Look at what God has done in our midst. You can’t hear about it and just sit there! But what should you do?
• I firmly believe that our life is found as we know God through His
• All the while, the world is trying to get us to buy in & believe a metanarrative, or a
• Therefore, each Sunday of this year we are going to feast upon the Story of all stories, God’s Story that defines literally
• So, where do we start? At the beginning of course. The book of Genesis where we see God exalted as the God of Promise.
The Story of Genesis
• Genesis 1-11 begins with God’s relationship with the
• Genesis 12 is the
• Genesis 13-50 focuses on Abraham’s family in three different sections: Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, & then Jacob’s sons. All of these stories are marked by two distinct patterns: Abraham & his sons’ make bad decisions which seem to put God’s
• At the end of Genesis, we are left with these two earth-shaking statements, one from Joseph & one from Jacob Israel on his death bed.
// Chapter 49:8-13 >> On his deathbed, Jacob once again singles out all his sons to identify Judah as one from whom a king or ruler would come that would command the obedience of the nations & restore God’s blessing to the world. Could this king from the tribe of Judah be the wounded victor from Genesis 3? As with all good stories, we will have to wait & see.
// Chapter 50:20 >> Joseph encapsulates the entire book of Genesis as he looks at his brothers & says, “You planned this for evil, but God planned it for good to save many lives” (Genesis 50:20). This is the message of Genesis. Mankind has continually chosen to go against God’s plan & design, but God is sovereignly working behind the scenes to bring His blessing about through their evil.
What have we seen?
• In Genesis, we see things about God. God is:
//
>> no one like Him; He is glorious & wonderful
//>> His power is amazing & He cannot be hindered, even by the failures of His creatures in His fallen creation.
//>> He will judge sin harshly
//>> He will pour out mercy & extend grace as He chooses
//>> He keeps His promises from generation to generation
• But we also see things about us. We are:
//
above all creation in our dignity, our nature & our calling to represent God
// Faced with the same: will we define life, good, & evil for ourselves & reap God’s discipline & punishment or will we define life, good, & evil in communion with God & reflect His goodness & spread His blessing?
• Life is
• The world is in the hands of a God who is not
Let me answer a question you may be asking: Ryan, what’s the main story of the Bible.
• This is God’s story. But its about something that He is doing.
• In the beginning, God creates a glorious place where He can dwell with humans.
• At the end of the Bible, in the final chapters of Revelation, God recreates a glorious place where He once again dwells with humans – except in that final place sin has been conquered and death is no more.
• This is why you can’t just sit there. Right now, the presence of God is in His people. This is your story. This is my story. This is our story.
• We don’t need another story. We don’t need someone else’s picture of reality. Are you accepting & embracing this purpose or are you trying to create “wiggle room” between you & the truth?
• Are you willing to let Him transform you so that you can find your place in His Story?