Some Answers We Need to be Ready For- Part 3

Some Answers We Need to be Ready For

Part 3

Text: 1 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Series Introduction:

* There are some questions from unbelievers that we should be ready to answer.

* The sermon this morning is a different kind of sermon than I have ever delivered at this church.

* It is what is called an apologetic.

* The English word “apology” comes from a Greek word which basically means “to give a defense.”

* Christian apologetics, then, is the science of giving a defense of the Christian faith.

* There are many skeptics who doubt the existence of God and/or attack belief in the God of the Bible.

* There are many critics who attack the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible.

* There are many false teachers who promote false doctrines and deny the key truths of the Christian faith.

* The mission of Christian apologetics is to combat these movements and instead promote the Christian God and Christian truth.

* W have already answered the question “If God is always good, and God has the power to prevent evil things from happening in the world, then where does evil come from?

* and we answered the question “Did God create evil.”

* We also answered the question “Why does a good God allow evil to continue in the world?”

* This morning, we will continue from last Sunday’s sermon, and attempt to answer, from the Word of God, “Why does a good God allow innocent people to die in wars, and famines, and natural disasters.”

* This is the purpose of our message this morning:

Main Clause: "Since is good, and God is love, then why does God allow evil things like war, and famines, and terrible diseases, and the innocent to suffer?

* According to the apostle Peter in our text, then we need to always be ready to answer this question.

* This morning I would like to give you the answer to this question by proving the following:

I. satan causes the innocent suffer because he is actively attempting to usurp God's Love.

II. satan causes the innocent to suffer because we are the object of God's love.

III. satan causes the innocent to suffer by causing us to doubt God's love.

IV. God allows the innocent to suffer temporarily, in order to destroy suffering permanently.

Sermon Introduction:

* Imagine with me for a minute if you will, you are standing at the bedside of your son or your daughter, who’s body has been broken, and life has been destroyed by a catastrophic tornado in the Sweetwater-Philadelphia area.

* Their innocent body wracked with pain, their home and livelihood destroyed, their faith in God damaged to the point of despair, they cry out to God, while all the time they are looking right in your face, at you, demanding an answer was to why God would allow all this evil to come upon them!

* What would you do? What would you say?

* In our text this morning:

Text: 1 Peter 3:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

* The Apostle Peter tells us that we should always be ready to answer to every man why we can still have hope when we don’t understand why God allows innocent people to suffer.

III. satan causes the innocent to suffer by hurting us, in order to make us doubt God's love.

* Now, I believe that God has given us an entire book in the Bible from which He shows us why He allows innocent people to suffer.

* Turn with me to the book of Job this morning- we will read together Job Chapter 1 verses 6-12:

Job 1:6–12 (KJV 1900)

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

* satan, the God of this world, has been given the opportunity to prove that He can win the allegiance of mankind, and usurp the authority of God over creation.

* In this account given to us by the Holy Spirit in the book of Job, satan is behind all of the suffering of the innocent man, Job.

* Job, his animals, his children, are all innocent, but they all suffer great losses in this account.

* but God does not do this evil to Job, it is satan that brings all this suffering upon Job.

* God does give satan the permission necessary to actually do the evil, but God has His own reasons for allowing this evil to these innocent people.

* We see in this story the principle that God does temporarily allow evil to happen in the world, but the evil and suffering in this world is not His will.

* The evil that is in this present world is here because satan, whom mankind has chosen as the god of this world, wills it.

* Yes, God does allows the innocent to suffer as a result of satan and sin, but He does so in order that He might defeat evil works of satan, the present ruler of darkness in the world.

* In the book of Acts, in chapter 26, the apostle Paul, when telling the story of how Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, said that Jesus told him that He had come to open people’s eyes, and to turn them from darkness to the light, and from the power of satan unto God.

* At this moment, according to the apostle Paul, this world is presently under the power of satan. And the chaos and suffering in this world is the will of satan.

* One day while standing in the water baptizing people, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and He cried out to the people who were watching “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!”

* The apostle John, again in I John 3 and verse 8 tells us that Jesus came to eliminate the suffering and pain, that satan has inflicted on this present world:

1 John 3:8–8 (KJV 1900)

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil;

for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

* God, in the story of Job, and in the story of human history, temporary allows evil and suffering, in order to allow satan’s rebellion, or evil to run out its course and be ultimately defeated.

*I believe that the story of Job is a real story about a real man, but it has been preserved for us here in the Bible in order to illustrate for us the true source of destruction and suffering that exist in a world where innocent people suffer.

* In the story of Job, satan's strategy is to make Job doubt God's goodness and thus throw away his allegiance to God.

* This is what satan want’s for every member of the human race, he wants to cause them to reject the Creator.

* The principle that is taught by the book of Job is that God is “temporarily” allowing the innocent to be destroyed and suffer, in order that He can carry out His plan to redeem mankind the grasp of the devil.

* We are warned by the apostle Peter in I Peter chapter 5 and verse 8:

1 Peter 5:8–11 (KJV 1900)

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith,

knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

(Note that Peter indicates that satan is causing afflictions to the people who he is writing to)

10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,

after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

* We see then that satan is the author of evil and suffering in the world.

* The book of Job teaches us that, For the time being, satan is deceiving the world into believing that God is author of evil.

* That is exactly what satan was trying to do to Job, he wanted to cause Job to curse God for the evil that was happening to him.

* We see a theme being set up in the story of Job- the idea that satan is trying to cause men to curse God in their hearts, and this is exactly what satan is trying to do to men today.

* Look with me at Job chapter 1 and verses 4 and 5.

* Here in the very beginning of the story, we see the theme of the book of Job begin to be set up:

Job 1:4–5 (KJV 1900)

4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all:

for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

* Now turn with me to chapter 2 and verse 6 where we see the plot, or theme of the book of Job carried revealed even further by Jobs wife:

Job 2:6–10 (KJV 1900)

6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

(Now there’s your theme that keeps getting repeated in the story- “curse God and die” The story is all about the devil getting people to curse God-)

10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.

(and here is the answer to the problem- God wants us to continue to trust in Him, even when we suffer evil at the hands of this world)

What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

* The thesis of the book of Job, is that innocent people suffer at the hands of satan.

* and the antithesis of the book of Job, is that God wants us, not to question the evil, but to trust Him that He will make things right in the end- and this is exactly what happens to the man Job in the end of the story.

* The book of Job has been placed in the Bible by the Holy Spirit, in order to illustrate the truth that satan is going about creating chaos and suffering in the world.

* Then satan turns right around and, in the minds of mankind, accuses God of not loving or caring for His creation.

* satan is doing like what Absalom did when he stole the kingdom away from King David. He has temporarily stolen the kingdoms of this world away from God, by deceiving them.

* Day after day, Absalom would stand outside of the doors where his father the King judged the people, and would say “I agree with you! You are getting a bum deal! If I were the king, I would do things differently! I would give you what you want!

* This rebellion of the nations against God reached its fulfillment at the tower of Babel, when the nations organized to build a tower to the heavens.

* Why were they trying to reach the heavens? Satan had deceived them that the God who sent the flood on the earth did not care about His creation.

* satan had inspired them to over through God on his throne.

* That has always been the desire of satan- to provoke mankind to rebel against God’s rule.

* satan is working, right this very moment, in your own mind, to make you doubt God’s love for you, and cause you to rebel against God’s rule in your own heart!

* All the way back in the Garden of Eden, satan caused Adam and Eve to believe that God was not acting in their best interest, and he told them that it was ok to sin against God, because God was not just and fair.

* satan was able to cause Eve to doubt God’s love for her and Adam.

* Satan comes to the mind and says “God doesn’t love you,

God doesn’t have your best interesting in mind with that Bible, look at all the injustice and suffering that He allows to go on in the world!

* This is what is happening in our world today.

* Let me give you an example of how well satan’s deceptions is working in the world:

* I have taken the following comments from an article on the internet that asks the question “Why does a good God allow natural disasters?

* One commenter says:

“Evil has always been a thorn in the side of those - of whatever faith - who believe in an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good God.

As the philosopher David Hume (echoing Epicurus) put it in 1776: "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. (That means unloving or evil toward the world.)

* Another commenter wrote:

The reason why good does not reduce suffering and evil in the world is simply because he does not exist!

Or if he does he does not care about humans at least on a individual basis, I am not sure he cares about them on a species basis.

Why does he not look after all the animal species that are facing extinction?

Evolution explains most of human behavior, and geology and physics explains most natural disasters.

If (a good) God intervened, there would be evidence. He would have to thwart the laws of physics or/warn people.

John O'Toole, Sligo Ireland

* Another commenter wrote:

Debating the intentions of a mythological character which allegedly has an interest in allowing 'bad' things to happen on planet earth?

Are we living in the 21st century or the 12th century?

Natural disasters, disease, accidents and co-incidences are all things that occur naturally and not as the result of the will of any fantastical all powerful Monster.

Maybe a comet will hit the earth one day and maybe all that will be left will be a copy of Dr. Dolittle.

Just because somebody wrote it down does not make it true.

Andrew Connor, Uxbridge

* And yet another commenter wrote:

Perhaps you should include non god-based religions to get out of this dilemma. Try Buddhism for example.

Isabelle Clinton, Forest Row, United Kingdom

* In the Garden of Eden, satan succeed in turning God's beloved world, mankind, against following the will of God, to follow His will because He was able to convince them that God was not good- He was able to convince them that God did not love them.

* Adam and Eve made a conscious choice to follow the word of the devil instead of the Creator.

* They were convinced that the serpent had their best interest at heart, that the serpent was the one who really loved them.

* Well, I imagine that God has to ask mankind the question “How’s that working out for you?

* The natural world in now following the will of satan.

John 8:34–44 (KJV 1900)

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

*Does satan have the power to hurt innocent people with war or natural disasters?

Well let's see...

* In our story of Job, we see God tell Satan that he has the power to hurt what belonged to Job:

Job 1:12 (KJV 1900)

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

So what does satan use to hurt Job ...

* First we see satan use violence and war to hurt Job...

Job 1:13–22 (KJV 1900)

13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Second we see satan used the weather to hurt Job...

16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Third we see proper response to suffering in this world...

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said,

Naked came I out of my mother’s womb,

And naked shall I return thither:

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

* Job never doubted God’s love for him. Job never doubted that God, even He allowed him to suffer, he never doubted that God loved him and has his best interest at heart.- that’s faith!

Job 13:15–16 (KJV 1900)

15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:

But I will maintain mine own ways before him.

16 He also shall be my salvation…

1 John 5:2–4 (KJV 1900)

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

* Faith in the love of God is the theme of the Book of Job!

* Satan was allowed by God to torment Job in order to test him, and this included “the fire of God” (probably lightning) which “fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants” (Job 1:16).

* This was followed by a “mighty wind” (possibly a tornado) that destroyed his home and killed his children (vv. 18-19).

* So if the fire from heaven and the tornado were somehow caused by Satan, they were still under the ultimate control of God for His purposes, but the were carried out by the will of the devil.

* Remember the storm that arose on the sea of Galilee? Jesus rebuked the disciples because of their lack of faith. This storm may have been of a more sinister nature, intended to destroy Jesus and his disciples. It many have very well been brought about by the devil. Notice that Jesus reacted to the storm in the same way that Job did. He rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith.

* Job reacted to the evil that befell him in the right way- by his faith in God’s love.

* The message that the Holy Spirit has given us through the book of Job is place your faith in the love of God!

I. satan, not God, causes the innocent to suffer because he is actively attempting to mar the image God's love.)

II. satan causes the innocent to suffer because we are the object of God's love.

III. satan causes the innocent to suffer by hurting us, in order to make us doubt God's love.

IV. God allows the innocent to suffer temporarily, in order to destroy suffering permanently.

* Remember the story of the prodigal son? That father loved his son so much!

*He also wanted His son to understand His great love for him, and He wanted his so to love him back.

1 John 4:16–19 (KJV 1900)

16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.

He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us.

* The heart of the father of the prodigal son was grieved that his son had rejected His rule over him.

* The father in the story of the prodigal knew what it would take to cause his son to see his great love Him.

* The father allowed His rebellious son free will to decide to walk away and go his own way.

* Do you think that the father wanted his son to wind up suffering as a result of his rejection himself? Of course not!

* Neither is our Heavenly Father ok with the fact that the world is in chaos and full of suffering and pain and even natural disasters!

* No, that father was so concerned for His son that he patiently waited every day for his son to return home.

* Our heavenly father, the Creator does not want this world to suffer either, but the world does suffer because of sin, and so the Creator patiently allows sin to take it's full course in the world, so that men would look upon their suffering and, like the prodigal son, come to their senses and come to the Creator for mercy so that their suffering might be taken away.

* Now here is a grate truth:

“If God did not allow the consequences of sin and evil to continue in the world, then one would ever repent of sin, and come to God and have sin removed.”

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV 1900)

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come to repentance.

Matthew 18:12–14 (KJV 1900)

12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

* Once Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem and He sent some messengers ahead into a village of the Samaritans to prepare for his arrival, but they would not let Jesus into their city.

* Well the disciples they were incensed! This really made them angry! They were fighting mad! The gall of these people!

* When James and John heard this, they said “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?”

* But Jesus said “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”

* As we learned with the story of Job, satan is the one responsible for suffering from the violence of war and natural disasters that plague the world in which we live.

* Also, as we learned from the story of Job, Yes, God has allowed suffering of the innocent in this world indeed!

* But this suffering is not the will of God.

* Could God stop all the violence and natural disasters? Most certainly!

* but in order to do so, God would have to judge the world and destroy all sin.

* If God did that there would be no one left, all of mankind would be consumed in the judgment of sin, because we are all sinners.

Main Clause:

"Since a good God does allow the innocent to suffer, then we should be ready with answer that God is God, and God is concerned about the suffering of this world, and God is doing something about it!"

* Here is the answer to the question before us this morning- Why does God allow innocent people to suffer from sickness, and pain, and violence, and natural disasters?

* Because God has delayed the judgment of sin temporarily, in order that He might carry out his plan of redemption of the souls of men.

* Men question the Goodness of God because of the evil violence of men, and the terrible suffering and death caused by natural disasters, but God Himself entered into His own creation and suffered along with us that He might destroy suffering and death once and for all.

* satan would have you to blame God for suffering and pain in the world, but the truth is that God Himself endured “that same suffering of the innocent” that men complain about, that you and I might be delivered from suffering permanently, once and for all.

* My friends, God is not just passively standing by while the world goes on in chaos and suffering! No!

* God is active working in the world to rid the world of the suffering that has been cause by sin and Satan!

* Listen to the words of Isaiah the prophet as he tells us how God suffered on our behalf as He was doing something about the suffering in the world:

Isaiah 53:3–7 (KJV 1900)

3 He is despised and rejected of men;

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:

And we hid as it were our faces from him;

He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs,

And carried our sorrows:

Yet we did esteem him stricken,

Smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities:

The chastisement of our peace was upon him;

And with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned every one to his own way;

And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

Yet he opened not his mouth:

He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,

So he openeth not his mouth.

* Oh naysayer! Oh one how doubts the love of God because you hold God accountable for all the suffering and pain in the world- listen to the words of a God who loves his world!

* A God who suffered so the He might end your suffering!

Psalm 22:1–22 (KJV 1900)

1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not;

And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee:

They trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered:

They trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man;

A reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn:

They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him:

Let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb:

Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

10 I was cast upon thee from the womb:

Thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near;

For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have compassed me:

Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

13 They gaped upon me with their mouths,

As a ravening and a roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,

And all my bones are out of joint:

My heart is like wax;

It is melted in the midst of my bowels.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd;

And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws;

And thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

16 For dogs have compassed me:

The assembly of the wicked have inclosed me:

They pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I may tell all my bones:

They look and stare upon me.

18 They part my garments among them,

And cast lots upon my vesture.

19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord:

O my strength, haste thee to help me.

20 Deliver my soul from the sword;

My darling from the power of the dog.

21 Save me from the lion’s mouth:

For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren:

In the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

* Listen to the word of the apostle Peter in I Peter speaking of how God stepped into the world and did something to make a difference in a suffering chaotic world!

1 Peter 2:24–25 (KJV 1900)

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

* The apostle Paul gives us the fix for the problem of suffering in the world:

1 Corinthians 15:21–26 (KJV 1900)

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Hebrews 2:9–18 (KJV 1900)

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Hebrews 4:14–16 (KJV 1900)

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

* Oh my friend, God does allow death, and war, and disease, and famines, and natural disasters in the world, but because of the works of satan, these evils exist in the world!

* Our loving Creator is more concerned with the suffering of this present world more that you will ever know, and could ever imagine!

*And the Creator Himself has suffered in order to save us from our suffering!

(I. satan, not God, causes the innocent to suffer because he is actively attempting to mar the image God's love.)

II. satan causes the innocent to suffer because we are the object of God's love.

III. satan causes the innocent to suffer by hurting us, in order to make us doubt God's love.

IV. God allows the innocent to suffer temporarily, in order to destroy suffering permanently.

Conclusion:

Main Clause:

"Since a good God allows the innocent to suffer, then we should be ready with an answer when people ask why and tell them-

* God is only allowing the evil and suffering in the world by death, and famine, and disease, and war, and natural disasters to continue on a temporary basis.

* We need to tell the world that the answer to suffering is that, God loves His creation, but satan is actively trying to turn the minds of mankind away from the love of God by creating havoc and chaos in the world.

* God is concerned with the suffering of the innocent, and He is doing something about it!

* And it caused a loving God to come down here with us, and suffer with us, as a man, so the He might defeat the works of satan, and deliver this world that He loves and destroy all suffering forever.

* I have been preaching mainly to saved folks this morning, but there may be one among this morning that God has spoken to your heart about how much God loves you, and how much He suffered for you.

* God loves you and wants you to be saved this morning- Will you come and be saved?

* Will you come and place your faith on the work that Jesus did on the cross for you, that you might be saved from sin and death and receive eternal life where there is no suffering, no sickness, no pain, and no more death?