Why Do Bad Things Happen

Why Do Bad Things Happen?
1 Thess. 5:17

Introduction:

A. How often is your life visited with a bad day or bad news?

1. How often do we suffer in this world?

B. One specific area that I know visits every family at one time or another is sickness.

1. Yes, ailments come and sometimes they bring an end to a loved one’s life.

a. Some find themselves asking if it was God’s will that this individual would stay sick or even die.

C. Many of us whether we fully admit it or not fall prey to the mindset that says, “What have I done to deserve this?”

1. We immediately turn to God with questions as to “Why?” or “What have I done?”

D. This evening we need to look deeper into this reality to see if God has given us any indications in His word to help us understand.

1. Things we consider to be bad things especially when they happen to “love ones”

2. Let’s take the time tonight to look at ending some of the improper assumptions.

I. We Do Not Suffer Because of Some Hidden Sin.

A. It is remarkable, just how many people think that illness is punishment for wrong-doing.

1. This is what Job’s “friends” thought.

2. They witnessed what he was going through and assumed it was because of sin in his life.

a. Eliphaz (Job 4:8,9)
b. Bildad (Job 8:6)
c. Zophar (Job 11:5,6)

B. I know that this thought is still common.

1. I hope that no one here thinks this way.

a. I was told that my Dad’s great-grandmother died of cancer.
i. His grand-mother would not tell anyone that fact. She was ashamed and embarrassed, afraid her mother had committed some horrible sin that caused the cancer.

C. Job’s friends were wrong and my great-grandmother was wrong.

1. Consider what God had to say concerning Job (Job 1:22; 2:10 “in all this Job did not sin”)

a. God states that Job’s friends had not spoken right (Job 42:7-9)

D. Sometimes sinful choices cause illness (STD’s; IV drug users) it is not punishment for the sin as it is merely the results of their actions.

1. If it were punishment for sin no innocent people would have AIDS today.

a. Sin is not punished by physical disease—the wages of sin is death (separation from God) Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23

II. We Do Not Suffer Because God Lacks The Power To Help.

A. For someone to come to this conclusion they must not know God at all.

1. Some, however, do come to this conclusion.

a. We know better, don’t we?
B. God is not limited by any mortal illness.

1. God was able to extend Hezekiah’s life (Isa. 38:1-5).
2. Jesus Christ worked great wonders and healings.
a. Mark 1:38-42 Healed a leper
b. Mark 5:25-34 Healed an long-term illness
c. John 11:39-45 He raised Lazarus from the dead.
C. God created us (Acts 17:26) and His power is limitless within His will.
1. People are just looking for someone to blame.

III. We Do Not Suffer Because God Just Doesn’t Care.

A. Again, to come to this conclusion one must not know God at all.

1. We are commended to cast every care on God because in fact He does care for us” (1 Peter 5:7)

a. We must trust in and rely on God (Matthew 6:25-33; Hebrews 11:6).

B. The Bible makes us aware of the fact that Jesus was the full expression of the His Father (Col 2:9; John 14:8-9).

1. He acted in the same manner as the Father would.

a. And we know that Jesus was moved by compassion.

i. Matthew 9:36, 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; John 11:35

Conclusion:

A. Ailments are simply part of mortality.

1. We must understand, however, that we are human and the fact is that we will know illness and death.

a. Both are part of being in this mortal body.

B. Is it God’s will that any one would become sick or die?

1. In a manner of speaking, I suppose. God created us with mortal flesh; sickness and death are ways of life as we know it.

2. We need to be reminded that we are not here forever.

C. There is an even more important illness that we all need to take care of.

1. We have an immortal soul housed in this flesh that needs to be freed from the bondage of sin.

a. Invitation.