Pain and the Fall of Mankind into Sin

In the last few posts we have been discusing the issue of pain in our lives. We want to continue that disussion with this post. We have established that much of the emotional hurt we face in life has to do with the fall of mankind into sin. This whole process of the sins of one person hurting another began with Adam in Genesis 3. When Adam sinned, the perfect world God created became tainted by sin. One result of the taint of sin was natural disasters. Such disasters cause significant pain to the lives of millions of people who never even knew Adam existed.

The ripple effects of Adam’s sin continue to cause pain to people after many millennia. In the past most people were not aware of the pain that natural disasters caused around the world. Today, through the Internet, cable television, and other technological advances, the next generation has witnessed dramatic suffering in the world that was not caused by the people who experienced the pain. 

The terrible tragedy of 9/11, the tsunami of 2004, and the earthquakes in Haiti in 2010 and in Japan in 2011 are but a few examples of pain the next generation has seen. They have been victims of significant pain themselves—pain they did not cause. Even when they accept the fact that some of their pain was self-inflicted, they still want to know why God did not stop the pain that others caused and why God did not stop the pain that results from natural disasters. That is why it is important to have conversations about free will. Just as we have misused our free will, others have misused their free will as well. That freedom may cost other people dearly. Adam used his free will to bring the curse of sin on the world, which is a constant reminder of how far reaching one person’s freedom might be. While it is tempting to ask God to let us keep our free will but limit the free will of others, we know that is not realistic. Young people must be reminded of this reality on a regular basis.

A word of caution is in order. While some of the pain in our lives comes from the sins of others, we must not allow that to become an excuse for developing a victim mentality. Second Timothy 1:7 says, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (ESV). Christ came so we could find the strength to overcome the troubles of this world. Churches need to help young people understand that while some pain is caused by the sins of others, we can overcome that pain through our faith in Christ. We do not have to live in fear. We may have been victims in the past, but through Christ, we can find victory over a victim mentality.

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.

Pain and Free Will

In two earlier posts I mentioned how some pain in our lives is caused by our owns sins and some pain in our lives is caused by the sins of others. I want us to expand the discussion about those two ideas a little more in this post.

As I minister to young people, they often ask me why God gives us so much freedom to make such choices if we are just going to make choices that cause us pain. Young people want to know why God did not make us in such a way that we will always do what is right. This is a complicated question. 

The answer focuses on the free will God gives to people. I try to help young people understand that though God is indeed all powerful and could control our lives so we would be free from all pain, that choice would render us mere robots or puppets on a string that God was dangling around in the world. God loves us too much to give us such empty and meaningless lives. God has chosen to give us free will as an expression of His love for us. Unfortunately, our free will has been deeply tainted by our fall into sin. The apostle Paul confessed in Romans 7:15, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (ESV).  This verse shows that even Paul struggled with his free will and its tendency toward sin. Free will has a price, for with control comes responsibility. Much of the time when we think we are exercising our free will, we are actually acting as slaves to our sin. This slavery to sin causes part of the pain we experience in our lives. Pain is often the natural consequence of our bad choices.

When we trust Christ as our Savior, we are freed from our slavery to sin. We receive the Holy Spirit, and He helps us make better choices and use our free will as God intended it. When we use our free will as God intended, it has positive results. When we use our free will in a way that God did not intend, the consequences are almost always painful. While we are free to make our own choices, we are not free to choose our own consequences. Many people prefer to make bad choices and then blame God for the results of those choices, but that is just not the way the real world works. Everyone wants God to fix their problems, but no one wants to join God in His efforts to do the fixing. God is always at work to bring hope to the hopeless and to change painful situations into joyful experiences. Hope and help are gifts from God, who is both powerful and loving. But we must respond to Him when He reaches out to us. We must open our hearts and minds to His working in our lives. If churches hope to help postmodern people come to faith in Christ, churches will work hard at expressing love to those who are bound up in sin while patiently showing a biblical way out of the pain sin causes.

If we think through the concept of free will completely, we have no choice but to conclude that though God is able to free us from all the pain of life, that would be inconsistent with His gift of free will. Therefore, one reason life can be painful is that even though God has given mankind the ability to make choices, mankind has not used that ability very well. We have used our free will to sin, and that sin has caused much of the pain in our lives. This may not be politically correct in our pluralistic culture, but it is morally, theologically, spiritually, and emotionally correct. We must help the next generation understand the connection between sin and pain.

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.

The Causes of Pain in Our Lives - Part Three

We have been discussing the causes of pain in our lives in the last few posts. We have established that some of our pain is caused by our own sins (read that article here). We have also established that part of our pain is causes by the sins of others (read that article here). But there is a third cause for pain that most of us do not think about.

 

The third cause of pain is Satan. God is not the only spiritual force at work in the world. Satan loves to cause pain. Satan is roaming about the world with his legions of demons looking for those he can destroy. First Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (HCSB). Satan is the one who kills people in car accidents and house fires. Satan is the one who causes one person to violate another person sexually. Satan is the one who delights in bringing cancer, disease, and pain into the world. We need to put the blame on Satan, where it belongs.

Consider Adolph Hitler. Though he was a relatively obscure politician with poor writing skills, he somehow managed to capture the attention of an entire nation. He then used that platform to promote unbelievable evil, resulting in the death of millions of people. How did he manage to convince a whole nation of intelligent, well-educated, and morally upright people to support so much evil?

Clearly there was a spiritual force behind him—but it was a spiritual force of evil. Many older people who look back on some of Hitler’s methods now recognize occult-type rituals and practices Hitler used to consolidate his power. The root of his power was beyond his personality; it was in Satan. We must never forget that, or else that terrible scenario could be repeated somewhere else in the world.

Hitler is not the only example of demonically inspired evil. I have read accounts of serial child molesters who described an evil power that overtook them when they would do terrible things to innocent children. Serial killers have similarly described a feeling of an overpowering force that compelled them to murder their innocent victims. Normal people do not engage in such aberrant behaviors.

When people do things that evil, there is likely a supernatural force behind their actions. The next generation needs to be taught how to do spiritual battle with Satan. Ephesians 6:12 teaches, “Our struggle 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” (NIV). Young people need to know how to recognize Satan’s efforts and overcome Satan’s power through faith in Christ. First John 4:4 says, “For He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (ESV). We can overcome Satan’s efforts, but we must be focused and intentional in our battle against him. This does not mean that Satan will never bother us again. Satan will continue to do evil because he is pure evil and does not know how to do anything but cause pain and hurt in the world. Christians, however, have the power to stand against Satan.

 

As we consider how we will deal with pain in our lives, let us not forget the spiritual power we have at our disposal as Christians. There is a supernatural power available to all Christians that can help us combat and overcome the pain in our lives that comes from Satan.

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.

The Causes of Pain in Our Lives - Part Two

In my previous post I wrote about the first cause of pain in the world, which is our own sin. In this post, I want to addrress the second cause of pain in the world. While our own sin nature and our wrong choices are root causes for some pain and suffering in our lives, the second cause for pain in the world is the sin of others. Sin has a ripple effect that causes pain to other people. Sadly, even when we trust Christ and He frees us from the grip of our sin, we are still subject to the poor choices others make who are still in slavery to their sin. As a result, we also experience pain when others make bad choices, and their consequences spill over into our lives. Sometimes the people hurt the most by sin have no direct connection to the individuals who actually commit the sin.

There are countless examples of the sin of others having huge impact on people with no direct connection to the sin. I still remember the horrifying pictures of Bhopal, India, on the news on December 3, 1984. I was a senior in high school at the time. Over a period of several days, nearly half a million people in Bhopal were exposed to the toxic gas Savin, which had leaked from a nearby pesticide plant. According to Earth Magazine, “Approximately 3,800 people died immediately. Thousands more died in the coming days. Those who survived recovered slowly or not at all.”  What caused this terrible leak? Workers at the factory claim that the plant’s “owners were known for their lax safety standards.” Having low standards was a way to save money and increase profits. The company denies this claim, but records indicate that “the safety systems that should have kicked in weren’t working properly.”  

This was one of the worst industrial accidents in history. Whether it was caused by the sin of greed or by the sin of laziness, either way, the sins of a few caused unbelievable pain to many people who had no direct connection to the people who sinned.

Part of learning to deal with the pain of this world is accepting that the mistake of others often spill over into our lives. None of us like that reality, but we must accept it as reality nonetheless. 

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.

 

The Causes of Pain in Our Lives - Part One

Based on my experience ministering to young adults, it has become clear that many of them blame God for the pain in their lives. Some of them do it outright and boldly, expressing great anger at God for letting bad stuff happen to good people. Others are more subtle, but they clearly question why a God of love would let bad things happen. God takes the blame for every painful moment and every painful action that has ever occurred in their young lives and in the world around them. If we church leaders want to reach the next generation, we are going to have to help young people deal with all this pain, along with the anger that emerges from it.

When I listen to young people talk about their pain, I try to remind them that there are three primary causes of pain in the world. This post will only focus on the first cause of pain in the world. Please make sure that you come back and read the next two posts so that you get the full picture of what I am trying to say about pain. The first cause of pain is our own sin. God has declared certain behaviors to be sinful. Because young people, who typically have a postmodern worldview, struggle with the concept of absolute truth, they will struggle to accept that there are certain behaviors that are sinful. Though postmodernists may struggle with the concept, that struggle does not negate the reality that certain actions are wrong. Though some people may feel God’s declarations about sin are arbitrary, that is not the case. God has declared certain actions to be sinful because of the great pain those actions cause either in our lives or in the lives of others.

Just as God has declared certain actions to be sinful, He has also declared certain attitudes and behaviors to be right. Right behavior brings more health and happiness and less pain into our lives. Wrong behavior steals our happiness and creates greater pain in our lives. Committed Christians accept these declarative absolutes. We read about them in the Bible and seldom question why they may be right or wrong. We just try to follow them the best we can. But postmodern people are not going to accept right and wrong without asking questions about why those actions are right or wrong. Churches often do not know how to respond when young adults question what the Bible says about sin. One way to respond to these questions is by showing the connection between sin and the pain that results from sin. We can help postmodern people realize that God is not a cosmic killjoy who is trying to keep us from having fun. God is a loving Father who is trying to keep us from hurting ourselves or others.

Here is one example of how our own sin impacts our lives in negative ways. I met Sahara shortly after she moved to our area. Though she was not religious, she heard about our church and thought it would be a great place to meet new friends. Sahara is quite outspoken in her opinions on many things, including her lifestyle choice of lesbianism. She is a leader in a pro-lesbian group that is sponsored by a local organization. She makes no secret of her feelings on that issue or a host of others.

Sahara’s strong opinions often result in her making many poor decisions, which have had an adverse effect on her relationships and her sense of well-being. Her choices have caused a great deal of pain in her life, but she is so confident that she is right that she seems incapable of changing course so her life can have less pain. Her pro-lesbian group told her this pain was caused by the narrow-mindedness of others. They told her that if her family and friends would just accept her lesbianism, then she would feel better about herself. Sahara has worked hard at pressuring those around her to accept her lifestyle choice. Many have done so, but she is still miserable, which demonstrates that others’ acceptance of her choices will not end her pain.

At one point Sahara’s many issues compounded themselves so much that she could barely function. One evening after church, she began to talk about why she so badly needed us to accept her sexuality. I had heard her repeatedly share her opinions on the matter, so I decided it was time to confront her about her choices. I explained, with as much love as I could, what the Bible says about her choices—not only about her lesbianism but about a number of other negative choices she regularly made. The conversation got very tense. She said she did not think she could come back to a church that did not accept her the way she was. I pointed out that she did not seem very happy the way she was, and it would be wrong of us to ignore her deep pain. I suggested that much of her pain was a result of something being wrong inside her, which the Bible identifies as sin.

Sahara got defensive and left angry. We did not see her at church for a couple of weeks. But then she came back. She declared that she was going to work on all of her problems and try Bible reading and prayer. After several more weeks, she declared herself a “half-Christian.” By that she meant that she now believed there was a God, but she was not quite ready to commit to Him. God is doing a deep work in Sahara’s life. God is showing her a way out of pain, but it requires her to make changes in many of her lifestyle choices.

The method I used with Sahara was to show her the connection between her poor life choices and the pain she was experiencing. By using this method, I was able to help her understand that I was not trying to judge her but to help her out of her pain. It has taken a long time, and the process is not yet finished, but I am confident that He who began a good work in Sahara will complete it when the time is right (Philippians 1:6).

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.

Sermon from Matthew 16 - Upon This Rock

I preached this past Sunday at Bethlehem Baptist Fellowship, Bethlehem, CT. Here is a video of the sermon. It is in four parts.

Part One: Part Three: Part Four:

Dealing With a Generation in Pain - Part 2

In my previous post I began discussing the deep pain the next generation has experienced in their lives. In this post, we will continue that discussion. You may want to read the first post by CLICKING HERE before continuing to read.
 

Though some of my middle age adult friends give me a hard time about my use of Facebook, I realized early on that Facebook would become a very effective tool for ministering to the next generation. I invest a certain portion of my time talking to young people through this medium. In my discussions with these young people, they feel comfortable sharing about their hurt and pain because they can hide behind their computer screens or their smart phones. Young people have shared with me about their broken and dysfunctional homes that have caused a tremendous amount of sadness in their lives. They have shared about losing friends in various types of tragedies. They have shared about beloved grandparents suffering horribly from cancer or some other illness and then slowly dying. They have shared about being betrayed by good friends or close relatives. They have shared that they were violated sexually by an older friend or relative. Considering the level of pain and hurt the next generation has already experienced, it is a wonder that any of them function at all. Most of them would not have been comfortable talking about those things face to face. But feeling "safe" behind their computer, smart phone or tablet, they bared their soul to someone whom they knew cared.

 

But Facebook is not the only way I seek to help young people deal with pain. I recall speaking at a large youth rally at a church in our area a couple of years ago. Though I did not know everyone who was there, I knew enough of them to know it was a room full of pain. Many of the young people who were present were from broken homes. Many were from families that faced significant financial challenges. At least five young people present had lost one parent to death, two only forty-eight hours before the rally. Teenagers were present who had been physically and/or sexually abused. One young man present had been bounced from house to house, never quite knowing where home was any particular week. Several dozen had lost friends in car accidents, one only a few weeks before. Others present at the youth rally had lost friends in a horrific house fire that took several lives, and some had lost friends in a freak drowning accident in a normally calm river that ran through the middle of our town. Several of those present were struggling with addictions in their own lives or in the lives of their parents. The group also included at least two cutters (people who intentionally cut themselves so their body will release natural endorphins that make them feel better) and at least three who were struggling with their sexual identity. As I prepared to speak to the group, I could feel the intensity of the group’s pain. I did my best in the 40 minutes that I had their attention to show them that God of love seen their pain, cares about it, and wants to turn what Satan meant for evil into something good.

Those of us who care about reaching the next generation must wrestle with the reality that the next generation is a generation that is in pain. Not only are they dealing with significant emotional issues, but they are also the first generation that will most likely be less well off than their parents. They are inheriting an economy that is in shambles, a morality that has collapsed, and a nation that has lost status on the global scene. With so much stacked against them, the last thing young people need is churches that do not care about their pain or help them with their struggles. Yet that is what many young people find when they occasionally wander into church. No wonder most churches struggle to reach young adults, our sermons, our music, our prayers times, are all about a fairy tale world where if you just think happy thoughts all our problems will go away. If we want to reach the next generation, we are going to have to help young people deal with all this pain, along with the anger that emerges from it. In my next post we will discuss all the anger that emerges from this deep pain.

Adapted from Dr. Dorsett’s book, Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church, published by CrossBooks, a division of Lifeway Christian Resources.