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Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • July 1, In the year of our Lord, 2018

Prelude:

  1. The series that I followed for my sermons in June I based upon
    1. The Visualized Bible Study Series,
    2. more commonly known as The Jule Miller Filmstrips,
      1. although Texas Stephens also wrote the series, but
      2. Miller’s name appears first.
        1. At first the series came with a vinyl record and
        2. you had to have a slide projector and
          1. as the narrator spoke,
          2. there would be a beep,
            1. for turning the film to the next slide.
            2. Later, the sound came out on cassette tape,
              1. in case someone did not have a record player.
              2. Still later they came out on VHS tape, and
                1. now you can get them on DVD.
    3. Although I had been hearing preaching,
      1. it was this series that an elder in the church showed me
      2. that finally so moved me that I converted to Christ.
    4. It also comes in booklet form.
      1. I used these for creating my sermons,
      2. although I actually could not use all the material.
  2. Every Lord’s Day morning in June,
    1. I had Larry Amberg lead the song, Tell Me the Story of Jesus, because
    2. that song or rather parts of it were played throughout the series.
      1. Now I want to do a sermon on the song,
      2. using it as my outline, because it has a wonderful message.

Persuasion:

  1. His Entrance

    Tell me the story of Jesus,
    Write on my heart every word;
    Tell me the story most precious,
    Sweetest that ever was heard.
    Tell how the angels in chorus,
    Sang as they welcomed His birth,
    “Glory to God in the highest!
    Peace and good tidings on earth.”

    1. The sweetest story ever.
      1. Can you find a story that matches this one?
      2. None has the enduring power of the story of Jesus.
        1. You may find an interesting story in book or movie, but
        2. have organizations been built upon it?
          1. How many people live and die for it?
    2. We want it written on our hearts so that we will never forget the words.
      1. The story of Jesus is the story of love.
    3. The song requests a telling of the announcement of the angels.
      1. By the way, notice that the Bible never says the angels sung:

        13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

        14 “Glory to God in the highest,
        And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
        (Luke 2.13–14)

      2. They announced in unison the entrance of the Son of God into the world.
        1. They knew what He was all about.
        2. They served Him and looked upon Him in heaven.
          1. Then they saw Him leave heaven and
          2. come down here, and
            1. they knew that was the best thing for earth ever.
            2. Does the world know it is the best thing ever to happen to us?
  2. His Ministry

    Fasting alone in the desert,
    Tell of the days that are past,
    How for our sins He was tempted,
    Yet was triumphant at last.
    Tell of the years of His labor,
    Tell of the sorrow He bore;
    He was despised and afflicted,
    Homeless, rejected and poor.

    1. Fasting alone in the desert for 40 days.
      1. That is how He began His ministry.
      2. He began His ministry with amazing self-control,
        1. showing that matters of the Spirit
        2. supersede matters of the world.
          1. He did not exercise such control by miracle,
          2. otherwise, what would have been the point?
            1. He did it the same way that we can do it.
            2. We do not know what we are capable of doing.
    2. Why did He submit to such massive temptations?
      1. After His forty-day fast,
        1. Satan challenged Jesus
        2. that if He was the Son of God to turn stones into bread.
          1. Jesus fought back by quoting Deuteronomy 8.3.

            4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4.4).
      2. Next, Satan challenged Jesus to tempt God,
        1. by throwing Himself down from the high point of the temple and
        2. the angels would catch Him,
          1. Jesus fought back quoting Deuteronomy 6.16.

            7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God’” (Matthew 4.7).
      3. Finally, Satan challenged Jesus to worship Satan and
        1. Satan would give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world.
        2. Jesus fought back by quoting Deuteronomy 6.13 and 10.20.

          10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4.10).
      4. He voluntarily went through those things
        1. to show that He was our sinless Savior.
        2. He never gave in to the greatest of temptations.
          1. If He had failed the test,
          2. He would have been disqualified to save us from our sins.
    3. The song also requests that we tell of the years of His labor,
      1. which was only 3.5 years.
      2. He began His ministry when He was about 30 and
        1. three and a half years later He was dead.
        2. Yet what He accomplished in those 3.5 years!
      3. He did not live for self, but
        1. to do the will of His heavenly Father and
        2. to love us.
          1. That’s it.
          2. His life was that simple.
            1. He so did the Father’s will and
            2. He so loved the people of the world
              1. that here we are today talking about Him.
              2. We sing about Him and ask someone to tell us about Him.
    4. The second verse of the song speaks of the sorrow that He bore:
      1. He was despised
      2. He was afflicted
      3. He was homeless
      4. He was rejected
      5. He was poor
        1. The Potentate of heaven came to earth and became a pauper.
        2. The Owner of the heavens and the earth came to earth and did not own a pillow.
        3. The Resident of the greatest home ever came to earth and had no permanent address.
        4. The Worshiped of heaven came to earth and only a few accepted Him.
  3. His Love

    Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
    Writhing in anguish and pain;
    Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
    Tell how He liveth again.
    Love in that story so tender,
    Clearer than ever I see;
    Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
    “Love paid the ransom for me.”

    1. They nailed Him to a cross.
      1. Later look at your hand and imagine someone driving a nail in it.
      2. Sometimes, I do that during the Lord’s Supper,
        1. looking my hands and my feet and
        2. I imagine someone grabbing them,
          1. positioning a nail and then
          2. whacking the nail with a hammer.
            1. Jesus allowed that to happen,
            2. taking that upon Himself to save us from our sins.
    2. The next line in the song gets me the most: He writhed in anguish and pain.
      1. It is never said that someone is writhing in happiness and pleasure.
      2. You writhe, move your body, looking to stop pain or find a comfortable position, but it is either temporary or you cannot find it at all.
        1. That was Jesus on the cross.
        2. The Bible does not mention any writhing, but
          1. it does not need to say it.
          2. We cannot picture Him not doing it.
    3. Finally, He died and they buried Him.
      1. The Scriptures are shockingly brief telling us about His burial,

        53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before (Luke 23.53).
      2. Sometimes understatement says more.
        1. Just giving the facts opens our minds
        2. to think on whom they buried that day.
    4. The next line of the song says: “Tell how He liveth again.”
      1. The Saddest Day in history was followed a couple days later by the Gladdest Day in history.
      2. The body of Jesus did not stay dead, because
        1. He reentered His body and
        2. walked out of His tomb!
          1. His death in the fight against sin
          2. shows that we can win against sin and
            1. experience what He experienced,
            2. a resurrection that will enable us to live forever.
    5. The song ends with a message of love:
      1. How tenderly in love He dealt with the world.
        1. Sin violates the will of the holy God,
        2. qualifying us for eternal destruction, but
          1. He chose to show love,
          2. dealing with humanity in such tender ways.
      2. I can see that clearly by meditating on the truths of Scripture.
      3. Please do not go away, but
        1. keep speaking,
        2. whisper to me
          1. that His love paid the ransom for me.
  4. Refrain:

    Tell me the story of Jesus,
    Write on my heart every word;
    Tell me the story most precious,
    Sweetest that ever was heard.

    1. We sing the refrain at the beginning of verse 1 and at the end of every verse.
      1. Tell me the story of Jesus again and again and again.
      2. The story is most precious to me.
    2. It is the sweetest that ever was heard.
      1. Why not repeat it?
      2. How many times has the story been told since the first century?
        1. How many times have you heard it?
        2. How many more times do you want to hear it?
    3. Do you think the Father grows weary hearing us tell the story of His Son?
      1. Can you get tired of people retelling stories about your children?
      2. I love to hear stories of my children.
        1. I love to hear people praising them.

Exhortation:

  1. First Point