A message from the Book of Job showing us how a believer should respond to suffering in a way that glorifies God.
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[00:00:20] And so today I thought we would take the course of going through the traditional week after Christmas sermon which is through the book of Job, right? That's probably never heard that suffering. But it's just been on my heart and I thought this would be a good time. He's a man who encountered many storms in life, to say the least. A man who like you or me didn't have the answers.
[00:00:48] A man who believed but also needed some help along the way. He's like the man in Mark chapter 9 that did believe but he needed some help with his unbelief too.
[00:01:00] And he could have just as well asked Jesus in Mark 9, Lord help my ignorance. Because yes I say I believe in you and I know who you are and who you claim to be and I say it.
[00:01:11] But there's a part of me that says, if you can do it, would you do it? He could have also prayed for his ignorance.
[00:01:20] So I'd like to read from Job chapter 1. We'll just be going through as a flyover mainly in Job chapter 1 today and then a few parts throughout the rest of the book.
[00:01:31] From Job chapter 1 verse 1.
[00:02:23] The book of Job is traditionally
[00:02:32] thought of as the oldest book in the Bible. Not chronologically speaking in the storyline but
[00:02:39] there are 66 books in this compilation of the Bible that we have and Job is often thought to be the first put to paper.
[00:02:48] We don't know who its author is. We don't know when exactly it was written.
[00:02:53] But for certain reasons we do believe that it was before the Mosaic Covenant because it talks about the father offering sacrifices instead of a priest.
[00:03:02] For one example, we know that the land of Uz is in the Arabian Peninsula which is not in Israel.
[00:03:10] Of course it's southeast of Israel.
[00:03:13] We know that Job was not a Jew or a Hebrew because Abraham hadn't been born yet.
[00:03:17] Jews didn't exist because Jews come from the term Hebrew and Abraham was the first Hebrew.
[00:03:25] He wasn't a descendant of Abraham.
[00:03:26] The name Job we understand means one who's persecuted and also one who returns.
[00:03:36] And what does it mean to repent than to turn back to God?
[00:03:42] Job here is presented as a just man and he could be really any man, any believer.
[00:03:50] This could be anyone's story who's a believer in God.
[00:03:54] This could be your story.
[00:03:57] I'm sure at times we have probably thought of ourselves going through tough times and thought,
[00:04:03] this must have been what Job felt like.
[00:04:05] I mean, just keep getting hit on all sides with all these things that are happening to me.
[00:04:11] This could be your story.
[00:04:13] Let's read on in verse 6.
[00:04:15] Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord.
[00:04:20] And Satan also came among them.
[00:04:22] The Lord said to Satan,
[00:04:23] From where have you come?
[00:04:25] And Satan answered the Lord and said,
[00:04:27] From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.
[00:04:31] And the Lord said to Satan,
[00:04:32] Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth,
[00:04:36] a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil?
[00:04:41] Then Satan answered the Lord and said,
[00:04:43] Does Job fear God for no reason?
[00:04:45] Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has
[00:04:49] on every side?
[00:04:50] You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.
[00:04:54] But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has,
[00:04:57] and he will curse you to your face.
[00:05:01] And the Lord said to Satan,
[00:05:02] Behold, all that he has is in your hand.
[00:05:05] Only against him do not stretch out your hand.
[00:05:08] So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
[00:05:11] In this passage we see God and his heavenly host.
[00:05:19] This term is, in Hebrew it's Elohim.
[00:05:25] It's plural holy ones.
[00:05:27] So God has his divine counsel, his court,
[00:05:30] and there are divine, his other divine creation there, angels and whatnot.
[00:05:36] And from Scripture we read that Satan is one of those creations, an angel,
[00:05:40] and he's fallen at this point, but one of God's creations in any case.
[00:05:45] This is not happening on earth.
[00:05:47] This is in God's heavenly realm.
[00:05:50] And Satan's there.
[00:05:52] And God's speaking with him.
[00:05:53] And he tells God that he's been wandering the earth.
[00:05:56] And it doesn't remind you, it reminded me of where in 1 Peter we're told,
[00:06:01] Peter says,
[00:06:08] So from the oldest book in the Bible,
[00:06:13] on to the New Testament we see this picture of Satan roaming around,
[00:06:18] seeing what he can destroy or devour.
[00:06:22] But he's not just wandering around,
[00:06:23] taking in God's creation because of its beauty.
[00:06:26] No, he's seeking to destroy and to devour, the word is.
[00:06:30] His motives are evil.
[00:06:32] But God's motives are good.
[00:06:35] If you're taking notes, your first note here says,
[00:06:37] God glorifies himself.
[00:06:40] And why wouldn't he? He's God.
[00:06:42] And he is glorified by the faithfulness of his people.
[00:06:46] That's one way God is glorified.
[00:06:48] Certainly he's glorified just because he is God,
[00:06:50] but he's glorified by his creation.
[00:06:53] And we, man, mankind is the pinnacle of his creation.
[00:06:56] And when God made man, he made man to glorify God.
[00:07:01] And so he's glorified by our faithfulness to him,
[00:07:04] even in the midst of heartache and trouble.
[00:07:08] So God asks Satan if he's considered his servant Job.
[00:07:13] Verse 8, it says,
[00:07:14] There's none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man,
[00:07:17] who fears God and turns away from evil.
[00:07:19] Have you looked at Job?
[00:07:22] The Lord here mentions three aspects of his servant Job.
[00:07:26] First of all, he calls him a servant.
[00:07:27] I guess that's a bonus one.
[00:07:28] But he mentions that he is blameless and upright, Job.
[00:07:34] Another term for this would be righteous.
[00:07:36] Job is a righteous man.
[00:07:37] He's a believer in God.
[00:07:40] He mentions that he fears God.
[00:07:42] Another aspect of humanity that glorifies God.
[00:07:46] This means that he's obedient to God,
[00:07:48] because he knows if he's not obedient,
[00:07:50] he will render the punishment of God and the wrath of God.
[00:07:55] So he is obedient.
[00:07:56] He fears God.
[00:07:58] He also mentions that he turns away from evil.
[00:08:01] This means that he's fighting against his own sin,
[00:08:03] and he's repentant.
[00:08:05] So these are aspects of us that will glorify God in our faithfulness.
[00:08:10] The fact that we're righteous, we're obedient, and we're repentant.
[00:08:17] We say we're righteous.
[00:08:18] You know, we like to be humble as Christians.
[00:08:19] We want to be humble.
[00:08:20] It's hard for us to say, I'm righteous.
[00:08:22] Well, the good part is, it's not your righteousness.
[00:08:26] It's a righteousness of another, Christ.
[00:08:29] And since Christ has covered you with his righteousness,
[00:08:31] that's why we're righteous.
[00:08:32] Not because of what we have done.
[00:08:35] I love the first verse of Romans 8,
[00:08:37] where Paul says,
[00:08:43] There's so much in that little verse.
[00:08:45] The fact that it is now true.
[00:08:47] Now.
[00:08:47] There's now.
[00:08:49] No condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus.
[00:08:52] We're righteous because of Christ, not because of you or me.
[00:08:58] We're righteous like Job was righteous because of Christ.
[00:09:01] Because of God.
[00:09:03] We're also obedient if we claim that we're Christians.
[00:09:06] We're obeying the gospel, which is a command to believe and repent.
[00:09:10] So we are obedient to the gospel when we say we're Christians and mean it.
[00:09:16] And though we still struggle with sin, he knows that.
[00:09:19] Though we still struggle with sin, we're not a slave to it like we once were.
[00:09:24] Before we had the claws of sin in our hearts, in our minds, we'd think about it all the time.
[00:09:29] Or we'd have no problem hurting others or hurting ourselves.
[00:09:33] But now we're not a slave to it.
[00:09:35] He's freed us from that.
[00:09:37] And we're also like Job because we are repentant.
[00:09:40] And now we do hate that sin.
[00:09:42] If you weren't repentant, you wouldn't hate your sin.
[00:09:46] You would indulge in it.
[00:09:47] You would love it.
[00:09:48] You'd have no problem going to sleep at night knowing you've hurt others.
[00:09:51] But a repentant heart has a problem with sin.
[00:09:57] So Satan says, in essence, to God,
[00:10:01] Sure, Job is your servant because he has all this stuff and you protected him and he's living his best life.
[00:10:09] Why would he ever complain?
[00:10:12] He says, if I take what he has, he'll curse you.
[00:10:17] Right to your face.
[00:10:18] Verse 12,
[00:10:20] And the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your hand.
[00:10:23] Go ahead, do with it what you will, Satan.
[00:10:25] We'll test your hypothesis here.
[00:10:27] But he says, only against him don't stretch out your hand.
[00:10:30] Take what he has, but don't touch Job.
[00:10:34] This is our next point in your notes.
[00:10:36] The fact that, again, God is sovereign.
[00:10:39] He is the one who determines and decides.
[00:10:43] Satan can't just decide to hurt Job or take his possessions or anything.
[00:10:47] He needs God's permission and God must allow that to happen.
[00:10:53] He's sovereign over Satan.
[00:10:55] He's sovereign over his creation.
[00:10:56] The events within it.
[00:10:59] God told Satan, fine, do with him what you will with his possessions, but don't touch him.
[00:11:06] So that's as far as Satan could go by God's decree.
[00:11:12] Continuing in verse 13.
[00:11:14] Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house.
[00:11:20] And there came a messenger to Job and said,
[00:11:22] The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them.
[00:11:27] And the Sabians fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword.
[00:11:32] And I alone have escaped to tell you.
[00:11:36] While he was yet speaking, there came another and said,
[00:11:39] The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them.
[00:11:44] And I alone have escaped to tell you.
[00:11:48] While he was yet speaking, there came another and said,
[00:11:52] The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword.
[00:11:59] And I alone have escaped to tell you.
[00:12:04] While he was yet speaking, there came another and said,
[00:12:08] Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house.
[00:12:12] And behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house.
[00:12:17] And it fell upon the young people and they are dead.
[00:12:23] And I alone have escaped to tell you.
[00:12:30] The next verse.
[00:12:55] Verse 22.
[00:13:05] We can look at this passage here from Job and see.
[00:13:16] When it rains, it pours.
[00:13:18] We've had those feelings.
[00:13:21] Oh, this thing happened.
[00:13:22] This big thing.
[00:13:23] It's expensive.
[00:13:24] And then the next thing you know, while he was still speaking about the bad news about the truck that was broke down.
[00:13:31] Someone comes and says, Your loved one's in the hospital.
[00:13:34] Now I've got to go deal with that.
[00:13:37] And while this person is still speaking, someone comes and says, Your house is on fire.
[00:13:41] And the next person says, Before he's even done telling me, this other thing happens.
[00:13:44] And this happens to Job.
[00:13:46] And everything's taken in one day.
[00:13:48] All of his sheep and the servants for the sheep.
[00:13:51] And he figures, maybe after the first servant, you know, there's no way.
[00:13:56] That's tragic.
[00:13:58] I'll have to deal with that.
[00:13:59] And the next thing, the servant comes.
[00:14:02] Now the camels are gone.
[00:14:02] And the oxen are gone.
[00:14:03] And all those servants are gone.
[00:14:04] And Job is thinking, Well, this is even bigger than I thought and worse than I thought.
[00:14:07] At least I still have my family.
[00:14:12] And the next person comes and says, Your family's gone.
[00:14:17] They're all dead.
[00:14:22] So Job, as the sign of grieving in this ancient Near East culture, tears his robes, shaves his head, falls on the ground, and worships.
[00:14:40] Your next note here says, Your next note is a question.
[00:14:46] It's a question that we should know the answer to.
[00:14:50] How far is worshiping God from your mind when tragedy strikes in your life?
[00:15:02] How far is the thought of worshiping God from your mind when tragedy strikes your life?
[00:15:08] Is it close to your mind?
[00:15:10] Is it far from your mind?
[00:15:13] As a comparison, is it as close as it was to Job's mind as it would be for our mind?
[00:15:19] Now here's the follow-up question to that.
[00:15:25] Is that distance that you just thought about correlated with your maturity in Christ?
[00:15:33] Because if that distance is close, the distance between tragedy and worship, you should have high maturity in Christ, I'm assuming.
[00:15:41] Because the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
[00:15:43] Blessed be the name of the Lord.
[00:15:45] But if that distance between tragedy and worship is far, maybe your maturity in Christ is low.
[00:15:56] It's what some in the scientific community may call a direct correlation or an indirect correlation.
[00:16:02] One goes up, one comes down.
[00:16:06] How far is worshiping God from your mind through tragedy when it strikes?
[00:16:11] Do you say, praise God, blessed be your name?
[00:16:13] Like Job did?
[00:16:14] For my own self, I can say no.
[00:16:18] I think about me first.
[00:16:20] Don't you?
[00:16:25] Most if not all of our initial responses, I'm just going to wager, because I'm human and you're human,
[00:16:31] would be to cry out to God and to complain to him about our tragedy and say, don't you see this?
[00:16:37] To shake our fist at the sky and perhaps even to curse him to his face like Satan predicted.
[00:16:47] But that's because we all still have a portion of our hope in us or our family or our things.
[00:16:54] And when they're taken away like that, we have nowhere else to go.
[00:17:00] No, we've always had him to go to.
[00:17:03] Blessed be the name of the Lord.
[00:17:05] How could Job say that, we say?
[00:17:08] Everything has just been taken from you, all your possessions, your family is gone.
[00:17:13] And you tear your clothes and shave your head and you worship and you say, blessed be the name of the Lord.
[00:17:19] How?
[00:17:23] Just like Herod from last week, when he heard the news of the Christ child coming, he didn't like that.
[00:17:31] He said, I have my position set up here.
[00:17:34] And sure, I'll worship him as long as I can keep my position, keep my power and what majesty I think I have.
[00:17:44] We say, God, do whatever you do.
[00:17:46] Don't mess up what I have going here for me.
[00:17:48] Don't mess with my life.
[00:17:50] And I'll serve you happily.
[00:17:54] But if we live like that, then Satan's right about our walk with Christ.
[00:18:00] Take what he has and he'll curse you.
[00:18:02] We probably would.
[00:18:08] Satan knows the heart of mankind too.
[00:18:10] That it's fallen and it's selfish.
[00:18:15] We only seem to serve God as far as we have what we want in life.
[00:18:22] Job's ultimate hope and peace was not in his servants.
[00:18:25] And we see that as evidence of what he said and how he reacted.
[00:18:28] His hope and peace in life wasn't residing in his camels or his oxen or sheep or servants or even family members.
[00:18:38] His hope and peace resided in God alone.
[00:18:42] What a testimony for us.
[00:18:47] Can we say the same?
[00:18:48] Honestly, can we say the same today?
[00:18:51] I hope we can.
[00:18:52] But when we're put through it, and some of us are being put through it,
[00:18:57] and I know at least a dozen people that I've talked to over the past week or two
[00:19:02] that are really going through it,
[00:19:09] is our first response to discomfort in this world to worship God
[00:19:16] and to acknowledge that he is sovereign over our lives and the events therein.
[00:19:22] And that he is God and we are not.
[00:19:27] It's almost like we assume that God owes us something.
[00:19:31] He doesn't owe us anything.
[00:19:34] He doesn't owe us getting back on track or fixing our lives' problems today.
[00:19:40] He doesn't owe us that.
[00:19:41] He didn't owe us salvation.
[00:19:43] He doesn't owe us anything.
[00:19:47] Moving on into chapter 2 now, verse 1.
[00:19:50] The story continues.
[00:19:52] Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord,
[00:19:55] and Satan also came along to present himself before the Lord.
[00:20:00] And the Lord said to Satan,
[00:20:01] From where have you come?
[00:20:01] Satan answered the Lord and said,
[00:20:03] From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.
[00:20:07] And the Lord said to Satan,
[00:20:08] Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth,
[00:20:11] and blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil?
[00:20:14] He still holds fast his integrity after what he's gone through.
[00:20:20] Although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason,
[00:20:24] then Satan answered the Lord and said,
[00:20:26] Skin for skin.
[00:20:28] All that a man has, he'll give up for his life.
[00:20:33] But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh,
[00:20:35] and he'll curse you to your face.
[00:20:38] And the Lord said to Satan,
[00:20:40] Behold, he is in your hand.
[00:20:41] Only spare his life.
[00:20:44] So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord
[00:20:46] and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
[00:20:53] And he took a piece of pottery, broken,
[00:20:56] with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
[00:21:01] Then his wife said to him,
[00:21:03] Do you still hold fast your integrity?
[00:21:06] Curse God and die.
[00:21:10] But he said to her,
[00:21:13] You speak as one of the foolish women who speak.
[00:21:16] Shall we receive good from God and shall we receive not evil?
[00:21:22] In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
[00:21:28] Again, Satan approaches God.
[00:21:30] God says, Have you seen Job?
[00:21:31] He's still resilient in his faith.
[00:21:34] Almost as he was saying, I told you.
[00:21:38] Satan says, Yeah, that's fine.
[00:21:39] But a man will give everything he has to save his skin, to save his health.
[00:21:44] Take that away and he'll curse you.
[00:21:46] God says, Fine.
[00:21:48] Afflict him, but don't kill him.
[00:21:51] Again, God's sovereignty setting the boundaries that Satan has to obey.
[00:21:59] But if he faces this illness and disease,
[00:22:02] Satan says he'll curse you.
[00:22:06] And here we see, we hear from Job's wife,
[00:22:10] who offers her advice.
[00:22:13] Curse God and die.
[00:22:18] His wife.
[00:22:22] Your next note says this,
[00:22:24] We cannot always rely on the advice of those we hold most closely to us.
[00:22:30] We must rely on God above all others.
[00:22:36] Sometimes we seek out advice only from certain people,
[00:22:39] because we love them most or we trust them most.
[00:22:44] And sometimes, I would assume most if not all the time, they mean well.
[00:22:49] And they offer their opinions to you.
[00:22:51] And you might be coming from a place of love somehow.
[00:22:56] But it's not always good advice.
[00:23:00] They might have an ulterior motive too.
[00:23:04] Ultimately, we need to put God's promises and his quote unquote advice above everyone's.
[00:23:10] Your spouse.
[00:23:12] Your father and mother.
[00:23:13] Your pastor.
[00:23:18] Because all too often, our emotions get in the way.
[00:23:20] And we want to listen to our best friend because she's our best friend or he's our best friend.
[00:23:24] Or I got to listen to my pastor or my dad.
[00:23:26] But you never go to the word.
[00:23:28] You go to that last somehow.
[00:23:30] God's words.
[00:23:32] Our emotions or the emotions of others get in the way and we get bad advice.
[00:23:39] How does Job respond to his wife? Verse 10.
[00:23:42] You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.
[00:23:45] Now guys, this is not a prescriptive text where we're supposed to do this, okay?
[00:23:51] This is something that happened.
[00:23:54] Be careful.
[00:23:56] Shall we receive good from God, he says, and shall we not receive evil?
[00:24:00] Should we only be happy to serve God when we're having a great day
[00:24:04] and all the blessings are falling upon us and now we're happy to serve God?
[00:24:07] But if we're having some discipline in our lives maybe or some tragedy, now we don't serve God?
[00:24:13] Is that how our faith walk is?
[00:24:16] Not to Job's mind.
[00:24:20] And for us today, this applies to our lives.
[00:24:23] Are we supposed to be happy to serve him only when we're having a good day?
[00:24:25] And once it's bad, sorry God, I'll have to get back to you once you shape up.
[00:24:30] Really? Does he owe us something?
[00:24:32] Does he owe you a good day?
[00:24:34] Let alone salvation of your soul?
[00:24:36] Are we so entitled before God Almighty?
[00:24:40] Sometimes we act like it.
[00:24:44] We, the wretched sinners, that he didn't have to save in the first place,
[00:24:48] we talk like this sometimes to God.
[00:24:51] I want to read a few verses that reflect this.
[00:24:53] Again from Paul in Romans chapter 9, after he's having a conversation with this anticipated questioner
[00:25:01] in Romans chapter 9.
[00:25:02] Someone says, well that's not fair.
[00:25:04] God's sovereign.
[00:25:04] He can dictate everything.
[00:25:05] Paul says to this person in Romans 9, verse 20.
[00:25:10] He says, but who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?
[00:25:16] Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it?
[00:25:19] Why did you make me like this?
[00:25:23] He's saying, who are you?
[00:25:26] A human being, a person, just a man, to talk back to God?
[00:25:31] Exodus 33, Moses' words reflect what God is saying to Moses.
[00:25:37] He says to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I'll be gracious.
[00:25:42] And I will show mercy on whom I'll show mercy.
[00:25:44] God says, I'll decide who I'm merciful to.
[00:25:47] And it rains on the just and it rains on the unjust.
[00:25:50] I'll decide.
[00:25:53] And we say, but why Lord?
[00:25:55] Why is this wicked person being blessed?
[00:25:57] And I'm a righteous person and I'm just going through all this toil and suffering.
[00:26:03] Why?
[00:26:05] Well, he has his reasons.
[00:26:07] He's God Almighty.
[00:26:08] Don't you think he has his reasons and they're righteous?
[00:26:11] God always does the right thing.
[00:26:14] We believe these things.
[00:26:15] We say these things.
[00:26:16] And we say that we believe these things.
[00:26:18] He has his reasons.
[00:26:20] And we say, well, what are they, God?
[00:26:22] I want to see if they make sense.
[00:26:23] Show me your plan.
[00:26:28] Are we that entitled?
[00:26:30] We don't always know.
[00:26:32] Most of the time we don't know.
[00:26:35] And his reasons aren't always for us to know.
[00:26:41] Deuteronomy 29, 29, easy one to remember.
[00:26:44] The secret things belong to the Lord.
[00:26:49] His plans belong to him.
[00:26:51] They don't belong to you.
[00:26:53] He doesn't answer to you.
[00:26:57] Your next note says,
[00:26:58] We are not entitled to know God's reasons.
[00:27:02] But we are entitled to worship him.
[00:27:04] Because he is God.
[00:27:06] And we are not.
[00:27:09] We just act so much like he needs to answer to us.
[00:27:12] I've done it.
[00:27:13] I mean, we've all done it.
[00:27:14] We're humans.
[00:27:15] God, why is this happening?
[00:27:16] Like we're calling him out on the carpet to say,
[00:27:18] Explain yourself.
[00:27:20] Why have I had three weeks of this, Lord?
[00:27:23] And now I get this news?
[00:27:24] Really?
[00:27:24] I mean, I'm saved, right?
[00:27:26] You said I'm a child of God.
[00:27:28] He never promised us happiness.
[00:27:32] He promised us the opposite.
[00:27:33] Trouble.
[00:27:34] At least he's honest.
[00:27:38] It's almost like God would be saying to us,
[00:27:42] like we would say if we're an employer or a father to a kid,
[00:27:46] one of our kids,
[00:27:48] Hey, stay in your lane.
[00:27:50] Know your role around here.
[00:27:52] You're not the boss.
[00:27:53] You're not God.
[00:27:55] Know your role.
[00:27:56] Stay in your lane.
[00:27:57] Let me do what I do.
[00:28:00] Be God, right?
[00:28:02] Don't overestimate yourself in your relationship with God.
[00:28:05] Like, oh, I'm a believer now.
[00:28:07] So really, you know, God has to really fulfill my needs and do what I say when.
[00:28:13] We have some, this thought process comes from somewhere.
[00:28:17] And whatever you do, don't underestimate God.
[00:28:21] Because he can crush you.
[00:28:25] And he can take everything from you to prove your faithfulness if he wants.
[00:28:36] Later in Job, in chapter 3, Job's human side soon comes up
[00:28:40] because to this point he seems like a super Christian.
[00:28:42] Again, his human side comes up.
[00:28:46] In verse 1 of chapter 3,
[00:28:47] After this, Job opened his mouth.
[00:28:49] Okay, that's where the problem probably starts, right?
[00:28:50] We open our mouths.
[00:28:52] And cursed the day of his birth.
[00:28:54] And Job said, Let the day perish on which I was born.
[00:29:00] Nowhere in Job you'll read where it says Job cursed God.
[00:29:06] But he cursed just about the closest thing he could think of, the day he was born.
[00:29:09] I wish I'd never been born, God.
[00:29:14] And we can relate to this sometimes.
[00:29:19] We say it a little differently.
[00:29:21] We say, Woe is me.
[00:29:23] But most often in today's common vernacular, we might say, What about me?
[00:29:31] I hate those words.
[00:29:34] What about me?
[00:29:37] That's the plight of the human heart, the fallen, sinful heart.
[00:29:40] What about me?
[00:29:43] You boil it down and you distill it down to what we're living for in a fallen state.
[00:29:49] On earth, it's all about me.
[00:29:52] And I might even love my brother and sister sitting here today.
[00:29:55] But I love me more.
[00:30:00] We complain because we're not having a great day.
[00:30:05] Because we experience a little suffering, or a lot.
[00:30:12] It's a natural response.
[00:30:13] Job is human.
[00:30:15] And he feels the pain and he feels the suffering.
[00:30:18] And he's complaining.
[00:30:19] And when we complain, we implicitly blame God.
[00:30:26] Later in Job, chapter 23.
[00:30:30] He says this, Behold, I go forward, but he's not there.
[00:30:33] He's looking for God.
[00:30:34] Where are you, God?
[00:30:35] Don't you see my struggles?
[00:30:38] And backward, but I do not perceive him.
[00:30:41] On the left hand when he's working, I do not behold him.
[00:30:43] He turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
[00:30:47] God, where are you?
[00:30:48] When I need you most, I can't find you.
[00:30:53] Why not?
[00:30:53] Probably because he's more focused on himself and his troubles.
[00:31:01] We ask things in our minds.
[00:31:02] We might not speak them, but it's the same thing.
[00:31:04] Has he forgotten about us?
[00:31:06] Is he even aware that I'm hurting?
[00:31:09] Does he find pleasure in my strife?
[00:31:11] Does he think this is funny?
[00:31:14] And we ask those human questions.
[00:31:16] Why, God?
[00:31:16] Why?
[00:31:17] I don't understand why.
[00:31:19] What did I do?
[00:31:20] Like Job's friends that came to tell him Job was the problem because of his sin, hidden sin.
[00:31:24] It was Job's fault.
[00:31:26] You must have a secret sin.
[00:31:27] They're all wrong.
[00:31:30] Why?
[00:31:31] Where are you?
[00:31:31] When I need you most.
[00:31:33] Why aren't you helping me?
[00:31:36] And then you go to the next logical thought.
[00:31:40] Are you really as mighty as you say you are?
[00:31:42] Now we're doubting God.
[00:31:46] Do you even know what you're doing up there?
[00:31:49] I could do a better job.
[00:31:51] You know, we have these feelings and these thoughts.
[00:31:57] Job hears from his wife, gives him bad advice.
[00:32:00] Hears from his closest friends to give him bad advice.
[00:32:03] And then God responds to Job.
[00:32:07] And he responds very sternly for four chapters, beginning in chapter 38 if you want some time.
[00:32:12] Go read this and it'll put you back in your lane.
[00:32:17] And hopefully you will all understand our roles before God if you read Job 38 and onward.
[00:32:23] But God responds to Job.
[00:32:27] And I want us to remember back to that man in Mark 9 who asked Jesus to help his unbelief.
[00:32:33] God, I believe but I need your help.
[00:32:35] I need to believe more.
[00:32:36] I need to believe harder.
[00:32:37] For some reason I'm still doubting what are you doing?
[00:32:39] Why am I still living like this?
[00:32:43] Here Job believes.
[00:32:44] He's a believer.
[00:32:45] But he's ignorant.
[00:32:47] Like the man in Mark 9 was.
[00:32:49] He's ignorant of Christ.
[00:32:52] Ignorant of the ways of God.
[00:32:54] Ignorant perhaps of who God is, really.
[00:32:59] And I know we're like Job at times.
[00:33:02] Because I believe that we're all believers here.
[00:33:04] But we still have questions in our minds.
[00:33:08] I think we're like Job here at times.
[00:33:11] So let's read the response from the Lord to Job.
[00:33:15] And keep this in your mind.
[00:33:17] Is this what the Lord would say to us too?
[00:33:21] Job 38 verse 1.
[00:33:24] Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind.
[00:33:27] Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?
[00:33:32] You just imagine God voice coming from the cloud.
[00:33:35] And you're like, oh, those are my ignorant words.
[00:33:39] He says, brace yourself like a man.
[00:33:42] Because I have some questions for you.
[00:33:46] And you must answer them.
[00:33:49] He says, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
[00:33:52] Tell me if you know so much.
[00:33:55] Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line?
[00:33:59] What supports its foundations?
[00:34:01] And who laid its cornerstone?
[00:34:04] Now God's calling Job out onto the carpet, finally.
[00:34:09] Just think, this could be you or me.
[00:34:12] After we've questioned God about how he's doing things in our lives.
[00:34:18] Because we do it.
[00:34:19] Put yourself in Job's position here.
[00:34:21] How are you going to respond when God says, brace yourself?
[00:34:23] I have some questions for you.
[00:34:28] Verse 12.
[00:34:30] The Lord says, have you ever commanded the morning to appear and cause the dawn to rise in the east?
[00:34:36] God says, I have.
[00:34:40] Down to verse 19.
[00:34:41] Where does light come from and where does darkness go?
[00:34:44] Can you take each to his home?
[00:34:46] Do you know how to get there?
[00:34:48] But of course you know all this.
[00:34:50] The Lord says, for you were born before it was all created and you're so very experienced.
[00:34:56] He's mocking Job.
[00:34:58] Using obvious sarcasm, obviously.
[00:35:01] And this lasts for four long chapters.
[00:35:04] Just getting beat down.
[00:35:05] Putting Job back in his place.
[00:35:07] I am God.
[00:35:09] Who are you?
[00:35:12] I made you.
[00:35:14] You talking back to me?
[00:35:16] Verse 31.
[00:35:18] Can you direct the movement of the stars?
[00:35:21] Can you direct the constellations through the seasons or guide the bear with their cubs across the heavens?
[00:35:26] Do you know the laws of the universe?
[00:35:28] Can you use them to regulate the earth?
[00:35:34] In Job 40, verse 8.
[00:35:36] Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you're right?
[00:35:41] Are you as strong as God?
[00:35:43] Can you thunder with a voice like this?
[00:35:48] All right, put on your glory and splendor, he says.
[00:35:52] Your honor and your majesty.
[00:35:53] Then even I would praise you.
[00:35:57] For your own strength would save you.
[00:36:01] Can you imagine Job getting a tongue lashing from God?
[00:36:06] Saying, okay, you know what?
[00:36:07] Put on your glory and your splendor and your majesty, Nate.
[00:36:11] And if it's so great, I'll even worship you, God's saying.
[00:36:14] I would think, what have I done?
[00:36:22] If we take our complaining and calling God onto the carpet to its logical conclusion,
[00:36:28] it's like we're demanding answers from God.
[00:36:31] Like we're saying, God, what do you think you're doing here?
[00:36:33] Answer me.
[00:36:38] We're expecting him to explain himself when we complain.
[00:36:44] Have we that right?
[00:36:45] Nate, how audacious.
[00:36:53] How pretentious.
[00:36:55] How entitled.
[00:36:57] Well, I'm Nate.
[00:36:59] Do you know who I am?
[00:37:03] God looks at you and says, are you kidding me?
[00:37:06] Who's this guy?
[00:37:10] Is that how a mature Christian responds to an almighty God?
[00:37:14] Or is that how people respond that don't accurately know him?
[00:37:21] And I think Job, he was a righteous man, upright.
[00:37:25] I think he knew, he thought he knew God pretty well.
[00:37:31] But we still complain.
[00:37:33] And we still demand answers from God.
[00:37:35] And we get mad at God and we shake our fists at the sky.
[00:37:40] Because we don't know our role.
[00:37:42] And we don't know our place.
[00:37:44] And we don't stay in our lane with our relationship and God's relationship.
[00:37:50] Somehow we think we're closer to him than we think.
[00:37:56] And he owes us something, anything.
[00:37:59] And he better come through or else.
[00:38:01] Or else what?
[00:38:05] Your next note says, these lives we live in this fallen world are not the final act.
[00:38:12] What do I mean by that?
[00:38:14] Well, if you're familiar with Broadway plays or musicals, usually there's three acts.
[00:38:20] Three acts play.
[00:38:21] We're still in act two in these lives, I would say.
[00:38:23] I'm using this as an example.
[00:38:25] Like a Broadway play.
[00:38:26] In act one, there's a problem presented.
[00:38:29] And I'll just use a movie.
[00:38:32] What's a famous movie?
[00:38:33] Wizard of Oz.
[00:38:35] We've all seen Wizard of Oz?
[00:38:37] So act one is, there's a problem introduced.
[00:38:41] Dorothy and Toto get swept away in the storm.
[00:38:44] They've got to get home.
[00:38:45] How are we going to get them home?
[00:38:46] That's the problem.
[00:38:47] That's act one.
[00:38:49] Act two is when all the trouble happens.
[00:38:51] And they go through the forest.
[00:38:53] And all the flying monkeys and the wicked witch of the west and all that stuff.
[00:38:57] That's act two, where all the problems are and the struggle to get to the solution.
[00:39:01] And act three is the solution.
[00:39:02] She comes home.
[00:39:03] Clicks her heels together and comes home.
[00:39:04] For the Christian, act one, the problem is in the Garden of Eden.
[00:39:11] Sin.
[00:39:12] Adam's sin.
[00:39:13] Now there's a sin problem we've got to fix.
[00:39:18] And act two is the struggle or the, to fix the sin problem.
[00:39:23] The Messiah comes and he fixes the sin problem.
[00:39:28] And we have faith that he's fixed the sin problem in act two, where all the trouble happens.
[00:39:35] But we still need to feel that solution in our physical bodies.
[00:39:38] And we still have hurts and we still have sin ourselves.
[00:39:41] We're in act two.
[00:39:44] That's where the problems are.
[00:39:45] Act three, that's the solution.
[00:39:47] Our eternal heavenly presence with God Almighty, face to face, in peace and joy forever.
[00:39:52] That's act three.
[00:39:54] We're expecting act three now.
[00:39:55] We don't have it now.
[00:39:56] We're in act two.
[00:39:57] We're in the problem period, which is to be expected, which was promised to us.
[00:40:05] So our ratio of complaints should be a lot less because we should know.
[00:40:10] This is act two.
[00:40:11] This is the problem part.
[00:40:12] The life on earth, this fallen world because of sin.
[00:40:16] But we act like we're in act three, thinking, God, why isn't everything perfect?
[00:40:21] That's a me problem.
[00:40:22] It's an us problem.
[00:40:23] We don't know what we're talking about.
[00:40:29] So now Job responds to God in Job 40.
[00:40:35] He says,
[00:40:37] Then the Lord said to Job,
[00:40:39] Do you still want to argue with the Almighty?
[00:40:41] You are God's critic.
[00:40:44] But do you have the answers?
[00:40:48] Then Job replied to the Lord,
[00:40:51] I am nothing.
[00:40:54] How could I ever find the answers?
[00:40:57] I will cover my mouth with my hand.
[00:41:02] I've said too much already.
[00:41:05] I have nothing more to say.
[00:41:07] I take back everything I said,
[00:41:10] and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.
[00:41:18] Amen to that.
[00:41:19] Now that sounds like a more mature Christian,
[00:41:22] after he's had that experience with God.
[00:41:25] A tongue lashing.
[00:41:26] In love.
[00:41:28] Discipline.
[00:41:29] Do you know who I am, Job?
[00:41:31] Do you know who you're talking to?
[00:41:33] And Job finds out.
[00:41:36] And God says,
[00:41:37] Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty?
[00:41:41] My critic?
[00:41:42] You have all the answers?
[00:41:43] Job says,
[00:41:44] I'm nothing.
[00:41:48] I'll just be quiet now.
[00:41:50] I'll cover my mouth, he said.
[00:41:52] I've already said too much.
[00:41:58] When Job became more familiar with who God is,
[00:42:02] what did it do to him?
[00:42:03] It humbled him.
[00:42:06] It completely humbled him.
[00:42:09] He says,
[00:42:10] I'm nothing compared to you.
[00:42:13] I realize what I've said.
[00:42:14] I take it all back.
[00:42:15] I said too much already.
[00:42:17] I'm just going to be quiet now,
[00:42:18] close my mouth,
[00:42:19] cover my mouth,
[00:42:20] and repent.
[00:42:25] All that complaining he did in the past,
[00:42:29] out the window.
[00:42:32] Because he realized who God is.
[00:42:34] A little more than he knew beforehand.
[00:42:38] It humbled him.
[00:42:39] And maybe we need to know God better too.
[00:42:43] Because we all still complain.
[00:42:45] I do.
[00:42:47] In my heart.
[00:42:48] In my mind.
[00:42:50] Maybe even out loud to people.
[00:42:51] That gives God a bad name.
[00:42:54] Especially people who aren't believers.
[00:42:57] You say,
[00:42:57] Boy, if you say you're a Christian,
[00:42:58] you complain to me all the time.
[00:43:00] What's in it for me anyway?
[00:43:01] Why would I even want to go to this God of yours?
[00:43:02] Can't do anything.
[00:43:07] Maybe we need to know God better too.
[00:43:08] How?
[00:43:10] Through knowing him better.
[00:43:11] Through his word.
[00:43:12] Through prayer.
[00:43:13] By the guidance of the spirit.
[00:43:14] Leading us into all truth.
[00:43:16] By getting around good Christian believers
[00:43:18] that are strong.
[00:43:18] Stronger than you.
[00:43:21] A couple things we could do for starters.
[00:43:27] Your next note here says,
[00:43:28] you need to keep your focus on God.
[00:43:32] It's two sides to a coin.
[00:43:34] As well as keep your focus off of you.
[00:43:37] And that is where it all begins.
[00:43:40] My focus is always on me.
[00:43:42] First.
[00:43:45] It's an upside down message for the world.
[00:43:47] We always say,
[00:43:48] you know,
[00:43:49] of course now in today's political atmosphere,
[00:43:51] we say America first.
[00:43:52] You know,
[00:43:52] boil it down.
[00:43:53] It's me first.
[00:43:55] And that's fine.
[00:43:57] But,
[00:43:58] know your role.
[00:44:00] Know your position
[00:44:02] before a God
[00:44:03] that's holy.
[00:44:04] And it's not about you.
[00:44:06] It's about,
[00:44:06] what does he want
[00:44:07] for me?
[00:44:11] Don't think,
[00:44:12] how can I glorify myself here
[00:44:13] in this situation?
[00:44:14] Think about,
[00:44:15] how can I glorify God
[00:44:16] through this trouble of mine?
[00:44:19] How can I glorify him?
[00:44:20] Sometimes we're not sure,
[00:44:21] but if we pray about it,
[00:44:23] he'll lead us to do that.
[00:44:25] Just by being faithful to him.
[00:44:26] Just by not complaining,
[00:44:27] you glorify God
[00:44:29] through your faithfulness.
[00:44:30] Because people wouldn't expect you
[00:44:31] to complain,
[00:44:33] perhaps.
[00:44:33] And you don't.
[00:44:34] And they say,
[00:44:35] how come you're not crabby all the time?
[00:44:36] You're going through
[00:44:37] the worst time of your life.
[00:44:39] And you say,
[00:44:40] the joy of the Lord is my strength.
[00:44:42] I know where my eternity is.
[00:44:44] Lies.
[00:44:46] And that would glorify him,
[00:44:48] your faithfulness.
[00:44:51] We should accurately
[00:44:53] appraise our standing
[00:44:54] before God Almighty.
[00:44:55] And we should really
[00:44:56] shudder before God.
[00:44:57] We should fear God.
[00:44:58] Remember the first part of this?
[00:45:01] God tells Satan,
[00:45:02] have you considered Job?
[00:45:04] He fears me.
[00:45:06] It turned out he didn't
[00:45:07] fear him quite enough.
[00:45:08] But he ended up fearing him
[00:45:10] in a healthier way.
[00:45:12] But we should fear God
[00:45:13] because he can crush us.
[00:45:17] At any moment,
[00:45:18] anything can be taken from us
[00:45:19] to test our faithfulness.
[00:45:21] Or for any other secret reason
[00:45:23] he may have,
[00:45:25] we should shudder before him
[00:45:26] but not shake our fists
[00:45:28] at the sky.
[00:45:29] No matter our circumstances,
[00:45:33] it's not about you.
[00:45:35] And it's not about me.
[00:45:37] Last,
[00:45:38] I don't know when it was,
[00:45:39] last year I think,
[00:45:40] I mentioned something
[00:45:41] in a sermon about
[00:45:42] your troubles,
[00:45:42] your problems aren't about you.
[00:45:44] It's about how they glorify God.
[00:45:46] Somehow, someway,
[00:45:50] God never promises us
[00:45:51] happiness in this life.
[00:45:54] Find the verse.
[00:45:54] Show me, show me.
[00:45:57] When we first believe,
[00:45:58] it's not as if,
[00:45:58] okay, I signed up for Jesus.
[00:46:00] No, you better come through
[00:46:01] for me, God.
[00:46:02] I did my part.
[00:46:03] I believed.
[00:46:04] You better come through for me.
[00:46:05] That's not how it works.
[00:46:07] What does he do
[00:46:08] when you believe?
[00:46:09] He says,
[00:46:10] come die with me.
[00:46:12] Take up your cross.
[00:46:14] Follow me.
[00:46:15] And I always say,
[00:46:16] where are you going
[00:46:16] when you're walking
[00:46:17] with a cross on your shoulder
[00:46:18] but to die?
[00:46:21] And we all signed up for it.
[00:46:22] Why are we expecting other things?
[00:46:26] Because we don't know God well enough.
[00:46:31] It's not about me now.
[00:46:32] It's still about Christ.
[00:46:34] It's not about my best life now.
[00:46:37] It's still about Christ.
[00:46:41] But he does promise us joy.
[00:46:43] Joy is not happiness.
[00:46:44] Thank God.
[00:46:46] Happiness relies on emotions
[00:46:48] and it ebbs and flows.
[00:46:49] Joy is steady.
[00:46:50] It doesn't matter
[00:46:51] your circumstances.
[00:46:52] You could be rich or poor
[00:46:54] or happy or sad.
[00:46:55] You still have the same joy.
[00:46:56] I know where I'm going
[00:46:57] because I believe
[00:46:58] God's promises for me.
[00:47:00] Something the world doesn't have.
[00:47:04] And to glorify his God
[00:47:05] to be content
[00:47:05] in all our circumstances.
[00:47:06] Paul told us that
[00:47:07] in Philippians 4.
[00:47:08] Be content in all circumstances.
[00:47:11] How?
[00:47:12] Believe what he said.
[00:47:14] I'll bring you through
[00:47:16] and this life's going to be tough.
[00:47:18] He didn't hold back.
[00:47:19] He told you.
[00:47:22] We believe his promises for us
[00:47:24] that he will glorify us someday.
[00:47:26] That he'll raise us
[00:47:27] from the dead someday.
[00:47:29] Because of what he's done for us.
[00:47:32] He didn't have to do that.
[00:47:34] He didn't owe you anything.
[00:47:36] He still doesn't.
[00:47:40] Many places in scripture
[00:47:41] we see the Christian's
[00:47:43] right response to trouble.
[00:47:44] So let's try to do these things.
[00:47:47] That of rejoicing in struggle.
[00:47:49] That of worshiping
[00:47:50] after everything's been taken from you.
[00:47:54] James chapter 1.
[00:47:55] The brother of Jesus.
[00:47:57] Count it all joy, my brothers,
[00:47:59] when you meet trials of various kinds.
[00:48:01] For you know the testing of your faith
[00:48:02] produces steadfastness.
[00:48:05] And let steadfastness have its full effect
[00:48:07] that you may be perfect and complete,
[00:48:08] lacking in nothing.
[00:48:11] I'm sorry, James.
[00:48:12] Can you say that again?
[00:48:12] Count it all joy
[00:48:13] to go through trials?
[00:48:16] James, are you okay?
[00:48:17] Hey,
[00:48:18] James would say,
[00:48:19] have you read the book of Job?
[00:48:23] The brother of Jesus.
[00:48:24] He knew Jesus.
[00:48:29] So how does it end for Job?
[00:48:32] Job 42, last chapter.
[00:48:34] When Job prayed for his friends,
[00:48:36] he prayed for these friends
[00:48:38] that came and gave him bad advice.
[00:48:40] The Lord restored his fortunes.
[00:48:43] His earthly fortunes.
[00:48:44] Which actually,
[00:48:45] he didn't have to do that.
[00:48:47] In fact,
[00:48:47] the Lord gave him twice as much as before.
[00:48:49] Then all his brothers and sisters
[00:48:50] and former friends
[00:48:51] came and feasted with him in his home.
[00:48:54] And they consoled him
[00:48:55] and comforted him
[00:48:56] because of all the trials
[00:48:57] the Lord had brought against him.
[00:49:00] And each of them brought him a gift
[00:49:01] of money and a gold ring.
[00:49:02] He's getting blessings.
[00:49:03] Showers of blessings now.
[00:49:06] Verse 12.
[00:49:07] So the Lord blessed Job
[00:49:08] in the second half of his life,
[00:49:09] even more than in the beginning.
[00:49:11] For now he had 14,000 sheep
[00:49:13] and 6,000 camels
[00:49:14] and 1,000 teams of oxen
[00:49:15] and 1,000 female donkeys.
[00:49:18] He also gave Job
[00:49:19] seven more sons
[00:49:20] and three more daughters.
[00:49:22] Job lived 140 years after that,
[00:49:25] living to see four generations
[00:49:26] of his children and grandchildren.
[00:49:29] Then he died,
[00:49:30] an old man
[00:49:31] who had lived a long, full life.
[00:49:35] As much as we value
[00:49:38] value or don't value
[00:49:39] earthly possessions,
[00:49:40] God even replenished those things,
[00:49:42] which he knows really don't matter.
[00:49:44] They're going to be burnt up too.
[00:49:47] But he did it
[00:49:48] and he double blessed him.
[00:49:52] And perhaps the most remarkable thing
[00:49:56] in the account of Job
[00:49:57] and his sufferings
[00:49:58] is this.
[00:50:01] God never told him why
[00:50:02] and Job was okay with it.
[00:50:14] Can we say as much?
[00:50:21] In our sufferings
[00:50:22] and we have sufferings,
[00:50:26] will we be content
[00:50:27] with not knowing why?
[00:50:30] Because let me tell you something,
[00:50:32] we have to be okay
[00:50:32] with not knowing why.
[00:50:35] Get that out of your minds.
[00:50:37] There are some things
[00:50:38] you will not know why
[00:50:39] they happen to you.
[00:50:40] We have to be okay with it.
[00:50:42] The secret things belong to the Lord.
[00:50:44] You're not going to get them.
[00:50:47] You set yourself up
[00:50:48] for disappointment.
[00:50:50] And we have to be okay with that.
[00:50:52] We can't demand answers from God.
[00:50:57] May these words from Paul
[00:50:58] be a constant reminder to us
[00:50:59] from Romans 9
[00:51:01] where he says,
[00:51:02] who are you,
[00:51:02] a mere human being,
[00:51:04] to argue with God?
[00:51:08] Paul's saying,
[00:51:09] who do you think you are?
[00:51:11] You must really think highly of yourself.
[00:51:15] As well as these words
[00:51:16] from Job himself
[00:51:18] considering all of his sufferings
[00:51:20] in Job 13
[00:51:21] where he says,
[00:51:22] though he slay me,
[00:51:22] remember?
[00:51:23] Though he slay me,
[00:51:25] I will hope in him.
[00:51:27] There's nowhere else
[00:51:27] to go for hope.
[00:51:29] He could kill me.
[00:51:30] I still hope in him.
[00:51:32] Do we have that faith?
[00:51:35] Or are priorities
[00:51:36] still out of whack?
[00:51:40] And again from Job,
[00:51:45] after everything
[00:51:46] is taken from him
[00:51:47] and one day,
[00:51:48] one fell swoop,
[00:51:49] even his family,
[00:51:51] Job says,
[00:51:54] the Lord gave
[00:51:56] and the Lord has taken away.
[00:51:59] Blessed be
[00:52:01] the name of the Lord.
[00:52:06] Can we say that?
[00:52:14] We must only,
[00:52:15] as Job did,
[00:52:16] as a humble Job did,
[00:52:17] cover our mouth,
[00:52:20] realize we've said
[00:52:21] too much already
[00:52:24] and just be quiet
[00:52:25] before the Lord
[00:52:27] and repent
[00:52:29] and petition
[00:52:30] the Lord God Almighty
[00:52:31] have mercy on us.
[00:52:33] That's what a mature believer
[00:52:35] will do
[00:52:40] and I pray that all of us
[00:52:41] can do that.
[00:52:42] If not today,
[00:52:43] someday.
[00:52:48] Please stand with me
[00:52:49] as we pray
[00:52:49] in closing.
[00:52:50] Dear Heavenly Father,
[00:53:01] I know that we
[00:53:01] overestimate ourselves
[00:53:03] because we're human beings.
[00:53:06] Please guard us
[00:53:07] against doing that.
[00:53:11] I often pray
[00:53:12] that we
[00:53:13] will see
[00:53:14] our correct position
[00:53:15] before you
[00:53:17] as but your creation
[00:53:18] to glorify you
[00:53:21] and to remind us
[00:53:22] that it's not about
[00:53:24] us.
[00:53:26] You didn't come
[00:53:27] to save the world
[00:53:28] so that we could be happy.
[00:53:30] You told us as much.
[00:53:32] You came for a better reason
[00:53:33] to save us from sin
[00:53:35] and its punishment
[00:53:35] eternally
[00:53:37] and that you've granted us
[00:53:38] through our faith in you
[00:53:40] and for that we're grateful
[00:53:41] even if we have
[00:53:42] struggles here
[00:53:43] which you promised us
[00:53:44] you were up front with us
[00:53:45] you didn't hide that from us.
[00:53:48] Let us always understand
[00:53:50] who we are
[00:53:51] in your presence.
[00:53:52] Let us never curse you.
[00:53:54] Help us to keep
[00:53:55] the complaints at a minimum.
[00:53:58] We don't want to call you
[00:53:59] on the carpet, Lord.
[00:53:59] We have no right to do that.
[00:54:01] Let us be humble
[00:54:02] and continually ask
[00:54:04] for your mercy
[00:54:05] and understand
[00:54:06] what a beautiful blessing
[00:54:07] you gave us in your son
[00:54:09] which you did not
[00:54:10] have to do for us
[00:54:11] but you did it anyway
[00:54:12] because you love us
[00:54:14] and we receive that
[00:54:15] through faith
[00:54:15] not because of anything
[00:54:16] we've done.
[00:54:18] Thank you so much, Lord.
[00:54:19] I pray that you bless
[00:54:20] the people that aren't here today
[00:54:21] because of
[00:54:22] all their reasons
[00:54:23] health
[00:54:25] some people are
[00:54:27] away grieving
[00:54:28] some people are
[00:54:29] dealing with their own
[00:54:31] health issues.
[00:54:32] Lord, heal us all
[00:54:33] please
[00:54:34] with our physical
[00:54:35] needs we have
[00:54:38] but be glorified
[00:54:39] in doing it.
[00:54:40] We're in your hands, Lord.
[00:54:42] Be blessed
[00:54:42] this week
[00:54:43] in our hearts
[00:54:43] and our lives
[00:54:44] in Jesus' name we pray.
[00:54:45] Amen.
[00:54:45] Amen.
[00:54:45] Amen.
[00:54:46] Amen.
[00:54:46] Thank you.