We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - November 21, 2021
The Gracious Shepherd
After describing His death in the picture of the Passover, Jesus leads His disciples by song into darkness. Irony, again, fills the scene. It is all deeply sobering. As Jesus leads them into this valley of the shadow of death, the view widens. The sight of Christ’s approaching cross now includes a glimpse of its immediate effect on His disciples. Unthinkably, desertion and denial come into view. The heat of the testing fires is too great for any man. Christ must suffer alone. Yet this too was prophesied. And herein lies the key feature of this passage. It is not the failure of any man but Christ’s gracious, sovereign shepherding that takes the spotlight.
Scripture References: Matthew 26:30-35
