“The Story of Your Life”August 31, 2008

1.Albert Schweitzer

a.In the fall of 1905, Albert Schweitzer sent a very strange letterto his parents and closest friends. Schweitzer was a man of many talents; In addition to having a doctorate in philosophyand having written a hugely famous book on the historicalstudy of Jesus, he was an internationally known concertorganist and a preacher. He wrote a biography of Bach inFrench and later rewrote it in German. This is why, when hisfamily and friends received his letter, they would have beentotally shocked. The letter detailed Schweitzer’s plans to leavehis old life behind in order study medicine and move to Africa,not as a pastor, but as a doctor. In a chapter from hisautobiography entitled

I Resolve to Become a Jungle Doctor

,he says, “It struck me as inconceivable that I should beallowed to lead such a happy life while I saw so many peoplearound me struggling with sorrow and suffering.”i.What was he thinking?ii.Albert Schweitzer could have continued living a verypleasant and lucrative life, but he gave it up and chosedifferent, more compelling path.

He decided that hewanted his life to tell a different story

.b.Schweitzer’s story is extreme, but the same idea applies toour lives, and is addressed by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew(

Read Mt 16:21-28

)

2.Embracing A Different Story

a.Why does Peter react the way to Jesus the way he does?

Because Peter is expecting a different story

(v. 22)i.Peter and most of the Jewish people expected themessiah to restore the Davidic dynasty and usher in atime of justice and peaceii.For Jesus to foretell his death and resurrection did not sitwell with Peter, it wasn’t the story he was expectingb.If it was difficult for Peter, it was surely more difficult for Jesus.

He had to embrace his own story

, which would involve tortureand death (v. 21)c.When I say he had to “embrace his story,” this is what I mean: Jesus is articulating what He believes is God’s will for his lifei.

He is shaping his entire life around the Gospel

; inthe big things and the little thingsd.

In the same way that Jesus embraces his own story, Heinvites the disciples and us to embrace a new anddifferent story as well

(v. 24 – 26)i.Jesus calls us as disciples to shape

our

lives around the

Gospel; to prayerfully reflect and articulate what webelieve is God’s will for our livese.So think about this: What values will shape your story?

3.Living Your New Story

a.Tony Steward, Christian bloggeri.In one of his blog posts, he wrote a list of 20 “rules” thathe believes will change his life for the better. Someexamples:1.Read one book a week2.Have an engaging conversation with my wifeevery day3.Very first thing each day spent in quite timew/Bible, prayer, etc.4.Have one day a week that is completely “dark”(devoid of electronics or the internet)5.Play and/or read with my children every dayb.Tony has taken time to reflect on his story. He has prayed andhad conversations with fellow Christians. And he is faithfullytrying to live a different story,

one that is shaped around theGospel

c.Challenge

i.Right now on your bulletin or as soon as you get home

write down three “rules

” similar to what Tony hasdone. What are the areas in your life that could bechanged in order to tell a better story? How could youchange your simple, everyday activities to becomeshaped around the Gospel?ii.Ask yourself, “How can I organize my life to be morefully shaped around the Gospel? What concrete stepscan I take, as laid out in Scripture?”iii.When Tony Steward wrote “Have an engagingconversation with my wife every day,” as one of hisrules, he didn’t do it because he loves talking, he did itbecause he knows that God values the sacredrelationship of marriage, and that it takes work.(Children, prayer, relationships, marriage, money,health, etc)?”iv.

So write down three rules

Then pray about themand talk with your friends about them and actively practice them in your life

for a week, two weeks, amonth, until they become a habit.v.Doing this may be difficult for most of you, but that’s tobe expected, and it’s ok!1.You will hopefully be making some difficultdecisions, which means you’ll receive opposition, just like Jesus did with Peter