We will finish our Message Series on Job next week. We will focus today on restorations and next week on blessings. Please open your Bibles to Job 42…
Let us again remind ourselves, in general, the story of Job. God allowed Satan, Job and his friends with their sins but God eventually spoke out and rebuked Job and his friends about their folly. Let us note that the devil is still allowed to deceive people today but eventually will be judged by God forever!
We noted last week from Job 42:1-9, Job repented in a way accepted by God!
God was “angry” with Job’s friends for not speaking the right things of God! God’s wrath was upon Job’s friends but because God is love God provided a way out of judgment. God asked for a burnt offering and a prayer! Job’s friends obeyed and God accepted Job’s prayer and God forgave them all of their sins! Let us note that forgiveness came with repentance, sacrifice, prayer, and obedience. The devil does not repent, willing to offer to God, pray, nor obey and therefore judgment awaits him as well as many people who do not follow God’s instructions.
Read along with me now Job 42:10-11…..
Let us remind ourselves again of what Job did after being confronted by God.
Job 42:1-9: Job repented and prayed!
And what do we note in v10?
V10: the Lord made Job prosperous again with twice as much as he had before
Look back with me to Job 1:1-3…. Before God allowed Satan to be challenged through Job, Job was already a godly and a prosperous man!
Now, let’s think about this for a moment: Was Job’s troubles given to accuse Job of sins? Job’s troubles were not given to accuse him of sin! Since Job was already godly before the devil attacked him, his story and what he did was not only to prove the devil wrong but lessons for Job’s friends and for anyone else who desires to follow God! Job’s story was not specifically for Job to be rebuked! Once the devil was proven wrong through Job and lessons given, God restored Job’s prosperity and more! What we need to note here is that there was restoration after lessons were taught!
Let’s note what happened in v11… Job’s brothers and sisters comforted, consoled, and honored Job after Job’s troubles were over and he was now prosperous again!
We need to ask, where were these siblings when Job was suffering?
God does not tell us, but there may have been greed involved here with the siblings! We can ask Job about this when we see him in heaven! 😊
But the point that we must grasp here is similar to the principle of restoration with Job. We note that whatever the siblings’ intentions were, the relationship between Job and his siblings was restored!
Let us not forget that the relationship between Job’s friends, Job, and God was also restored!
Let us note today, that God is a God of restoring relationships!
Again, God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and God is always desiring for godly relationships be restored!
How do we respond to God’s desire of having godly relationships with God and with other people? How is our relationship with God? How are our relationships with other people? We must pursue God’s desire of godly relationships!
The first thing we need to note is…
1. How do godly relationships get broken? We can learn from the Book of Job how it happened; how do godly relationships get broken?
a. the devil can influence us and the entire world! We know that Job had no idea, but God wrote it down for us to learn! How aware are we of the presence and schemes of the devil? How much do we ourselves allow the devil in our lives? The devil is around today and Christians are to flee from the devil! How are we doing with this on a daily basis?
Secondly, we can note the sufferings Job had to go through.
b. pain and sufferings can lead to broken relationships! Job initially did not allow his sufferings to break his relationship with God or with his wife! With God, we are capable of dealing with whatever pain and sufferings which may come our way! Are we allowing pain and sufferings break our godly relationships? Are we complaining to God with the pandemic we are dealing with today?
But let us note, eventually, Job revealed his humanity by complaining how hard his sufferings were.
c. beware of ego and pride! Arguing and debating for over 33 Chapters tells us that ego and pride went on and on and on that God had to put a stop to it! Do we let our own ego and pride brew bitterness and anger forever and ever and ever, which many people actually take to their grave? Give all to God! Trust and obey!
d. watch out for ignorance! Look back briefly to Job 42:1-3 and v7…. Job and his friends spoke boldly of things they really did not understood and God was angry in misrepresenting Him!
Let us pause here for a moment and note that the best way to solve a problem is to take care of the sources of the problem. We must be aware and always pray about the sources of how godly relationships can break (note the list…..)! How are we doing with this? Keep in mind the things which can get us in trouble and always bring it up to God!
But let us be honest, like Job, because we are just human beings, we will end up sinning and giving into…. (list).
But praise God who understood Job and his friends and understands us! We need mercy and grace for our sins. PTL! God is love!
How were the relationships restored in the Book of Job? Based on Job 42, godly relationships were resulted from repentance, humility, obedience, sacrifice, worship, and prayer!
2. Godly relationships will also result today through the same things in Job 42 but Jesus Christ made the ultimate and final sacrifice needed! Hebrews 10:11-12 tells us….
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. And as noted over and over again, the only High Priest who offered the ultimate sacrifice for people is Jesus Christ!
How are godly relationships to be restored today?
a. We are to accept Jesus Christ as our only Savior and Lord!
b. We are to repent from all the sins we commit!
c. We are to humble ourselves before the Lord Jesus Christ always! Trust and obey the Lord Jesus Christ!
d. We must always pray to God in accordance with His Will! (“Dragons” in our lives can be handled with the power of God!)
In summary, We must show the world of our godly relationship with God through Jesus Christ and that only Jesus Christ can truly restore our godly relationships with each other!
Take a moment now to quietly think about these things and pray to God….
Benediction: Hebrews 4:13-16….
