The Larger Story; click here to listen

Jesus many life is like a losing battle, and something in the other is over week, but the word the pre-Thanksgiving work on this, or it's yes it's only whatever you order the confusing week. The holidays tend to do to us as we approach a little confusing but today, we are not going to talk about Thanksgiving by knowing my next week. That's a tease we might do that. But this week we're talking about something really pretty cool were talking about the big picture of some sort at Robby now or you could call it the larger story be better. Can you tell us a bit about that larger story I can. One of the neatest things for me the boot camps that we've done over the years and is begins to give us a perspective the master journey of how we fit into the picture and my misunderstanding of the larger story was a big part of how I got oriented into and a lot God was doing in my life. As John Eldridge puts so eloquently. Many men feel like they walked in the movie 15 minutes late and they're trying to figure out what's going on you know we had this clip, but unfortunately we can't play the audio for it's called Brazil or something yes got wakes up at his head in the refrigerator and then you have no clue of what's going on an Army man walks to seek somebody's on the radio and and it has a lot to do with trying to figure out our life and and how we fit in at an the larger story are beginning to put that into perspective. The grand narrative is really helpful for me and I think it has been one of the talks that we've done for years and so what John Eldridge did to kinda delineate this and see obviously came out of the theater, was he put it in the action so he created these four acts and kind of instituted the larger story of God story the Bible in these acts and so in act one, which was my first big misunderstanding.

We most Christians believe that Act I starts in Genesis 11 you know in the beginning God but what's interesting is if you can actually look in the beginning of the gospel of John. You see something else right now you see John 11, where it says in the beginning was the word and the Word was God and the Word was with God and so you get this picture of her fellowship in the logo's this you say yeah and that this is one of those things that haunted me for a long time was that I didn't understand why they choose the word word to describe Jesus. And so for many years. I was looking this up. This is just one of those things. It felt out of place and not at finally found it in Greek and Hebrew linguistics.

There is a use for the word in the same sentence with the DD's for instance, if I were saying the light went off you might think how the light went off but if I say in my head. Light went off in my head. Light went on in my head. I had my dear I lost that idea developed Lord.

So when you put logos in the same sentence with the DD it takes on a new meaning. It means the execution of that deities will so in the beginning was the execution of God's will. So when you look at it that John 11. First was Genesis 11 you see in the beginning you have God the father, and you certainly have God the son and the Holy Spirit. So we got a Trinity in others there's three people. There's a fellowship executory Robby when I went to my first boot camp and I just always thought the Bible began with Genesis 1, but there was something before that.

And when John started talking about this and and really just arriving at the movie 15 minutes late incident that the place erupted in laughter because everybody could relate to it as that's what it does.

Everything is still so random urine put in the middle of the story you don't know what's going on what happened before me. What happens after this and and that's what generally helps to clear up with it and so one of the cool things for me was if I get an opportunity to do this talk was to try to understand this fellowship that existed before, let there be light there was a God the father and God the son and the Holy Spirit, and they were obviously relating to one another in a community and and they had something really phenomenal and and John Eldridge use the movie the last Mohicans in the in the three that had this fellowship.

I went and thought about of a movie where I could find a fellowship of three especially father and son and found a River runs through it in their there is a story of a father who teaches both his sons deficient.

One of those funds is is clearly almost a picture of the Holy Spirit and the other one.

It is the picture of grace, meaning like Christ and then you have the father and so when I go fishing.

This is, essentially, I then saw something remarks. The first time her father's instruction into a rhythm all his own, say, the Lord is best dissolved today just to get any good to me at that moment I knew surely and clearly that I was witnessing perfection.

You you are like one. My brother stood before us not out of bank suspended above the earth, free from all its laws like the work of art so my father took me fishing when I was young we would regroup in Colorado. Some of my favorite memories of my father were on a transferring and so when I saw this movie is obviously a picture of the relationship between a father and son that was really spectacular to have three like that and it was something that I can see that what I went lower while before we ever existed. There was this Trinity. This father-son Holy Spirit. They had an experience like that. Father and son fishing and in and now you and I got to go fishing. It wouldn't went a couple, three years ago when you know the fellowship I'm talking about others nothing like being on a river with a friend just walking you catching the fish is great when you look at the beauty and the majesty all around you and know that you're here for just that moment for that purpose in your with somebody. It's it's it's amazing feeling all that would've been nicer to catch a big fish. Now I'm blushing when you talk about me that way through back as I listened, I could probably thing that I loved was the playfulness right you know the father senior we've been blessed but we have been blessed more just the relationship, how deep that has to be the have that playfulness and I have a be misinterpreted and misunderstood just for the joy that it is a being in fellowship right in. The phenomenal thing. The errors that here was God before there was light, where he had the father-son they have this fellowship and they wanted more and so they began to create and so something else went on before Genesis 11 and like so many movies or ask you know that there's the villain enters the scene and so we have this picture of who we know to be our enemy, Satan, who saw and wanted that power and we we got this clip that that I feel like it's a good way of illustrating yeah definitely shows Satan's heart towards God's of the creation right now.

You and I because you choose for your instrument boastful, lustful, snotty boy and give me full report only the to recognize the incarnation because you are on just kind ice and hot as far as I am able I will ruling your incarnation as we listen to that obviously hear the need, art, or lack of heart that this creature has or God's creation to start is looking at the cross of these talking to God and there is a cross in the fire but with the questions I have for you is Dennis ask a very good question earlier today Dennis were talking about this topic was a question you have. Asking us to remember what your point. Thank you. So what is the point. This is great knowledge. Knowledge. It's great. I love history had a couple points was made now but what we do with those points, exactly. And for me I live my life like I was on the stage.

There was just me and God and that things weren't going well. It must be me messing up because it sure is God. But when I began to understand that the act two happened and that there was this enemy and the enemies issue was not necessarily with me but actually with upsetting God in a way to do that was through me.

Just like if I want. If you really want to hurt Robby Gilmore go after my kids and so you know this is this is what Satan is doing and and he is definitely a big part of this to play an understanding that larger story of where I fit in to a great deal has to do with this idea of an enemy. And these things I like the way John Eldridge puts assistance epic.

This is huge. What we may talk about an angel know what happens when an angel shows up on the scene samples in the fall of the knees and he says get up.

I won't hurt you marry Sam paraphrase one awesome creature that you know one of them can kill 10,000 an hour, the one that you know was over Jerusalem that David saw with the sword gigantic epic creatures, meaning that there is a big battle so may say God's a warrior and is taking on these fallen Angels is huge. It's gigantic that he didn't even create the angel that we often think of right he created because he knew that there was a war crime. There was a war in heaven we come back and talk about what is important to us as men quickly taken that guy trying to teach us and it wouldn't talk about the other two acts stated is when we enter the story and so much more masculine journey radio.org for more information to get past podcast touch base with us and tells how you do it your phone your tablet your iPad gradually just became a radio that's right you take the Truth Network with you everywhere. Now they start brand-new Truth Network app that's right. Listen to Dr. Michael Brown light a fire, the Christian Robby Gilmore to talk live.

All of our programming 24 seven right there in your hand fracture out of range of your radio or traveling in a busy airport. You can plug into the Truth Network just go to TruthNetwork.com download do for you Truth Network.com will be difficult being a servicemember called that's why there's the yellow ribbon integration program. We helped thousands of National Guard and reserve members ensure their families are taken care of when they return. This is the story of this guy glass where he is staying C&S and that speaks to me right there. Just hearing those words and that and that melody. I'm not sure who that is. I will remember before the end of the shack. See just hearing that 20 seconds or so I got this mind picture of what heaven would be like, and we are talking about a story and it is a story of a son of God hanging on the cross for me and it began so much before that. It began before we enter the stores we talked about last segment. There were two other acts before where we live today and I'll be real quickly. What were those two other acts that if people just joined in and for so I say thank you. Secondly, why not getting please go back and listen to the show on podcasting again enjoys love the stuff that we can talk back to it. Something that really helps you understand where we are today and where were to be in the future; is from John one which is in the beginning was God in this talk about Act I as the Trinity had the father the son and Holy Spirit unique community that was in existence that was looking for something more. So they began the process of creation and then back to you. They created the Angels and there's a lot going on. It's very epic. These things are gigantic in huge and scary for us, not the cherub that we normally see are the little Valentine angel. But this very powerful beings, one of which falls which is Satan which we know from Ezekiel was certainly thinking that he could take the place of God.

And so all the stuff happens before Genesis 11 which is now working to create light and now are going to begin the process of act three, which is creation. The story continues or is also echoed. I should say in Revelation. In chapter 12 when it talks about Satan and 1/3 of the Angels try to overthrow God right right and so there is a huge war in heaven, and then in that passage it goes down to talk about now. Satan focuses on devouring the offspring of God, right, which would be us specific specifically Jesus time anyone after Jesus and in a way. When Jesus was born yet we are still also God's offspring. He created us and so Satan comes after us. As you talk about early because he can't really get a God and he that this point God is creating and in this crescendo of creation begins with light and water, and separation and all the stuff then you begin the season. Then the animals and the fish come first and the next thing I was getting better and better and better and he finishes up with his own image which is gotta be a bitter pill for Satan, which is here comes here comes man in his own image, but the crescendo is woman, which is the last thing he creates, which is the beauty and that that aspect really gets to Satan because she's taking on the you know Satan was the most beautiful angel will now here's the most beautiful creation that God's maiden woman and so who does he go after and Eve and there we see the fall and we see Satan doing exactly what went in on that clip about the grievance that was from the movie Amadeus and the guy that was so jealous that he was going to destroy Amadeus, who was so gifted, that was God's creation and that's what Satan did with even so, here we find ourselves and in need of a Savior. Absolutely one of the things that God did it.

Satan can do.

You can create life with her body right here in so the guy gives her this other special thing that's even more so than what we can never find in Scripture that the Satan had doesn't have the power to create beings and be yet God gives through his grace woman the ability to carry that interbody and and produce net so you can see clearly from my standpoint as I began to walk in this message and understand a little bit what how the Bible's narrative affects me personally that there is a story taking place on the stage and my part in it. You know I was not part Act I I was no part of act two, so now I've come into a situation where Satan is out to discredit God and he's going to do that through me and by understanding what Satan is actually up to. It helps me find my place in the story and see that I do have enemy and I do have a role in this, of of spiritual warfare and looking for the glory of other people because you know Satan's gonna do everything he can to push that down in anybody. He sees the Romeo you know if I'm setting out there and I'm listening. And I challenge back of really what what does a individual matter in there there's millions of people on the earth.

What is an individual matter. If they don't enter into their role while George went all of this so wonderfully actually Dr. Michael Brown did as well. He pointed out a star like a symphony and that you got some people over there there in the cello section and you got people over here that on the violent session and yet people over there that on the trombone session and each one has a very unique message that God put on them that his image that that uniquely bear and unfortunately if they don't reflect that part of God's image. Nobody else can and so the orchestra that's playing there's diminishment you don't have all the instruments unless everybody plays their part and so is we find glory God's vision image being reflected in any particular person in Allen's engineer whatever here's this phenomenal symphony that we can have so many harmonies so many different things. If everybody could play their part. So, how cool is it that were out there looking for that person's role in the story and the part with the show. If we don't take our place in the story. There's avoid is what I say and and that cannot be filled. If you're thinking of a football team and the filibuster right now that you're not fancy football and losing, but still it in the football if there's avoid and is not a player. There, it's gonna work better in yet word such a much bigger team with such more of a battle going on than that, yet we don't understand that the importance of every single individual's role so you're saying this is a team effort. We can't do it alone. We can't win the game on as I would say well I'm saying that you no part of that that beginning right in the beginning, and in John was the realization that there was community. We were born out of community we we came from community with a desire for community. So can we take it on ourselves. No, not long term right. Could we have to walk in the desert for a while by herself, absolutely. But we are made in our hearts are wired for community and to fight alongside others against the enemy events Havarti had a quote that you just reminded me of. He said football. The only battle the only game we have to win 2011 individual battles in order for team to be victorious on every play. So if you look at that community.

We all have battles we still function as a team and sometimes we function better than other times absolutely want to question German have the got 31 this war right so I may think, and that's the other part of the larger story that honestly I think I certainly had a lot of misunderstandings about it. You know, we sing the song and John F we been here 10,000 years, you know, in the song. You know, amazing Grace, a lot of us think wow praising God that sounds like it's can be really boring and we don't have a picture of what God is going to really make all things new. And so when I saw the end of this the movie when Ms. Rob and I saw all the characters who died throughout the play coming back for this gigantic reunion. It spoke to me of a little bit of ice can be reunited with Christ but also reunited with all these people that had played their roles throughout the story and will and really I love the imagery of the Cuba times.

I could not listen to suck the life out of the certainly a picture but it is possible that you think you my mother once said this to me just one of those things.

It resonates that the older that she gets the more of her treasure is in heaven and we minis here and he's significantly older than me, has of those we may not understand but lots of your treasures in heaven.

Any and that's a picture for you that really I think you understand so much better than you do.

I used to be afraid of him because that meant dollars.and though I know that heaven was everybody does. But now that I'm getting close to the age where I am ready to go. I am in my 80s. It's going to be wonderful because I'm going to see my two sons who are up there and see my beautiful wife, who was up there and I actually look out of an airplane like I was telling my friends Debbie Foley came on and could be dismal rain. Unless the blankets up above the clouds and old white clouds a new look and it's all blues because I'm looking for my wife and I'm looking for my two kids. I noted walking around there but of course you know it's not but you know heaven is a beautiful place when you're young and want to go because you know that I'm old. I'm not afraid of buying.

I'm not at all because I going to be with my family and what John Eldridge said about the movie Titanic was one of the reasons he felt it was so successful was the ending that everybody went back to being young, the ship was coming up and it was all things being made new again in heaven is going to be that picture of everything being the way it was originally designed to be all the simply playing and and it's it's really way more than I have any grasp of the cool things is God doesn't wait till then to start that process got startup process in this every day of trying to restore us back to the person we already were, but that the world's coming stripped away, and so that he gives us little gifts of that process. Throughout the time but one day all will be new in LB back the way it was originally intended to be and how cool that this is clear in killing the man he will have had alone. I don't know.

It's got a perfect way to go up. I get on my nose and ears. At this point I still as were talking today we you may say what I do things really go look for community to look for people to share your life with Heidi concealing his train arrived and kill and destroy your life. Find your role in life that you feel in your family with your friends at work to fill that role well and stay there and say God I am ready for you to restore me today as I wait for you to come back tomorrow. Thank you for listening to this today.

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