The Ills that Befall
September 3, 2017 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: "Christians differ from pagans not in the ills that befall them but in what they do with the ills that befall them." - St. Augustine. Christians should respond to tragedy, sickness, and trials in light of who they are in Jesus Christ.
Focus Passage: Luke 13:1-9
Supplemental Passage: And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NASB)
Introduction: When we encounter a crisis, whether sickness, natural disaster, or even violent crime, people often ask, “why do bad things happen to good people?” When people see something bad happen to someone whom they judge as bad, they say, “Well, he deserved it.” When something good happens to someone who is judged bad, they say, “They sure didn’t deserve that!” And, consequently, when something good happens to someone who is judged good, people say, “I’m glad! They deserve that!” A professor in Florida was recently fired because of tweet which said something to the effect of, “Texas is being devastated by Hurricane Harvey because they voted for Trump.” In this person’s eyes, voting for Trump was bad, that means the people are bad, therefore they got what they deserved. Well, what about the people in Texas that DIDN’T vote for Trump? Of course, it was an absurd and callous statement to make in the first place.
"Christians differ from pagans not in the ills that befall them but in what they do with the ills that befall them." - St. Augustine
I. Sickness unto Death
a. Unless the Lord returns soon, every one of us will experience death. For the believer, and for the family, it is NOT something to be feared, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Cor. 5:8)
b. Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:17-19 NASB)
II. Sickness unto Chastisement
a. The Church at Corinth was abusing the Lord’s Supper. Paul wrote to them and said, “For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:30-32 NASB)
b. and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." (Hebrews 12:5-6 NASB)
III. Sickness unto the Glory of God
a. Prosperity gospel preachers teach that sickness only comes from lack of faith. This makes people who are sick think that if they only had more faith, they would be well.
b. God can be glorified in your sickness, calamity, tragedy, etc.
c. God can also be glorified in the healing of your sickness, the calm in your calamity, and the trust in your tragedy
d. As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:1-3 NASB)
Application/Invitation: for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:45b NASB)
Parable Explanation:
1. A person, t??, God Almighty.
2. Had a fig tree, the Jewish Church.
3. Planted in his vineyard - established in the land of Judea.
4. He came seeking fruit - he required that the Jewish people should walk in righteousness, in proportion to the spiritual culture he bestowed on them.
5. The vineyard keeper - the Lord Jesus, for God hath committed all judgment to the Son, Joh_5:22.
6. Cut it down - let the Roman sword be unsheathed against it.
7. Let it alone - Christ is represented as intercessor for sinners, for whose sake the day of their probation is often lengthened; during which time he is constantly employed in doing everything that has a tendency to promote their salvation.
8. then cut it down - a time will come, that those who have not turned at God’s invitations and reproofs shall be cut off, and numbered with the transgressors.
Adam Clarke, “Commentary on the Whole Bible” 1826
