This is the first narrative frame of Two Ways To Live (2WTL). If I want to present 2WTL to someone I will often ask them if I can tell them the story of the Bible in six pictures. I then will take a piece of paper, any paper, and divide it into six boxes horizontally with three on the top and three on the bottom. I will then number the boxes from left to right 1-6 with 1-3 on the top and 4-6 on the bottom.I then tell them that I am going to use three pictures to tell them the story of the Bible: the crown represents God, the stick figure humanity, and the circle the world in which we live.
Big Ideas
At the top of every page of 2WTL are the big ideas that you want to communicate. For box 1 the big ideas are three:
1. God is the loving ruler of the world.
2. He made the world.
3. He made us rulers of the world under him.
Here is how 2WTL narrates box 1.
2WTL Narrative
The first point of the Christian message is that God is in charge of the world. He is the ruler, the supreme president, the king. Unlike human rulers, however, God always does what is best for his subjects. He is the kind of king you’d like to be ruled by.
God rules the world because he made the world. Like a potter with his clay, God fashioned the world into just the shape he wished, with all its amazing details. He made it, and he owns it.
He also made us. God created people who were something like himself, and put them in charge of the world – to rule it, to care for it, to be responsible for it, and to enjoy all its beauty and goodness. He appointed humanity to supervise and look after the world, but always under his own authority, honoring him and obeying his directions.
You can see this represented in the illustration above: God is the ruler (the crown) and humanity is created to live in and rule God’s world under God’s loving authority.
It all sounds rather ideal – God in heaven, people ruling the world according to his directions, and everything right with the world. But everything is very obviously not right – with us or the world.
Biblical Reference
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. –Revelation 4:11.
Theological Truth
The theological truth you want to establish is God’s sovereignty. By virtue of God’s creative act He is the sovereign ruler of all of creation. God created all things – man and the world in which we live – and therefore as the Creator He has authority over all things. We were created to live in the world and rule over the world under God’s authority; under God’s sovereign care.
Transition
At the bottom of every page of 2WTL is a phrase to help you to transition to the next narrative frame. The transition for box 1 is…
But is that the way it is now?
