Count for Zero: A Story to Be Told

I love to hear people’s stories because though them I see how God really works. These stories challenge me to pay attention to what story my life is telling. Many of life’s stories that I have had the privilege to hear contain times of focusing on the wrong things. This leads to arriving at the wrong places. Thankfully, many stories do not end there but continue on to a refocus and renewed direction.

God’s story, as told in the Bible, is full of accounts where the people of God focused on the wrong things and arrived at an unintended location. However, throughout God’s story, He directed and re-directed His people to the focal point that is Jesus and the reality of His resurrection. This story, with this focal point is the story that is not only God’s story to tell, but it is ours as well.

Main Point: The Resurrection Story Needs to be Told

I.                 Two stories were told. Matthew 28:1-15

A.               The story of the two women. V.1-10

1.               Imagine how frightening this was:

a)               They had seen Jesus beaten, crucified, buried and a large stone rolled in front of the tomb.

b)               They go to the tomb expecting it to be guarded. Instead they find an empty tomb and an angel.

c)                They are wondering what happened? What happened to the guards? Where was the body of Jesus? Had it been stolen?

2.               Imagine what they must have been wondering…

a)               Did this really happen?

b)               What if the rest of the disciples think we are crazy?

c)                What if they don’t believe us?

d)               Was that really an angel?

B.               The story of the Romans Guard. V.11-15

1.               They had to tell some kind of story because the ramifications of the true story were unbearable to them. Therefore…

2.               They told the one they hoped would be true. 

3.               The one the wanted to be true.

II.               Jesus’ disciple had to decide which story to tell. V.16-20

A.               The story they heard was hard to believe because it was being told by women and went against anything that they had believed and experienced.

B.               They heard a story that was confusing.

1.               Was it possible?

2.               What did it mean?

3.               Where was Jesus now?

C.               They heard a story that took and encounter with Jesus to convince them.

III.         The story of the resurrection was the beginning and is the foundation of the Great Commission.

A.               The ministry of the disciples was the telling of the real, true story. Acts 2:22-36.

B.               The story that needs to be told is not just of Jesus’ birth, his remarkable life, or his brutal death….it’s about the resurrection!

C.               This is the story that was written down to be passed ob to us.

Application:

1.               Now it’s your turn to tell the story. Which story of Jesus will you tell?

2.               Consider where we are in telling the story and where this story is heading.

3.               We should no longer have to ask “Who has been reached” we should start asking

4.               “who hasn’t been reached?” “Who hasn’t heard the resurrection story?”

5.               Let THIS church decide that ZERO people around us have not heard the story.

6.               Let THIS church decide to partner with those who are telling the story worldwide.