“Job At Ground Zero”
INTRODUCTION: (My thanks to Denn Guptill for his excellent sermon on Job)
This A.M. we’re going to look at the life of Job. The Book of Job is probably the OLDEST book in the Bible … written before the Book of Genesis. We don’t know who WROTE the book of Job … or exactly WHEN it was written. Job probably lived about 4000 years ago … at the same time as Jacob.
Job is known for his PATIENCE … the “patience of Job”. James 5:11 – “We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”
Maybe you’ve even used this phrase to describe yourself … “To be your mother, I have to have the ‘patience of Job’!”
Let’s take a look at the “patience of Job”.
1:1 – We don’t know exactly where “Uz” is … BUT … that’s where Job lived.
We learn something here about this man Job … he lived a Godly life. Job respected God … loved what God loved, and hated what God hated (“shunned evil”). YET … we’re going to see that he wasn’t exempt from bad things happening to him.
1:2-4 – Job was the richest man around … God had really blessed him. He had 10 children … and they would meet at each son’s house on their birthday and have a great celebration feast.
1:5 - After each feast, Job would offer a sacrifice to God on behalf of his children. Job was concerned about their spiritual well-being … like any good parent.
NOW … the scene shifts to Heaven.
1:6 – I have to confess that I don’t really understand this. BUT … there’s a LOT I don’t understand!
God apparently required the angels to report to Him periodically, and on this occasion Satan shows up.
1:7 – Satan is “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4) … the “prince and power of the air” (Eph. 2:2).
1 Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
LESSON: Satan is accountable to God. He has lots of power & authority … BUT … he answers to God! God is in charge … God is sovereign … God is in control!
1:8 – I don’t quite understand this either! It wasn’t Satan who brought up the subject of Job … it was God who brought it up.
PERSONALLY, I’d rather that God not specifically point me out to Satan. I’ve got enough trouble with Satan without God telling Satan to focus on me! BUT … God had a REASON for it … WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS?
Everything was going good for Job … he was a good and Godly man.
• MAYBE things were going TOO GOOD for Job.
• MAYBE Job was taking too much PRIDE in himself. He offered sacrifices for the sins of his children … BUT … nothing is mentioned about sacrifices for HIS sins.
• MAYBE he was so good that he didn’t see himself as a sinner before God … nothing to REPENT of.
• MAYBE Job is beginning to feel self-sufficient … that because he’s so good, he DESERVES what God has done for him. That’s what PROSPERITY will do for you … bring your focus on yourself, and away from God.
1:9-12 – Satan tells God that the only reason Job is so good … is because God has been so good to Job.
“BUT … take away everything You’ve given him … AND … he will curse You to Your face!” Satan tells God that Job loves God for what Job can get out of the relationship.
LET ME ASK YOU … Do you love God MORE in the good times, than the bad times? Is your love for God dependant on whether or not He blesses you? OR …by HOW MUCH He does, or doesn’t, bless you?
Satan ALSO tells God that he hasn’t been able to touch Job before, because God has put a “hedge” around him (1:10). If you’re a Child of God, God has put a “hedge” around you. Satan can’t touch you, unless God permits it.
NOT SO with the LOST … they are a “child of the Devil”.
When God allows Satan to go through that “hedge”, it’s because God has a PURPOSE for it. Satan can’t enter there, without the permission of God. Everything that happens to you, must first pass through the Throne Room of God.
AND … God has a REASON for everything that He allows Satan to do in your life. It’s for your ultimate GOOD … though we usually can’t see it at the time. Don’t WASTE the hard times … the trials, troubles & tribulations … God allows them for your ultimate GOOD. Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
God gives Satan permission to attack Job … with 1 PROVISION … Satan can’t take Job’s LIFE.
Satan begins his work. One by one, messengers come in, and tell Job about all the disasters that happen.
• An enemy came and took all his cattle … and killed his servants.
• A fire destroyed all his sheep, and killed his servants.
• Another enemy came and took his camels, and killed his servants.
• A wind storm came up, and blew down the house where his children were gathered … and killed them all.
Was Job upset? You bet he was! From Job’s perspective, it looked like he was at Ground Zero”! BUT … 1:20-22
Job realized that it all came from God … and was God’s to give or take away.
Job was heart-broken … but he didn’t blame God. To blame God would have been a SIN … 1:22
Do you ever BLAME GOD when things don’t go your way? It’s one thing to HURT over tragedy … it’s another thing to BLAME GOD.
Have you ever heard the saying, “Cheer up, things could be worse!” That’s exactly what Job did … He cheered up … and things got worse!
2:1-8
Job is a mess! He’s lost EVERYTHING … his wealth … his children … his health. BUT … Satan didn’t take EVERYTHING. Satan knew what he was doing … he knew how to really make it bad for Job. Satan left him his WIFE! 2:9
“Thanks, but no thanks!”
Satan also left job with 3 friends … WHO … for the next 40 chapters keep trying to convince Job that all this is happening to him because of sin in his life. With friends like that, who needs enemies!
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM JOB?
1.- TROUBLES WILL HAPPEN
Welcome to the human race! Our world, and the society we live in, is corrupt and evil. Bad things are going to happen to you … you aren’t exempt just because you are a Christian.
Can God PREVENT it? SURE! AND … He does! If God were to take His “hedge” from around you for 1 hour, you can’t imagine all the tragedies that would happen to you.
God PREVENTS what happened to Job, from happening to you.ONLY … you DON’T KNOW IT … BECAUSE … it hasn’t happened to you!
IF … when you became a Christian … nothing bad happened to you … we’d have to build a new sanctuary for all the people who would want to come and be saved.
We have several PROMISES in the Bible:
2 Tim. 3:12 – “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
BUT … I like this one BETTER: 1 Cor. 10:13 – “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
What is our “way of escape”? The peace, love, and outstretched arms of Jesus!
Is life fair? NO! Thank God! If life was “fair”, we would be far worse off than we are! Every one of us has far more than we DESERVE.
2.- DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL
When problems come, we often think, “What have I done to deserve this?” Job hadn’t done ANYTHING … he was a righteous man. HOWEVER, God still had some lessons for Job to learn.
SOMETIMES, it IS because of sin in our life … and God is CHASTENING us. Hebrews 12:6-7 – ribbon.
That’s what Job’s 3 friends were trying to tell Job for 40 chapters. BUT … that’s not always the case … STORY OF EGYPTIAN PENDANT …
Not everything bad that happens to you is a personal attack by Satan. God is still in control - 2 Thes. 3:3 – “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”
You were born into this evil world … bad things are going to happen to you because of it. Don’t take it personally … God’s not against you.
3.- IT’S NOT WRONG TO ASK GOD “WHY”?
There’s nothing wrong in asking God “Why?” … He WANTS you to! God has a REASON for everything He allows in your life.
Job asked “Why?” – 3:11-12
BUT … ask God “Why?” to learn the LESSONS He has for you. DON’T ask God “Why?” to question His love and power. Ask God “Why?” to find out “What now?”
4.- YOU CAN HAVE THE VICTORY
Like we did last week in the Book of Ecclesiastes, let’s go to the end of the book of Job.
42:5-6 – Job REPENTED. BEFORE, Job had an “ear knowledge” of God … NOW … Job has EXPERIENCED God through his tragedies. Job WASN’T PERFECT in the sense of “sinless perfection”.
NOW … he has been given the opportunity, through his troubles, to see himself as totally dependant on God. NOW … he sees God as his provider … as the God of GRACE to an unworthy sinner.
God rewarded Job’s faithfulness - 42:10, 12-13. God DOUBLED his possessions … BUT … what about his children? 42:13 … He had 10 children before. BUT, NOW … he has 10 in Heaven … 10 on earth!
CONCLUSION:
Everything bad that happens to you, happens for a PURPOSE.
God has GOOD in mind for you.
• MAYBE it’s to point you to Christ for salvation.
• MAYBE it’s to get you to trust/focus on Him more.
• MAYBE it’s to bring you to your knees so that all you have left is His strength, power and love to rely on.
I DON’T KNOW! Ask Him!
One thing I DO KNOW … Romans 8:35-39 – ribbon
STAND – PRAY
HYMN - #376 – “Have Faith In God”
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Job At Ground Zero”
INTRODUCTION: The “Patience of Job” – James 5:11
Job 1:1 – Job loved what God loved … hated what God hated.
1:2-4 – God had richly blessed Job.
1:5 – Job was concerned for his children’s Spiritual well-being.
1:6 – The angels report to God.
1:7 – Satan is the “god of this world” – 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:2, 1 Peter 5:8.
- Satan is accountable to God … God is in charge!
1:8 – God brought up the subject of Job’s faithfulness.
- Job offered sacrifices for his children, but perhaps saw no sin in his life for which to repent.
1:9-12 – Does Job love God for what’s in it for him?
- Is your love for God dependant on His blessings?
- As a child of God, He has a “hedge” around you.
- Everything must first pass through the Throne Room of God.
- All your troubles are for ultimate good – Romans 8:28.
1:20-22 – In all of his troubles, Job realized that all he had was really God’s … to give or to take away.
- It’s OK to hurt over tragedy, but not to blame God.
2:1-8 – Satan left Job his wife – 2:9
LESSONS FROM JOB –
1.- TROUBLES WILL HAPPEN – Our world is corrupt & evil.
- God prevents what happened to Job from happening to you.
- 2 Promises – 2 Timothy 3:12 … 1 Corinthians 10:13.
- Life isn’t FAIR … our blessings are more than we deserve!
2.- DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL
- Sometimes, our troubles are to chasten us – Hebrews 12:6-7
- Not all our troubles are from a personal attack of Satan.
- God is still in control – 2 Thessalonians 3:3
- Don’t take it personally … God isn’t against you.
3.- IT’S NOT WRONG TO ASK GOD “Why?” – 3:11-12
- Since God has a reason for your troubles, it’s RIGHT to ask God “Why?” … to learn the lessons He has for you.
- Don’t question His love & power … ask “What now?”
4.- YOU CAN HAVE THE VICTORY – 42:5-6 – Job repented.
- God rewarded Job’s faithfulness – 42:10, 12-13
CONCLUSION: God has a good purpose for all that happens to you … ask Him! – Romans 8:35-39
