Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Prayer

Prayer

Rug Rats clip “It’s not fair”

I don’t know how many times I heard the words “It’s not fair” while our kids were growing up.

And it’s the same when we have the grandkids together.

For parents and grandparents, those words can be like fingernails on a chalkboard.

“She got more ice-cream…its not fair!” “He got to go outside and play, but not me!

It’s not fair” etc.

You know…parents are not perfect.

Sometimes we goof and do make decisions that, in hindsight, probably were not fair.

But the majority of the time…even thought the kids don’t seem to understand, we have good reasons for our choices.

How many of us woke up at some point, in our young adult years, and realized our parents had things right (most of the time)?

We are human…we will make errors in judgement with our kids at times.

But aren’t you glad that our Heavenly Father is perfect in all of His ways?

Even when we do not understand what is going on, we can be confident that He loves us and has a great plan if we will follow Him

Big Idea

Although some things in life seem unfair, have faith in God because He is fair and just...always!

What happens when our sense of fairness causes us to question whether or not God is fair?

Let’s be challenged today to grasp the truth that God is fair and just...

IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES

Jonah is a good example of a person who’s sense of justice and fairness clashed with God’s sense of justice and fairness:

God must have misspoke!

There is no way He wants me to go and preach to those low down, dirty rotten, evil so and so’s over there in Ninevah!

They are bad — they abuse, torture, and kill people just for the fun of it…including my own people!

We know the story — Jonah tried to run from God’s call to go to Ninevah

Long-story-short: .....summarize

So when God spared the city, it seemed very wrong to Jonah

God responded to both Jonah and the Ninevites with patience, compassion, and mercy — neither of them deserved it

God often turns tragedy into triumph

In , Jesus saw a man that was blind from birth and His Disciples were curious about something.

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus probably surprised them when He said “neither” — in their theology, if someone was disabled in any way, it had to be because of sin in their lives or the lives of their parents

But this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in Him ()

We can’t understand tragedy

School shootings (so many)

Mass violence: terrorism, Las Vegas, Syria (so many)

God did not create evil and suffering

So what happened?

Why didn’t He do something?

The nature of God is love

We were created in His image…made to love

Love is a choice…we are creatures of free choice

Couldn’t God foresee the suffering and tragedy that would come?

Of course

Think of it this way — how many are parents?

Did you know before you chose to have kids that those kids would face difficulty and suffering in this life?

You could forsee that they might even make wrong choices

Yet you still chose to have them b/c you could also forsee great fulfillment and joy in having children

One day suffering will cease and God will judge evil

He is not finished yet

One day isn’t here yet

If you only read half a book, you will be frustrated and disappointed — that’s not the author’s fault....it’s yours because you were patient enough to read through the entire book

Why is God delaying judgment on the earth?

God is fair and just in difficult circumstances and...

1 C

The only solution is to experience a relationship with Jesus

He brings comfort and confidence that no matter what, He is with you

It’s our choice —

we can do things on our own and turn bitter

we can surrender our lives to Jesus and turn better

God is fair and just in difficult circumstances and...

IN HOW HE JUDGES PEOPLE

One of the questions someone asked was “How can we be joyful and at peace when we get to Heaven when we know we have friends and loved ones in Hell?

Many people have loved ones who died without knowing Christ.

How can we possibly avoid grief in Heaven knowing this?

Many people have loved ones who died without knowing Christ.

How can we possibly avoid grief in Heaven knowing this?

Some theorize that God will deal with this problem by erasing our knowledge that Hell even exists…then we can’t think about it

This doesn’t make sense because God wouldn’t make our joy in Heaven depend on our ignorance of Hell — that’s not the way He works in Scripture.

Jesus will execute a final judgment against rebellious people

In Heaven, we will see with new eyes

We will agree with the Father’s judgments

In Revelation, when God brings judgment upon the wicked city of Babylon, the saints are told to “Rejoice over her, O Heavens! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!

God has judged her for the way she has treated you! ()”

They (the saints) shall see the dreadful miseries of the damned,and consider that they deserved the same misery, and that it was sovereign grace, and nothing else, which made them so much differ from the damned — Jonathan Edwards

Instead of questioning God’s judgement, we’ll be overwhelmed by His grace

Everyone deserves Hell…no one deserves Heaven

That’s why Jesus went to the Cross

God doesn’t want anyone to perish

Many will face judgment because of their unbelief

When we get to Heaven our focus will be on God

We will worship with great joy and satisfaction

We will recognize His perfect holiness and justness,His goodness and grace, and His joy

Hell’s small and distant shadow will not interfere with God’s greatness or our joy in Him — Randy Alcorn (Heaven)

Challenge

So, how should we respond to these important truths?

Although some things in life seem unfair, have faith in God because He is fair and just...always!

God is fair and just in difficult circumstances

Pain in life is real and we can’t always understand everything that happens

The only solution is to experience a relationship with Jesus

He brings comfort and confidence that no matter what, He is with you

It’s our choice —

we can do things on our own and turn bitter

we can surrender our lives to Jesus and turn better

God is fair and just in how He judges people

We have this life in which to lead people to know the love of Jesus

Do you have a sense of urgency?

for you own soul

for the souls of family, friends, neighbors, and beyond