10.11.2015 The Problem of Evil and Suffering in the World - pt. 2

10-11-2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

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Lord, thank You for this opportunity to worship and serve You. May Your love stir our hearts and help us to live pleasing to You – our thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes toward others. As You examine those things – may they be pleasing to You. As we talk about Evil and Suffering, speak to us now.
Last week we began this study of evil and suffering – which for many – cause them to lose faith. And how the new atheists use this to turn people away from God. They teach that if God is loving and all-powerful, He must not exist because of the suffering we see.
There are so many who lose their faith in suffering – and others who grow in it.
At the beginning of today, I’d like to say – never judge someone who struggles with faith because they suffer so greatly. Here is why – even though there are those who come through suffering stronger – even those you admire- at some point they doubted.
Even Paul had a ‘thorn in the flesh’ – a ‘messenger of Satan’ – that He begged God to take away.
Even Jesus – if this cup could pass, let it.
Great suffering will always cause great struggle – but that doesn’t have to ruin faith – it can strengthen it. We will have times of doubt – and it is best not to judge – and at the same time, to be honest with ourselves. There will be times in life when you will be disappointed with God. We see it with all the heroes of the faith – why should we be any different?
When we talk about the problem of evil and suffering and why people reject God – what never happens – is people talking about the problem of good!
Think of all the amazing things – the good things that happen – all those who do incredible things – there is so much good in the world, how can I possibly believe in God? Or more rightly – how can I NOT believe in God.
We hear about terrible things like tsunamis that kill hundreds of thousands of people – but what about all the food to feed us?
NT Wright – “Is trying to solve the problem of evil immoral?” He makes three points – and he is speaking specifically to Christians:
1) When we try to solve the problem of evil – as Christians, we take a casual, trite attitude and approach. When we do this – we are trying to justify and defend God – people are saying there is no God and we think we have to defend God. Why would we ever think we could defend God? Who do we think we are? Does He need to be defended? Absolutely not – we just need to get out of God’s way – so we tend to give trite answers that do no good.
2) We minimize evil and suffering when we try to solve the problem of evil and suffering. It normally happens through an insufficient understanding of Romans 8:28 – we paraphrase it to say, it will all work out for good – and that minimizes the suffering. To say of the Holocaust – or tsunamis or Hurricane Katrina – it will all work out for good – is not only insensitive and stupid – but it is a wrong theology – like Job’s friends. God hates evil and He hates suffering in a way we can’t imagine – He hates SO deeply – when we see injustice and suffering – you know how that gets you on the inside? Multiply that by a gazillion – and you’re still not close.
When we see things like what took place in Oregon last week or in Turkey yesterday – God hates evil so much and He will never minimize your suffering and pain. And we should never minimize someone else’s. He will deal with it in the most severe way possible.
3) We need to not focus so much on SOLVING the problem of evil – when we do that in all our trite little ways- we tend to not do anything about evil. We don’t engage or get involved – there is little action. When God saw evil – He acted in the most significant way.
Heb. 2: 9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
That is the greatest way that God could deal with suffering and evil – He suffered all the evil of this world in His body on the cross. When Jesus was talking about letting the cup pass from Him – what is the cup? It was ultimate suffering – all of the evil and suffering of this world was emptied on Him in those moments on the cross – all of it – all of our suffering – and all of OUR evil – multiplied through all time and all wars and all catastrophes – it all got dumped on Jesus – HOW COULD IT BE? That is why He is God – He could take all the evil at the cross.
The cross does not answer the why do we suffer question. In this life, you will rarely find out why you suffer in this life.
The cross DOES answer the WHY NOT question. Because of the cross, we know it is not because of God’s lack of love that we suffer. The cross demonstrates that He loves us fully and completely.
Heb. 2:11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying,
““I will proclaim Your name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
13 And again,

“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again,

“Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Therefore, since the children share in [m]flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
We look at Adam and Eve and think – how wonderful that must have been – but our relationship with Him is even greater than theirs because of the cross – we are raised up to brethren to Jesus. Jesus is our brother – that is what this says.
His death destroys the POWER of evil.
When we think about that – why does evil still exist then? Yes – it does – and the best way to think of this – you know those super-hero movies – how the villain is mortally wounded – but in his dying breath – which takes the last 45 minutes of the movie – he destroys everything he can as he goes. That is, in one sense, how the enemy and evil is. The cross has dealt the death-blow – but the enemy tries to take as many with him as he can.
18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Because He suffered for us, He can be trusted in our suffering. When you struggle – those who are the most comforting and encouraging are the ones who have gone through it themselves. God has been through all the suffering we have suffered. God is also with us in our specific suffering.
Because of the cross, anything you go through, you can know that Jesus went through it with you. The child who is abused – Jesus went through that – and that is hard to get our minds around, because Jesus suffered all suffering on the cross. You can ask – why doesn’t He just stop it then? We can’t answer that, and when we try, it helps no one. But we know that Jesus understands fully – He gets what you are feeling because He has been there. It may not change anything, but it is significant when someone just gets it.
1 Cor. 15: 54 But when this [a]perishable will have put on [b]the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We might not know why we suffer, but we can know that suffering will come to a complete end. There will be no more suffering and pain in heaven – death is SWALLOWED UP – in some way – in eternity – all of the suffering and pain that we have gone through will be swallowed up and will produce eternal good, glory and love. I don’t know how – but we and it will be redeemed in us. That will be glorious! Just think of it! All that we go through will be redeemed by God.
2 Cor. 4: 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
He calls what he is suffering in this world – momentary and light – and he went through some terrible stuff! Stoned, whipped, beaten, put in prison, almost drowned.
Bubble Rock in Acadia National Park in Maine – is hanging off the cliff and you wonder how it is not falling – I have a picture of Cindy trying to push it over – it is not going anywhere.
This is kind of like our pain and suffering – it is enormous – but the glory – is like the weight of Jupiter – it weighs 318 times more than the earth – and you compare this rock to the weight of Jupiter – the glory that is to come is beyond what we can imagine. The good that is waiting for us is so good – that our greatest sufferings will be like the comparison between this rock and Jupiter. When that day comes – the amount of Good will be like WOW.
1 Cor. 13:12 – for now we see in a mirror dimly – but then face to face – now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. When we get to heaven – we will know fully and will be overwhelmed with good and love.
C.S. Lewis quotes Revelation 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’
When you get to heaven you get a stone – with a new name – and no one knows it but you and God.
What can be more a man’s own than his own name – which even in eternity remains a secret between God and him. What will it mean? Each person will praise a divine aspect of God better than anyone else can. Why else would beings be created – different – and rather than impairing –it floods with meaning:
‘Why else were individuals created, but that God, loving all infinitely, should love each differently? And this difference, so far from impairing, floods with meaning the love of all blessed creatures for one another, the communion of the saints. If all experienced God in the same way and returned Him an identical worship, the song of the Church triumphant would have no symphony, it would be like an orchestra in which all the instruments played the same note. God will take the pain and suffering and all that comes into our lives –and will shape that and build an incredibly unique identity for each of us."
In closing – what do we do?
1) Call evil evil. Rather than trying to solve the problem and emotionally feel good about it – call evil what it is and address it completely and fully. It means learning to love your enemy and to do good to those who persecute you and to do good instead of returning evil for evil.
In the early church – the biggest witness was how they responded to persecution – it had the greatest impact on the world. In our jobs – our response – we might not have those persecuting us – but those who curse us – our response is our greatest witness.
2) We need a better understanding of God’s love – through the cross. It cannot be found in our personal circumstance and prosperity – because often those who know God the most and the deepest are those who suffer the greatest.
3) we must work to alleviate suffering in the world – and not to be overcome by evil in the world. When you hear of evil – find one practical thing you can do to alleviate it – one thing you can do on a consistent basis – whether it be human trafficking – you can be consumed or paralyzed by it – or you can make a difference.
4) we need to enter into others’ suffering. Begin the process of entering in – first by being there. Being with the one suffering. To enter into it and be present – not like Job’s friends who gave trite answers – and we need to bear the burdens of those who are suffering – through service – and third, we need to grieve with those who grieve from suffering and evil. Don’t try to cheery cheery them up – but grieve with them. And 4th – don’t offer trite answers. Those who have gone through suffering will tell you this – it is of zero help.
5) we need to connect suffering and hope. I can think of three situations that have had a profound effect on my life. There were three men whom I loved who went to be with the Lord – the first is Dennis, then Bill, then James - even Nathan - add a fourth – men who died too young and left loved ones – and they left pain. Even in the pain – for each family member who remained – there was this hope and power and love in suffering – and somehow, we need, by God’s grace to connect God’s grace through suffering and pain – with hope. Even though we suffer greatly – there is hope beyond this world.
Let’s pray.
Lord, We come to You and ask that You would help us to engage and not be overwhelmed by evil and suffering. Help us to do good – to alleviate suffering – to be present with those who suffer and to act – to trust – that there is a future hope that we may not understand now but in that day will overwhelm us with good.
In Your name we pray.
Amen.