S1 Epilogue: Walking in the Story

Have you ever had to walk across a dark room knowing that there was furniture and maybe some toys lying in your path? The only way to make your way across the room is to slowly shuffle your feet and wave your hands out in front of you, hoping your hands find the chair before your shin does. This is a good picture of humanity outside of Eden. Practically blind, we rely on our feelings in a dark world. Constantly stepping on legos and bumping into each other. Frustration and confusion seem to be unavoidable in the human experience. Can someone please turn on the light! You see, we, you and me and everyone who has ever lived (and who will live in the future) are characters in the true story of the whole world.

Every human being is created in God’s image, and by their very design, were made to flourish in the light of His presence.

But we are a fallen people, living in a broken world. You and I have been raised by rebels who were raised by rebels who were raised by rebels. We were not born in Eden, we were born in the wilderness – a place of darkness, disorder and death. We are all descendants of those who were scattered at Bavel. Look across the landscape of history and you’ll see that in a very real sense we are all still very much living in the dark ages. No amount of technological advancement and human achievement can turn on the light. But in season one of the podcast we have meditated on a story about a God who who pierces the dark with his Word. This Word has become flesh and tabernacled in this wild world. This Word was the light that shown in the darkness, and try as it might, the darkness has not overcome Him. The Word was the Saving King of the world. And we, all of us, are living in the days of King Jesus. All authority is his, and he, through the Holy Spirit-filled church is gathering up the scattered and confused nations, so he can dwell with us and we with him, always and forever world without end.

I hope you have seen that God deeply desires to dwell with his people. He is the all satisfying source of life and light that our dead, dark world desperately needs. The pressing question that every human needs to answer is will you dwell in His light? Will you surrender your life and pledge allegiance to the Saving King? Walking in his ways, and delighting in His will? The Spirit, the Ruach, is blowing across this world like a holy Wind, redeem, renewing, and regenerating rebels everyday. The Temple of God, which is His global Church is growing, the borders of his sanctuary are expanding over the world. Are you among the those who will inhabit the City of God? The tough reality is that not everyone will live in God’s global garden city. Those who refuse to be reconciled to God through Jesus, are also refusing their share in the glorious age to come. The sad truth is that Jesus said that many, many people will be forever separated from God, and this by their own choosing. Don’t let this be you. Come now, even in this moment, in the power of the Holy Spirit, into the Light and Life of the Saving Christ. He loves you dearly, beyond measure, and he has made a way for you to be with Him. Adam chose darkness over light, and death over life, and all his generations have made this same error, all save one. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus goes back to Abraham, but Luke’s takes it all the way back to Adam. Jesus, the new Adam, did not sin, in fact he came to forgive us, and lead us to life. As the Apostle Paul says, “For just as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” If we walk in the way of Adam we find death (and the Bible says we all walk in his way), but if we walk in the way of Jesus we find everlasting life (and the Bible says that only some walk in his way). If today you desire to turn away from your rebellion and enter into his marvelous light, call on the name of Jesus and receive his forgiveness, call a friend who knows Jesus, go to a local church that is unashamed of the Good News of King Jesus. Today could be the first of billions and billions of days living in the all satisfying life and light of God.

The story of the Bible is meant to shape us and form us into a people who are in love with the triune God and his vision for humanity and the world. Stories have a way of getting in our bones and transforming our very being. The story of God is a story breathed out by the Spirit of God. He knows the power of story because he is the master storyteller. If we live by stories other than his, then we live by lies. The story of God is the true story of the whole world, whether we like it or not, and we are characters in this story. Are we going to be characters who honor the king, who love what he loves, who treats others how he would have us treat others? Or are we going to be characters who pretend that we can flourish without him? God’s story makes it abundantly clear that we were made to be with Him forever, let us not forsake this beautiful reality, but rather, in the power of the Spirit, walk in this story, as faithful servants of the High King of Heaven and Earth.

Season one of The Story of God Podcast has followed the flow of our book The Story of God with Us. That book is a family picture book that allows you and your family to hear the story in one sitting. It’s a great way to grow in biblical literacy and to initiate great questions about who God is and what he’s up to. This season of the podcast was created as a resource to beef up your own understanding of the scenes and movements presented in that book. This journey has refreshed my soul and ignited my imagination. I hope this is true for you too. And I can’t wait for season two. Until then, stay tuned for some great bonus content in the coming weeks!