The STORY Jesus Told

Last week we went over our vision to see individuals, families, and whole communities transformed by the Gospel Of Jesus Christ - And we’ve been invited to pray with TCBC for opportunities to share the message of Jesus with people in this neighborhood - we are asking God to bring people in this neighborhood to faith in Jesus - we want to be part of seeing people becoming baptized followers of Jesus..

Last week we went over our vision to see individuals, families, and whol communities transformed by the Gospel Of Jesus Chrirst - And we’ve been invited to pray with TCBC for opportunities to share the message of Jesus with people in this neighbourhood - we are asking God to bring people in this neighbouthood to faith in Jesus - asking Jesus to make us part of seeing people becoming bapatized followers of Jesus..

We were reminded last week that - The quality and character of our church family - the collective stories of God working in our lives and our relationships with one another - our families, our homes, the good works that we engage in -they are all meant to proclaim Jesus and his teaching…

The quality and character of our church family - the collective stories of God working in our lives and our relationships with one another - the good works that we engage in - are all meant to help proclaim the good news - of Jesus and his kingdom…

The story of us: the quality and character of our church family - the collective stories of God working in our lives and our relationships with one another - the works that we engage in - becomes PROCLAMATION.

The quality and character of our church family - the collective stories of God working in our lives and our relationships with one another - our families, our homes, the good works that we engage in -they are all meant to proclaim Jesus and his teaching…

This year we are praying with

But when we actually tell people about Jesus, when we dare to speak about our faith and teach from the bible - whether it is one on one or in a gathering like this — we will very quickly discover and encounter all kinds of confusing ideas about Jesus and his teachings.... Our Post-Christian, pluralistic, culture is saturated with so many different and strange ideas about Jesus, God, the bible, and Christianity…that even when we think we are we are understanding and communicating the message of Jesus well - the message really isn’t being heard and understood...

people are often confused and misunderstand - even in Christian families we think we’re communicating the gospel well to our children only to discover as they get older that they are very confused - - that there are things they have completely misunderstood… e often encounter all kinds of misunderstandings and confusion about Jesus and his teachings…

So in an environment where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus how can we ourselves have confidence that we are understanding and making proper sense of Jesus and his teachings? And how can we communicate and engage people with the message of Jesus in a way that really helps them make sense of the faith?

Luke chapter 24:13ff - This is a conversation Jesus had with a couple of his disciples just after his resurrection - it is a conversation every follower of Jesus needs to hear - so as I read the passage - Imagine you are walking with Jesus and these two disciples listening in on their conversation…

people are drawing conclusions and getting confused because they don’t have the full story -

As I read the passage - Imagine you are walking with Jesus and these two disciples listening in on their conversation…

If we don’t have the full story we end up with a distorted view of reality… which leads to all kinds of misunderstanding and confusion..

Luke chapter 24:13ff - As I read the passage - Imagine you are walking with Jesus and these two disciples listening in on their conversation…

As I read the passage - Imagine you are walking with Jesus and these two disciples listening in on their conversation…

Luke 24:13–14 ESV

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.

before we dive into this passage

Luke 24:15–16 ESV

While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

Luke 24:17–18 ESV

And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

Luke 24:19 ESV

And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,

Luke 24:19–20 ESV

And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.

Luke 24:21 ESV

But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.

Luke 24:22–23 ESV

Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.

Luke 24:24 ESV

Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

So these disciples have the basic information about Jesus - they know of his birth, life, death, and have heard second hand about his resurrection.. but they are confused - they misunderstand…

So in frustration Jesus says…

and encounter all kinds of confusion about Jesus and his teachings…

Many people have heard gospel presentations, they have been exposed to bible stories and bits and pieces of Christian teaching - but they are confused - because they don’t have the full story!

The reason God leaves us in this broken world and doesn’t beam us up into his presence the moment he saves us - is because we are part of God’s plan to redeem and restore all of Creation through Jesus Christ.

Many people have heard gospel presentations, they have been exposed to bible stories and bits and pieces of Christian teaching - but they are confused - because they don’t have the full story!

which can be really funny in a sitcom - not funny at all if people are confused about life and purpose and thier identity… A lot of people today are confused about Jesus and his teachings - have heard gospel presentations, they have been exposed to bible stories and bits and pieces of Christian teaching - but there is a lot of misunderstanding and a lot of confusion - even among Christians....

Luke 24:25–27 ESV

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

because we don’t know the Story...

We live in a Post-Christian Culture - that means that the story of Jesus and his teachings is not new, people have all kinds of conflicting opinions and ideas about Jesus, about what he taught, about the bible, and what it means to live a Christian life - there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding

Luke 24:28–29 ESV

So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them.

which makes sharing our faith and teaching our children about Jesus quite challenging - challenging because there is so much confusion --- There is all kinds of confusion surrounding the message of Jesus and Christian teaching in our world today

There is all kinds of confusion surrounding the message of Jesus and Christian teaching in our world today primarily because the gospel and Christian teaching is presented disconnected from the larger Story.

there is a lot of confusion surrounding the message of Jesus and living as a Christian in this world today even among… because the gospel and a lot of Christian teaching is taught has been disconnected from the larger Story.

Luke 24:30–32 ESV

When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:33–35 ESV

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

We live in a world where there is all kinds of confosion surrounding the message of Jesus and living as a Christian in this world because the gospel and much of our teaching is taught has been disconnected from the larger Story.

We often share the message of Jesus by listing off a set of essential truths - but rarely do we take the time to connect the truth about Jesus to the overarching story of God’s plan.

like some sale but rarely do we ever We teach the bible like it is a set of disconnected stories, verses, and lessons to be taken randomly at will or when needed and then we wonder why people find life confu

Jesus rebuked these disciples because they misunderstand the message of the OT prophets. They misunderstood the Story!

Often the way we go about sharing the good news is to give a short sales pitch - a snap shot of a few essential truths without ever connecting it

WE MISUNDERSTAND AND IT IS A BIG PROBLEM

In our post-modern world people live disconnected from any overarching story for understanding who we are, why we are here, and where our lives are headed… in fact the idea of there being one true complete story of whats really going on is rejected by our culture… so we live with many competing stories … and lots of confusion about life and purpose and identity.

Jesus explains the OT story - Moses and all the prophets (refers to the whole OT) - the things concerning himself - who he is and what he has done - how he is part of the Story and what he has accomplished!

It is understanding how Jesus fits into the story of scripture that opens thier hearts to the truth - Their hearts burned within them while he opend the scriptures to them… Jesus tells the story of God’s unfolding plan in the OT - to explain the Gospel!

Skip down to V44 - 45 Jesus later appears to the disciples and explains to all of them....

Luke 24:44–45 ESV

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Luke 24:44–46 ESV

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

Luke 24:46–47 ESV

and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

English Standard Version Chapter 24

You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Luke 24:48–49 ESV

You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus explains this again to all the Apostles - this time emphasizes the entire written OT - Moses, Prophets, writings

He ‘Opened their minds to the Scriptures’ again he showed them what they misunderstood - what they could not see… how his death and resurrection has all along been part of the story of God’s plan… he corrected their understanding of the OT story - And he explains how they are now part of the same story - commissioning them to be his witnesses - 48-49

V44 - 45 Jesus explains this again to all the Apostles - this time emphasizes the entire written OT - Moses, Prophets, writings

‘Opened their minds’ again he showed them what they misunderstood - what they could not see… who he is and how his death and resurrection has all along been part of the story of God’s plan… he corrected their misunderstanding of the OT story - explaining how they are now part of the same story - commissioning them to be his witnesses - 48-49

These disciples can’t see the significance of who Jesus is and what he’s done because they misunderstand the OT story…

The remarkable experience of Jesus alive again eating with them will not be enough to sustain these disciples in their worldwide mission. They need to be sure about the ‘thread of divine intent’ - God’s unfolding plan - that runs through the whole story. Jesus is not merely threading together a number of proof texts, but drawing from the whole STORY! They need to see that the whole story-line of the BIBLE - the streams of truth, Law, Prophets and Psalms, flow to him.

Even the diciple’s remarkable experience of Jesus alive again eating with them will not be enough to sustain these disciples in their worldwide mission. They need to be sure about the ‘thread of divine intent’ - God’s unfolding plan - that runs through the whole story. Jesus is not merely threading together a number of proof texts, but drawing from the whole STORY! The whole story-line the streams of truth, Law, Prophets and Psalms, flow to him.

So again Jesus tells the story of the OT to explain the Gospel and commission his disciples… -

“Storytelling is powerful because it has the ability to touch human beings at the most personal level. Stories address us on every level. They speak to the mind, the body, the emotions, the spirit, and the will.

It is through telling the story of the OT scriptures that their minds are opened and their hearts inflamed!

So Jesus models something for his disciples here that helps them grasp the essence of the Gospel and that relates directly to fulfilling the mission = To make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings they are to know the whole STORY.

because it has the ability to touch human beings at the most personal level. While facts are viewed from the lens of a microscope, stories are viewed from the lens of the soul. Stories address us on every level. They speak to the mind, the body, the emotions, the spirit, and the will. In a story a person can identify with situations he or she has never been in. The individual’s imagination is

So over the next several weeks we are going to learn the STORY of God’s unfolding plan as Jesus told it.

So Jesus models something for his disciples here that relates directly to fulfilling the mission = To make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings we are to know and be able to tell the whole STORY.

Fast forward to the book of Acts…

If you look at how Peter, Stephen and Paul present the gospel in Act’s chapters 3, 7, 13, you discover that they all begin with the same OT story - They start with Abraham… they summarize the OT story and present the Gospel as part of the larger story - because the Good News about Jesus has a context - Jesus is the climax of the story of God's plan —

So the Apostles do the same thing Jesus did with them! They Tell The STORY!

What if I told you we can learn to do the same??

What if I told you that we could reconstruct the story Jesus told on the road to Emmaus and have our own Emmaus road conversations with people? = The kind of conversations and story telling the Spirit can use to open up minds to the scriptures and move our hearts to love Jesus???

To make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings and communicate his message in a way that really helps people make sense of it - we need to know the story.

To make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings and communicate his message in a way that really helps people make sense of it -

So Jesus models something for his disciples here that relates directly to fulfilling our mission = To make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings we are to know and be able to tell STORY.

What if I told you that we could reconstruct the story Jesus told on the road to Emmaus and have our own Emmaus road conversations with people? = The kind of conversations the Spirit can use to open minds and move hearts???

If you look at how Peter, Stephen and Paul present the gospel in Act’s you discover that they all begin with the same OT story - They start with Abraham… they summarize the OT story and present the Gospel as part of the larger story - because the Good News about Jesus has a context - the story of God's plan — They are simply doing what Jesus did with them!

If we don’t have the story line right we end up with a distorted view of reality...

You might say it’s too big… The OT is long and complicated it would take us years!

But it’s only 7 miles -between Jerusalem and Emmaus! And Jesus made it to Emmaus in time for dinner!

While there are many variables involved, it takes the average person 30 minutes to hike a mile on gentle terrain. For Jerusalem to Emmaus add a bit of time for hilly terrain and heat. So the story Jesus told would have taken between 4-5 hours max! (http://blog.gossamergear.com/determine-how-long-to-hike-a-mile)

So Jesus wasn’t going through every chapter and verse pointing out everything - he was summarizing the OT highlighting the main points - probably quoting key passages the disciples would have been familiar with…

But Luke doesn’t tell us the content of what Jesus said! So how could we even know what he said?

The Apostles followed Jesus’ example… In acts they all start with the same story of Abraham. They all mention Moses and David.

Stephen tells the OT story in 4 movements:

Abraham to Joseph,

Joseph to Moses,

Moses to David,

David to the Prophets.

If you take all the OT quotes and references in the NT you find that several key OT passages are constantly being referenced and used to explain the Gospel ! Passages like , , , and . Using these frequent quotes and references found in the NT we can with a high level of confidence reconstruct the Story Jesus TOLD on the Road to Emmaus… (And there is a ton of research by several scholars spanning the last few decades behind this.)

We can learn the story as Jesus told it!

You might say, but Matt, this sounds very academic - I’m not a pastor or a scholar …

Jesus didn’t pull a couple ‘smart or special disciples aside’ he taught this to all his disciples! The majority of Jesus disciples were uneducated blue collar workers...

This wasn’t taught in a classroom it was a conversation while they are walking down the road, a conversation over a meal together!

So over the next few weeks we are going to attempt to learn the story as Jesus told it! And we need to!

Without a good grasp of the story we are ill equipped to make sense of life, to make sound life choices, or to defend and explain our faith. Consider the following quote:

In an environment where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus we need to know the story to make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings and to pass on the faith to others.

In a post-modern relativistic climate our media obsessed culture bombards us with a steady stream of media with a vast montage of competing views and philosophies. (Not only outside the church but from within there are a number of false teachers being promoted with large media platforms in the Christian marketplace). Without a good grasp of the story believers are ill equipped to think for themselves, to make sound life choices, or to defend and explain their faith.

Consider the following quote:

“Story and identity are intimately connected. Postmodernism rejects the existence of a universal Story of history and humanity. Young people don’t know who they are largely because they live in a postmodern culture without a coherent story…Christians often talk about, but rarely define, finding our “identity in Christ.” Biblically speaking, however, we can’t know our identity in Christ without knowing His Story as revealed in Scripture.” [1]

[1] Stonestreet, John. A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World (Kindle Locations 1141-1150). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

Maybe one of the reasons the early church was so bold in the face of trials and persecution is because the early Christians were aware they were living within a story that was much larger than just their own sin, salvation and spirituality!

So over the next several weeks we are going to learn the STORY of God’s unfolding plan as Jesus told it.

Maybe one of the reasons the early church was so bold in the face of trials and persecution is because the early Christians were aware they were living within a story that was much larger than just their own sin, salvation and spirituality!

Maybe if learn the story well we too will grasp a bigger vision for our lives.

So we’re going to learn the story Jesus told it! There are Some Key Passages - to help you get familiar with them --- Reading Plan!

So we’re going to learn the story Jesus told it!

In an environment that is becoming more and more hostile towards the Christian faith and where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus we need to know the story to make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings and to pass on the faith to others.

Let’s practice our story telling this morning…

There are Some Key Passages - to help you get familiar with them --- Reading Plan!

Tell the story of the day you were baptized to some of the people sitting near you.

Tell your favorite Old Testament story to some people sitting near you. What does this OT story reveal about Jesus?

We’re going to learn the story together - Some Key Passages Reading Plan!

In an environment where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus we need to know the story to make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings and to pass on the faith to others.

What does this OT story reveal about Jesus?

In an environment where there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Jesus we need to know the story to make proper sense of Jesus and his teachings and to pass on the faith to others.

So over the next several weeks we are going to learn the STORY of God’s unfolding plan as Jesus told it.

and to engage people with the message of Jesus in a way that really helps them make sense of the faith.

And how can we communicate and engage people with the message of Jesus in a way that really helps them make sense of the faith?

Many churches go about teaching the bible, not as the Story of God’s plan, but as a disconnected set of stories, verses, and lessons to be taken randomly at will or when needed. This has a huge negative impact on inspiring a wholehearted devotion to Christ and establishing people well in the faith.

“Story and identity are intimately connected. Postmodernism rejects the existence of a universal Story of history and humanity. Young people don’t know who they are largely because they live in a postmodern culture without a coherent story…Christians often talk about, but rarely define, finding our “identity in Christ.” Biblically speaking, however, we can’t know our identity in Christ without knowing His Story as revealed in Scripture.” [1]

We can learn to tell the STORY of God's plan the way Jesus did! And we need to!

That’s exactly what we’re going to do together over the next several weeks.

Disciples misunderstand who Jesus is and what he has done because they misunderstand the OT Story - Jesus opens their minds and sends them to do the same! - The Early Church when thy proclaimed the Gospel told the Story (Peter's Sermons) - they presented it in the context of a larger story - Just like Jesus did - -

Jesus and the Apostles know this -

What if I told you we are called to do the same and can learn to do the same?

But it’s only 7 miles -between Jerusalem and Emmaus! between 4-5 hours (for the whole conversation)

“Story and identity are intimately connected. Postmodernism rejects the existence of a universal Story of history and humanity. Young people don’t know who they are largely because they live in a postmodern culture without a coherent story…Christians often talk about, but rarely define, finding our “identity in Christ.” Biblically speaking, however, we can’t know our identity in Christ without knowing His Story as revealed in Scripture.” [1]

[1] Stonestreet, John. A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World (Kindle Locations 1141-1150). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

In a post-modern relativistic climate, Christians, families, and churches that have a ‘patchwork understanding’ of the scriptures are more vulnerable to distortions of the Christian faith and faithful living. Our entertainment obsessed culture bombards us with a steady stream of media that challenges a biblical worldview with a vast montage of competing views and philosophies. (Not only outside the church but a number of false teachers are promoted and have large media platforms in the Christian marketplace). Without a good grasp of the story and the overall message of scripture believers are ill equipped to think for themselves, defend their faith, or make sound life choices. Consider the following quote:

“The vast majority of the time, worldviews are embedded within entertainment. The ideas aren’t explicitly stated or argued; they’re assumed… Over time, these ideas trickle into the conscience of the culture, slowly shaping our conceptions of the world, norms of acceptable behavior, and our very identities.”[2] [2] Stonestreet, John. A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World (Kindle Locations 2885-2895). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

WE MISUNDERSTAND AND IT IS A BIG PROBLEM

The early Christians were aware they were living within a story that was much larger than their own sin, salvation and spirituality!

Jesus explains the OT story - Moses and all the prophets (refers to the whole OT) - the things concerning himself - who he is and what he has done - how he is part of the Story and what he has accomplished!

‘Opened their minds’ showed them what they misunderstood - what they could not see… who he is and how his death and resurrection has all along been part of the story of God’s plan… he corrected the story line explaining how they are now part of the same story - commissioning them to be his witnesses - 48-49

not only informed their minds but also inflamed their hearts! (v45 = mind, v 32 = heart).

BECAME THE PRACTICE OF EARLY CHURCH

A biblical worldview!

If you take all the OT quotes and references in the NT you find that serveral key OT passages are constantly being referenced and used to explain the Gospel ! Using the frequent references found in the NT we can with some confidence reconstruct the Story Jesus TOLD on the Road to Emmaus… We can learn to tell the story of God's plan the way Jesus did! A biblical worldview!

WE CAN LEARN TO DO IT TODAY!

How do we help our children face a world that is constantly challenging a biblical worldview - teach them the STORY!!!!!

The early Christians were aware they were living within a story that was much larger than their own sin, salvation and spirituality!

not only informed their minds but also inflamed their hearts! (v45 = mind, v 32 = heart).

DATA:

Memory Verse:

“Story and identity are intimately connected. Postmodernism rejects the existence of a universal Story of history and humanity. Young people don’t know who they are largely because they live in a postmodern culture without a coherent story…Christians often talk about, but rarely define, finding our “identity in Christ.” Biblically speaking, however, we can’t know our identity in Christ without knowing His Story as revealed in Scripture.” [1]

[1] Stonestreet, John. A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World (Kindle Locations 1141-1150). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

In a post-modern relativistic climate our media obsessed culture bombards us with a steady stream of media with a vast montage of competing views and philosophies. (Not only outside the church but from within there are a number of false teachers being promoted with large media platforms in the Christian marketplace). Without a good grasp of the story believers are ill equipped to think for themselves, to make sound life choices, or to defend and explain their faith.

Consider the following quote:

Without a good grasp of the story and the overall message of scripture believers are ill equipped to think for themselves, to make sound life choices, to defend and explain their faith. Consider the following quote:

“The vast majority of the time, worldviews are embedded within entertainment. The ideas aren’t explicitly stated or argued; they’re assumed… Over time, these ideas trickle into the conscience of the culture, slowly shaping our conceptions of the world, norms of acceptable behavior, and our very identities.”[2] [2] Stonestreet, John. A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today's World (Kindle Locations 2885-2895). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

Devotional guides tend to offer short, personal readings from the Bible, sometimes only a verse or two, followed by several paragraphs of edifying exposition. Doubtless they provide personal help for believers with private needs, fears, and hopes. But they do not provide the framework of what the Bible says – the ‘plotline’ or ‘storyline’ – the big picture that makes sense of all the little bits of the Bible. Wrongly used, such devotional guides may ultimately engender the profoundly wrong-headed view that God exists to sort out my problems; they may foster profoundly mistaken interpretations of some Scriptures, simply because the handful of passages they treat are no longer placed within the framework of the big picture, which is gradually fading from view. - Don Carson, For the Love of God Vol. 1 (IVP, 1998), p. x.

“In fulfilling the Scriptures, Jesus is not merely threading together a number of proof texts, but drawing the whole of the OT onto himself. All the streams of truth, Law, Prophets and Psalms, flow to him. Without him the OT makes no final sense (cf. ).

Even their remarkable experience of the risen Christ will not be enough to sustain these disciples in their worldwide mission. They need to be sure about the ‘thread of divine intent’ that runs through the whole story (46-49).

Chester, Richard. The Glory of the Story: How the Old Testament Prepares the Way for Jesus: 366 Daily Readings (Kindle Locations 383-389). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

And what must we learn as interpreters of Scripture? Like reading any book, we need to know where we are in the story. If we are reading from the OT we must bring the passage to Jesus before we can bring it to ourselves.

But the story does not finish with his first coming. He will come again at the last day. So our interpretation of Scripture must be within the framework of his coming in grace and his coming in glory as the appointed heir of all things ().

Such Bible study will not only inform our minds (45), but also inflame our hearts (32).”

Chester, Richard. The Glory of the Story: How the Old Testament Prepares the Way for Jesus: 366 Daily Readings (Kindle Locations 862-870). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

[2] Don Carson, For the Love of God Vol. 1 (IVP, 1998), p. x.

Chester, Richard. The Glory of the Story: How the Old Testament Prepares the Way for Jesus: 366 Daily Readings (Kindle Locations 862-870). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

Chester, Richard. The Glory of the Story: How the Old Testament Prepares the Way for Jesus: 366 Daily Readings (Kindle Locations 383-389). Unknown. Kindle Edition.

I am working with Youth Unlimited (Youth for Christ) in Montreal, and will come for a short mission’s trip to the GTA in the middle of October. I will perform at a youth rally in Stratford, and also in a Christian school in Milton.

I have a creative presentation where I use illusions and juggling to share the Gospel message.

I have programs for children, teen, family or adult audiences. They are very “evangelistic”, and are a good tool to invite new people to an event.

I know this is a last minute planning, but I trust that for someone, it might just be the right time!

I am still available from October 18 to the 21.

Let me know if that would work for you,

François Boudreau

(514) 476-9594

http://francoisboudreau.org/home/

before we dig into the passage i want to play for you a clip from a TV show I was watching the other day…

people are drawing conclusions and getting confused because they don’t have the full story -

In our post-modern world people live disconnected from any overarching story for understanding who we are, why we are here, and where our lives are headed… in fact the idea of there being one true complete story - of whats really going on is rejected by our culture… we live with many competing stories … lots of confusion about life and purpose and identity.

The STORY Jesus Told

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