Now many of us could confidently say we've been waiting for God. But have we been waiting for God the right way? What does it mean when you say you are waiting upon God? Does it mean you are in church 24/7 singing and praying and crying and complaining why God is not coming faster? Doest mean being overzealous and cutting yourself off from the rest of life, and beginning to live in a convent or monastery?
Is it possible that a church can intellectually understand the foundations of faith, theologically believe the doctrines of Scripture, daily go through the emotion of Christian living: and yet miss the power of God at work in the lives of its members? Today's church is full of people who are not worshipping God for who he is, but for what he promises to give them. Today's church is a church that is longing, hungry and empty; and yet looking in the wrong places to fulfil its needs.
Come down Lord, we miss you. We can't imagine going through this year without you. We want to become those people that once enjoyed your fellowship, that once experienced your power, that once basked in the sunshine of your love. This is the commitment that this message is asking of you, that this year is going to be a year of longing and waiting, hungering for more of God, rethinking and refocusing our relationship with God. That this year is going to be a year where the Church will cry for God's smile; cry for God's helping hand; and cry for God's caring heart.
A theology of something means you look at that thing in its big perspective. To get a proper understanding of the theology of suffering, for example, you ask questions like: what is the purpose of suffering? Where does suffering come from? What does it accomplish? How is God related to suffering? What is God doing in suffering? That is what we mean by a theology of suffering.
If you derive your understanding of suffering on the basis of Job chapters 1-31, you will end up with a theology of suffering that recognizes the following basic facts:
(1) God rule,
(2) God is just and wise;
(3) God's ways are hard to understand but
(4) In the age to come, all wrongs will be righted and justice will be established.
(5) God has loved us and saved us in Christ.
(6) Trust God in your suffering.
This theology is not bad, but it is a narrow, partial and inadequate theology of suffering.
In this message, Dr. David Eby brings to our attention a complete and adequate theology of suffering that he expounds to us in the context of the Speech of Elihu in Job 32-37 and the rest of the Bible. Let us listen to him as he teaches us the word of God.
Most people are usually more interested in getting gifts from God than in God himself. They love the gift-giving hand more than the gift giver! Are presents or the presence of loved ones the greatest need of individuals and families during Christmas?