The paths of life require us to face difficult tasks. We cannot avoid them, lest we habitually follow the path of least resistance and find ourselves bereft of resilience and incapable of accomplishing necessary tasks.
One difficult task is teaching about the judgment of God in a way that is faithful to the Scriptures (like Deuteronomy). This topic can be offensive to modern sensitivities because of the rise and triumph of the modern self. But think about the irrationality of human self-preeminence that would assume to judge an infinite, sovereign Creator by our limited, self-focused, and confused standards. This is precisely why the faithful teaching of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:17) is necessary – even if it offends.
On the matter of potentially offensive topics, I have been asked to teach on the biblical doctrine of hell. To begin, let’s start with this understanding of God:
“‘Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked’, declares the Lord God, ‘and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?’”
Ezekiel 18:23
Peter asserts “The Lord is patient toward you…not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Created in God’s image, we were designed and intended to know Him, relate to Him, and enjoy Him – forever. This is possible only because of Christ’s reconciling work in death and resurrection. But what about those who reject God, who do not obey the gospel and remain alienated from God?
The Scriptures teach us about the sobering reality that awaits those who are not reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. It is called “The Second Death” (Revelation 20:14). Jesus warned us about it – a lot. He spoke of it as a very serious matter. Maybe that’s part of why He showed so much compassion. We should too. An ABF on the Second Death is scheduled for the four Sundays of May at 9:00 AM in Room 5.
Another difficult thing to tackle is the details that go into the work of the building planning team. The team (Susan Ball, Daryl Felker, Max Floyd, Michelle Jones, Karleigh King, Thomas Milam, Brian Ward, and myself) has met three times so far along with Wayne Roberts and his architectural skills. The challenge has been drawing floor plans that meet the immediate needs of the congregation while keeping it within what we believe is a reasonable budget. The team has also put forethought into a master building plan in view of additional construction phases.
With the board’s review and approval of Wayne’s sketches, the next step is to meet with contractors that can give us reasonable ball-park figures of the cost of building. Once these figures have been obtained, then we will be in the position to bring this information to the congregation for direction on the next steps in the prospect of building expansion.
We are thankful that God is growing His beautiful church.
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