This Sunday, we’ll be talking about God’s gospel plan. I might use the word “story” instead of “plan.” It’s essentially the same thing. A plan is just a story, written in future tense. 

Stories are important. Without stories, facts and figures are just isolated points of data with no significance. Stories are what give shape and meaning to our lives. Even the Bible is essentially a story—a true story, but a story none the less. It’s a story that begins a long time ago, in eternity past, and stretches all the way into eternity future. The story of the Bible, which is the story of the gospel, gives meaning to your life, my life, all of human history, and all the universe. 

So, it’s safe to say that this is a pretty complex story. The Bible isn’t exactly a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. This is more of an epic saga. The one big story unfolds over centuries of history through the telling of many smaller stories. There are many themes we could draw out, many ways to summarize the story. To steal an overused analogy, it’s like a huge tapestry; there are many different threads we could trace from one end to the other. But all of those threads weave together to form one picture: the gospel of Jesus Christ. As the risen Lord himself said, 

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47) 

God’s plan was always to redeem his people through the death and resurrection of Christ. The goal of all creation is a redeemed people, gathered in through the blood of Christ, worshiping and enjoying God. This gives us confidence when it comes to making disciples. God has a plan, and nothing can stop it. And, our church is a part of God’s unstoppable plan! We are called to proclaim repentance and forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name. Understanding the gospel plan shows us that we have work to do, but it also gives us confidence as we get to work.