God and Global Suffering
Lamentations 3:33 (Audio Only)
We’ve been pounded this week with the devastating images of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Our hearts break for the people of Japan as we pray for them and wonder how we can help.
And it’s been just over a year (January 2010) when a similar earthquake struck Haiti and killed over 200,000. In May 2008, it was 70,000 lost in an earthquake in China. And that same month, a cyclone hit the Burmese Peninsula and another 100,000 lives were lost. In October 2005, it was 80,000 lost and three million homeless after a big earthquake in Pakistan.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit here at home, killing 2,000 and leaving a coastline that is still trying to rebuild today. And remember, the day after Christmas in 2004, a similar earthquake and Tsunami hit Indonesia resulting in the death of over 200,000.
These events are just overwhelming, especially with today’s technology to bring the suffering right into your living room. May we pray for the people of Japan, and those under similar “Global Suffering.” May we reach out to them in any way we can, ultimately with the gospel message, and may we support those who are going in the name of Christ, to bring relief in his name.
Calvary Chapels are mostly working with CommittedRelief.org. (Calvary Chapel La Habra) They’ve been doing missionary work in Japan for years, planted numerous churches and outreaches in the Tokyo area, and are putting together trips and supplies to reach out to the people. Learn about and join by donating at CommittedRelief.org. Go especially to their “Relief Update” page.
Six years ago, after the Tsunami in Indonesia, we taught a two-part message on "Why Does God Allow Suffering? " And I’d like to do something similar to that again. Today, I’d like to look at “God and Global Suffering” and next week we’ll look at “God and Personal Suffering.”
First of all, since I have a ton of scripture to read today, and with it being a topical message, I am using the NLT.
When suffering is beyond what we can even grasp, we often begin to ask God some questions, don’t we? Sometimes witnessing suffering causes us to ask God “Why?” Sometimes not as in challenging God, just wondering. But, sometimes, we can “slip into” kind of challenging God. Or maybe others around us begin to question or challenge God. So, let’s address some of these questions from scripture today in order for us to have some peace and for us to hopefully share with those around us.
For global suffering, the best place for us to start is Genesis – at the beginning. The only thing I need to mention while you’re turning there is the Federal Headship of Adam. What Adam did; he did as the Federal Head of Mankind. We read in Genesis 3:17 (just after the fall),
Genesis 3:17 (NLT)
17 And to the man (Adam) he (God) said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you . . .
As our Federal Head, when Adam sinned the curse of sin was not just upon Mankind, it was also upon the earth. The Hebrew word for “ground” (the ground is cursed) is ADAMAH which is translated “earth” fifty-three times. This earth, just like Mankind, is under the bondage (curse) of sin.
And the effect of sin on the earth is what started in motion much of what we call today “natural disasters.” Let’s turn over to Genesis Chapter 7 before we leave Genesis because we see in the flood the beginning of the effects of sin on this earth that we are still experiencing today. Creation Scientists have helped us understand this verse and its effect on the earth today.
Genesis 7:11 (NLT) (the beginning of the Flood)
11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.
Before this time, neither of these things had ever happened. But here, as a result of sin on the earth, the tectonic plate of the earth’s crust moved and allowed the underground waters to erupt from inside the earth. This is the beginning of the movement of the earth’s crust that causes earthquakes today. And then rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky (for the first time), and from this moment on the atmospheric structure was changed, allowing hurricanes, cyclones, and great floods. Most of what we call “natural disasters” can be traced back to the change in the earth that began at the Flood which came as a result of sin on the earth.
When God created the world, he created it without sin and without “natural disasters” and then he gave man free will and sin entered the world (and that’s when things started going bad). But there is good news…
Remember I said that Adam was the Federal Head of Mankind and so through him sin (and death) entered the world?
Romans 5:12 (NLT)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
This earth is not in the condition God created it in – because of Adam’s sin, sin entered the world… The good news is there is a second Federal Head, sometimes referred to as the Second Adam. His name is Jesus Christ! And just as death and destruction came through Adam, so eternal life and salvation come through Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17 (NLT)
17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
This earth, along with Mankind, was thrust under the curse of sin by Adam. But this earth, along with believing Mankind, will be liberated from that curse in Jesus Christ.
And all of creation is eagerly waiting for that day.
Romans 8:19–21 (NLT)
19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. (when Jesus returns)
20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
All of God’s creation will one day be set free from its bondage to the curse of sin.
the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay
But until then, the creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth.
Romans 8:22 (NLT)
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
All of creation is groaning under the curse of sin, just like we are.
Romans 8:23 (NLT)
23 And we believers also groan (meaning with creation), even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Both – all of creation and all Believers – are waiting for that moment when Jesus Christ returns and we and creation are both set free from the effects of sin – praise the Lord! Isn’t it amazing that our redemption in Christ is so significant that all of creation is groaning and waiting for it?
There’s a day coming when both Believers and creation are going to be renewed in a “glorified state.” If you are a Believer today, you can look forward to a glorified body (state) and the incredible thing is, God’s creation also has a “glorified state” to look forward to. And just as our bodies must “die” before we are transformed into our glorified state, so the creation must ultimately “die” before it is transformed into its glorified state.
We read about the Believer’s glorified state in 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, known as the Resurrection Body (read that yourself). But we read about creation’s “glorified state” in 2 Peter Chapter 3. There is a glorified state coming, but first, this creation, marred by the effects of sin, must be destroyed.
2 Peter 3:10 (NLT)
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements (Literally ‘celestial bodies’) themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
The sin that dooms man also, ultimately, dooms this earth. But as God has reserved an eternal, glorified state for Believers, he has done the same thing for creation.
Revelation 21:1–4 (NLT)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.
2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
As Believers, we have such a great and eternal hope. Our hope is in Heaven. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Our home is in Heaven. And the suffering of this fallen world cannot even be compared to the glory of Heaven and eternal life with God.
Romans 8:18 (NLT)
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
And guys, what we suffer now is not because God is not good and loving, it’s because of the effects of sin in the world.
Lamentations 3:33 (NIV)
33 For [God] does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.
God IS love and compassion. He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. We live in a fallen and an imperfect world where tectonic plates in the earth’s crust move and shake, and where the earth shows the consequences of the curse of sin, but where God has also made a victorious and an eternal way out – through faith in Jesus Christ!! Amen!
Now, I’d like to address two things about the tens of thousands of people who’ve lost their lives in this tragedy in Japan, and the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives in the other tragedies I mentioned at the beginning of the message. Last Sunday when the tragedy in Japan was only two days old, we had a Word from the Lord given to us from Luke Chapter 13. And when I got back and got out the notes from the message, I did in 2005 on this same subject, there were the exact same verses in that original message.
Luke 13:1–3 (NLT)
1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. (at some previous time)
2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
These Galileans didn’t suffer because they were worse sinners than anyone else, however, unless each of us repents and turns to God, we will all perish like them. Their suffering was not God’s judgment upon them, but it is a good reminder that the death rate on earth is still one hundred percent.
Luke 13:4–5 (NLT) - Jesus says
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
Different example – same point! There we eighteen people that a tower fell on – not because they were worse sinners than us – meaning it was not God’s judgment. However, Jesus says unless we repent we will someday likewise perish. These tragedies don’t happen to people because they are any worse sinners than you and me. But they should be a “wake-up call” to bring us to repentance. This life is fragile, and it can change in an instant. We’ve got to be ready for and focused on our real life (eternal life) in Jesus Christ setting our minds on things above, not on things of this earth as Colossians 2:2 says. Jesus used tragedies to call people around him to repentance and so should we.
In John 16:33 Jesus said,
John 16:33 (NLT)
33 . . . Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Here’s the difference that faith in Jesus Christ makes. When Jesus says on earth you will have many trials and sorrows that is the same for unbelievers and Believers. But when Jesus says take heart, because I have overcome the world that is the eternal difference faith in Christ makes. In Christ, we have overcome the suffering of this world, and that is the greatest hope we can give people who are watching these tragedies unfold – right? We’ve got to tell them – there’s a way out. We can overcome the suffering of this world IN Jesus Christ.
Now, I’d like to address one other huge question that gets asked during these times.
What about all the people who die in these “natural disasters” who NEVER heard the gospel message?
First, this question is most often asked by people who are trying to:|
1). Throw you a curveball about God
2). Give themselves justification for their own beliefs
The truth is that God is more willing that all be saved than we are. He’s the one who sent his Son to die for the world.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God’s holiness demands judgment upon sin, but his love has made a way of salvation for all who will believe.
Let’s talk about that all who will believe…
Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT)
29 But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (NLT)
9 . . . For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him . . .
The Lord sees every heart and knows every plan… and God is big enough and powerful enough to bring salvation to every single person who is truly seeking him. If a person sincerely desires to know the true God, God will make himself known to that person (we can trust that).
Revelation 7:9 says around the throne of heaven is:
Revelation 7:9 (ESV)
9 . . . a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages
God manages to reveal himself to people all around the world, and in fact, Revelation 14:6 says,
Revelation 14:6 (NLT)
6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
God’s primary method for proclaiming the good news to people all around the world is the work of the church sending people to carry the good news to them. But God can use an angel flying through the sky if he wants to.
Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
Romans 11:33 (NLT)
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
God can get the message of salvation to anyone who is truly searching for him. But far more often what is happening is documented in Romans Chapter 1.
Romans 1:18–20 (NLT)
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
That is true for them and that is true for us. God will judge every person fairly and justly. He can do no other.
Genesis 18:25 (ESV)
25 . . . Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?
One thing we know, God is loving, holy, merciful, and just and whatever he does is always right and good.
But there’s one thing we know for sure – in all of this – salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone.
Acts 4:12 (NLT)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
In John 14:6, Jesus said,
John 14:6 (NLT)
6 . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Our right standing before God is based on one thing only. The finished work of Jesus Christ who paid the full penalty of our sin so we could stand righteous before God. There is only one way to be saved – by God’s grace, through our faith – based only on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and that is true for every nation, tribe, tongue, and people all around the world.
The only way God has made for salvation is by the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Our salvation is by his grace in that sacrifice and through our faith in that sacrifice – alone!
God is just and fair in all of his dealings with Mankind, and tragedies like the one we’ve seen this week, and like the ones we’re seeing more and more of…
More than anything else, they should drive us to a real relationship with Jesus Christ and they should drive us to see the people we know and love living a fragile vapor of a life, and they should drive us to take the good news to them while there is still time.
John 3:16–17 (NLT)
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
And it’s been just over a year (January 2010) when a similar earthquake struck Haiti and killed over 200,000. In May 2008, it was 70,000 lost in an earthquake in China. And that same month, a cyclone hit the Burmese Peninsula and another 100,000 lives were lost. In October 2005, it was 80,000 lost and three million homeless after a big earthquake in Pakistan.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit here at home, killing 2,000 and leaving a coastline that is still trying to rebuild today. And remember, the day after Christmas in 2004, a similar earthquake and Tsunami hit Indonesia resulting in the death of over 200,000.
These events are just overwhelming, especially with today’s technology to bring the suffering right into your living room. May we pray for the people of Japan, and those under similar “Global Suffering.” May we reach out to them in any way we can, ultimately with the gospel message, and may we support those who are going in the name of Christ, to bring relief in his name.
Calvary Chapels are mostly working with CommittedRelief.org. (Calvary Chapel La Habra) They’ve been doing missionary work in Japan for years, planted numerous churches and outreaches in the Tokyo area, and are putting together trips and supplies to reach out to the people. Learn about and join by donating at CommittedRelief.org. Go especially to their “Relief Update” page.
Six years ago, after the Tsunami in Indonesia, we taught a two-part message on "Why Does God Allow Suffering? " And I’d like to do something similar to that again. Today, I’d like to look at “God and Global Suffering” and next week we’ll look at “God and Personal Suffering.”
First of all, since I have a ton of scripture to read today, and with it being a topical message, I am using the NLT.
When suffering is beyond what we can even grasp, we often begin to ask God some questions, don’t we? Sometimes witnessing suffering causes us to ask God “Why?” Sometimes not as in challenging God, just wondering. But, sometimes, we can “slip into” kind of challenging God. Or maybe others around us begin to question or challenge God. So, let’s address some of these questions from scripture today in order for us to have some peace and for us to hopefully share with those around us.
For global suffering, the best place for us to start is Genesis – at the beginning. The only thing I need to mention while you’re turning there is the Federal Headship of Adam. What Adam did; he did as the Federal Head of Mankind. We read in Genesis 3:17 (just after the fall),
Genesis 3:17 (NLT)
17 And to the man (Adam) he (God) said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you . . .
As our Federal Head, when Adam sinned the curse of sin was not just upon Mankind, it was also upon the earth. The Hebrew word for “ground” (the ground is cursed) is ADAMAH which is translated “earth” fifty-three times. This earth, just like Mankind, is under the bondage (curse) of sin.
And the effect of sin on the earth is what started in motion much of what we call today “natural disasters.” Let’s turn over to Genesis Chapter 7 before we leave Genesis because we see in the flood the beginning of the effects of sin on this earth that we are still experiencing today. Creation Scientists have helped us understand this verse and its effect on the earth today.
Genesis 7:11 (NLT) (the beginning of the Flood)
11 When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky.
Before this time, neither of these things had ever happened. But here, as a result of sin on the earth, the tectonic plate of the earth’s crust moved and allowed the underground waters to erupt from inside the earth. This is the beginning of the movement of the earth’s crust that causes earthquakes today. And then rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky (for the first time), and from this moment on the atmospheric structure was changed, allowing hurricanes, cyclones, and great floods. Most of what we call “natural disasters” can be traced back to the change in the earth that began at the Flood which came as a result of sin on the earth.
When God created the world, he created it without sin and without “natural disasters” and then he gave man free will and sin entered the world (and that’s when things started going bad). But there is good news…
Remember I said that Adam was the Federal Head of Mankind and so through him sin (and death) entered the world?
Romans 5:12 (NLT)
12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
This earth is not in the condition God created it in – because of Adam’s sin, sin entered the world… The good news is there is a second Federal Head, sometimes referred to as the Second Adam. His name is Jesus Christ! And just as death and destruction came through Adam, so eternal life and salvation come through Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17 (NLT)
17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
This earth, along with Mankind, was thrust under the curse of sin by Adam. But this earth, along with believing Mankind, will be liberated from that curse in Jesus Christ.
And all of creation is eagerly waiting for that day.
Romans 8:19–21 (NLT)
19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. (when Jesus returns)
20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,
21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.
All of God’s creation will one day be set free from its bondage to the curse of sin.
the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay
But until then, the creation is groaning as in the pains of childbirth.
Romans 8:22 (NLT)
22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
All of creation is groaning under the curse of sin, just like we are.
Romans 8:23 (NLT)
23 And we believers also groan (meaning with creation), even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Both – all of creation and all Believers – are waiting for that moment when Jesus Christ returns and we and creation are both set free from the effects of sin – praise the Lord! Isn’t it amazing that our redemption in Christ is so significant that all of creation is groaning and waiting for it?
There’s a day coming when both Believers and creation are going to be renewed in a “glorified state.” If you are a Believer today, you can look forward to a glorified body (state) and the incredible thing is, God’s creation also has a “glorified state” to look forward to. And just as our bodies must “die” before we are transformed into our glorified state, so the creation must ultimately “die” before it is transformed into its glorified state.
We read about the Believer’s glorified state in 1 Corinthians Chapter 15, known as the Resurrection Body (read that yourself). But we read about creation’s “glorified state” in 2 Peter Chapter 3. There is a glorified state coming, but first, this creation, marred by the effects of sin, must be destroyed.
2 Peter 3:10 (NLT)
10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements (Literally ‘celestial bodies’) themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
The sin that dooms man also, ultimately, dooms this earth. But as God has reserved an eternal, glorified state for Believers, he has done the same thing for creation.
Revelation 21:1–4 (NLT)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone.
2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
As Believers, we have such a great and eternal hope. Our hope is in Heaven. Our citizenship is in Heaven. Our home is in Heaven. And the suffering of this fallen world cannot even be compared to the glory of Heaven and eternal life with God.
Romans 8:18 (NLT)
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
And guys, what we suffer now is not because God is not good and loving, it’s because of the effects of sin in the world.
Lamentations 3:33 (NIV)
33 For [God] does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.
God IS love and compassion. He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. We live in a fallen and an imperfect world where tectonic plates in the earth’s crust move and shake, and where the earth shows the consequences of the curse of sin, but where God has also made a victorious and an eternal way out – through faith in Jesus Christ!! Amen!
Now, I’d like to address two things about the tens of thousands of people who’ve lost their lives in this tragedy in Japan, and the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives in the other tragedies I mentioned at the beginning of the message. Last Sunday when the tragedy in Japan was only two days old, we had a Word from the Lord given to us from Luke Chapter 13. And when I got back and got out the notes from the message, I did in 2005 on this same subject, there were the exact same verses in that original message.
Luke 13:1–3 (NLT)
1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. (at some previous time)
2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
These Galileans didn’t suffer because they were worse sinners than anyone else, however, unless each of us repents and turns to God, we will all perish like them. Their suffering was not God’s judgment upon them, but it is a good reminder that the death rate on earth is still one hundred percent.
Luke 13:4–5 (NLT) - Jesus says
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
Different example – same point! There we eighteen people that a tower fell on – not because they were worse sinners than us – meaning it was not God’s judgment. However, Jesus says unless we repent we will someday likewise perish. These tragedies don’t happen to people because they are any worse sinners than you and me. But they should be a “wake-up call” to bring us to repentance. This life is fragile, and it can change in an instant. We’ve got to be ready for and focused on our real life (eternal life) in Jesus Christ setting our minds on things above, not on things of this earth as Colossians 2:2 says. Jesus used tragedies to call people around him to repentance and so should we.
In John 16:33 Jesus said,
John 16:33 (NLT)
33 . . . Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Here’s the difference that faith in Jesus Christ makes. When Jesus says on earth you will have many trials and sorrows that is the same for unbelievers and Believers. But when Jesus says take heart, because I have overcome the world that is the eternal difference faith in Christ makes. In Christ, we have overcome the suffering of this world, and that is the greatest hope we can give people who are watching these tragedies unfold – right? We’ve got to tell them – there’s a way out. We can overcome the suffering of this world IN Jesus Christ.
Now, I’d like to address one other huge question that gets asked during these times.
What about all the people who die in these “natural disasters” who NEVER heard the gospel message?
First, this question is most often asked by people who are trying to:|
1). Throw you a curveball about God
2). Give themselves justification for their own beliefs
The truth is that God is more willing that all be saved than we are. He’s the one who sent his Son to die for the world.
2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
God’s holiness demands judgment upon sin, but his love has made a way of salvation for all who will believe.
Let’s talk about that all who will believe…
Deuteronomy 4:29 (NLT)
29 But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT)
13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (NLT)
9 . . . For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him . . .
The Lord sees every heart and knows every plan… and God is big enough and powerful enough to bring salvation to every single person who is truly seeking him. If a person sincerely desires to know the true God, God will make himself known to that person (we can trust that).
Revelation 7:9 says around the throne of heaven is:
Revelation 7:9 (ESV)
9 . . . a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages
God manages to reveal himself to people all around the world, and in fact, Revelation 14:6 says,
Revelation 14:6 (NLT)
6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.
God’s primary method for proclaiming the good news to people all around the world is the work of the church sending people to carry the good news to them. But God can use an angel flying through the sky if he wants to.
Isaiah 55:8 (NLT)
8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
Romans 11:33 (NLT)
33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
God can get the message of salvation to anyone who is truly searching for him. But far more often what is happening is documented in Romans Chapter 1.
Romans 1:18–20 (NLT)
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.
20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
That is true for them and that is true for us. God will judge every person fairly and justly. He can do no other.
Genesis 18:25 (ESV)
25 . . . Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?
One thing we know, God is loving, holy, merciful, and just and whatever he does is always right and good.
But there’s one thing we know for sure – in all of this – salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone.
Acts 4:12 (NLT)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
In John 14:6, Jesus said,
John 14:6 (NLT)
6 . . . I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Our right standing before God is based on one thing only. The finished work of Jesus Christ who paid the full penalty of our sin so we could stand righteous before God. There is only one way to be saved – by God’s grace, through our faith – based only on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and that is true for every nation, tribe, tongue, and people all around the world.
The only way God has made for salvation is by the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. Our salvation is by his grace in that sacrifice and through our faith in that sacrifice – alone!
God is just and fair in all of his dealings with Mankind, and tragedies like the one we’ve seen this week, and like the ones we’re seeing more and more of…
More than anything else, they should drive us to a real relationship with Jesus Christ and they should drive us to see the people we know and love living a fragile vapor of a life, and they should drive us to take the good news to them while there is still time.
John 3:16–17 (NLT)
16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.