“The Story of Your Life”

August 31, 2008

1. Albert Schweitzer
a. In the fall of 1905, Albert Schweitzer sent a very strange letter
to his parents and closest friends. Schweitzer was a man of
many talents; In addition to having a doctorate in philosophy
and having written a hugely famous book on the historical
study of Jesus, he was an internationally known concert
organist and a preacher. He wrote a biography of Bach in
French and later rewrote it in German. This is why, when his
family and friends received his letter, they would have been
totally shocked. The letter detailed Schweitzer’s plans to leave
his old life behind in order study medicine and move to Africa,
not as a pastor, but as a doctor. In a chapter from his
autobiography entitled I Resolve to Become a Jungle Doctor,
he says, “It struck me as inconceivable that I should be
allowed to lead such a happy life while I saw so many people
around me struggling with sorrow and suffering.”
i. What was he thinking?
ii. Albert Schweitzer could have continued living a very
pleasant and lucrative life, but he gave it up and chose
different, more compelling path. He decided that he
wanted his life to tell a different story.
b. Schweitzer’s story is extreme, but the same idea applies to
our lives, and is addressed by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew
(Read Mt 16:21-28)
2. Embracing A Different Story
a. Why does Peter react the way to Jesus the way he does?
Because Peter is expecting a different story (v. 22)
i. Peter and most of the Jewish people expected the
messiah to restore the Davidic dynasty and usher in a
time of justice and peace
ii. For Jesus to foretell his death and resurrection did not sit
well with Peter, it wasn’t the story he was expecting
b. If it was difficult for Peter, it was surely more difficult for Jesus.
He had to embrace his own story, which would involve torture
and death (v. 21)
c. When I say he had to “embrace his story,” this is what I mean:
Jesus is articulating what He believes is God’s will for his life
i. He is shaping his entire life around the Gospel; in
the big things and the little things
d. In the same way that Jesus embraces his own story, He
invites the disciples and us to embrace a new and
different story as well (v. 24 – 26)
i. Jesus calls us as disciples to shape our lives around the
 Gospel; to prayerfully reflect and articulate what we
believe is God’s will for our lives
e. So think about this: What values will shape your story?
3. Living Your New Story
a. Tony Steward, Christian blogger
i. In one of his blog posts, he wrote a list of 20 “rules” that
he believes will change his life for the better. Some
examples:
1. Read one book a week
2. Have an engaging conversation with my wife
every day
3. Very first thing each day spent in quite time
w/Bible, prayer, etc.
4. Have one day a week that is completely “dark”
(devoid of electronics or the internet)
5. Play and/or read with my children every day
b. Tony has taken time to reflect on his story. He has prayed and
had conversations with fellow Christians. And he is faithfully
trying to live a different story, one that is shaped around the
Gospel.
c. Challenge
i. Right now on your bulletin or as soon as you get home
write down three “rules” similar to what Tony has
done. What are the areas in your life that could be
changed in order to tell a better story? How could you
change your simple, everyday activities to become
shaped around the Gospel?
ii. Ask yourself, “How can I organize my life to be more
fully shaped around the Gospel? What concrete steps
can I take, as laid out in Scripture?”
iii. When Tony Steward wrote “Have an engaging
conversation with my wife every day,” as one of his
rules, he didn’t do it because he loves talking, he did it
because he knows that God values the sacred
relationship of marriage, and that it takes work.
(Children, prayer, relationships, marriage, money,
health, etc)?”
iv. So write down three rules. Then pray about them
and talk with your friends about them and actively
practice them in your life for a week, two weeks, a
month, until they become a habit.
v. Doing this may be difficult for most of you, but that’s to
be expected, and it’s ok!
1. You will hopefully be making some difficult
decisions, which means you’ll receive opposition,
just like Jesus did with Peter
 2. Any time you have this kind of clarity, you’ll be
tested
vi. You’ll be stronger on the other side, and in the end,
your story will be more compelling
4. Closing
a. After spending many years in Africa as a doctor, Albert
Schweitzer received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. Reflecting
on his decision to become a jungle doctor, he says, “I had
already tried many times to find the meaning that lay hidden
in the sayings of Jesus: ‘Whosoever would save his life shall
lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the
Gospels shall save it.’ Now I had found the answer. I could
now add outward to my inward happiness.” Amen.