A Theology of Suffering - Your Personal Response

Having established a biblical foundation for a theology of suffering in the previous four sermons, this sermon will concentrate on some real life and practical implications and applications. If our concern is the biblical teaching and how it reveals the truth of suffering, it is no wonder that we turn to a book of biblical wisdom to find the application. The Preacher of Ecclesiastes will often present biblical wisdom with an edge of rhetorical irony. That is, he will sometimes speak in the voice of futility and error in order to expose that error. This passage is not one of those times. He applies a godly worldview in the midst of common trials. He helps us clarify our thinking because we often lose track of what is true and real. He points us to our Creator as the focus of our help and hope. And under all of this, the revelation of the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ, makes all the difference. The Preacher does not present to us a soft-focus view of life. Rather, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he guides us and encourages us in the midst of the nitty-gritty of real life. – Pastor Schlegel