a story-shaped life
a word-of-God-shaped life
This past Sunday I kicked off a new sermon series at Grace Church entitled Next Steps. It’s all about what I believe the Bible teaches are the essential practices necessary to live as a disciple of Jesus, growing one step closer to him in proximity and likeness.
The first sermon, and practice, is “Read Your Bible.” It was an unpacking of the testing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit and the tempting of Jesus by Satan, found in Matthew 4:1-3:
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
You can listen to my sermon here. And if you’d like to hear all eight sermons on these eight practices, you can sign up for the Grace Church sermon podcast here.
I’ve been very encouraged this week to hear that many people benefitted—by God’s grace—from the sermon this past week. And I’ve heard most often how they were helped by my conclusion, where I showed that we have the capability to live a word-of-God-shaped life. That by understanding the story the Bible is telling, we are able to orient ourselves in that story. In other words, we are able to see how our story is a part of the larger story God is telling.
Many have asked if I could supply that conclusion to them in writing.
So, I am doing so below.
It is my prayer that it will be as much of a help to you as it has been to my own soul, reminding me how much God’s words and story empower me to live out my story.
Soli Deo Gloria
These instructions are not empty words—they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you will occupy when you cross the Jordan River.
Deuteronomy 32:47
So what does it look like to have a story-shaped life? A word-of-God shaped life?
I hope you have seen that it is not by viewing the Bible you read as words merely to memorize or speak, but, as Moses said, “they are your life!”
In other words, they describe life, and living. They are like a heads-up display in my brain, constantly feeding me data as I observe the world in which I live, as I go about my day, as I engage in interactions with people and all of God’s creation.
It’s kind of like the Matrix: where it was computer code that made up all of reality. The words of God are what make up all of reality—the ones we have, and the ones he is constantly speaking that hold all things together (Heb. 1:3).
It’s like this……
If I am angry, the word tells me “Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit.”
If I am worried or anxious, the word tells me that God takes care of the birds of the air, and the flowers of the field, “don’t you think he will take care of you?”; it tells me that he knows every hair on my head, and by my worry I can’t even change a hair from white to black, so my worry will not accomplish anything, it will not add a day to my life. So why worry?
If I am afraid, the word tells me, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”
If I am afraid of man, the word tells me not to fear man, for what can man really do to me? he can only kill me; if I fear anyone, it should be God, who can cast both body and soul into hell.
If I am afraid of how those in authority are ruling over us, the word tells me that the king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of God, and he turns it wherever he will.
If I am concerned about the direction of our country, the word tells me to pray for kings and all those who are in high positions, that we may live a godly and dignified life in every way.
If I fear the future, the word promises that one day there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and the dwelling place of God will be with humanity.
If I find myself worried about my material possessions, the word tells me not to put my hope in treasures on this earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal, but to lay up treasure in heaven, where moth and rust can’t destroy, and thieves are unable to break in and steal.
If I find myself incredibly tired and weary, the word holds out the promise that even youths grow tired and weary, but if I but wait on God, I will be renewed in strength, I will mount up with wings like an eagle, I shall run and not be weary, I shall walk and not faint!
If I feel burdened down by the cares of this world, the word tells me to cast my cares upon the Lord, for he cares for me.
If I’m unsure what direction I should take in life, the word tells me to ask for wisdom, and to do so in faith, not like a willow tree blown about, and he will give me wisdom.
If I’m worried about the state of our church family, how we’re doing, if will succeed in our mission, and purpose, and values, the word tells me that Jesus will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
If I’m upset by the evil I see around me, feeling like we are losing the fight, the word tells me that in this world I will have trouble, but to take heart, because Jesus has overcome the world!
If I am surrounded by friends for whom things are going really well, the word tells me to rejoice with those who rejoice.
If I am surrounded by those for whom things are hard, the word tells me to weep with those who weep.
If that hardness includes death, the word tells me that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, that I should fear no evil, for God is with me, his rod and staff will comfort me.
If I find myself weeping in grief, the word comforts me, letting me know that he stores up every tear that falls from my eye in a bottle.
If I find myself wondering if God loves me, the word tells me that God so loved me, that he gave his only begotten Son, and that if I believe in him, I am his, and will be forever.
If I wonder if God likes me, if he delights in me, the word tells me that he rejoices over me with gladness, he exults over me with loud singing.
If I’m wondering why we gather on a Sunday morning, the word tells me not to forsake the gathering of yourselves together.
If I’m wondering why we sing on a Sunday morning together, the word tells me to make a joyful noise to the Lord!
If I am curious why we have a worship band, the word tells me to raise a song, sound the tamborine, make alive the melody of the lyre, to bring out the horn, pipe, harp, drum, to dance in praise to God.
If I have wondered why there is a sermon, the word tells me, Preach the Word, in season and out of season, wether it is popular or not.
If I wonder if I should care about ethnic harmony, the word shows me that God does, and I should too, because one day, gathered around his throne, in a new heaven and new earth, will be those from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.
If I see an immigrant in our city, the word tells me to love the sojourner, and the foreigner, and the refugee.
If I wonder what that means, the word tells me that I should provide for them out of what God has provided for me.
If I want to know how to respond to those who persecute me, the word tells me to bless them.
If I want to know how to treat my enemies, the word tells me to love them.
If I’m wondering about marriage, the word tells me it is a good thing to have a wife.
If I desire to know how to be a good husband, the word tells me to lay down my life for my wife, to love her as Jesus loved the church.
If I’m wondering about having kids, the word tells me to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
If I want to know how to be a good father, the word tells me not to provoke my child to anger, and to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and to not spare the rod.
If I want to know how to be a good son, the word tells me to honor my father and my mother, a command with no expiration date.
If I’m trying to decide if I should live in community, the word tells me that two are better than one, for if one falls, the other will lift him up, and a three-fold cord is even better. We are better together!
If I’m wondering how I should eat, the word tells me that whatever I do—whether eating or drinking—I should do it to the glory of God.
If I’m wondering how I should relate to my boss at work, the word tells me I should work for her like I’m working for Jesus.
If I’m wondering if I should mow the lawn and trim back our gardens, the word tells me to exercise dominion over the earth, and to work and till the garden.
Do you see? Is that enough?
Well, there is so much more, dear family….
If I feel lonely and alone, the word tells me that JESUS will never leave me or forsake me;
if I feel friendless, the word tells me JESUS has not only called me a servant, but his friend;
if I feel the weight of my sin, the word tells me that JESUS is my Passover lamb, who takes away my sin;
if I long to be righteous, the word tells me that JESUS died on the cross so that in him, I might be the righteousness of God;
if I feel in danger, the word tells me JESUS is my rescuer;
if I feel I need saving, the word tells me that JESUS is my Savior;
if I feel like I owe God something, the word tells me that JESUS canceled the record of my debt when he allowed himself to be nailed to the cross;
if I am soul-thirsty, the word tells me JESUS is living water;
if I am soul-hungry, the word tells me JESUS is the bread of life.
Do you see? Oh, do you see how to truly live?
By every word
that comes
from the mouth of God.
Yes, and very amen, in Jesus’ name.
