“GODQUEST – PT. IV [THE QUESTION]”
PASTOR MARK JOHNSON
OCTOBER 16, 2011



INTRO: Signpost #4: The Question – What you believe about God’s goodness defines your relationship with Him.

If God is good, why is there evil & suffering in the world?

When there is evil and suffering that you don’t understand, will you still trust God? We won’t fully understand in this age why bad things happen to good people.

I. THREE TRUTHS FROM JOB (Job 1:1-3, 8-22):

A. IT IS SATAN WHO CAUSES EVIL, NOT GOD (v. 12; etc.).
1. Why don’t people get mad at Satan instead of God?
2. Where does our sense of injustice come from?
3. Job worshiped even when he didn’t understand (13:15).

B. OUR PERSPECTIVE IS LIMITED (2:3-6).
1. Job had very limited perspective.
2. When suffering, answers don’t help much (chap. 4-37).

C. GOD IS AT WORK.
1. God limited Job’s level of tragedy.
2. Even though Job felt abandoned, God never deserted Job.
3. And now for the rest of the story (42:12-13, 15-17).
    a. What will your perspective be in eternity?
4. Adversity can lead to more compassion (2Cor. 1:3-4) and make us more Christ-like (Ja. 1:2-4; 2Cor. 1:5 Rom. 8:18).

II. THREE QUESTIONS FROM LIFE:

A. If God is really good, why is there evil and suffering?
1. Because we are free moral agents.
2. We reap the consequences of our choices, the choices of others, and the resulting fallen world (Jn. 10:10a).
3. God is being patient (2Pet.3:9).

B. If God is good, why doesn’t He accept us the way we are?
1. Because of human depravity (Rom. 3:23; Jer. 17:9).
2. God’s justice demands that He deals with our sins.
3. Jesus died so we could change (Rom. 5:6-9).

C. If God is good, how could He send anyone to hell?
1. God doesn’t send people to hell, they choose it.
2. If people don’t want God’s presence and influence, He provides a place void of His presence – hell.
3. God can’t force free moral agents to go to heaven.

CONCLUSION: When there is pain and suffering that you don’t understand, will you trust God anyway (Job 13:15a)?