Hold On, I'm Not Done Yet!

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Hold On, I'm Not Done Yet!

Contributed by Paul Davis on May 23, 2005 (message contributor)

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Scripture: Job 1:6-12

Denomination: Baptist

Summary: This sermon highlights how one can make the best of a bad situation.

Hold On, I’m Not Done Yet!

Scripture:

Job 1: 6-12

6Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD and Satan also came among them. 7And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” 8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” 9So Satan answered the LORD and said,

“Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

12And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Introduction:

Have you ever felt like life has left you behind? Or have you ever felt like the pit of life has swallowed you up? Or Have you ever gone through a period when - - No matter what you did or do, it’s never enough.

Your activities seem not to satisfy anyone…. Your children are upset because you didn’t buy their favorite brand of cereal/snack. Your spouse is upset because the bills are too high, or for some strange reason everything went wrong at work today and your spouse brings it home to you.

Or your spouse is upset because you didn’t respond to their comments during dinner. Or if you are like me, you got stuck at the office, late again, and you missed dinner again with the family. Not realizing that your spouse has recognized that things have been a bit rough lately, so they prepare your favorite meal – They went the extra mile and pulled out the grill, grilled your steak just the way you like it ……. and prepared all the fixings near perfection. But you will never experience it in the love it was prepared due to your unforeseen circumstance that arose at work.

On the flip side, have you ever noticed that most people aren’t satisfied even when you’ve given your all, your absolute best. Now when you really analyze the situation, you’ve actually given them the best they’ve ever had. But guess what, it’s just not enough. It seems that the more you give the more they want…… Right?

SO, YOU ARE HAVING A BAD DAY…… RIGHT?

Today, I’d like to put your bad day experiences in the right perspective… Imagine with me if your will, Job living in the 21st century, in our day and time. Job a modern day business person, - his business is doing better than most, he has a lovely family, they all get along with one another. Though they sometimes have differences of opinions and sometimes disappoint one another, they know how to forgive and forget. As an independent business man /entrepreneur, Job is respected in his field of work and is seen as a pillar in the community. Job attends church regularly and is an active participant. As a matter of fact, his ten children were active missionaries to Honduras.. Get the Picture?

So let’s listen in on Job’s conversation as he relaxes on the patio after a delightful afternoon with Mrs. Job. His blackberry buzzes relentlessly, his pager goes off violently, his Nextel begins to ring non-stop and the house phone is chiming extremely loud throughout the house… I can hear Job saying to himself “Lord, don’t these people know that it’s the weekend.” Lazily Job grabs the blackberry, because it’s near by…. And from that point on, Job’s life will never be the same……“Hello” ……

Blackberry Message from V.P. of Operations: John

 “Our largest customer has just merged with our major competitor…. Hold On, I’m not done yet! And all competing contracts have been canceled as of Monday.”

Nextel Message from V.P. of Finance: Veronica

 “The bank just called and has put a freeze on all our assets…… Hold On, I’m not done yet! And Job they’re calling in all outstanding accounts immediately.”

House Phone Message V.P. of Sales: Mark

 “Our second largest customer just phoned in and canceled all future orders……Hold On, I’m not done yet!.. and Job, they looking to return all excess inventory.

Door Bell Rings, its Sam, the Chief of Police, Job long time friend:

 “Job, you did allow the local Missions Team to use your corporate jet to fly to Honduras….Job, I’m sorry to report but the jet crashed about an hour ago….. Hold On, I’m not done yet!!!.. There are no survivors…

Job, is in shock, he’s devastated and in total disbelief. . But he goes to his study, falls on his knees, and begins to pray to God, the source of his strength.. Repeating the Lord’s Prayer over and over.. knowing that God will see him through this day….

Would you agree that Job is having a Bad Day!

Neighbor: Job is having a really bad day…

As you may have studied the text of scripture, particularly the text about Job, God asked the question of Satan.

“Have you considered My servant Job?”

Though the Bible did not record Satan’s direct answer.. but the answer to the question is: Yes, Satan had considered Job….for his response revealed not only what he had been up to, where he had been, but also who he had been trying to deceive. In modern day vernacular would have sounded something like this:

“Look God, let’s be real… if it weren’t for your all those things you keep blessing him with, I would have had him a long time ago…”

Satan’s response also reveals to us that he become totally infuriated when God blesses this faithful servants.

Satan’s hated that fact that God blessed mankind - - This fury goes back to the beginning of time as recorded in the book of Genesis… after all 1 John 3:8 tells us that Satan, (the devil) has been sinning from the beginning……..But I want go there today..

Also in this text we find two things that are at odds with one another, they are inconsistent with our desired belief system……..they appear contradictory to one another but yet somehow they coexist with one another…... and some may say that it’s impossible for them to be in the same place at the same time: But yet they are..

Paradoxical Setting:

 Satan is in Heaven = refers to God’s complete authority over Satan.

 Righteousness rewarded with suffering = refers to God’s parental love for his own – He uses whatever means necessary to draw you closer to Him.

What we appear to have right from the very beginning is an oxymoron, Satan attending God’s staff meeting.

This is the mostly unlike place one would think that Satan would want to attend. But remember Satan will stop at nothing in his effort to get a believer to consciously reject God.

Our senses and all we’ve been taught surmises that blessings are always the fruit of righteous living and that suffering the reward of sin…. For the Bible teaches us that: Romans 6:23 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

With this paradoxical setting as a backdrop there are three points I’d like call your attention to:

Satan’s Persistence.

God’s Permission.

Job’s Principles.

Satan’s Persistence:

I’ll have you to know that is not the 1st time Satan has made a stance before God:

- 1 Chronicles 21:1 - And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number the Israelites, causing the death of 70,000 men of Israel and the beginning of destruction of Jerusalem.

- Zechariah 3:1 - 1And the angel of the LORD showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the himself, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him of his sins.

Peter reminds us that:

- I Peter 5:8b “ your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”

Satan’s persistence is demonstrated in the following ways:

Satan’s tenacity is evident:

1. “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.

Satan’s Boldness is astounding:

2. “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Satan’s Foolishness is apparent:

3. 11But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

In his haste to get God’s trusted servant to reject God, or be disloyal to God, Satan glossed over the words of God about Job:

• ‘There is none like him on earth!”

• “Job is a blameless man”

• “Job is a upright man”

• “Job fears God”

• “Job shuns evil”

Satan, what part don’t you get? This is my servant Job. Neighbor – Satan is as stubborn as I am!

Satan was assured that Job worshipped God because of the blessings -

 “You’ve made a hedge around him”… hedge around his household”… hedge around all that he has, on every side”….“You blessed the works of his hands”…“You’ve blessed his possessions”

Job proved to be a student of the words penned in Matthew 6:33-34 – Seek 1st God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as we. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Satan’s foolishness continued as he appeared before the Son of God after His baptism by John the Baptist as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel (ch. 4), thinking that the fast was a weakness, but we know that through fasting, our strength is renewed - -

 “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Hold On, I’m not done yet!

 “5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

Hold On, I’m not done yet!

 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve

God’s Permission:

I’ve come to realize that something are beyond my comprehension and understanding:

Isaiah 55:8 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I believe that God was confident in the person of Job, that regardless of the circumstance, God knew that Job would still serve Him with all his heart, with all his soul and with all his mind……. Deuteronomy 6:4 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy strenght.

Neighbor – Job was grateful ,but not ignorant!

Satan, you don’t get it – I can hear God saying, Satan, I wrote the book to include the last Book called Revelation which records your destiny - …… Revelation 20:2, 7, 10: 2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. …. 7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.. ….

Hold On, I’m not done yet!

10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Though I gave you permission to tempt Job, I know that Job will be faithful to me even if it causes his death.

 Satan, I warned you that Job was an upright man - - There is none like him in all the land of the East.

Job 29: 1-25

o Give honest counsel, it was a pleasure to be in Job’s company, Job was respected by all men, Job rescued the poor and fatherless from the wicked, Job assisted those on their death bed, Job provided for the widow in need, Job was fair and just to all, Job helped the blind and lame to get around, Job welcomed the stranger into the neighborhood, Job stood against the wicked.

Job’s Principles:

As we look back on this text, Satan’s goal was for Job to disregard, renege on his own principles: So Satan came with his best shot….

- “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”