CityView Church

We at CityView believe that our story is accurately portrayed in the Scriptures. As a credible story of how we got to where we are and where we eventually will end up, this narrative informs and motivates the very details of our lives. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 asserts, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We see even our contemporary story emanating from the ancient story of the Bible. Yet we simultaneously gain momentum from its insight into our current and future situation.

A story cannot exist without a main character. This one pulls out all the stops in revealing a character that lives up to the billing. A compelling picture is painted of our protagonist and leaves no doubt to his merit to be at the center of the epic. Utilizing no minor dose of mystery, the story unfolds with its main character on display in three distinct yet wholly unified and eternal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Each person of this three-in-one Protagonist plays his role perfectly in contributing to the full scope of our story.

Good luck finding a compelling drama without a diverse supporting cast of characters. “In the beginning God created” a desirable setting and cast of supporting characters that had all the makings of a magnificent epic. He cast an appropriately formed supporting character to oversee the entire project. Mankind (man and woman) assumed the task of stewarding the good world that God made.

Before the “new earth smell” even had a chance to fade, the cast, under the leadership of its “overseer,” attempted a coup to take over the lead role in this epic—hurling into motion a most tragic turn of events. Have you ever seen a major film that casts an unproven “B movie” star that flops because the so-called star should have auditioned for an extra who gets eaten by alien demon monkeys in the first five minutes of the film rather than 90 minutes of undeserved, popcorn-vomiting face time? Then you may understand how this epic takes a turn for the worse.

The supporting character, as capable as he may have been at winning an academy award for supporting the Main Character, could not (and still can’t) play any part but the one for which he was formed. Paul even notes in Romans 3:10, 23 just how far-reaching this misplacement of talent has gone: “There is none righteous, not even one; . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Bad news, huh!? Remember how compelling we said that the original Main Character is? Well, true to character, he came prepared to handle such turmoil. He singled out special men and women like Abraham, Moses, Esther, David, and Isaiah to play their part in hashing out a plot to restore the mantle of “main character” to its rightful place, while also rescuing his wayward antagonist from inevitable self-destruction. Isaiah 61 gives a peek at the Father’s plan to send a hero to set things right. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world preaching “good news” to the afflicted, the brokenhearted, and the imprisoned, just as Isaiah predicted.

This twist in the storyline actually does much more for the story. John, in his gospel account, attempts to retell the story in light of a new beginning. His gospel (with no small coincidence) begins “In the beginning was the Word.” Jesus, serving as the classic sacrificial hero, has stood the former story in all its tragedy on its head. A new beginning has been initiated “for all who believe.” He dramatically brings the original narrative to its climax with his last words on Passover Eve—“It is finished” (John 19:30); and rising from the dead on ironically the first day of the week—Easter Sunday—He inaugurates a new order. The gospel is the heroic reordering of all things by the Protagonist, making things right for all who see the calamity of our current state and wish it to be as He wishes.

We believe this point in the story is where we currently find ourselves. We believe that, just as He chose Abraham, Moses, and Esther, God also chose us to play the role of a lifetime in heralding Him as the only worthy main character. We could not have cast ourselves in this part. But honored and mystified, we humbly accept the role. We recognize that we who play our role all the way to the end of the story will be saved (Matthew 24:13).

The interval of the story that we see the endurance of the supporting cast (inspired by its hero) can be seen as a mobilized gathering. Those that are assembled to do the best job of making Him look good come together in one “body,” glued together by the Spirit. This community of like-minded supporters of the hero is predicted to finish up the story by prevailing against all adversaries (Matthew 16:18-19) and enlighten all who see it to the goodness of the true Main Character (Matthew 5:14). Onlookers and potential members will see the way they love one another and know that they are associated with Him (John 13:35).

Every story has an end. This story’s end is forever. Some have said that every story’s end is just the beginning of another. So much can be said for the way people end their stories. We believe our story ends with a return of our hero and a massive vindication campaign of our story’s Protagonist. All things will be put right for good. All enemies will be put down. We do not want to speculate about too many details about the end so that we can spice it up to our liking. We’re confident it’ll be spicy enough as is. We anticipate that however it ends and the new beginning continues to dawn, it will be sufficiently dramatic for all concerned—making us all happy. And everyone loves a happy ending. To this end we set our hopes.