Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Main Point: When we find ourselves in desperate situations, we can always trust God’s plan…no matter how strange it may appear.

The Movie Clip: Grab the Snake!
The fourth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise puts the famed archaeologist on the trail of a mythical alien species. His adventure takes him through the dangerous landscape of South America…and if the beasts of the jungle aren’t terrifying enough, Indy must also face down a gang of Communists who want to take the extraterrestrial power with them back to Russia.

Joining Dr. Jones in this film is a kid with the nickname of “Mutt” Williams (played by Shia LeBeouf), a young man with a troubled past who has an interest in archaeology…but not school. Little do either of the guys know that they’re actually father and son. (They’ll find out in the clip below.)

The film is as clean as any other flick in this series; Indy uses his wit and courage to save the day, while doing so in a slightly comical fashion. There is a “hell” in the clip, so you’ll have to decide on appropriateness for your group, but most would find it mild by today’s standards.

Introducing the Movie Clip:
I want to show you a scene from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. You’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s funny…or scary. Here’s what you need to know in case you’ve never seen the movie. First, Indiana Jones is being forced to help the evil Russians find an artifact in the jungles of South America. Second, you need to know that he is joined by his ex-wife, a professor friend who’s almost lost his mind completely, and a young man that reminds Indy way too much of himself when he was young…and for a very good reason as you’re about to find out. And third, Indiana Jones is only scared of one thing in this entire universe: snakes. Check it out!

Scene Description:

BEGIN CLIP AT 1 HOUR 08 MINUTES AND 11 SECONDS

In this clip, Indiana Jones, his ex-wife Marion Ravenwood, their friend Professor Oxley, and their son Mutt run away from their Russian captors. But instead of finding freedom, they find a quicksand pit. With Indy and Marion sinking in the sand, their son Mutt – though Indiana Jones doesn’t know it – runs to get help. When he comes back, he throws his mom and dad a snake to pull them out of the pit. Marion goes along with the plan without any hesitation. Indiana Jones freaks out!

END CLIP AT 1 HOUR 11 MINUTES AND 49 SECONDS

If you don’t have the DVD, you can use this abbreviated clip from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGIooJXEu9E

Transitional Statement:
From Indiana Jones’ standpoint, I don’t know what kind of death he would consider worse: the quicksand or the snake. But to be fair, he did tell Mutt to go get something to help…and that’s what the kid did! Unfortunately, the “help” Mutt got was NOT what Indy was expecting! Here’s the deal: sometimes that’s exactly how it is when we choose to trust God. In those moments in life when we find ourselves in desperate situations, we can always trust God’s plan…no matter how strange it may appear. We’re going to talk about that in our discussion groups to see what God’s plan is for you right now.

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

1. 1. AROUND THE CIRLCE: As we get started, let’s all take a second to share our names and what scares us the most.

1. 1. ASK A FEW: Why did Indiana Jones freak out so badly in the clip?

1. 1. ASK A FEW: Was there anything Indy could have done to save himself from the quicksand? (Leaders – No, there was nothing he could do. Either he got rescued…or he would die.)

1. 1. ASK A FEW: What would you have done if you were in Indy’s place? Would you have grabbed the snake or taken your chances with the quicksand?

1. 1. ASK A FEW: Has there ever been a time in your life when you needed to be rescued, saved, or helped in some way? If so, could you briefly explain?

1. 1. ASK THE SAME STUDENTS: If you got assistance in that particular situation, what did help look like?

1. 1. ASK A FEW: What if God wanted to save you, but His strategy sounded a bit strange to you? Would you do what He said…or take your chance on your own?

Read the following passage:

1. 1. Romans 3:21-26 (NLT)

But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight– not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. 22 We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. 23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. 25 For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. 26 And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.

1. 1. ASK A FEW: In this passage, the Bible talks about a problem called sin. Can anyone explain sin and its consequences? (Leaders – Sin is anything we do, say, or think that’s contrary to God’s perfect will. The Bible says that the consequence of sin is death. Steep price tag….)

1. 1. ASK A FEW: According to verse 23, how many of us are guilty of sin?

1. 1. ASK A FEW: Can you give a few examples of sin in our lives today?

1. 1. ASK A FEW: Indiana Jones couldn’t save himself from the quicksand. Can you save yourself from your sin? (Leaders – Nope! Not in a million lifetimes. When it comes to sin, we’re always the problem…not the solution.)

1. 1. ASK A FEW: But in verses 24 and 25, we’re told that God has saved us from our sin. Can anyone explain how God did that? (Leaders – This is the key question. What you’re looking for is that God saved us by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us. This passage doesn’t talk about the “cross” in specific terms, but that’s what Paul is referring to when he writes “God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins” and “we are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us.”)

1. 1. ASK A FEW: Essentially, God saves us from death by allowing Jesus to die for us. Be honest, does God’s rescue plan seem strange to you?

1. 1. ASK A FEW: If Indiana Jones wouldn’t have followed Mutt’s rescue plan, even though it was a snake, he would have certainly died. What will happen to you if you don’t follow God’s rescue plan?

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Are you willing to follow God’s rescue plan right now? If not, why not?

Wrap Up:
During our time together, we watched a fun clip from an old Indiana Jones movie. He was caught in a situation he could not save himself from no matter how hard he tried. Fortunately, those around him were able to help him…even though the help came in a strange form.

You and I are also in a bad situation that we cannot save ourselves from: sin. Each of us is trapped in sin just like Indiana was trapped in the quicksand. We cannot get ourselves out no matter how hard we wrestle and struggle. Of course, that’s bad news, but the worst news is that sin always brings about death.

Either we get rescued from our sin…or we die in it.

That’s where God enters in. The Bible tells us in many places, just like the passage we read in our breakout groups, that God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins. But God’s rescue plan isn’t like anything from the movies. Instead of surviving all the bad guys and saving the day, Jesus saves the day…by dying.

Yep. God’s Son died. On purpose. For you and me.

Here’s why Jesus had to die. The Bible tells us that sin is something we all suffer from and it’s something we all pay a penalty for. The only way sin could be forgiven in the biblical days was for an animal (like a dove, or pigeon, or lamb) to be sacrificed. When Jesus came to Earth 2,000 years ago, He actually came as the “Lamb of God.” That’s exactly what He was called! Jesus came to us to die for us. He knew that was His role.

He loved us so much that He was willing to die for us so we could be forgiven. The Bible tells us that Jesus was killed on a cross even though He didn’t do anything wrong. He lived perfectly so He could die perfectly! And He died for me and you.

Now, I know that God’s rescue plan may sound a bit strange. It’s not how Iron Man or Captain America does it in any of their movies, but this is how God does it for us!

The question for you is: Are you going to trust God’s rescue plan?

Again, let me remind you: if Indiana Jones hadn’t followed Mutt’s rescue plan, he would have died. If you don’t follow God’s rescue plan, you will die, too. The choice is yours. I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and dedicate your life to serving Him. It’s the only way to be saved from your sins.

If you want to talk more about this after we pray, please see one of our adult leaders. We’d love to chat more about this with you.

Close in Prayer

Written by David R Smith