Storyline - Part 3

I heard one of the best sermons that Andy Stanley has ever done (4/23/06). For me it helped put all the Bible and what it means in simple terms that make sense. He explained the bible's history and how we fit into the picture. Basically, to explain the bible's history, you just need to remember eight words:
Create -> Brokenness -> Promise -> Law -> Rebellion -> Grace -> Spirit -> Eternity

Or course Andy does a lot better of explaining this than I can so I recommend that you go online to hear or watch his sermon at Buckhead Church or click here.

These are just my notes from the sermon but I will do my best to summarize what Andy talked about. Remember listening or watching him will make a million times more sense than just reading my notes. That is my disclaimer!

My Notes:

The bible is a collection of writing from 1400BC to 60A and it tells 1 story by a group of 40+ writers who never met. The theme of the bible is a story of redemption and story of God. We will never sense the story of our life until we undstand the context/understand God's story.

Create -> Brokenness -> Promise -> Law -> Rebellion -> Grace -> Spirit -> Eternity

Creation: One rule was made by God and the authority of the world was given to Adam and Eve. See Genesis 3.

Brokenness: The one rule was broken and everything under Adam and Eve's authority was broken. This explains why good things happen to bad people and why bad things happen to good people. This explains why things feel off, random acts of cruely, birth defects, etc.

Promise: God makes a promise with Abraham to bless all pepole who live thru Abraham (see Genesis 12: 1-3). God promised Abraham that his name would be greate - think about how many people know his name now. Do you know his name?

Law: Moses takes God's people out of slavery. Through Moses we discover the values of God with the law. God provides provisions, when there is sin there must be a death. This is where law is married with the tradition of sacrafice.

Rebellion: People broke God's law and didn't follow the sacraficial system (see Old Testatament with kings, prophets, and nations scattered). If you'd been born between the New and Old Testament, you would be tempted not to believe in God and how he said he would create a great nation. Even though it seemed God was silent, he was telling the story of redemption. See Malachi to John (the Baptist, who predicts Jesus - John 1: 6-9, 14).

Grace: Grace and truth (law). Throughout the story is grace (i.e. provision with the law). Grace is about buying people back not paying them back. This is about everyone and all the world not just Israel. Jesus' death is for allmen and to fufull the prophecey and make disciples all over the world.

Spirit: The Holy Spirit lives in us. The Holy Spirit helps tweak our consciousness, address our brokenness. To live in a broken world but live an unbroken life - this is our chapter which was launched by grace.

Eternity: Revelation 21. The brokenness will pass away, God will make everything new (not just fix what is broken). Hard to believe? - Look at Abraham, Moses, Mary - understand reasonableness of following God when know the whole story.