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Writing a Better Story

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Writing a Better Story

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Writing a Better Story

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When it comes to writing a good story, there are certain elements that really make a story interesting, exciting, and impactful. These same elements can be applied to the story of our lives to make for a life worthy of being written in the Book of Life.

Sermon Notes

Writing a Better Story

The professor held up the thick textbook high enough so the students in the back of the lecture hall could tell that he was holding something above his head. It was too dim for anyone to see read the title, even from the front row. The lights had been turned down for his presentation and the warmth of the heaters was already beginning to put some to sleep.

And then he clipped on his wireless microphone and began to read each slide one by one, slowly explaining to us the fascinating world of computer programming.

Line by line we learned about operations, codes, if/then statements. There was discussion about mathematical equations and calculations, the process of checking for errors without getting lost in hundreds of lines of code, the development of the particular coding language we would be using, and even a little bit about what such code could be used for in the real world.

The microphone was not effective, as the professor’s timid voice came through the speakers like that of a grandfather who was trying to lull his precious grandchildren to sleep by reading a familiar story. My own eyes struggled to stay open as I was lulled to sleep by slide after slide after slide of computer code explained in detail. The professor was no doubt a brilliant man and knew his material very well, but his presentation of the material was not getting anyone very far.

Humanity has always shared information through some sort of story telling. The details of history have often been told and retold, memorized and written down. When a story is told poorly, we have difficulty remembering the details properly. The small insignificant details of an event can seem to drag on and on endlessly as those listening might not get the full impact of the essential information being given to them.

On the other hand, there are stories that really dig deep into our memory banks, stories that help us to visualize what the storyteller might be recalling in their own mind, and make our hearts pound with excitement. There are stories we connect with on a personal level which may have an impact on the way we live the rest of our life.

Unfortunately my computer programming professor didn’t exactly stir the hearts of his students with his lectures on the functions of computer code. The information he was trying to give us was essential for us to learn, but we might have been better off reading the textbook ourselves in front of a computer as we put into practice what we were reading.

I believe I have discovered the greatest story every written! Well, maybe not the greatest story, but definitely one of the best stories that I’ve ever come across. The story itself has made an impact on the life of many and for good reason. Let’s read through this story and look at some of the elements it contains which might be useful in the writing of our own stories.

The story begins with some sort of movement. In this case a description which conveys a familiar scene that grabs the attention of those listening in.

2 Samuel 12:1-15

1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him.

The obvious author of this story is the Lord our God who is very capable at pulling on our heartstrings. He chooses the perfect word picture for a king who was once a shepherd. From the time he was very young, David cared very diligently for the flocks of sheep belonging to his father, Jesse. A shepherd, such as David, spends countless hours with the sheep in his flock. He knows them each as individuals and as a whole. A good shepherd takes special care of each of those sheep. David obviously connects with the poor man who cared so deeply for one little lamb.

Now we get to the conflict in the story. Conflict happens in the course of movement through a story. It seems that every good story has some sort of conflict in it, or at the very least a problem or difficulty to be solved.

4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

Up to this point in the story, God is giving us a story within a story. The parable of the poor man’s lamb could not stand on its own as a proper story, but within the framework of the story of David,  he description of this fictional conflict becomes an essential key to the entire story.

5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”

We see here evidence of a strong emotional connection to the characters in the parable. It also seems that David believes this story to be true and is ready to take action to right the wrong that he thinks had been done to an innocent man.

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! 

This is what we might call the “Aha Moment” or the Moment of Truth. It is at this moment that the purpose of the story is revealed. The protagonist comes to a realization about something profound. In a few places in Scripture this moment is made obvious when we read about people being “cut to the heart.”

The story doesn’t stop at this moment though, although this short moment is really the most important moment in a good story. In order for this to be a really good story, someone has to learn something; growth has to happen. Otherwise there’s no lasting impact to the story, no real substance in it. Otherwise it is just an interesting anecdote, just a flowery fact of life. But change, that is the miracle God is working on as our individual stories are being written. The change in the hearts of men; that’s what really makes a good story.

God inspires Nathan to describe to David the true nature of the conflict in the story. David is going to be faced with the opportunity to turn his own anger and disgust toward his own evil acts against innocent people, as he hears his own sins told back to him.

(verse 7) Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.

As we read this story, can we picture the guilt building up inside David? Can we feel the disgust for sin being turned inward as he now has to face his own faults?

10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”

Here is a turning point in the story. Here is where we see if David is really going to change. His sins have been laid out for him and so have the consequences of his evil deeds. He now has the choice to either continue living as an evil king, taking advantage of the innocent citizens of the kingdom that has been placed under his care, or he can allow himself to be cut to the heart, allow himself to change his ways and move forward as the good and righteous leader he was meant to be.

13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” 15 Then Nathan departed to his house.

The story actually continues on even further. David had to live with the consequences of his sins. Some of these consequences obviously affected other people, even people he cared about very deeply.

The way that he dealt with his own repercussions shows whether or not the change he went through was true change, godly repentance that leads to life. Would David act humbly even in the eyes of disappointment, or would he laps back into his feelings of anger and disgust at potentially perceived injustices to come?

(verse 15) And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.

There are elements of stories that can sometimes go in cycles. This especially makes sense with longer stories that have many characters and various situations. Here we are again faced with some kind of conflict or problem to be resolved. The end result of this conflict will tell us whether or not David was truly a changed man.

16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!” 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

David’s choice to fast and lay on the ground all night show us that he is capable of a level of humility.

He realizes that his God is in control of the situation. He also realizes that his God is a merciful God who has already spared his life even though he is the one who created this whole mess in the first place.

But what we see next is a sign of change, a sign of maturity rather than rebellion. David doesn’t get his way. The child is dead. But does he blame God and say that it wasn’t fair for the child to die?

20 So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

He humbled himself before God. He completely submitted to the will of God once that will was known to him. Truly a sign of the humble maturity expected of a man of God.

For a moment, let's go back to that darkened lecture hall.

There in front of this small auditorium filled with eager students is a professor who holds up a book. You can’t quite make out the name on that book, but you do notice that there is a face on the front cover.

The professor opens this book. It’s a thick one. Much thicker than the computer programming guide from the previous lesson. He begins to read the title page and the introduction.

You start to take a few notes in the open notebook that sits on the table in front of you. You are typically pretty thorough with your notes because you don’t want to miss anything that might be on the exam. But for some reason everything the professor is reading sounds so familiar to you. It is in that moment that you realize he is reading your story out loud for everyone to hear.

What kind of story is this going to be? What kind of story is being written in your life today?

Revelation 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

There are records being kept of the events in our lives. There is a book being written that contains these details. Will those important elements of a good story be there when Jesus Christ our Judge reads through the pages with our name on it?

I mentioned three important elements of a good story. Let me reiterate them here all together so we can recall what they were.

1. Movement

2. Moment of Truth

3. Change

1. Movement:

A good story begins with movement or action. Something is happening. If there’s no movement, then how can there be a story in the first place? Movement in stories captures the attention of the reader and sets up the story. In most cases movement includes some kind of conflict or a problem that needs to be resolved.

In our own stories we have to make sure there is movement. Not to say that we have to create conflict, of course. That’s never a good idea. We try and add positive movement into our lives. We are not made to be stationary creatures whether that is physically or mentally. We must stay active and accomplish things in life. This adds richness to our story. This gives us the substance in life.

The Bile often describes life as a “walk.” Walking is movement. As long as we are alive we are on a walk through life. What kind of walk that will be is largely determined by ourselves.

Ephesians 4:17-19

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

The mind, it would seem, plays the largest role in the walking that we do, in how we move through life.

2. Moment of Truth:

For most of us, when we were first called into God’s Church, we had some kind of “Moment of Truth.” This was the moment when God first opened our eyes to something profound. I’ve heard some people describe a moment in their life when everything just seemed to click into place all at once. For the first time in their life all the pieces of the Bible seemed to fit together. Some have described it as a big “aha moment” in life, this moment of realization.

For some, this moment may have been slightly different. Perhaps there was a moment in life when you were at your lowest, when no amount of movement got you anywhere good. A low point in life when, for the first time, you knew that you had to rely on someone greater than yourself, because yourself was only digging a deeper and deeper hole below you. Maybe it was the moment when you could first see the need for God in your life.

The apostle Paul mentioned to the congregation in Ephesus that he prays for them and thanks God for their calling, that they have had their minds opened and these moment of truth revealed to them.

Ephesians 1:18-19

18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Even after our calling into the truth, through life we come across other moments like this. Even as we examine ourselves as we grow, we find faults which need to be corrected and we have small moments that are critical in realizing that change is necessary.

Psalm 51:3-4

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

This morning I remembered that it was 16 years ago today that I was baptized into God’s Church. Earlier that year I had my own personal moment of truth, an awakening for myself of the truth of my own faults. My own realization of the need I had for the forgiveness of my sins and a need for change within me.

3. Change

At each of those “Moments of Truth” in life, whether it be a grand pivotal point when what we thought we knew before has all been changed by the understanding of God, or small moments throughout life when we come to a point where we see the need to change ourselves, there is need for a decision to be made. Those “Moments of Truth” serve as the opportunity for possible change. We have the choice to make changes in our life when we are “cut to the heart” by moments of truth and realization.

God takes a look at what we do when we receive correction or come across a hidden sin. He is watching us and working with us hoping that we will accept His urging to change for the better. This is what He is working towards in our individual stories. He is working towards change. He is working towards positive growth, towards improvement of character, towards complete circumcision of the heart, a permanent change.

True change is permanent. Unfortunately we have difficulty with change. Humanity has in their existing character, knowledge of both good and evil. This creates an internal conflict in which we often resist what is best for us. Sometimes that resistance is upfront and immediate. Other times this resistance is seen in ourselves as we slip back into our old ways, reversing the change that we once had allowed God to affect in us.

God calls His people out for being “a stiff-necked people” on more than one occasion. Before Stephen was stoned to death by those who were “cut to the heart” but resistant to change, he called them out for being “stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears” (Acts 7:51). In the writings of several of the Old Testament prophets, this resistance to change and slipping back into old ways is described as “backsliding.”

Hosea 11:7

7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, None at all exalt Him.

Our God is patient with us and is willing to help us get back up and continue on,writing our story of change for the better. He desires to heal us from our mistakes if we are willing to be healed of them

Hosea 14:1-4

1 O Israel, return to the Lord your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; 2 Take words with you, And return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity; Receive us graciously, For we will offer the sacrifices of our lips. 3 Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.” 4 “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him.

He brings about the coordination of those “Moments of Truth” so we can see ourselves as we really are, so we can have an opportunity to change ourselves, to change our thinking, to change the way we walk so our story might be well written in the end.

2 Corinthians 7:8-11

8 For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Stories take time to write. So many times there are twists and turns that we do not see coming. Outside influences and outside forces combine with our own inward struggles to walk as we are told we should walk, just as our Savior walked.

The story of my life and yours is a thick book that is constantly being written. The details being jotted down. Faults and successes both being recorded as we learn better ways of doing things that we can only be taught by our God.

The writing of our story is an undertaking that we must continue to focus on diligently. We should desire to have a well written and an intriguing story, one that God Himself is excited over.

When our Teacher, our Judge, Jesus the Christ opens the pages of our story, we pray that each of us has a beautifully written story of overcoming challenges, overcoming self, overcome sin and backsliding. A story that is evidence of permanent change within ourselves.

Revelation 3:5

5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.