First Presbyterian Church                                                 Rev. Dr. Michael J. Imperiale

Salt Lake City, Utah                                                                      March 11, 2007

JUST WALK ACROSS THE ROOM

“The Power of Story”

I Peter 3:8-15

Introduction

Here’s a little word association for your entertainment and waking up on this daylight savings morning. I’ll say a word or phrase and then quickly say out loud what ever comes to your mind. Ready? Here’s the first word… “Mona.” Any “Lisas” out there? Here’s the next one… “Superbowl.” How about… “Vacation.” “Diet.” “Kiefer.” I hope you all said “Sutherland.” Dottie and I watched all four seasons of 24 last summer. We’ll wait for this season to come out on DVD. Here’s the next one… “President.” And for the last one… “Born-again Christian.”

It would be interesting to electronically tabulate all the words that floated throughout the room on this one. If you were to ask people in your family, at work or in your neighborhood what their general impressions of born-again Christians are, you’d probably get an earful. “Uptight, narrow, rigid,” someone would say. Or, “I went to school with one… he was pretty isolated. Kept to himself all the time.”  Or, “What a turnoff she is. I feel judged if I even inhale wrong. She’s so self-righteous, absolutely egotistical.”

I’m afraid that many people have an unpleasant impression of committed Christians. So, I want us at First Pres to figure out a way to help reverse the trend. I would want born-again Christians, Christ-followers to be known as ridiculously filled with compassion, just plain kind to people. They tell the truth… they shoot straight with you. Humble and honest, inner strength, radically inclusive of people regardless of their background. And clear. “They are unbelievably pumped when they talk about God. And you should hear them talk about their own faith journeys. They’re amazing stories.

I. The Power of Story

Words have meaning. Stories are powerful. It’s so important that we have a way of talking about God in a way that is full of clarity and passion. It’s also important that we convey our own personal faith stories in a way that is interesting yet humble.

The apostle Peter realizes this when he writes to the church in that first generation of Christians, people born-again into this life-giving, life-saving faith in Christ. In verse 15 he says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Psalm 119 says that words can actually give light. The book of Proverbs has many sayings on the powerful effect of words. Reckless words can pierce like a sword, but words from the wise can bring healing. Pleasant words are like honeycomb sweet to the soul.

These are the words we Christians should be noted for: humble words, healing words, wise words, gentle words, grace-filled words. In my opinion there are two primary stories to be shared with effective, efficient words than can exponentially improve perceptions about Christ and his followers. The first is how we talk about God, explaining who he is and what he’s done. The second is how we talk about our own personal experience with the Lord, explaining the main thing he’s done in our lives. God’s story and your story.

II. God’s Story: learn to tell it well

Last week, Pastor Sue focused on developing friendships, enjoying the common lives and experiences of life with others. When you just walk across the room to start up a cordial friendship, God is going to open the doors to saying a word about him, simply pointing others to faith in Christ. So, what if someone asks you straight out, “Tell me about your faith, what you believe, what this God thing is all about. Explain the whole deal to me.” What would you say?

There are many models for sharing God’s story. I’d like to share one with you today that you may remember and make use of in your faith and sharing. One might simply call it “The Bridge.”

The next time you find yourself in a conversation where the person really does want to understand who God is and what he has done, grab a piece of scrap paper (a napkin at a coffeehouse or restaurant has been used many times). And ask their permission to sketch out this bridge. It’s an image they won’t soon forget.

Between PEOPLE on one side and GOD on the other, there’s a great chasm, an enormous division. It exists because of our human propensity to rebel against God’s way and go our own way instead. The Bible calls this “sin.” Call it whatever. Everyone will acknowledge it. Human selfishness causes all kinds of problems in life and relationships, in both personal experience and in the world at large. Every human problem is a result of this thing called “sin.”

The dilemma people face is that we want to get to God but know we can’t just leap over the chasm. The gap is just too wide. But thankfully, God sympathized with our dilemma. Because he loves us so much, God intervened so that we could have a means of getting close to him again. His solution was to choose his son, Jesus, to serve as the bridge. Christ came to earth to be our bridge, and whoever makes the decision to cross the bridge will have a new, redeemed, close relationship with God forever.

The apostle John records the message of Jesus this way. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; that person has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

Then take the pen or pencil and ask your friend to put an X on the page in terms of where they are in their self understanding. Still on the PEOPLE side alone? Moving in the direction of the bridge, the cross of Christ? Ready to take the bridge across? And assure your friend that God has healing, wise, gentle, grace-filled words for life.

III. You have a Story: learn to tell it well

Not only does God have a story. But you have a story as well. You have a powerful story to tell. What were you like, what are you like without Christ? What are you like with Christ? Regardless how old you were when you came to faith, hopefully there is a difference to share.

In Luke 5 we find the account of a guy who had leprosy. Before meeting Jesus he was sick. With his healing, he was now well. He was diseased, now he is healthy. He was outcast, now he is accepted. He was defiled, now he’s as good as new. He was tarnished, now he’s clean. He was left for dead, now he has a future.

What’s true about you and your faith relationship with God in Christ? When you tell your story, perhaps you can say, “I was striving, but now I’m at peace… I was self-destructive, now I’m healthier… I was guilty, but now liberated… Fear-stricken, but now confident… despairing, but now hopeful.” Just be simple, honest, straight forward. Share you story with others.

Conclusion

Here’s what I’m hoping we can do this week as a congregation: write our stories down, our individual before-and-after faith story. Then email it to me: pastormike@fpcslc.org. Let me give you some feedback on ways you can make your story positive, encouraging, helpful to those you will tell. And I’ll email mine back to you for your comments. Just think the word association game when I say “First Pres.” Just might become known as a place where Christians know how to tell God’s story and share the wonderful things that God has done in their lives. “To hear them talk about what God has done in their lives… it makes me want that type of thing for my own life!”

As God’s word says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Let us pray together.