June 29, 2014 | Matthew 26:36-46 - A Better Adam: How Man's Messiah Suffered Well Through Prayer

Here is Sunday's sermon from Matthew 26:36-46.

³⁶ Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. ³⁸ Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

³⁹ And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” ⁴⁰ And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? ⁴¹ Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” ⁴³ Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. ⁴⁵ Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Audio
Notes


January 12, 2014 | Matthew 19:1-9: All the King's Horses: Marriage, Divorce & the Gospel
January 19, 2014 | Matthew 19:10-12 - What's the Point?: Marriage, Singleness, & Living for the Glory of God
January 26, 2014 | Matthew 19:13-30: What Must One Do to be Saved? 
February 2, 2014 | Matthew 20:1-16: Marvel at Grace
February 16, 2014 | Matthew 20:17-28 - The Key to True Greatness
February 23, 2014 | Matthew 20:29-34
March 3, 2014 | Matthew 21:1-11: The Royal Entry
March 9, 2014 | Matthew 21:12-22 
March 23, 2014 | Matthew 21:23-46
March 30, 2014 | Matthew 22:1-14 - What Not to wear or Heeding God's Invitation to Celebrate His Son
April 6, 2014 | Matthew 22:15-22: Life After Death and Taxes
April 13, 2014 | Matthew 22:23-33 - I Don't Want to be a Sad-You-See, or Why the Doctrine of the Resurrection Matters
May 4, 2014 | Matthew 22:34-46
May 11, 2014 | Matthew 23: Religion vs. the Gospel, or Why Don't You Tell Us How You Really Feel Jesus
May 18, 2014 | Matthew 24:1-31 - Is It the End of the World As We Know It?: The End Times, the Present Times, and the Kingship of Jesus
May 25, 2014 | Matthew 24:32-51
June 1, 2014 | Matthew 25
June 8, 2014 | Matthew 26:1-16 - O Worship the King
June 15, 2014 | Matthew 26:17-30: The Lord' Supper
June 22, 2014 | Matthew 26:30-35 - A Pilgrim’s Regress: Why Christians Need Grace Daily 
June 29, 2014 | Matthew 26:36-46 - A Better Adam: How Man's Messiah Suffered Well Through Prayer


For more:
Matthew 1-18 | The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
MacArthur on the Greatest Act of Love
Ain't No Grave . . .
The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus
The Gospel of Matthew Movie
Humpty Dumpty & Grace
I Am Yours, Save Me

May 6, 2012 | Ruth 2:1-13 - And It Just So Happened ...: When God's Invisible Hand Becomes Visible

Here is the second sermon in our series on Ruth.

Audio
Notes 






For more:
Sermon - April 29, 2012 | Ruth 1:1-22 - Better or Bitter: When Providence Means Suffering
GBC - Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper
GBC - Tony Evans on God and Purpose
Sermon - September 19, 2010 - God is Provident
GBC - Calvin on Providence 
August 1, 2010 - Matthew 6:25-34 - Worry and the Providence of God:  What Our Anxiety Says About What We Believe About God
April 18, 2010 - Haggai 2:1-9 - And the Lord Said, "Get-r-Done"
August 30, 2009 - Psalm 23:6 - The Peace of the Shepherd's Providence 
Sermon - Esther 4 - God's Providence 
Sermon - Providence and Prayer:  Carson Responds

Faith in the Midst of God-Ordained Storms Sermon Series

During the summer months, we looked at what Scripture has to say on the issue of suffering well.  The past few years have been difficult for our church as we have suffered a lot of tragic losses.  The gospel shows us how to suffer well and how to respond to tragedy.  Below is the list of sermons and articles published during that series and I pray that it is a helpful resource.

We began by looking at the book of Habakkuk verse by verse (my favorite Old Testament book).  There the prophet asks the questions we all ask and he is forced to trust in the Providential Sovereignty of God.  Afterward, we highlighted a number of important biblical texts that discuss the issue of suffering.

Sermon:

May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied
May 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20
June 5, 2011 | Habakkuk 3:1-19
June 12, 2011 | Job - Saving Faith is Persevering Faith: Job and the Suffering of the Righteous
July 10, 2011 - Hebrews 12:1-3 - His and Our Suffering: The Cross of Christ and A Faith That Endures
July 17, 2011 | Romans 8:31-39 - Sorrow Like Sea Billows:  Immanent Love in Suffering

July 24, 2011 | 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 - I Pray, Therefore I Am: The Emptiness of a Privatized Faith & Why Comfort Is Meant to Be Shared


Articles:

It is Well With My Soul: The Story of Horatio Spafford
Stomach Virus' and the Humanity of Christ: Moore on the Suffering and Sick Servant 
Some Helpful Answers To Common Questions: DA Carson Weighs In
Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos
Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed"


Other Series:
God: Proper Theology Proper Sermon Series  
The Sermon on the Mount Series
Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series
Fruitie-Tales: Living By the Fruit of the Spirit
Basic Christianity Series
Revelation Study

July 24, 2011 | 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 - I Pray, Therefore I Am: The Emptiness of a Privatized Faith & Why Comfort Is Meant to Be Shared

Here is the sermon from last Sunday which concludes our sermon series on suffering which began as a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Habakkuk and then we began to highlight a number of important passages on the subject of suffering.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. ⁶ But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; ⁷ and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. 

 ⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; ⁹ indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; ¹⁰ who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, ¹¹ you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.


Audio 
Notes 

For more:
Sermon - July 17, 2011 | Romans 8:31-39 - Sorrow Like Sea Billows:  Immanent Love in Suffering
Sermon - July 10, 2011 - Hebrews 12:1-3 - His and Our Suffering: The Cross of Christ and A Faith That Endures
Sermon - June 12, 2011 | Job - Saving Faith is Persevering Faith: Job and the Suffering of the Righteous
Sermon - May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied
Sermon - May 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20
Sermon - June 5, 2011 | Habakkuk 3:1-19

July 10, 2011 | Hebrews 12:1-3 - His and Our Suffering: The Cross of Christ and A Faith That Endures

I just realized that I failed to post the sermon from July 10, even though I had posted it on the podcast.  My apologies.


 1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.


Audio
Notes 





For more:
Sermon - July 17, 2011 | Romans 8:31-39 - Sorrow Like Sea Billows:  Immanent Love in Suffering 
Sermon - June 12, 2011 | Job - Saving Faith is Persevering Faith: Job and the Suffering of the Righteous
Sermon - May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied
Sermon - May 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20
Sermon - June 5, 2011 | Habakkuk 3:1-19

July 17, 2011 | Romans 8:31-39 - Sorrow Like Sea Billows: Immanent Love in Suffering

I'm almost 2 weeks late, but here is the sermon from Romans 8:31-39.  It is part of our series on suffering by which we are highlighting a number of important passages in Scripture on the subject of suffering.  Romans 8 is a great passage and I wish we had more time to walk through the entire chapter.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written,

   “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 


Audio
Notes





For more:
It is Well With My Soul: The Story of Horatio Spafford
Sermon - June 12, 2011 | Job - Saving Faith is Persevering Faith: Job and the Suffering of the Righteous
Sermon - May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied
Sermon - May 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20  
Sermon - June 5, 2011 | Habakkuk 3:1-19

It is Well With My Soul: The Story of Horatio Spafford

Here is the true story of Horatio Spafford, the author of the great hymn "It Is Well With My Soul."





Here is Chris Rice's version of the famous song taken from his album Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project:




Here are the lyrics (read them in light of the story behind the hymn):

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.


Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.


My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!


For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.


But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.


And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.


For more:
GBC - Nothing But the Blood 

June 12, 2011 | Job - Saving Faith is Persevering Faith: Job and the Suffering of the Righteous

Though we are done with the book of Habakkuk, we are continuing our discussion on suffering by looking at various passages in Scripture on the subject.  The Book of Job is really the standard text, like Habakkuk, that seeks to answer the question of theodicy (the problem of evil).  I believe that if we understand Job, we will be able to suffer well.  Remember the three key doctrines of God that apply here:  Sovereignty, Providence, and Immutability (God does not change).  If God is Sovereign we can trust that He will be glorified in the end and no amount of evil or suffering will thwart that.  If God is Provident then we can hope that He remains in control and He will be glorified through us.  God remains on His throne and we are part of His plan.  Finally, if God is Immutable, then we have the assurance that the God of Scripture is still the God of today.

Remember, the God of the cross is still the God of the resurrection.


Audio 





May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied
May 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20   
June 5, 2011 | Habakkuk 3:1-19  


For more:
October 18, 2009 | 1 Peter 2:21-23 - Christus Exemplar  
Stomach Virus and the Humanity of Christ:  Moore on the Suffering and Sick Servant
Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos  
Some Helpful Answers To Common Questions: DA Carson Weighs In
Sunday Night - "The Agony of Job and the Sovereingnty of God
Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed" by CS Lewis
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel  
MacArthur on Matthew's Use of Isaiah 53   
Theology - The Immutability of God: Its Truth and Relevancy - Theodicy and God's Sovereignty

June 5, 2011 | Habakkuk 3:1-19

I know I'm really late, but here is the third and last installment of our series on Habakkuk.  However, we will continue the conversation regarding suffering well in light of the cross and the resurrection in the following weeks.  Last Sunday we discussed the book of Job and will go forward looking at Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Paul's plea that God would remove his "thorn in the flesh," and other important passages.  Suffering is a central issue to discuss in a fallen world and we Christians must look to Christ on the cross as an example.

Audio 
Notes





May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied   
June 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20   


For more:
October 18, 2009 | 1 Peter 2:21-23 - Christus Exemplar  
Stomach Virus and the Humanity of Christ:  Moore on the Suffering and Sick Servant
Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos  
Some Helpful Answers To Common Questions: DA Carson Weighs In
Sunday Night - "The Agony of Job and the Sovereingnty of God
Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed" by CS Lewis
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel  
MacArthur on Matthew's Use of Isaiah 53   
Theology - The Immutability of God: Its Truth and Relevancy - Theodicy and God's Sovereignty

May 29, 2011 | Habakkuk 2:2-20

Here are the audio and notes from last Sunday's message from Habakkuk 2:2-20.





Audio 
Notes 


May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower:  When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied  


For more:
October 18, 2009 | 1 Peter 2:21-23 - Christus Exemplar  
Stomach Virus and the Humanity of Christ:  Moore on the Suffering and Sick Servant
Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos  
Some Helpful Answers To Common Questions: DA Carson Weighs In
Sunday Night - "The Agony of Job and the Sovereingnty of God
Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed" by CS Lewis
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel  
MacArthur on Matthew's Use of Isaiah 53   
Theology - The Immutability of God: Its Truth and Relevancy - Theodicy and God's Sovereignty

May 22, 2011 | Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 - Praying From the Watchtower: When God's Answer Leaves Us Unsatisfied

Last Sunday we started a new series of sermons on the book of Habakkuk - my favorite book of the Old Testament (Jude being my favorite book in the New Testament).  Habakkuk deals with the issue of the theodicy and is written from a personal perspective.  God's answers affect Habakkuk personally and wants to know why there is do much evil and suffering in the world (who doesn't?).  The book is profound and yet at times troubling.  Will we be comforted by the God that exists, or will we comforted by our idols?  Habakkuk makes it clear that idols do not comfort, only the true God does.

We began by looking at Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 covering Habakkuk's request, God's response, and finally Habakkuk's recoil.





Audio
Notes


For more
October 18, 2009 | 1 Peter 2:21-23 - Christus Exemplar  
Stomach Virus and the Humanity of Christ:  Moore on the Suffering and Sick Servant
Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos  
Some Helpful Answers To Common Questions: DA Carson Weighs In  
Sunday Night - "The Agony of Job and the Sovereingnty of God
Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed" by CS Lewis
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel  
MacArthur on Matthew's Use of Isaiah 53   
Theology - The Immutability of God: Its Truth and Relevancy - Theodicy and God's Sovereignty

MacArthur on Matthew's Use of Isaiah 53

In a sermon on Matthew 8 pastor and author John MacArthur deals with Matthew 8:17 and Matthew's quotation of Isaiah 53:4.  The issue regards how the atonement affects our present situations and sicknesses.  Is there healing power in the cross?  Being that we spent much discussing Isaiah 53 and how vs. 4 applies to Matthew's text, I though MacArthur's words should be shared here.

Many prosperity gospel, charmismania preachers, and healing ministries claim that Christians should be sick because of the cross.  This is utterly foolish.  As MacArthur points out in his sermon, if we cannot get sick (if we have enough faith), then that must mean we should never die.  MacArthur corrects this error in the following quote.

Beloved, Christ died for our sins not our sicknesses. The gospel is good news about forgiveness, not health. Christ was made sin, not disease. Christ took away our sin not our sickness. He died on the cross for our sin. And we would never interpret Isaiah 53 any differently. We'd just say Isaiah 53 means He's healed us from sin if it weren't this use here in Matthew, because in Peter's, I Peter 2:24, when Peter says, "By His stripes we are healed," he says that having said who bore in His own body our sins." Peter's talking about the spiritual healing from sin. But Matthew opens up to us the fact that the statement, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases," extends from the sin problem to the sickness problem. Yes there's healing in the atonement. Yes there's wholeness there, but only in so far as it comes to us in the fullness of salvation, the redemption of our bodies when we're glorified in His eternal kingdom.

The cross deals with our sin, not our sickness.  And loved ones, we need our sins forgiven more than we need our sicknesses healed.  The pain of illness, disease, treatments, and sickness should remind us of the seriousness of our sin as it is deeper and worse than anything we can ever suffer. 



MacArthur -  Matthew 8:16-22:  What Keeps Men From Christ?   




For more:
January 2, 2011 | Matthew 8:1-17 - "Be Cleansed":  The Great Healer & His Great Gospel 

Stomach Virus' and the Humanity of Christ: Moore on the Suffering and Sick Servant

If everything had worked according to plan, we would be discussing the humanity of Jesus this upcoming Sunday, but do to the snow last Sunday, we will discuss that a week later.  Recently I came across an article by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor Dr. Russell Moore regarding the humanity of Jesus.  Moore raises the question:  did Jesus ever have a stomach virus?  This is an interesting question and it has been asked in many different ways.  The question is basically about how human Jesus was.

It is important to remember that Jesus wasn't a sort superman:  all God and not human at all.  Instead, Jesus was both fully human and fully God.  It is dangerous to overemphasize one and ignore the other.  Moore writes:


Last week a friend called my office to leave a question she wanted some help thinking through. Could Jesus have gotten a stomach virus? Or the flu? Or a head cold? This question was rooted in something a little deeper. Since sickness is part of the curse of the Fall, would Jesus’ sinless nature have exempted him from viruses and bugs and fevers?

That night one of my sons woke us, crying as the stomach virus hit with all the unpleasantness that brings. As I watched his little frame tremble as he vomited, I thought about this woman’s question. Would Mary have ever watched her little firstborn in the throes of such sickness? . . .

The Scripture repeatedly makes a point of telling us about Jesus’ exhaustion, about his digestion of food, in order to make the point that our Christ really identified with us in every aspect of our common humanity, except for our sin (Heb. 4:15).

The very beginning of the Christ story itself tells us that part of the sign of the Messiah is that he is wrapped in cloths (Lk. 2:12). Why do you wrap cloths around a baby? For the same reason you might diaper your baby, or wrap her up in a blanket. The point is to keep the baby warm, and to keep him dry from waste. This signifies from the very beginning just how much Jesus is our brother, sharing with us a human nervous system and a human digestive system.

It’s also hard for us to imagine the radical nature of substitution. Of course, we understand Jesus’ suffering for us on the Cross. But the Cross was culmination, not the beginning of Jesus’ identification with us. Jesus walked into a world fallen with sin, a world cursed by thorns, death, and, yes, sickness. Though Jesus clearly had power of sickness in his healing ministry, and over death itself, he voluntarily joined us in a world of suffering and pain, for the purpose of offering up a sacrifice and restoring human peace with God and nature . . .

It just doesn’t seem right to us to imagine Jesus feverish or vomiting. But that’s precisely the scandal. It didn’t seem right to many to imagine Jesus as really flesh and bone, filled with blood and intestines and urine. 

Somehow that seemed to detract from his deity. It surely didn’t seem right to many to imagine the only begotten of the Father twisting in pain on a crucifixion stake, screaming as he drowned in his own blood. This was humiliating, undignified. That’s just the point. Jesus joined us in our humiliation, in our indignity.

I hope you don’t get a stomach virus this year, or the flu or the fever or a cold. But, if you do, I hope you remember, just for a minute, in your discomfort that Jesus has passed through everything you’ll ever face. He might have been racked with nausea or chills or aches, just as you are. And then he faced far, far worse.

But, as you lie there, remember the gospel of incarnation and substitution, a gospel that comes, as the old song says, to make his blessings known “far as the curse is found.”

There is some great insight here.  I love the emphasis on the cross.  The suffering of Jesus makes no sense unless Jesus is human.  If Jesus is not human then the cross loses its power.  This is hugely practical as we'll discuss next week.  I encourage you to read the entire article.


Russell Moore - Did Jesus Ever Get a Stomach Virus? 

Some Helpful Answers To Common Questions: DA Carson Weighs In

I came across the following videos of Dr. D. A. Carson, well known theologian and author, regarding common questions asks. Dr. Carson provides brief and thorough answers to these questions. The questions include, "How Do I Know God Exists?" "How Can God Allow Evil and Suffering in the World?" and "How Can God Be Loving and Yet Send People to Hell?" I hope these videos are helpful.

How Do I Know God Exists?:

How do I know God exists? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.

How Can God Allow Evil and Suffering in the World?

How can God allow suffering and evil in the world? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.

How Can God Be Loving and Yet Send People to Hell?

How can God be loving yet send people to hell? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.

Weekly Recommendation: "When Bad Things Happen to Good People"

I rarely recommend books in which I disagree with the entire premise, but this books popularity and argument draws us to at least take it seriously. In recent weeks we have discussed God's goodness and our call to be good.

I have written a review of the book and was constantly reminded of how Rabbi Kushner's book, "When Bad Things Happen to Good People," is an attack, not just on the goodness of God, but on the gospel. Let us not forget about Christus Exemplar in all of this. Kushner's basic argument is that when bad things happen, its not that God is bad, He just isn't powerful enough to prevent it. That is an attack on the gospel and nothing else. I encourage you to read the book and see it for yourself, but remember that Kushner presents an argument that undermines the cross of the Christ and nothing less.

"When Bad Things Happen To Good People"

October 18, 2009 - 1 Peter 2:21-23 - Christus Exemplar and the Goodness of God

Here is the audio.
Here are the notes.

Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos

I have been studying, in great detail, the question of God's goodness. If God is good, then why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? The common riddle goes something like this: If God is good, He cannot be All-Powerful because He cannot prevent evil and suffering in the world. If God is All-Powerful, He cannot be good because He refused to prevent evil and suffering. God therefore, is either good or All-Powerful, He cannot be both.

I have sat in secular university philosophy classes and listened to this argument. To most Christians, they are left stunned by this predicament. The Bible clearly teaches that God is good and All-Powerful. So how can these two concepts be true if there is so much evil and suffering in the world? The answer goes beyond this post. To begin, the Christian worldview must go back to Genesis 1-3. In chapters 1-2, God created everything and saw that it was good. It was good because it came from He who defines good; God. But in Genesis 3, the Fall took place and destroyed the goodness of the Earth. Death, suffering, evil, violence, natural disasters, and pain are the result of Genesis 3.

But does the problem of theodicy disprove God? Interestingly, even the most hardened atheist are not running to the problem of theodicy as they used to. The world's best known atheist, Richard Dawkins, in his book, The God Delusion, points out that this issue does not necessarily disprove God, it only disproves the goodness of God. Though I disagree with his conclusion, one cannot miss what Dawkins is saying. Evil and suffering does not disprove God.

So, how does such an issue prove God? C.S. Lewis explains in the clearest and most powerful language:

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of ‘just’ and ‘unjust’? . . . What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? . . . Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too – for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies . . . Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. -Lewis, Mere Christianity, 38

Lewis is right. The very idea that we speak of evil and suffering implies that we have an inherit standard of evil and good. Where does this inherit idea come from? Why is murder, death, destruction, violence, abuse, and natural disasters bad? By what standard do we measure these things? Evolution implies (though many naturalists may deny it) that death and suffering brings forth the fruit of evolution. Things improve when the weaker become extinct and die. Death is good. And yet naturally, we are repulsed by this. Evolution morality implies relativism. What is true? What is right? What is moral? Without a Divine standard such questions are determined by culture and opinion polls.

Let us remember Lewis' words. When we see suffering and pain, we ought to weep and mourn, not because God seems non-existent, but because we know that God is present. In a world of pain and sorrows, God reminds us of His standard of good. When we see such pain God is calling us to heal what has been wounded, to fix what has been broken, and to united what has been separated. We do this because that is what God has done for us. Upon the cross Christ took upon Himself our evil and sin. On the cross, Christ fixed what we broke, united what we separated, and healed what we wounded.

But the beauty of the cross isn't just in Christ suffering on our account. The beauty of the cross takes us to the empty tomb. Their is always hope and restoration on the other side of pain, suffering, and evil. Christ conquered and so can we.

Sunday Night - "The Agony of Job and the Sovereingnty of God

To dowload the notes, click here. I have made an audio version of this sermon available that I preached a year ago. The quality may not be the best. Click here to download the audio.

Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed"

This Sunday we will be looking at Psalm 23:4, "even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me." The fact is, we all will face the valley of the shadow of death. Whenever we get that diagnosis, get betrayed by a best friend, our spouse files for divorce, our children disappoint us, or we fail. We will all suffer. We will all grieve. We will all need comfort.

As I have studied this week, I have re-read a classic CS Lewis book entitled, "A Grief Observed." Most will know Lewis and the legacy of his life. He is perhaps most famous for his fictional series, "The Chronicles of Narnia," which have been turned into film multiple times. He is also well known for volumes of nonfictional books including Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, Reflections on the Psalms, The Four Loves, and many more. I have read many of these and Lewis continues to make me think, reevaluate what I believe, and challenge me to be a better Christian. His ability to make the complex simple, yet profound is unsurpassed by any writer in the past century.

His book, A Grief Observed, is unlike his others. As the title suggests, the author is observing his process of grief. Lewis is mourning over the death of his wife. Each chapter is another faze in the grieving process. Lewis writes openly and honestly. The book is short (only about 75 pages) and yet the reader is drawn into the pain and emotions of the author. At some point in our lives, we have all asked the same questions and said the same things as Lewis. He boldly asks where God is in all of this? Why did God allow his wife to get cancer and suffer the way she did? We can all certainly relate. Perhaps no other question has been asked more than that.

One of the things Lewis raises in the book regards his faith as a house of cards. As the book continues, Lewis lays out that prior to his wife's death, he thought he had a house built firmly on the rock that was solid and secure, but God has taken the tragedy of his wife's death and showed him that really his faith was like a house of cards. Upon the smallest of blows, the whole thing crumbles. This resonates with me because like Lewis during the good times, I convince myself that my faith is secure and strong, but then once adversity or tragedy comes, I find myself faltering in my faith and questioning God's goodness.

The goodness of God is another thing that comes up. If God is good, then how could He have let this happen. Lewis has written a book on the subject (The Problem of Pain) and does not go into much detail here. By the end, Lewis makes his case that all though he is hurting, God remains good and is good.

As you read the book, you might find yourself asking, "why did he recommend this again?" Why? Because Lewis is so honest that at times you feel as though he has lost his faith. But keep reading. As each page turns, so does his faith. Though Lewis is honest about his struggles, by the end, he finds himself almost healed and then ends with these words: "How wicked it would be, if we could, to call the dead back! She said not to me but to the chaplain, ‘I am at peace with God.’ She smiled, but not at me." -76

A fitting conclusion.

For More:

Weekly Recommendation: "Mere Christianity"

The Miracle of the New Creation: CS Lewis on the Resurrction

The Sovereignty of God When We Suffer: A Look At the Book of Job

Here is the audio to the following sermon:
DivShare File - Job Sermon - 11308.wma

Here are my sermon/Bible Study Notes. I haven't had a chance to put it in manuscript form.


"Jury Duty," - Supertones

5am on Tuesday, why am I up so early?
Drive out to Santa Ana, cause I’ve got jury duty
No breakfast, short tempered, and I cut my head shaving
10 miles out I hit traffic, some days just aren’t worth saving.
At the courthouse, I waited, and waited, then I waited
At lunchtime, my car stalled out, I couldn’t get it started.
Had a book by CS Lewis, I finished the last page
Slept on my desk for 3 hours, just like my high school days.
Got home and decided I’d be in a bad mood.
My shying quit wife said she didn’t like my attitude.
Got a call from my mother, forgot my sisters birthday.
I’m a lousy older brother, safe to say I’ve had a bad day.
You know I haven’t had the best of days. But I want to stop and thank you anyway.
Every single moment whether sleeping or awake is your creation, and what you made is good.
I don’t always thank you for the rough days and the hard times in my life, even though I should.

Background

• Author - unknown, but perhaps Moses. Exodus 2, Moses goes to Midian, a land near Uz (Jobs hometown). Story could have been passed down. Others have suggested, Solomon, Elihu, Isaiah, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, and Ezra, but with little evidence.
• Date - unknown. Job may have been a early descendant of Abraham/Esau. Lived for 200 years which fits with Abraham (175) time period. Other hints are - Chaldeans, wealth measured by land and livestock, no mention of Israel, etc.

1:1-2:10 - THE ATTACK

1:1-5 - Jobs character. Declared: "blameless" "upright" "feared God" "shunned evil"

1:6-12 - God and Satan, part 1 - Job is unaware of the conversation b/t God & Satan. The attacks upon him are unexpected.

1:13-22 - First Attack.
vs. 13-19 - property and family destroyed/murdered.
vs. 20-22 - Job’s reaction: He wept, asked for repentance, and mourned.

2:1-6 - God and Satan, part 2 - Satan can now attack his health. He wasn’t allowed to before. And he does just that.

2:7-8 - Second Attack
Job’s health is attacked & boils fill his body. He scrapes the boils so to release the infection.

2:9-10 - Reactions of Job and His Wife
vs. 9 - his wife tells Job to curse God and commit suicide. Remember she has lost everything too
vs. 10 - Job remained faithful to God despite his circumstances.

2:11-37:24 - JOB’S FRIENDS

Starting in 2:11, Job’s closest friends visit him in the midst of his distress and offer their advice. Their basic argument as to why this has happened to Job was because he had committed some sin.

• 22:4-11 - Eliphaz accuses Job of sinful living.
• Job always retaliates defending his blamelessness. 31:1-30

38:1-41:34 - GOD ANSWERS

• Since Job’s friends provide ignorant advice, Job seeks to speak to God Himself. God answers him.
• 38:1-40:2 - God’s argument, Who are you to question my Sovereignty and rule. 38:1-12, 31-39:4-

42:1-17 - JOB’S REPENTANCE AND CONCLUSION

• 40-1-5 - Job realizes that he is an ant questioning the Almighty. He is left silent!
• 42:1-6 - Job’s response? He repented. This seems unusual. Job wanted to complain to God, seek justice, and ask why. God never answered why. God simply pointed out that He was in control, and aware of the situation, and was allowing it for His own glory. Job’s only response was to repent in awe of God.
• Afterwards, Job’s friends are rebuked and repent. Job, and God, forgive the friends.
  C God blesses Job & restores his previous wealth & health. He lives to see his children to the 4th generation

Lessons from Job

• There are many things going on in heaven we don’t know about yet, but they affect our lives.
• God’s people do suffer.
• Not all suffering is the result of sin.
• God is always aware and in complete control.
• The answer to all human suffering is trust in a God’s Sovereignty.

Conclusion

• John Piper’s "The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God."
  pg. 69-71
  pg. 78