This morning I want to speak to you about a very familiar person in the Bible, Job. Most people think about patience and suffering when they hear the name Job. Today I want you to clear your mind and think about the conversation that took place in heaven. The conversation between God and Satan. Before we get to the text, I would like to set the background. Job is the oldest book in the Bible, it’s the first book in the division of poetry. Job is a very profound book. It makes you think. We’ll use Chapter 1 verses 6-12 as the basis for the text.
First, we need to know that Job’s name in the Greek is (Ey-Yov), which means the oppressed one. We know that God doesn’t use his power to oppress us it’s Satan. In order to understand we must first know that Job was a righteous man, one who feared God.
Chapter 1 begins by stating that Job was from Uz and that he feared God and turned away from evil. We also know that Job was very wealthy.
One day the angels appeared before God and Satan was right there among them, so you ask yourself, why is Satan among the Angels? We know that Satan was once an Angel. In fact, he was the chief Angel, but Satan got the big head and thought he was equal to God. So God kicked him out and of course, he had followers who went with him. Read Ezekiel and you will learn that story.
God questioned Satan and asked him what he was up to? And Satan replied trying to find someone to mess with. So God asked him. Have you thought about Job? That’s my child. Satan probably said yes, but I can’t mess with Job because you have a hedge of protection around him. I bet if you take that away, Job would turn from you. God had faith in Job, he told Satan go ahead and try. But do not take his life.
What if Satan came to God and ask if he could tempt you, would God have enough faith in you to say go ahead Satan try. What if Satan took your job? Would you still love God? What if you lost your whole family in a tragic accident would you still trust God? Or would you give up? Would you let God use you or Satan?
You must have faith to believe. Hebrews 11:11 says faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Job didn’t know he was being used by God. But, he was a willing vessel. He had faith in God. Where is your faith.? Or better yet who is your faith in? That brings me to point #1, in order for God to use you, your faith must be in him. Not your job, children, husband, wife, best friend or even your pastor, but your faith must be in God. God must be the one in whom you put all of your trust in. You must go to God on a daily basis in prayer. Not just when things are going great but also when thins are rough. You must have faith in God when your light bill is due and you just got laid off at work. You must have faith in God when your teenage daughter tells you shes pregnant, don’t throw her out in the street, you must have faith that God will see you through. That he will make a way out of no way. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. So if you don’t have faith, you are not pleasing God.
Secondly you must be righteous. That means you can’t be living any kind of way and expect God to bless you. You can’t be going to the casino and expect God to bless you, you can’t continue living with that person you are not married to and expect God to bless you, God is not going to bless you in that mess.Proverbs 10:30 says the righteous shall never be removed; but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth. Righteous in the Greek is Diakios, which means properly and is right. You can’t make your own self righteous, only the blood of Jesus can make you righteous. Some people out there may say, I can’t come to church, I am too dirty, but you can’t sit at home. You can’t clean yourself up. You see the church is a hospital for all kinds of people, you have to get to the hospital to get well. Sitting at home and moping about the situation is not helping. God can do anything, but fail. Give God a try. You can’t be made righteous by singing in the choir, ushering on the usher board, or by preaching from the pulpit only the blood of Jesus can make you righteous.
As I close, I want you to ask you to think about this, if Satan wnet to God and asked if he could use you would God have enough faith in you to say yes?
