Why Stories?
Last Sunday, we kicked off our new series, Movies that Preach! with a study of Jesus’ use of parables to speak to the mass crowds that followed Him…
The crowds came for healing.
They came for deliverance.
They came because they heard the stories about Him…
And now, after traveling around the whole region of Galilee, what does He do?
He sits down and tells them stories.
A whole, long afternoon of stories.
Stories?
But aren’t stories just stories?
Well, the disciples interrupt Jesus to ask the same question we are....
“[Jesus], Why do you tell stories?” (MSG, Mt 13:10).
Watch Last Sunday’s Sermon, “Movies that Preach!” From our new series, Movies that Preach!
Jesus teaches that He tells stories to get at people's hearts (Matthew 13:15).
“Jesus used stories when he spoke to the people. In fact, he did not tell them anything without using stories. So God's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, ‘I will use stories to speak my message and to explain things hidden since the creation of the world’“(Matthew 13:34 CEV).
He uses stories to open our hearts to the Kingdom,
And to things hidden in the ordinariness of living, to the subtle power of His Kingdom.
Stories reach a different part of us.
They’re not didactic. They’re not a three-point sermon.
“By casting all these things [that one is told they ought to feel about God] into an imaginary world,” says C.S. Lewis, “stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday school associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons [of false-religiosity]? I thought one could.
As Jesus modeled, stories can lead those “with ears to hear “ to “turn and be healed” (Matthew 13:15).
And that is our prayer for our hearts and for those around us during the Movies that Preach! series...
That our hearts would be unlocked to see the One who is drawing us from a broken and beautiful cinematic story, and through our own story, into the Truest Story of all.
This Sunday, the Scriptures will be in conversation with one of the largest film franchises ever, Star Wars, as we consider the generational power of story, and how Jesus’ sacrifice can redeem our generational stories with the power of His love.
See you, and your lightsabers, on Sunday!
Pastor Dave
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For those who want to dig deeper, I recommend:
Make a Watch Party This Week for Star Wars - gather with friends in your home or online to watch one of the movies in the Star Wars series. Have fun. Ask questions. Converse Afterwards. But begin with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you specifically during the film, and be prepared to noticed HIs nudges.
1 BONUS POINT: If you ask someone from a different generation what they think about Star Wars?
2 BONUS POINTS: if you invite someone from a different generation to your Watch Party with you!
Watch A FREE Video that Integrates Story & Faith:
Faith in Imagination: The Fantasy Makers - this short documentary follows the influence of George MacDonald, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis on how they pioneered a new genre of literature, called Fantasy, that is now one of the most popular genres in youth culture today.
The Narnia Code: a brilliant dive into the genius behind C.S. Lewis’s beloved Chronicles and a testament to the power of storytelling. Using dramatizations of Lewis's early life and career, this intriguing documentary travels the world, meeting experts, testing evidence and uncovering surprising questions behind the best-selling series.
5-min Star Wars Tribute Trailer - Watch this if you want to get the mood and flavor of Star Wars, and a sense of where we’ll be going with the sermon this Sunday!