Two Perplexing Questions

TWO PERPLEXING QUESTIONS

TEXT: Job 1:6-22, 2:1-10 & Psalm 73:1-28

PROPOSITION: We need to trust the Lord in all of life’s circumstances.

INTRODUCTION:

This week I heard of a man from Jordan, a Christian who came to the United States, went through seminary, even got his doctor’s degree in theology. He and his wife then went back to Jordan, to their homeland.

As a result of the Gulf War and the aftermath of that war, for the first time Jordanian after Jordanian after Jordanian is coming to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. And that mission field that had been so barren is becoming a tremendous harvest. so much so that a month ago, this man and his wife came back to the States to recruit more people and money to help them with the job.

While they were here, his wife went to the doctor and found that her throat was filled with cancer. Now he’s in the States trying to see what they can do to keep his wife alive. Meanwhile. there s no one over there to work with Jordanians. He said. "God, that’s stupid. That s dumb. That doesn’t make sense."

You and I have often given our lives to Jesus Christ, and our time and our energy as well. We’ve given it to him. You said, "God, I want to do it." And then just when it seems as if everything should be coming together, instead it’s exploding apart. Relationships for which we’ve sacrificed are breaking up. And jobs to which we’ve been giving our lives are going out the window.

We may say to God “that doesn’t make sense”.

I also read this week of a Christian man who, about six months before retirement, was laid off, and the company finagled it so he lost all his benefits. He had prayed, "God. I want to be a good husband. I want to be a good father.

I’m going to go to church. I’m going to spend my life serving you," and six months before retirement, whatever security he had was taken away.

Now he says, "God, that’s not fair! I don’t know if Christianity is worth it!" Has that been you in your Christian life at one time or another.

Maybe you haven’t been bold enough to say it - but perhaps you have questioned by God has allowed terrible times to come into your life.

In the years of ministry in which I have served the Lord - Two perplexing questions surface among God’s people from time to time.

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?

WHY DO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE?

When the planes flew into the World Trade Center in NY and the Pentagon in Washington, people wondered why these good people just doing their jobs on a Monday morning were suddenly killed? Why would God allow such things to happen?

When the buildings collapsed killing hundreds of police and fire personnel - we asked again Why did these bad things happen to these good people? THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY REVEALED UNTIL WE ARE WITH THE LORD - but I am confident there was a reason God allowed the tragedies to occur.

But most of us look at the question more from OUR day to day life. Our real questions are probably better stated:

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GODLY PEOPLE?

WHY DO GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO UNGODLY PEOPLE?

Or in other words, “why God have you allowed this to happen to me? I serve you and am faithful to you, yet I have this occur in my life while the ungodly people I know seem to have no problems at all?”

The questions come to us because after all, we are serving the Lord - we have trusted Jesus as Savior and doing all we can for Him – WHY then do all of these bad things happen to us?

The unsaved live wicked lives - curse the name of our Lord - and yet they seem to prosper and live lives of blessing.

These are very troubling questions that seem to effect all of us from time to time when difficulties and trials come our way and when the unsaved seem to prosper above us.

During these last two years I have served here with you as your pastor, I have seen troubles and difficulties come to many of you. Bad things happening to Good and Godly people!

• Some of you have lost loved ones

• Some of you have had physical problems and surgeries (some seem to be a member of the operation of the month club at the hospital)

• Some of you have been injured

• Some of you have had family difficulties

• Some of you may have had financial problems