John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Psalm 90:9-10
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
There is something so interesting about stories that we as human beings we are always attracted to it. It is not far-fetched that even our lives are lived as a story that is told according to the Psalmist in the above scripture.
The Bible is not just a collection of laws and lessons for life; it’s more like a collection of stories about people, events, nations. As a matter of fact, the bible started on a story note, imagine the words – in the beginning…
All of the bible together make up one story: God’s ultimate plan to save the fallen members of his family made in his image, and to restore their broken world to its original glory.
Any time we open our Bible we read different stories of different men and women and we have all by now discovered that we ourselves are writing a story with our lives similar to some of them or opposite to some of them based on our choices.
On a thanksgiving Sunday like this, if we think deeply there are reasons to thank God for our lives no matter what we are going through.
One of the biggest reasons to thank God today is the fact that, of all the stories ever told, the greatest one intersected with our own. The story of Jesus birth, life and resurrection.
A great story is characterized by a great hero
In this case we see God manifesting in human flesh and this makes the best heroic story ever.
The greatest story ever told ends with the greatest miracle ever performed: the resurrection of Jesus.
The experts in story telling says in order to have a story, you need to have “a character who wants something and he has to overcome conflict to get it.”
My Point No 1. this morning is What’s your story?
What do you want, and what’s keeping you from getting it?
Some people are looking for a successful career,
some for a happy family,
some for good health,
some are looking for deliverance,
some for financial security.
These are all reasonable, but if we look deeply what everyone is looking for is life.
Not just any life. A good life. A meaningful life. A long life.
And For many people who are wise as it written in Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
and in Proverbs 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.
they want life, not just for themselves, but for the whole world.
Interest in others welfare is one of the easiest way to know we are maturing.
So what are the things preventing us from getting what we want going by the definition of us being a character who wants something and has to overcome conflict to get it.”
There are a number of things that stands in the way, many of them are satan’s tool –
for some it may be sickness,
unemployment,
racial prejudice,
family dysfunction,
bad habits,
bad people,
curses.
But some of these can be traced in the end to two things: sin and death.
Sin originates from our human tendency to mess things up.
To think of ourselves first instead of others,
To hold a grudge instead of forgiving someone
To settle for lust instead of intimacy,
To twist the truth and deceive,
To lose our temper and become uncontrollable ,
To break our promises and turn deaf hears,
To hurt the people we love and show lack of care.
Sometimes it’s our own sin that gets in the way; sometimes it’s someone else’s.
Either way, sin is always there, spoiling our joy and sabotaging our good intentions.
As long as sin is on the loose in the world, in the human heart, we’ll never live the lives we were meant to live.
The other thing that gets in the way of a good life is death.
No matter how good our life is, we’re always haunted by the fact that it could end at any time, and that it will end sometime. When it does end, it will probably feel too soon, like there’s more life to live.
From Genesis to Revelation – sin continues to wreak havoc on human life. on careers, relationships, and on good times.
No matter how many peace agreements are signed, no matter how many relief efforts are launched, we still can’t fix what’s wrong with the world.
People are trying all they can to exercise, eat the right diet, take enough vitamins, with all these, there is no formula yet to beat death.
Seeing all our efforts and limitations,
This takes me to Point No. 2 – Jesus Story.
The Jesus story started as a child born to a Mr nobody in worldly terms (Joseph) – a carpenter like a rags-to-riches story.
A child was conceived out of wedlock, and born to a peasant couple on the road, a long way from home.
His first night in this world was spent in a barn. They wrap him in cloths, and lay him on a bed of straw. He grows up in a little town, and spends the early years of his life in obscurity. working as a carpenter, providing for his family, and practicing the religion of his people.
At the age of 30 he breaks into the public scene, made a name for himself with powerful sermons, and the promise of a coming kingdom. He speaks of a new age—of peace and justice for all people, of God’s goodness filling the earth and healing the nations.
He spoke about God as if he knows him in person, and was so determined as if he was on a special mission
But he was not just speaking words, he was backing them up with actions.
Everywhere he goes blind people see, the lame walked, hungry people are fed, and those possessed by demons are set free.
He also gathered some people around him – a small band of followers—a dozen of them, unlearned and untested men and also some friends and well wishers that included men and women.
Before you know it, some people fell in love with him and some hated him with passion. Only for us to discover that the authorities (powers that be) wanted to get rid of him.
Just like in every good story, the climax and the tipping point was that in the third year of his ministry and on a trip to the holy city of Jerusalem, the story reached a dark turn, one of his close ally and his treasurer sold him out and he was arrested, beaten and tried with false accusation nailed to the tree and left to die a painful death.
His story ended in death but did not stop there because something happened on the third day which has never happened before in the history of mankind.
A few brave people – women and men came out to pay their last respects only to find out that the tomb was empty and his body is no longer there. An angelic being appeared to them and told them not to worry and that Jesus is alive again. He is risen and on the move.
He appeared to his disciples and told them He will be back.
So what was Jesus looking for as a character – He wanted us to have life.
John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
a good life that goes on forever. That’s why he came.
But to give us that life, he had to overcome the 2 things I mentioned earlier. Paul states them this way in
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
So, there is no other story like Jesus story, no never.
As I begin to conclude this morning, Jesus is risen to change your story.
He has passed the victory to you and me. I will say few things about stories and then we close.
It is important to Hand your story over to him. Life story is not a play, not for decoration and there is no rehearsal. Let God handle it.
1 Peter 5:7 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Our life will be transformed when we get into the habit of telling Jesus about them because who you tell your stories to matter. Not everyone is interested in them and not everyone cares like the Master Jesus.
Don’t repeat the stories of failures – Hebrews 3 12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
Be careful of the story you are telling yourself, because it comes a reality – Anything that Jesus has changed in your story becomes permanent. You cannot afford to dig up the past. The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Don’t allow people to write your story for you, make sure you hold the pen of your life.
Don’t listen to the enemy – Satan when it comes to your story – John 8:44
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Refuse a bad storyline – Jabez did
1 Chronicles 4:10: “Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, ‘Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!’ And God granted him what he requested.” (NASB)
The rewriter of destiny will change your story today In Jesus name.
God wants your life to tell a good story, don’t be passive about it – David was anointed but was not lazy
Be careful of the role or part you take in other peoples story. – David and Uriah 2 Samuel 12:10 – Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised Me and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.’
Try your best to play a good part in other people’s story – Naomi/Ruth, David and Jonathan
Every conflict is meant to make your story richer. Embrace them. – Joseph. AlsoRomans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
There are choices in every story- always make the right ones – Esau and Jacob
Some stories end abruptly, yours will not be like that – I pray for you today that your story will not suffer from sudden death. Untimely death is not your portion.
The first death accomplished in the bible was a spiritual death – Adam and Eve and this is traceable to satanic influence. Gen 3:1-13. The second appearance of untimely death in the bible was Abel killed by Cain his Brother in Gen 4:8. Untimely death was a curse pronounced upon Eli Household as a result of his children dishonoring God. 1 Sam 2:30-33.
Remember Satan is also a story teller, stay away from his story – Ephesians 5:11 (AMP)
Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character];
The best stories ever revolves around love – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Don’t live a day without telling stories
It is essential you tell your life story with joy, life is too short to live in regrets.
Isaiah 12:3-5
3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day you will say:
“Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.