Why Does God Allow Sufferings. AG Sunday School Manual

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Study 5: WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING?

Text: Gen 1:26-31; 2:15-22; 3:1-8, 16-19; Job 14:1; Psalm 51:5; Eccl. 7:20;Isa 53:6; Rom 5:12; 8:18, 31-39;1 Peter 4:12-13

Key Verse: John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)

Focus
“How can a loving God allow suffering and evil to continue? “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Where is God when tragedy strikes? “These questions take many forms, but all of them represent a struggle to understand God’s supreme power and goodness contrasted with the turmoil that is so widespread in the world He created.

The issue of why God allows suffering is important when it comes to communicating, your faith. It is often one of the concerns or objections raised by people who are considering Christianity. It crosses the mind of most believers from time to time, testing their dependence on God. Whether your students are struggling with issues of faith or boldness in their witness, it’s likely your students have witnessed or wrestled with the paradox of God’s love and human suffering.

This week’s study will help your class better understand and deal with this difficult issue.
As you prepare for this study, think about times in your past when you faced hardship or tragedy and had questions about God’s involvement. Be prepared to share some of the lessons you’ve learned, and how God brought good out of your trials. For students today, personal experiences are often more convincing than presenting rational arguments for faith. Also be sensitive to students’ current difficulties, taking time now and in the class to ask God for the grace to better understand and endure suffering with the hope that only He can give.

The Basic Message: Explain to students…

WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?
Suffering and evil are normal in a world that chooses to defy God, but He will fulfil His purpose through and in spite of troubles.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?
People who fault God for not preventing troubles don’t fully understand evil’s origin or why God allows suffering.

HOW DO I LIVE IT?
Don’t focus on the source or reason for suffering, but instead concentrate on how you can respond and grow closer to God through it.

Activity Option: A WORLD OF TROUBLE

Pass around several news stories dealing with tragedy, injustice, suffering, etc. As students scan stories, discuss the following questions:
• What do these stories have in common?

Hint: Tragedy, injustice, etc.

• Why did these events happen? Who or what is responsible?

Hint: Things like natural disaster may have no clear cause. Other events may stem from poor choices or criminal behaviour.

• What do these accounts tell us about our world? [Hint: The world can be a harsh and confusing place.]

Guide: Explain that everyone encounters trouble. Each of us knows the sting of hurt and heartache, disease and disaster, trials and tragedy.

Study Overview: Explain that today’s study considers…
• Human choices, not God, make suffering inevitable.
• In a world that has chosen to defy God, evil is the norm; the fact that any good can come from suffering is proof of God’s love.
• God can accomplish His purpose through suffering-in spite of evil.

Inform and Discuss
a). It’s a Matter of Choice

Guide: Explain that people often blame God for trouble in the world. Yet His Word clearly describes how evil entered the world and who is responsible. God provided a good world but man chose to mar it with sin.
1. Read or ask volunteers to read Gen 1:26-31; 2:15-22; 3:1-8,16-19.What was the condition of the world and humanity at the time of creation? What happened to change that? [Hint: Everything God created was completely good – including Adam and Eve. But they ignored God’s command, which was intended to protect them. The choice to rebel opened the door for evil to infect the whole human race.]

Guide: Explain that God could Have created us without the ability to sin. But because of His perfect love, He gave us a free will. God wants us to love Him because we want to.

2. Read or ask volunteers to read Rom 5:12; Eccl 7:20. Is it fair that Adam and Eve’s sin affected all people? Why or why not? Why is everyone still responsible for sin?

Hint: The first sin tainted every aspect of human existence. But every person decides for himself or herself to rebel against God’s standards or not.

Guide: Explain that sin and evil are natural consequences of human choice. Having abused free will, people are responsible for their own sin.

Teacher Hint: Another factor ‘in the equation of evil is the existence of Satan-the Tempter. He is real and active in the world (1 Pet 5:8).His strategy from the beginning was to cast doubt and distortion on God’s Word. Satan was definitively defeated at the Cross. But he is free to do evil on earth and present humans with choices until the final judgment, when he will suffer the ultimate consequences for rebellion (Rev 20:10).

3. Couldn’t God simply eliminate evil? [Hint: If He did, He would have to do it completely, in which case He would have to eliminate all human imperfection and force us to live sinless. This violates the free will. He wants us to choose to love and follow Him.]

Guide: Explain that Christianity is not about God eliminating or overriding our ability to choose. Instead, it brings people to a point of willingly choosing good over evil, regardless of the difficulty involved.

b).It’s the Norm
Guide: Explain that the question of how a loving God could allow evil and suffering shows a misunderstanding of what is normal. Disorder and destruction should be considered the norm in a world that had defied God. The existence of good is a proof of God’s love and patience.
1. Read or ask volunteers to read and summarize what the following passages tell us about life and the world:

• Job 14:1-Aperson’s life is full of troubles.
• Psalm 51:5-People are born sinful.
• Isa 53:6-Everyone has gone his or her own way, and Jesus took the punishment for our wrongdoing.

Guide: Explain that suffering affects everyone-bad people, good people, and, in a sense, God Himself. God is sympathetic to our pain, and He experienced it to the highest degree when Jesus paid the price for man’s sin.

2. Why wouldn’t God spare those who love and serve Him from the harshest pain?

Hint: Through hardship they can develop strong character and become more like Jesus. He, suffered and was rejected. Those who follow Him will also face suffering and rejection.

3. Read or ask volunteers to read the following passages. Then describe what each tells us about Christians and suffering.

John 16:33-We will have trouble in the world, but we can be at peace because Christ overcame the world.
Rom 8:18- The suffering that Christians endure won’t compare with the reward God ultimately holds in store for them.
1 Peter4:12-13-Don’t be surprised by difficulty. It allows you to identify with Jesus and joyfully look forward to Christ’s coming.

c).It’s Not All Bad
Why would God allow types of suffering like hunger, disease, murder, and war? What purpose could they serve? [Hint: Remember that these things were not part of God’s original design. All types of pain and suffering are natural result of sin. They serve as a warning sign that something is wrong and the world needs God’s help.

Guide: Explain that while some people view human suffering as evidence of God’s lack of compassion, the trials of life really prove that God considers some things(e.g. endurance) more important than comfort. Suffering can change us, producing something better and stronger in our lives.

Inspire Them: Remind students THE BASIC MESSAGE of this study (pg 47), even as you explain WHAT the Big Idea behind the study is; WHY it matters; and HOW we can live the lesson captured in this study.

Guide: Point out that a painful experience can bring destruction or blessing- depending on a person’s response. The problem is that most people spend time trying to figure out why before deciding how to respond. But to dwell on the cause can leave us bitter toward God because we lack understanding. The Bible constantly steers us from dwelling on cause. Pain, suffering, and injustice happen. The real issue for a Christian shouldn’t be “Is God responsible for my trouble” but “How should I respond to it?”

Ministry Activity: Divide the class into groups of two or three and encourage students to share with one another some of the difficulties they currently face. Have them pray for each other, asking God to help them prevail and grow closer to Him through these difficulties.

Teacher Hint: Ask Yourself…
1. Do students understand how suffering became a part of human existence?
2. Can they explain some possible positive outcomes related to suffering?
3. Are they able to focus on their response to suffering rather than its source?

Daily Dew Drops
Mon: God Comforts – 2 Cor 1:3-4
Tue: Not In Vain – 1 Peter 5:10;Rom 5:3-4
Wed: He Will Deliver You – Psalm 34:19
Thu: More than a Champ – Rom 8:35-39
Fri: You’re Blessed – 1 Peter 3:13-17
Sat: Rare Privilege – Phil 1:29

Action Point
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