Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Introduction: The above question is often asked at times of tragedies and death. Watching the recent rash of school shootings makes one afraid for their children and sympathetic toward those that have lost their loved ones. In two of the school shootings a total stranger came in and hand picked their victims. Why do things like this happen?

I) Solutions Often Given

A) It was the will of God

1. Calvinism says everything that happens is due to God’s plan

2. No such things as accidents or unfortunate timing

B) Evolution says survival of the fittest

1. The strong takes advantage of the weakest

C) Sociologist says society is to blame for the individuals problems

1. They say we all share when people feel as if they must act out in order to receive attention

2. Violence becomes a social issue

II) Man Is Capable of Great Things and Terrible Things

A) Man has a free will, the ability to make decisions and act upon them

1. This makes us all responsible for our actions, 2 Corinthians 5.10

2. The devil may tempt us but we are the one that makes the choices, Deut. 30.19; Pro. 1.29

B) Examples

1. Adam and Eve choose to eat of the forbidden fruit, Genesis 2.16- 17

2. Cain choose to kill his brother Abel, Genesis 4.8

3. David choose to commit adultery and then kill Bathsheba’s husband, 2 Samuel 11.2-4, 14-17

C) God warned each one

1. Told Adam and Eve the consequences of sin, Genesis 2.17

2. Cain was warned and encouraged to do the right thing, Genesis 4.7

3. David knew the law of God

III) We Must All Be Careful, 1 Corinthians 10.12

A) Of Sin:

1. Envy and jealousy, to have ill will toward, jealousy fears to lose what it has, envy is pain at seeing what another has. Joseph was sold into slavery because of jealousy and envy, Genesis 37.4

2. Hatred, Cain killed Abel, 1 John 3.11-12

3. Covetousness – David coveted his neighbors wife, 2 Samuel 11, Judas was a thief, John 12.4-6; 1 Timothy 6.10ff

4. misguided religion, Romans 10.3; 2 Kings 21.3-6

5. Anger/temper, grudges, etc. Eph. 4.26-27

6. Some people are evil, Romans 1

B) Of Impugning Wrong Reasons

1. Secret Sins – often people believe some bad thing happened because God is now punishing them for some sin in the past.

a) Their child dies and they feel God is now punishing them, Ezekiel 18.1-4

b) In the movie the "Patriot" Mel Gibson’s character says he was afraid his past sins would catch up to him.

c) Such reasoning bring a great burden of guilt on the person and also says God punishes the innocent to get at the guilty.

2. God lacks the ability to help us, Acts 17.26

a) Those that turn against God at times of suffering are looking for someone to blame.

b) Often they do not hold the one responsible to blame.

3. God does not care, 1 Peter 5.7

a) Do your children suffer? Do you not care about them?

b) Jesus had compassion on the people but they still suffered

VI) Lessons We Can Learn

A) Sin destroys lives – our tolerate society does not see the connection between sin and the results or consequences of sin

1. Fornication/adultery – pregnancy, unwanted children, poverty, dissolved marriages, etc

2. Drugs and lives wasted because of drugs (Recent case of Anna Nicole Smith, having a baby out of wedlock, drugs, death of her older son)

B) Life is temporary – sad to see young people killed

1. Psalm 90.10 and Ecc. 11.9

C) Count our many blessings

1. Makes one thankful their children are safe and happy

2. We take many blessings for granted on a day by day basis

D) Trust in God and not ourselves

1. What can we do to make sure this never happens again? We can be careful and do our best to provide safety but we can never be sure this never happens again.

E) The Importance of being right with God, Hebrews 9.27

1. Those going to work in the World Trade Towers are going to face God in judgment.

2. Those killed in the school shootings, car accidents, etc will face God in judgment.

Conclusion: Suffering occurs for one of three reasons: 1) Evil people, 2) Accidents, and 3) Our mortal bodies. We can not blame God for the evil others do. Accidents do happen and no one is to blame. Our bodies get grow old, get sick, and eventually die. Fortunately man is a spiritual being, waiting for his time to be with God. One day on the news they spoke of the Amish belief that the murdered children are now better off than their parents. Why? If the child has gone to be with God they are in a better place, their parents are grieving over the losing of losing their children.

D.T. @ Westside Church of Christ 10.08.06

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