Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:24–26

Introduction

A. There are some stories that can seemingly only end one way, but then there are others that could have ended very differently.

B. There are many Bible stories that didn’t have to end in the terrible way that they did.

Discussion

I. Jerusalem didn’t have to endure the fate it suffered.

A. The inhabitants of this city always seemed confident that it could never fall (2 Samuel 5:6; Lamentations 4:2–3; Jeremiah 7).

B. The city didn’t have to fall to Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 3:12–19), but it did because of the people’s disobedience.

C. Because of their unwillingness to listen, the city fell again to Titus and his Roman legions (cf. Matthew 24).

II. If your story isn’t going well, it doesn’t have to end that way.

A. Unlike Abraham’s nephew Lot (Genesis 19:36), your story doesn’t have to end in shame.

B. The thief on the cross shows that your story needn’t end in perdition (Luke 23:42), no matter how bad it has been.

C. Instead of letting your story end in suicide like Judas (Matthew 27:3–5), it can end in honor like Peter’s (2 Peter 1:5).

A. What if your story were to end today? Would it be a happy ending? Would it encourage and inspire others?

B. Even if things aren’t going so well in your life right now, you can come to Jesus and let Him write a better ending for you.