It's All The Same To Me

1. Some will remember that on August 28, 1963, when 250K people traveled to Washington, D.C. for the largest civil rights demonstration in American history. The multitudes heard a 34 year-old preacher named Martin Luther King, Jr. say these words:

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character; I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain and the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together...When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men., black sisters and white sisters, Jews and Gentiles. Protestants and Catholics will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty we are free at last.’”

The words of Dr. King were unifying to some and divisive to others.

2. Do you feel the seeds of division sown by an unseen hand over every conceivable issue today?

[Racially; Politically; BLM; Masks; Sports Teams

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!

Acts 17:26a 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,

3. [My talks with Linda’s Medivan Driver

4. We have differences but we are also the same – Galatians 3:28-29 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

5. How do we get there? Job 33

a. Job’s 3 Friends

b. Elihu’s anger at the 3 and Job for their misguided perceptions of God and themselves

I. Recognizable Equality – Job 33:1-7

Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

A. Created and Gifted by the Same God

B. Treat Each Other Well – Humility and Not Harshness (Galatians 6:1-2)

II. Recognizable Issues

A. We Are Deaf to God – Job 33:14

1. We are supposed to Hear God – “Shema Israel” (Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:9-10)

2. But We Stop Listening – Isaiah 6:9-10 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

3. Why Don’t We Hear?

• Distortion of Pride (Job and Friends) – too smart for God; don’t need him

• Distractions – Martha in Luke 10:40 (Martha distracted by much serving.)

• Deceptions – 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

First we overlook evil. – Then we permit evil. – Then we legalize evil. – Then we promote evil. – Then we celebrate evil. – Then we persecute those who still call it evil. (Author unknown)

Isaiah 5:20 "Woe unto them who call evil good and good evil."

B. The Defense (Salvation) of God – Job 33:16-18

1. Salvation of ALL Ages is from LORD – not Ingenuity or Logic of Man (cross = foolishness)

2. He Warns with His Word

C. Distinct Actions of God – Job 33:17

1. To Move Us from OUR Way WITHOUT Him

• Rebellion

• Pride/Arrogance

• Neglect

• Self-Righteousness

2. To Move Us to His Way WITH Him

• Biblical Worldview

• Place of Prayer and Repentance – Job 33:26-27

D. Deliberate Payment of God – Job 33:22-24 and 29-30

1. Imperfections and Differences

A couple went to one of their favorite places in England — where all the china factory outlets are located. They noticed in one shop that everything on one table cost £3, though there was a wide divergence in the quality of the different pieces of china. Some only had minute nicks or cracks in them that almost required a magnifying glass to find, while others were quite obviously disfigured somehow. Holding two plates, the husband asked the sales lady, “Why are both of these the same price? This one is grossly marred, while I can’t even see what’s wrong with this one?”