Pastor Matt Chandler is beginning treatment for a malignant brain tumor that he had removed early in December. His testimony to God's goodness and sovereignty is a great encouragement. Continue to pray for him, his family and his church. (For background, see Matt's video testimonies to his church: Video 1, before the surgery. Video 2, after the surgery).
This morning, I listened to Dr. John Piper's message from The Village Church this past Sunday (12/27/09). Juanita listened to it this morning and highly recommended it, so I took some time at the office and opened my Bible to Romans 8 and took some notes.
Let me say, if you have ever struggled with God's goodness and sovereignty in the face of suffering and evil (and who hasn't?), take the time to listen to this message. Give it your full attention.
Here is a little excerpt:
God judicially sentenced the world to what it is today. It was a judgment on the world in response to sin. And I admit that you have to have – and I’m calling you to this, it takes years sometimes to get people to this – you have to have a very high view of God’s holiness, and justice and glory and deservingness and worth and a very clear view of the outrage and the horror and of sin and rebellion against that in order to keep this world from looking like an overreaction to Adam and Eve.
... It doesn’t make any sense unless you know how great God is (See Isaiah 40).
I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that the most significant lessons that God has been teaching me since Emily’s murder have been boiled down, condensed and presented in a precious and heartrending exposition in this message. I can’t overstate how good this message is, and how important it is that you digest the truth of Romans 8:18-25 in its biblical context in, before, and after suffering in this sin-soaked world. God has not left us without answers. God has not left us without hope.
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