The Jesus Story

The Jesus Story    12-23-18
Bottom Line: Jesus’ story is the only story that changes our life and is never ending.
Introduction:
A. A widow goes to the local newspaper office to have an obituary placed for her recently departed husband…
1. Editor informs: 50 cent charge per word, pause-reflect
2. She says, “Let it read ‘Fred Brown died’.”
3. Amused at her thriftiness – 7 word min. for all obits
4. Thinks a few: “In that case, let it read, ‘Fred Brown died. Golf clubs for sale.’”
B. We all love a good story – of any kind!
1. How many books have you read? Favorite one?
2. How many movies? Which are your favorite?
C. Which ones impacted and changed you?
1. Entertain? Inform? Touched you? Changed you?
2. Helped you escape or helped you be a better person?
D Only one story changed my life. The story of Jesus!
1. Changed my direction – how I live!
2. Changed my entire life and keeps changing it today!
E. What is the Jesus story? Use one word! Three are key.
1. LOVE! Not just a love story! It demands a response!
2. INVITATION! A call to a covenant relationship w/ God!
3. VICTORY! Leave this physical world & be w/ THEM!
F. The Jesus Story has five chapters: Need helpers…
1. Chapter One: The Plan (God, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit)
A. Why did you decide to create the world and mankind?
B. What was the biggest problem w/ giving mankind the opportunity to have a relationship with you?
C. Why did you give mankind the freedom to choose?
D. What was the plan for making it possible for mankind to know you and be your children?
E. Jesus? What did you think of the plan?
2. Chapter Two: The Arrival (Mary & Joseph)
A. Why do you think God didn’t want Jesus to have a biological father?
B. Why do you think God wanted Jesus to have such a humble and frugal beginning?
C. Mary, what did you think it would be like to have a child who was the Messiah?
3. Chapter Three: The Ministry (12 Apostles)
A. When did you begin to realize that Jesus was someone special? Supernatural?
B. When where you the most confused by Jesus?
C. What lesson or story did Jesus tell you that you loved the most?
D. What were you thinking and feeling the night they arrested Jesus in the Garden?
4. Chapter Four: The death, burial, and resurrection (Joseph, Nic, Mary Mag., Mary & Martha, Mary Mother)
A. What kept going through your mind as you witnessed his crucifixion?
B. What is something about it that you will never forget?
C. What did you think as you closed up the tomb?
D. What did you think when you saw the tomb empty?
E. When you first saw Jesus again – alive & well – what went through your head?
5. Chapter Five: The Lord, Savior, and brother (All of us)
A. No story introduced you to your Lord!
B. No character in any story every died to save your soul!
C. No story can ever end with you becoming a child of God and a brother to Jesus!
Conclusion:
A. There is a Final Chapter – as far as we are concerned
B. We decide the ending! Happy ever after…or not!
C. The story of Jesus is His efforts to give us a happy ending!
D. How will your story finish?