The Bible tells us that we're living in God's story. It's a story of the God who's on a mission to glorify His name by redeeming people from every nation. This story began at the dawn of creation and will continue until the renewal of all things. When we discover God's story and realize what the story is all about, we can find our place in the story.
Today, how we can do this. From Chicago, welcome to The Moody Church Hour with Pastor Philip Miller. In a moment, a time of worship and teaching, we'll discover the six acts that comprise the story of God.
Stay with us. Here now is Pastor Philip, along with Executive Pastor, Bill Bertschy and worship leader, Tim Stafford. Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to The Moody Church. This is Mission Sunday, and we get to take a look at the great big story of what God is doing throughout all of human history and how we get to be a part of that story as well.
Would you stand where you are? Let's pray and give our time to the Lord. Heavenly Father, we gather here and we thank you that we don't live in a universe that is haphazard or full of chance, but there's a grand story, a story you're writing through the pages of history. And it's a story, not only do we get to read, but we get to be a part of it. You invite us into this story as active participants on the stage, as it were, of this great drama that you are writing and unfolding in our time in history. And so, Father, we want to find our place in the story today.
Help us, for Jesus' sake. Amen. We come from Christ to you, true Son of God and Son. By you has His presence in you all I hear, in you alone, in you and have I been in your love. We worship you, O Christ, our Savior and our King. To Thee are the news and strength of your healing, healing, healing. Try me now, O God, for knowing that your life has been turned to you. Amen.
Please be seated. One day we are going to stand before the God to whom we just sang, and it is going to blow our minds away. You know, as we're singing, I love to hear you all sing, and I'm just thinking, you know, when we stand before the Lord, either He calls us home personally or Jesus returns, all the things that are worrying us now won't matter at all.
How far behind we are on laundry, how much we weigh, whether we're married or single, who wins the election, it's not going to matter. All of that will immediately fade away in the beauty and the majesty of the God to whom we sing and who we worship. Isn't that amazing? Everything else comes into perspective. Do you feel the world is broken? Do you feel the shadows deepen?
Do you know that all the dark ones stop the light from getting through? Do you wish that you could see it all maybe? Is all creation groaning? Is a new creation coming? Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst?
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah, who conquered the grave, He's been true and delivered, I want to present the same. Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of our blessing and honor and glory, is He worthy of this? He is. Does the Father truly love us? He does.
Does the Spirit move among us? He does. Does Jesus, our Messiah, hold forever those He loves? He does. Does our God intend to dwell again with us?
He does. Is anyone worthy? Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? The Lion of Judah, who conquered the grave, He's been true and delivered, I want to present the same. From every people and tribe, every nation and tongue, He has made us the kingdom and grace to come to reign with the Son. Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of our blessing and honor and glory, is He worthy? Is He worthy? Is He worthy of this? He is. He is. Is He worthy?
Is He worthy? He is. He is.
He is. You are the Lord. There is none like you. You reign over all the earth. And we pray that even as we hear your word today, that we see your kingdom coming, going and going. We know that here in this land, we were those who were far off. This is not where the gospel began. You've already reached across oceans and centuries of time to bring us the gospel. Why wouldn't we also go to share with others?
We pray in Jesus name. Amen. You know, as we wake up in this universe, we find ourselves in the midst of a story that's already in progress. It's unfolding. There are characters on life's stage.
There's dialogue all around us. There's drama unfolding. But what is the story about?
Whose story is it? And how do we find our place in the story? I think a lot of us assume from birth that this story really is about us. It's about us finding our voice, making our mark, shining our light into this world.
And of course, our lives matter tremendously, don't they? We are an integral part of the story. We meaningfully shape the plot line of history. But as important as our stories are, we're actually living in a bigger story. The Bible tells us we're living in a grand story, a cosmic story, God's story. It's a story of a God who is on mission to glorify his name by redeeming a people for himself from every nation, tribe, tongue, language, to come alive and joyous relationship with him through the redemptive blood of his son by the power of his Holy Spirit. It's a story that began at the dawn of creation and will continue all the way through until the very end at the renewal of all things. And this morning as we begin our missions week here at The Moody Church, I want to help us trace that story from the beginning of the Bible all the way through to the very end. I want us to catch a glimpse of God's missionary heart that is permeating every act of the story. Because when we discover God's story and realize what that story is all about, we can actually find our place in the story. So there are six acts to this story that the Bible gives us, creation, fall, Israel, redemption, church, and renewal. And we're going to walk through each of those six acts this morning.
As we begin, would you bow your heads and pray with me? Father, we want to find our place in the grand story. This universe is not meaningless. It has depth and purpose. All of history is moving inexorably toward one definitive grand crescendo.
And when we know what the story is all about, we can find our place in the story. So help us today to find that place in Jesus' name. And all God's people said? Amen.
Amen. So at chapter one, creation. Our story begins at the dawn of time. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1, 1. The infinite void bursts into fullness of life.
The formless chaos is tuned into order. The king is creating a kingdom at the word of his command. And the crowning act of that creation we read in Genesis 1, 26 and 28. Then God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness. So God created man in his own image. In the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
Notice God's language here. Let us make man in our image. The triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who are one God eternally existing as a community of loving persons now create in their image.
Male and female in his image and likeness. And God did not create humanity because he was lonely. He has all of his relational needs met within the Trinity of himself, nor did God create humanity because he needed servants. God doesn't need anything like that from us. No, God created humanity in order that he might share himself in love with his creation, that he might share his life with us and invite us into loving relationship with himself.
He creates us as his children in order that he might share himself and all his life with us, that we might come alive in joyous relationship with him. Now this term image of God is a technical one in Hebrew. It's used throughout the ancient Near East and the word is Selim and it means image, image. And the kings of the ancient Near Eastern world would set up Selim all around the places where they ruled. Selim were stone carvings, images of the king that were set out in various places to demonstrate this is part of my rule, my kingdom. And so God here is making his own Selim. Living, breathing image bearers who will be fruitful.
They'll have more of them. Multiply, fill the earth to subdue it, to have dominion over it, the fish, the birds, the beasts. In other words, God is saying I am the king of this universe of all creation. And I have now made living, breathing image bearers who will multiply, go out and fill the earth and wherever they go there my rule and reign will be established.
That is where everyone will know I am king for my image is there. So Adam and Eve's assignment is simple. They're to cultivate this garden of Eden where God has placed them. And they're to grow the boundaries of the garden and multiply having children that reproduce so that their images might, the image of God might dwell as the boundaries of this garden expand until it envelops the entire world. And the entire world is shown to be the kingdom of God as his image unfolds and surrounds this planet. They are vice regents of the kingdom, you see, under God's authority but ruling in his stead.
They are priests mediating the rule and shalom of God in every corner of the earth. This is the vision. From the very beginning you see God's heart has beat for the entire world.
All the world is his. Act two, the fall. This paradise that God created didn't last very long. The serpent as we know tempted Adam and Eve to hijack their lives, to live for themselves, to fall into sin and they broke the one rule. They ate from the forbidden tree and rebellion struck at the heart of the kingdom. Instead of embracing their role as images of God to extend his rule and shalom in every corner of the earth, they decided to live for themselves. To be their own kings, to rebel against the source of their very life and they began dying from the inside out that day. They began caving in upon themselves. Estranged from God, they became estranged from one another, from creation itself, from their own purpose in life and even from themselves.
Everything broke that day. But God did not leave them without hope. Genesis 3.15, we read this. It's what Bible scholars call the proto-evangelium.
Evangelium, gospel, proto-first. This is the first echo of the gospel we have in the pages of Scripture. Genesis 3.15, it's in a warning that God gives to the serpent himself. I will put enmity, he says, between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring.
He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel. Adam and Eve overhear this message that God gives to the serpent and they realize there's hope. God isn't going to leave us in this mess that we've made but will deliver us through one of our descendants.
The promised seed to come, an image bearer who will do battle with the serpent and he will be wounded in the heel which is a non-fatal blow but he will end up crushing the serpent's head which is a mortal wound. The promised seed will reverse the curse and restore all that's been lost. And in him the whole world will be made new and good and right and beautiful once more. And yet the story goes on as we read in Genesis, generations come and go and things only get worse and worse.
Humanity falls into murderous and rampant evil and self-destruction and God says enough. He sends a flood to destroy the world but preserves Noah and his family and from this new family will begin again. And as Noah and his family walk out into this new world we read Genesis 9 verse 1. God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And once again you see God is sending his image bearers out into the world in his name to glorify himself as they act as kingly priests extending the rule and shalom of God to the very ends of the earth.
We're doing it all over again. But of course the story of humanity is they quickly fall back into rebellion don't they? Instead of embracing their role as God's image bearers who go throughout all the earth they once again decide to live for themselves and set about building a great tower we now know as Babel to the glory of their own name so they won't have to fill the earth like God commanded them. In Genesis 11 verse 8 to 9 we read how the Lord came down and it says so the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth and they left off building this city therefore its name was called Babel because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth and from there the Lord dispersed them from over the face of all the earth. So in the end these people who tried to build a city and not do what God said be his images and spread out throughout the entire world but instead tried to live for the glory of their own name God confused their languages they ended up scattering throughout the earth anyway not willingly but of necessity.
But from this moment on they're now divided by language and culture from one another estranged the peoples of the earth yet still bearing their own unique contributions to the image of God reflecting him imperfectly even though everywhere that image has been tainted by the fall. And yet God's heart don't you see is still beating for the nations for his lost children now scattered in every nation tribe language people in time all over the world. Then we get to act three Israel in the very next chapter in Genesis we read that God is choosing a man from among these scattered nations from Ur of the Chaldees and through him will begin a new nation a different kind of nation with a very important mission. In Genesis 12 verses one to three we read this now the Lord said to Abraham go from your country and from your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you I will curse.
And in you here's the key phrase in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abraham, I want you to leave everything your family land your, your heritage your culture I'm going to make you a new nation a great nation, a unique mission I'm going to give to you. And through you all the families of earth, shall be blessed not just your family, not just your nation, but all families all nations through you, Abraham I'm choosing you not just for your own sake but for the sake of the world. Once again don't you see God is creating a people for himself who will bear his glorious name into the world because God's heart is beating for the nations.
Centuries later we're going to hear an echo of the same heart when God redeems Abraham's family the people of Israel from their bondage and slavery in Egypt. And he commissions them listen to the words he uses Exodus 19, five to six. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. So there's the, there's the assignment Do you see it there to be a holy nation there to live under the rule of God in his Shalom, reflecting his character and covenant life, so that he might be glorified for all the world to see. And they are to be a kingdom of priests mediators, so that all the families of the earth might see in them who God is, and how they too might come to know the one true God to live under his rule and to experience his Shalom.
Israel is to be a shining light to the nations faithfully bearing the image of God, so that all peoples everywhere might come to worship the one true God who was worthy of all glory. And we see this vision this God's heart to reach the nations through his people Israel we see it all throughout the Old Testament let me just give you a couple places Psalm 67 verses one to three. God be gracious to us and bless us so this is Jewish people praying for God's grace and blessing, and make his face shine upon us, that your way might be known on the earth, that you're saving power might be known among all the nations, let the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you. Psalm 96 verses one to three and seven through nine. Oh sing to the Lord a new song sing to the Lord, all the earth, sing to the Lord bless his name, tell of his salvation day to day, declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples ascribe to the Lord Oh families of the peoples ascribe to the Lord glory and strength ascribe to the Lord, the glory do his name, bring an offering come into his courts, worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness tremble before him all the earth. Psalm 117 verses one to two praise the Lord all nations extol him all peoples for great is his steadfast love toward us and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever praise the Lord. Isaiah 42 six through eight. I am the Lord. I have called you he's talking to Israel in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations to open the eyes that are blind that's the nations Gentiles to bring out prisoners from the dungeon from the prison to those who sit in darkness I am the Lord.
That is my name, my glory, I give to no other. You see this in the Old Testament. God is on a mission to glorify his name by redeeming a people for himself through whom people from every nation, tribe, language, people and tongue might come alive in joyous relationship with him. Now unfortunately in the Old Testament the history is one in which God's people largely fail to live out this missionary calling instead of living as a holy nation they become sort of just like their neighbors falling into idolatry and the worship of false gods. Instead of becoming a kingdom of priests, they become largely a kingdom unto themselves self-absorbed seeking God's blessing for themselves and neglecting God's blessing through them to the ends of the earth to the nations.
But there are notable exceptions. We see God's heartbeat for the nations as he draws people from other nations to himself people like Jethro the Midianite, Moses father-in-law, Rahab the Canaanite, Ruth the Moabite, the queen of Sheba who comes and visits Solomon, Naaman the Syrian soldier, Jonah in his missionary journey to Nineveh the capital of Assyria and of course Nebuchadnezzar king of Neo Babylon. So Israel may not have embraced God's missionary call wholeheartedly but God's heart beats nonetheless for the peoples of all nations.
And then we come to act four redemption. Redemption in the fullness of time God sends his son into the world the seed promised to Eve the blessing promised to Abraham the king promised to David the Redeemer come to set all things to rights not just for Israel but also for the world. In John 3 16 and 17 we read these famous words for God so loved the world the world every nation tribe language people and tongue that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent his son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. So four times here John mentions the object of God's love and saving work in Jesus Christ and it's the world.
God's heart beats for the whole world all peoples everywhere that's why he sent Jesus it's what Simeon foresaw when he held the newborn baby Christ. Luke chapter 2 verses 29 to 32 oh Lord you are now letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory for your people Israel. So Jesus is the lamb who takes away the sins not just to Israel but the sins of the world and all through the four gospels we these biographies of Jesus that we have written by Matthew Mark Luke and John. We find a surprising pattern that the people you would think would be most receptive to the Jewish Messiah end up rejecting him in large part and it is the Gentiles the Samaritans the outsiders who are most receptive give him the warmest welcome. John one of Jesus closest disciples put it this way John 1 verses 11 to 12 he came to his own his own people and they did not receive him but to all who did receive him who believed in his name he gave the right to become children of God that's Gentiles being reconciled becoming children of God in Jesus. So he's rejected by his own people his own nation and yet he has become an avenue of blessing to all who received him Jew and Gentile alike but if you look through the gospels you see all these Gentiles coming to Jesus the Samaritan woman at the well.
The siren Phoenician woman and her daughter the garrison demoniac who recognizes that Jesus is the king the Roman centurion who comes to him and Jesus says there's no one with faith like this and all of Israel the Gentile soldier at the foot of the cross who says surely this man must have been the son of God. You see so in Jesus life and ministry we start to see the heart of God for all peoples all nations in the flesh he's come for the lost sheep of Israel yes but also for all peoples he's the Messiah of Israel and he's the king of the world and it's always been about the nations. Remember what Jesus said to his disciples after the resurrection on the road to Emmaus he says this Luke 24 44 to 47 everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 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 the nations beginning from Jerusalem. To the nations Jesus says all of scriptures agree that God's plan from the very beginning has been to send Messiah the Christ to die and rise again on the third day so that repentance and forgiveness of sins might be proclaimed in his name to the nations. In the Old Testament the nations had to come up to Jerusalem to get right with the living God but now in the New Testament as this era begins the message of forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus will go out from Jerusalem to the nations to the very ends of the earth. And that will take place through the church.
Act 5 the church. In Matthew 28 Jesus commissions his church and he says Matthew 28 18 to 20 all authority in heaven and on earth and under the earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and lo I am with you always to the very end of the age.
Notice the language of kingship all authority has been given to me. Jesus is king of all the earth king of the cosmos and under that authority he now commissions us to go and make disciples of the nations. We see it again God's heart for all peoples. So friends the church is to be a missionary movement going into all the world to share and show the good news of Jesus Christ to every people nation tribe language and tongue so that they might come and find life in his name. That they might be immersed baptized into this community the church that they might learn to obey him and apprentice their lives to Jesus in every facet of their lives. In John 20 verse 21 Jesus says as the father has sent me even so I am sending you the father sent the son on mission to be the savior of the world now the son sends us the people of God into the world on mission with the message of salvation but he doesn't send us out alone. Acts 1 8 you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea Samaria and to the end of the earth. So friends we are sent not alone but in the power of the Holy Spirit and notice their trajectory from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth just like Jesus said from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth the nations and all that began at Pentecost.
Acts chapter 2 verses 1 to 6 this is what we read when the day of Pentecost arrived they were all together in one place and suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind. And it filled the entire house where they were sitting and divided tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues languages. As the spirit gave them utterance now they were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews devout men from every nation under heaven and as the sound of this multitude came together and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. You see so the spirit comes to inaugurate the church to empower her mission in order to reach the nations devout Jewish men from every nation under heaven are here hearing the good news of Jesus in their own tongue and language it's the reversal of babel you see. Now the nations can all hear and come together in union under the gospel of Jesus Christ and the lordship of the king as we follow through the book of Acts we see the gospel going further and further out from Jerusalem into all Judea Samaria the Gentile regions ultimately to the heart of Rome the Roman Empire all roads lead to Rome and all roads go out from Rome to the ends of the earth. So in the Old Testament the nations had to stream to Jerusalem to the temple to encounter the glory of God but now in the New Testament the glory of God is streaming out to the nations as the church goes to all peoples of the earth. So the New Testament people of God you see become this radical new kind of family in which every nation tribe language and tongue are one one family in Jesus Christ Jews and Gentiles reconciled to one another and to Jesus Christ one new man one body one spirit one baptism one united in Christ. And this multi ethnic family shines the light of God to the ends of the earth Paul writes this in Philippians two verses fourteen and fifteen do all things without grumbling or disputing that you might be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world. You see the parallels to Israel in the Old Testament the Old Testament people were to be a holy nation now he says be blameless and innocent children of God reflecting his character. Israel was to be a kingdom of priests a light to the nations and they are to now shine as lights in the midst of a broken and corrupt world. In first Peter chapter two the parallels are even tighter first Peter two nine but you he's talking to the New Testament people of God Jews and Gentiles together. You are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation of people for his own possession that you might proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light keep your conduct among the Gentiles the nations.
Honorable so that when they speak against you as evil doers they may see your good deeds and glorify God on this day of visitation. So you see this multi-ethnic family of God Jews and Gentiles together the church is sent out into all the world to bear testimony of the saving work of Jesus because God is on a mission to glorify his name by redeeming for himself a people from every nation tribe language and tongue who will come alive in joyous relationship with him through the redemption of his beloved son and by the power of his spirit and so we go in the power of the Holy Spirit on mission to the very ends of the earth. Now let's fast forward for a moment to the very end of the story act six everything else has happened to this point now we go to the future act six renewal. In the book of Revelation the Apostle John gives us a glimpse of where all of this is going where the story will wrap up in the end he has a vision of the throne room of heaven of a lamb who was slain and look who else is there. Revelation 5 9 to 10 12 to 13 worthy are you to take the scroll this is a song of praise and to open its seals for you were slain and by your blood you ransom people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God and they shall reign on the earth worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing and then john says I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them saying to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb be blessing and honor and glory and my forever and ever. Amen. Friends, all of history is moving toward this grand crescendo. Don't you see it the image of God restored, and they shall reign on the earth. The mission of God accomplished a kingdom and priests of our God mediators of his glory in all creation and the redemption of God put on display a ransom chorus from every tribe language people and nation.
This is where the story ends, and we see it again in chapter 779 through 12 after this I looked john rights and behold, a great multitude that no one could number from every nation from all tribes and peoples and languages standing before the throne and before the lamb crying out with a loud voice salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. Amen.
Last week. Last week I was moved to tears as I gathered at the European leadership forum with 800 different 800 plus people leaders from all over Europe and the world really, who were together in one room singing songs of worship to our God we sing holy, holy. Are you Lord God almighty worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb. You are holy, holy, and I wept. I could hardly hold it together, because friends there is something about the crucified and risen King Jesus the lamb who was slain, who is finally and fully enough to unite all peoples all nations all tribe and all language together in one family forever more in worship.
Something about this. It's a taste of heaven. Speaking of heaven, Revelation 21 one to five. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and first earth that passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city and New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying behold the dwelling a place of God is with man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things have passed away. And he who is seated on the throne said behold I am making all things new. Friends at the very end of the story it's not that we go up to heaven as the heaven comes down to us. Eden is restored.
The dwelling place of God is once again with humanity and he will dwell with us and we will be with him. He will wipe away our tears. Everything wrong will be righted. Everything lost will be found.
Everything broken will be mended. Everything marred will become beautiful and everything sad will come untrue. And the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas. And John says the Lord himself will be the light in this new world. And he says the nations will walk by his light. And the tree of life that we lost in Eden will grow once again and its leaves will be for the healing of the nations. Friends God has a mission to glorify his name.
By redeeming a people for himself from every nation, tribe, language and tongue who will come alive in joyous relationship with him through the redemption of his son and the power of his spirit. And don't you see in the end it is gloriously fulfilled now and forevermore. So what's your place in the story, huh? What's your place in the story? We live in Act 5, right?
The church age. Acts gives us the story of how the apostles brought the gospel to Rome, the very heart of the empire that reached to the ends of the earth. Church history tells us the story of how the people of God down through the years have been bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth ever since.
And we know how the story will end, right? And in the meantime, we have a commission to fulfill. A commission to fulfill. Because God is on a mission to glorify his name by redeeming a people for himself from every nation, tribe, tongue and language who will come alive in joyous worship of him through relationship with him through the redemption of his son by the power of the spirit. And so my friends, Jesus is inviting you to join him on his mission to the nations. God is inviting you to join him on his mission to the nations, to bear his image in the world, to display his holy character with our lives, to be mediators of the gospel wherever we go, to show and share the love of Jesus where we live, work, learn and play.
Don't you see? God is inviting you into the greatest story the world has ever known. This is the story you woke up in. We are alive in God's story. The aim of our lives is not to invent our own stories so that we can be the hero.
Our aim is to join up in the story of what God is doing. Listen, everybody wants to co-opt your life into their story. Your politicians want to co-opt your life into their story. Your country wants to co-opt your life in issuance of its story.
Marketers want to co-opt your life to live their story. But Jesus has a better story. Every other story will die and will be forgotten. But this story will endure through all eternity. And friends, friends, if you want your life to count, this is the story you live for.
This story and no other story. So how will you join in the story of what God is doing? Where will you find your place in this story? There are people far from Jesus but right close to you, near to you.
Where you live, work, learn and play. What would it mean to meaningfully join God on mission in your world? There are nations all around this world, people groups who need to know the good news of the salvation that God has provided for them in Jesus Christ. Their lives matter, their eternities matter.
We must make sure they have an opportunity to hear what Jesus has done for them. Don't you see how this story has implications for everything in your life? Your time, your talent, your treasure, every waking hour, the dreams you dream, the plans you make, the decisions you're involved in, what you choose to live for. Will you live for this story?
The story that really matters. Friends, when we know what God is all about, we know what we're to be all about as well because we're loved more than we know. So it's time for us to go and be the church.
That's right. Oh Heavenly Father, we thank you that we are the objects of your mission. When we were lost in our sin, our transgressions alienated from you and didn't even want you, you came for us on mission. You sent your son into the world, into hostile territory to redeem us with his blood. His life was for us, a missionary life. And now you've sent your spirit and you send us to be missionaries for you.
Everyone who is saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ is commissioned into the greatest story, the greatest mission the world has ever known. Father, forgive us for being shy, being timid, for backing off and playing it safe. Father, give us courage and boldness to live for you, to shine his lights in the midst of a dark and corrupt generation. Father, we want to let our lives speak of the glories of Jesus Christ here in Chicago, throughout our country, to the nations, to the very ends of the earth until your mission is fulfilled to help us, Lord Jesus, as we go. We will obey, fill us, empower us, send us, be with us until the very end of the age, we pray in Jesus name. Everybody says, Amen.
Amen. For our benediction, I want to remind you of the words of Jesus in Matthew 28, 18 to 20. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age. Friends, we are indeed loved more than we know. He alone is worthy. Amen. We will live our lives to tell this story to the ends of the earth.
Are you with me? On today's Moody Church Hour, we heard Pastor Philip Miller preaching on finding our place in the story, the roles we play in the Great Commission. The story of Jonah is more than a man swallowed by a great fish. It's really a story about God. It shows us God's unrelenting grace for undeserving people, and it's a story for those who run from God and need second chances. It shows us a God whose love never quits. Next time, join us for a series we're calling Relentless, How God Pursues His People to Accomplish His Purposes. The Moody Church Hour is a listener-supported ministry.
We count on the ongoing financial support of listeners like you. Together, we share solid biblical teaching that transforms lives across America and around the world. You can call us at 1-800-215-5001.
That's 1-800-215-5001. Online, you'll find us at moodychurchhour.com. That's moodychurchhour.com. Or write to us at Moody Church Media, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church.
