Suffering. Is God really almighty?
It was January 2006.
I was 18 and had been selected as the New South Wales Youth Ambassador for World Vision Australia.
Now, as part of this year of volunteering, I took up, during my undergraduate degree,
I travelled to the very newly independent nation of Timor-Leste.
Now, prior to going, I really knew nothing about Timor-Leste.
I mean, what would an 18-year-old boy really think about?
He'd never heard of the term.
I recall I had to look it up, this country, on a map, just to confirm where in the world was it.
And to my surprise, it was only a very short distance from Australia's northernmost city, Darwin.
Now, the reason for myself and five others going was to reveal the story of Timor and its current suffering
to a nation of teenagers and children more interested in the next PlayStation.
Timor's history is one of profound suffering.
Hundreds of years of colonial rule by the Portuguese, World War II invasion by the Japanese,
and 24 years of brutal Indonesian occupation.
During the Indonesian occupation that started nine days after the Portuguese rolled out in 1975,
as many as a quarter of the population, or 250,000 people,
had died from violence, famine, or diseases over the next two and a half decades.
After a famous UN administered successful independence vote in September 1999,
the country was torched to the ground.
Some of you may remember this, by pro-Indonesian militia.
Some 1,400 people died in a few weeks,
and 80% of the country's infrastructure was destroyed.
When we arrived just over five years later,
the then youngest nation in the world was in the midst of a severe hunger crisis.
The rate of malnutrition was the highest in Southeast Asia.
The maternal mortality rate was the highest in the world.
And here was a now free nation,
covered in a cloak of silent suffering,
every hungry season,
where people would have literally nothing to eat for months and months.
And all of this, just one hour flight from Darwin.
This photo will stay with me for a very long time.
It was taken in the district of Aliu,
just about an hour south of Dili, the capital.
We had just met a mother named Isabel,
and met some of her children.
They were a poor family
that lived on maize and cassava.
There was no electricity in their community.
And she told us the story
of how three of her own children had died
because of hunger.
One was just eight months
and had not died long ago.
This was the grave site
behind their house
and their three children
under a small set of stones.
This was me
at that moment,
hit by the silence
of suffering.
We learned that the village was unusual
in that it had a Protestant church.
The majority of Timor is
Catholic.
And the mother, Isabel, said,
and I remember her saying this,
that life is short
and that the children
who had died
were happy
with their Father in heaven.
This morning,
I want us to come before the Lord
in the recognition
that things in our world
are not right.
They're not just.
And yet,
the Lord is here
with us
in it.
He knows Isabel's suffering.
He knows our suffering.
And He is inviting
our community
in Chatswood
to resist
what suffering
and evil does
and to remind ourselves
that God stands
in solidarity with us.
Not only that,
but He takes responsibility
for the evil
and suffering
in the world
as creation awaits
its complete
transformation
and redemption.
As we open ourselves up
this morning,
our hearts
and the word today,
I want us,
I want to remind us
that in the context
of suffering
and the sovereignty
of God,
there are these great words
from Paul.
For now we see
only a reflection
as in a mirror.
Then we shall see
face to face.
Now I know
in part,
then I shall know
fully,
even as I am
fully known
from 1 Corinthians 13.
So can we just
take this moment
to pray
as we explore
God's Word,
which is our only
source of light
and truth.
Heavenly Father,
King of Kings,
we thank you,
Lord,
that you are present
this morning with us
in all of our griefs,
in all of our heartbreaks,
in all of our sufferings.
Lord,
help us to see
your light,
your truth
in the darkness,
and may we bring you
unending glory.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
So,
as you know,
we're going through
the Apostles' Creed,
and particularly
the first sentence,
which talks about
Father Almighty
creator of heaven
and earth.
So firstly,
who is Father Almighty?
These two powerful
words together,
words to describe God,
that He is both
our heavenly Father,
the one we refer,
that Jesus refers to
as Abba,
Abba Father,
reflecting that sense
of being known
personally by your Father,
as well as,
on the other hand,
Almighty.
Almighty,
something you would
normally attribute
to a king.
Often,
perhaps in Australia,
a sporting icon
is the closest reference
to Almighty.
In Melbourne,
where Kate and I
spent six years,
there is only one person
in sporting terms,
at least,
who meets the criteria
of the Almighty,
Almighty.
And his name is
Sir Gary Ablett.
Now,
I may imagine
that you're not all
AFL aficionados,
but this man
was known
and referred to
widely
as God.
He was called
God,
because he could do
all things.
Apparently,
things that no other
person could do,
like mark a ball
on top of the shoulders
of someone else.
I mean,
who can do that?
But apart from Gary,
I would suspect
very few people
get such a title
in Australia.
In Australia,
at least,
they would be humiliated
pretty quickly
by those around them,
like brought down
to size.
You are not
Almighty.
Let's remind
ourselves of that.
So,
what are we
to make
of God's
Almighty character?
In what way
does this go together
with him
as our Heavenly Father
who loves his children?
And to help us
consider this,
we're looking at Psalm 33.
So,
please,
I encourage you,
take your sheets out
or find a Bible
and open Psalm 33.
The first thing
to notice about this psalm
is that it celebrates
the Lord
as Redeemer,
Creator,
Judge,
and Savior,
all in one psalm.
It is a song
that is a reflection
of the whole history
of God's people,
in particular,
his sovereignty
in and through history
in delivering
on his promises.
It looks back
into the covenantal history,
the agreement
or the covenant
between God
and his people,
Israel,
and declares
in verse 4,
for the word
of the Lord
is right
and true.
He is faithful
in all
he does.
The psalm
reveals these
three key things
that illuminate
him as Father
Almighty.
The first,
the unmatchable
power of his word.
Verse 6,
by the word
of the Lord,
by the breath
of his mouth.
He need only
speak
and it is.
This echoes
for us,
surely,
Jesus,
who in the gospel
of Luke,
chapter 8,
speaks and calms
the storm
in the presence
of his terrified
disciples.
All he has to do
is speak.
There is such power.
number 2.2,
he sees and knows
all people.
He has formed
the hearts
of all
on the earth.
Verse 13
to 15,
from heaven
the Lord looks
down and sees
all mankind.
From his dwelling
place he watches
all who live
on earth.
He forms
the hearts
of all
who considers
everything
they do.
There is no one
in the world
the Lord
does not know.
In the whole
world,
in whole
of human history,
in that sense,
we see another
reflection of
his mighty power.
No one
falls out
of his
understanding.
And point 3,
finally,
no king,
not even
the greatest
powers or
armies on
earth,
is outside
the reach
or power
of the Lord.
Verse 16,
no king
is saved
by the size
of his army,
no warrior
escapes by
his great
strength.
In the
context of
when this
was written,
a king
had all
power,
you could
imagine.
And the
psalmist
is saying,
even God
has greater
power.
No world
superpower in
all human
history matches
the strength
of God.
He is the
king of kings.
And so,
we hold in
one hand that
he is
father almighty,
and when we
learn he is
also creator
of all.
He is the
creator of
the heavens
and the
earth,
of galaxies,
of the
hundreds of
billions of
galaxies,
and also of
nanoparticles.
verse 6
and 7.
By the
word of
the Lord
were the
heavens made,
their starry
host by
the breath
of his
mouth.
He gathers
the waters
of the
seas into
jars.
He puts
the deep
into
storehouses.
To him,
all of the
waters of
the sea
are as if
they would
fall into
a simple
jar,
or the
deep of
the ocean
into a
simple
garage.
a
storehouse.
The
psalmist is
declaring the
divine ownership
of the
whole earth,
the whole
universe,
to God.
But God
did not just
create the
heavens and
the earth
and then
stand to
one side
and say,
okay,
done.
He sustains
it.
Every moment
of every
day,
as we gather
at this
very time,
the Lord
is sustaining
creation.
Christopher
Wright
helpfully
puts it
like this.
He says,
creation then
is distinct
from God
its creator,
but it
also is
totally
dependent
upon God.
Creation
is not
independent
or co-eternal,
rather,
God is
actively and
unceasingly
sustaining its
existence and
its functions
at macro
and micro
levels.
It's just
the sheer
power and
might of
God as
creator.
So this
is the
sovereign
Lord of
the universe.
This is what
we mean when
we understand
his sovereignty,
creator of
galaxies,
who knows
the hearts
of everyone
who walked
on the
earth.
And what's
most profound
to me is
that this
creator of
galaxies,
he loves
you.
You know,
let's just
sit on that.
The creator
of the
universe
loves
you.
He loves
you.
I want
everyone to
say that.
He loves
me.
Amen.
It's no
small thing.
It is a
gift of
love revealed
most perfectly
in the
person of
Jesus.
And all
we have
to do
is accept
his love.
And what
you find,
and what
you will
find,
is that
when you
accept that
love,
your love
for him
will be
greater than
you can
possibly
imagine.
So let's
turn now
to suffering,
which we've
been talking
about a
little bit
already.
The question
I want us
to consider
is,
how do we
live in
the reality
of an
almighty
God
in the
midst
of
suffering
and a
broken
world?
You see,
when we
truly face
the tragic
reality of
suffering and
evil in
our world,
our answer
for everything
culture
that we
live in
and inhabit
screams the
question,
why?
Why does
God allow
this?
This
suffering?
This
evil?
Something that
really hit me
this week,
and in fact it
was as we
were sitting
here last
Sunday,
and I was
preparing,
the Lord was
preparing this
word,
this sermon
for this
Sunday,
I was
reflecting,
and I'm
sure many
of you
have,
on the
terrible
deaths of
four children
by a
drunk
29-year-old
driver in
Western
Sydney.
This is
truly a
weighty
matter.
I was
grieving this
all last
week.
I lamented.
I said,
how Lord,
these children,
I saw my
children in
these children,
I saw
myself in
the father,
I saw
Kate in
the mother.
Can I
encourage you,
if you
haven't had a
chance to
watch the
video of
Leela,
the mother,
speaking after
the incident,
inspired by
her Lebanese
Orthodox faith
in Jesus,
she speaks
as a mother
who knows
the resurrection
of Jesus
is her only
hope in
the face
of profound
suffering and
grief.
Some of you
may be aware
that I serve
at International
Justice Mission
Australia.
IJM is an
organization that
considers itself
first and
before anything
a community
of Christian
spiritual
formation.
That is the
primary thing
that we are
as a body.
But we
are also the
largest
anti-slavery
organization in
the world.
And it's
founder Gary
Haugen writes
on the subject
an extremely
helpful book
and I
encourage you
if you would
like to
read,
I've got
one,
I'm happy
to share
it,
good news
about
injustice.
He writes
about being
the lead
UN investigator
to the
Rwandan
genocide
in 1994
that saw
almost 1
million people
killed in
100 days
in state
sponsored
genocide
and crimes
against
humanity.
Gary
himself
waded
through
thousands
of bodies
to identify
how they
were killed
so that
someday
their families
might receive
justice.
And he
reflects on
the typical
question,
quote,
why does
God allow
so much
injustice
in the
world as
it was
many times
put to
him?
He
responds,
I believe
I've heard
most of
the neat
answers to
these
questions,
a set of
answers which
in Christian
circles often
explode in
a discussion
like an
emergency
ejection
seat,
rescuing
relieved
passages
from a
crush
from a
crash and
burn
confrontation
with
unpleasant
mysteries.
Frankly,
the pat
answers
don't
work
and the
insensitivity
that I
have seen
in myself
and in
others as
we have
addressed
others'
pain has
bordered at
times on
cruelty.
Let's be
honest,
this is
hard.
As Irving
Greenberg,
a writer of
the Holocaust,
has said,
no statement,
theological or
otherwise,
should be
made that
would not
be credible
in the
presence of
burning
children.
That is
very heavy.
And maybe
for you,
you've had
your own
personal
experience of
this,
this level
of suffering
and not
being able
to know
what to
say,
how to
explain
what is
happening.
I have
my own
personal
experience,
family
memory,
where
sometimes no
simple
statement will
suffice.
For me,
I bring
forward my
grandfather I
never met.
Here's a
photo of me
and my
father from
November last
year,
standing at
his grave
site.
He was a
judge in
the highest
court in
Ghana,
my father's
homeland,
and on
June 30,
1982,
in the
context of
political
corruption
and a
coup,
my father
witnessed
his own
father's,
my
grandfather's
abduction
out the
front of
his house.
The next
day he
found out
that his
father had
been shot,
he had
been
assassinated
alongside
two other
judges and
a retired
army general,
all in the
pursuit of
power.
Last
November,
my father
and all
my aunties
and uncles,
we visited
his grave
site and
it was the
first time
the family
had
gone and
returned to
that place
of grief
and suffering
in 37
years.
I realised
even for
myself,
having never
met him,
I carried
this weight
of his
suffering my
whole lifetime
and I had
not given
it over
to the
Lord.
And I
want to
invite us
this moment
just now,
here and
now,
to bring
to mind
perhaps your
own
weighty
suffering
in your
family,
in your
history.
And I
want to
ask you
the question,
will you
do that?
Will you
take that
moment just
now,
in your
heart,
bring it
to mind?
moment.
The Psalms
reveal a
pattern of
believers,
a pattern
for believers
of not
hiding this
suffering that
is heavy on
your heart
now,
not hiding
that suffering
away,
but bringing
it forward,
open-handed
and saying,
Lord,
here I am.
I place
this at
the foot
of the
cross
before you.
And friends,
I want us
to hear
this,
that we
are bringing
forward,
is God's
weight.
I had
to pray,
Lord,
I am
handing this
suffering of
my grandfather
and putting
it at the
foot of
the cross.
because it
is too
much for
me to
carry.
So let
him take
it.
He has
let us
share a
little bit
of his
heart,
his own
pain.
He knows
it, but
he also has
a passion
for healing
and for
justice.
And God
carries the
weight of
the world
suffering more
than we
could ever
understand.
And so
the next
question
sometimes
goes is,
are we
asking the
right
question?
What does
God do
in response
to evil?
You see,
so often
I see,
I would
like us
to think
about
whether we
can put
down the
why question
and consider
this from a
different angle.
The why
question does
not take
the view
of the
many
specific
actions
in history
of God
in response
to evil,
particularly
the life,
death,
and resurrection
of Jesus
Christ.
You see,
we are
completely
at risk
of ignoring
the all
powerful
actions
of God
throughout
his word
when we
ask,
why does
God
allow evil
and suffering
rather than
what does
God do
in response
to evil?
evil?
The question
we need
to consider
is what
does suffering
or further
evil,
what does
it do
to you?
What does
it do
to us?
And what
it almost
instantly
does is
that it
causes us
to lose
our hope
in the
true,
living,
and active
God.
For this
message,
I spent
some time
reading this
terrific book,
Raging
with Compassion,
pastoral
responses to
the problem
of evil
by a man
named John
Swinton.
I found
it to be
extremely
helpful.
And he
says,
quote,
above all
else,
what evil
does is
to separate
human beings
from their
primary source
of hope,
God.
The problem
of evil
is its
propensity
to tear
human beings
asunder
from their
identity
and purpose
as creatures
made in the
image of God
and loved
by God
beyond all
things.
beyond all
things.
Remember,
friends,
that it
is,
as we
say in
our series
title,
We Believe,
the Apostles'
Creed reminds
us that we
are not
alone.
Yes,
we live in
the presence
of evil
and suffering,
but this
place belongs
to God.
God.
This
creation
is sustained
by him
and will
ultimately
be redeemed
by him.
A man
who experienced
severe suffering
once said,
I consider
that our
present sufferings
are not worth
comparing with
the glory
that will be
revealed in
us,
for the creation
waits in eager
expectation for
the children of
God to be
revealed.
For the creation
was subjected
to frustration,
not by its
own choice,
but by the
will of the
one who
subjected it,
in hope that
the creation
itself will be
liberated from
its bondage to
decay and
brought into
the freedom and
glory of the
children of God.
The Apostle
Paul wrote
this.
You see,
Paul reminds
us that
through Christ
the creation
is being
redeemed.
John Swinton
adds,
all suffering
and death
has been
atoned for
and indeed
conquered in
the sacrifice
of Christ
in spite of
the continuing
presence of
evil and
suffering.
So, my
brothers and
sisters, we
can be assured
that God
sits in
solidarity with
us and his
presence is
with us in
the midst of
suffering.
We have this
living and
real hope
of what is
to come
because of
the risen
Jesus.
And not
only do
we now
have the
joy of
receiving the
free gift of
Jesus in
the midst of
our and our
neighbours'
suffering,
but we can
be assured
that the
Lord is at
work making
the world
right.
He is at
work today
making the
world right.
Turning to
perhaps one of
the boldest
statements in
the Old
Testament falls
within Psalm
33, this
morning's
reading.
Did you see
it?
In verse
5?
The Lord
loves righteousness
and justice.
The earth is
full of his
unfailing love.
In the
original context,
the people
hearing this
knew all
too well
injustice and
suffering.
It was their
daily experience.
And yet,
this is a
declaration that
in a world
where the
Lord is
almighty,
all-powerful,
he actively
loves pursuing
making things
right.
You see,
in the context
of brokenness
and evil
actions of
men and
women in
the world,
we see God
working today
to bring all
things in
alignment with
his perfect
will.
And we
also learn
something about
God's heart.
We actually
discover something
about God's
heart.
Christopher
Wright says
again about
Psalm 33
verse 5
revealing,
The justice
of God
is the
justice
of the
God
who sees
and hears
the cry
of the
weak and
oppressed,
cares about
them,
and takes
action on
their behalf.
At IJM,
over the last
22 years,
we have seen
God doing
this.
50,000
people rescued
from violence
and slavery,
millions more
protected by
strengthened
justice
systems,
all through
the power
of God
revealed in
his children
who see
another kingdom,
a kingdom
of light,
truth,
and justice.
But brothers
and sisters,
can I stress
again this
point?
Answering the
question,
is God
really
almighty,
is not an
intellectual
exercise.
the challenge
is, how
can we,
as the
community
here,
live faithfully
despite the
presence of
evil?
How can
we, as a
community of
believers from
all nations,
who gather in
this place now
called Chatswood,
create a
community within
which the
impacts of
evil and
suffering can
be absorbed,
resisted,
and transformed
as we await
for Christ's
return?
So, we
could spend
months in
this topic,
but we have a
short time,
and I don't
want to,
I don't,
I don't want
to, I
don't want
to, I
suppose,
go too
quickly,
too fast.
What we've
explored today
is a heavy
subject,
a heavy and
weighty matter,
but the
following
suggestions
come from
a place
that I
pray will
build and
restore and
strengthen our
hope, and
most importantly,
our love for
the Lord.
And I say
the love,
your love for
the Lord,
because in
the last few
years, in
the joy of the
ministry that I've
been able to
serve in at
IJM, I can
absolutely say
that my love
for the Lord
has skyrocketed
in the midst
of daily
readings of
people being
trafficked,
forced labour,
online sexual
exploitation of
children, and
yet my love
for the Lord
and what he
is doing,
and what he
has done,
and what he
will do,
has grown,
and grown,
and grown.
But always
in the
community of
spiritual
formation.
So in the
midst of
resisting evil,
our ability
to love God
and continue
finding ways
to love God
will be our
primary mode
of resistance.
In growing
in love for
God, we can
move to the
following Christian
practices, and
there's just a
couple of
suggestions that
I've got here,
and what I
mean is how
are our hearts
being formed?
How are your
hearts being
transformed,
modelled, and
shaped by the
Holy Spirit in
the midst of
this suffering?
So again,
borrowing from
Swinton, he
has a couple
of practices
which I think
have been
particularly
helpful, and
I've got a
small table
on the screen.
You may be
able to read
it, it's a
bit small,
hopefully you
can see some
of it.
The first
one is
listening to
silence.
Have you
ever been in
the presence of
someone suffering?
And can
you,
you sit
and listen?
Can you
be with
them in
the silence?
Something that
often goes
unnoticed is
the silence of
Jesus, his
experience on
and leading up
to the cross.
Have you
noticed that
in Mark's
gospel?
Go home
today and
read the
last few
chapters,
because you
see Jesus'
ordeal lasted
roughly six
hours, and
yet in that
whole time,
we only
have seven
sentences that
we hear from
him.
When he
speaks,
though, his
words are
powerful and
compassionate.
There's
something in
that silence,
the weight of
the suffering,
and friends,
we must learn
the practice of
listening to
silences.
Jesus.
As we
listen to the
silence of
Jesus, we
recognize that
the sufferer's
experience of
distance from
God is not
necessarily a
mark of
faithlessness.
Rather, it is
an experience
closely identified
with the
experience of
Christ on
the cross.
And that's
okay, to
be in that
place, to
pray in
that place.
Speaking of
prayer, the
next point,
lament.
Not often
practiced in
the modern
church, but
throughout the
Psalms, lament
has a purpose
and an end
point beyond
the simple
expression of
pain to
God and
saying, God
is so painful,
it's more
than that.
It's actually
an act of
reconciliation
with and a
deeper love
of God.
As
Christians, when
we lament,
we locate
and interpret
our sufferings
within the
narrative of
the life,
death, and
resurrection of
Jesus.
Lament gives
voice to
suffering and
provides a
faithful language
through which
we can bring
our pain before
God.
Look at
Psalm 75,
look at
Psalm 79,
look at
Psalm 88,
Psalm 13,
it's all
there,
allowing us
to speak
to God
out of
our pain.
Point
three,
forgiveness.
The German
pastor Bonhoeffer
explains that
suffering is a
mode of
sharing in,
that forgiveness
is a mode of
sharing in the
suffering of
Christ.
Forgiving
sins is the
Christian,
is the
Christ
suffering
required of
his disciples.
It is
required of
all Christians.
All Christians
are to
forgive.
And forgiveness
is perhaps one
of the most
radical gifts
God calls
us to
as we
struggle to
resist the
evil and
suffering around
us.
And I've
seen this in
the cases of
IJM where
a perpetrator
of sexual
violence to
a child,
where that
person has
been somehow
miraculously
transformed in
the process of
the trial and
has sought
forgiveness.
They're about
to be sent
to jail for
20 years.
How do I
even deal
with that?
It's too
heavy, it's
too hard.
But yet,
God works
even in
those most
despised
sometimes.
Point
for number
four,
thoughtfulness.
Friends,
often reflect,
let us pray,
as Paul says
in Romans
12, that
we be
transformed by
the renewing
of your
mind.
In a
world where
thoughtlessness
allows for
so much
evil and
suffering,
to carry
on just
unhindered,
without
thinking,
no one
even
thinking,
how can
we allow
the Holy
Spirit to
form and
transform our
values and
our thoughts?
The phone
is a classic
experience of
this.
It just
leads to
thoughtlessness.
forgiveness.
The Word
of God
inspires the
renewing of
our minds.
Point
number five,
the church
is called to
share everything
we have with
the stranger,
because everything
that we have is
not our own.
Hospitality.
One of the
greatest gifts,
if you ever
experience someone's
hospitality and
they give you
hospitality,
it is a gift
from God.
It's so amazing
to experience that.
And it's
because it's
not theirs,
it's God's.
Everything is a
gift.
Life,
creation,
children,
it's all a
gift.
And when we
think of
hospitality,
we think of
friendship.
And you
see,
suffering,
and particularly
suffering that
is evil,
that is
inspired by
evil,
separates us
not only from
God, but
also from one
another.
It creates
distance from
each other.
So let us
not allow
evil to
present us
loving the
stranger in
our midst
in the
church,
in Chatswood,
and in the
wider world.
So let me
close this
with a
prayer,
Psalm 33
and Psalm
10.
And then I
want us to
move into a
time of
stillness as
we approach
God and
think of what
He has called
us to do
today together.
So would
you pray
with me?
And then
we're going
to have a
time of
just some
solitude for
you to
consider this,
to bring it
before the
Lord, and
then Nick's
going to
lead us.
You,
Lord,
you hear the
desire of the
afflicted.
You encourage
them, and
you listen to
their cry,
defending the
fatherless and
the oppressed,
so that mere
earthly mortals
will never
again strike
terror.
We wait in
hope for the
Lord.
He is our
help and our
shield.
in Him our
hearts rejoice,
for we trust
in His
holy name.
May your
unfailing love
be with us,
Lord,
even as we
put our
hope in
you.
Amen.