Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
April 27, 2003 - W0317

ìBut some of them said, ëCould not this Man, [Jesus] who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept [Lazarus] from dying?íî  (John 11:37) 

God is still God and that has to be the basis of everything.  So as we continue in the series, Ask, Seek, Knock, weíll try to biblically answer some questions that we all have. And the question on peopleís mind from time to time is:  why do people die especially when they are so young?

Q1:  Have you ever asked God that question?  What was His answer and how did you feel?

I remember when my sister Sonya died.  She was the youngest and she and Sandy were twins.  One day Sonya rode out into the street and a truck hit her.  It just broke our hearts as a family dealing with this tremendous loss.  And I recall asking God:  Couldn't you have stopped that?

You know weíre not the first to ask God questions about death and dying.  It was asked long ago when Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha died.  Still, why must people die especially when theyíre young?  Well, there are many reasons, but here are three main causesÖ

THE CAUSES

?        BECAUSE MAN VIOLATES GODíS LAWS.

ìFor sin pays its wage ñ death, but Godís free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord.î  (Rom. 6:23 GN)

This is a spiritual law, but if we live in faith and obedience, we can enjoy Godís free gift of eternal life with Jesus Christ.  Nonetheless, as a human race we tend to violate Godís law.  Then we wonder: Couldnít God have stepped in?  I wonder though how many times God has already stepped in and stopped something destructive or tragic from happening.  And I wonder [now this is just my version] if people are taken home sooner than necessary because they just keep violating Godís law again and again.  I wonder if God says, ìYouíre going to be in heaven, but now is the time.  So get home!î

Q2:  In times when youíve made wrong choices, do you think God has stepped in to prevent you from experiencing possible tragedy?

The Bible says Saul violated Godís commands and He took him home.  So maybe we just violate Godís principles again and again and the Lord says, ìOkay, come homeî.  Keeping that in mind -- another reason why people die isÖ

?        BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SINFUL WORLD. 

ìÖAlthough they knowÖthat those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.î  (Rom. 1:32)

People are sinful and weíre not immune from evil.  Jesus wasnít.  Jesus the Son of God died at age 33.  And many asked the same question then:  Couldnít God have stopped it?  So does that mean that when a person dies, is it Godís will?  Well, in a fallen world of greed and selfishness, we rarely do Godís will.  Even so why does God allow it if itís not His will for these things to happen?  The answer to that lies in our greatest blessing and our greatest curse.  God gave us the capacity to make choices.  He gave us free will.  And that freedom isnít just one sided because we can choose good or evil.  However, the choice is ultimately our own. 

Now weíre not necessarily thugs, or drunken people or terrorists, but we do harm each other and hurt one another with our selfish decisions and actions.  Sure God could step in and remove our ability to choose, but that would reduce us to mere puppets.  Instead God wants us to love Him voluntarily.  Love is not love if thereís no other option.  Who wants people to love them because they have to?  Thatís not genuine love.  So God wants our hearts and thatís why He gives us this tremendously powerful and potent gift called free will.  The sad thing is that most of us steward it poorly. 

ìAnd brother will deliver up brother to deathÖî  (Matt. 10:21)

Q3:  Free will is a gift we are to use wisely.  Would you say that your are stewarding this gift well or not too well?  Why or why not?

We have a tendency to violate Godís laws and sometimes the result is devastating.  Secondly, we live in a sinful world.  And though God gives us the edge, we are still not immune from evil.  While we have the freedom to choose for ourselves (good or evil), the results of our choices sometimes end up hurting others.   So why else do people die especially when theyíre young?  ItísÖ

?        BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ADVESARY.

ìFor our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the schemes of the devilÖî  (Eph. 6:12)

The Bible says that if you take a personís life, God will take yours.  Does that mean that a person who commits suicide will go to hell?  First of all, you have to remember Godís character.  God is not someone who judges ignorance.  He judges rebellion.  So Iím not talking about someone like a suicide bomber who kills himself and others intentionally. 

When God created us, He hardwired our natural sense to survive.  However, when someone takes their own life, itís like something within them melted down.  It could be the result of a chemical imbalance, a lack of nutrition, or even lack of encouragement.  Remember that the devil is in our midst and lies in wait for an opportunity to come into our lives.  He can drive us to the point of utter desperation by causing us to feel rejected, depressed, discouraged or even to the point of suicide. Thatís why itís so important to belong to a small group because the Bible says encourage one another while itís still called today that you will not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  

So one of the things we have to remember is to always look at things in the context of Godís heart, love, and character.  Always try to view things within those parameters because He is consistent with who He is. Remember God does not judge ignorance or mental incapacity.  And I know Godís love and His mercy and grace. So you can absolutely trust God.

Remember too that God views circumstance so differently than we do.  Some Christians might say, ìWell he killed himself so heís going to hell because the Bible says if you take a life God will take hisî.  But donít ever do that.  Jesus said, I did not come to condemn the world, but that through Me the world would be saved. 

Q4:  Have you ever known someone whoís committed suicide?  What were your thoughts about it then and how are they different now?

So we are to represent Christ by following His example.  Our role is to give hope, invitation, and grace.  We must paint a beautiful picture of who God is.  Itís not our responsibility and we have no authority to go beyond that.  

You may ask, what about judging fruit?  Yes, among Christians we are to make sure weíre following God.  And thatís called accountability.  We are to help each other stay accountable.  But never overstep your boundary.  We donít dilute the gospel, but we donít use it to condemn either.  We use it in a way that the world might be saved.  Thus, we can learn lessons from asking these questions.  Then wrestling with all these issues will help us withÖ.

THE CURE

ìIt is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, because that is the end of every man, and the living take it to heart.î  (Eccl. 7:2)

What?  Yes, itís sometimes better to go to a funeral than to a party.  The reason is that when you go to a party youíre in the moment and not thinking beyond that.  But at a funeral you think about life eternally.  And when you grapple with tough questions, you can learn from it and take it to heart. 

Often we try to wait until a problem happens.  So we live on the other side of a situation and ask questions later.  Yet itís often too late.  Thatís because your heart isnít ready to receive an answer. 

For those of you who are couples who have elderly parents, ask those questions now.  How are you going to deal with your parents passing?  It will be tough, but you need to deal with it before the eventuality.  We asked those questions before my wifeís parents were getting elderly.  We talked about it before the issue took place.  What we didnít realize was that within a year both her mother and father passed away. 

So where should those questions get answered?  You need to answer them before something happens because it preps your heart to handle the situation.   Thus, the first cure to help you with answering these questions is to:

1.      LIVE EVERY MOMENT AS A PRIVILEGE. 

ìAs for the days of our lifeÖsoon it will be goneÖSo teach us to number our days that we might present to You a heart of wisdom.î  (Ps. 90:10, 12)

The length of life is not guaranteed.  The Bible says, the coming of the Lord will be like a thief in the night.  So we donít even know when God will call us home.  Therefore, we have to be ready and not take any day for granted.  Live every moment as a privilege. 

I had a friend I was playing softball with one day and the next day he died in a car accident.  I just couldnít believe it and struggled with it.  The hardest part though is if you have a falling out with someone and they pass away.  The guilt and burden of having something unresolved is so difficult to deal with.  So start the answer on the other side of this possibility and begin to live every moment as a privilege. 

Q5:  Do you feel you are living every moment as a privilege?  Share with your group why or why not.

Live life out loud.  Live it well and appreciate the people around you because you donít know how long theyíll be with you.  So the first cure to helping us deal with these tough issues is to live every moment as a privilege.  The next is to: 

2.      TRUST GOD MORE THAN YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. 

ìTrust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.î

 (Prov. 3:5-6)

ìFor we now see through a mirror dimly, but then in heaven we will see face to face.  Now I know part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully knownî. (1 Cor. 13:12)

We wonít find all the answers in this lifetime.  And even if we did, we wouldnít be able to comprehend it all.  And if you believe God only as much as you can understand Him, you really limit God to your own understanding.  And our God is so far greater than what we could ever dream of or imagine.  Therefore, trust Him beyond our own understanding.  God wants our very best and He loves us.  In fact, He loves us so much that He wants to protect and help us, never to judge or condemn us.  God is love and He never changes. 

So though we may wonder sometimes why someone died and question God, remember that He sees the end from the beginning.  God reminds us that we have a very limited view of life.  God on the other hand sees beyond this world into eternity and the generations of time.  So if He allows someone to be taken home at some point, itís because Heís already calculated his life.  And even though it may cause sorrow now, the sorrow may be even greater if He allowed his life to continue.  He loves us so much and He wants us to be with Him forever.  There is no one who loves people as God does and the more you know Him the more youíll love Him. 

Q6:  Have you ever questioned God about a circumstance you just couldnít understand?  What was His answer and what was your response?

So if I trust God, will people still die?  Of course!  Even the people that Jesus healed in the Bible died.  Then where can we get away from dying?  Thereís only one place that you will never die and thatís heaven.  However, donít wait for a tragedy to take place before youÖ

3.      DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD EARLY ON.

ìI am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.î  (John 11:25)

In an interview for an upcoming segment of Connecting Point, I interviewed Mark and Diane Button.  Mark and Diane are co-authors the book, The Letter Box.  Mark is also co-creator of the ìkoosh ballî.  Mark and Diane discovered how even through devastating circumstances God was preparing this time for them. 

Diane shares, ìOur message is to take the time to tell the people that you love them while youíre still here because you donít know how long youíll have with themî.  Mark adds, ìLife is so precious and so wonderful, but itís on Godís timing.  The only thing weíre going to take from this life is our relationships.  So what weíre telling people is to love.  Love your neighbors and love God with all your heartî.   

When you develop a relationship with Christ early on, you will understand what it means to live every moment as a privilege and trust in God more than your own understanding.  We have no guarantees in life and we donít know when God will call us home.  So donít wait for a tragedy to happen before you develop a relationship with God.   

Q7:  What most impacted you about todayís lesson and how will you apply it to your life this week? 

Sumamrized by Rhonda Pang