<\/p>\n I. We \n desire explanations for the world and its events\n A. It \n is not enough that things happen, most of us are curious as to why they \n happen\n 1. Even \n the three-year-old will drive his parents to distraction asking “Why?”\n B. Hence, \n when disciples come across a blind man, it brought a question to their \n minds – John 9:1-3\n 1. The \n assumption that the disciples made is a common one among man.\n 2. No \n one would want to be blind, so therefore it must be a punishment sent \n by God.\n 3. The \n only thing that was difficult was trying to figure out who’s sin \n was being punished\n a. The \n man was born blind, so it is difficult to imagine what sin a person could \n commit before birth that deserved blindness.\n b. Yet \n to say the blindness was because of the parents’ sin would mean \n that another person was being punished for a sin that someone had committed.\n 4. Jesus \n points out that their assumption was wrong.\n a. The \n blindness was not the consequence of a sin\n b. But \n the blindness was allowed so that God’s glory could be shown.\n C. When \n an accident happens to someone young, I have had people ask, “What \n do you suppose they did to deserve such a fate?”\n 1. Like \n the natives who saw Paul bitten – Acts 28:4\n D. Followers \n of the teachings of John Calvin find themselves struggling with this question \n often\n 1. God \n is obviously supreme and His will is always done.\n 2. To \n Calvinists, nothing happens that God did not approve of, plan, and executed.\n 3. But \n this leads to the obvious conclusion that God is the cause of all evil \n in the world, which directly contradicts James 1:13.\n II. Where \n do handicaps come from?\n A. When \n God made the world, it was perfect – Genesis 1:31\n 1. But \n then Adam and Eve sinned and the world became not so perfect as a consequence \n – Genesis 3:17-19\n 2. Hence, \n we could say that imperfections came about by Adam and Eve\n 3. As \n this world wears down, things like genetic disease become more prevalent.\n B. Sometimes \n disease does come as a punishment for sin\n 1. Uzziah \n wanted to offer incense to God and was struck by leprosy for the remainder \n of his life – II Chronicles 26:16-21\n 2. Sometimes \n the problem is the result of someone else’s sin. \n a. After \n all, we still bear the consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin.\n b. Jeremiah \n complained that Israel was suffer for the sins of their ancestors. – Lamentations \n 5:7\n 3. Yet, \n before we get too quick to blame someone else\n a. God \n points out that they are suffering because the Israelites continue to \n sin as their fathers did – Jeremiah 31:28-30\n b. In \n the same way we continue the practice of sin as did Adam – Romans 5:12\n 4. Some \n sins, such as sexual sins, contain a natural high risk of disease as a \n consequence – Romans 1:26-27\n 5. Hence, \n afflictions may come because we \n are bad.\n C. But \n we must also recall that it was Satan who tempted Eve into opening the \n door to sin – Genesis 3:1\n 1. Satan \n has never been satisfied with God’s work. \n 2. Satan \n wanted to make Job’s life miserable in hopes that he would leave \n God – Job 1:6-12\n a. Job \n suffered many losses. Satan did not reveal who was doing it. For all that \n Job knew, God had turned His back on him.\n b. When \n he did not turn against God (Job 1:22), Satan attack Job’s health \n – Job 2:7-10\n 3. We \n learn many things from Job.\n a. But \n one of the obvious lessons is that at least some misery is due to Satan \n trying to turn people away from God – I Peter 5:6-10\n b. In \n other words, afflictions may come \n because we are good!\n c. But \n did you notice that Satan had to go to God for permission to do what he \n wanted?\n D. Sometimes \n trials come as a way to try our metal\n 1. James \n 1:2-4 – Trials build character\n 2. Just \n like muscles require resistence to be come stronger, we must endure difficulties \n to spiritually become better people.\n 3. Paul \n suffered to give him proper perspective – I Corinthians 12:7-10\n 4. Afflictions \n are chances to train – Hebrews 12:11\n 5. So \n God may allow afflictions to make \n us better.\n 6. Just \n as there is a danger of overtraining, God limits what Satan can do – I \n Corinthians 10:13\n E. Sometimes \n afflictions come “just because”\n 1. Man \n doesn’t know what the future holds – Ecclesiastes 9:1\n 2. Some \n events have no relation to whom it happens – Ecclesiastes 9:11-12\n a. Some \n disasters, especially from an individual’s viewpoint, happen randomly.\n b. Some \n afflictions come by happen chance.\n 3. What \n God expects of us is to do our best – Luke 13:2-5\n F. And \n there are some who are afflicted so that God may demonstrate His power\n 1. As \n the blind man was born that way so the power of Jesus to heal might be \n shown \n 2. Sarah \n lived her life, unable to have children, though she greatly desired a \n child. \n a. Was \n God being mean to her?\n b. Or \n didn’t the delay strengthened Sarah and give God the opportunity \n to accomplish a miracle through her?\n 3. Lazarus \n died so that Jesus could show his power over death – John 11:4\n 4. In \n other words, some were afflicted \n to serve a purpose.\n III. When \n disaster strikes, when a child is born handicapped, or a traffic accident \n leaves a person paralyzed, do we know why it happened?\n A. For \n man the answer is generally, no.\n B. God \n is in control, but we don’t often have insight as to what He has \n in mind.\n C. But \n we are expected to do our best with what we are given\n 1. When \n Moses wanted to get out of leading the Israelites, he offered the excuse \n that he was a poor speaker – Exodus 4:10-11\n 2. The \n answer is that God made Moses as he was and chose Moses as he was. Obviously \n then, Moses with his “handicap” was just what God needed for \n the task assigned to him.\n 3. God \n made you as you are. He could also make you blind, or deaf, or mute, but \n would that mean you are now exempt from God’s service?\n D. Even \n when afflictions come, God is able to make good things come as a result \n of the bad things happening – Romans 8:28 (what kind of things? See Romans \n 8:35).\n IV. God \n has always offered special protection to the afflicted and He expects \n His followers to do the same \n A. The \n handicapped are not to be mistreated – Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:18\n B. Jesus \n ministered to the afflicted – Matthew 11:5\n C. James \n 1:27 – Evidence of pure religion\n V. We \n may not know why disaster strikes or when it will strike, but we do know \n that God can turn a disaster into a benefit.\n A. It \n gives us a chance to grow.\n B. It \n gives us a chance to show the world our faith in God\n C. Never \n is a handicap an excuse to mistreat someone, nor is an excuse to say I \n don’t have to give it my all.\n D. Because \n when this short life is over, there will be no handicaps in heaven.\n
<\/p>\n
Text: Exodus 4:10-12 I. We desire explanations for the world and its events A. It is not enough that things happen, most of us are curious as to why they happen 1. Even the three-year-old will drive his parents to distraction asking “Why?” B. Hence, when disciples come across a blind man, it brought a question to their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[32],"tags":[916,182,188],"class_list":["post-9241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-handicapped","tag-suffering","tag-trials"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28510,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/will-i-be-handicapped-in-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":0},"title":"Will I be handicapped in heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 20, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was born with a handicap. It has since become worse. I have applied for disability but can not seem to receive it. Why was I pick for this? What did I do to deserve this? If I die tomorrow, will I be handicapped in heaven? Who should I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53674,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-god-going-to-reject-me-because-im-handicapped\/","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":1},"title":"Is God going to reject me because I’m handicapped?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it true, based on Malachi, that if a person is too disabled, then God can't accept that person because God is so holy that a person who is damaged goods is actually forced to spend eternity in hell because they don't have the capabilities required by God? In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24967,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-are-there-birth-defects-and-is-changing-your-gender-fixing-a-defect\/","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":2},"title":"Why are there birth defects? And is changing your gender fixing a defect?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If God made man in His own image and said that it was excellent, then why are there birth defects, and isn't fixing a birth defect the same as changing your gender if you're homosexual? Answer: For your first question, see the sermon outline \"Does God Make the Handicapped?\"\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20685,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-a-mentally-impaired-person-be-baptized\/","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":3},"title":"Should a mentally impaired person be baptized?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 31, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Scripturally speaking should an adult who is: mentally impaired, mentally retarded, unable to articulate or demonstrate an understanding of who God is, what baptism is,\u00a0or what it\u00a0accomplishes\u00a0be baptized? Answer: A person is held accountable for their sins when they are old enough to have a knowledge of good and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36162,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/my-boyfriend-is-handicapped-and-his-life-is-controlled-by-his-grandmother-i-dont-know-if-i-should-continue-dating-him-or-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":4},"title":"My boyfriend is handicapped and his life is controlled by his grandmother. I don’t know if I should continue dating him or not","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been dating this man from church for about half a year now.\u00a0 Our original getting together was through his uncle inviting me over to meet him.\u00a0 I have to mention that he is the victim of a drunk driver over a decade ago. Because of this, he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27341,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-give-an-extra-reward-to-the-unfortunate\/","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":5},"title":"Does God give an extra reward to the unfortunate?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I don't know if its blasphemy or not but I have been struggling with a particular problem. I know that these are just thoughts and feelings that Satan puts in my head, but I sometimes feel like if God is unfair to all His children. I feel He must\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}