MAY 23, 2021 SUNDAY MESSAGE
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Gods Story Meets Your Story
Transcription
If I were to go on a trip, maybe a vacation or even a ministry trip to a new place - somewhere exciting or just different than the norm - and come home, it would be natural for someone to say “how was the trip...tell me about it!?”
It would be strange if I said hold on and came back with a printout of the itinerary and handed it to you and just read this.
It’ll tell you the necessary details and chronological facts of the trip.
That would just be weird, right? And maybe a little rude!
Though I literally answered the question, that’s not what they meant, right? They meant “tell me about it”
Tell me some fun parts, some adventure or exciting moments, maybe some tension about getting rained out for a day, I want to laugh along with you and feel a bit about what the trip was like...tell me some STORIES about the trip!
Even if I had photos to show, they would be prompts and illustrations of the stories I was about to tell you giving the background of the moment in the picture.
...Why is this?
Well, as humans, we live in a STORY- INFORMED culture.
Stories capture more than you would get if you just heard the bare facts.
For thousands and thousands of years, humans have passed on their stories and oral traditions before ever writing them down!
Stories are the way People have conveyed their lives, it is the VEHICLE by which we communicate the things that take place!
…. so it’s NO WONDER that TWO THIRDS of the scripture are narrative.
...and these stories weren’t just meant to be a vessel for recording purposes in a given time/place/culture - stories weren’t
just meant fo INFORMATION
they were also meant for FORMATION
Some people will say it like this: “we are a story-formed people!”
The ministry team at SOMA says, “Story shapes humanity. Story is the fabric of relationships, learning, and community....Story binds community together.”
Isn’t that true? When we get together, we tell the stories of how our week went and tell the story of a movie we really liked. The medium for storytelling has changed but we still use stories today. I want to ask then: other than the Bible, what is a story that has SHAPED you? A...
Book? Movie? Song that tells a story?
As we have taken time to understand the big story of God over the last few months through the Gospel Story Series, we are meant to be
STORYFORMED as we encounter God’s narrative AND WE ARE MEANT TO...
become STORYTELLERS as a result of that encounter!
So today I want to take what we have learned through the six chapters of the Gospel Story and help you to use it as a model - or a practical way to organize your encounter with God - so that you can PROCLAIM YOUR Gospel Story...your story of Good News to others!
Today may feel more like a workshop than a sermon but I think the switchup will be good! The first thing I want to do is look to God’s word for an example.
There are multiple places in scripture we can go to illustrate this but I want you to go to Acts Chapter 26 today. The Life of Paul gives us an excellent example of what I am talking about! Turn there now
Just to give a little context, Paul had been imprisoned for causing trouble in the streets and inciting a few riots (like we all do from time to time).
The Jewish leaders are the ones getting upset and they’ve asked that Paul be put on trial by the Roman officials.
Each of the Roman Officials has found no reason to kill him but the accusers insist and the Romans keep passing him off to the next (this time to someone who has an understanding of Jewish Culture)!
Paul is, as a result, working his way up the ranks and now stands trial before a local governor and king…
ACTS 26:1
Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
He is standing before King and there are two things we need to know about him:
ONE: he has an ancestral HISTORY with Jesus and God’s people:
Remember the Christmas story where a king, Herod, tried to kill Jesus as a baby? That’s Agrippa’s Great grandfather
his GRANDFATHER had John the Baptist BEHEADED, and
Then, His father MARTYRED the Apostle James (according to tradition)
TWO: Being a strict, by-the-book rule follower and he KNOWS Jewish culture and laws:
So it makes sense that Paul appeals to him according to His standing in the law because he knows Agrippa won’t be swayed by the crowd (like Pilot) BUT, if he sees fit, he can have Paul killed immediately.
Unshaken by all of this, Paul stands boldly before this king and says...
4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is BECAUSE of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of THIS HOPE that these Jews are accusing me.
8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
Paul has accomplished a couple things here:
First, he has given a character witness for Himself and even pointed out that his accusers can validate it and
Second, he is making sure they all understand that Rabbi Yeshua’s followers, his teaching, and even his death, burial, and resurrection was
not an ALTERATION FROM traditional judaism but
a CONTINUATION and COMPLETION OF the very promise God has made to His people. Paul continues...
9 “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
Now Paul is making sure:
they know he isn’t the kind of person that believes any new teaching nor was he just sympathizing with this new Rabbi.
He was FIERCELY OPPOSED to them but something took his force of opposition and CONVINCED him to put that energy and ZEAL into SUPPORTING this sect...BUT what CAUSED this dramatic shift?!
12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Shaul, Shaul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Paul has a dramatic encounter with Jesus that stopped the trajectory of his life! But it doesn’t stop there...an assignment and PURPOSE is revealed that will change the direction of Rabbi Shaul - Paul’s - life forever!
15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to APPOINT you as a SERVANT and as a WITNESS of what you have seen and will see of me. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles (Remember: Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria, EotE), I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21 THAT is why some Jews SEIZED me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. (I didn’t break any laws, I confronted them, I held them accountable….they didn’t like it) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
Do you see what He is doing? I mean, think about the audience right now - he just stated to their faces:
“One, You all can’t TOUCH ME - God said so!”
Agrigga: “Watch yourself!”
AND TWO “I’m here to convert you”
In fact this trial is God’s doing!
I LOVE PAUL'S BOLDNESS HERE!
Not only is he is using his trial, upon the weight of death, to evangelize by giving his testimony,
But Part of his testimony is a calling he received to reach, not only the Jews, but the gentiles as well
AND, the fact that he is standing before this gentile King means they are all a part of God’s plan to reach the gentile world.
This gets lost on Festus...
...but NOT on Agrippa
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”
Festus believes Paul has LOST HIS MIND. Maybe he is right!
He was actively killing people because of His beliefs
Seeing visions,
assumes that there is an agreement amongst the group that he should be obedient to it
You can tell by their interactions that there is some respect for Paul and his accomplishments but…maybe he has been pushed over the edge of insanity...Paul Clarifies
25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true AND REASONABLE. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
Agrippa puts the pieces together: You’re strategically using your citizenship to appeal to the Roman officials as a means to recruit us to your cause.
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
What a brilliant verbal exchange!
The gig us up, Agrippa catches on...
BUT Paul’s heart is revealed!
This isn’t just a man bent on a desire to persuade and accumulate followers but
to see others SET FREE IN CHRIST JESUS by whatever means necessary...even if it means he endures chains and death!
This wasn’t in the slides but I thought I’d include the last 3 Verses in the chapter which say this:
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Paul HIMSELF, is keeping his imprisonment intact as a strategy for advancing the Gospel to the ends of the Earth.
He is using the Roman legal system to create avenues of influence and opportunities for proclaiming HIS STORY, His testimony.
And, you might have noticed that Paul has BEEN TRYING to get to Rome so he could spread the Gospel there as well and here we see that Paul is also using the Roman legal system to get an-all-expense-paid ticket to that end!
Look, we see the Gospel story baked into the life of Paul. Let me show you what I mean:
O - Paul Created for Good
X - Built life on legalism
> - I have a better plan
† - Road to Demasc.
> - Empowered to change
O - Purpose: Reach Gentiles
You may not realize it but God has baked the Gospel narrative into your story TOO!!
O - Created for good
Eph. 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Good works prepared BEFORE you were born!
X - What are you building on?
Separated from God
Tendency towards sin
> - I have a better plan
God has extended His promise NOT to leave you there
† - Encounter with Jesus
God does a redemptive work in you
This is as true in you “coming to Jesus story for the first” as it is in breakthrough and moments of surrender wherein you let the old you die and walk in newness of life and light as you become more like Jesus.
So it could be
Salvation OR Surrender
Breakthrough or “Aha!” moment
Revelation
> - Empowered and GIFTED by the HS towards MOVEMENT: to change old behavior, to accomplish something
O - Called to partner in the Reconciliation of all things here and now on earth.
A simpler way to describe this is:
BEFORE JESUS I WAS...
COMMITMENT
AFTER JESUS…
Use the first part to think through your story but, in the end, I want you all to be able to communicate your GOOD NEWS STORY in just a few lines!
You see, what this does is it gives you the ability to identify moments where God’s Story - the Gospel Story - intersects with yours to help you to NATURALLY communicate it to others so they can hear the gospel!
AND...the beautiful thing about this tool is that it isn’t an evangelism tool like you may have seen.
It is relational and better fit for a postmodern setting.
It’s personal because it’s tailored to you and YOUR story
It isn’t confrontational or disrespectful by driving others to “make a decision” though it is invitational and God may open that door!
It is simply telling your story as it intersects with the story of God and inviting others into seeing how theirs live may do the same!
Who might God want you to tell your Good News Story to?
WHo have you avoided telling your story to?
If you have a journal, write it out.
If you’re watching online, post it.
If you have someone around you, share and talk about it.
30 Sec. timer to gather them back
I am challenging you to tell your Gospel story THIS WEEK!!
Actively LOOK for the Opportunity
Tell the story of what God has done in your life to someone and make the GOOD NEWS OF JESUS KNOWN to someone new.
Two people I want you to specifically consider:
Is there someone who God has been telling you bring this up to but you’ve been avoiding it? TRY IT OUT!
Is there someone in your life that you think will NEVER come to know Jesus? TRY IT! Don’t say no to the Gospel for them!
Our world needs GOOD news right now and maybe there are some out there waiting for you to tell them your story, waiting for the invitation into God’s story (we tend to think people are always oppositional but what if they were waiting for you to do it??)
TELL YOUR STORY!!
ONE NECESSARY INGREDIENT: YOU NEED BOLDNESS!!
Men of CGNE will you be bold or shy away?
Women of CGNE, will you be bold or shy away?
TELL YOUR STORY!!
COMMUNION:
(1 COR. 11:23B-26)
“The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SAVE THE DATE: The 2020 Marriage Retreat is scheduled to be Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and November 8!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
We are hosting prayer team meetings for both the congregation at large and individuals to sign up for individual prayer.
SUGGESTIONS FOR WORSHIP:
Coty Miller’s own “Praise & Worship” Spotify playlist and “Praise & Worship” YouTube playlist (slightly different from each other), both of diverse music that are being constantly updated!
Bethel Music :
Bethel Music’s hours of live music YouTube Playlist, also being constantly updated
Bethel provides chords to most (if not all) of their songs here (just have to register email, but free!)
Live worship moments from the Upper Room YouTube Playlist
Journal writing! (I’m a writer too, so sometimes creative writing and writing my thoughts to God is my form of worship.)
Declare and worship with truth by singing and praying scriptures.
WORSHIP NIGHT! Dedicate a night to worship with friends and family, your house church or neighbors, those who need prayer, love worship, or just enjoy music through a video chat platform like Zoom. You can have one person leading at a time (switching off to whoever else wants to lead) while others sing along, pray, or prophesy, etc.
Serving your community, both online, in person, or both, is a great way to worship God, from spreading encouragement and God’s Word online to physically serving food to others. If you are able to go out and serve, click here for opportunities.
COMMISSIONING:
As Jesus said in John 20:21,
"Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Go, be the Church!
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.