On her 2004 album, Natasha Bedingfield released a song called “Unwritten.” The song imagines that our lives are stories which are in the process of being written. Here’s the first part of Bedingfield’s song:
I am unwritten, can’t read my mind, I’m undefined
I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The song imagines that our lives are stories to be written. We are staring at the blank pages before us. We are waiting for the story which will define our life.
The song points to the reality that life is governed by a story. There is a narrative that guides what we do and why we do it. There is a plot which shapes the kind of people we are. For example, a little boy who is told repeatedly by his father that he is weak and useless will grow up living out of that storyline. He will play the role of a weak and useless man the rest of his life. Or a teenage girl who is told by a teacher that girls aren’t good at math or science and she ought to just get married may eventually live out that storyline. Her life may be shaped by that plot. Our life is often governed by a story. We’re not always aware of that story. But it shapes us nonetheless.
In this morning’s text, Paul points to two different kinds of stories that shape people’s lives: 13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last! (1 Thess. 2:13-16 ESV).
As we’ve witnessed during this Sunday morning series, Paul spends the first two chapters in 1 Thessalonians remembering what happened when he came to Thessalonica and told people the story about Jesus. He remembers how that story turned their lives around.
In fact, Paul remembers what happened in Thessalonica as a group of people exchanging of one story for another: 13And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God… Paul indicates that there are really two kinds of stories which shape our lives: human—the word of men, and divine—the word of God. Paul says that when he told the Thessalonians about Jesus, they could have responded in one of two ways. First, that story about Jesus could have been accepted as just a human story—the word of men. It’s a good story. But it’s just a human story. Second, Paul’s words about Jesus could have been accepted as a divine story—the word of God. And Paul says that second response is what the Thessalonians had. They took Paul’s words to be the divine word, God’s story, the authoritative plot about life. As a result, the Thessalonians abandoned their stories and embraced God’s.
The truth is that each person here today is governed by some story or a set of stories. And the question is this: are you governed by human stories or by God’s story? Which story is the narrative of your life? Which story influences your values and your priorities? Are you under the influence of just another human story or the one divine story?
Robert Webber was a famous theologian who published more than 40 books. The last book he published before his death was called Who Gets to Narrate the World?[i] The most important question on his mind before dying was this: Who gets to narrate the world? Who gets to write our story? Webber wrote that the three most popular answers to that question were Islam, humanism, and Christianity. And he lamented that there were more and more people writing the pages of their lives based on the storyline provided by Islam and humanism. Webber’s book was a dying plea for people to write the pages of life based on God’s story.
There are two kinds of stories: human and divine. The Thessalonians chose the divine story. Have you?
Here’s why the Thessalonians did. They recognized that the Christian story, the one true divine story, is a story with power, with a price, and with a promise. First, Paul writes that the divine story is a story with power: “you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.” The words “at work” are a translation of a Greek word which gives us the English word “energy.” This divine story which the Thessalonians embraced had energy. It had power. It began to do something within them. Soon, Paul writes, these Thessalonians became “imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea.” The phrase “churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea” may not mean much to you. But that’s code for “the original churches,” “the first churches,” “the Acts 2 churches.” The churches in Judea were the first ones started after the resurrection of Jesus. They are the ones we read about in Acts 2 in which powerful ministry, selfless service, and amazing growth happens. Paul says to the Thessalonians, “This story was so powerful it made you act like the very first people who responded to Jesus after the resurrection!” This story turned them into imitators of the very best churches. In addition, earlier Paul noted that this story turned them into “imitators of us and of the Lord” (1 Thess. 1:6 ESV). The “us” refers to Paul and his companions—some of the best Christians in the Bible. And of course “the Lord” refers to Jesus himself. In other words this story of Jesus was so powerful that these former pagan Thessalonians started looking like the best churches, the best Christians and even like Christ himself.
This divine story has the power to change the lives of the people in your neighborhood, your workplace and your school. It’s not just words. This is a story with power and energy and transformative ability.
Second, Paul writes of this divine story as one with a price: “For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!” When these Thessalonians started to allow the divine story to narrate their lives, the plot quickly thickened. There was opposition. We read in Acts 17 that Jewish leaders in Thessalonica were so upset that they started riots and ran Paul, Silas, and Timothy out of town. The Thessalonians paid a high price for dumping their story for God’s story. It caused friction, and tension and rejection.
We must never leave the impression with others that God’s story is a health-and-wealth or name-it-and-claim it kind of story. We must never promise that days will be sunny and nights will be serene just because you embrace God’s story. This story comes with a price. To allow this story to narrate your life is to invite danger, trouble, conflict, strife and rejection.
But, Paul shows, the Thessalonians nonetheless clung to it. All that strife didn’t turn them from God’s story. Why? Because this is a story with promise: “For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!” Paul mentions that this story makes it possible for people like Gentiles to be “saved.” It has implications for our eternal future. It secures a forever life with God. And that promise makes this story worth the price. One author states that the reason the Thessalonians converted to Christianity and remained with the Christian faith in the face of persecution is that they were dissatisfied with the worldview given to them by their society and their religion and they found a far more satisfying worldview in Christianity.[ii] They found this story so satisfying, so promising, that they willingly paid that price.
And because this divine story was one with a power, a price, and a promise, Paul was deeply convicted that it must be proclaimed. The divine story is one that must be proclaimed. Paul writes in vs. 13 of sharing this story with the Thessalonians. He writes in vs. 16 of his desire to verbalize it to “the Gentiles,” those who knew nothing of the biblical God. He writes in 2:2 how they had boldness to “declare to you the gospel of God.” He writes in 2:8 how they shared not only their lives but also the gospel with the Thessalonians. And in 1:8 he writes about how this “word of the Lord” is now sounding forth from the Thessalonians. The Thessalonians themselves are now proclaiming this story. They, like Paul, are convicted that the divine story is one that must be proclaimed.
If we wish to be used by God to turn people’s lives around, a Christlike character and a commitment to closeness are not enough. Eventually we must proclaim this divine story. We must invite people to make this story their story. We must engage in what I’m calling “conversation.” Turning lives around takes character, closeness, and conversation—a commitment to verbalizing the divine story and inviting others to live by it.
But how do we do that? How do we engage in conversation about this divine story?
One way is to host a neighborhood or workplace Bible study. We’re offering a training session on Sept. 29 at 7 PM for anyone interested in starting a 5 week discussion group at your work or in your neighborhood oriented around conversations about Jesus. We’ll provide you the material. You provide the space and the friends. That’s one way to practice conversation.
But this morning we’re also giving you another way to get into conversation. It’s called “Getting Your Story Straight.” It’s a summary I’ve written of the story of the Bible. We’d like you to hand this to someone, ask them to read it, and then follow up later with a conversation about it. Just find a friend and say, “Hey! My church is interested in helping people learn the story of the Bible. So my church has produced this summary of the Bible. Would you be interested in reading it? I’d love to hear your impressions. Take it home. Maybe we could get some coffee this Thursday and you could share with me what you thought about it.” One way to start a conversation about God’s story is to give someone this booklet and then follow up later with a discussion about it. We’ll also post this booklet on our church website under downloads so you can print it anytime you wish or refer a friend to read it online. You can also find it on my website under “The Story of God.”
This summary is based on the conviction that people today need a chance to hear the whole story of Scripture. Many have such little knowledge of the Bible in general that they have a difficult time putting into perspective the smaller pieces, even the story of Jesus. “Getting Your Story Straight” gives them a chance to hear the flow of the entire Bible and thus helps them make sense of the various pieces of the Bible. It also helps them see that the Bible really has one seamless plotline. “Getting Your Story Straight” is oriented around 4 ideas: “Where We Are,” “Where We Were,” “Where We’re Going,” and “How We’re Going.”
- “Where We Are” discusses the present chaos, brokenness, and challenge of life in the 21st century. It points out our broken relationship with others, with nature, with God, and with the future.
- “Where We Were” demonstrates that things were not always this way. God originally created a world that was whole and complete. This section also demonstrates how human choices resulted in that transformation of the where-we-were-world of Genesis to the where-we-are-world of today.
- The section entitled “Where We’re Going” highlights God’s work to return us to the world he originally created. It focuses on God’s vision for what life can be with God back in charge.
- “How We’re Going” shows how God is bringing about his desired future through a person who comes with a message about that future and a people who strive to model that future. It further reveals that God is acting as our partner—one with the means to achieve his future. This section climaxes with the story of Jesus as the one who finally and fully brings God’s future into the present.
“Getting Your Story Straight” ends with an explanation of how to make God’s story your story.
The 2008 movie “The Tale of Despereaux” tells of two mice. Despereaux is a tiny mouse with large ears. Unlike other mice, who are generally frightened at all times by all things, Despereaux has no fear. In his mouse society, fear is taught in school as a mouse necessity, and those that cannot learn to fear are considered outcasts. Despereaux’s parents attempt to teach him fear by having him explore a castle’s library with his older brother “showing him the ropes.” While in the castle, the brother shows Despereaux how to eat books. He tosses one open for Despereaux and then starts eating others nearby. But rather than eating the book, Despereaux begins reading the book—and he cannot stop reading. He comes back day after day. Despereaux eats none of pages, glue, or binding. Instead of consuming the book he is consumed by the book. It’s a story of a princess longing for happiness. It’s a story of a knight with courage and valor. Despereaux realizes that’s the life he’s been called to live. He finds his purpose in that story. And for the rest of the movie he lives out that narrative.
That’s how it is with God’s story. Once we truly understand it, it replaces all other stories. It consumes us. And for the rest of our lives, we want to live it out. That’s why this story must be shared. That’s why conversation is critical to turning lives around.
[i] Robert Webber, Who Gets to Narrate the World? (IVP, 2008).
[ii] Ben Witherington III 1 and 2 Thessalonians (Eerdmans, 2006), 88.
