Apologetics 101 (Part 1) – February 16, 2025

Pastor Billy Calderwood

Where is God? Have you ever asked this question?

If God is powerful and God is good…

• Why hasn’t he intervened? Why doesn’t he intervene more?
• Why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?

Psalm 10:1 (NIV)

1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Psalm 73:12-14 (NIV)

12 This is what the wicked are like—  always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. 14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.

Exodus 5:22-23 (NIV)

22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”

John 11:1-7 (NIV)

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 

John 11:20-45 (NIV)

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.  32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

1. God is working out His purposes on His timeline!

John 11:5-6 (NIV)

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,

2. The Lord is deeply moved by our pain.

John 11:33-35 (NIV)

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 

• We ask Lord, do you even care about what I’m going through?
• The answer: He is deeply moved, troubled and weeping with you!  Some enter heaven with tears…

Revelation 21:4-5 (NIV)

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

3. When the very worst happens, God is still not done!

John 11:4 (NIV)

4 Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

John 11:40 (NIV)

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

John 11:45 (NIV)

45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Revelation 20:4-5 (NIV)

4 And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God…   They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 

John 11:18 (NIV)

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Where is God?  He is working out his purposes in your life and mine on his timetable! In the process, he is making you more like Jesus!

Where is God? He is weeping when we weep and sharing his comfort with us when we go through a painful situation.

Where is God? He is working for our ultimate good and our ultimate flourishing even on the days when it seems the worst has happened! He is still not done. I don’t know about you but, like Mary of Bethany and Hugh Latimer of Oxford, I want to put my hope in Jesus no matter what part he asks me to play in his story!

“Yes, Lord,” “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

If you said YES, click HERE.