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Story Is an essential part of the human experience. In this lesson we will examine the nature of stories and their usefulness.
What is Story and What is it For?
What is Story and What is it For?
Psalm 78: 1-8
Psalm 78: 1-8
My people, listen to my teaching.
Listen to what I say.
I will speak using stories.
I will tell things that have been secret since long ago.
We have heard them and know them.
Our fathers told them to us.
We will not keep them from our children.
We will tell those who come later
about the praises of the Lord.
We will tell about his power
and the miracles he has done.
The Lord made an agreement with Jacob.
He gave the teachings to Israel.
And he commanded our ancestors
to teach them to their children.
Then their children would know them,
even their children not yet born.
And they would tell their children.
So they would all trust God.
They would not forget what God had done.
Instead, they would obey his commands.
They would not be like their ancestors
who were stubborn and disobedient.
Their hearts were not loyal to God.
They were not true to him.
THINK ABOUT IT
What can we learn about stories from this Psalm? (Don't forget to view some answers below) ->
Stories:
Reveal Secrets (Teach Principles)
Pass on Experiences and Emotion (not just information)
Connect People (Even Generations).
Are hard to forget.
Establish Identity
Establish Identity?
Establish Identity?
Whats this about stories establishing identity? What does that mean? Think about a best man speech at a wedding. How do people know the close bond between the groom and the Best man? Does the best man simply list good qualities about the groom. “He's nice”, “He likes this girl” ? No, if he is a good speaker he probably avoids phrases like that all together. Instead, he tells stories. The stories (ideally) show the good character of the groom and the close connection with the best man without ever saying either of those things explicitly. The guests will leave with far more insight into the groom from a few stories, then if the best man had spent the entire time listing off his character traits.
God's Story
God's Story
God knows the power of stories and uses them constantly in scripture. We will look at three examples of stories from scripture.
The Parable of the Tenants: Matthew 21
The Parable of the Tenants: Matthew 21
“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey. When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop. But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.
THINK ABOUT IT
Why did Jesus Choose a story to confront the pharisees?
Nathan the Prophet Confronts David: 2 Sam 11 - After David steals Uriah’s Wife and has him Killed
Nathan the Prophet Confronts David: 2 Sam 11 - After David steals Uriah’s Wife and has him Killed
So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him.
“When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home, he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler who had come to visit him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to visit him.”
Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!”
Nathan said to David, “You are that man!
THINK ABOUT IT
Why did God choose a story to confront and convict David?
Josephs Brothers Decieve Jacob: Genesis 37
Josephs Brothers Decieve Jacob: Genesis 37
Joseph’s brothers killed a goat and dipped Joseph’s fancy coat in its blood. After this, they took the coat to their father and said, “We found this! Look at it carefully and see if it belongs to your son.”
Jacob knew it was Joseph’s coat and said, “It’s my son’s coat! Joseph has been torn to pieces and eaten by some wild animal.”
Jacob mourned for Joseph a long time, and to show his sorrow he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth. All of Jacob’s children came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said, “I will go to my grave, mourning for my son.” So Jacob kept on grieving.
THINK ABOUT IT
How was this story (complete with special effects) more effective than just the simple lie of "He never showed up."?
Just like the best man speech the Bible is story after story revealing the character of God and Man and their relationship. As Christians it is essential to read these stories, remember these stories and tell these stories.
Summary
Summary
Stories can be used for good or evil. To communicate truth, or a lie. Understanding the nature of stories can help us to spot the truth or the lie. A story filled with truth can convict us and lead us to repentance. But, just like Jacob who suffered years under the false story his sons told him, we must be on our guard so that our emotions and intellect are not manipulated to believe the lies that many modern films and TV shows tell us. As we think about telling our own stories, let's keep in mind the power that these stories have, and be wise.
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