History Is God's Story-Part-1. Series

Read the Scripture: John 1:1-4, 14

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Introduction

I want to begin a new series of homily on “History Is God's Story” A Christian sermon should have Christ at the center of it. In the opening verses of the book of Colossians, the Apostle Paul declares the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel (verses 9-14), in the creation (15-17), in the church (18-23), and in genuine ministry (24-29). In verse 28 he comes to a climactic statement. "Him we preach," he says, “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ."(Colossians 1:28 NLT) tells us why and how Christ must be preached. From this verse, in its context, we can draw four propositions:

1. Christ must be preached, because He is the only hope of sinners. To preach Jesus Christ is to proclaim the person and work of Jesus Christ as the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of sinners, and the Lord of the Church.

2. Christ must be preached, because every person needs to be warned.

3. Christ must be preached, because every disciple needs to be taught.

4. Christ must be preached, because every believer needs to become mature and perfect in their relationship to Christ.

Notice once again that Paul says that it is "Him" that we preach. The genuine preaching of Christ preaches a Person. The first focus is on the person of Christ, on who He is. The second focus is on the work of Christ, on what He has done. So the oration in this series focuses on God the Son, the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that there is no greater theme in history for preaching or teaching than Jesus of Nazareth. We Preach Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23) In St. Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, with these profound words, he lays out the heart and center of all Christian proclamation. There is no greater person in History than Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death. The story of Jesus is credibly the most influential narrative in human history. There is no one who ascends to the level of Jesus Christ in History. There is no subject that can match Him. And He is the theme of all History, both B C and A D. If we are to preach Christ and are to know Christ in all the fullness of the glory of His majesty, then we have to pursue all that is revealed about Him. And He is the theme of all Scripture, both Old and New Testament.

The Gospel of John is a portrait of Jesus Christ and his redemption work. It focuses on the last three years of Jesus’ life—and especially on his death and resurrection. Its purpose is clear in John 20:30-31: John says “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” The book is written to help people believe on Christ and have eternal life. The threefold utterance in John first chapter verse 1 carries us into the depths of eternity, before time or creatures were. Genesis and John both start from 'the beginning,' but, while Genesis works downwards from that point and tells what followed, John works upwards and tells what preceded.

Christ, the Word

The Gospel of John begins, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-14).

There are two primary Greek words that describe Scripture which are translated word in the New Testament. The first, logos, refers principally to the total inspired Word of God and to Jesus, Who is the living Logos. The second primary Greek word that describes Scripture is rhema, which refers to a word that is spoken and means “an utterance.” A rhema is a verse or portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention with application to a current situation or need for direction. The words of Jesus are significant on this point. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [rhema] that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus also stated, “The words [rhema] that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). In the regular course of our daily reading of God’s Word (logos), we need to ask God to speak to us through His Word and give us insight into it. The Holy Spirit can cause certain passages to stand out with significant meaning or application for our lives. These are the rhemas of Scripture and should become a part of our daily thoughts and actions.