A Simple Answer To Some Comples Questions Series

A Simple Answer to Some Complex Questions I John 4:7-21

INTRO.: There are many questions we face in this life. Some questions are downright dumb. Give examples.

Little children start life asking questions. One of their favorite questions is "Why?"

The questions we will discuss this morning are profoundly and eternally important. The answer to each of them is very simple, as we shall see. They are all "why" questions.

I. Why did God create the worlds?

A. It was God Who spoke the worlds into existence. The universe exists by the word of God.

1. Hebrews 11:3 "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."

2. A scientist told God He was no longer necessary since man has now learned how to create life. God said, "Show Me." The scientist scooped up a handful of soil. God said, "No, no, get your own dirt."

3. Immediately, sin spoiled the creation. Geb. 1, 2 tells of the creation of a perfect universe. Genesis 3 tells of the destruction brought by sin. It was all downhill.

4. Every day things are done and said that must embarrass and enrage the Creator.

B. One has to wonder why God made it all in the first place.

1. It seems He just set in motion a lot of evil events He could have avoided just by doing nothing.

2. John says, "God is love." love is so much a part of His nature He cannot be separated from it.

3. We may say someone is short, old, gray, etc. that only describes him. If we say he is human, that defines him. It is cognate. Thus, "God is love" defines God’s character.

4. One thing love always needs is an object. God created man and his universe so God could lavish His love upon us.

II. Why does He allow us to rebel against Him as He does?

A. We have the power of choice and may accept or reject Him.

1. Cain and Abel provide an example. They chose different routes in life in regard to God. Heb. 11:4

2. We don’t know the details of why one offering was acceptable and the other not, but we know Abel offered "by faith." he did what God expected.

3. Cain chose to please himself rather than act in faith toward God. The result was the first recorded murder. From there on it was downhill in man’s relationship with God.

4. Every man who has ever lived (except Jesus) has, at one time or another, made bad choices.

B. Why did God give men the power to choose when they handle it so badly?

1. He could just as easily have created robots or puppets. Why not?

2. It’s because love must be a free response from the heart. One does not expect a robot or puppet to love.

3. God is love and love requires a personal relationship for its expression.

4. He created us with free will because He wants us to choose to love Him.

III. Why does God care for us and provide what we need when we are so unworthy?

A. We are led to wonder why God doesn’t just wipe every sinner off the face of the earth.

1. He tried that once in Noah’s day when men became too wicked to tolerate.

2. It really didn’t work out very well. As soon as Noah and his family emerged from the ark they began to sin and the cycle repeated itself.

3. He might have simply turned His back on rebellious man rather than continuing to care for him and try to lead him back.

4. He might have treated the entire world like Sodom and Gomorrah, but He didn’t.

B. The reason: "God is love"

1. Like a loving father who never gives up on his child, God keeps hoping we will make Him proud.

2. He never gives up on us. If we ask for bread, He will not give us stones. If we ask for fish, He will not give a snake. Why? Because He loves us.

3. He is good to us because He hopes we will be led to repentance. Some are. "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Rom. 2:4)

IV. Why does He offer salvation from our sins?

A. We are certainly not worthy of His forgiveness:

1. Our righteousness is like filthy rags.

2. Law and justice demand we pay the maximum penalty for our sins.

3. Isaiah 64:6 points up the affect of our sins on our lives. It is eternal destruction. Rightly so.

B. He offers to save us because He loves us. The same simple answer.