“Why: Suffering”
January 15, 2012
This series deals in same detail the subject of the “will of God.” It is a follow on to the sermon “Why – Because” given on Nov 20, 2011. The series is based in part on Adam Hamilton’s book “Why” and Leslie Weatherhead’s earlier book “The Will of God.”
Genesis 1:27-28 “Creation of Humankind”
April 1, 2003: A woman’s son & 3 grandkids die in car accident
The woman later said, “It was the (a) _________________.”
Why is there suffering? “Everything happens for a reason?” “It must have been the will of God!” “God has this plan for your life and wanted this to happen.”
(Please add your own thoughts)
Three Foundational Ideas – Biblical
1. We have (b) ___________ over the earth (Genesis 1:26)
2. We were given (c) ___________l (Genesis 2:16)
3. We (d) ______ with freewill (Genesis 3 – Revelation 22:20)
Human Suffering
ØNatural Disasters
ØHuman Decisions
ØSickness (Why me, God”)
So if God doesn’t cause of this, what does God do?
“…suffering never has the last word in the Christian faith.” Adam Hamilton, Why? Making Sense of God’s Will (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2011) 28.
Memory Verse: “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31)
Closing:
(a) will of God, (b) dominion, (c) freewill, (d) struggle