Broken - Then Mended Series

In one day Job lost everything. He lost all his material goods first.

Job 1:

14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,

15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

Then he lost all of his children.

Job 1:2,18,19

18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house,

19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

Then he lost his health.

Job 2

7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

8 Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

He even lost the support of his wife.

Job 2

9 His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

Finally, he lost the support of his friends. The bulk of the book of Job is a series of messages that they brought to Job in an attempt to give comfort and to offer encouragement. Instead they accused him of doing something wrong and told him to repent.

The Truth is that in this Life bad things happen to good people.

A man came into my office this past week and asked me one question. "Why???"

He was confused and upset. It really bothered him.

He is an unbeliever. He knows there is a God but he does not follow him or his son Jesus. Yet he wants to know “Why?”.

He cried with the man when he told him about his wife. She was 39 and died of cancer. They were devoted to God – had given for many years. – why had she died so young.

I had no answer for him. I do not know why young people die of cancer. I don’t know why a drunk driver in a pickup can cross the median and run into a bus load of church kids coming home from an amusement park setting it afire and killing 39 teenagers.

I don’t know why thousands of men, women, and children can be run out of their homes in a strange place called Kosvo.

I don’t know why my sister had to die in a car accident at age 23.

I don’t know why people suffer and I don’t know why you have to suffer.

I do know this. People do not suffer because of of some sin - secret or otherwise in their lives.

People do not suffer because they sin. Jesus healed the man who was blind from birth and made that very clear. The pharisees had brought a blind man to Jesus and asked the question, "Who sinned, this man or his parents?

Now, this was a trick question. The pharisees were trying to discredit him with the people. They thought no matter what he said that he would be wrong.

Look at the question and the response in John 9.

His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

So the work of God might be displayed in his life... Interesting. Before we explore this remember another time Jesus taught about suffering he said that suffering is simply a part of life.

In Luke 13

1 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.

2 Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?

3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them-- do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?