June 7, 2014 - Church at Worship

Sermon: His Story, Our Story - Dan Matthews

Pastoral Welcome - Doug Mace

Children's Feature - Shawna Campbell

Scripture - John 1:10-13; 2 Corinthians 5:17, TNIV - Chris and Irene Tsai

Note: Pastoral Welcome and Children's Feature are on the extras section of the dvd.

Sermon Notes:

The "story' art form has always been effective as a teaching tool. Stories make points. Stories illustrate. Stories appeal. Jesus was the Master storyteller. His stories cross all cultural divides and are the best known stories that have ever been recorded. Jesus' parables provide subjects for sermons, books, and college courses. Other Bible stories produce ready recall and instructive interpretation even among children who are regulars in Sabbath School and Family worship.

A Hindu scholar of world religions said to Scottish Biship James Edward Lesslie Newbigin who pioneered contextual Christian Missions in India in the early 20th century, "I can't understand why you missionaries present the Bible to us in India as a book of religion. It is not a book of religion-and anyway we have plenty of books of religion in India. We don't need any more? I find in your Bible a unique interpretation of universal history, the history of the whole of creation and the history of the human race. And, therefore a unique interpretation of the human person as a responisble actor in history. That is unique. There is nothing else in the whole religious literature of the world to put alongside it."

Indeed, the Bible is a collection of stories, but, more, itis a story. The Story. While we can learn and be guided by important Bible instruction, seeing and knowing the Bible as a single whole story will inform our worldview and motivate and propel us on a joyous course to the end of The Story.

Thank you for joining me today as we review His Story, and find Our Story.

Dan Matthews
Associate Pastor
Pastoral Care