Speaker Sermon/Lesson Title Audio   Video  Text     MS Word Category Bobby Stafford Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?         Christian Living

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Introduction:

If God exists and He’s all powerful, why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?  Pain and suffering cause many people to question their faith.  Atheists often claim this proves that God doesn’t exist.  So, does the reality of pain and suffering prove there is no God?  If not, what are the causes of it and what purposes does it serve in our world?

Body:

I.            Pain and Suffering Can Be the Result of Our Own Personal Choices

·       God gave each of us free will – the freedom to make our own choices.  Sometimes those choices have bad consequences.  Example:  Adam and Eve both chose to go against God’s commands.  They became subject to physical death.  Adam’s labor would become more difficult and Eve would experience pain in childbearing.  (Genesis 3:16-19) “To the woman He said:  ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.’  Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which  I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:  Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles  it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.  In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.’ ” NKJV

·       Today the man who does drugs and suffers a number of health issues has only himself to blame.  The teenager who chooses to drink and drive has a car accident that paralyzes him caused his own pain and suffering.

II.          Pain and Suffering Can Be the Result of Other People’s Choices

·       Example:  King David chose to lust after Bathsheba.  That choice affected several others in very negative ways.  Bathsheba committed adultery.  Her husband, Uriah, died as a result of David purposefully sending him to the front of the battle.  The child that resulted from the affair died after only one week.  (II Samuel 11-12) 

·       Today a person drives while drinking or even texting and hits an innocent family, killing one or more in the vehicle.

·       A woman decides to do drugs while pregnant.  The child is born with birth defects but it did nothing wrong.

III.        Pain and Suffering Can Make Us Better

·       Manasseh was probably the worst king that Judah ever had.  (II Kings 21)  He was extremely wicked!  But now read II Chronicles 33:10-13.  “And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.  Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.  Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom.  Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.” NKJV  What happened?  Pain and suffering.  During the time he was in prison he thought about God and all the evil he had done.  After he was released, he destroyed the pagan altars and idols and commanded Judah to serve the Lord.  (II Chronicles 33:16) “He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.” NKJV

·       The writer James the brother of Jesus, wrote this in James 1:2-3.  “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” NKJV  Enduring difficult times produces perseverance in us.  As a result,  our faith grows stronger.

·       As we read the Bible, we come to see the many possible benefits of pain and suffering.  It can bring out our best.  (Romans 5:3-4) “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” NKJV  It can make us more sympathetic.  (II Corinthians 1:3-4) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” NKJV  Pain and suffering can purify us.  (I Peter 1:6-7) “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,” NKJV  It can make us more thankful.  (Philippians 1:7) “just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.” NKJV

IV.        Pain and Suffering Keep This World from Being Too Attractive

·       If everything were great here on earth what attraction would heaven hold?  Pain and suffering help us see the contrast between this world and heaven.  (Romans 8:18) “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” NKJV  (II Corinthians 4:17) “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” NKJV

·        Affliction reminds us of Christ’s words in John 16:33.  “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world.” NKJV  There is a place prepared for the faithful where there will never be pain and suffering again.  (Revelation 21:4) “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” NKJV

This world is the vale of soul-making.  It is the environment in which man chooses to love, honor, and obey God or hate and reject God.  A fireman suffers pain from a burn he received while rescuing a child from a burning building.  Pain produced good results.

Conclusion:

There are many reasons that pain and suffering exist.  It is up to us how we deal with them.  Do we let them destroy our faith or allow them to strengthen it?

 

Bobby Stafford 

July 15, 2018