Why Do Bad Things Keep Happening?

Why Do Bad Things Keep Happening?
August 2, 2020
Speaker:
Passage: Judges 6:1-13
Service Type:

2020 The Year of Bad Things

Why do bad things keep happening? 2020 according to Chinese legend is hte year of the rat. Yet, I want to name it the year of the dumster fire. 2020 has been filled with all kinds of unrest. Viral, political, civil unrest surrounds us.

Anyway you look at it. There is a major split on the way. There are two sides in the U.S. and it seems as if there will be a split. And, worse than all of that there is a spiritual unrest that exists in the world today.

We cannot allow the things of this world to divide us in the church. We must keep this political and civil unrest out of the church.

We are living in a similar time to that of the time of the judges of the Old Testament.

  • Judges 2:10

Just like the time of the judges does not our country, "do what is right in their own eyes." ? - Judges 17:6

In Judges 6 we will be introduced to a man named Gideon. God ponished the children of Israel by the Midianites because of their great sin.

"If the Lord be with us, why then has all this happened to us?"  - Judges 6:13

  • Job 3:11
  • Matthew 27:46

Gideon asks a question we all want to know. We want to know the answer to why we suffer things, why does bad things happen?

Sometimes Sin May be the Cause of Bad Things

Each time the Israelites sinned, God delivered them into the hands of their enemies. Sin is going to cause destruction and distress.

  • Judges 6:1
  • Psalm 9:17

In Genesis 3 we see destruction come because they chose to give in to the temptation, and sinned.

  • Genesis 3:13-19,24
  • Proverbs 13:15
  • Numbers 32:23

Violation of God's law brings punishment. Sin is one of the causes of our hardship. But, our own sin is not always the cause.

Sometimes Sin May Not Be the Cause of Bad Things

Job was a faithful man. Yet, he faced suffering that was beyond all that we can fathom.

  • Job 10:15

We know that Job had not sinned. He took consolation in that he must have been tried. In the end God blessed him twice as much as he had at the beginning.

  • Job 23:10

We learn from Job that sin is not always the reason for suffering. Think about Christ, He suffered, yet He was without sin.

Sometimes the Sin of Others May be the Cause of Bad Things

In Job, it was the sin of the Devil which brought abuot his suffering. We sometimes suffer from the sins of another. A son will not inherit the sins of his father. But, he may suffer the consequences of the father's sin.

  • Exodus 34:7

Notice, this is not transferring the guilt of the father on the child. But, the consequences may be felt for generations.

  • Ezekiel 18:20

We don't inherit the guilt of another's sin, but we may suffer because of the choices they make.

  • 1 Peter 2:22-40

Christ had to suffer, the innocent for the guilty. Sometimes, the innocent suffer because another's sin. Abel suffered because of his brother's sin.

Bad Things May Be A Blessing in Disguise

Sometimes, suffering can be a blessing in disguise. We think of Joseph, who suffered much.

Joseph was trapped by his brothers, sold into slavery, and suffered at the hands of Potipher's wife, going to prison. But, then he was lifted up to be the second to the Pharaoh.

  • Genesis 46:4-8

He recognized that God had allowed these things to happen, so that he could save his family.

We also think of the persecutions of the early Christians.

  • Acts 8:4

They went everywhere preaching the Word. They fled, fleeing for their lives, yet the Word of God spread to others.

  • Philippians 1:12

Paul, shows that though he suffered much, he knew that the Word of God would be spread unto the house of Caesar himself. And we know that many of the guard of the Praetorium became Christians.

  • Hebrews 12:6

Chastisement comes to those God loves.

What About Death?

Death came into the world because of sin. But, it is also a blessing. Because God wanted to bring mankind back into fellowship with Him, in a Heavenly home filled with peace and comfort.

  • Hebrews 9:27
  • Revelation 21:4
  • Revelation 2:7

God, who appointed death also appointed eternal life.

  • 1 Corinthians 15:50

We cannot go to Heaven in this physical body. We must put off the body in order to gain the Heavenly reward.

  • Philippians 3:21
  • 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 Corruption/change
  • Psalm 116:15
  • Philippians 1:21

In order to gain the reward we must be separated from this physical body.

What About War?

Man has freewill. Man has the freedom to choose to do good or to do evil. War comes because of the freewill of man.

  • Genesis 4:8

God can use the actions of evil to serve his own purpose.

  • Genesis 50:20
  • Romans 8:28

God can bring good out of any bad situation. All things can be made by God to work for good. Even the troubles can be for our blessing.

Why Do Bad Things Keep Happening?

If we knew the mind of God we would know everything.

  • Deuteronomy 29:29

We may never know why God allows suffering and afflictions. But, let us be like Job, and not charge God foolishly.

  • Job 1:22
  • John 16:33

We need to be like our Lord, and live at peace. We live in a world with turmoil and we shall have tribulation, but we can be of good cheer, because He has overcomem the world.

We cannot let the things we hear everyday to rob us of our joy. If we listen to all that is happening, we can give in to frustration and fear. But, in the fact that we trust in Jesus Christ we can have peace. We can be of good cheer.

In order to overcome the world we must hear God's word, believe that He sent His Son, Jesus the Christ. We must be willing to obey Him, repenting of our sins, confessing the name of Jesus before man, and being baptized to act in obedience being forgiven of our sins. Then, we must walk faithfully in Him, so that we can be of good cheer and have hope of being with God.

If you haven't been walking with God, and desire to be in a right relationship with Him, please contact us so that we can help you to come to know the love of God more fully.