Asking For a Friend: Part 2 - "How can a Good God Allow Suffering?"
Sunday, April 11, 2021
The big question for this week was “How can a good God allow suffering in the world?” Have you had to deal with that question? Whether it be in your own heart and mind or with someone you’re close to, has that question been one that you’ve had to wrestle through before?
If so, how did it go? What was the outcome?
Were the “Free Will” or “Natural Law” arguments that Jason referenced used in the process? (Free Will - God is good for allowing choice even though sometimes choices lead to suffering. / Natural Law - God is good for creating natural laws even though some natural laws have negative consequences as well.)
When you see suffering in the world (your family, friends, community, nation, world), how do you usually respond? What are your normal thoughts or methods for processing it?
What does that tell you about your view of God?
How do you feel about the concept that God could have good reasons for allowing suffering?
What are some examples of hard or painful things that are actually beneficial?
Considering that we are all born with a sin nature, do you think that everybody has some kind of internal understanding of “good” and “bad”?
If so, where does that come from?
What could that possibly tell us about this conversation about whether or not there is a good God?
In the sermon, Jason said that “if you want a good and personal explanation for suffering, you must look to the good and personal God in the narrative of Scripture.” He went on to explain the 4 major parts of the narrative of Scripture: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. How does the story of Creation in Genesis 1 (specifically Genesis 1:1 & 31) help us navigate the problem of suffering?
In Genesis 3, Satan gets Adam & Eve to question whether God’s plan was actually good. In their choice to go against God’s plan, sin entered the world and caused the “Fall”. Romans 5:12 sums it up quite well. What were the results of the Fall? What are some of the things that became “broken”?
What needs become clear when we look at what sin has broken?
This is where “Redemption” comes in. The entire Old Testament tells us about a “Messiah” that will come and fix what sin had broken. As Sunday School as it may sound, who is the Messiah and how did He deal with the brokenness of sin? (It’s good for us to remind each other of this - don’t gloss over it.)
If He was God, why didn’t He just wipe out evil altogether?
What purpose did His own suffering have? I Peter 1:18-21
In Jesus, we have a promise that suffering doesn’t win. What does Revelation 21:3-5 tell us about the plan for “Restoration”?
How does this Restoration inform our response to the problem of suffering in the world today?
After this sermon and this study, do you feel better equipped to answer the question “How can a good God allow suffering in the world?” Are there still holes/questions that you have?
Was there anything else from the sermon on Sunday that really stood out to you?
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