Autobiography of God

John Ogilvie Lloyd

Description

What is God like? In a world confused about God's essential character, where can seekers turn to discover his identity? The parables of Jesus reveal aspects of God's nature, according to Lloyd Ogilvie, renowned former chaplain of the U.S. Senate. In taking to heart these "earthly stories with a heavenly meaning," we get to know God revealed in his son, Jesus, and discover and do his will. Ogilvie guides readers through 29 of Jesus' stories, and shows what each one reveals about who God is and who we are meant to be. Throughout, Ogilvie's warm, accessible voice invites believers and nonbelievers alike to get acquainted with God and begin to experience His extravagant love for each and every person.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 22 juillet 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441224279
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

PRAISE FOR AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GOD
Lloyd John Ogilvie cares as much as anyone I know about whether people know the God who passionately loves them. His life and ministry have been dedicated to this calling and hope. His latest book gives us yet another window into this life-changing grace of God. It is God’s story and God’s story transforms our story.
M ARK L ABBERTON
President of Fuller Theological Seminary Director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching at Fuller
Do you want to change your life? Are you open to developing a closer relationship with Jesus? Dr. Ogilvie led a of group of senators in our Senate Bible Study Group through these parables. My life began anew as a result. Yours can too!
C ONNIE M ACK III
Former U. S. Senator
Allow Dr. Ogilvie to act as an usher and lead you to a front row seat into the presence of Jesus, the master storyteller—and there, find your story in the stories He tells.
D R . K ENNETH C. U LMER
Senior Pastor, Faithful Central Bible Church
A UTOBIOGRAPHY OF G OD

© 1979, 2013 Lloyd John Ogilvie
Published by Baker Books a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakerbooks.com
Baker Books edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-2427-9
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Other versions used are:
NKJV — King James Version. Authorized King James Version.
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Phillips — The New Testament in Modern English , Revised Edition, J. B. Phillips, Translator. © J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 866 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
RSV —From the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.
TLB —Scripture quotations marked ( TLB ) are taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.
To: The Quintessential Quadrumvirate Erin, Airley, Bonnie, St. John Scott Ogilvie From: A Grateful Grandfather
CONTENTS

Preface
1. The Prodigal God
L UKE 15 : 11-24 : Parable of Extravagant Love
2. The Far Country at Home
L UKE 15 : 25-32 : Parable of the Elder Brother
3. God Knows and Cares About You!
L UKE 15 : 1-10 : Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin
4. The Tenant Who Owns the House
M ATTHEW 12 : 22-47 : Parable of the Empty House
5. The Hearing Heart
M ATTHEW 13 : 1-23 : Parable of the Soils
6. How to Live Without Anxiety
M ARK 4 : 26-29 : Parable of the Growth of the Seed
7. The Most Dangerous People in the Church
M ATTHEW 13 : 24-30, 36-42 : Parable of the Wheat and Tares
8. Before You Give Up!
M ATTHEW 13 : 31-32 : Parable of the Mustard Seed
9. God Can Change Your Personality!
M ATTHEW 13 : 33-35 : Parable of the Leaven
10. The Treasure Is You!
M ATTHEW 13 : 44-46 : Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl
11. The Virtue of Viability
L UKE 5 : 17-39 : Parables of the New Patch and New Wine
12. Knowing What You Want and Wanting What You Know
L UKE 7 : 31-35 : Parable of the Children at Play
13. While at the Banquet, Come to the Banquet!
L UKE 14 : 1-24 : Parable of the Great Feast
14. The God of the Successful
L UKE 12 : 13-21 : Parable of the Rich Fool
15. Christians with a Tang
L UKE 14 : 25-35 : Parable of the Uncompleted Tower
16. Beyond Duty to Delight
L UKE 17 : 1-10 : Parable of the Unworthy Servants
17. God Wants to Give You a Gift
L UKE 11 : 1-13; 18 : 1-8 : Parables of Importunity
18. The Prayer God Won’t Answer
L UKE 18 : 9-14 : Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican
19. Shrewd Saints
L UKE 16 : 1-17 : Parable of the Unjust Steward
20. How to Be a Lover
L UKE 7 : 40-49 : Parable of the Two Debtors
21. The One Thing God Won’t Do
M ATTHEW 18 : 21-35 : Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
22. Spontaneous Love
L UKE 10 : 25-39 : Parable of the Good Samaritan
23. The One Test of a Great Church
L UKE 13 : 1-9; M a r k 11 : 12-14,19-22 : Parable of the Fig Tree
24. How to Know the Will of God
M ATTHEW 21 : 28-32 : Parable of the Two Sons
25. Unmerited Favor
M ATTHEW 20 : 1-16 : Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
26. God’s Love Knows No Limits
M ATTHEW 21 : 33-41 : Parable of the Cruel Vinedresser
27. Ready, Aye, Ready!
M ATTHEW 25 : 1-13 : Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids
28. The Secret Source of Joy
M ATTHEW 25 : 14-30 : Parable of the Talents
29. A Voice from the Dead
L UKE 16 : 19-31 : Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
PREFACE
Writing this book was one of the most exciting two years in my adventure with Jesus Christ. I should not be surprised. During this time I had been studying the parables of Jesus. The first year I utilized the parables for my own devotional reading. Each one challenged my thinking and reoriented my living. Every day was maximized because I had returned to the essential teaching of the Master as a basis of my quiet time. It was a year of unprecedented challenge and opportunity in my personal life and professional responsibilities. The Lord led the way daily by teaching me about the demands and delights of seeking first the kingdom of God. So many of the parables of the Kingdom brought me back to my basic purpose: to discover and do the will of God. The gems of the Lord’s wisdom taught me to trust the reign of God within, in my responsibilities and in my relationships.
At the end of that first year, I took a long, solitary study leave. I was blessed with the opportunity of doing a more comprehensive exposition of the parables. What had happened to me personally through my daily devotions was deepened by prolonged meditation. I became convinced then—and reaffirm now—that the greatest need in our time is to return to the essential message of the Master as revealed in His parables: “earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.”
As I studied and prayed, a profound conviction evolved. The parables were all aspects of the autobiography of God being written through His Son, Immanuel, God with us. Jesus came to reveal who God is and what we were meant to be. Each parable, I discovered, contained a basic element of the nature of God and how He works in our lives. Thus, the title of this book. The parables are God’s own story about Himself.
A strategy of interpreting the parables evolved. I found that each parable had one central truth: they were not allegories in which each detail is significant. My questions that guided my research unfolded after concentrated thought.
1. What is the main point of each parable?
2. What does that tell us about God?
3. If I believed that truth, what would I do?
4. What was the context that motivated the parable?
5. How can I live the parable as a part of my citizenship in the Kingdom of God?
I found that interpreting the parables was like getting to know a person. They yield their inner secrets only after consistent and faithful relationship. To shift the metaphor, they are like an island you have to row around until you know where to land, or like a ball of yarn with one single strand protruding. Get hold of that, pull with prayer and study, and you can unravel the whole ball.
I followed my study leave by preaching a series of messages on the parables to the congregation of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, California. This intensified my study of the parables. The sermons prompted dialogue with my friends, and the hours of conversation about many of the parables made my writing of these chapters much more personal and practical. Throughout subsequent years, I have preached and taught from these parables in churches, conferences, colleges and universities. Each time, I came to new insights that I have included in this book.
When I was chaplain of the United States Senate, I taught five Bible study groups each week for the senators, spouses of the senators, chiefs of senators’ staffs, staff members, and employees of the Senate. One of the most popular series was on the parables included in this book. It was inspiring to feel the expressed longing for greater knowledge of God among the leaders of our nation.
It was difficult to select which parables to include as the basis of the chapters of this book. Some have been left out with great reluctance. My final decision was to choose those that would help you, the reader, move into a fresh experience of God’s grace and enable you to discover His unlimited resources for daily living.
In a world that is confused about God and is beguiled by distorted images of His nature, it’s time to return to His own autobiography and learn what He has said about Himself and the amazing, abundant life He offers to each of us. That’s what happened to me. I long for the same for you.
I want to express my gratitude to Gospel Light Publishers for this edition of this book. Over the years I have enjoyed my friendship with Bill Greig III, president of Gospel Light, and his dad and grandfather before him. We share a wonderful heritage reaching back to Henrietta Mears, the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, and the beginning of what has become one of th