Why Does God Allow Evil | What We Know

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners for more ways to deepen and challenge your spiritual walk and roll and pastor breaks free online courses sign@harvest.org God is so good and loving the wires are being and suffering in the world I really save in so many words is clearly not really responses when you become the moral center of the universe. Such a question is often pastor Greg Maurice's, we should focus less on what we don't know about more on what we do know we don't always know the answers.

We don't know what I do know I know God is mysterious but we know better than to fight against building, claiming it doesn't exist.

Some people find something mysterious about God suddenly want to question his motives or even his existence are finite mind won't always understand the mind of God today and a new beginning. One of the questions people ask.

As part of the series life was conducted and the question was if you get us got one question and knew he would give you an answer. What would you people said we would want to know why is there pain and suffering in the world� People will point to the problem of evil and suffering is a reason for not believing in God, then any other lesson.

It's not merely a problem. It is the problem why does God allow tragedy and if God can prevent such tragedies. Why does he allow them to take place in the classic statement of the problem is usually goes along these lines.

Either God is all-powerful, but he's not all good. Therefore, he doesn't stop evil or is all good but is not all-powerful. Therefore he can't stop people in the general tendency is to blame God for evil. We effectively transfer responsibility over to him� Kinda back up a little bit and come back to that core question. If God is so good and loving as it's often frame.

Why does he allow evil will. The first part of that question is based on a false premise because basically I am the one now who will determine what goodness is back. The very way I framed the question I'm already sort of thing. What I think right if God is so good and loving wife.

I'm really saying in so many words, he's clearly not good and loving because of the was, he wouldn't allow this morning making a judgment of God. I think the immediate responses when did you become the moral center of the universe.

You know who are you are home either say what is good or what isn't good and we have to go back to what we do not listen when you don't know what's happening. Go back to what you do know when our son died on a Thursday. I was in church the following Sunday and I was preaching, but I was attending. And so I sat there and people saw me in church and they saw my wife with me and makes our son Jonathan and I thought you said you are so courageous to be in church.

You are such a model of faith.

We get you kid me I needed to be in church. I was in there because I was strong.

I was there because I was weak and I needed God and I needed help and I needed the Bible and I needed worship and I needed perspective because when you go for something like that. You know you have so many questions swimming around in your head. And so we look to the Lord so cures the bottom line we don't always know the answers. Why did God allow this devil we don't know. But here's what I do know I know God is good. I know God is good and I know God is loving and I know God loves me welcome you back to the question again. He will of God is good loving. Why did he allow that.

Well, okay, first of all, let's look stop and think about this for a moment and understand God did not create evil. You know God gave us a free will and in the garden of Eden he allowed our first parents out of a need to make a choice. He could have made them robots. He could have made them wind up dolls. He could have made them to do whatever he wanted them to do what he wanted us to follow him out of choice, but Adam and Eve sin in sin entered the world, and now we have the choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing and so evil people do evil things because they allow the devil to influence them and I wish that wasn't the case. I wish we lived in a pain free world and a crime free world and a sin free world, but we don't. So remember, it's humanity, not God that is responsible for sin. But here's the thing that we know as Christians. God can bring good despite the bad that sometimes Christians can be a little fast on the draw with Romans 828 that's great verse for we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, another called according to his purpose. Let's misunderstand. Romans 828 it doesn't say we know that all things become good. It says all things work together for good, because sometimes there are things that happen in life that are bad they'll always be bad, never stop being bad so we don't have busy God will make it a good thing. He never promised that, but he promised good can come. Despite the bad, and I think that's a very important distinction, but another thing that happens at a time like this as well.

People reevaluate their lives. You start thinking of eternity and you start thinking of things that really matter that is a good thing. Okay, so this man that were going to look at committed the worst crime imaginable. He betrayed and sold out Jesus. Any had a hand in the cold-blooded murder of the very son of God talking about Judas Iscariot, and it's hard to believe that a man could do such a horrible thing yet as we will discover out of this act of pure evil of the greatest good came for all of humanity because though Judas betrayed Christ will tell you why. In a few moments with his heart was evil, and Satan entered his heart and in an there was greed involved in, but though he betrayed Christ and it was his desire to stop the ministry of Jesus. In fact, he helped to fulfill the ministry of Jesus because Jesus had come expressly to this earth to voluntarily die on the cross for the sin of the world. So Judas did realize he was helping to fulfill God's plan, but indeed he was, but is very name is synonymous with evil and treachery. Judas is the traders trader in his life ended miserably and suicide because he sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. But you might be surprised to know there's more to Judas then you may realize.

I think we could go back and that sort of a time machine to the biblical days. Imagine how cool that would be because you know sometimes the question is asked if you live in any other time in history. What would you level you know the most popular answer. By the way, is the 50 that you know that I can get that good things were kinda cool in the 50 but but I would probably want to go about 2000 years back and I would like to be able to see Jesus Christ personally and I would like to just going to hang out there and watch those stories unfold, but it would be nice to begin bring some modern conveniences with me. You know like In-N-Out Burger and iPhone. Though I don't know what I think it be great if there were no iPhones. Honestly, ready phones of any kind. But anyway, imagine what that would be like. Imagine if you actually approached Jesus and his disciples know they are there is the Lord and in you would be thinking. I wonder which one is Judas and you're probably thinking I bet he's wearing a black robe, everybody else's a white robe.

He is a black robe. In fact, it's not a black robe. It's a black leather rope and any as the caller turned up motorcycle style, and he probably is wearing sunglasses before anyone even add sunglasses and you know he's all tatted up standing in the shadows looking top that's Judas we sort of envision him as the bad guy. He was a bad guy, but actually he was the opposite of what I just described. You would not pick him out immediately as the evil one.

In fact, you might even think he was the most virtuous of all the disciples see why because Judas was an amazing actor. He was really convincing affect the only person he didn't convince was Christ himself, but Judas was putting on an amazing performance as a follower of Jesus Christ and to the point he was sort of religious outwardly. Don't forget, as we learned earlier. Remember when Mary came and took that expensive perfume in and reported on the feet of Jesus and mopped his feet with her hair and who spoke up Judas or this is wasteful. Why would you do that this is worth around 30 grand could not this a been sold and the money given to the board. Everyone was saying yeah that's true. Good point to this. What a good steward you are within John points out in his commentary in the gospel account of that story.

This he said because he was greedy and was stealing the money himself. So things are not always as they appear. But at that moment Judas put on a pretty good show their people like this today in the church. You know they talk the talk, they carried their Bibles. They sing their songs. They look like one of us.

We think the one about they might be sitting next to us, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're a believer. They may be what a hypocrite is I don't think we understand what a hypocrite is because we throw the word around.

And boy people love to really call other soup that you know what is a hypocrite. I hypocrite. We think it is someone who says they believe something and they do another. That's hypocrisy know it isn't that humanity how many of you will never believe one thing and contradicted it.

By the way that you live, raise your hand up you are just people. Your messed up people like I messed up and will fall short of the glory. But that's not hypocrisy. I'm not justifying contradicting what you say but I'm saying it happens to all of us in one way shape or form, or but that's not the technical definition of a hypocrite when Jesus called out the religious leaders is typically to that is simple, meaning admit an actor that was a translation of the word after it came from the word people treat it just means one who is putting on the performance and so that is the technical definition of a hypocrite in the way it's used by Christ as a person that pretends to be something they are not Judas was a classic hypocrite. He pretended to be a follower of Jesus, but he really was Mr. Greg Laurie of the second half of this message in just a moment we send these daily studies via radio satellite in our podcasts.

We don't always know how these messages are touching lives when we hear the stories of our listeners, heartaches and regrets were encouraged to know the impact on people's lives and why I write Lori.

I think the one on that morning and long journey yelling and when I I only my great love and microplate banking or that Mary now I will be not only my baby to be united with him what a powerful story's forgiveness story to tell of how Pastor Greg studies. If so, why not call the insurer's just call 1-866-871-1144 again, 866-871-1144 and I Pastor Greg resumes his message called why does God allow evil must listen here in John 13. The Lord's hour has come. Often he would say my hour is not yet, my hour is not yet come. Now his hour has come the hour of his arrest, his suffering is crucifixion and his resurrection from the dead were about 15 to 18 hours away from the crucifixion of Christ are chronologically in John 13 and were coming to the last Passover that Jesus would celebrate with his disciples. We get a closing glimpse of Judas as he slinks into the night with betrayal on his mind. We also get a somewhat comical look at Simon Peter and we get a better look at ourselves as we see what Jesus really wants for us.

Let's read from John 13 I'm reading verses 1 to 9.

By the way, and reading from the new living translation before the Passover celebration.

Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and returned to his father.

He had loved his disciples during his ministry and earth.

Now we love them to the very end it was time for supper and the devil. It already prompted Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray Jesus.

Jesus knew that the father had given him authority over everything that he had come from God and would return the God he got up from the table, took office rope wrapped a towel around his waist and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples feet, drying them with the towel he had around when Jesus came to Simon Peter.

He said to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet. Jesus replied you don't understand what I'm doing, but someday you will know Peter protested, you will never ever wash my feet. Jesus said unless I wash you, you won't belong to me. Then Peter explained, then wash my hands and head as well. Not just my feet.

Verse one. What a powerful opening verse before the Passover celebration.

Jesus, knowing his hour had come to leave this world to return to his father. He loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loves them, to the very end with Calvary closing in and all the pressure it brought. This is such a touching picture of Christ. These down in his hands and knees washing their feet.

Loving them to the. The disciples were alone with Jesus this night the crowds are not present and this is the last supper is the problem we think of the last supper. We think of the painting by Leonardo da Vinci, the great painter and in da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper. He also painted Marlies.

Of course, but in his painting of the Last Supper. It's it's a long table right and everybody seated behind the table. Jesus is in the middle and the kind of facing forward, composing for a selfie or something, right. So that's how we envision the Last Supper a race that I get from your mind.

That's not the way it looked.

It would've been a low-slung table they would've been sitting on pillows probably reclining and maybe in sort of a semicircular fashion and they would have various bits of bread that they would dip in various kinds of sauces. Sort of like chips and salsa if you will.

That's actually what it was like and that's always a very casual thing. They would eat all of the with the dates they would be bits of fish and so forth, then that's what a meal would look like in a meal was long.

It was leisurely and wasn't normal with cutlery in front of you.

You know that's what you call it, if you're from England, cutlery, and no it was very casual and relaxed and you would be with your hand you would share the food so this is what a meal look like and this is what the Last Supper actually look like Jesus.

Now does something that shocked everyone. He gets out a basin of water and starts to wash their feet know this by the way was done customarily by the servant of the house.

So when you would walked in wearing your sandals or whatever. And yet all the dirt and dust all over your feet. The servant would come and wash your feet before you came into the house, one who is doing this not a servant but Jesus himself washing their feet.

You wonder if, as he was washing and drying them if he was thinking of each one is a game that Andrew and Mark and knees washing and drying their feet.

He's thinking these precious feet will spread the gospel to the whole world because the Bible says how beautiful are the feet of those that bring good news.

Then he came to the feet of Judas Iscariot, and he thought these feet will soon steal away on the dark by the way, if I was Jesus.

I would not watch the feet of Judas Iscariot, I would've broken the feet of Judas Iscariot.

How you do this, try them like that you see how well you walk now Mr. betray the Lord knew exactly what Judas was about to do. And then Peter is washing Peter's feet. I know why, but I think Peter's like you13 or something.

Then Peter was so outspoken that's why like them so much because he always knew we had stood with the big fisherman. There was no mystery to Peter. It was not a complex kind of a guy, he would just say what he was thinking in the moment. Some might even say he lacked the filter because he would just blurt things out and sewing the Lord comes to his feet busy to wash my feet. Jesus is buddy up on washer feet.

You have no part in will and give me a bath right now. Peter really that's why said it was pretty much a comical moment, but why would Jesus even do this to start with what he was demonstrating what he taught. He said if you want to be greatest in the kingdom of God.

Learn to be the servant of all.

Pastor Greg Laurie and his message called why does God allow evil and there's more to come as this study continues to run a new beginning and then we want to share listener comment we received it says Pastor Greg, I wanted to thank you for today's sermon.

It really spoke to me.

I read a comment by a person I consider a friend mocking the faith than those who follow Jesus. I was hurt and wanted to reply, but instead prayed for them and gave it to God. Then I heard your message and you said all that live a godly life will be harassed and persecuted for the faith that means you are on the right track with God. I wept listening to your words because it was the reassurance I needed to stay strong in my faith. Thank you for continuing to preach the word what were so blessed that God is using these daily studies to impact people's lives to give them encouragement and an anchor and if you've partnered with us to help make these programs possible. Thank you for being used by God. Yesterday we appreciate that listener partnership yes and we have some unique ways to say thank you, don't wait that's right. And you know who you are out there that support us and thank you so much and God bless you I was a good walk up to you and shake your hand and have a few moments with you and I do run into people all the time. Dave, wherever I go, that listen to our radio broadcast that the part of their daily routine were thankful for that. But think all of you for that and he like to have a few more of you become a partner with us because I know a lot of you make a new beginning the part of your daily life or you listen to the podcast or you tell others to listen to it will thank you for doing that and by ordering these great resources we offer.

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