The Gospel Story (August 1st, 2021)
For good morning and it's so great to see you here. You in the mood for a good story. I've got four stories for you, three, very short and then one a little bit longer. Here's the first story, I'll call it a man cries.
There's a man who's working walking through of Public parking. There's another man on a bench and then it now the benches crying. He's just sleeping and so the passerby says, why are you crying? Honey says, haven't you heard Bill Gates the richest man in the world is just
Man. Prize bad kids. There's a man on a subway train. Subway train stops. A man gets in with his two children and the children are just beyond the pale badly-behaved, there, yelling and screaming and punching other people in there, jumping on Strangers, knees and the rambunctious. And it just being very poorly behaved. Bad kids. And then the story third story. There's a passerby walking along the sidewalk, and he sees that young man come up to another young man, and the young man, forcibly takes a shopping bag from him and his violent, and walks away. Those are my three stories. Can I ask you some questions about the stories man? Cries, what do you suppose the Vans relationship with Bill Gates was I think we would say he was close stricken with grief. Can I see a story about a question with a second-story? How would you assess the parenting skills of the dad? I think we would say pretty poor, can't even keep his own kids in control in public. cuz your third question for the man who took the bag was that just just walking up to another guy and just stealing a bag of goods is that just
Well, I haven't finished the story. In the first story the man's crying. Why are you crying? Haven't you heard the richest man in the world? Bill Gates has died. I didn't know you knew though, Gates. I didn't. That's the problem. No inheritance. It was no care. You see how that one little element of the story completely changes. The meaning he wasn't crying out of an affection for Bill Gates. He was crying out of an affection from self. There was no inheritance cuz he didn't know they'll Gates. That's just a joke. By the way, by the way. That's a very common technique in humor. If you watch comedy movies, or if you listen to stand up comedian there very often tell you a story and you think you're tracking along and they throw some twist in at the end. The changes. The meaning of the whole story like that one. I'll just nip story about the man of the Subways. Actually true come from a book called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. And the author really was on a train and a man really did. Get on with two children and the children really were rambunctious interest Beyond The Pale poorly behaved, as you're fine with the author goes to. The dad says you do you think you could control your children here? I mean, it's really inconvenient. They're jumping on people that make a lot of noise and the dad says all yes, I'm sorry their mom just died. And they don't know how to react and I guess neither do. I and the author thinks back window, but what stopped it? Yes, they got on at the stop right by the hospital that completely changes. The meaning. We don't know anything about the man's parenting skills. There is a totally reasonable explanation for the Y, the kids reacted that way. And the third-story, give me that bag. Give it to me. What's yours the part? I didn't tell you the young man, that was taking the bag had saw the previous young, man. And elderly woman, took the bag in the first place. His actions were completely. Just do you see how knowing the story completely redefines meaning and it helps? You understand what's really going on?
And that's my point. Story determines meaning.
I want to tell you that life is a story. Our life. My life, your life is a story. But its meaning cannot correctly, be understood unless we're plugged in to the story. That is part of that, we really understand what life is all about. Is there a story that explains life? Is there a story that explains why we're here and where we're going?
Yeah, there's a lots. A lots mankind has always been on a search for meaning. We've always known me and need a story and if there is one available we make one up, let me tell you three popular ones. Does the naturalist story?
You're just an animal. I'm just an animal. You're living. Now you're going to die and I will be up. What's the meaning of life? Meaning of life? We won't remember you, and you won't care. The only thing you could do is to survive and have as much pleasure. As you can along the way, that's the story that you fit into the naturalist story. There's another one. There's the human of story.
You're not just an animal, your remarkable being. And you're not just that you are just going to die and there is no life after death. But you were on a mission, you want to live your life in such a way to better mankind. Our species is on a path. We're getting better and better and better technology and economics, and everything is going to be and your job is to leave the world better than you first found it. That's the story, that's how you feel, that's where you, where you came from, where you're going, another story. There's a third story. Self-fulfillment.
You're a spiritual being. What you see around. You does not actually exist. The whole physical world is Just an Illusion, you're here to become at one with the universe and the more you can block out. The universities are all stories stories that we have made up to give our life meaning and context. well, today, I want to tell you not those stories but the true story By the way of all three of those stories have elements of truth, but none of them are true. I want to tell you, God story. When properly understood it answers really important questions, it explains Who We Are. Not only who we are, but why we are Where we're going? And why it all matters? In the story, I'd like to tell you comes in four chapters. First chapter is called creation. Open your Bible to the first page Genesis 1:1 says in the beginning. God. Did you notice that in the beginning? God not in the beginning, man? The story of life is not our story. It's not about us and I certainly were involved or present. You're here. I'm here, we're present in the story. You know what I'm wondering around. I forgot. I'm on camera, okay? Steve, I'm right back here. I'll stay here. Going back to my old ways and this is God's story we fit in what part of the story. Don't end. It does Define our meeting. But in the beginning God this is not a story about us. This is a story about God that involves us. And if you read it, just a few more seconds is in the Bible in the beginning. You see him presented as creator? He's the one speaking things into existence and God said, let there be light and there was light and God said, let there be an earth man, there was an earth and God said, let there be dry land and there was dry land. He presented as Creator and we find out in the story that creation has a purpose. Did you know that this is not an accident creation has a purpose? The highest purpose of creation is to demonstrate. God is, it's like a painting is like a novel. When you see the painting and read the novel, you know more about the author will creation is supposed to be a portrait of God. We looked at the creation and we realize it's big. Did you know, there are more stars in the universe. Listen to me. There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on planet Earth. It's a big place. Why is it big? Because that's a portrait of a really big God. It's powerful. Did you know is it the sun is 93 million miles away and it's shining on Earth just think of the geometry of this a very very small portion of the light that the son of mit's falls on Earth very small part. Where does little marble 93 million miles away? A lot of light does the scattered a very small portion falls on Earth and yeah if we could harness the sunlight from Earth, it is six times more the energy than all our economies combined require its powerful Why is predation powerful? Because this is self portrait of a big powerful God. Creation is beautiful. Anyone's ever seen the sunrise or Sunset a butterfly, a deer. A blue jay. There's an element of artistry here. Why? Because not God is Not only an engineer that can make this all work, he's an artist that can make it beautiful. The point of creation is to demonstrate who God is.
May interest you to know that the Pinnacle of creation is not the highest mountain top. The Pinnacle of creation is not the biggest star. The Pinnacle of creation is you And me. The Pinnacle of creation is mankind men and women. Because we are the only part of the creation that is created in the image of God. Nothing else is described that way. We are to be the biggest the boldest, the most beautiful, the most accurate demonstration of who God is. And that's our ultimate purpose. Our point in the story is to reflect to communicate who God is.
Is a matter of fact, the original plan when God made Adam and Eve and he put them in eating, the original plan is that they were going to have children, and they were going to have a society, and was going to get bigger and each generation, they would push the boundaries of the Garden of Eden, and it'd be bigger and bigger, and bigger, and bigger until the entire Earth was a Garden of Eden. A beautiful human society. That reflects who God is.
It's some, it was to be a society that is saturated with Harmony. Just saturated with Harmony. Let me tell you about that three kinds of Harmony, the original plan. Adam and Eve were going to have kids. Their kids are going to have kids. Their kids are going to have kids. The entire human Endeavour is to push the boundaries of the Garden of Eden, until the whole planet is a paradise saturated in harmony three kinds of Harmony. First of all, vertical Harmony Where every human being is in perfect, harmony with our creator, which is what our hearts want, every human hearts wants to be at peace with their creator. That was the idea, A second kind of Harmony, not vertical, but horizontal. We are all at peace with one another. We know each other perfectly and we love each other perfectly. Harmony and a third kind of Harmony, not only harmony with God's. Not only harmony with each other and harmony with creation.
Where we take care of creation and creation takes care of us.
Friends. That's the first chapter in our story. Tell us where we came for came from, it tells us what our purpose is. Our purpose is to reflect God. In his Harmony.
Doesn't take long to figure out that something happened. This is not that harmonious world. We have covid-19 us. We have Discord. We have stress. Everybody sees everybody sees that something is wrong. We see it on a macro level. When you look at Society, why do we have disease? Why do we have Prime? Why do we have earthquakes and hurricanes?
Why do we have mass shootings? Why is crime On The Rise? Why isn't North Peoria epidemic? Why are there floods? Why are there hurricanes? We can see it on the macro-level. We can also see this lack of Harmony. We can also see that there's something wrong on the micro level. As individuals, we feel bitterness and despair and loneliness and anger. Why?
Well, that's what the stories come in. If you're a naturalist, the answer is easy. That's the way it is baby. That's the way it is creation. Is it by the way, just leaving. It, just came out of nothing, but the whole story is survival of the fittest. Creation is white with claw and red with blood. Get used to it. That's the way it is. The human is the natural. The story the human is says, that's not right, where the solution things are perfect yet, but we are getting better if we can just get solar power. If we can just get the right tax code, if we could just get the right International agreements. We are building this Utopia we with our own brains in our own goodness. We're going to do it.
That's the story. If you're a humanist, if you're into self-fulfillment where the solution just ignore the wars, just ignore the disease. Find yourself, it doesn't really matter. It's all an illusion anyway. Friends. God Story. The true story is very different. We were to be a harmonious, God, honoring people. And we are not and the problem.
Is 7.
The problem is society's sins and not just Society, it's your sin and it's my sin. Romans 3:10 says, we are all under sin. No one is righteous not one.
As we look at other stories like the human a story and saying trying to solve human misery with technology. Andre and solar power is like trying to kill covid-19 gun Cove. It's a problem with the gun is not the answer.
Have you noticed that as social media, technology increases so does our loneliness? So does our isolation? So does our depression Have you noticed that it doesn't matter how many technological breakthroughs we have? We're still on the happy as a matter of fact here. So here's a paradox. The more Western Society increases in wealth. the more anti-anxiety anti depression medicine, we need
Why is that?
Because technology does not get it. The real problem with the problem is sin. How did we get here? It's not a happy story. God creates your secrets Adam and Eve put some on the earth. He gives him this message mission on or me and increasingly make Eaton to be the whole world. That's your mission. That's what human beings are here for. You are my, in my image. You are the Pinnacle of my creation. You will be a demonstration of who I am. You will be a reflection. That's where you'll find your peace. That's where you'll find your purpose, but I'm not going to force it on you.
I want you to choose me. Freelee. I want you to serve me because you love me.
Of course you know your Bible that's where it all goes wrong. At tempter comes in and says you know, God he's not as good as he's telling you.
He's holding out on you, you won't be happy just obeying him. You need to step out on your own. You need to do things your own way. And the one rule that he's given, you is the one rule that will make you most unhappy. You need to break that baby. You need to go out on your own and they did.
We had one rule to follow and we didn't.
And when we rebelled sin entered, the story. And When sin entered, the story Harmony exited,
And I have really bad news for you. This whole sin thing is not viral like covid where you catch it. If you wear a mask, you can prevent that is not viral.
It's genetic. They pass it on to us, we pass it on to our children.
You know, a couple of weeks ago, I was with all my grandchildren. Every summer, we take four days, we go to this place in the whole family gets together. I love my grandkids I was just up late last night sorting through all the pictures and things my kids. I got some great pictures of our grandkids and they're good kids. What is there? Fallen. I'm watching my own grandkids and I can hear them calculating what they can do to upset their brother or sister most. They suddenly want a toy that they didn't even know existed. And the only reason they wanted this because someone else wants it. It's genetic. It's built into the it right at the factory. And it's not just our grandkids. It's you.
It's me. We have a tendency to do wrong. Not right. Can I just ask you, have you ever had an Impulse? You just walking along the road, you're just laying in your bed, you're just watching TV, you're just doing wife and you have an Impulse to do something and you know that that is wrong. You're certain, it's wrong and you did it anyway. Am I the only one Is this ever happened to you? Why is that? Because sin is installed at the factory.
The universe could have literally been Heaven on Earth. And by the way, that's still the reflection of our hearts. Have you ever wondered why we know why Wars are wrong? We had this yearning for another Society. Where did I come from? It's an echo. It's an echo from the beginning of the story. All of us are trying to get back to the garden.
The universe could have been literally heaven on Earth. And we're still trying to make it right.
Put in God's story. We're not the solution. In fact. More the problem.
What you can really see. God story is different. There's a lot of men stories that explain life. And none of them are we? The problem? We would never make up a story. Where were the problem? We just don't do things like that. We make up stories where if you really try hard and the noble heart will conquer all and I'm the captain of my old. So those are our kinds of stories. What God story says, you're on the wrong track, you're not the solution. You're the problem.
And that. Is why things are the way they are. That is why we've lost Harmony between people and God. That is why we've lost Harmony between people and people. That's why we need police departments. If you remove the police department, chaos. We don't take care of creation, we abused creation and creation doesn't take care of us. It gives us cancer. Why you sold that goes right back to the beginning of the story?
Friends, this leaves us in a terrible way. We're broken. Physically sin is the reason you're going to die and I'm going to die. We're broken. We ever broken Society? We probably still were selfish. We're broken emotionally. We don't know who we are. People broken morally. We willfully do that. Which we know is wrong. And most important. Is Cecilia was saying in her prayer, we're broken spiritually. We are separated from the Creator that we desire. The most
In this story in God stories, War slander unkind words pollution are not the problem.
They are the symptom of the problem and the problem is sin. So how's that for your inspirational moments at church this week? Are you good news for you? We're all going to hell and you're the problem. Wait a minute. I'm not finished. There are four chapters, the story not too and there is good news but the reason I dwelt on the fall is to understand the good news. We have to first understand the bad news. To understand why the guy wasn't didn't really care about Bill Gates. You have to know he was after the inheritance to understand that the dad wasn't really a bad parent. You have to know that the mom just died in the hospital to understand that the man taking the bag was not a thief. He was in fact, just, you have to know that the man that took the bag from beat up an elderly woman to get the bag in the first place. But to understand the rescue, we have to understand the fall to understand that good news, we have to understand the bad news. And here's the good news, God is offering a rescue.
What came next in God's story? He creates and then he creates, man and woman as the Pinnacle and says you guys are going to extend the boundaries of Eden. You're going to be the Pinnacle of my creation, we send no we're not going to we're not interested. Now we're going to go our own way, we got this whole new idea what happens next in the biblical record. What happens next?
You would think that God said, fine. When with you? That's the way you want, no problem.
It's not what he said. After we shook our fist at God, he promised a solution. Immediately after we rejected him he said I will send a solution. Not a lot of details, but through the Old Testament, more details are given the solution is going to be a man, he's going to be born in Bethlehem of a virgin. And of course, that solution came in Jesus Christ. Cecilia red for is John 3:16 for God. So loved that he gave. He loved us so much that he gave his own son. In his testimony, Andrew said I accepted the Lord Jesus as my savior, that's the solution. If you're not familiar with that, you may ask two questions. Why why was it necessary? Was it really necessary for Jesus to come? And when he came, what exactly did he do like, what so special.
First of all, why was it necessary to ever wondered. Just get over it. Okay, so we're Sinners. You caught us. Can't you just forgive us? Can't you just overlooked? This can't you? Just let it slide a little bit. Do you have to make such a big deal of this thing? Why do you have to send your son? Why not? Why can't we just let bygones be bygones?
Can't guard. Just get over it in a word. No.
God can't just get over it because God is just, he is perfectly. Just by the way, we have that reflection in our own heart. If you were watching a movie and the bad guy, does this terrible thing? And then the bad guy? Does that terrible thing? And then the bad guy rapes. This woman and kills this guy and getting out of his child, and at the end of it, nothing happens. Would you feel fulfilled?
No, no, no, no, we're waiting for it. When waiting for the bad guy, to get what's coming to him. Because we have there's a couple of Justice in our heart. Will, God doesn't have an echo. He is just He can't Overlook it because we're desperate. Is anyone here nominated to be part of the Supreme Court of the United States? Anyone going through that process? No one will let me tell you. If you do get to be a judge on the Supreme Court of the United States, here is the oath you'll have to take I do solemnly swear that I will administer Justice without respect to persons and do equal right to the poor and the rich. If you're a good judge, you can't find a guy innocent, just because he's Rich. You can't guy find a guy guilty just because he's poor or the reverse. You can't let a guy off who's guilty just because he's poor and you feel sorry for him. And you can't find that guy guilty just because he's rich and you think rich people are bad. You have to do justice and God has to do just as he can't Overlook that, we have sinned. And that has to be dealt with the Jesus. Have to come. Yes, because he is just
but he's not just just, he is also loving And he doesn't want us to bear this punishment. So how do you reconcile? A God who is perfectly? Just and a God who is perfectly, loving you, send your son to take the punishment, and that's the second question. What did Jesus do that? Solved the problem. Jesus satisfied, Justice by taking on our punishment, he became sin for us and we became holy for him.
I imagine there's someone here who's in a lot of financial debt. Did you know? Look up by your greed. You can physically transfer that. To me you owe this much on the car. You're this far behind in the mortgage payments. You gambled in a casino whatever there is actual financial instruments. We can get lawyers involved and I can sign your papers. I can sign some papers and you will be relieved of your dad and I will take them and the car company won't phone you anymore. As a matter of fact, the car company can't phone you anymore cuz it's not your dad, it's mine by the way of speaking in a theoretical way this morning,
That's what happened at the cross.
God, the Father will not collect on the punishment for our sin because it has been paid.
He is completely just all the balance, all the books of Justice balance and he is completely loving.
however, Just as in the Garden of Eden, God respects, our free will. We do not have to accept this rescue. So, I have a question for you, this morning. What are you going to do with this offer?
Accept it. Ignore it. Turn it down.
Andrew has accepted. I see clearly said that's what baptism signifies I'm in.
Andrew admits that he's a sinner. Andrew admits that he deserves the ultimate punishment of Hell, Andrew admits that he cannot solve this problem on his own. But Andrew also admits that God has made a genuine and loving offer to solve this problem at God's own expense. And Andrew says, yes.
My question is, what will you say?
And will five minutes. I'll be done and Dave and worship. Team is going to lead us in a song called surrender and they're going to sing. I'm giving you my heart. All that is within, will that be your song? Can this be the morning where we just get that straightened out?
In this answer has serious consequences saying, yes, to Jesus not only restores our relationship with God. It is it reinstalls the original intent of the story? Remember that Garden of Eden saying that's not dead. The dream is still alive, the perfect society that exudes Harmony on every level. And demonstrates God. Who got his in a perfect way that ending of the story is still in play. It is not then disqualified, the hope is not dead, but with the problem of syndrome that is back in play, our future will include perfect, harmony with God, perfect harmony with each other, perfect. Harmony with a new heavens and a new Earth. Think of it. I think of a dear friend, perfect bodies. Perfect relationships. Perfect, environment. Perfect life.
I have the sad news of telling you that one of our dear brothers entered into that last night. I got a call from Pastor Jack that stand Lynn, our friend and brother passed away last night and we can grieve, but I'll tell you this, he's not
He is in the last chapter of the story.
And there's one more little bit of good news. I want to share with you. When we say yes to Jesus. Not only does not reinstall our ultimate end of this perfect harmonious Society, but we don't have to wait for it. The fellowship with God starts immediately, the Holy Spirit comes into us and starts reshaping our sinful heart into one that craves Christ.
Friends. The world is still broken, we are still broken, but by the power of the Holy Spirit saying yes, to Jesus this morning, begins a joyful Journey That Never Ends. I wanted to alert you to the fact that I put these trucks in the lobby. I would love you to take one home and read it on the back. You'll see a website and if you go to the website, you'll see this film.
There is only one story that answers. Life's, most essential questions and gives a lasting sense of purpose and meaning. It's the story that inspires all other stories. It's the true story that defines every one of us. This is that story. How did it all begin? Like, all stories. This one begins in the beginning with the author who is God, he spoke everything into being with the word Galaxy. The Stars the planet Earth was designed for life to flourish on everything. God made was gloriously. Good taken with perfect. The highlight of God Creation with the fur.
God entrusted, everything he created to his beloved children. Given just one rule. They were not to eat fruit from a specific tree. They lived in loving obedient worshiping. God is their heavenly father and enjoying perfect harmony with creation each other and God
Considering our world today it's obvious. Perfect. Peace didn't last turmoil, War. Sickness troubles are what went wrong. It started with a fallen. Angel named, Satan, grew jealous of God and determined to ruin the production of creation. Satan took the form of a serpent and enticed, Adam keys to question God's goodness and rebelled against is one rule in Disobedience. They ate the fruit and peace unravel in debt which still clicks on today. If we are honest we are very much like Adam and Eve, we all rebelled against our heavenly father, making our hearts heavy with fear guilt and shame. Our bodies are weary with sickness disease, and death. Earth is Afflicted with storms calamities and disasters. Even worse sin has separated us from God, causing a permanent divide, a miserable, separation, called a hell. The Fallout of sin has been catastrophic. It's inescapable with no way to fix it. Leaving us all to wonder. Is there any hope? The love that prompted God to create us. Also prompted him to send his Saviour who would said everything right again I centuries past God shared exact details of the coming savior's birth. Like in death, everything in the Bible points. Did this, rescuer almost two thousand years ago, Jesus came to Earth is God the son to fulfill the promise. He was born miraculously as his mother was a virgin just like us. Jesus grew up and experience life on her but unlike us, Jesus never sinned. In always obeyed, the father, when Jesus was in his thirties and he began teaching all around Israel, pointing people to God's kingdom and Performing many miracles. After a few years, he was wrongly accused and sentenced to an agonizing death on a cross. Jesus lovingly gave up his perfect life as a sacrifice to pay for the sins. He died a perfect at taking our place, the innocent for the guilty. But the grave couldn't hold Jesus. Three days later. God brought Jesus to life again.
Jesus defeated sin by dying on the cross and defeated death by Rising for the day. Today. Jesus sits at God's right hand is King and judge over all creation of rescue. God has authored. He invites us to repentance and Faith to make his story of rescue. The one we trust in and live from, when we do everything changes, And now what will the future? Hold for everyone. Who trust in. Jesus alone for rescue. God has promised to restore your heart and set you free from sins, hold because, God is loving kind merciful forgiving tender-hearted and true. God is also promised to make all things new. One day, there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth forever free from sin. Everything that causes pain and sadness will be gone.
God is also promised to be with us forever. The moment you trusted Jesus, you relationship with God has restored because Jesus has closed the device in COD. Getting to know this. All loving God starts today and continues forever for God story never ends.
Play God's Story, the foundation of your life even now by admitting your need for God's rescue. Asking forgiveness for your sin, trusting in Jesus Christ, Alone to rescue you following, Jesus and Faith, from this moment on. This is God's story. Will you make it yours?