We all long for THE STORY

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We all long for THE STORY

• A STORY
• of real pursuit,
• of heroic love,
• of courage,
• of sacrifice,
• that will lift our spirits and inspire us!

• A STORY
• to explain life--its purpose and future
• to tell us what cause we should live for
• to show us how we might make an impact for good!

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The good news is that we have such a story in
Jesus!
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HISTORY IN FOUR ACTS
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Act I In the Beginning...

• In the beginning...once upon a time...
• John 1
  1 In the beginning was
  the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
  was God. 2 He was with God in the
  beginning. 3 Through him all things were
  made without him nothing was made that has been
  made.

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God has never been by Himself for He has
always been a community of Persons--the Trinity.

• God so loved the world, that he gave his one and
  only son--John 316.
• Then God said, Let US make man in OUR image, in
  OUR likeness...-- Genesis 126.
• I no longer call you servants, because a servant
  does not know his master's business. Instead, I
  have called you friends, for everything that I
  learned from my Father I have made known to
  you-- John 1515.

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Act II Here other characters are written into
the story

• God created angels
  Isaiah 61-3
  Ezekiel
  2812-18
  Isaiah 1412-14
• Mission of Satan and fallen angels kill, steal
  and destroy Gods creation and creatures--John
  1010.
• In Act II a doubt is introduced into the story
  that was never there before Is God for us?

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Three crucial things were decided before anything
was created

• First, God would create mankind with the capacity
  to choose whether to follow Satan, or God and His
  ways.
• Secondly, God settled on us as the focus of His
  love, to be made whole and holy in His
  sight--Ephesians 1.
• Third, the plan was made for the Son to leave His
  home and become the Lamb of God to take away the
  sins of the world or, ...the Lamb who was
  killed before the world was made--Revelation
  138.

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Act III
In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth--Genesis 11

• Act III begins in the heavens--Genesis 1.
• Why is God doing all this?
  He didnt make puppets because He
  wanted lovers/friends.
  God is wooing our hearts.

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God places Adam and Eve in the
Garden

• Adam and Eve kicked off their honeymoon by
  sleeping with the enemy. Genesis 313--What is
  this you have done?
• Your lives are going to be very hard now in very
  gender specific ways, but Ill come for you. God
  introduces GRACE!

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The long story of Gods pursuit of humanity begins

• Cain, Abel, Noah
• Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Samuel,
  David
• Israel/prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
  Malachi
• I long to be gracious to you. You are precious
  and honored in my sight, because I love
  you. But you--come here, you...you
  offspring of adulterers. You have made your bed
  on a high and lofty hill, forsaking me, you
  uncovered your bed, you climbed into it
  and opened it wide. You have been false to me.
  Yet I will take delight in you,
  as a bridegroom rejoices over his
  bride, so will I rejoice over you--from Isaiah
  3018 625, etc.
• And then 400 years of silence.

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The story is about to take an unbelievable
turn--Incarnation

• God comes through the doorway into our world.
• Romans 56--You see, at just the right time,
  when we were still powerless, Christ died for the
  ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a
  righteous man, though for a good man someone
  might possibly dare to die. 8 But God
  demonstrates his own love for us in this While
  we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• We have NEVER been loved SO fiercely.

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ACT IV What will we do in heaven for eternity?

• Worship will be continuous and glorious
  --I Thessalonians 110
  Revelation.
• We will have beauty to enjoy
  --Revelation 43, 6
  211 - 225.
• We will also have activity, adventure
  rewards--Luke 19 Matthew 25 II Cor.
  510.
• We will have new bodies to enjoy the activities
  --I Corinthians 1549.
• We will also have the continued joy of knowing
  all the people of heaven--Hebrews 1222-24.
• We will have a wonderful intimacy with God, for
  God kicks off Act IV with a wedding
  feast--Revelation 197-9.

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Jesus is at the door or your life!
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in and eat with him (live with him), and he
with me --Revelation 320.