shares the struggle with the Ephesians,

 

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse joking—all of which are out of character—but rather thanksgiving.

 

…for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light—for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:1-4, 8-11)

 

And in Galatians, Paul compares the ways of the flesh to the ways of the Spirit.

 

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.

 

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and the like.

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… (Galatians 5)

 

Luke had to learn to live by the light side of the Force to conquer the darkness within himself and the dark forces that threatened the peace of the galaxy.

 

Critics of Christianity say that we are foolish to deny our desires. The world tells us, “If it feels good, do it.” But they don’t tell us the consequences of chasing after pleasure. It leaves us empty. Pleasure seeking is just another form of idolatry. We were made for a life-giving relationship with God. When we replace God with some thing, or momentary pleasure, we will find ourselves in a merciless cycle of addiction.

 

Paul warns the Church,

 

… you must no longer live as other people do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality, so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. (Ephesians 4:17b-19)

 

When we exchange our fundamental need for God with a created thing, or experience, we will always be searching for more. The next high, the greater pleasure, the next trophy… it’s all an endless cycle that ultimately leads to pointless emptiness.

 

The sinister Darth Vader lusted for power. It led to his slavery to a cruel emperor, doomed to daily torture in a metal suit. When you choose the call of devilish delights, you too will find yourself trapped, a slave to sinful desire.

 

Who can save us from this body of death? Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Even the most brutal and evil man in the galaxy is not beyond the redemptive power of love. Luke refused to give up on saving his father, Darth Vader. He believed that there was still good in him. He trusted that he could turn Vader back to the light. Vader knew of his son’s hope and told him it was too late for him. He should abandon hope and join him in the dark side. Together they would defeat the emperor and rule the galaxy as father and son.

 

But Luke would not fall for such fantasy. He held to his commitment to the light side of the Force, to goodness, justice and peace. Luke met the full might of the evil Emperor Palpatine. He would have died by electrocution, had not his father intervened. In a daring moment, Vader felt compassion for his son and turned back to the light. Vader threw the emperor down a deep reactor shaft and killed him. Love won the day!

 

George Lucas considered himself a Buddhist Methodist. He paired the meditative traditions of Buddhism with his Methodist understanding of grace and created a science fiction mythology that has captivated millions around the world.

 

Like the Jedi, we serve the light. Christians serve love. We live in hope that one day God’s love will bring everlasting peace, plenty and eternal life.

 

May The Lord be with You… always!