Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Rom 8:22; 26-30

Why bring a sermon like this?
Why bother in answering this question?
-Because the world teaches that “life” just happens
-Because book stores are filled with self help books that puts hope in skill, luck,
and
even a distortion of the gospel claiming you are ENTITLED to your “Best Life
Now”
-Because people who suffer without a biblical perspective… suffer for no reason
(has purpose)
-Because even you this morning deal with what this life has to offer and without
a frame to filter it
thru, you ask this very question…WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN?

Lets Continue Our Assessment

Around The World
Tsunami Dec 26th 2004
Released Energy of 23,000 Hiroshima Bombs, Millions Homeless in 11 countries,
150,000 dead or missing, trillions of lbs of rock moved 600 miles along the sea
floor…WHY?
World Hunger Fund 2009
963 million are hungry (we will never know what this feels like) 1 child dies
every 6 secs, 300 children will die before we leave this morning due to hunger…
WHY?
Pastor Alloys & the “Joy Orphanage”
Named after my wife has 15 children that they care for. Willing to do more but
they do not have the funds. Children are turned away constantly from food,
water, school…WHY?
In America
9/11 Attack on WTC
Number killed in attack 2,819, Amt of blood donated to NYC 36,000 units, Amt of
debris removed 1.5 million tons, Jobs lost in NYC 146,100,Number of New
Yorkers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder 422,000, Number of
children that lost a parent 3,051…WHY?
Hurricane Katrina
Number of houses damaged or destroyed 850,791, Cost of tax payers for debris
removal $32 / cubic yard, Number of people killed 2,000…Why?
At Home
Charles Smith
Has been in the hospital for months, his personality is not the same, he no
longer tells jokes, he longs to be with his church family but is forced to stay in
hospital care…WHY?
Mark Hillard
Admitted to hospital to have one surgery to fix his condition but it ruptured and
now months later is still in surgeries and still in pain…WHY?
Ms Teresa
20 years of constant pain. One of the most dedicated and genuine ladies that I
know. There are countless that have the opportunity and ability to come to
 church, even this church, but more times than not her pain keeps her from being
where she wants to be…WHY?

Countless of ppl are in pain and deal with suffering but why?
Has God left us? Is God still in our midst?

God has a word for us. Your trials and suffering are not by accident. The events
that occur in this fallen world are horrible but God does not sit idle waiting for
the right time to bring His children home. God is in control

Read Rom 8:22; 26-30

The Biblical Principle
Everything (world, life, job, tragedy, suffering, blessing, trials, hardships) Everything in
my life is held in place by God so to NOW look like Christ and to one day ultimately BE
LIKE CHRIST

Man’s vs God’s Perspective

-We read the Bible and see God responding to our actions…
-Christ dying the cross was not result of Adam & Eve sinning…
-Christ was not plan B, has always been plan A

As We Walk Thru The Text And Talk About Your Suffering, You Must Remember These
Guidelines
-No matter your suffering, God Has Your Best Interest In Mind (Jer 29:11,
Ps 16:8-11)
-No matter your suffering, God is a God of Love (Worth what paid for…Paid
w/ blood of Christ)
-No matter your suffering, God has a Perfect Plan (Fits his character, we
are like chess pieces)

Without these guidelines, suffering just becomes a haphazard result of blind chance.
A mere result of “that’s life” but God sits on the throne of heaven and uses and indeed
causes things to happen. It is our sinful perspective that gives them evil connotations.

Why Do Bad Things Happen? To Achieve God’s Plan

God’s Plan…To Achieve God’s Plan vs 28-29

All things (including suffering) works for the good of those
who love God,
who are called according to his purpose (which he foreknew)
who are predestined to look like Christ
WOW, NOW WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THAT MEAN
Terms
All Things-Bible says all things, God’s word is inerrant. To say this is wrong is to say all
of it is wrong (Abel)
His Purpose-Does God made decisions as we do? Based on circumstance? What kind
of God would He be if
His purpose changed from day to day as our lives do? God causes things to happen, He
has a purpose.
 Foreknowledge-Advanced determination to carry thru a plan which He has
eternally purposed in the counsels of His own will, and which is to be carried thru
without variation because the Lord brings to pass all that He has thus
determined and decreed.
Predestined-Thru God’s eternal knowing of you and your circumstances, you
are predestined to look like Christ at all costs. To look like Christ is what you
were created for, this includes your suffering.

The text means that

-God is in utmost control of the trials and suffering in your life.
-Suffering is NOT God’s way of punishing you, without a cause (Israel &
Babylonians)
-You must know that WHATEVER is happening, God is ALLOWING it to happen to
serve HIS purpose.

David Powlison (Christian Counseling & Education Foundation)

Wrote this the morning after receiving news that he had been diagnosed with
prostate cancer

You Will Waste Your Cancer If you Do Not Believe It Is Designed For You By God
It Does no good to say that God uses cancer but does not design it. What God
permits, He permits for a reason. And that reason is His design. If God foresees
molecular developments becoming cancer, He can stop it or not. If He does not,
He has a purpose. Since he is infinitely wise, it is right to call this purpose a
design. Satan is real and causes many pleasures and pains, but he is not
ultimate

God has a plan…Your suffering is ALLOWED by the God of the heavens. No matter the
outcome here, accept that you thru your suffering are being USED by the GREAT GOD
OF THE UNIVERSE.

Why Do Bad Things Happen? To Achieve God’s Plan

We Have Seen God’s Plan now…God’s Means
God’s Means…To Achieve God’s Plan vs 29
God has a perfect plan but what is a plan without action? God also has means to bring
His plan into action.

What was God’s action to the vast army of the Philistines? It was David
What was God’s action to raise a leader to lead Israel out of Egypt? Moses put in river &
preserved by Pharaoh
What was God’s action to save the righteous from corruption & flood…Noah built the ark
What was God’s action to the sin of all mankind…It was Jesus Christ…Satan thought he had
won

God Had A Means And More Times Than Not

IT WAS THRU THE WEAK OR MOST INCONCIEVABLE PLAN
SO GOD WOULD GET THE GLORY
Your Suffering Is the Same Way
-Do you remember our biblical principle?
 Everything (world, life, job, tragedy, suffering, blessing, trials, hardships)
Everything in my life is held in place by God so to NOW look like Christ and
to one day ultimately BE LIKE CHRIST

Your suffering is a means to do what you are predestined or created to do “look like
Christ”
-Could it be that since your suffering is allowed (1 Cor 10:13) God wants you to FEEL
something?
-Mark speaks of Christ as the suffering servant, that we should expect suffering. Could it be
that this is how we are to look like Christ? (1 peter 4:1)
-Could it be that who you are when you are suffering is who you really are? (instead of outside
forces) James 1:13-15

Remember Our Guidelines

God Has Your Best Interest in Mind
God Is a God of Love
God Has a Perfect Plan
Your suffering is allowed, designed for you, and intended to promote Christ
So How Will You Respond

Why Do Bad Things Happen?…To Achieve God’s Plans

Your Purpose…To Achieve God’s Plans vs 30

Your plans are to now look like Christ and to one day ultimately be like Christ.
This is the whole goal of the Christian life….Sanctification
In verse 30
We see that those who God foreknew and predestined are to be justified and
then glorified

Justification-The act of God whereby He declares an ungodly man to be perfect while

he is still ungodly.
Glorification-God states that He already looks upon us, sinful creatures as though we
were now in heaven.

Verse 28
We know that all things work for God’s purpose (which is for us to look like Christ) and this
includes your suffering.

Thru your suffering you look like Christ and have become glorified and you look as if you are
NOW IN HEAVEN.
You have a purpose. God has not left you. Your suffering is for a reason, so that you may look
like Christ

John Piper Writes

Christians are never anywhere by divine accident. There are reasons for why we
wind up where we do. Consider what Jesus said about painful unplanned
circumstances: “They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up
to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for
my name’s sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness (Luke 21:12-13). So is
the same for your suffering. This will be an opportunity to bear witness. Christ is
infinitely worthy. Here is a golden opportunity to show that he is worth more than life.

To be in suffering is not God smiting you. It is for a reason. To take your suffering and
complain and think that God is not in control or that He doesn’t love you is a wrong
view of suffering
-We are the hands and feet of the gospel
The Great Commission is to be expected and enhanced thru our suffering
To be in suffering (which is allowed by God) and not promote Christ
is to waste it

Through Your Suffering

God Is USING YOU.. Using His Prize Creation…Using Who He Died For…It is not
Random.

-Do you think God is to small?

-Do you think God is not in control?
-Do you think your suffering is too big for God?
-Do you think God can’t use fallen man to achieve His agenda?
God Is Here…God gave His Son to take away the Sting of Death…God gave the church
to help

Are You Suffering?

Has The World Told You Wrong Ways to Deal Win Suffering?

God Has You Where He Wants You

God Has Your Coworkers Is a Position for YOU To Help Them

Suffering Has A Reason…It Is To Achieve God’s Will.