Message #1 (Evening) - God’s Story

Passage: Romans 1:1-6

How many of you like to do puzzles?

How many of you hate it when you are almost done with completing the puzzle, there is only one piece missing?

Why this theme?

The Bible is a big book.

But, how can I understand the biggest story since there are so many details?

Perhaps some of you don’t understand or perhaps puzzled about the Bible.

It’s an ambitious theme. It won’t cover all the details (including the important ones) in this retreat.

Question: What is God’s story? Is it relevant for our lives?

Main Point: The Gospel Is God’s Story

We’re introduced to this man named Paul. The Apostle Paul wants you to understand the gospel of God and how you can fit into His story.

Many of you may not know who Paul was, but here are some things you need to know about him.

First, he’s a slave of Jesus Christ.

Second, he’s an Apostle.

Apostle basically means a person who is sent.

It referred to someone who was officially commissioned to a position or task, such as an envoy or ambassador.

He did not volunteer for that office, nor was he elected by fellow believers.

He was divinely called by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

So, because Paul was an Apostle, it gives him the credential to tell God’s story (the gospel of God) in the letter to the Romans.

Third, he’s set apart for the gospel of God, which means he was given the responsibility to tell others about this good news.

Fourth, he’s the author of this letter of Romans, which we’ll be learning for the rest of the camp.

Fifth, Paul experienced the transforming power of the gospel.

He was a persecutor of Christians.

What is the gospel of God?

It can also be understood as God’s good news.

It is the good news that God will deliver us from our selfish sin, free us from our burden of guilt, and give meaning to life and make it abundant.

The fact that it was of God meant that God was the source of it.

It was not man’s good news, but God’s good news for man.

God promised this good news.

Through his prophets

In the Holy Scriptures

Overview of the Bible

Old Testament

It is estimated that the Old Testament contains at least 332 prophecies about Christ, most of which were fulfilled at His first coming.

Everything written in the OT point to Jesus Christ.

That’s God’s big story. The main character is Jesus.

Paul is making it clear that the good news that he teaches is really old news found in the Old Testament, but it is now fulfilled and completed in Jesus Christ.

New Testament

The rest of the New Testament describes to us the ministry, person, and life of Jesus Christ.

The rest of the letters of the NT explains to us what Jesus’ death and resurrection means for all of us.

God promised this good news and it pertains to a Person.

Namely, Jesus Christ.

What can we learn about Jesus?

He came from David (found in the Old Testament)

He’s the Son of God.

He was the Son of God in the sense of oneness of essence and in the role of dutiful, loving submission to the Father in His self-emptying incarnation.

There is, of course, no question that He is eternally God and eternally the second Person of the Godhead, but Paul says He was declared God’s Son when He was supernaturally conceived in Mary and was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh.

We could say, then, that Christ was the Son of God from eternity in expectation and was declared God’s Son in fulfillment at the incarnation and forever.

He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.

He’s our Lord.

The Sovereign ruler.

He is Lord because He is God and is the sovereign ruler of the universe.

He’s the Christ.

The Anointed One.

He is Christ because He has been anointed by God as King and Priest.

He is Jesus because He saves His people from their sin.

That’s God’s story as revealed in the Bible.

Closing Question: How do I fit into God’s story? How does God’s story - His ancient book written from 1500 BC - 100 AD - speak into our contemporary and modern society?

God’s story. God’s gospel. Can simply be summarized in 5 important biblical scenes:

Creation

Rebellion

Redemption

New Creation

Restoration