Holding On To Heaven While Hell Is On Your Back
And then came a messenger unto Job, and said, the oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: …… Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:13-21
My brothers and sisters, among all the great heroes of the Old Testaments, there has stood none quite like Job. Job seems to stand like a mighty oak tree in the midst of a heavenly forest. Job was one of the most unusual characters that has ever been lifted in Hebrew history. Many men have come on the scene, but none quite like Job. Job went to school at the University of Hard Knocks. Job majored in “Lord Have Mercy” and “Thank You Jesus.” Job knew all about sorrow and tribulations. He is one of the only few men I’ve read about who took all of his troubles at one time. And not only that, but Job held on to heaven when hell was on his back. I know I made a broad statement when I said that Job was one of the greatest men that live beside Jesus that walked upon God’s green earth. But I say that with confidence. I say that without taking it back. I believe that Job was one of the greatest men that live beside our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Job took it all at one time. Oh brothers and sisters, I believe that if the truth be told tonight some of us just can’t handle trouble. Some of us have trouble when one lie is told on us.
Some of us get upset when others don’t speak to us or they roll their eyes at us. Some of us can’t handle the little things one at a time. But Job took every thing that Satan had to give him at one time and still held on to God’s unchanging hands. I know that Noah suffered. Yes, Noah suffered preaching the same sermon for 120 years, talking about it’s going to rain. But Noah never suffered like Job suffered. I know that Abraham suffered, but Abraham didn’t suffered like Job suffered. Abraham had to wait until he was an old man to have a child, but Abraham never suffered like Job suffered. I know that Joseph had to suffer. For because of jealousy, his brothers sold him. And Joseph had to work his way from prison to the king’s place, but Joseph didn’t suffer like Job suffered. Yes, I know that Sharach, Meshach, and Abedigo suffered because of heathen folks. They put them in a fiery furnace. But those Hebrew boys never suffered like Job suffered. Yes, I know that Daniel suffered. But Daniel didn’t suffer like Job suffered. Daniel was promoted by God but demoted by his enemies.
Daniel was put in the lions’ den. But Daniel never suffered like Job suffered. I know that Hosea had to suffer. Hosea had to rock and hold babies that wasn’t his. But Hosea never suffered like Job suffered. Yes, I know that Elijah had to suffer at the hands of Ahab and Jezebel, but Elijah never suffered like Job suffered. Yes, they beheaded John the Baptist. They stoned Stephen. Took Matthew and dragged him through the streets of Ethiopia. Took Luke and hung him on an olive tree. Took Peter and crucified him upside down. Took John the Revelator and put him on an isle called Pathmos. Beheaded Paul, but none of them ever suffered like Job suffered. Now if Adam was the first man. and Daniel was a praying man. Moses was the meekness man. And Samson was the strongest man, then surely, Job was the most patient man. Job took all of his troubles at one time and held to God’s unchanging hand. Y’all going to pray with me? I’m going to give you some gravy after while, but I’m giving you the meat first. And when you get
the meat, you can make your own gravy. They all suffered, but not like Job.
Job’s name only consist of three letters, but if we discuss how Job felt about God, it would be like a volume of encyclopedias. Because Job really loved God. Now some scholars would have you to believe that there is no one called Job. Most school of thought would tell you that the book of Job is nothing but wisdom or literature. Some scholars would say that God is trying to explain the problem of Israel. Some scholars say that Job was not a real human being. Some scholars say that the reason there was no such man, because no man could take that much punishment at one time and come out swinging. But oh brothers and sisters, I believe that there was a man name Job. I believe it because in the 14th chapter of Ezekiel, Job is listed along with Noah. And then James talks about the patience of Job. I believe there was a man name Job. And not only that but, I believe the God can do anything but fail. I want you to understand that the book of Job deals with why do good people have to suffer.
Now I have no problem understanding why bad folks catch it, because Galatians said, “Be not deceive for God is not mocked, whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” I can understand that when a man steals, He gets locked up. He’s just reaping what he sow. I can understand when people lie on you and you catch them, they are reaping what they sow. I can understand that folks suffer because of what they do to other folks, they are reaping what they sow. I don’t have no problem understanding why bad folks suffer, but it’s a problem when folks who are trying to live right, not bothering nobody, trying to tend to their own business and yet you have to end up catching it. Why do good folks suffer? God want us to know that even in the book of Job this world is full of trouble. And whether you realize it or not, we are living in a troubled world with trouble makers. But just because the world is full of trouble you don’t have to let your heart be troubled. Can I get a witness? I want you to understand that God allows us to suffer sometimes because he wants us to be tested.
I remember while driving down the road one day and I was listening to the radio. The radio beeped. The announcer came on and said, “This is only a test.” And that’s the way God has to do us. He has to stop us sometimes and say beep, “this is a test.” The Lord is saying, don’t give up it’s just a test. When folks don’t like you it’s just a test. When folks do things to pull you down, don’t give up it’s just a test. When you lose, don’t give up, it’s just a test. The Lord got to test us. Every once in a while we have go to go through some things in order that we might be what God would have us to be. The reason we are tested is because the Lord need some tough folks in some tough situations. That is why you will have some trials and tribulations. Some of y’all been enjoying the sun too long and can’t handle the rain. You need to know that too much sun makes a desert. You need some rain in your life. The Lord knows that if He don’t put something on us, we’ll give up.
A story was told about some men who was working out in the gym. And every once in a while they would add weigh on and the more that the more weigh they add on, the men would grunt. Somebody know what I’m talking about. Another man was working out for the first time and he asked why would they add on more weigh to just keep on grunting. And one man told him “no pain, no gain.” In order for God to get you to where He wants you to be, you got to bear some things. And anytime you bear some things in the name of Jesus, it makes you stronger. You see the first thing some of us do when we get down on our knees is cry out, Lord make me stronger. You know how some of us do. “Lord make me stronger, I want to be a better Christian.” And in my spiritual mind I can hear the Lord saying, “Do you really want to be strong?” And if anybody here today want to be strong in the Lord, you need to come on and join God’s health spa. You
need to lay down on the press bench. If you want to be strong, bench press some lies folks told on you. If you want to be strong, add about fifty pounds of backbiting. When folks say that they don’t like you, you just push the weight up. When folks mistreat you, push the weight up. Add a pound of two-facedness. Add fifty pounds of lying. Add another fifty pounds of gossip.
You just keep on pushing the weight up and after a while, you tell the Lord you don’t feel the weight no more and see won’t God tell you, “I told you my yoke is easy and burdens are light.” When you leave God’s health spa things don’t bother you any more because you’ve been working out. All God is trying to do is make you strong. The reason some of you are not strong is because you’ll not eating you spiritual spinach. Which is the word of God. God want to test us. If hell in on your back, you tell them to please be patient with you, because God is not through with you yet.
Can I help somebody today? Trouble will bring the best out of you! The Bible said the sons of God went up to present themselves before God. And after they had made their report, up pops Satan. Satan wasn’t invited, but he came anyway. I come to let you know that you don’t have to invite the devil anywhere. You don’t have to invite him to the church. Satan will show up without an invitation. The devil went to heaven. Now let me tell y’all something, if Satan got nerve enough to go to heaven, don’t you know he’s not scared to come this house as well as your house. If Satan got the nerve to go to heaven, don’t you know he will get in the choir. As a matter of fact God kicked Satan out of the choir. You know Satan loves to sing. If he got that much nerve, don’t you know he’ll come in your home. Don’t you know he’ll get in your husbands, get in your wife. Can I tell you something else? Now you need to know that Satan don’t go to just any kind of meeting. Satan likes a juicy church. A church where there’s a lot of praising going on. He loves a church when you are waving your hands and trying to give a testimony. Satan just don’t like a dead church because he already got them. Is anybody on my street?
Satan don’t like a dead church. Satan like a church that’s on fire. A church that is about something. When he got to the meeting, didn’t nobody stop him. He must have disguised himself. Y’all better watch out. Don’t you let folks mislead you. Y’all better stop believing in those cartoons on TV. Satan don’t wear a red suit. Satan don’t have horns. You better watch those folks who are always trying to look good. They may look good on the outside but on the inside, they are something else. Satan looks like an angel of light. No doubt when Satan walked in he tried to look like some of us look when we come to church, all holy looking, but God saw it. Is anybody on my street? Have you ever notice that when church start at 11:00 and here comes someone strutting down the aisle at 11:15. You got a whole lot of folks who dressed up on the outside and messed up on the inside.
You see you don’t know Satan, but God knows him. You can’t to recognize Satan like God can. God saw him and asked him where you coming from. Satan said, Oh ____ I’m just messing around, going to and fro. God asked him, while you were messing around, did you run across a man named Job. Satan said, yeah, I know him. Listen at God bragging on Job. Did you know, Satan, that Job is perfect and upright. I wonder this evening if God can brag on anybody here. Let me ask y’all something. If you are found guilty of being a Christian will there be enough evidence to carry you to trial.
I think for some of us they will have to dismiss the case. Because it ain’t no evidence. Some folk don’t pray, they don’t read their Bibles, they don’t come to church, they don’t come to Sunday School. You ought to be convicted when somebody accuse you for being a child of God. Look at your neighbor and say “I’m guilty.“ There ought to be some evidence. God bragged on
Job. God said, “Did you not know that he’s a perfect and upright man?” And let me pause here and tell you that, that word perfect does not mean being sinless. A whole lot of folks say that they are perfect. But my Bible tells me all have sin and come short of the glory of God. Everybody in here have sinned. I don’t care how good you live, there is some ring around everybody’s collar. Nobody in here is perfect. Everybody is here has sinned. And all those who hadn’t is thinking about it. The only reason some folk ain’t lusting now is because their days are past and gone. The Bible said if you look and lust, you have already committed adultery. I don’t care how good you live, you’re not perfect. God is talking about being in good standing with Him. Job was in good standing with the Lord.
Then Satan said, “God the only reason why Job love you is because you got a hedge around him and you’ve been good to him.” But if you let me get my hands on him, I’ll make him curse you. The Bible said that Satan took away all that Job had. You see a whole lot of y’all are sitting in here because you’re feeling good. A lot of you are here because everything is alright at the house. You see Satan is telling the truth about some of us. You see it’s easy to pray God will sho nuff feed you when you’re hungry as long as the refrigerator is full. It’s easy to say God will put money in your pocket when you got money in the bank.
If you want to find out if some folks are real about their religion, you let them get broke. You watch some folks when they lose their house, watch them when they lose their car, lose their loved ones and see if they still have joy. See if some folks will have good religion when the lose everything they got. That’s what I call good religion. You got good religion when you can shout your troubles over. I want to ask you something. Can you take a lost? If you can’t take a lost you don’t have no religion. If you can’t stand losing something, you don’t have good religion. God don’t want you worshipping that car. He don’t want you worshipping those clothes, worshipping that house and not even your own self. If that’s the only reason you’re here today, God will take it away from you and see just what kind of religion you do have. Because the devil said that the only reason we’re here is because He gives us stuff. The devil said if God take it away from them, they won’t shout no more. The devil said if folks talk about them, they want come to church no more. If they ain’t leading a certain song, they won’t sing no more. If you’re not the president or heading up something, you won’t show up.
If you can’t operate then you won’t cooperate. I come today to ask you do you love the Lord because He’s good to you? But what if God is not good to you? The only reason some of us are good is because God has blessed us. God told Satan, “If that’s the way you feel about it or if that’s what you think, try him.” Satan took away everything Job had. Job had trouble on top of trouble. No doubt in my mind Job said if it ain’t one thing it’s another. Is anybody on my street? Ain’t that the way life is.? If ain’t too hot, it’s too cold. If it ain’t too dry, it’s too wet. Somebody break into your house and take everything you got and then you turn around on top of that you get a speeding ticket.
You get rid of one devil and up jumps another one. If it ain’t one thing it’s another. Every time you turn around it’s something else. By the time you get one bill paid, up jumps another one. After years of eating fat back and biscuits, God has finally blessed you to have steaks, but now you don’t have no teeth to eat them with. You worked all your life to get your children grown and out of the house and once they are gone, here comes grandchildren. If it ain’t one thing it’s another.
But let me tell you how to handle trouble. Let me tell you how to hold on to heaven when hell is on your back. The secret my brothers and sisters is to praise and worship God. The
Bible said when Job lost everything, he shaved his head, rent his mantle, got down on his knees. And instead of calling physic hot line, instead of calling Oprah, instead of working it out on Jerry Springer, Job got down on his knees. I don’t know about you, but if I was Job after I had gotten down on my knees, I would have look to the hills from whence cometh my help because I have found out that when hell is on my back, all my help comes from the Lord. And you know that’s our problem. We will take our problems everywhere but to the Lord. The creature will go another creature for help when we need to go to the creator
Job got on his knees and worshipped God. When trouble come in your life. When your friends turn their backs on you. When everything seem to be going to pieces. The secret is to find your own praying ground. Go down on your knees. Get a telephone in your bosom and call on the name of the Lord. I have found out that when you pray and praise God, He will come and see about you. It doesn’t matter where you praise Him, but you just praise Him. You may be in your car. You may be on your job. And when folks see you moaning and waving your hands, you tell them that the Lord will make a way somehow.
* The Bible said when Job had church, he said, I came here with nothing, I came naked and I’m going to leave here naked. One thing that Job had was worship. Somebody said, I got Jesus and that’s enough. For I heard Job say, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. When Satan had tried everything, he got permission from God to touch Job. And when Job began to get sick, the Bible said, his wife came to him. You know I’ve always wondered why Satan took everything and left Job’s wife. He took away all his children. He took away all that Job had. But Satan didn’t take way Mrs. Job. Evidently, Satan thought that he would save the best for last. I stopped by to tell you that when Satan has tried everything can, he will use those who are close to you. You got to understand that Satan has been using a woman for a long time. I’m not trying to offend anybody, but ladies ought to watch it and don’t let Satan be your guide. Satan knows that the man is the head of the house and will try to tear down what God has joined together. Listen to what Mrs. Job said. Job I’ve been watching you for a long time. Why don’t you curse God and die? Won’t your folk do you like that? It seems like when hell is on your back, you ought to be able to turn to your family. It seems like if anybody ought to understand what you’re going through, it ought to be family. But I come to tell you that when family don’t understand, you need to hold on to heaven.
Conclusion:
But you look at Job. Job looked at his wife and said, woman, you sound like a foolish woman. And Job just kept on worshiping God. I heard Job say, “Though they slay me, yet will I trust in God.” I stopped by to tell you that there will come a time when your folks won’t understand. And there will come a time when your folks will turn their back on you. But you just hold on to heaven. I’m getting ready to close, but let me tell you about Job. Even though Job had hell on his back, Job was holding on to heaven. Job was holding on to God’s unchanging hands. All I’m trying to tell you is to just hold on. Hell may be on your back, but you hold on to God’s unchanging hand. Get down on your knees and say Father, I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know. Yes I know that my God is able. He’s able, yes He’s able. He’s able to make a way out of no way. He’s able to make your enemies leave you alone. Able, I know He’s able. I’m going home when I tell you.
I don’t know how you fell about it today, but the storm may rise and wind may blow, but I’ve learned a long time ago, if I stay on my knees and keep my hand in the Master’s hand, He will make a way out of no way. Oh ___ I’ve found out that it’s mighty hard to stumble when you’re on your knees. God will work it out. Want He work it out? Is anybody here has ever had hell on your back? Is anybody here ever been down? I’m talking about sho nuff down. Didn’t Jesus pick you up? Did He turn you around? Say yeah __, say yeah ___, yeah, yeah, oh yeah ___. God will fix it for you. God will open doors for you. Anybody here know he’ll be bread when you’re hungry. Want He be a mother for you? Want He be a Father for you? I don’t know who you are today, but God will work it out for you. Has anybody here been sick. I’m talking about sho nuff sick. I’m talking about sick when it seems like you just can’t get well. Somebody thought that they would be dead, but look at you now. You ought to stand on your feet and don’t be ashamed to let the world know that God is doctor in a sick room. I’m a witness, He’s a healer. Somebody here is a living witness that prayer changes things. Prayer will raise up a bowed down head. Prayer will help you when you’re falling. Prayer will send you some friends. Prayer Oh __ prayer, my soul is a witness. He’s alright. Ain’t He alright. Say Yeah, Say Yeah. Oh ____________ Yeah.
