May 4 – In the Beginning: An Overview of the Book of Genesis

May 11 – Guest Preacher: Pastor Jalen Oliver

May 18 – Genesis 1:1-2:3 - God Created the Heavens and the Earth

May 25 – Genesis 1:26-30 - Fill the Earth and Subdue It

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There are only a handful of movies that I can think of that have moved me to tears. I remember being surprised by my own emotions the first time I saw Forrest Gump when Forrest sits by his deceased wife’s grave and describes how their son is doing. I shed more than a tear in both Toy Story 3 and Inside Out 2. What is it that makes us resonate so deeply with a film that our emotions well up within us? Why are we moved by certain parts of a movie? 

It’s the story. We become invested in the characters and the plotline that they are experiencing. Through our own life experiences, we begin to fully empathize with the ups-and-downs that these characters encounter on their journey. A well-crafted storyteller can reach us on a gut-level to the point where we find out more about ourselves by connecting our lives with the story that is unfolding. That’s the power of story. 

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I have often said that the Bible is a Story. Notice how I capitalize “Story.” I do this because the Story that the Bible tells is the one that encapsulates all other stories, including yours and mine. The Bible is the Story of Everything Ever. If we allow it to, the Bible is the one Story that can pull back the curtain that has veiled our eyes from the truth and show us reality as it actually is. Many folks think of the Bible as a bunch of rules or some disjointed, obscure stories that are now irrelevant. But when we begin to understand the Bible as a Story, everything begins to fall into place. We start to see the Big Picture of who God is and what he’s been up to and what he promises to do in the future. Once we see those things, then we can start to grasp what God is doing now in our world and in our lives.

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But too often, we jump into the middle of the Story without a solid understanding of how the Story begins. Stories lose their power without the firm foundation that the introductory material builds. The moving resonance of a story can only come from the buildup that the rest of the story has told. A solid plot must contain the classic elements of a great story. I remember learning the “five-act structure” that Shakespeare and other great storytellers employ in order to craft a compelling narrative: 1) exposition, 2) rising action, 3) climax, 4) falling action, and 5) resolution. The exposition is the part of a story that introduces us to the main characters and develops the setting. At the end of the exposition, there is an “inciting moment” that occurs, an incident that creates a problem to be solved. Without the exposition, the rest of the story makes no sense. A good storyteller knows that if we get the beginning wrong, then we can't finish well. It’s like starting to button your shirt with the wrong button - everything else is off. 

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If we think of the Bible in these terms, we can begin to see the Story from a 30,000 foot view. That means that the exposition is found in the book of Genesis, of course. I think we often assume that most Christians know the basics of Genesis – the creation story, the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, the serpent, the forbidden fruit, Noah and the flood, Abraham, Joseph and the coat of many colors, etc. But it’s necessary for all of God’s people to take a deep dive into this foundational text so that we can better know the whole Story. 

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This Sunday, we will begin a sermon series in Genesis as we explore the fundamental building blocks of the Story of Everything Ever. We’ll see the truth about who the Main Character is (hint: it’s not us), who the other players are (humans bearing God’s image, Satan, angels, demons, etc.), why the setting matters (creation as God intended it), and so on. My prayer is that we will not just understand the Story better, but that we will know the Storyteller better. I pray that by looking intently into the truths of Genesis, Woodmont Baptist Church will stand even more firmly on the gospel of Jesus Christ that Genesis launches us towards as our only hope. Looking forward to the journey with each of you. 

 

Grace and peace,

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