WHY GOD LETS PEOPLE SUFFER
Lesson 3: THE RESULT OF OTHERS’ SIN
MEMORY VERSE: Joshua 22:20 And (He) did not perish alone for his iniquity
HY GOD LETS PEOPLE SUFFER
Lesson 3: THE RESULT OF OTHERS’ SIN
MEMORY VERSE: Joshua 22:20 And (He) did not perish alone for his iniquity
I. When we sin, others are hurt
A. God’s commands are for our own good
1. They are specific
2. There are consequences to ourselves when we do not keep
them
3. There are consequences to others when we do not keep them
4. The Greater the sphere, the greater the damage
B. What it means to us.
1.Our responsibility, the damage we do to others as a result of
our sin
2. When we suffer because of others’ sin
II. Bible is the book of Life
A. Instruction book
1. Commandments:
a. The Ten:
EX 20:2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
EX 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me.:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
EX 20:7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
EX 20:8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
EX 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
EX 20:13 "You shall not murder.
EX 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery.
EX 20:15 "You shall not steal.
EX 20:16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
EX 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
b. The Two:
MT 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
MT 22:37 Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
2. The Beatitudes:
MT 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven.
MT 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted.
MT 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
MT 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled.
MT 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
MT 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
MT 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
sons of God.
B. Life Today
1. Our lives verify truth of scripture
2. The Bible and life tell us that when someone sins other
suffer
II. We often over look the connection
A. Injured people often not part of the sin or consequence not
immediate
1. Thou Shalt Not Steal
a. From Government = Higher Taxes
1) tax fraud
2) disability fraud
3) Medicare fraud by doctors
4) welfare fraud, etc
b. Shoplifting
1) higher prices
2) store mistrust (checking packages, receipts, ID
with credit card)
c. Burglary
1) home owners’ insurance rates up
2) fear in neighborhood
2. Thou Shalt No Commit Adultery
a. Purpose of marriage
1) God ordained : GE 2:20 But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
GE 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman,' for she was taken out of man."
GE 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
2) To Society: Primary responsibility to pass on
values
b. Scenario: 2 consenting adults
1) Lying :
a) Nina’s story, 3 reasons
- God forbids it (Bear no false witness)
- No one will believe you, Boy Who Cried Wolf
- Create fear for yourself
b) No different for the consenting adults when dealing with
- spouse
- children
- parent
- friends
2) People hurt
-spouses –(Me “All I ever wanted....)
-in laws and grandparents (Stan and Margaret,
letter)
-children (Nina and Susan, Jeremy at 12 “Never
Marry)
- society (family core of society)
- women and children on welfare
- screwed up children
- whose values get passed on?
III. Biblically
A. Joshua 6:18-19 – Do not take ANYTHING
B. Achan (Josh. 7:2-10) Beautiful mantle, 200 shekel silver, bar 50
shekel in wt.
C, Israelites go to attack Ai (town of Ammorites)
1. Israelites beaten
2. 30 died
3. Joshua knows God has removed shield
D. Achan and all his family stoned and burned (Josh 7:19-26)
IV. Whole group punished when 1 misbehaves
A. In School
B. CGA, IT (Instructional Training)
DISCUSSION: Is it Fair? What does it teach?
V. The Greater the influence the greater the responsibility and damage
A. Clinton - respect for office of presidency
B. Our mayor and my Dad
C. David
1) Bath Sheba: 1 child dies, sins in household Ammon rapes
sister Tamara, Absalom revolts and all the suffering because
of the revolt
2) Census:
1CH 21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."
1CH 21:3 But Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?"
1CH 21:4 The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.
1CH 21:6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.
1CH 21:8 Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
1CH 21:9 The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, 10 "Go and tell David, `This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.' "
1CH 21:11 So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: `Take your choice: 12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD--days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.` Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me."
1CH 21:13 David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."
1CH 21:14 So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand."
VI. What it means to us
A. Our Responsibility
B. When we suffer because of other’s sin, Romans 8:28!