All right, well, everything happens for a reason. I've seen it on bumper stickers, I've heard it in coffee shop conversations, it shows up on Instagram posts and in self-help books. So when tragedy strikes, you know, when life doesn't make sense when someone is hurting, this is the go-to response in our culture. Everything happens for a reason.
Well, we're doing a little mini-series that we're starting today. It'll just be today and next week, maybe the week after, and we'll see you in a little two, three week series. And we're asking the question, does the Bible say that? And we're gonna look at a couple of kind of common, you know, I call them cultural cliches or cultural umpheologies.
And try to examine, okay, is that right? Is there a truth there, and does that have anything to do at all with the Bible? And this first one is really been growing in popularity over the last few years. Everything happens for a reason.
Now it sounds comforting, doesn't it? You know, it somehow seems to bring a little bit of order in chaos. It kind of implies that there's purpose behind our pain. Everything happens for a reason, as if there's some kind of a cosmic plan that brings some sense to the senseless.
Now, the problem is that the whole mentality is what we call fatalism. Okay, so here's what fatalism is. Fatalism is the belief that all events are predetermined and inevitable. So when we talk about fate, what that means is that this was predetermined and it was inevitable that it was going to happen.
In other words, whatever will be, whatever will be, whatever happens was meant to happen, suffering must somehow be a part of some plan. Now, it's an ancient philosophy that has showed up, you know, over all of time in various cultures. The problem with it is that fatalism, when it comes down to it, removes human responsibility. But what it says is that this was going to happen and it doesn't matter what you did or what you might have done, it was going to happen.
And it makes our choices meaningless. And it turns somehow tragedy into a type of destiny. Now, let me give you some examples if we were to really apply this, you know, to life. Here's what we might have to say.
A man has passed over for a big promotion after working for years towards it. Everything happens for a reason. A person's three-year-old daughter dies of leukemia. Everything happens for a reason.
A woman is raped in parking lot of Walmart. Everything happens for a reason. Now, you can hear the cruelty behind this and the lack of sense when we carried this concept out to its logical ends. And it's cold and it's heartless as a philosophy.
Now, you might think that Christians would reject this kind of fatalism and we should. Yet, I also hear a type of Christian fatalism that is really only a little different twist on it. And it's kind of the same fatalism that's wrapped in Christian language. And it goes like this.
It must have been God's will. Now, if we take these same illustrations and we apply them, it sounds like this. A man's passed over for the big promotion. He's worked towards for years.
It must have been God's will. Persons three-year-old daughter dies of leukemia. It must have been God's will. A woman is raped in the parking lot of Walmart.
It must have been God's will. And you can hear that it makes no change on the cold-hearted response. It's simply fatalism wrapped up in Christian language. Now, if you get nothing else today, I hope that you'll hear this.
Don't ever say that to someone. It must have been God's will. I've heard people say that with all of the best intentions at funerals, it must have been God's will. Now, what I'll tell you is that, first of all, it's hard enough for me to figure out God's will for my life.
I ain't about to tell you what God's will is in your life. Especially when it comes to tragedy. And what I want us to do this morning is try to kind of figure it out this philosophy and look at the real Christian concepts related to this issue, and it's a big one. So here's how we can start to unwrap it.
Now, God certainly knows everything that will happen. Let's look at this verse in Psalm chapter 139, verse 4. Says for there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it all together. This is Christian truth.
God knows everything that will happen. But there's a massive difference between God knowing what will happen and God causing what happens. And this is where the confusion starts to rain. And so we're going to try to fair it out the truth this morning and answer the question, why do bad things happen?
Now, let me say that this is an enormous question. And I don't want you to think, or in any way, leave the impression that in 20 minutes, we're going to handle this foundational question that people have been trying to answer for thousands of years. Why do bad things happen? But there are some really bad answers that we should avoid.
And this is the big one. Everything happens for a reason. Or the Christian version of it, it must have been God's will. And we're going to see if we can't try to bring a little bit of Christian theology to it.
So instead of saying everything happens for a reason or it must be God's will, we can learn to say something super simple like this. God didn't cause this, but he can rescue it. So that's a promise that we can stand on. And that doesn't depend on any kind of non-Christian philosophy like fatalism.
So let's dive in and see if we can make a little more sense of it. Now, the first question I want us to address is kind of the big picture, broad brushstrokes. Why do bad things happen in our world? What does the Bible teach about that?
So let me give you two reasons. Number one, bad things happen in our world because we live in a free world. So a foundational Christian belief is this, that the foundation of understanding evil is built on the book of Genesis and the story of creation. And there what we learn is that God created humankind.
And he created us in his image. And a part of that image of God in us is that we have free will. We can choose. Now, having a choice is the essence of being human.
And if you kind of strip down everything and say, what does it mean to be human, it's my understanding that I have choices to make. And I have the freedom to make those choices. And there are implications to the choices that I make. And if we look at Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 19, here's what the Bible says in a way that really brings it home for us.
Today, I've given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now, I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make, oh, that you would choose life so that you and your descendants might live. So part of having free will is that it means that another person's choice may very well and often does have an impact on you and me. So let's take a little example.
A man decides to rob a bank. And so he goes into the bank on this afternoon with a gun in his pocket. That bank is crowded with people. And one of those people in that bank has a concealed weapon for which he has a concealed carry permits.
And so we have in this bank in this afternoon two people with a gun, one with bad motives and one with good motives. And so in the course of this robbery, the man with the good motivation takes out his concealed carry weapon, points it at the robber, and shoots, misses, and strikes an innocent bystander, who is killed. Now, we have a very complicated situation. We have a very complex moment in time where one, possibly two bad choices has resulted in the death of an innocent person that now is going to have a domino-effective pain that goes out like ripples in the lake.
Now, why does this happen? Because two people made choices that ended tragically. So this is a simple little example of how we have to understand that a part of why bad things happen in the world is that people have choices. And where there are choices, it's destined that people are going to make bad choices.
So why do bad things happen? Well, I sometimes suffer because of the choices of other people. Now, could God have stopped that good, motivated man from firing that gun that killed the person? Well, of course God could have.
But it would have been at the expense of the basic humanity of that man, which was his free choice. And this is where the Bible teaches God offers free choice as the essential nature of what it means to be human, and he's not going to take away people's free choice. Now, why do bad things happen? Well, not only do I suffer as a result of the choice of others sometimes, but I also suffer because the choice is that I make.
And we all make foolish decisions and foolish choices, which create consequences in our own life. I get drunk, I drive my car, I have an accident. Now, I not only have made a bad choice that impacts other people, I've made a bad choice that impacts me and impacts my family. And again, the ripples go out like rock thrown onto a lake.
So the suffering of the innocent and the presence of evil is a real tragedy. And look at what Solomon says in Proverbs chapter 19, verse 3. He says, people will ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. Now, this is a super emotional subject here because here's the fact that the presence of evil and suffering in the world is one of the reasons why some people reject God.
And it has been true for thousands of years. And yet, I can't tell you how many people I've seen that have endured suffering because of the bad choices of other people and yet they're angry at God over it. And likewise, I can't tell you how many people I've seen suffering because of their own choices in life and still they're angry at God over it. Now, the problem is that when we're dealing with suffering as people, answers don't really bring much satisfaction for us.
So when someone is dealing with pain, motion, and suffering, and you try to explain things, it lands on them like a cold fish because answers, logical analysis, doesn't relieve suffering, it tends to only make us more angry. And so what we need is an understanding of God's presence as we walk through pain. But we can't erase the fact that the first reason why bad things happen boils down to this issue of free will, things that other people's choices cause for us and things that are own choices cause for us. Now, here's the second reason why bad things happen in the world and that is because we live in a fallen world.
Now, is there any purpose in tragedy? Often, we have to say the answer is no. There's no purpose in tragedy. We experience lots of things in our life that are random and tragic, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, are random and tragic.
We had a flood in Texas last summer that took the lives of many young children who were way on church camp, is there any purpose in that? None at all. It was an absolute tragedy that will affect lots of people for the rest of their lives. Now, the Bible tells us that a part of the world in which we live in today is simply broken.
And that will one day be repaired, but we live in a broken world. It's a beautiful verse in Romans chapter 8, verse 19 to 22. Let me read it for you. It says there for all creation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when God will resurrect his children.
For on that day, thorns and thistles send death into K, the things that overcame the world against its will at God's command will all disappear. And the world around us will share in the glorious freedom from sin, which God's children enjoy. For we know that even the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they wait this great event. So we live in a broken world.
This is a part of what the Bible teaches about the nature of why terrible things happen in this world. And those bad things sometimes are simply the result of natural tragedy. Now, what we also learn in the Bible is another part of the complex issues related to why bad things happen is that there is in this present world an evil actor. And he is a bad fallen angel who we refer to as Satan.
And the Bible says that he goes around creating all kinds of trouble. And we read about that in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 8, where it tells us, stay alert, watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. So the bottom line is this, you cannot say that everything happens for a reason, because some things have no reason for them happening.
They're simply tragedies. You can't say that everything that happens is God's will, because that's absolutely false. Not everything that happens is God's will. That's fatalism, and it is in no way Christian belief.
So how do Christians then manage our world that is, as we've described? How do we manage the bad stuff that happens to us and around us? Well, let's see if we can talk about a few Bible truths here related to evil and tragedy. Number one, evil will not go unpunished.
So this is one Bible truth that is just good to remind ourselves about from time to time. Evil will not go unpunished, because it's easy to observe, and people do when you look at the world. That life's not fair. It's not.
But make no mistake, God will take care of business in the end, and evil will not go unpunished. Now sometimes the scales may not appear to be balanced right now, but God will balance them in the end of that we can be certain. Here's what it says in Isaiah 13, verse 11, I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin. I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty.
In the Proverbs chapter 22, verse 8, those who plant injustice will harvest disaster, and their reign of terror will come to an end. And so it's good to remind ourselves from time to time if we feel a little bitterness rising about something happening to us or to someone that we love or just in general in the world that while it may appear sometimes as if evil is winning, God will, don't worry, God will be taking care of that in the end. Now here's the second truth, thinks important for us to remember, and that is God will destroy evil. Now sometimes a common question is why doesn't God stop evil?
Why doesn't God get rid of evil? And here's one answer, I'm God could, I'm get rid of evil, but I would be included in that, and you would be included in that. And so the simple answer, why doesn't God get rid of evil as God's mercy holds back his justice? Let's read a verse about that in 2 Peter, chapter three, verse nine, it says, the Lord isn't really being slow about his promises, some people think, no, I mean he's being patient, for your sake, he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but he wants everyone to repent.
So there is a plan, and God will destroy evil, but he holds his judgment so that people can come to know him. But one day, make no mistake, evil will be eradicated. Now here's the third thing, it's good for us to remember, Christians do hold evil back. This is a great verse in John chapter one, verse four and five.
So it's talking about the word, which of course is Jesus, it says the word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. So this is a beautiful truth that you and I need to carry with us every day. Every time you do the right thing, you are helping to push back against evil.
Every time you show an act of kindness, you are shining a light in the darkness and pushing back against evil. Every time you stand for justice, you are shining the light of God and pushing back against evil. Every time you live out your Christian values and convictions, you are taking a stand against the evil one. And sometimes we think that doing the right thing doesn't really make that big of a difference.
But the Bible teaches that the influence of Christians in our world is what fights against the darkness and against evil. It's why Jesus says, you are the light of the world. And we should understand and take strength in the fact that together, you're in our own community as we do what's right and stand for good, show acts of kindness and live out the values that Jesus demonstrated and taught and commands us to live. We are standing for good and right in our own world.
We're called to do that. Here's what it says in the book of Micah chapter six verse eight. No, oh people, the Lord has told you what is good and this is what he requires of you. Do what is right to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
So Christians do hold back evil in our world. And then finally, I want us to talk about this really practical and important point. And that is God can make use of everything that happens to the Christian. So this kind of brings us back to where we started.
How do we handle the truth and what is our response to evil? We don't say that it must be God's will. We certainly don't say everything happens for a reason. Now what we do however is understand this important Bible truth that God can make use of everything that happens to the Christian.
God doesn't will everything that happens to me. But God can use everything that happens to me. And there's an important distinction there. So let's talk about the story of Joseph in the Bible.
It's recorded in Genesis. And it's an amazing story and a beautiful story in the end. It filled with all sorts of tragedy until you get to the end. So Jacob has 12 sons and the youngest of those is Joseph and he's his father's favorite.
And that kind of results in a bit of tragedy because his brothers resent him. And his father gave Joseph this coat of many colors. And that was the final straw for these brothers. And so one day when they're all out together, they hatch a plan and it's a horrible plan.
But they take their younger brother and they sell him to slave traders. They sell their brother literally. And then to try to cover their horrendous crime, they take this coat of many colors given to Joseph by his father and put pig's blood all over it and give it to their father as some sort of evidence that he's been tragically killed. And Joseph then is taken into Egypt where he lives the life of a slave.
Now, because of his talent, he rises in the household where he was serving to great power, but he's falsely accused of rape. And then he's thrown in prison where he's there to rot away. And to make a long story short, he because of his character and his strength is released from prison and eventually rises to second in command in the Pharaoh's administration. And so some 20 years after his brothers sold him, there is a famine that leads his brothers and his father to come to Egypt looking for relief and help.
And guess who's in charge of administering the relief and help, but Joseph. And of course, his brothers are terrified when they see their younger brother who their father has lived in the belief that he's been dead for 20 years. His father is overjoyed. And here's Joseph's words.
In Genesis chapter 50 verse 20, you intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Now, did God cause Joseph's brothers to sell him to slave traders and him end up in slavery in Egypt, endure false accusations and rotting away in a dank Egyptian prison so that 20 years later, he could save the lives of his brothers and his family and the Jewish people at large. No, God did not cause that to happen.
But what he did was he used what happened in order to bring purpose to Joseph's life. And this is the way we need to see the terrible things that happen to us and to others in our world. God doesn't cause everything to happen, but he can use everything that does happen. So here's the crucial verse for us in Romans chapter eight verse 28.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose. Now note right there, it explicitly says, just what we've said, God doesn't cause everything, but God causes everything to work for the good. And note also this is a conditional promise. Okay, so the condition is for those who are called according to his purpose for them.
In other words, the conditional promise is those who love God and those who are living in his purpose will be able to find good in everything that happens to him. God didn't cause everything to happen, but God can bring good out of it. So for the believer who's living their purpose, in spite of the evil choices of others that impact us, God can create good. For the believer living in God's purpose, in spite of the consequences of my own foolishness, God can bring good out of those.
For the believer living in God's purpose, in spite of the random tragedies, that might happen in and to my life, God can bring good. And for the follower of Jesus living in God's purpose for them in spite of the accidents that create suffering in my life, God can bring good out of it. So instead of, it must be God's will, certainly instead of everything happens for a reason. How about God can take this mess and make something good out of it?
Let me add these words in time. Does this remember the story of Joseph? It took a long time for Joseph to see the purpose in this tragedy. So this is no magic bullet that suddenly, once I pray about it in a week, I'm gonna feel good about everything that's happened to me.
But in time, God can bring good out of everything that might happen to me. Let's pray. Father, thank you for the wonderful truth that you can work good out of everything that happens to us. God, we don't see it as a cliche or as a simple observation, but as something that gives us hope, even in the greatest pain.
So I gotta pray for anyone today who might be, I'm dealing with suffering today in pain that might grow out of the bad choices of others, but they're own bad choices, or simply random things that happen in our broken and fallen worlds. God, I pray that you give them a sense of hope and pick them up and help them to sense your presence and that the understanding truth, that you will bring them through this and they will find strength. Thank you for these great truths. Continue to teach us and help us to live in, in Jesus name, amen.