Summary: In This Episode Timothy Keller's newest offering from Dutton is Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering. We take Keller's long, hard look at the 'fiery furnace' of suffering and apply his insights to the art of Gospel Neighboring. About the Author Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000. He is also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages. Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.” Big Idea Suffering is inevitable in our lives and the lives of our neighbors. But instead of shunning suffering or crumbling under its weight, we have the opportunity to deepen our faith and see God and the gospel more clearly with more depth than ever before since it is a fiery furnace that refine us. (Suffering might use evil against itself!) Dealing with suffering is a process that will be intensely spiritual as it is one of the main themes of the Bible. There are no cheap, easy answers, but we must walk through it with the God who has also walked through the valley of the shadow of death...and suffering will have us come to be more intimate with God or less intimate with God. Plunder In a secular perspective, suffering is not meaningful, but merely an interruption. But deep down, we know it is more than an interruption. Western people seem to have the hardest time suffering, not because of the particular act of suffering but due to the fact that we are suffering at all. Suffering is at the heart of the Christian story, and the resurrection is not merely consolation, but restoration. Jesus took on himself the one kind of suffering that could destroy us all so that suffering might actually work for our betterment. Avoidance, denial, and despair will actually waste our suffering. There is a better way. Prepare both the mind (theology) and the heart for suffering. Temperaments of Suffering: Isolation, Implosion, Condemnation, Anger, Temptation. Since sufferings and temperaments are unique there are unique paths to get through them. "Things that don't help" is usually theology applied poorly (e.g. Job's friends). The pennies need to drop one by one, and particular truths need to come in order ("God is in sovereign control" comes after "God cares for you" after a couples loses an infant) People need to be allowed to weep and mourn and not immediately be told what to do. Those who suffer should have rhythms of waling, weeping, trusting, praying, and hoping. Weeping: Jesus was perfect, but he was a man of worrows, crying his eyes out. Weeping drives us into joy. Trusting: Imagine seeing all of Jesus' miracles, then seeing him at the cross, yo might think, "I've had it with this God. Nothing good could come out of this." If we think that, we are missing the more brilliant miracle God has ever worked for our good. "In Jesus Christ we see that God actually experiences the pain of the fire as we do. He is truly God with us, in love and understanding, in our anguish. He plunged himself into our furnace so that, when we find ourselves in the fire, we can turn to him and know we will not be consumed but will be made into people great and beautiful."
