Sitting in the movies I was thinking, "how could I have made my talk simpler?"
Than it hit me, the Gospel is like a movie. Here is what I mean...
1. Every movie has a Background (context) in which its story is understood
Have you ever thought about how different a movie would be if you changed the background. How does the storyline of a movie change if you have a different background. Would the very Australian movie, the Castle, have made sense if Darryl Kerrigan (the main character who is a true blue Aussie) lived in a giant mansion in Washington? Would the Lion King storyline really be the same if Simba was born in Antarctica? A background is an important part in understanding any movie and its storyline.
So what is the background to the Gospel? What assumed knowledge do you need to have to help you understand the Gospel? I reckon Paul gives us the answer in Acts 17:16-31. It is worth reading yourself but here is the gist of it as far as I can see. We need people to see that God is the maker, sustainer and judge of the earth. We also need people to see that humanity is prone to sin. All people replace worship (giving something ultimate worth) for God with worship of other things, this is called idolatry. That God made all things, rules all things, will judge all things and that we have rejected God as our ruler is the important background that people need to understand the Gospel. This is a summary of the background but the full background is found in the Old Testament.
2. Every movie has a Main Character who is the centre of the story
If I say the name Luke Skywalker I bet you mentally start thinking about Star Wars. If I say the name Indiana Jones you would know that the he is the main character of the Indiana Jones movies. The best movies have recognisable main characters or heros who are the focus of the story. The Gospel is no different, the main character, the hero of the Gospel is Jesus. The Gospel primarily is a description of who Jesus is, what he has done and what he will do. One of my lecturers at Bible College describes it as the person (identity) and work (actions/activities) of Christ. At the heart of this story is Jesus' death and resurrection. This shows us that Jesus is the Saviour and King. Jesus is the saviour because he dies for our sins. He takes the death we deserve on himself. Jesus is the king because he is risen ruler of everything. This makes Jesus the hero and centre of all history. He is the one who shows us who God is. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and 2 Timothy 2:8 are great descriptions of the Gospel.
3. Every movie causes us to Respond to the story
Every movie has a story or a message (the main character is the centre of this). Once we watch a movie in some or another we will respond to the movie. When I first saw the matrix I walked out of the movie wondering whether I was in an alternate universe. Every time I saw a spoon I tried to bend it with my mind. Not every movie has this sort of affect on me (or you). But every movie in some way or another shapes the way we think. Each movie we watch changes how we view the world. It may do it by giving us a new perspective on life. It may do it by inspiring our imagination. If it is a lousy movie it may leave us more unconvinced of something than when we first went in. Movies (like all stories) change how we think and feel.
The centre of the Gospel story or the Gospel message is Jesus. How we respond to Jesus is something the Bible considers very important. How we respond to Jesus is much more important than a movie. Some people will hear about Jesus and respond to him with faith (trust) and repentance (turning to/following Jesus as the boss). Others will respond to Jesus with unbelief. They won't trust him and will reject him as the boss of their life. Either way hearing the Gospel will cause some sort of response.
Christians spend their lives constantly digging deeper into the Gospel. As they do they are changed more and more to be like Jesus. Their thinking, their behaviour, their desires will be changed more and more as the Gospel story impacts them. As I see how Jesus loved me, his enemy, I see how I should love my enemies. As I see how Jesus was generous to me I learn to be generous to others. As I see how Jesus is a King who serves, I learn how to serve no matter how important I am. The Gospel changes the way Christians think. The Gospel always causes a response and to the Christian it is an ongoing response central to who they are. Check out 2 Corinthians 2:12-17.
Summing Up
When we are talking to non-Christians about the Gospel, when we think about the Gospel it is important that we remember 3 things:
- The Gospel has a background (God is creator, ruler and judge of the world and we are sinners)
- The Gospel is about Jesus (especially his death and resurrection)
- The Gospel causes a response (either trust or unbelief)
Whilst I love movies, the Gospel is so much more powerful, life-changing and enjoyable than any movie. I hope that when you next hang out with non-Christians or Christians that you will attempt to talk about the Gospel rather than the latest movie. You could even start by intertwining the Gospel message with a movie you watched. Think about the last movie you saw. How could you share the Gospel message in the way you describe that movie?
For example I recently watched Cars 2. It doesn't fit perfectly with everything we have covered (but you don't have to say everything all at once). In talking about Cars 2 I would talk about how the background of the movie is the world's dependency on oil and how the tow truck character is unlikely hero yet saves the day. This definitely doesn't cover everything but using a movie to explain the Gospel might be a good way to get you started. Maybe below you might want to write how you would use a movie to describe the Gospel!
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