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Jesus is King pt 3
Jesus is still King when bad things happen!
Jesus is King -Part 3
-2 Sundays ago, we spoke of King Jesus in the manger and the King on the cross, Last Sunday it was the King of Heaven, and the King is coming again. Today, Jesus is still King when bad things happen! Yes, yes. When evil affronts us, when satan and his demons oppose us, when bad things happen to you Jesus is still King. Jesus reigns.
-When your foundations have been shaken,
When you’re left standing all alone
When all you feel is your heart breaking,
Jesus still reigns and He’s still King.
-When it feels like hope has faded,
The heavy questions hit so hard.
And though your soul feels forsaken
Jesus still reigns and He’s still King
-with all the evil going on in the world today, with all the bad happening around us constantly and yes, even the bad, the wrong and the sin happening in us, Jesus is still King. Your King eternal.
Jesus will not surrender His Kingship to any person, to any event (no matter how terrible it is) or to any circumstance.
-The devil can howl away in complaint, but Jesus is still King, all the evil demons of hell can summon their dark adversarial powers but Jesus will always be the King of Kings.
-no, nothing in heaven, on earth or in the underworld can de-throne our permanent King, He is Heaven’s glorious royal King, our King.
In fact, nothing that comes into my life can cause Jesus to loose His title of King, No evil, bad thing, or sin that affronts me can cause Jesus to be less than THE King.
“Jesus is still King when bad things happen!”
Let me put it this way:
Good things happen to good people.
Good things happen to bad people.
Bad things happen to bad people.
Ah, but here’s the rub,
Bad things happen to good people.
This is the most common question people ask, and which causes them to stumble over Christianity.
If God is so good, why do bad things happen, why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?
Barna Group surveyed people and found that 30% of all Christians struggle with ‘how can God be sooo good with so much evil & suffering going on in the world today’.
29% on Gen Z generation questioned God’s goodness (Emma)
30% on Millennials felt the same way. (1981-1996)
The trouble is that the Generation X group and people like me, baby boomers, we all have the same doubts and questions.
Why God, is there so much suffering, evil -why don’t You stop it?
-the question casts doubts on God’s sovereignty, does God reign, is Jesus really King?
Bad things happen and they happen to everyone -this is an undisputed fact of life. Forget ‘bad boys, bad boys’, we’re inundated with bad things and more bad things constantly. ‘Bad things’ whirl around us at times like a tornado, ripping apart our world, leaving us with this deep question - If God is so good, why do bad things happen? Why God why?
Before we go to far into this, there is something we need to repeat and believe firmly, it is this: Jesus is still King when bad things happen to us, Jesus still reigns, Jesus is still in control. No matter what comes your way, no matter how much rain falls in your life, don’t forget this grace -Jesus is King, He still reigns and He won’t forget His own.
Here is an affirmation of faith that I would like to state firmly. Jesus was historical, He came to earth, leaving His divine throne in heaven to be born miraculously of the virgin Mary in the village of Bethlehem in the Judean of Israel. He was raised in Nazareth and lived a sinless life doing many miracles confirming His divinity and claim that He was THE Christ, the only Son of God. He taught us, He died for our us and offers us the only way to eternal life, Heaven, through believing in Jesus as our Saviour and King. King Jesus reigns over everything and His rule is without end!!!
-So, whether you are at the mountain top or in the valley, Jesus still reigns and Jesus is King
-Whether you are in the sunshine or in the darkness of night, Jesus still reigns and Jesus is King.
-Whether you are in the good times or in the bad times, Jesus still reigns and Jesus is King.
This we believe by faith, He reigns, and this is the anchor line for our drifting thoughts and our shifting emotions and for our ever-changing circumstances in life. Jesus still reigns, still is King and still is in control.
-This is the starting point for Christians, King Jesus reigns and is in control. This I believe with all my heart and so I will trust my King.
But we have this crisis of faith when we ponder this most asked question. If God is so good, why do bad things happen? Why so much evil, so much pain, suffering, difficulties in the world, my world?
This question is even more acute to Christians, followers of Jesus, because evil is focused on us, and is aimed directly at believers. Remember when we studied Ephesians and in particular, the armour of God passage in Ephesians 6? It started off with theses words:
“12 For our struggle (the battle with evil) is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Evil comes at us, bad things happen, from 3 sources:
THE WORLD,that’s the evil in everybody and everything around us.
THE FLESH,that’s the evil, the bad and the ugly within us. The lust, and pride and coveting that are so deeply entrenched within us.
THE devil, that’s the powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil
1 John 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The evil in others, in the world, in us and in the devil is not God’s fault it’s our fault, it’s everybody’s fault and the devil is to blame too.
Ephesians 2:2-3 also mentions "the course of this world," "the passions of our flesh," and "the prince of the power of the air," (the devil).
Here’s the problem we have with evil happening to us and with ‘bad things’ happening to good people, like us.
It’s not fair, why should I suffer, why should I have this pain, why should I have this grief, these tears? If God is so good He should remove this or at least prevent this from happening. WHY ME?
-in our tears and pain we want to blame someone and often we cast the blame at God because He doesn’t remove the bad thing from happening.
God isn’t to blame because He didn’t cause the evil in the first place,
Nay, nay. God didn’t create sin, He created free will. Satan sinned, and we humans sinned and WE created this quagmire of ‘bad things’. We are to blame collectively and individually, for the consequence of this sin.
The Bible says in Romans 3:23 For all have sinned -that’s you and me -we are to blame. And in Romans 6:23 we read that the consequence for our sin is ultimately death. Our death, that’s the worst possible outcome.
God isn’t to blame because He didn’t prevent this ‘bad’ from happening
Nay, nay. God doesn’t stop ‘bad things’ from happening. If God were to remove all bad things from happening in the world who would be left. Who has never sinned? Who has never done wrong, who has never caused another’s pain, who is innocent of evil?
-it’s hard for us to accept the blame and the consequence of our sin and the sin of humanity in general. But that is the Gospel message: Jesus paid for the consequence of our sin by paying with His life the penalty of our sin and now He offers this as a gift to us with this proviso: you must acknowledge your sin and believe that Jesus died for you.
I must admit that God at times steps into our lives and prevents ‘bad things’ from happening. Who knows the number? Or the reason why God stepped in?
I must acknowledge too, that God may remove a ‘bad thing’, God can and does heal some or provides ways to escape consequences.
These I do not understand, I do not know God’s mind nor can I explain His reasons. But I do know 2 things –God always works for my good and His glory and secondly, I can trust God in the darkness and that I can trust my God in the valleys. In every life some rain falls, and my King Jesus knows all about it, He cares deeply for me and the King still reigns.
Remember:
He is your strength when you can’t go on
He is your peace when your power is gone
He is your hope when the night is long
Jesus is all you need. 🡪 yes King Jesus is all you need.
God isn’t to be blamed because He has been inactive, idle or passive.
Nay, Nay. ‘Au contraire’, on the contrary. God is active in our lives, God is involved deeply. Our King engaged with us fully by paying with His own life and by being with us always. God doesn’t remove all the ‘bad things’ happening to us on earth, He helps us through them.
-we often pray for God to remove the mountain but He tells us He’ll walk with us over the mountain. He walked the worst road ever -the way of the cross. He walks with us.
In the silence of your heartbreak, He is with you speaking peace.In the confusion of your loss, He is walking with you and guiding with purpose.In the chaos of a broken world, in suffering, in pain, in discomfort -Jesus still reigns.
Do not measure His Kingship by your comfort. Measure it by the cross—where He ruled by surrender, where He loved you by dying, and where He offers forgiveness for the consequence of your sin. King Jesus has been and is active.
QWhat does King Jesus do with the ‘bad things’ in our life??
Great question.
Romans 8:28
28 … we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Somehow God helps us experience His goodness. I don’t understand how, but I do trust my King. This I know -when I have suffered loss Jesus has comforted me, and that was good.
And Jesus isn’t finished, He keeps on working for our good daily.
Philippians 1:6
6 Be… confident of this very thing, that he who begun a good work in you will perform it (will finish it) until the day of Jesus Christ:
Jesus still reigns when ‘bad things’ happen, when evil befalls me, when hardship comes my way.
He is King above cancer. King above war. King above failure, King above grief, King above fear and even King above death.
King David, the shepherd King, experienced ‘bad things’ and said these words:
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
(that’s all the bad things, evil things)
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
(God with me is the ultimate comfort)
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
(I can enjoy God’s goodness even in ‘bad times’)
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
(this is the abundant life)
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
(constantly King and constantly loving me)
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
(our forever home -with the King)
Jesus is still King. Don’t doubt but believe and trust at all times even when you don’t understand, trust your king.
Jesus holds me safely in His hands
Ever close He leads me in His plans.
When I can’t see the way, I have hope and I have faith.
Day after day, Jesus reigns.
Jesus is our King.
