Intro: There are supposedly more Christians in the world today than ever before. There are more churches, Christian organizations, and ministries. Is our world the better for it? Morally, spiritually, socially it seems every place you turn the world is getting worse. Libya, Egypt, the Middle East suicide bombers, relational breakdowns. Sunday school answers and sermon one liners are not enough today. So what do we need? We need to ask the Holy Spirit of God to incarnate the character of Christ in each of us so that as the whole body of Christ will shine as light in the darkness.
Are we dissatisfied with our current level of spiritual growth and intimacy with God? Paul was. He said powerfully in Philippians 3.10 “[my goal] I want to know Him and experience the might power that raised Him from the dead, I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death.” NLT
Suffer with Him are you nuts I want to share authority and power in the kingdom to come but suffer. Yes to share in His passion his suffering.
Suffering is a reality of millions if not billions of people around the globe daily. Why would Paul say such a thing? I want to know the power of His resurrection? I want to share in His sufferings or His passion?
That I may know Him; in the Greek know is the word ginosko, which doesn’t mean to know about but to know personally based on experience. (How do I know Tina and I were called into foster and adoptive ministry? God spoke to us and we experienced His call separately and together) Do you want to know what it is to suffer with Jesus? Answer the call to take care of children who are hurting.
This knowledge is the way a husband knows his wife, the way a mother knows her children, the way life-long best friends know each other. So tied to this experiential knowledge of Christ and power for living, power of the Holy Spirit to incarnate Christ’s life in us is suffering.
Many point to the fact of suffering not as a reason to not believe in God but the reason. George Barna poll asked this question, “If you could ask God only one question and you knew he would give you an answer, what would you ask?”
John R Stott,
“The fact of suffering is undoubtedly the single greatest challenge to the Christian faith, and has been in every generation. Its distribution and degree appear to be entirely random and therefore unfair. Sensitive spirits ask if it can possibly be reconciled with God’s justice and love.” The Cross of Christ 1986, 311
So before we deal with suffering from a Christ centered standpoint how does the world deal with suffering? Do any of the other world religions have a satisfactory answer?
I. Non-Christian (Theist) view of suffering and evil
I believe that if you examine clearly and thoroughly the claims non-Christians and their response to suffering and evil you will find frustration, futility, and a purposeless life.
A) Atheism
Atheism has nothing to offer anyone who is in the situation of suffering. Instead the claim is made that suffering just proves there is no all powerful, good God. The problem with approaching evil from this stand point is this. How can personality (who we are) and rationality (the ability to reason) come from an impersonal and irrational world?
Britain’s Anthony Flew renounced his atheism due to the complexity of the universe and his belief in the overwhelming evidence for intelligent design. After examining Richard Dawkins reasoning in The God Delusion, which said that the origin of life can be attributed to a “lucky chance.”
Flew said, “If that’s the best argument you have, then the game is over.”
Different forms of Atheism
1) Existentialism
This line of philosophy and thought focuses on man determining meaning in life. We are the center of our world.
2) Communism
Communism turns a deaf ear and blind eye to pain and suffering. Neither Carl Marx nor Engels or any Marxists have developed an effective answer to suffering. According to them there is no evil in the heart of man. The only evil in the communist world is that which frustrates the purposes of Communism. These are remedied by social and political organizations.
B) Escapism
Many of the philosophies in this camp do not directly deny God but instead seek to not deal with the real problem of suffering.
1) Eastern religions
There is little or no attempt to deal with the reality of suffering. One way this is expressed is in reincarnation. Evil is denied by explaining that suffering is a result of wrongs committed in a prior existence. The only answer is to try by good works to be reincarnate to an even higher existence until at last one can escape the cycle of life and find oblivion through union with the great world principle.
Questions that I believe you must ask?
1) Who determines when you have been good enough to escape the current plane of existence?
2) What about the people in the caste system in India that has no way of escape?
3) Who provides the energy and direction for the ongoing cycle?
2) Christian Science
Christian Science, Hinduism, and Buddhism are very similar in their basic denial of evil. These carry the idea that God is all and all is God the physical is an illusion. The solution to suffering is the power of the mind to discard the belief that pain and disease exist, the power of the mind over non-existent matter.
3) Hedonism
A term that includes many ways of thinking that says life is all about pleasure as the ultimate goal of life. Anything that is fun is good. Anything that is not fun is bad and to be avoided. Hedonists or pleasure seekers have no word of comfort once suffering arrives. The assumption is that good is only found in what you enjoy doing.
4) Addiction
Whatever you use to cover or cloak pain and suffering. Not the rejection of its reality but the deadening of its power.
C) Stoicism
Founded in 300 BC by Zeno it was widespread during the times of Jesus and Paul. It stressed moral reform based on the resolve of your own will. It was the grin and bear it mentality. Some of you may follow this philosophy without realizing it today. Paul said in Phil 4.11 I have learned to be content or “self-sufficient” in whatever circumstances. How – through the strength of Christ. Stoics did it by their sheer will power. The stoic answer to suffering is to destroy all emotions, love and desire. The idea that no person or thing is essential to existence. It’s the “I don’t care” mentality. Train yourself to break valuable things and say I don’t care until you come to the point you see a favorite pet die and say not care. You see a dear loved one die and not care.
D) Scientism
Scientism pats you on the back and says, “Some day we will have a cure,” then leaves you alone to endure the pain. This philosophy says technology and science are the answer.
Each of these is a way of dealing with suffering, evil and pain. None of them give adequate answer or relief from the grim reality of the scourge of suffering.
Why do these ways of thinking not give real answers? They disregard the real problem of suffering! They disregard the depravity, the sinfulness of man’s heart, the reality of good and evil.
As a follower of Christ there is no cookie cutter, Sunday School, easy answers about suffering but there are answers. First ask God. He can handle your questions the hard part is can you handle His answers?
II. Christian worldview of suffering
You would think today that those that disbelieve in an all powerful, all good, God had created the wonderful arguments against God. The book of Job and history show that those who believe in God have long confused Christians.
The Bible barley begins with God seeing all He made and saying it was very good until a shadow much falls across the landscape of creation. Evil and suffering explode on the scene. Scripture is not silent to our pain and suffering instead it details its origin, nature and consequence. Six hundred times specific terms for evil appear, with thousands of others references for wickedness, describing particular sins such as idolatry, child murder, gluttony, gossip and greed.
A) The condition of the Creation (Genesis 1.18)
Because of mans rebellion God cursed the earth Genesis 3 and from that sprang diseases and disasters Natural evils --
B) The condition of man (Genesis 3)
Moral Evil Vs Natural evil
These come from the same curse because man disobeyed or distrusted God. Suffering follows the moral evil.
It was the rebellion and rejection of God’s authority and His good that caused suffering.
C) The character of God and care for His creation
Genesis 3 the first sacrifice. The gospels the history of Jesus’ life the ultimate sacrifice.
Most ways of resolving the problem of evil deny God, or minimize Him.
Misunderstanding of God’s character leads to problems for believers and non-believers.
Randy Alcorn says it this way
“The problem of evil lies at the heart of the biblical account and serves as the crux of the unfolding drama of redemption. The first act of human evil moved God to bring decisive judgment while simultaneously unveiling his master plan. To complete our redemption – as well as that of the entire fallen creation – He sets in motion His strategy of incarnation, atoning death, resurrection and ultimate return.” If God is Good.
The Christian worldview and how we deal with the problem of evil is absolutely unique. We do not deny the presence of evil and suffering; we address and offer confidence not in ourselves but in Christ’s ability to bring good from it. One of the most important steps in understanding suffering and allowing the Holy Spirit to incarnate the life of Christ in us that we may share in His sufferings is the humility to say, “There is a lot I don’t understand.”
Story from Randy Alcorn about Mothers marred hands.
There was a teenager who didn’t want to be seen in public with her mother, because her mother’s arms were terribly disfigured. One day when her mother took her shopping and reached out her hand, a clerk looked horrified. Later, crying, the girl told her how embarrassed she was.
Understandably hurt, the mother waited an hour before going to her daughter’s room to tell her, for the first time, what happened.
“When you were a baby, I woke up to a burning house. Your room was an inferno. Flames were everywhere. I could have gotten out the front door, but I decided I’d rather die with you than leave you to die alone. I ran through the fire and wrapped my arms around you. Then I went back through the flames, my arms on fire. When I got outside on the lawn, the pain was agonizing but when I looked at you, all I could do was rejoice that the flames hadn’t touched you.”
Stunned, the girl looked at her mother through new eyes. Weeping in shame and gratitude, she kissed her mother’s marred hands and arms.
God could have not allowed you to exist. He could have allowed you to exist in a place with no pain and suffering. However His plan involved allowing you to be you. Have you yet seen His hands and feet? The cross of Christ was the place He took the flames for you and me and the entire world.
Conclusion: I am not here to merely introduce you to a church to believe in, a belief system to follow, a resource to end suffering and conflict. I am here this morning to introduce you to a person.
