Why Do Bad Things Happen in Our Lives?

Families Are Messy
Why Do Bad Things Happen in Our Lives?

I. Introduction

A. We have family mess!

B. Genesis 45:1-11 (NLT)

1. The entire points to Jesus Christ!

C. Genesis 45:3a (NLT) “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers.

D. Genesis 45:4a (NLT) “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer.

E. Genesis 45:7 (NLT) “God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.”

F. Luke 19:10 (NLT) “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

G. Genesis 45:9 (NLT) “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt.’”

H. Matthew 28:18 (NAS) “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

1. We read nothing in the Bible about telling Joseph it would all work out in the end!

I. Romans 8:26 (NLT) And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

1. There are certain connections between some of our actions and the of those actions!

J. John 9:1-3 (NLT) ¹As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. ²“Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” ³“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

K. Luke 13:1-5 (NLT) ¹About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. ²“Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? ³Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. ⁴And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? ⁵No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”

II. What Do We Know for Sure When Bad Things Happen?

A. God will work all things together for our .

1. Romans 8:28 (NAS) And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

B. Hard things increase our on .

C. Hard things increase our longing for the of .

D. Hard things increase our assurance that we to .

1. Jesus tells us again and again about those who —about those who hold onto God—no matter what.

2. Job 2:9 (NLT) His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” 

3. Job 2:10 (NLT) But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

4. Job 13:15a (NAS) “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.”

III. What Is God’s Number 1 Goal for Our Life?

A. Romans 8:28-29a (NAS) ²⁸And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ²⁹For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.

1. God’s number 1 goal is to make us !

2. You will never become like Jesus without going through !

B. I John 3:2 (NLT) Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

C. The good news is, the gospel of Jesus Christ does not only offer after !

D. Genesis 50:18-21 (NLT) ¹⁸Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. ¹⁹But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? ²⁰You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. ²¹No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.

IV. Conclusion