I. Intro.; Searching Issues; answers to objections (or questions that Christians may have)
A. Why does God allow suffering
B. What about other religions, the New Age
C. What’s wrong with sex outside of marriage
D. What does God think about homosexuality and homosexuals
E. Does Christianity conflict with science, evolution?
II. Suffering is common to man
A. Suffering on global scale;
1. natural disasters: earthquakes, famines and floods
2. wars
B. community tragedies; Columbine, Oklahoma City
C. Individual suffering: sickness, broken relationships, poverty, unemployment, broken cars
D. Can’t positively confess your way out; Jesus: would have trouble
III. How to respond to the question of suffering
A. They may not be looking for an answer; may be seeking compassion
B. “Have you experienced suffering?”
C. As responding to a wife or friend
D. God doesn’t need us to defend Him
IV. How do we respond to the suffering of others
A. Avoid tendency to judge or blame; Job 1:1-3, 23 (Righteous live by faith; Job 19:25-27)
1. Friends started out good; 2:11, 13
2. Then they began to blame; 4:7
3. Of course there is sin in our lives, but is suffering always the direct result of individual sin? Not always
4. Jesus repudiated the automatic link between individual sin and suffering; Jn 9:1-3
5. Jesus also pointed out that not all natural disasters are the judgment of God on individual or collective sin; Luke 13:1-5
6. It is appropriate to examine ourselves when we are suffering
7. We must be careful about making judgments about why others are suffering
B. Show compassion
1. “Weep with those who weep” (Ro. 12:15)
2. Feed the hungry
3. Heal the sick
4. Clothe the naked
5. Set the captives free
V. Why does God allow suffering? Most frequently raised objection to Christian faith
A. Unbeliever: Its distribution and degree appear to be random and unfair; Job 14:1
B. Acute problem for Christian faith because we believe God is both good and all powerful
C. But God is just
1. There is not a standard of fairness above or outside God; who defines what is fair?
2. Fairness can only be defined by God
3. God would be just to destroy us all
4. Anything we receive from Him is pure mercy
VI. God allows suffering because He grants us freedom
A. Suffering not part of the original created order (Gen 1-2)
B. No suffering when God recreates a new heaven and earth; Rev. 21:4
C. Suffering only entered the world as a result of sin
D. Love requires freedom
E. All have freely chosen to break God’s laws;
F. Why not divine interference?
G. All suffering a result of sin, either directly or indirectly
VII. Three cause of suffering
A. Suffering as a result of our own sin; Job’s kids 1:4-5, 8:4
1. Play with fire; get burned; sewing and reaping
2. Drug addiction leads to many problems
a) Poverty
b) Broken relationships
c) Sickness
3. Bad temper/ anger leads to broken relationships
4. Promiscuity leads to broken relationships and further inability to trust and love freely and appropriately
5. Sometimes God actively judges sin in this life; Ro. 1:23, 24, 27
B. Suffering as a result of others’ sin
1. War; greed, lust for power
2. Starvation, poverty; unequal distribution
3. Violence and murder
4. Addictions; rapist, drunk driver
5. Joseph suffered as a result of brother’s jealousy; Potiphar’s wife
C. Suffering as a result of a fallen world
1. Thorns as a result of sin (Gen. 3:18)
2. Work & Pollution
3. Creation subject to frustration (Ro. 8:20)
VIII. How does God respond to our suffering
A. God Works Through Suffering; uses it for good
1. To draw us to Him/Christ
a) God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains
b) Suffering removes the veil & plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul
2. God uses suffering to mature/ perfect us
a) Job not perfect; Job 1:9-11
(1) a test of faith; 30:20-23
(2) rooting out self righteousness; 40:8
b) Jesus “learned obedience from what HE suffered” (He. 5:8)
c) Whom a father loves, He disciplines for our good (He. 12:10)
d) He is the potter, we are the clay; can the clay complain to the potter?
e) To make us more fruitful; Prunes every fruitful branch so that it will bear more fruit. (Jn. 15:2)
f) Wigglesworth: “great faith is the product of great fights, great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come after great trials.”
g) Our temptation: “God, I’m happy please leave me alone.” Would be to want God to love us less
3. God uses suffering to bring about His good purposes; Ro. 8:28
a) God used Joseph’s sufferings to preserve two nations; Gen. 50:20
b) Used Job’s sufferings to teach us about suffering & redemption
B. God more than compensates for our suffering; 5:17-18
1. Joseph was rewarded
2. Job was restored; 42:12
C. God is involved in our suffering; suffers with us; Is. 53
1. Not immune; became one of us, suffered
2. Legitimacy of His birth doubted
3. Family rejected, didn’t understand Him
4. Difficult work
5. Betrayed by closest friends
6. Falsely accused
7. Tortured
8. Disgraced
9. Separated from His Father
IX. How do we respond to our own suffering
A. We need to examine ourselves; what is God saying? 6:24
B. May not get answer as to why, but as to how.
C. Never told Job why
D. We need to keep the faith; keep our eyes on Christ
1. Job first response of faith; 1:20-21, 2:9-10
2. Know that God is just; 42:5-6
3. “Be still and know that I am God.”
X. Conclusion: The Cross is God’s answer to suffering
A. Sin, a result of freedom, put Christ on the cross
B. God reconciling the world unto Himself; worked through suffering, turned it for good
C. God more than compensates; “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” (He. 12:2)
D. He suffered, still suffers with us
