Everything's Gonna Be All Right

ECCLESIASTES 8:11-13 “EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE ALL RIGHT”

A) Several years ago an Amtrak accident occurred in Maryland!

* In that accident, the Amtrak engineer was smoking marijuana and drinking and was not paying

attention to the warning lights on the track.

* As a result, he allowed his passenger train to collide with a freight train.

* In the collision, dozens of people were either seriously injured or killed.

* The engineer served 5 years in prison.

B) In Kentucky, a drunk driver hit a church activity bus head on!

* The fuel tank on the bus ruptured and 27 people, mostly teenagers, on the bus were burned to

death. * The drunk driver served a nine year sentence and is now free!

* Eric Rudolph, the abortion clinic bomber (He also pleaded guilty to the bombing of the 1996

Olympics in Atlanta) just now going to trial! * Scott Peterson ....... * Look at v.11 .......

* John Couey sexually assaulted Jessica Lunsford and buried her alive .......

C) Those are horrible incidents, and in each of them, it seems like those where the most

innocent, suffered the greater trial ... But life is like that sometimes!

* There are times when it seems that trouble comes to those who ought to enjoy the fullest of life’s

blessings. * That is the problem the writer of Ecclesiastes is dealing with in this passage .......

* And it is a problem that we all deal with from time to time.

* It is a problem that I would like to address this morning.

D) Even though we look around us and see injustice and trouble coming to people, and we may

even wonder why!

* Even though we all go through times of struggle and may question the reason behind it in our

own lives. * Even though some of you may be there today .......

* I want to tell you and show you from God’s Word that everything’s gonna be all right!

* Let’s learn that truth from the Word of God this morning! * That’s right .......

* No matter how it looks right now, everything’s gonna be all right! * Let me prove it .......

(1) THE PROBLEM THAT BOTHERS US!

* v.12 reminds us of the age old question that has plagued the heart of man since the dawn of time: * “Why do the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper?”

* v.14 clearly lays out the problem experienced by the Preacher.

* This is a question that is addressed many times in the Word of God.

A) It is the focus of the book of Job! * By the way, Job’s friends concluded that the righteous do

not suffer ... Therefore, Job’s trials were in reality, the result of Job’s sins!

* Many people still have that same opinion in our day!

* It is also the focus of Psalm 73! * Asaph is nearly to the point of giving up as he witnesses the

prosperity of the wicked and the trials of the righteous!

* Psalm 37 also deals with this problem, as does Psalm 49.

* In fact, the idea that serving God brings with it immunity from trials has caused many suffering

saints to become disillusioned, and has them to quit serving the Lord.

B) Now, I want to be clear that serving the Lord does bring with it many benefits!

* If you are saved, you are the partaker of a list of benefits that is too long to mention this morning!

* Some of which are: Salvation, forgiveness of sin, security, a home in heaven, the presence of

God, the promise of His help and provision, etc.

* However, most of them are spiritual in nature, while most of our trials happen in the physical

realm ... That is why we often have a problem accepting the things that come our way!

C) If we are not careful, when the trials of life begin to multiply in our lives, we might come to

the same conclusion that the preacher came to in Ecclesiastes, Ecc. 1:2; Ecc. 2:23!

* We might just come to the place where we think that all of life, especially the rewards of living

for the Lord, are just a waste of time!

* Let me just remind you that there are no accidents with the Lord!

* Ill. When a cowboy applied for an insurance policy, the agent asked, “Have you ever had any

accidents?” * After a moment’s reflection, the applicant responded .......

* “Nope, but a bronc’ did kick in two of my ribs last summer, and a couple of years ago a

rattlesnake bit me on the ankle.”

* “Wouldn’t you call those accidents?” asked the puzzled agent.

* “Naw,” said the cowboy. “They both did it on purpose!”