There may be no greater question people have about Christian faith, no bigger problem they have to believing in God, than that raised by the passage this morning, “why do bad things happen?” More specifically, if God exists, and if God cares about us, and if God has the power to prevent bad things, why doesn’t He? It’s understandable when bad things happen to people who are evil, mean, abusive, vile. They deserve what they get. But why do bad things happen to decent and good people, people I care about, to me?
This is a tough question, an important question, one that should not be dismissed or ignored. If we take those we meet seriously, we need to take this question seriously too. Let’s admit right off that there is no easy, simple, obvious, answer.
Christian faith affirms that 1) God absolutely loves us (the Bible is full of this assurance, and full of examples of this too), 2) God has absolute power and control (the Bible asserts this truth from the first page to the last), 3) bad things happen (the Bible is brutally honest about this … ask Job, ask David, ask Joseph, ask Hannah or Mary).
So, what do we do? How should we respond to this real and difficult question?
Let’s begin by seeing how Jesus responded when informed of the tragic deaths of those who had been sacrificing to God (Pilate killed them). Jesus added to that the unfortunate deaths of those who had a tower fall on them. He addressed the question of why bad things happen, but not in a way that would satisfy many. He didn’t pretend bad things don’t happen. He didn’t offer three simple reasons why bad things happen. He didn’t because the problem is complex, and the answer is too. Ultimately the only answer that holds up is Jesus Himself.
And so, we continue to live with the tension. We proclaim the goodness and power of God, and we live with trouble and pain. In the face of horrible things that happen, we point to, keep our focus on, hold on to, Jesus.
When Towers Fall & Blood Is Spilled (11AM)
August 21, 2022 • Curt McFarland • Luke 13:1–5
The Invitation... In Three Parts (11AM)
September 11, 2022 • Curt McFarland, Alex Rule, Dennis Whitcher • Luke 14:7–24
Today is a day those of a certain age will not forget. We remember the tears, the lost lives, the shock. And we remember that buildings will fall, and life itself will end, but Jesus remains our only hope. Part I (14:7-11): In Jesus’ day, as today, there were “status symbols” that helped people enhance their high standing in society. If you were invited to the “right homes” and if you were seated in the “right places,” then people would know how important you were. The emphasis was on reputation, not character. And so, in the first parable, Jesus counsels us to take the lowest seat, to forget our public image, because the Kingdom of God is about finding our identity in the One who knows us best. Part II (14:12-15): When we are invited to a dinner or banquet, we enjoy time with family and friends. We want to return the favor. That's the way we often live, it’s our comfort zone. But Jesus teaches that we should invite those who are in need, and those who need Him. Jesus wants us to invite those who cannot repay us. We follow Christ when we do just that. Our reward, we are told, will come later. Part III (14:16-24): The third part of Jesus’ dining etiquette reveals the heart of the host, and the hearts of each invited guest. Each makes an excuse, and each excuse seems, at first hearing, reasonable. But they reject the generosity of the host, the door is shut, they are forever outside. Oh, may we stop with our excuses!
The Invitation... In Three Parts (9AM)
September 11, 2022 • Curt McFarland, Alex Rule, Dennis Whitcher • Luke 14:7–24
Today is a day those of a certain age will not forget. We remember the tears, the lost lives, the shock. And we remember that buildings will fall, and life itself will end, but Jesus remains our only hope. Part I (14:7-11): In Jesus’ day, as today, there were “status symbols” that helped people enhance their high standing in society. If you were invited to the “right homes” and if you were seated in the “right places,” then people would know how important you were. The emphasis was on reputation, not character. And so, in the first parable, Jesus counsels us to take the lowest seat, to forget our public image, because the Kingdom of God is about finding our identity in the One who knows us best. Part II (14:12-15): When we are invited to a dinner or banquet, we enjoy time with family and friends. We want to return the favor. That's the way we often live, it’s our comfort zone. But Jesus teaches that we should invite those who are in need, and those who need Him. Jesus wants us to invite those who cannot repay us. We follow Christ when we do just that. Our reward, we are told, will come later. Part III (14:16-24): The third part of Jesus’ dining etiquette reveals the heart of the host, and the hearts of each invited guest. Each makes an excuse, and each excuse seems, at first hearing, reasonable. But they reject the generosity of the host, the door is shut, they are forever outside. Oh, may we stop with our excuses!
When Our Rules Get in The Way of His Rules (11AM)
September 4, 2022 • Luke 14:1–6
Today, the world population is approximately 8 billion and growing. The needs for work, food, medicine, and hospitals, etc. are also increasing. People are moving at a very high speed in this fast-changing world. Today the number of sick people in the world is much higher than in Jesus’ time but this is not a reason for Him to stop hearing and answering our prayers. His power of healing is the same today as it was in the past and will be in the future. In these times of constant needs and desperation we should use our wisdom and be on our knees praying. We must always look for the One who can do everything and make the impossible possible, our Creator and Ruler of the universe, our Maker and Provider. In this passage a leader of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner on the Sabbath. The house was full of many people. The leader’s intention was evil - the idea was to catch Jesus breaking the rules and laws on the Sabbath. They were watching Jesus, waiting for an opportunity to get Him into trouble, but Jesus knew the leader’s intentions and malicious thoughts. Jesus took advantage of the moment to use His healing power to heal a man and teach the Pharisees a great lesson. Here our Lord Jesus healed the man with dropsy, and many witnessed the miracle of healing on the Sabbath day. Jesus asked them if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath, but they remained silent and surprised. This reminds us of what Jesus said in Mark 2:17 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.”