Well folks - I am so excited about these next weeks we have here at the Centennial Auditorium "looking for God" together - These are weeks where we all will be both encouraged and challenged greatly by the truth of God's Word - as we talk specifically about how to find God even when life gets pretty foggy..even in the midst of pain.
Let me first say this - preparation for these next 4 weeks we have together has been incredibly challenging and demanding personally..and I have had to work through many and varied opinions and thoughts to come up with what I believe to be some truth. Let me be the first to say - at the end of all the hours of study - I still have more questions than answers - but am excited and yet humbled to be able to share some of the answers I've found with you -- and along the way - more questions will be revealed.
Let me start with the obvious:
I. This world we live in is a very broken place.
Think back if you would to the last 18 months of life here on planet earth. We have seen terrorism live on CNN as we watched the tragedy of September 11 th unfold. We've seen countless thousands suffering still because of war that has ravaged Afghanistan. There are children starving by the thousands every day - in third world countries and those numbers are much more than the total death of those in the Twin Towers - children that die every day. We have seen unsolicited violence in Washington as a sniper kept a whole city hostage to fear. We've seen bombings in Bali, hostages in Russia, hurricanes in Mexico, floods in China, and starving people in Sudan..Even here in isolated and insulated Saskatoon -we have all grieved with the Vinding family whose 17 year old son died too early in a knife fight at a High School party..
What in the world is going on? I mean, when you really take time to reflect on it, this world we're living in is pretty screwed up -- There is so much sin and darkness and trouble..
You can't help but be thinking - where is God in the midst of all this turmoil? Stillness of heart seems pretty far away. Well -- it was an interesting search to find out a few answers to that question - where is God?..And the first thing that came up was this: The world may be a very broken place, but that was never God's design for it. Let me explain - The Bible teaches that God created a world that was meant to flourish and expand and be in harmony together and grow in peace. When you read the Book of Genesis in the Bible, you can't help but see the beauty of a world that was as yet untarnished by sin or corruption. Genesis 1 ends by this statement:
"Then God looked over all (the creation) He had made, and He saw that it was excellent in every way." (Genesis 1:31)
Perhaps the greatest understatement in all of history..
Now let me contrast that with a few verses from the Book of Romans - written thousands of years later..
"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning in pain right up to the present time." (Romans 8:18-22)
Now - there's a whole lot there to grasp, but the basic message is this..That when sin - evil - entered the world, the world itself began to decay - to die..Or in other words - evil has caused all creation to fall from the perfect state in which God created it. And because of sin (human choices) the whole world is in bondage and decay and therefore cannot fulfill its intended purpose.
Now - here's the heavy theology..ready? When we exercise the freedom of choice God has given us..when we sin - when we choose to directly walk away from God's plan - when we do wrong, those sins are not just personal. (It doesn't just affect us).
But sin actually has a cosmic reaction -- It creates darkness in the whole earth..When people sin the earth dies..Somehow pain and suffering has been multiplied on the earth, as a consequence of the abuse of human freedom. Think about this - How much environmental damage has been caused by greed? How has the desire for more wood in the rain forest or open pit mining for some natural resource that is worth billions affected nature and caused untold damage to the ecosystem. Literally thousands of animal species have gone extinct because of mankind's desire for more and more - quickly..
without thinking about who or what is getting broken in the process. Sin is destroying the earth..
It always amazes me..that when God created us He gave us the rule over this earth. Amazing isn't it? We haven't done much of a job with that responsibility..And it also always astounds me that He gave us complete freedom in life. Yes - freedom of choice is a gift from our Creator. Freedom to choose to walk on God's road or our own path..
Amazing isn't it - how God sits in grace-giving silence - in love - even when He watches us purposely make wrong decisions away from His will..knowing the whole time the destruction to the whole world - each choice is creating..Now - think about that x 200 generations since Adam and Eve. No wonder the world is broken.
Hear this truth - God is not pleased with the condition of the planet either. And all you have to do is look at the story of the Bible - from Genesis to Revelation is the story of God's plan to restore His creation to its original state of perfection.
I wonder if He doesn't get a little down when He sees where we're at..
SONG - EVEN GOD MUST GET THE BLUES
II. If I were God.
Now - so far I've left this a more philosophical discussion..one that we can think through without too much emotion..But what happens when all this rotten stuff around us in the world begins to stain and affect our lives?..
When we personally feel the pain of a world gone wrong. How do we put a broken world in perspective when that brokenness begins to hurt us? Here's how Job put it as he faced his great suffering:
"I looked for good, but evil came instead. I waited for the light, but darkness fell. My heart is troubled and restless. Days of affliction have come upon me." (Job 30:26-27) Job - who had family, riches, and health all taken from him.
Or think about the churning going on inside of the family who lost their son in the Bali bombing just days ago - senseless tragedy. Or again - the Vinding family who lost their boy to a needless tragedy last week at a Lawson Heights High School party. When we think about those families..we have very few answers but lots of questions -
but the biggest question is always the same - where was God?
See, we all still expect a God of love and power to follow certain rules here on earth..like showing up and stopping a tragedy..And when He doesn't we automatically think He's unfair..
And we begin to play out in our minds what God should have done or could have done to stop our pain. And we begin to play God, forgetting all about the freedom of choice He gives all of us - including terrorists who bomb or knife wielding murderers..
In Psalm 145, David talks directly of how we want to picture God's job in our world when we're hurting:
"The Lord helps the fallen and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked."
Now, there's a lot of truth in there..but did you hear his view of God? Similar to ours I would say. Our response to God on what His role is..is to give us what we think we deserve - health, prosperity, comfort, constant help, provision, safety, protection, and oh yeah could you kill all my enemies too? Or at least keep them from prospering..
If we were gonna play God - we wouldn't ask for much..just that everything in or around us would suit our every wish and desire..
and that absolutely no hardship or pain would come near us.
Think about it - A God who would jump at our every whim.
And you know what? When we do get the chance to play God or to have the power to make changes or do good in the world, we seldom do. Think about it - the wealthiest people in the world live in North America - Per capita we have the most power of anyone in the word. We hold 75% of the resources. 15% of the people have 75% of the world's wealth and what do we do with it? Well, we keep it - to ourselves and stockpile it higher. We're not changing the ratio of starving people in the world - with our 75%..
I think it's obvious what we would do if we were God - because we do it every day. We misuse and abuse the power and authority He has given us..with our choices..I guess maybe it's not as easy to be God as we think..
All I have to say to this is before we spend a lot of time questioning God about His job in the world and in our pain - Maybe we should think just for a minute about the greatness of His job..
Keeping the whole universe in line and running - even in the midst of millions of people - making destructive choices everywhere - Not a small duty..
Philip Yancey puts it like this: "It is a wonder that this world (spoiled by evil and suffering) still exists at all.Surely this is only a sign of God's grace."
And that, folks, is what I want us to focus on today.
III. God's Heart for the World
Listen to Psalm 145:8 & 9: "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love. The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation."
Psalm 103:8 & 11 says this, "The Lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth."
I want to make a sharp contrast here...Yes, the world is broken and sin-filled - Yes, this brokenness affects our lives in incredibly painful ways..But who is God in the midst of this? The answer is simple..
He is gracious and compassionate and abounding in love. He is compassionate in the midst of suffering..He is gracious in the midst of sin and selfishness. Folks, in spite of the bad and evil - God shows up.
Here's another twist..So often - especially when painful times come - we tend to focus on the bad and the negative. How about this - Why aren't we more amazed at how much good there is in a world that is so much about darkness and evil?
Think about it..Maybe we're asking the wrong question. Maybe it's not.."Why to bad things happen" - but instead - "Why do good things happen?" Maybe that is the question we should be asking.
Think about it - my Dad's trip to the Honduras. Land has been abused - people have been beaten down. 3 rd world/corruption.
Still amazing joy and teaching family love - children playing in the midst of rubbish. God's grace and blessing is very alive in the 3 rd world - and we ask "how could it be?"..Without beautiful houses and tv's and computers and 2 cars each..People, the essence of God's grace and light has nothing to do with this stuff..There is much light in the darkness of this world -- if we're really looking. My dad says everybody needs to take a trip like that - maybe we'll get the chance..
You know folks..growing up on a farm was good for me - because you get to see nature first hand. You know - in a crop, weeds and grain grow together -- from the same soil God allows both to grow..But we must choose to harvest the grain - the good - not the weeds.
Listen to James 1:16, "So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven's lights."
Just for a moment - in the midst of all the tragedy and darkness that has surrounded our discussion this morning - just for a minute. Think about the good in your life..(silence) Got the picture?
- Love of a spouse/parent.
- 5 year old's smile.
- A beautiful sunset.
- A warm bed.
- Your favorite meal.
- Chocolate cake and ice cream.
- Enough money.
- Health/rest.
Here's the deal - This week as you ask where God is in the world..and why He isn't showing up..maybe He is..Maybe He is in every tiny little good thing that happens around you this week. And could it be that in the midst of a world of pain and suffering - He wants to show us His grace and love and compassion and mercy?
I want to leave you with a question that we will endeavor to answer more next week..
If the world is broken and we are just making it worse, why does God keep showing up?
SONG
Daniel 2:20-22: "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells in him."
There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He changes times and seasons; He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with Him.
So much of suffering and brokenness in the world is a mystery and seemingly out of control. Yet it is God who can reveal mystery -
He changes times and seasons, removing kings and kingdoms. God is sovereign! And yet the darkness scares us - We fear the unknown. What comfort in knowing that He knows what lies in darkness - and all that is light and life in our lives dwells with Him. What graciousness to create places of light in lives surrounded by darkness - places where we know God dwells. |
