Pastor Mark has currently postponed the message series: Seven Paths leading to darkness, Seven Paths leading to light.
Fixing our Eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith
Hebrews 12:1-3
“May the peace (and love) of God rule in your (our) hearts… may the message of Christ dwell among you (us) richly…” (Colossians 3:15-16). God is calling us to find our home in Him. As we ‘shelter’ at home, keep this in mind, as followers of Jesus, we find our shelter and home in Jesus, an inexhaustible well of goodness and grace.
This Sunday, the message is titled, Fixing our Eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our Faith. This phrase comes from Hebrews 12:1-3, a context of people in the midst of struggle and challenge – much like our present situation for many of us and many around the world.
I would like to dive into the reality of suffering and explore how we are to understand it and respond to it as followers of Jesus. In seminary, 20 years ago now, we were given a book to read for a Soteriology class (the study of the doctrine of salvation). In this book, Douglass John Hall opened up the understanding for me of the Theology of the Cross.
Suffering, as it turns out, is a part of becoming. The suffering of becoming is how God designed us to grow, develop, and mature. It was present in the good creation from the beginning and continues now, even in a broken and fallen world. Certainly there is good suffering and bad suffering. There is suffering as becoming and suffering as burden.
We will briefly consider 4 sufferings of becoming (loneliness, experience of limits, temptation and anxiety) and then ‘fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith.’ What can we learn from our Lord Jesus when it comes to our own suffering and the suffering of others?
The answer to this question, revealed to me through Douglass John Hall 20 years ago, and then discovered in Scripture and in the life of Jesus blew me away – it was deeply profound. It lies in answering this question: How did God answer our suffering?
Sunday, I will try and put words to what God’s answer to this is…
Humbly yours,
Pastor Mark
Here is this week’s video reflection/meditation:
