Frequently Asked Questions: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
September 6, 2016
27:31
Bil Cornelius
Closed captions
Frequently Asked Questions: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
Show timecode
Hide timecode
- - Bil Cornelius: Some people
- 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:00.230
- say, "I'm going through
- 00:00:00.230 --> 00:00:02.030
- such hell, I'm going through
- 00:00:02.030 --> 00:00:03.030
- such difficult--God, can you
- 00:00:03.030 --> 00:00:04.070
- just come back and take us
- 00:00:04.070 --> 00:00:05.020
- all home?"
- 00:00:05.020 --> 00:00:06.190
- Wouldn't that be easier?
- 00:00:06.190 --> 00:00:07.150
- Wouldn't that be
- 00:00:07.150 --> 00:00:08.000
- the loving thing for God to do
- 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:09.140
- right now in the middle
- 00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:10.150
- of your mess, right?
- 00:00:10.150 --> 00:00:11.240
- Actually, that would not be
- 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:12.210
- the loving thing to do.
- 00:00:12.210 --> 00:00:13.180
- Let me tell you why.
- 00:00:13.180 --> 00:00:14.260
- 'Cause the moment he does that,
- 00:00:14.260 --> 00:00:16.140
- the person that you love
- 00:00:16.140 --> 00:00:17.070
- that you've been trying
- 00:00:17.070 --> 00:00:18.000
- to witness to that doesn't know
- 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:18.250
- Jesus yet, no longer has
- 00:00:18.250 --> 00:00:19.210
- [music]
- 00:00:26.090 --> 00:00:29.090
- - Bil: You are the church
- 00:00:29.090 --> 00:00:31.070
- - Bil: Welcome.
- 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.080
- Great to have you here today!
- 00:00:37.080 --> 00:00:39.020
- Thanks for joining us.
- 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:40.160
- We're continuing
- 00:00:40.160 --> 00:00:41.200
- the series called,
- 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:42.130
- "Frequently Asked Questions,"
- 00:00:42.130 --> 00:00:43.170
- you know.
- 00:00:43.170 --> 00:00:44.070
- It's been a really fun series
- 00:00:44.070 --> 00:00:45.010
- and we're talking
- 00:00:45.010 --> 00:00:46.260
- about the question today.
- 00:00:46.260 --> 00:00:47.200
- It's one of the biggest
- 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:48.220
- questions people have,
- 00:00:48.220 --> 00:00:49.220
- is that why is life unfair?
- 00:00:49.220 --> 00:00:52.060
- Why does the jerk at work get
- 00:00:52.060 --> 00:00:54.060
- the promotion?
- 00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:55.180
- Why does the good guy get
- 00:00:55.180 --> 00:00:56.150
- dumped?
- 00:00:56.150 --> 00:00:57.170
- Why does
- 00:00:57.170 --> 00:00:58.060
- the hell-raising party animal
- 00:00:58.060 --> 00:01:00.170
- person never have a problem
- 00:01:00.170 --> 00:01:02.210
- and then the nun gets hit
- 00:01:02.210 --> 00:01:04.010
- by a bus, right?
- 00:01:04.010 --> 00:01:06.180
- And so, it's very tough
- 00:01:06.180 --> 00:01:08.120
- to figure out because there's
- 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:09.080
- not a one-to-one correspondence
- 00:01:09.080 --> 00:01:11.100
- of good or bad that happens
- 00:01:11.100 --> 00:01:13.000
- in our lives
- 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:13.200
- based upon whether we're
- 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:14.130
- good or bad.
- 00:01:14.130 --> 00:01:15.180
- And so this makes it difficult
- 00:01:15.180 --> 00:01:16.080
- to understand.
- 00:01:16.080 --> 00:01:17.090
- And so, why is it that life
- 00:01:17.090 --> 00:01:18.180
- really is unfair at times?
- 00:01:18.180 --> 00:01:20.210
- Let's look
- 00:01:20.210 --> 00:01:21.060
- at our first key verse
- 00:01:21.060 --> 00:01:22.060
- for today, John 16:33.
- 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:24.100
- It says, "I have told you
- 00:01:24.100 --> 00:01:25.240
- all this so that you will have
- 00:01:25.240 --> 00:01:26.250
- peace of heart and mind.
- 00:01:26.250 --> 00:01:28.150
- Here on earth you will have
- 00:01:28.150 --> 00:01:29.210
- many trials and sorrows;
- 00:01:29.210 --> 00:01:31.110
- but cheer up,
- 00:01:31.110 --> 00:01:32.040
- for I have overcome
- 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:32.290
- the world."
- 00:01:32.290 --> 00:01:34.140
- Now, the reason why I wanna
- 00:01:34.140 --> 00:01:35.080
- start with this is
- 00:01:35.080 --> 00:01:36.020
- because I think many of us have
- 00:01:36.020 --> 00:01:37.020
- this unwritten contract
- 00:01:37.060 --> 00:01:40.060
- in our mind that we think
- 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:41.170
- we've signed and that God
- 00:01:41.170 --> 00:01:42.180
- has signed too but he's not.
- 00:01:42.180 --> 00:01:44.150
- And the unwritten contract
- 00:01:44.150 --> 00:01:45.120
- goes like this.
- 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:46.130
- If I love God and if I'm
- 00:01:46.130 --> 00:01:48.000
- a Christian, problems won't
- 00:01:48.000 --> 00:01:49.260
- come my way.
- 00:01:49.260 --> 00:01:51.110
- But that's
- 00:01:51.110 --> 00:01:51.260
- just not in the Bible.
- 00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:53.030
- In fact, actually, I would say
- 00:01:53.030 --> 00:01:54.170
- that if you really love God
- 00:01:54.170 --> 00:01:55.190
- and you're a Christian honoring
- 00:01:55.190 --> 00:01:56.170
- him, problems will come
- 00:01:56.170 --> 00:01:57.020
- your way because you love God
- 00:01:57.020 --> 00:01:59.020
- and because you're a Christian
- 00:01:59.020 --> 00:02:00.120
- and because you're trying
- 00:02:00.120 --> 00:02:01.120
- to honor him.
- 00:02:01.120 --> 00:02:02.040
- So actually, sometimes,
- 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:03.020
- that actually introduces
- 00:02:03.020 --> 00:02:04.160
- problems into your lives
- 00:02:04.160 --> 00:02:06.110
- because there's
- 00:02:06.110 --> 00:02:06.260
- a spiritual enemy that wants
- 00:02:06.260 --> 00:02:07.280
- to take you out
- 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:08.200
- because now you're a problem
- 00:02:08.200 --> 00:02:09.090
- to him.
- 00:02:09.090 --> 00:02:10.030
- Well, let's take it
- 00:02:10.030 --> 00:02:10.210
- to the very beginning
- 00:02:10.210 --> 00:02:11.090
- in Genesis chapter 1.
- 00:02:11.090 --> 00:02:12.100
- Genesis chapter 1,
- 00:02:12.100 --> 00:02:13.130
- God said this.
- 00:02:13.130 --> 00:02:14.120
- "God saw all that he had made,
- 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:16.150
- and it was very good."
- 00:02:16.150 --> 00:02:17.260
- The first thing you need to know
- 00:02:17.260 --> 00:02:18.150
- is that everything God made
- 00:02:18.150 --> 00:02:19.200
- is good.
- 00:02:19.200 --> 00:02:20.220
- And so he did not create
- 00:02:20.220 --> 00:02:23.030
- anything evil.
- 00:02:23.030 --> 00:02:25.000
- He did not create
- 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:25.230
- a bad circumstance.
- 00:02:25.230 --> 00:02:26.260
- God did not send something bad
- 00:02:26.260 --> 00:02:28.230
- into your life that he created.
- 00:02:28.230 --> 00:02:30.200
- But here's the tricky part.
- 00:02:30.200 --> 00:02:32.150
- When God created us, he did not
- 00:02:32.150 --> 00:02:34.100
- make you and I robots.
- 00:02:34.100 --> 00:02:36.040
- We are people with choices.
- 00:02:36.040 --> 00:02:37.260
- And so God gave us
- 00:02:37.260 --> 00:02:39.110
- the scariest gift of all time,
- 00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:42.240
- was one simple thing.
- 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.080
- He gave you and I the ability
- 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:46.000
- to choose.
- 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:47.290
- He gave you and I free choice.
- 00:02:47.290 --> 00:02:49.200
- And when he gave
- 00:02:49.200 --> 00:02:50.120
- you and I free will, that was
- 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:52.190
- the scariest gift of all.
- 00:02:52.190 --> 00:02:54.040
- But the only way we can
- 00:02:54.040 --> 00:02:55.060
- really love someone is
- 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:56.160
- if we can love them freely.
- 00:02:56.160 --> 00:02:57.270
- Otherwise, it's not love.
- 00:02:57.270 --> 00:02:59.280
- The only way we can ever choose
- 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:00.230
- God is to have the ability
- 00:03:00.230 --> 00:03:03.000
- to choose not to follow God.
- 00:03:03.000 --> 00:03:05.240
- The only way we can ever choose
- 00:03:05.240 --> 00:03:06.190
- to worship him is be able
- 00:03:06.190 --> 00:03:07.240
- to choose not to.
- 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:08.200
- The only way you know
- 00:03:08.200 --> 00:03:09.110
- if your kids are good or bad is
- 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:10.110
- if they have a choice.
- 00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:12.010
- You really don't know
- 00:03:12.010 --> 00:03:12.190
- if your kids are good or bad
- 00:03:12.190 --> 00:03:13.120
- until you've done what?
- 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:14.200
- Taken those keys
- 00:03:14.200 --> 00:03:15.110
- to that newly turned 16-year-old
- 00:03:15.110 --> 00:03:17.060
- and dropped them
- 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:17.280
- in their hands.
- 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.140
- And they can drive off
- 00:03:19.140 --> 00:03:20.220
- and, at some point, do
- 00:03:20.220 --> 00:03:21.160
- what they want.
- 00:03:21.160 --> 00:03:23.180
- And you're not around to see it,
- 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:25.070
- good or bad, right?
- 00:03:25.070 --> 00:03:27.290
- And so, in the same way God gave
- 00:03:27.290 --> 00:03:29.050
- us free choice.
- 00:03:29.050 --> 00:03:31.060
- It's a scary thing
- 00:03:31.060 --> 00:03:32.070
- 'cause when he did that he knew
- 00:03:32.070 --> 00:03:33.060
- some of us would choose,
- 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:34.200
- well, actually all of us would
- 00:03:34.200 --> 00:03:35.200
- choose at some point to do
- 00:03:35.200 --> 00:03:36.220
- something wrong also.
- 00:03:36.220 --> 00:03:38.070
- And Adam and Eve
- 00:03:38.070 --> 00:03:38.270
- did that, right?
- 00:03:38.270 --> 00:03:39.130
- God said, "Hey, you got
- 00:03:39.130 --> 00:03:40.000
- this whole garden.
- 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:40.270
- Everything's plush.
- 00:03:40.270 --> 00:03:41.240
- It's beautiful.
- 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:42.120
- It's awesome.
- 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:43.040
- Adam, here's your beautiful
- 00:03:43.040 --> 00:03:44.260
- naked wife, right?"
- 00:03:44.260 --> 00:03:46.280
- And so Adam clearly was
- 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:47.280
- an idiot.
- 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:48.180
- He's got a naked woman
- 00:03:48.180 --> 00:03:49.090
- in front of him and he goes
- 00:03:49.090 --> 00:03:50.040
- and tries to find some fruit
- 00:03:50.040 --> 00:03:50.260
- to eat.
- 00:03:50.260 --> 00:03:51.130
- What are you thinking, dude?
- 00:03:51.130 --> 00:03:53.160
- That's a whole 'nother issue,
- 00:03:53.160 --> 00:03:54.050
- but Adam and Eve
- 00:03:54.050 --> 00:03:56.120
- eventually found
- 00:03:56.120 --> 00:03:57.070
- the forbidden fruit and Eve was
- 00:03:57.070 --> 00:04:00.070
- tempted by the devil to eat it.
- 00:04:00.070 --> 00:04:02.070
- She then enticed her husband
- 00:04:02.070 --> 00:04:03.260
- to join and so they both
- 00:04:03.260 --> 00:04:05.060
- took part in this sin
- 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:07.020
- and so now they brought sin
- 00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:08.130
- into the world.
- 00:04:08.130 --> 00:04:09.050
- Now, before you give them
- 00:04:09.050 --> 00:04:09.220
- too hard of a time,
- 00:04:09.220 --> 00:04:10.180
- if it would have been you or I,
- 00:04:10.180 --> 00:04:11.180
- we'd have done the same thing.
- 00:04:11.180 --> 00:04:12.180
- 'Cause here's the thing.
- 00:04:12.180 --> 00:04:13.090
- Adam had the ability to do
- 00:04:13.090 --> 00:04:14.240
- nothing but right
- 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:15.270
- and so did Eve.
- 00:04:15.270 --> 00:04:16.240
- But we all know that they
- 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:17.200
- weren't gonna do nothing
- 00:04:17.200 --> 00:04:18.130
- but right, right?
- 00:04:18.130 --> 00:04:19.110
- So they had the ability to be
- 00:04:19.110 --> 00:04:20.120
- perfect but we know they weren't
- 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:21.100
- going to be.
- 00:04:21.100 --> 00:04:22.060
- Jesus, by the way, when he was
- 00:04:22.060 --> 00:04:23.090
- born into the world,
- 00:04:23.090 --> 00:04:24.040
- had the ability to sin,
- 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:25.170
- but we knew he wasn't going to.
- 00:04:25.170 --> 00:04:27.190
- See how that works?
- 00:04:27.190 --> 00:04:28.090
- So Adam had the ability to be
- 00:04:28.090 --> 00:04:30.190
- perfect, but he was not
- 00:04:30.190 --> 00:04:31.120
- going to.
- 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:32.090
- Jesus had the ability to be
- 00:04:32.090 --> 00:04:32.280
- not perfect but he was
- 00:04:32.280 --> 00:04:34.020
- not going to.
- 00:04:34.020 --> 00:04:35.050
- And so that's
- 00:04:35.050 --> 00:04:35.200
- kind of how that works
- 00:04:35.200 --> 00:04:36.160
- and so, basically, Adam and Eve
- 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:37.160
- entered this world.
- 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:38.210
- They sinned and when they
- 00:04:38.210 --> 00:04:40.080
- sinned, that created
- 00:04:40.080 --> 00:04:41.260
- consequence.
- 00:04:41.260 --> 00:04:42.260
- A consequence of the sin is not
- 00:04:42.260 --> 00:04:44.150
- just the fact that God is not
- 00:04:44.150 --> 00:04:46.160
- happy with us
- 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:47.110
- but also that introduced evil
- 00:04:47.110 --> 00:04:49.170
- into the world.
- 00:04:49.170 --> 00:04:51.020
- Now, there are two kinds of evil
- 00:04:51.020 --> 00:04:52.190
- and here's where things get
- 00:04:52.190 --> 00:04:53.110
- a little bit complicated.
- 00:04:53.110 --> 00:04:54.120
- The first kind of evil is
- 00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:55.220
- moral evil.
- 00:04:55.220 --> 00:04:57.000
- This one's kind of easy
- 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:57.230
- to figure out, right?
- 00:04:57.230 --> 00:04:58.180
- This is when we choose to do
- 00:04:58.180 --> 00:04:59.160
- the wrong thing.
- 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:00.090
- This is when we lie, cheat,
- 00:05:00.090 --> 00:05:01.170
- steal, betray someone, right?
- 00:05:01.170 --> 00:05:03.100
- This is why there's groups
- 00:05:03.100 --> 00:05:04.060
- called ISIS, this is why there's
- 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:05.260
- evil men like Adolf Hitler
- 00:05:05.260 --> 00:05:07.140
- or this is why there are people,
- 00:05:07.140 --> 00:05:08.240
- you know, like Gacy who killed
- 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:10.180
- a bunch of people,
- 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:11.100
- that's why there's people who do
- 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:12.200
- horrible things, right?
- 00:05:12.200 --> 00:05:14.260
- Because of moral evil.
- 00:05:14.260 --> 00:05:16.010
- Because people make choices.
- 00:05:16.010 --> 00:05:17.000
- Romans 3:23 says,
- 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:18.030
- "For all have sinned and fall
- 00:05:18.030 --> 00:05:19.240
- short of the glory of God."
- 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.090
- And so, this is how evil entered
- 00:05:22.090 --> 00:05:23.240
- the world.
- 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:24.260
- Deuteronomy 11:26 says, "Today
- 00:05:24.260 --> 00:05:26.080
- I am giving you the choice
- 00:05:26.080 --> 00:05:27.100
- between a blessing and a curse!"
- 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:29.270
- This is what God says to you
- 00:05:29.270 --> 00:05:30.230
- and me.
- 00:05:30.230 --> 00:05:31.140
- He said "You will be blessed
- 00:05:31.140 --> 00:05:32.100
- if you obey the commands
- 00:05:32.100 --> 00:05:33.140
- of the Lord your God
- 00:05:33.140 --> 00:05:34.070
- that I am giving you today.
- 00:05:34.070 --> 00:05:35.190
- You will receive a curse
- 00:05:35.190 --> 00:05:36.080
- if you reject the commands
- 00:05:36.080 --> 00:05:37.170
- of the Lord your God
- 00:05:37.170 --> 00:05:38.080
- and turn from his way."
- 00:05:38.080 --> 00:05:39.240
- So he says, "Look, the choice
- 00:05:39.240 --> 00:05:40.190
- is yours.
- 00:05:40.190 --> 00:05:41.170
- You can honor me
- 00:05:41.170 --> 00:05:42.090
- and you'll be blessed.
- 00:05:42.090 --> 00:05:43.220
- You can not honor me
- 00:05:43.220 --> 00:05:45.070
- and you will be cursed."
- 00:05:45.070 --> 00:05:46.080
- This is not that different,
- 00:05:46.080 --> 00:05:47.110
- parents, than what we do
- 00:05:47.110 --> 00:05:48.010
- with our kids.
- 00:05:48.010 --> 00:05:48.160
- "Okay, I need
- 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:49.010
- the room cleaned, right?
- 00:05:49.010 --> 00:05:50.250
- And so you can choose,
- 00:05:50.250 --> 00:05:51.280
- blessings or curses, right?
- 00:05:51.280 --> 00:05:54.190
- I'm gonna come back in an hour.
- 00:05:54.190 --> 00:05:55.220
- I need that room clean.
- 00:05:55.220 --> 00:05:56.140
- If it's not clean, there will be
- 00:05:56.140 --> 00:05:58.050
- curses coming your way, right?
- 00:05:58.050 --> 00:06:00.120
- If it is clean, there will be
- 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:01.160
- blessings coming
- 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:02.030
- your way, right?"
- 00:06:02.030 --> 00:06:02.210
- This is not really different
- 00:06:02.210 --> 00:06:04.010
- than what God has done
- 00:06:04.010 --> 00:06:04.240
- for you and I.
- 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:05.130
- Now, here's where it gets
- 00:06:05.130 --> 00:06:06.040
- a little more complicated today.
- 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:07.050
- So we got moral evil but there's
- 00:06:07.050 --> 00:06:08.280
- also natural evil.
- 00:06:08.280 --> 00:06:11.240
- This is where life seems unfair.
- 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:14.060
- Romans 8:22 says, "For we know
- 00:06:14.060 --> 00:06:16.110
- that up to the present time
- 00:06:16.110 --> 00:06:17.110
- all of creation groans with pain
- 00:06:17.110 --> 00:06:19.040
- like the pain of childbirth."
- 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:21.120
- Look at Genesis chapter 3,
- 00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:22.160
- verse 17.
- 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:23.040
- Because Adam and Eve chose
- 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:24.060
- to sin, right, that plush garden
- 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:26.050
- was no longer gonna be
- 00:06:26.050 --> 00:06:26.250
- that plush anymore.
- 00:06:26.250 --> 00:06:27.240
- In fact, look what it says.
- 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:28.140
- It says, "Cursed is the ground
- 00:06:28.140 --> 00:06:29.230
- because of you;
- 00:06:29.230 --> 00:06:30.170
- through painful toil you will
- 00:06:30.170 --> 00:06:32.030
- eat of it all the days
- 00:06:32.030 --> 00:06:34.060
- of your life.
- 00:06:34.060 --> 00:06:34.240
- It will produce thorns
- 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:35.150
- and thistles for you,
- 00:06:35.150 --> 00:06:37.060
- and you will eat the plants
- 00:06:37.060 --> 00:06:38.050
- of the field."
- 00:06:38.050 --> 00:06:38.250
- Now, thorns and thistles
- 00:06:38.250 --> 00:06:39.150
- were not there until Adam
- 00:06:39.150 --> 00:06:41.270
- and Eve chose to sin.
- 00:06:41.270 --> 00:06:42.190
- It says, "By the sweat
- 00:06:42.190 --> 00:06:43.150
- of your brow you will eat
- 00:06:43.150 --> 00:06:44.160
- your food until you return
- 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:45.190
- to the ground, since from it you
- 00:06:45.190 --> 00:06:46.280
- were taken; for dust you are
- 00:06:46.280 --> 00:06:48.220
- and to dust you will return."
- 00:06:48.220 --> 00:06:49.250
- So he says, "Hey, look, before,
- 00:06:49.250 --> 00:06:51.280
- the Garden was always perfect.
- 00:06:51.280 --> 00:06:54.060
- The soil was just right to plant
- 00:06:54.060 --> 00:06:56.220
- anything you wanted.
- 00:06:56.220 --> 00:06:57.190
- It grew beautiful vegetation.
- 00:06:57.190 --> 00:06:59.170
- It grew beautiful, you know,
- 00:06:59.170 --> 00:07:01.010
- fruits and flowers
- 00:07:01.010 --> 00:07:02.080
- and all kinds of stuff.
- 00:07:02.080 --> 00:07:03.110
- But now, Adam,
- 00:07:03.110 --> 00:07:04.190
- the ground's gonna be hard.
- 00:07:04.190 --> 00:07:06.290
- It's not gonna be as easy
- 00:07:06.290 --> 00:07:08.150
- as it once was.
- 00:07:08.150 --> 00:07:10.060
- Adam and Eve
- 00:07:10.060 --> 00:07:10.220
- in their relationship,
- 00:07:10.220 --> 00:07:11.230
- used to be real natural,
- 00:07:11.230 --> 00:07:12.250
- always good, always great
- 00:07:12.250 --> 00:07:13.150
- and all of a sudden
- 00:07:13.150 --> 00:07:14.060
- it says what?
- 00:07:14.060 --> 00:07:14.210
- Eve, you're gonna think
- 00:07:14.210 --> 00:07:15.240
- you need Adam more than you do.
- 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:17.150
- He's gonna rule you.
- 00:07:17.150 --> 00:07:18.230
- It didn't say that
- 00:07:18.230 --> 00:07:19.150
- until after this, right?
- 00:07:19.150 --> 00:07:20.230
- Now, he was always to lead her
- 00:07:20.230 --> 00:07:22.210
- but not rule her, not run her,
- 00:07:22.210 --> 00:07:24.210
- not dominate her.
- 00:07:24.210 --> 00:07:26.060
- And when sin enters
- 00:07:26.060 --> 00:07:27.200
- a relationship,
- 00:07:27.200 --> 00:07:28.150
- someone tries to dominate
- 00:07:28.150 --> 00:07:29.230
- the other person, right?
- 00:07:29.230 --> 00:07:31.200
- And so this is
- 00:07:31.200 --> 00:07:32.250
- where--how we know sin has
- 00:07:32.250 --> 00:07:33.240
- entered the world.
- 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:34.150
- So we understand the moral side
- 00:07:34.150 --> 00:07:36.000
- but the tricky part is
- 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:36.240
- the natural side.
- 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:37.180
- And so here's the thing that's
- 00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:38.130
- crazy.
- 00:07:38.130 --> 00:07:39.000
- Go with me here, if you will,
- 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:39.250
- okay?
- 00:07:39.250 --> 00:07:40.150
- When they chose to sin, the seed
- 00:07:40.280 --> 00:07:43.280
- of their sin entered creation.
- 00:07:44.210 --> 00:07:47.210
- So now the ground that was soft
- 00:07:47.210 --> 00:07:49.140
- is now hard.
- 00:07:49.140 --> 00:07:50.240
- Now the ground that was perfect
- 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:52.080
- now has earthquakes.
- 00:07:52.080 --> 00:07:53.200
- Now there's such things
- 00:07:53.200 --> 00:07:54.160
- as hurricanes.
- 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:55.160
- Now there's--now when we have
- 00:07:55.160 --> 00:07:57.100
- kids, we're not
- 00:07:57.100 --> 00:07:58.070
- just passing down our genes
- 00:07:58.070 --> 00:07:59.070
- that have no sin in them,
- 00:07:59.070 --> 00:08:00.270
- now we're passing down our genes
- 00:08:00.270 --> 00:08:02.100
- that have sin in them,
- 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:03.280
- which means what?
- 00:08:03.280 --> 00:08:04.260
- Now you've got birth defects.
- 00:08:04.260 --> 00:08:06.120
- Now you've got cancer.
- 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:07.220
- Now you've got disease.
- 00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:09.060
- Now you have
- 00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:09.210
- debilitating problems.
- 00:08:09.210 --> 00:08:11.040
- Does this make sense, guys?
- 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:12.190
- And so that gets passed down
- 00:08:12.190 --> 00:08:13.240
- from generation to generations.
- 00:08:13.240 --> 00:08:15.140
- And this is why someone
- 00:08:15.140 --> 00:08:16.110
- who seemingly is all healthy,
- 00:08:16.110 --> 00:08:18.050
- goes to gym every day,
- 00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:19.080
- eats salads every day for lunch
- 00:08:19.080 --> 00:08:20.120
- and they get cancer?
- 00:08:20.120 --> 00:08:22.040
- What?
- 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:22.250
- This doesn't make sense.
- 00:08:22.250 --> 00:08:24.090
- This seems unfair,
- 00:08:24.090 --> 00:08:26.220
- but, again, if you're
- 00:08:26.220 --> 00:08:27.250
- just looking in that one person
- 00:08:27.250 --> 00:08:28.260
- and the way they live
- 00:08:28.260 --> 00:08:29.130
- in that one moment in a vacuum,
- 00:08:29.130 --> 00:08:31.050
- okay, I'll give you
- 00:08:31.050 --> 00:08:31.210
- the unfairness.
- 00:08:31.210 --> 00:08:32.060
- But if you look at it
- 00:08:32.060 --> 00:08:32.210
- from the world perspective
- 00:08:32.210 --> 00:08:34.010
- of the fact that sin enters
- 00:08:34.010 --> 00:08:34.240
- the world and entered
- 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:36.000
- into our genes and then entered
- 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:37.100
- into all of creation,
- 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:39.040
- then it's a crapshoot, guys.
- 00:08:40.050 --> 00:08:43.050
- It really is.
- 00:08:43.050 --> 00:08:45.010
- And there's a lot of bad stuff
- 00:08:45.010 --> 00:08:45.270
- that happens in the world today
- 00:08:45.270 --> 00:08:46.230
- and if you're like me, I look
- 00:08:46.230 --> 00:08:47.180
- at all the bad and the evil
- 00:08:47.180 --> 00:08:49.010
- in the world, I'm, like,
- 00:08:49.010 --> 00:08:49.220
- "Man, Lord, this is just bad."
- 00:08:49.220 --> 00:08:50.180
- Now, some of the evil we
- 00:08:50.180 --> 00:08:51.210
- can stop.
- 00:08:51.210 --> 00:08:52.170
- I mean, if you're saying,
- 00:08:52.170 --> 00:08:53.110
- "Man, God, if you're
- 00:08:53.110 --> 00:08:54.080
- such a God of love
- 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:54.230
- then why is ISIS there?"
- 00:08:54.230 --> 00:08:55.270
- I think instead of us saying
- 00:08:55.270 --> 00:08:57.170
- to God, "God, why is ISIS
- 00:08:57.170 --> 00:08:59.020
- killing people," I think God
- 00:08:59.020 --> 00:09:00.080
- would look back at us and say,
- 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:01.030
- "Yeah, why are you letting that
- 00:09:01.030 --> 00:09:01.290
- happen?"
- 00:09:01.290 --> 00:09:04.060
- I really believe that and I'm
- 00:09:04.060 --> 00:09:04.290
- gonna set aside my opinions
- 00:09:04.290 --> 00:09:05.250
- on that for now, but the reality
- 00:09:05.250 --> 00:09:08.130
- is that there are some evils
- 00:09:08.130 --> 00:09:10.010
- we can do something about,
- 00:09:10.010 --> 00:09:11.130
- that we can stop, right?
- 00:09:11.130 --> 00:09:13.070
- But then there's also some evils
- 00:09:13.070 --> 00:09:14.280
- that we just--we can't stop.
- 00:09:14.280 --> 00:09:17.050
- And I've discovered, and you've
- 00:09:17.050 --> 00:09:19.000
- probably discovered this
- 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:19.260
- already too that there's--
- 00:09:19.260 --> 00:09:20.290
- no one's immune to this.
- 00:09:20.290 --> 00:09:22.200
- You can't be rich
- 00:09:22.200 --> 00:09:24.000
- enough to avoid disease.
- 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.010
- Life isn't fair to everybody.
- 00:09:26.010 --> 00:09:28.060
- None of us have it
- 00:09:28.060 --> 00:09:29.160
- perfectly fair all the time.
- 00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:32.060
- And so, moral evil is reality
- 00:09:32.060 --> 00:09:34.020
- and so is natural evil.
- 00:09:34.020 --> 00:09:36.070
- Look at 2 Corinthians 7,
- 00:09:36.070 --> 00:09:37.110
- verse 10, "For God sometimes
- 00:09:37.110 --> 00:09:39.090
- uses sorrow in our lives
- 00:09:39.090 --> 00:09:40.150
- to help us turn away from sin
- 00:09:40.150 --> 00:09:41.250
- and seek eternal life.
- 00:09:41.250 --> 00:09:42.270
- We should never regret
- 00:09:42.270 --> 00:09:43.260
- his sending it."
- 00:09:43.260 --> 00:09:45.040
- Now, he sends sorrow,
- 00:09:45.040 --> 00:09:47.070
- which means that's an emotion.
- 00:09:47.070 --> 00:09:48.120
- He doesn't send the evil
- 00:09:48.120 --> 00:09:49.060
- that may have caused it.
- 00:09:49.060 --> 00:09:50.190
- But he knows since we live
- 00:09:50.190 --> 00:09:51.170
- in an evil world,
- 00:09:51.170 --> 00:09:52.130
- it's going to happen.
- 00:09:52.130 --> 00:09:53.020
- So here's the good news
- 00:09:53.020 --> 00:09:54.190
- about your bad situation.
- 00:09:54.190 --> 00:09:56.270
- The good news
- 00:09:56.270 --> 00:09:57.290
- about your bad news is it leads
- 00:09:57.290 --> 00:09:59.240
- you to look to the good news
- 00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:01.080
- So the truth is, is most of us
- 00:10:03.190 --> 00:10:04.210
- would not be Christians today
- 00:10:04.210 --> 00:10:05.230
- if it was not for the fact
- 00:10:05.230 --> 00:10:06.230
- that things went bad
- 00:10:06.230 --> 00:10:07.190
- in our lives and made us
- 00:10:07.190 --> 00:10:08.180
- call out to God.
- 00:10:08.180 --> 00:10:10.250
- Most of us came to Jesus
- 00:10:10.250 --> 00:10:11.270
- because we were,
- 00:10:11.270 --> 00:10:12.190
- like, "Man, life is not working
- 00:10:12.190 --> 00:10:14.140
- for me very well.
- 00:10:14.140 --> 00:10:15.240
- Things are not going good.
- 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:17.030
- My life is crumbling.
- 00:10:17.030 --> 00:10:18.020
- I need something else,"
- 00:10:18.020 --> 00:10:19.170
- and so we show up at church,
- 00:10:19.170 --> 00:10:21.020
- hoping there's something more
- 00:10:21.020 --> 00:10:22.110
- beyond us and then we discover
- 00:10:22.110 --> 00:10:23.130
- there is.
- 00:10:23.130 --> 00:10:24.280
- And that's how most of us found
- 00:10:24.280 --> 00:10:25.200
- Christ, is because of bad things
- 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:28.100
- in our lives.
- 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:29.140
- This verse helps me a lot,
- 00:10:29.140 --> 00:10:30.220
- Romans 8:28.
- 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:31.240
- "And we know that in all things
- 00:10:33.250 --> 00:10:34.140
- God works for the good
- 00:10:34.140 --> 00:10:35.150
- of those who love him,
- 00:10:35.150 --> 00:10:36.160
- who have been called
- 00:10:36.160 --> 00:10:37.120
- according to his purpose."
- 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:39.010
- So God even uses some bad things
- 00:10:39.010 --> 00:10:40.230
- in our lives to get
- 00:10:40.230 --> 00:10:41.260
- his purpose done.
- 00:10:41.260 --> 00:10:42.200
- For example, there's
- 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:43.200
- probably someone you
- 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:44.180
- really thought you were
- 00:10:44.180 --> 00:10:45.150
- in love with and was the person
- 00:10:45.150 --> 00:10:46.230
- for you and then they broke up
- 00:10:46.230 --> 00:10:47.230
- with you.
- 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:48.110
- But if they wouldn't have,
- 00:10:48.110 --> 00:10:48.270
- you wouldn't be
- 00:10:48.270 --> 00:10:49.110
- with your spouse now.
- 00:10:49.110 --> 00:10:51.170
- So the reality is,
- 00:10:51.170 --> 00:10:52.080
- is that if they would have been
- 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:53.040
- faithful or if they would have
- 00:10:53.040 --> 00:10:54.070
- been nice or if they wouldn't
- 00:10:54.070 --> 00:10:55.110
- have betrayed you,
- 00:10:55.110 --> 00:10:56.070
- if they wouldn't have broke up
- 00:10:56.070 --> 00:10:56.290
- with you, you wouldn't be with
- 00:10:56.290 --> 00:10:57.250
- who you are now.
- 00:10:57.250 --> 00:10:59.190
- Does that make sense?
- 00:10:59.190 --> 00:11:01.220
- Sometimes it's easy to see
- 00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:02.150
- God's protection if you missed
- 00:11:02.150 --> 00:11:03.210
- a flight and you found out later
- 00:11:03.210 --> 00:11:05.050
- the plane went down.
- 00:11:05.050 --> 00:11:06.140
- "Oh, wow, thank you,
- 00:11:06.140 --> 00:11:07.070
- Lord," right?
- 00:11:07.070 --> 00:11:08.120
- But most of us don't get to see
- 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:09.240
- the other side of that.
- 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:11.080
- We just see that something
- 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:12.060
- didn't work out but you
- 00:11:12.060 --> 00:11:12.260
- don't know what God protected
- 00:11:12.260 --> 00:11:13.140
- you from.
- 00:11:13.140 --> 00:11:15.040
- I love
- 00:11:15.040 --> 00:11:15.190
- what Pastor Rick Warren says.
- 00:11:15.190 --> 00:11:17.060
- Maybe you're in the middle
- 00:11:17.060 --> 00:11:18.010
- of crisis.
- 00:11:18.010 --> 00:11:18.160
- He says, "When people ask me
- 00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:19.260
- in anger and frustration,
- 00:11:19.260 --> 00:11:20.240
- 'Where is God in all of this?'"
- 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:22.180
- Whenever they're going
- 00:11:22.180 --> 00:11:23.030
- through something.
- 00:11:23.030 --> 00:11:23.220
- And he always smiles and says,
- 00:11:23.220 --> 00:11:24.130
- "In the Christians
- 00:11:24.130 --> 00:11:25.100
- all around you, helping you."
- 00:11:25.100 --> 00:11:28.020
- That's where God is
- 00:11:28.020 --> 00:11:28.180
- in all of this.
- 00:11:28.180 --> 00:11:29.290
- So you can trust that God
- 00:11:29.290 --> 00:11:30.220
- really is there,
- 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:31.180
- even when things don't
- 00:11:31.180 --> 00:11:32.290
- seem to make sense.
- 00:11:32.290 --> 00:11:35.160
- Joseph in the Bible was betrayed
- 00:11:35.160 --> 00:11:37.100
- by his brothers
- 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:38.180
- for the only reason he was
- 00:11:38.180 --> 00:11:39.120
- betrayed is 'cause his daddy
- 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:40.120
- liked him more and that's
- 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:41.260
- not really fair that his daddy
- 00:11:41.260 --> 00:11:42.290
- liked him more but sometimes
- 00:11:42.290 --> 00:11:43.270
- you think, "Oh, it must be nice
- 00:11:43.270 --> 00:11:44.220
- 'cause his daddy liked him
- 00:11:44.220 --> 00:11:45.190
- more," but actually, I think
- 00:11:45.190 --> 00:11:46.180
- that was probably worse
- 00:11:46.180 --> 00:11:47.130
- on him than better
- 00:11:47.130 --> 00:11:48.270
- 'cause his brothers hated him
- 00:11:48.270 --> 00:11:49.280
- for it, right?
- 00:11:49.280 --> 00:11:51.050
- And so then what happens?
- 00:11:51.050 --> 00:11:53.000
- His brothers betrayed him
- 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:54.150
- and sold him into slavery.
- 00:11:54.150 --> 00:11:55.280
- I mean, you think you had
- 00:11:55.280 --> 00:11:56.150
- sibling rivalry.
- 00:11:56.150 --> 00:11:57.160
- Can you imagine your sibling
- 00:11:57.160 --> 00:11:58.130
- selling you to someone else?
- 00:11:58.130 --> 00:12:01.050
- Like, that's a problem.
- 00:12:01.050 --> 00:12:02.280
- So 30 years later, now he's
- 00:12:02.280 --> 00:12:04.200
- an adult and he's in Egypt
- 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.120
- where he was sold into slavery
- 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:07.230
- and now he's become a free man
- 00:12:07.230 --> 00:12:09.080
- and he's now leading
- 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:10.050
- all of Egypt and he's--
- 00:12:10.050 --> 00:12:11.030
- literally saves all their lives
- 00:12:11.030 --> 00:12:12.090
- including his brothers
- 00:12:12.090 --> 00:12:13.010
- 'cause there was
- 00:12:13.010 --> 00:12:13.250
- a massive famine.
- 00:12:13.250 --> 00:12:14.230
- His brothers come to him
- 00:12:14.230 --> 00:12:15.180
- to apologize.
- 00:12:15.180 --> 00:12:16.080
- "Hey, we're really sorry
- 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:16.240
- about selling you into slavery."
- 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:18.150
- Like, what do you think he's
- 00:12:18.150 --> 00:12:19.020
- gonna say, like, "Oh,
- 00:12:19.020 --> 00:12:19.190
- no problem, we're good."
- 00:12:19.190 --> 00:12:20.210
- Like, that's
- 00:12:20.210 --> 00:12:21.060
- a pretty big thing, right?
- 00:12:21.060 --> 00:12:23.060
- What does Joseph say?
- 00:12:23.060 --> 00:12:24.030
- Look at the wisdom in this.
- 00:12:24.030 --> 00:12:25.030
- Genesis 50, verse 20.
- 00:12:25.030 --> 00:12:26.060
- He said, "You intended to harm
- 00:12:26.060 --> 00:12:27.040
- me, but God intended it for good
- 00:12:27.040 --> 00:12:30.010
- to accomplish what is now
- 00:12:30.010 --> 00:12:31.000
- being done, the saving
- 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:31.280
- of many lives."
- 00:12:31.280 --> 00:12:33.270
- So the world will hurt you
- 00:12:33.270 --> 00:12:35.220
- and harm you and people
- 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:36.280
- will hurt you and harm you,
- 00:12:36.280 --> 00:12:38.030
- but God will even use that harm
- 00:12:38.030 --> 00:12:40.200
- to get you where you're
- 00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:41.120
- supposed to be.
- 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:42.210
- The year was 1996.
- 00:12:42.210 --> 00:12:44.250
- I was in seminary.
- 00:12:44.250 --> 00:12:45.120
- I was finishing up school.
- 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:47.060
- And my wife was working
- 00:12:47.060 --> 00:12:48.080
- as a teacher and she,
- 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:49.260
- like, had the baby bug bad.
- 00:12:49.260 --> 00:12:52.160
- And you guys know
- 00:12:52.160 --> 00:12:53.010
- what I'm talking about
- 00:12:53.010 --> 00:12:53.160
- if you're married.
- 00:12:53.160 --> 00:12:54.010
- The baby bug is,
- 00:12:54.010 --> 00:12:54.200
- like, a very real deal.
- 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:55.190
- She wanted a kid now, right?
- 00:12:55.190 --> 00:12:57.090
- Which I was all for the process.
- 00:12:57.090 --> 00:12:58.110
- That was all great.
- 00:12:58.110 --> 00:12:59.120
- I was all great with that.
- 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:01.240
- But eventually, we got pregnant
- 00:13:01.240 --> 00:13:02.280
- and one day,
- 00:13:02.280 --> 00:13:04.060
- there was a problem.
- 00:13:04.060 --> 00:13:05.160
- She called me from work.
- 00:13:05.160 --> 00:13:06.070
- She said, "Honey, I need you
- 00:13:06.070 --> 00:13:06.240
- to get home.
- 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:07.100
- I'm--I don't know what's
- 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:08.000
- going on."
- 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:08.150
- And so she was spotting.
- 00:13:08.150 --> 00:13:09.270
- And some of you know
- 00:13:09.270 --> 00:13:10.220
- what this leads to, you know,
- 00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:12.260
- and we didn't understand
- 00:13:12.260 --> 00:13:14.050
- so we were just told to go
- 00:13:14.050 --> 00:13:15.220
- to the doctor, you know,
- 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:16.110
- and they ran some tests
- 00:13:16.110 --> 00:13:17.070
- and we went in and the doctor
- 00:13:17.070 --> 00:13:18.220
- was unavailable
- 00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:19.070
- so it was just this other person
- 00:13:19.070 --> 00:13:20.160
- that was running the tests
- 00:13:20.160 --> 00:13:21.060
- and they're rubbing jelly
- 00:13:21.060 --> 00:13:22.090
- all over her belly and they
- 00:13:22.090 --> 00:13:24.020
- start to do little tests
- 00:13:24.020 --> 00:13:25.070
- and they're trying to find
- 00:13:25.070 --> 00:13:26.030
- the heartbeat and we're
- 00:13:26.030 --> 00:13:27.250
- in this room and this girl
- 00:13:27.250 --> 00:13:29.230
- just keeps looking and we said,
- 00:13:29.230 --> 00:13:31.130
- "Okay, did you find
- 00:13:31.130 --> 00:13:32.030
- the heartbeat yet?"
- 00:13:32.030 --> 00:13:32.180
- She's, like, "Give me a second,
- 00:13:32.180 --> 00:13:33.070
- give me a second."
- 00:13:33.070 --> 00:13:33.230
- She's looking around
- 00:13:33.230 --> 00:13:34.140
- and, "What's up?
- 00:13:34.140 --> 00:13:35.180
- Did you find it yet?"
- 00:13:35.180 --> 00:13:36.040
- And she starts to put
- 00:13:36.040 --> 00:13:37.110
- her equipment down.
- 00:13:37.110 --> 00:13:37.260
- We said, "Whoa, whoa, you didn't
- 00:13:37.260 --> 00:13:38.150
- tell us what's going on.
- 00:13:38.150 --> 00:13:39.020
- What's happened?"
- 00:13:39.020 --> 00:13:39.290
- She goes, "You need to go see
- 00:13:39.290 --> 00:13:40.170
- your doctor right now."
- 00:13:40.170 --> 00:13:41.070
- We're, like, "No, no, no, no,
- 00:13:41.070 --> 00:13:42.030
- no, you need to tell me what's
- 00:13:42.030 --> 00:13:42.210
- going on."
- 00:13:42.210 --> 00:13:43.130
- And she just hung her head
- 00:13:43.130 --> 00:13:44.020
- and said, "I'm sorry."
- 00:13:44.020 --> 00:13:44.230
- I said, "Check it again,
- 00:13:44.230 --> 00:13:46.240
- one more time."
- 00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:48.130
- And she did.
- 00:13:48.130 --> 00:13:50.280
- She said, "I'm really sorry.
- 00:13:50.280 --> 00:13:53.040
- There's no heartbeat."
- 00:13:53.040 --> 00:13:55.290
- So now my wife's crying.
- 00:13:55.290 --> 00:13:57.240
- And I'm mad.
- 00:13:57.240 --> 00:13:59.100
- I'm not crying, I'm angry.
- 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:01.170
- So I'm driving home.
- 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:04.200
- And we go the next day
- 00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:05.140
- to the doctor and then we get
- 00:14:05.140 --> 00:14:07.120
- to experience
- 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:07.290
- this wonderful thing
- 00:14:07.290 --> 00:14:08.170
- where they get to take
- 00:14:08.170 --> 00:14:09.050
- a dead baby out of you.
- 00:14:09.130 --> 00:14:12.130
- And so she's bawling
- 00:14:12.130 --> 00:14:13.250
- her head off.
- 00:14:13.250 --> 00:14:14.160
- She's on this gurney and they're
- 00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:15.140
- dragging her in.
- 00:14:15.140 --> 00:14:17.050
- And I'm helpless to help her.
- 00:14:17.050 --> 00:14:18.050
- There's nothing I can do.
- 00:14:18.050 --> 00:14:20.210
- Surgery goes on, fine, and we go
- 00:14:20.210 --> 00:14:22.270
- back home.
- 00:14:22.270 --> 00:14:25.030
- And then she's crying
- 00:14:25.030 --> 00:14:25.220
- throughout the day.
- 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:26.110
- I gather my stuff 'cause I've
- 00:14:26.110 --> 00:14:28.060
- gotta go back to school.
- 00:14:28.060 --> 00:14:30.030
- And as I'm driving to seminary,
- 00:14:30.030 --> 00:14:30.270
- I go to seminary, I get to hear
- 00:14:30.270 --> 00:14:31.240
- the professor talk
- 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:32.190
- about how God's in control
- 00:14:32.190 --> 00:14:33.170
- and the God of love
- 00:14:33.170 --> 00:14:34.110
- and I'm, like, "Oh yeah,
- 00:14:34.110 --> 00:14:35.220
- right, sure.
- 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:36.180
- Sure, God's in control."
- 00:14:37.030 --> 00:14:40.030
- And I had this crisis of faith,
- 00:14:40.030 --> 00:14:41.000
- driving home from seminary.
- 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:42.110
- I remember pulled the car over.
- 00:14:42.110 --> 00:14:45.050
- I remember just yelling to God.
- 00:14:45.050 --> 00:14:46.150
- I said, "God, this is
- 00:14:46.150 --> 00:14:47.250
- so not right.
- 00:14:47.250 --> 00:14:49.190
- All my friends graduated
- 00:14:49.190 --> 00:14:50.190
- college.
- 00:14:50.190 --> 00:14:51.110
- Already making money.
- 00:14:51.110 --> 00:14:52.130
- I'm still broke, I'm in college.
- 00:14:52.130 --> 00:14:54.190
- I'm going to seminary for you
- 00:14:54.190 --> 00:14:56.170
- and I'm gonna go start a church
- 00:14:56.170 --> 00:14:57.160
- which means I'm gonna be broke
- 00:14:57.160 --> 00:14:58.210
- even longer and I'm trying
- 00:14:58.210 --> 00:14:59.140
- to honor you and I'm trying
- 00:14:59.140 --> 00:15:00.130
- to give my life for you
- 00:15:00.130 --> 00:15:01.120
- and all we want is a baby
- 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:02.270
- and you let this happen to me.
- 00:15:02.270 --> 00:15:04.080
- How can you let this happen?
- 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:08.080
- If you're such a God of love,
- 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.200
- why is my wife crying?
- 00:15:11.140 --> 00:15:14.140
- Where were you when we lost
- 00:15:14.140 --> 00:15:16.250
- our child?
- 00:15:16.250 --> 00:15:18.060
- Where were you?"
- 00:15:20.060 --> 00:15:23.060
- And in that moment, I sensed
- 00:15:23.060 --> 00:15:23.290
- the Spirit of God speak to me
- 00:15:23.290 --> 00:15:26.260
- and say, "Well, I was
- 00:15:26.260 --> 00:15:27.160
- in the same place I was
- 00:15:27.160 --> 00:15:28.250
- when I sent my child to die
- 00:15:28.250 --> 00:15:31.140
- for you."
- 00:15:32.100 --> 00:15:35.100
- Life is unfair.
- 00:15:35.100 --> 00:15:37.230
- But God is still good.
- 00:15:39.140 --> 00:15:42.140
- You can trust him.
- 00:15:44.190 --> 00:15:47.190
- 2 Corinthians 1:4 really helped
- 00:15:48.260 --> 00:15:51.260
- me through that time.
- 00:15:51.260 --> 00:15:54.100
- It says, "God helps us
- 00:15:54.100 --> 00:15:55.000
- in our troubles, so we are able
- 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:57.070
- to help others who have
- 00:15:57.070 --> 00:15:58.200
- all kinds of troubles, using
- 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:00.060
- the same help that we ourselves
- 00:16:00.060 --> 00:16:01.090
- have received from God."
- 00:16:01.090 --> 00:16:03.290
- What I didn't know was
- 00:16:03.290 --> 00:16:05.030
- how many couples I would end up
- 00:16:05.030 --> 00:16:07.000
- ministering to over decades
- 00:16:07.160 --> 00:16:10.160
- who have faced,
- 00:16:10.160 --> 00:16:11.020
- or maybe are facing right now,
- 00:16:11.020 --> 00:16:12.230
- the same thing.
- 00:16:12.230 --> 00:16:14.270
- In the same way,
- 00:16:14.270 --> 00:16:15.170
- I will tell you this.
- 00:16:15.170 --> 00:16:16.020
- You know
- 00:16:16.020 --> 00:16:16.180
- the best drug counselors I know,
- 00:16:16.180 --> 00:16:18.210
- guess what they used to do?
- 00:16:18.210 --> 00:16:20.210
- Drugs.
- 00:16:20.210 --> 00:16:23.020
- The good news
- 00:16:23.020 --> 00:16:24.070
- about your current misery is it
- 00:16:24.070 --> 00:16:26.040
- will become your future ministry
- 00:16:26.250 --> 00:16:29.250
- as you'll be able to help people
- 00:16:29.250 --> 00:16:31.230
- because of the help you yourself
- 00:16:31.230 --> 00:16:33.130
- have received.
- 00:16:33.130 --> 00:16:33.290
- Now, the good news about that
- 00:16:33.290 --> 00:16:34.240
- also means that you're
- 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:35.150
- gonna overcome
- 00:16:35.150 --> 00:16:36.020
- whatever you're dealing with.
- 00:16:36.020 --> 00:16:38.010
- So that you can help
- 00:16:38.010 --> 00:16:40.030
- someone else overcome
- 00:16:40.030 --> 00:16:41.020
- the very same thing.
- 00:16:41.110 --> 00:16:44.110
- Number two, would you
- 00:16:44.110 --> 00:16:44.260
- write this down?
- 00:16:44.260 --> 00:16:46.220
- "Bad things are still bad,
- 00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:48.130
- but God can use them
- 00:16:48.130 --> 00:16:49.140
- to accomplish
- 00:16:49.140 --> 00:16:50.020
- his good purposes."
- 00:16:50.020 --> 00:16:52.170
- Doesn't change the fact
- 00:16:52.170 --> 00:16:53.060
- that bad things are bad.
- 00:16:53.060 --> 00:16:55.000
- But God will use those
- 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:56.000
- to accomplish his good
- 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.000
- What I'm trying to tell you
- 00:17:00.030 --> 00:17:00.200
- is that God never wastes a hurt.
- 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:03.140
- He recycles the pain you have
- 00:17:03.140 --> 00:17:05.050
- so you can help others with it.
- 00:17:05.050 --> 00:17:08.020
- And you're able to help
- 00:17:08.020 --> 00:17:08.170
- those who've gone through
- 00:17:08.170 --> 00:17:10.010
- difficulties.
- 00:17:10.010 --> 00:17:10.210
- You know, I've been betrayed
- 00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:11.080
- and that betrayal has helped me
- 00:17:11.080 --> 00:17:12.140
- help you through your betrayal.
- 00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:15.100
- I've been hurt and lied about
- 00:17:15.100 --> 00:17:16.180
- unfairly so that you can, what?
- 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:19.030
- Receive help when you're hurt
- 00:17:19.030 --> 00:17:20.220
- and lied about unfairly
- 00:17:20.220 --> 00:17:22.180
- from a pastor who gets it.
- 00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:25.070
- Does that make sense?
- 00:17:25.070 --> 00:17:26.100
- I mean, how do you think you can
- 00:17:26.100 --> 00:17:26.290
- help your teenagers
- 00:17:26.290 --> 00:17:27.230
- through their awkward years?
- 00:17:27.230 --> 00:17:28.170
- 'Cause you went
- 00:17:28.170 --> 00:17:29.030
- through 'em, right?
- 00:17:29.030 --> 00:17:31.150
- That's how we can help 'em.
- 00:17:31.150 --> 00:17:32.120
- They don't think we can
- 00:17:32.120 --> 00:17:33.100
- And so the truth is, is you're
- 00:17:36.020 --> 00:17:36.290
- able to use that pain
- 00:17:36.290 --> 00:17:38.190
- and that difficulty that you
- 00:17:38.190 --> 00:17:39.220
- yourselves have
- 00:17:39.220 --> 00:17:41.020
- also gone through.
- 00:17:41.020 --> 00:17:43.000
- Jesus is who Jesus is
- 00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:44.170
- because of the cross.
- 00:17:44.180 --> 00:17:47.180
- In the same way, you and I
- 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:48.200
- become who we are and we become
- 00:17:48.200 --> 00:17:50.250
- more like Christ
- 00:17:50.250 --> 00:17:51.230
- because of the crosses
- 00:17:51.230 --> 00:17:53.020
- that we bear,
- 00:17:53.020 --> 00:17:54.290
- because of the pain
- 00:17:54.290 --> 00:17:55.180
- and difficulties in our lives.
- 00:17:56.070 --> 00:17:59.070
- Life is hard, but God is good
- 00:17:59.070 --> 00:18:02.060
- and he really can be trusted.
- 00:18:02.230 --> 00:18:05.230
- 1 Corinthians 13:12, I think
- 00:18:05.230 --> 00:18:08.110
- this can really help you
- 00:18:08.110 --> 00:18:09.030
- 'cause it helps me to know this.
- 00:18:09.030 --> 00:18:11.030
- It says, "In the same way,
- 00:18:11.030 --> 00:18:12.030
- we can see and understand
- 00:18:12.030 --> 00:18:13.030
- only a little about God now,
- 00:18:13.030 --> 00:18:14.250
- as if we were peering
- 00:18:14.250 --> 00:18:15.220
- at his reflection
- 00:18:15.220 --> 00:18:16.190
- in a poor mirror; but someday we
- 00:18:16.190 --> 00:18:18.280
- are going to see him
- 00:18:18.280 --> 00:18:20.030
- in his completeness,
- 00:18:20.030 --> 00:18:20.280
- face-to-face.
- 00:18:20.280 --> 00:18:22.120
- Now all that I know is hazy
- 00:18:22.120 --> 00:18:23.240
- and blurred, but then I will see
- 00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:25.110
- everything clearly,
- 00:18:25.110 --> 00:18:26.230
- just as clearly as God sees
- 00:18:26.230 --> 00:18:28.100
- into my heart right now."
- 00:18:28.100 --> 00:18:31.080
- The truth is if you're looking
- 00:18:31.080 --> 00:18:32.140
- to fully understand why you're
- 00:18:32.140 --> 00:18:34.010
- going through what you're
- 00:18:34.010 --> 00:18:35.030
- going through right now,
- 00:18:35.030 --> 00:18:36.000
- you're probably not going
- 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:37.000
- to understand it completely
- 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:38.090
- on this side of eternity.
- 00:18:38.090 --> 00:18:41.030
- We all need to have in our minds
- 00:18:41.030 --> 00:18:42.190
- a file that we file
- 00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:44.240
- away the "why" questions
- 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.120
- in, not because we're not gonna
- 00:18:46.120 --> 00:18:47.170
- get them answered but we
- 00:18:47.170 --> 00:18:48.120
- just may not get them
- 00:18:48.120 --> 00:18:49.050
- answered now.
- 00:18:49.050 --> 00:18:51.060
- But when we see God face
- 00:18:51.060 --> 00:18:52.120
- to face, not only are we gonna
- 00:18:52.120 --> 00:18:53.130
- see who he is in all his glory,
- 00:18:53.130 --> 00:18:55.070
- but we'll also immediately,
- 00:18:55.070 --> 00:18:56.170
- because of his completeness
- 00:18:56.170 --> 00:18:57.260
- and his knowledge,
- 00:18:57.260 --> 00:18:58.190
- we'll immediately see
- 00:18:58.190 --> 00:18:59.150
- and understand why the things
- 00:18:59.150 --> 00:19:02.050
- that have happened in our lives
- 00:19:02.050 --> 00:19:02.280
- have happened.
- 00:19:02.280 --> 00:19:05.010
- So I really can't tell you
- 00:19:05.010 --> 00:19:06.130
- why you lost your child.
- 00:19:06.130 --> 00:19:09.110
- I really can't tell you
- 00:19:09.110 --> 00:19:09.290
- why someone betrayed you.
- 00:19:09.290 --> 00:19:11.060
- I really can't tell you
- 00:19:11.060 --> 00:19:11.240
- why that accident happened
- 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:14.060
- and took your right arm
- 00:19:14.060 --> 00:19:15.170
- or your left eye
- 00:19:15.170 --> 00:19:17.040
- or whatever had happened to you.
- 00:19:17.170 --> 00:19:20.170
- I really don't have
- 00:19:20.170 --> 00:19:21.020
- a great reason.
- 00:19:21.020 --> 00:19:23.190
- In fact, is there
- 00:19:23.190 --> 00:19:24.040
- really a good reason
- 00:19:24.040 --> 00:19:25.060
- for someone to be abused?
- 00:19:25.060 --> 00:19:27.050
- I mean, is there really gonna be
- 00:19:27.050 --> 00:19:27.280
- an answer, you're gonna go,
- 00:19:27.280 --> 00:19:28.230
- "Oh, well, that makes sense
- 00:19:28.230 --> 00:19:29.180
- why I was sexually abused,
- 00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:30.170
- yeah, sure."
- 00:19:30.170 --> 00:19:32.140
- I don't think
- 00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:32.290
- that really exists.
- 00:19:32.290 --> 00:19:35.080
- I don't think there's
- 00:19:35.080 --> 00:19:35.230
- a good reason that someone
- 00:19:35.230 --> 00:19:38.190
- would go through
- 00:19:38.190 --> 00:19:40.200
- some kind of horrible experience
- 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:43.120
- but I think we can trust
- 00:19:43.120 --> 00:19:44.040
- that God,
- 00:19:44.040 --> 00:19:45.280
- in his infinite wisdom,
- 00:19:45.280 --> 00:19:48.080
- can show us the purpose
- 00:19:48.080 --> 00:19:49.010
- through it.
- 00:19:49.010 --> 00:19:50.290
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 says,
- 00:19:50.290 --> 00:19:52.110
- "For our light
- 00:19:52.110 --> 00:19:53.010
- and momentary troubles
- 00:19:53.010 --> 00:19:53.290
- are achieving for us
- 00:19:53.290 --> 00:19:55.000
- an eternal glory
- 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:55.260
- that far outweighs them all."
- 00:19:55.260 --> 00:19:58.110
- Or as the Bible teacher
- 00:19:58.110 --> 00:19:59.070
- Beth Moore says,
- 00:19:59.070 --> 00:20:00.220
- "I believe that your pain
- 00:20:00.220 --> 00:20:01.210
- creates greater glory for God."
- 00:20:02.100 --> 00:20:05.100
- Whatever you're going through,
- 00:20:05.100 --> 00:20:06.070
- it really does create
- 00:20:06.070 --> 00:20:07.190
- a greater glory.
- 00:20:07.240 --> 00:20:10.240
- 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord
- 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:12.290
- is not slow
- 00:20:12.290 --> 00:20:13.210
- in keeping his promise,
- 00:20:13.210 --> 00:20:14.220
- as some understand slowness.
- 00:20:14.220 --> 00:20:16.160
- He is patient with you,
- 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:17.250
- not wanting anyone to perish,
- 00:20:17.250 --> 00:20:19.040
- but everyone to come
- 00:20:19.040 --> 00:20:20.200
- to repentance."
- 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:22.200
- Reason I wanna mention this,
- 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:23.090
- 'cause some people say,
- 00:20:23.090 --> 00:20:24.040
- "I'm going through such hell,
- 00:20:24.040 --> 00:20:25.190
- I'm going through
- 00:20:25.190 --> 00:20:26.040
- such difficult--God, can you
- 00:20:26.040 --> 00:20:27.030
- just come back
- 00:20:27.030 --> 00:20:27.260
- and take us all home?"
- 00:20:27.260 --> 00:20:29.160
- Wouldn't that be easier if God
- 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:30.210
- just took away all this pain
- 00:20:30.210 --> 00:20:32.070
- right now and just zapped us
- 00:20:32.070 --> 00:20:33.170
- up to heaven and we were done?
- 00:20:33.170 --> 00:20:35.260
- Wouldn't that be
- 00:20:35.260 --> 00:20:36.110
- the loving thing for God to do
- 00:20:36.110 --> 00:20:38.010
- right now in the middle
- 00:20:38.010 --> 00:20:38.200
- of your mess, right?
- 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:40.090
- Actually, that would not be
- 00:20:40.090 --> 00:20:40.270
- the loving thing to do.
- 00:20:40.270 --> 00:20:41.280
- Let me tell you why.
- 00:20:41.280 --> 00:20:43.020
- 'Cause the moment he does that,
- 00:20:43.020 --> 00:20:44.240
- the person that you love
- 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:45.150
- that you've been trying
- 00:20:45.150 --> 00:20:46.080
- to witness to that doesn't know
- 00:20:46.080 --> 00:20:47.010
- Jesus yet, no longer has
- 00:20:47.010 --> 00:20:48.050
- a chance.
- 00:20:48.050 --> 00:20:50.110
- So the loving thing is
- 00:20:50.110 --> 00:20:52.210
- to let the world continue
- 00:20:52.210 --> 00:20:53.260
- with ISIS and tornadoes
- 00:20:53.260 --> 00:20:56.180
- and floods and shooters
- 00:20:56.180 --> 00:20:58.280
- in malls and schools
- 00:20:58.280 --> 00:21:00.150
- and someone betraying you
- 00:21:00.150 --> 00:21:01.250
- at work and cancer
- 00:21:01.250 --> 00:21:03.100
- still around and pain
- 00:21:03.100 --> 00:21:04.290
- in your life because all of that
- 00:21:04.290 --> 00:21:06.190
- he is hoping and praying
- 00:21:06.190 --> 00:21:08.130
- that in the middle
- 00:21:08.130 --> 00:21:09.030
- of all the world's chaos
- 00:21:09.030 --> 00:21:10.280
- and crisis and difficulty
- 00:21:10.280 --> 00:21:11.250
- that more people will come
- 00:21:11.250 --> 00:21:13.190
- to Jesus.
- 00:21:13.190 --> 00:21:16.030
- That's why he has not
- 00:21:16.030 --> 00:21:16.250
- taken you out.
- 00:21:19.170 --> 00:21:22.170
- Last verse I wanna share
- 00:21:22.170 --> 00:21:23.070
- with you is Psalm 34:18.
- 00:21:23.070 --> 00:21:24.290
- It says, "The Lord is close
- 00:21:24.290 --> 00:21:25.290
- to the brokenhearted and saves
- 00:21:25.290 --> 00:21:27.120
- those who are crushed
- 00:21:27.120 --> 00:21:28.070
- in spirit."
- 00:21:28.070 --> 00:21:30.100
- Sometimes I think I pray,
- 00:21:30.100 --> 00:21:30.280
- "O God, I wanna be close
- 00:21:30.280 --> 00:21:31.240
- to you."
- 00:21:31.240 --> 00:21:32.110
- And I think God says,
- 00:21:32.110 --> 00:21:32.290
- "You don't know
- 00:21:32.290 --> 00:21:33.250
- what you're asking."
- 00:21:33.250 --> 00:21:36.080
- 'Cause to really be close
- 00:21:36.080 --> 00:21:37.040
- to Jesus is to share
- 00:21:37.040 --> 00:21:39.020
- in his sufferings.
- 00:21:39.020 --> 00:21:41.160
- Is to share in the pain
- 00:21:41.160 --> 00:21:42.070
- that he has undergone for you
- 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:45.160
- and for me.
- 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:47.040
- Number three,
- 00:21:47.040 --> 00:21:47.190
- would you write this down?
- 00:21:47.190 --> 00:21:49.050
- "Understand that you're not
- 00:21:49.050 --> 00:21:50.160
- going to completely understand
- 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:53.000
- until the end."
- 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:55.060
- You've gotta learn to understand
- 00:21:55.060 --> 00:21:56.290
- that you're not gonna
- 00:21:56.290 --> 00:21:57.200
- completely understand
- 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.240
- until the end.
- 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:00.200
- Hopefully, today has given you
- 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:01.220
- a little more understanding
- 00:22:01.220 --> 00:22:02.240
- of the chaos and crisis
- 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.220
- in your life but it doesn't mean
- 00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:04.190
- that you're necessarily leaving
- 00:22:04.190 --> 00:22:06.020
- here, going,
- 00:22:06.020 --> 00:22:06.190
- "Oh, I'm cool with it now."
- 00:22:06.190 --> 00:22:09.120
- I don't think we're all
- 00:22:09.120 --> 00:22:10.070
- just cool with pain
- 00:22:10.070 --> 00:22:12.010
- or great with difficulty
- 00:22:12.010 --> 00:22:13.110
- or betrayal
- 00:22:13.110 --> 00:22:14.200
- or whatever your trial
- 00:22:14.200 --> 00:22:15.120
- happens to be, right?
- 00:22:15.120 --> 00:22:17.150
- But it does help you
- 00:22:17.150 --> 00:22:18.130
- to know this.
- 00:22:18.130 --> 00:22:19.210
- Listen.
- 00:22:19.210 --> 00:22:20.080
- Jesus never promised you would
- 00:22:20.080 --> 00:22:21.280
- not have trials and pain
- 00:22:21.280 --> 00:22:23.290
- or tragedy.
- 00:22:23.290 --> 00:22:24.240
- He promised to get you
- 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.140
- through them.
- 00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:28.200
- He's with you through it.
- 00:22:28.230 --> 00:22:31.230
- Back in 1818 in France there was
- 00:22:31.230 --> 00:22:33.220
- a little boy named Louis.
- 00:22:33.220 --> 00:22:36.090
- Louis wanted to be
- 00:22:36.090 --> 00:22:37.020
- just like his daddy.
- 00:22:37.020 --> 00:22:38.090
- He was 9 years old
- 00:22:38.090 --> 00:22:39.030
- and, like most little boys,
- 00:22:39.030 --> 00:22:39.260
- he looked up to his dad.
- 00:22:39.260 --> 00:22:41.190
- His dad was a craftsman
- 00:22:41.190 --> 00:22:42.280
- by trade.
- 00:22:42.280 --> 00:22:43.190
- He was very good with his hands.
- 00:22:43.190 --> 00:22:45.060
- He was always building things
- 00:22:45.060 --> 00:22:46.040
- and selling them.
- 00:22:46.040 --> 00:22:47.150
- One day, he was in his shop
- 00:22:47.150 --> 00:22:48.260
- and he was working on something
- 00:22:48.260 --> 00:22:49.250
- and he had heated up
- 00:22:49.250 --> 00:22:51.010
- some iron ore and he was
- 00:22:51.010 --> 00:22:52.160
- banging out some metal
- 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:53.290
- and he was shaping something
- 00:22:53.290 --> 00:22:55.020
- and he was building
- 00:22:55.020 --> 00:22:56.010
- and Louis said,
- 00:22:56.010 --> 00:22:56.290
- "Daddy, can I help?"
- 00:22:56.290 --> 00:22:57.250
- He said, "Sure, of course."
- 00:22:57.250 --> 00:22:59.170
- He said, "Go get your hammer.
- 00:22:59.170 --> 00:23:00.170
- You're gonna build something
- 00:23:00.170 --> 00:23:01.040
- beside me."
- 00:23:01.040 --> 00:23:01.260
- And so he went and he got
- 00:23:01.260 --> 00:23:02.140
- his little hammer and he had
- 00:23:02.140 --> 00:23:03.080
- a little piece and he heated up
- 00:23:03.080 --> 00:23:04.130
- a little bit and he said,
- 00:23:04.130 --> 00:23:05.030
- "Okay, now, get right up, now.
- 00:23:05.030 --> 00:23:06.070
- Okay, now, now hit it
- 00:23:06.070 --> 00:23:07.000
- just right here."
- 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:08.030
- And so little Louis at age 9 has
- 00:23:08.030 --> 00:23:09.290
- a little hammer in his hand,
- 00:23:09.290 --> 00:23:10.270
- he was just wanting to be
- 00:23:10.270 --> 00:23:11.240
- like his daddy.
- 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:12.270
- And he took the hammer and he
- 00:23:12.270 --> 00:23:14.040
- swung it real hard and he hit
- 00:23:14.040 --> 00:23:15.050
- what he was supposed to hit,
- 00:23:15.050 --> 00:23:16.180
- but what no one was prepared for
- 00:23:16.180 --> 00:23:17.200
- was that there was
- 00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:18.050
- a little piece on the side
- 00:23:18.050 --> 00:23:19.200
- that was just barely attached
- 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.150
- and when he hit it it flew up
- 00:23:22.150 --> 00:23:23.290
- into his eye, blinded him
- 00:23:23.290 --> 00:23:26.140
- immediately in that eye.
- 00:23:26.140 --> 00:23:28.260
- Well, 2 or 3 years later,
- 00:23:28.260 --> 00:23:29.230
- unbeknownst to them, Louis went
- 00:23:29.230 --> 00:23:31.260
- blind in his other eye
- 00:23:31.260 --> 00:23:32.290
- and they don't really know why.
- 00:23:32.290 --> 00:23:35.160
- So now, he's a teenager,
- 00:23:35.160 --> 00:23:37.190
- totally blind.
- 00:23:37.190 --> 00:23:39.100
- It's hard enough being
- 00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:39.250
- a teenager, but try being
- 00:23:39.250 --> 00:23:40.270
- a teenager blind.
- 00:23:40.270 --> 00:23:43.100
- And so here he is,
- 00:23:43.100 --> 00:23:44.010
- he has no sight.
- 00:23:44.010 --> 00:23:46.060
- He's wallowing in frustration
- 00:23:46.060 --> 00:23:47.100
- like anyone would be.
- 00:23:47.100 --> 00:23:49.110
- One day, a friend of his
- 00:23:49.110 --> 00:23:49.290
- comes by to see him.
- 00:23:49.290 --> 00:23:51.210
- Louis heard him
- 00:23:51.210 --> 00:23:52.070
- and he said, "Hey."
- 00:23:52.070 --> 00:23:52.270
- He knew who he was immediately
- 00:23:52.270 --> 00:23:53.210
- just by the sound of his walk
- 00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:54.240
- 'cause that's what happens
- 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:55.220
- when you're blind, by the way,
- 00:23:55.220 --> 00:23:56.160
- is you have
- 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:57.010
- a heightened sensitivity
- 00:23:57.010 --> 00:23:58.160
- in other areas like your hearing
- 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:59.160
- and your touch.
- 00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:01.100
- And so he
- 00:24:01.100 --> 00:24:01.270
- immediately said, "Hey."
- 00:24:01.270 --> 00:24:03.150
- He knew who he was.
- 00:24:03.150 --> 00:24:04.190
- And he said, "What do you hold
- 00:24:04.190 --> 00:24:05.080
- in your hand?"
- 00:24:05.080 --> 00:24:06.220
- He said, "Oh, I got
- 00:24:06.220 --> 00:24:07.070
- some pine cones,"
- 00:24:07.070 --> 00:24:07.280
- and Louis said,
- 00:24:07.280 --> 00:24:08.180
- "Can I have one?"
- 00:24:08.180 --> 00:24:09.180
- He said, "Sure."
- 00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:10.070
- So he put a pine cone
- 00:24:10.070 --> 00:24:10.270
- in his hand.
- 00:24:10.270 --> 00:24:11.130
- Of course, they're prickly,
- 00:24:11.130 --> 00:24:12.060
- you know, they're sharp
- 00:24:12.060 --> 00:24:13.000
- and he put it in his hand.
- 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:13.160
- He's, "Ooh, ow," 'cause he had
- 00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:15.010
- heightened sensitivity
- 00:24:15.010 --> 00:24:16.100
- in his fingers and he began
- 00:24:16.100 --> 00:24:17.220
- to hold the pine cone
- 00:24:17.220 --> 00:24:18.220
- and as he sat there for a while,
- 00:24:18.220 --> 00:24:19.210
- quietly, his friend said,
- 00:24:19.210 --> 00:24:20.160
- "Are you okay?"
- 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:21.220
- He said, "I got a great idea."
- 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:23.220
- He said, "What?"
- 00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:25.100
- He goes, "Can you get
- 00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:25.250
- a piece of paper?"
- 00:24:25.250 --> 00:24:27.270
- "Sure."
- 00:24:27.270 --> 00:24:29.120
- "Get a pencil."
- 00:24:29.120 --> 00:24:30.280
- So he got it.
- 00:24:30.280 --> 00:24:32.130
- And right there, a teenage boy
- 00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:35.200
- named Louis Braille began
- 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.130
- to create an alphabet
- 00:24:37.130 --> 00:24:40.010
- from the bumps he felt
- 00:24:40.010 --> 00:24:41.190
- on a pine cone.
- 00:24:41.190 --> 00:24:44.010
- And because of his pain
- 00:24:44.010 --> 00:24:45.290
- and because of his difficulty,
- 00:24:45.290 --> 00:24:48.280
- millions of blind people get
- 00:24:48.280 --> 00:24:50.220
- to enter into a world of books.
- 00:24:50.220 --> 00:24:53.180
- And I'm a little jealous
- 00:24:53.180 --> 00:24:54.070
- 'cause when Mom and Dad say
- 00:24:54.070 --> 00:24:55.070
- to turn the lights off,
- 00:24:55.070 --> 00:24:56.000
- they can keep reading.
- 00:24:59.260 --> 00:25:02.280
- So you can wallow in your pain
- 00:25:02.280 --> 00:25:05.130
- or you can say,
- 00:25:05.130 --> 00:25:06.160
- "God, as Job did, 'Though he
- 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:09.110
- slay me, I will worship him.'
- 00:25:10.040 --> 00:25:13.040
- I don't understand why I'm going
- 00:25:13.040 --> 00:25:14.000
- through this, God, but I will
- 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:15.240
- worship you, I will find
- 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:16.230
- my purpose in this anyways.
- 00:25:16.230 --> 00:25:19.060
- I will be helpful to a world
- 00:25:19.060 --> 00:25:21.060
- in need, even though I myself
- 00:25:21.060 --> 00:25:22.230
- need help, I will try to make
- 00:25:22.230 --> 00:25:25.080
- a difference.
- 00:25:25.080 --> 00:25:26.260
- I will live my purpose.
- 00:25:26.260 --> 00:25:28.160
- - Bil: Wow, God is awesome.
- 00:25:36.080 --> 00:25:38.210
- He is clearly moving today.
- 00:25:38.210 --> 00:25:40.140
- I got a question
- 00:25:40.140 --> 00:25:41.080
- I'd like to ask you.
- 00:25:41.080 --> 00:25:42.060
- Have you prayed a simple prayer
- 00:25:42.060 --> 00:25:43.210
- to receive Christ
- 00:25:43.210 --> 00:25:44.140
- as your Lord and Savior?
- 00:25:44.140 --> 00:25:46.010
- If you've never done so,
- 00:25:46.010 --> 00:25:47.140
- would you pray
- 00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:48.000
- this simple prayer with me?
- 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:48.290
- This is actually how you
- 00:25:48.290 --> 00:25:49.290
- become a Christian.
- 00:25:49.290 --> 00:25:51.150
- You can pray with me right now.
- 00:25:51.150 --> 00:25:52.270
- You can say, "Dear Jesus,
- 00:25:52.270 --> 00:25:54.000
- I realize I need you in my life.
- 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:56.180
- I believe you died on the cross
- 00:25:56.180 --> 00:25:58.030
- to the pay the price
- 00:25:58.030 --> 00:25:58.240
- for all my sins, and that you
- 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:00.150
- rose again from the grave,
- 00:26:00.150 --> 00:26:02.010
- proving that you're God.
- 00:26:02.010 --> 00:26:03.140
- And now I ask you,
- 00:26:03.140 --> 00:26:04.120
- I invite you to come
- 00:26:04.120 --> 00:26:05.130
- into my life, change me
- 00:26:05.130 --> 00:26:07.010
- from within, be my Lord
- 00:26:07.010 --> 00:26:08.120
- and be my Savior.
- 00:26:08.120 --> 00:26:10.120
- Thank you, Jesus,
- 00:26:10.120 --> 00:26:11.060
- for saving me."
- 00:26:11.060 --> 00:26:12.290
- If you just prayed that prayer,
- 00:26:12.290 --> 00:26:13.280
- we believe that Christ has come
- 00:26:13.280 --> 00:26:14.290
- into your life.
- 00:26:14.290 --> 00:26:15.260
- And that's what it means
- 00:26:15.260 --> 00:26:16.250
- to become a Christian.
- 00:26:16.250 --> 00:26:17.270
- Thanks so much for being
- 00:26:17.270 --> 00:26:18.240
- a part of our program today.
- 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:20.030
- We hope you have a great week.
- 00:26:20.030 --> 00:26:22.000
- - female announcer: Many of us
- 00:26:25.290 --> 00:26:26.180
- face difficulties that challenge
- 00:26:26.180 --> 00:26:27.140
- our resolve and keep us from
- 00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:28.250
- moving forward.
- 00:26:28.250 --> 00:26:29.270
- As a thank you for your support
- 00:26:29.270 --> 00:26:31.030
- of Bil Cornelius Ministries,
- 00:26:31.030 --> 00:26:32.130
- we would like to send you a copy
- 00:26:32.130 --> 00:26:33.210
- of "Winning the War Within:
- 00:26:33.210 --> 00:26:35.070
- When You Feel Like Giving Up."
- 00:26:35.070 --> 00:26:36.230
- In this incredible DVD message,
- 00:26:36.230 --> 00:26:38.120
- Pastor Bil teaches the steps
- 00:26:38.120 --> 00:26:39.260
- to take when you
- 00:26:39.260 --> 00:26:40.160
- - Bil: The power of God is so
- 00:26:42.170 --> 00:26:44.000
- much bigger and stronger than
- 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:46.080
- anything you're facing today,
- 00:26:46.080 --> 00:26:47.140
- that I believe what God wanted
- 00:26:47.140 --> 00:26:48.170
- to reveal to you today is not
- 00:26:48.170 --> 00:26:49.210
- some crazy, weird stuff.
- 00:26:49.210 --> 00:26:51.040
- But he wants to reveal to you
- 00:26:51.040 --> 00:26:52.040
- that he is available for
- 00:26:52.040 --> 00:26:53.250
- whatever you need right now.
- 00:26:53.250 --> 00:26:55.190
- - announcer: For a gift of $30
- 00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:58.090
- or more, you can receive the
- 00:26:58.090 --> 00:26:59.170
- complete series of
- 00:26:59.170 --> 00:27:00.210
- "Winning the War Within," which
- 00:27:00.210 --> 00:27:01.240
- - Bil: The next time the devil
- 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:07.240
- reminds you of your past,
- 00:27:07.240 --> 00:27:09.130
- remind him of his future.
- 00:27:09.130 --> 00:27:11.130
- - announcer: To request your
- 00:27:11.130 --> 00:27:12.090
- copy of
- 00:27:12.090 --> 00:27:13.000
- "When You Feel Like Giving Up,"
- 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:13.280
- or to receive the entire
- 00:27:13.280 --> 00:27:15.010
- "Winning the War Within"
- 00:27:15.010 --> 00:27:16.060
- series, call 855-357-4422,
- 00:27:17.030 --> 00:27:20.030
- CC by Aberdeen Captioning 1-800-688-6621 abercap.com
- 00:27:25.060 --> 00:27:27.060