Or, if we don’t feel like reading, we can watch stories play out in movies or even television shows. It’s funny, when I’m scanning the channels, looking for something to watch, If I come across one of my favorite movies I may tune to it, even if I just watch one scene. Some of my favorite movies are Shawshank Redemption, A few Good Men, Death of a Salesman and K2.

 

So what are some of the stories you have enjoyed, books or movies? What are some of your favorites? These stories that we enjoy so much all have qualities that make them our favorites. We like them for different reasons. But I have to admit, there is something about a true story that really peaks my interest. When I know that what I am seeing or reading about actually happened, it just makes it all the more intriguing. You agree? You like true stories?

 

The Bible, which happens to be the bestselling book of all time, is true. From beginning to end, it is God’s story and it is true. We read in 1 John 1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

 

8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” (NIV)

 

Suppose I told you that a spaceship landed in Crown Point and there are Martians in Crown Point. But it was only something I had heard about. I was never there and I didn’t see it. Would you believe me? But what if I had actually been there and seen with my own eyes. Would you believe me then? Friends, what John is telling us about in his letter are facts. What is written in this book is real. These are eyewitness accounts from someone who lived with Jesus. John heard the teachings and the incredible wisdom. He witnessed the miracles and healings. He was there!

 

And he was there when Jesus shed His blood and was crucified. John describes this earlier in the New Testament in the Gospel of John, chapter 19. He watched as Jesus Christ was beaten, tortured and hung on a cross. It is amazing that the God of the universe came to this earth, lived a perfect life, he suffered in the most brutal and humiliating way and died on the cross for you and for me. He did this all because He loves us. If that doesn’t humble you, I don’t know what will. Personally, I am in awe of what He did for me. Are you?

 

But this isn’t the end of the story because He rose from the dead and eventually ascended into heaven to be with His Father. How do we know this is true? We have an eyewitness who attests to all of this. He witnessed the empty tomb that first Easter morning (John 20). He ate breakfast at a lakeside with the resurrected Jesus (John 21). He was there when Jesus ascended into heaven. Six times John refers to hearing, seeing and touching in 1 John 1. He wants us to know. He wants us to know that Jesus is who He says He is and Jesus did what He did. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness of sins and are reconciled to the God of the universe.

 

We are sinners. That is a fact. But we have a good God, a merciful and loving God who says, “If you confess your sins, I will forgive. I will restore my relationship with you.” In Romans 3, Paul says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forth as a propitiation by His blood.” Friends, there it is again, the Gospel, the grace of God as a gift through faith in Christ. It is what we believe here at Hope church and it is what we want to passionately share with the community of Lowell and beyond. The death and resurrection of Jesus is what we hold on to as our only hope in this world and into the next. The blood of Jesus Christ, shed for you and me, is what this whole story is about and we know this story is true.

 

I mentioned earlier that I like true stories. I especially like this story that John tells us about Christ and what He did for us. If you haven’t read it lately or never read it, I highly recommend you read the full Gospel of John as well as His three letters found later in the New Testament. He wrote all of this “SO THAT WE KNOW”.