Services | A Conversation about Job

Bulletin

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”

Hymn # 491“When We All Get to Heaven”

SCRIPTURE READING – Isaiah 6:1 - 8
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings

OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate

Praise and Worship
“This Is What We Live for”
“Echo Holy”
“With Everything”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“A Conversation about Job”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection

“Morning by Morning (I Will Trust)”

Benediction “God Really Loves Us”

Acknowledgements and Announcements

Sermon Notes
Job 1:1 – 5 Job’s wealth and family
Job 1:6 & 7 On a special day the son of God present themselves before the Lord
Job 1:8 God asks Satan about Job
Job 1:9 – 11 Satan accuses Job. Job only praises God because he is blessed
Job 1:12 God allows Satan to test Job
1 Corinthians 10:13 Temptation is common to man, God will provide you an escape so you can endure it

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

Audio file

FBCWest500.mp3



Transcript

You have your Bibles.

Please turn to job chapter one.

We're going to be starting a new series.

On the Book of job.

People always want to know about why.

You'll see in commercials something will happen and you'll hear the person cry out.

You'll see a murderer and the police will look for a motive, which is why I find it kind of interesting that that people are always searching for why, because let's take.

A homicide

The homicide could have happened because of passion.

Because there was a midst of a robbery, it was revenge.

It was premeditated because of hate.

But the bottom line is the person who was murdered is still dead.

Being tried oftentimes doesn't satisfy 'cause it's.

Like oh, your?

Loved one died because the person hated them.

Oh, that makes me feel better, you know?

So sometimes we're always searching for why, but it does not make us feel better.

So why are we studying this?

The why is not because you're going to suffer.

And tragedy will hit because you've suffered and tragedy is hidden and it will hit again.

We're not looking at job for the purposes of saying, well, we're all in this together.

We all suffer, isn't it great?

'cause this face it?

It's kind of like surgery when when you're having surgery.

It's a minor surgery when I'm having surgery, it's a major surgery when you're having a problem, it's just a problem.

When I'm having a.

Problem, it's devastating, it's terrible.

I I can't even function.

We we all kind of.

And so the purpose isn't to say, oh.

Well Joe suffered and that makes me feel better.

The why that we're doing the book of Job.

Is to respond.

When difficulty arises.

When tragedy hits that we.

Might respond the way God wants us to.

Because we are his children and he's given us blessings.

The why so I hope you feel better about knowing why we're looking at the Book of Job.

Also, the other reason is I've never.

Bought this book.

So after 20 plus years of being in ministry here.

Didn't want to repeat.

But this was a good time to teach this.

So introducing the Book of Job, there's lots of.

Debate and discussion.

Well, who wrote it?

Well, it doesn't tell us who wrote it.

There are those there, particularly some Jewish rabbis who think Moses.

Wrote the book.

Others think that it was dumb.

Written during the post exile period time, which is basically when they were in Babylon or those types of things.

And there are others who say, well, it's anonymous, we don't know.

And I kind of go to the it's anonymous, we don't.

Know who the.

Human agent was, but I'll tell you.

I know who wrote it.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit wrote it so that we might see what God's doing and what God wants us to do in response to.

Problems, difficulties and tragedies.

They're also because of debate about when it was written.

Because I always want to say, well, this kind of appears to be like some other Middle Eastern writings of this time.

But they ultimately always say.

But the book of Job is done so much better.

Again, the Book of Job is done.

So much better.

Because the Holy Spirit's one writing it.

And he gets to the truth.

There are those.

They say it's just a.

Story to teach.

It's how I cope and extended parable.

I disagree with that and so I'm going to start.

The reading the verse that I'm going to kind of continue on with my introduction of the Book of Job and verse one it says there was.

A man in the land of whose.

Whose name was job.

So First off.

The scripture seer says it was a man.

It wasn't sorry, it wasn't Once Upon a time there was a guy.

There's also reason why I know it wasn't a.

A parable is that Ezekiel, in chapter 14, verse 14.

Refers to job.

James, in chapter of.

Five verse 11 also refers to job, so both of those make reference to the fact that they were human beings and Ezekiel.

He talks not only of job he talks of of Noah, and he talks of Daniel, and so he puts two other people there.

So again.

I believe Job was an actual physical person.

I believe he probably lived.

Around the time of Abraham.

So this was before the law.

All this.

And but he.

Was probably a contemporary of Abraham and it said he lived in land.

Of us whose?

No one quite is sure where it is, something that it's more towards the Fertile Crescent.

Way east of of Israel.

I tend to think that it's more in what we would call in present, what was referred to as Edam and that area.

A little East and South of what is now called Israel.

Now the reason why I'm kind of convinced of that is some of the raiding parties that we see mentioned later in in this chapter are more located in that area, and so I tend to think it's not as east.

As some people think.

But the exact location.

Isn't as important as the truth that is going to be told, so there is this man named Job.

And that man was blameless upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Now I want you to notice that the author of this has told us right up front.

That job is a good guy.

Didn't say he's sinless, didn't say he wasn't a Sinner, but he said that he was blameless, that he was upright.

Fearing God and turning away from here so he was attempting to follow God as best as a human can follow God in our.

Sinful nature.

This discussion right here and then in a few more.

Versus lets us know something that no one else knows.

In the story.

And I'll kind of tell you what that is in a second, but it goes.

He's blameless, he's upright, fearing God in turning from evil.

It's important for us to understand that.

As the book goes on.

He had seven sons and three daughters were born to him, so it a large family.

Sons, particularly in in this culture would, because that's kind of your Social Security system.

Your son would make sure that you were taken care of, and so the fact that she had seven made sure that you had a a good pension plan.

It was your 401K, so he had seven of them and he had three daughters. In case the seven sons were idiots, that the.

Three daughters maybe might marry somebody who was a little more sympathetic, so he has ten kids.

And his possessions also were 7000 sheep, 3000 Camels, 500 yoke of oxen, which would make it 1000 oxen, 500 female donkeys and very many servants now.

This recounting of his possessions to us with ah, OK, so let me try to let you understand how rich he was and how diversified his portfolio was.

Like that word.

Trying to get you into the 401K.

And all OK.

So here this is.

His diversified portfolio.

He had 7000 sheep, which means he had wool and he had meat and he had pasture land. In order to take care of 7000 sheep 'cause they eat grass really close.

To the ground. So you gotta have a lot of land to have 7000 sheep.

And which makes him rich because he's got wolves to sell. He's got meat to sell, and he has plenty of meat to provide for his family, so he has that aspect of of if you will a pastoral life. And he has 3000 camels.

Now, what good are camels on a farmland not much?

But they are good if you're going to trade because they travel long distances.

So he could put the wool or whatever else he wanted to sell on the camels.

Or he could sell the camels to other entrepreneurs who are who are trading.

So he has that as another diversified portfolio.

And he has 500 yoke of oxen, which means he farmed. He tilled the soil and he had lard, because again, if you don't, if you have 1000 oxen of 500 head.

You gotta have a.

Lot of land.

To till so he is rich because he can till that land and produce agriculture in it.

But he's again.

He's diversified because he has sheep.

He has camels, and he has.

And then it says he has 500 female donkeys. But why is 500 female Doc is important 'cause only takes 1 male donkey too?

Produce more donkeys.

So the fact that you have 500 means that you can continue increasing your herd and water. Donkeys good for their beasts of burden that they can.

Take the.

The wool they think do the turnips, or whatever else grows and.

Send it off because he has these beasts of burden so he has.

If you will.

A well rounded portfolio, he's rich, but he's rich in a number of different areas.

He's not just invested in Microsoft.

He's, he's got it covered.

And then he has a great number of servants, which means he's got people to work this land and work the businesses that he has.

Which means he's got to be an outstanding manager of not only his assets but of his people.

So job is is is an excellent business person if you will.

And it says that man was the greatest of all the men of these.

He's wealthy.

He was a good manager.

And he took God seriously.

He was upright, he was blameless and he avoided evil.

And he was apparently a good father.

Verse four, his son used to go and hold the feast in the House of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.

And so the seven sons and the three daughters would.

Each take a turn having a festival in their home and then rotate and they would always invite my sister.

So basically, all ten of the children would sit around and have this celebration and they would do this consistently.

This time it's in my house.

Next time send your house and go on it.

It's not like.

Current day where?

One person gets stuck with Easter and Thanksgiving and whatever.

Now, everybody is taking a turn and everybody participating and there's this.

There's this wanting them to be a part of the family, so apparently they're not saying God, I hate my family.

Let's get out there, there.

And they even divided their sisters.

And when the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Joe would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering bird offerings according to the number of them all.

Her job said, perhaps my sons have sinned and curse God in their heart.

Thus, job did continually.

We see that job is so.

Proactive in his spiritual matters.

He doesn't wait for his kids to sin.

This may be in their heart that I don't know about 'cause it's in their heart.

Maybe something happened and so I want to make sure that they're forgiven, so he's offering sacrifices on their behalf and he's doing it for each of the kids.

Each of the times they go around this thing because it goes.

I don't want my family.

To have the impact.

Of sin.

And thus Joe did continually.

He it's not good enough.

One time it's every single time.

So we're introduced to this man named Job.

That's the setup.

That's who he is.

Now we go from the earth view.

To a change of scenery to heaven.

Now there was a day when the.

Sons of God.

Came to present themselves before the Lord.

So apparently there's some kind of schedule that that the sons of God and some will say these are the angels or whatever, and we can debate what that is.

But there's this period time when the angels or whoever these sons of God are come and they will present themselves before God.

Maybe it's an accountability session.

What have you been doing since we last met and?

Michael goes well. I've done XY&Z and Gabriel goes, I've done.

A B&C and Homer goes.

I was looking at the brook, I'm sorry I.

Just thought it was beautiful, you know, but they're presenting their accounting apparently, and they presented their before God.

But then it says Satan also came.

It doesn't say Satan is a son of God, it just says he also showed up.

Apparently he knew the schedule.

This is the time when the Sons of God show up and give their accountability.

So I'm going to show.

Up too now Satan isn't just his name.

Satan means adversary.

And Satan is going to be just like his name.

Notice in the Old Testament they would name their children, Sir.

They would take on the attributes.

Of who they were.

Jacob was a deceiver, a conniver.

He was named Jacob.

Joseph was God shall bless God shall add wonderful name there.

Are there all those types of things?

But it was the name was related to the type of person.

OK.

The reason I'm smiling I'm just thinking, Can you imagine the modern day equivalent if we call our kid dumb idiot.

No, let's just say.

No, think of.

I don't think no one here, and hopefully nobody that's hearing me.

His name is Mortimer.

But just.

Just think of Mortimer meant dumb idiot.

Your entire life you were called.

Modabber, which was dumb idiot.

Well, Satan is called adversary because that's who he is.

He has always been the adversary.

He was always the liar.

He was always the accuser.

All the way back to the garden when he told Eve Ah, God didn't mean what he said.

You kind of take it it over you know you, you don't.

You don't have to be so literal.

And we're going to see here he is the adversary.

So Satan shows up.

And the Lord said to Satan.

But where do you come?

Now God is allowing Satan to respond 'cause God knows exactly what Satan's been doing, just like when.

God after Adam and Eve, Sin and hide, and he walks into cooler day.

He calls out where you guys at.

God knows, but he allows you.

The opportunity to.

At least he's truthful.

And Satan answered the Lord, and said, from roaming about on the earth, and walking around on it.

Now this is something Satan frequently does.

He still does it.

First Peter Chapter 5.

Verse eight says this Satan.

Roams the earth roaring like a lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan still roams the earth.

He's still doing what Satan does.

Fortunately, our God still does what our God does, but Satan doesn't change.

Satan is exactly who Satan is.

So why is it we should ever believe him?

Why is it when he lies to us that we would ever accept it?

Because he's always been a liar.

He's not going to change.

He's always seek to accuse us he's not going to change.

He's always been our adversary or enemy.

He's not going to be a change, so why should we believe him?

But that's what he's been doing.

And the Lord said to Satan.

Have you considered my soul servant Joe?

Or there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil.

Now I want you to notice something.

It's God who brings us.

He was OK.

You've been roaming around the earth.

Have you thought about job?

And God says.

The same thing.

That the writer.

Of the book has said, have you considered job?

Is blameless, there's no one like him on the earth.

There's all kinds of people doing all kinds of evil things and or all, and eventually you know those things happen.

He goes, but he's exceptional.

There's no one like him on Earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God, fearing me, and turning away from evil.

Have you thought about it?

In my.

I say you know God maybe.

You just shouldn't bring me up.

I was doing fine, had all the sheep and all this cattle and all this auction and all these servants and I.

Was and and my kids were doing great and I was doing sacrifices.

Why did you?

Have to bring me up.

That was fine.

Until then

But it's God who and I want you to understand because.

It's so important.

For us to understand in this book that even God says he's blameless, he's upright.

He fears me.

Then Satan answered the Lord.

Does job fear God for nothing?

He is going.

To go right at.

Job's integrity.

He's not going to say, yeah, I, I agree.

With you God.

He's blameless, he's upright, he fears you 'cause his activity seems to indicate all of these things are true, but that's not what Satan does.

He goes.

Yeah, God, I agree with you.

Notice he goes does job.

Fear you for nothing.

Have you not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every site now?

Here's a little rabbit I like to chase.

If what Satan says is true.

Did God built a hedge around him?

Wouldn't this be an excellent prayer?

To prayer for the.

People in your family and your loved ones and our church.

God build a hedge around us.

Don't make that head so high that.

We can't get.

Take it.

But he he says in essence.

Because you've blessed job.

That's the only reason he's praising you.

Which I also find it funny because it seems that once the my experience has been once people become wealthy.

They tend to forget God.

'cause they they depend on their wealth.

So it seems to me the job is the opposite of what most of us are.

Joe is more relying on God the richer he gets.

Most of us get less relying on God.

The richer we get.

Because we he only he only praises you because you've made him rich.

And you protected him.

You have blessed the works.

Of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land.

Because he's wealthy.

Because you've blessed him.

That's why he's praised you now.

We ought to praise God because he's blessed us.

We also ought to praise God.

When he does it.

Praising God should not be dependent on whether it blesses us or doesn't bless us, but Satan goes right to and says the only reason.

The only reason Joe praises you is 'cause you blessed him.

He accuses him.

He is the accuser.

Put forth your hand now and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face.

Not only will it curse you, he'll look.

At you God.

And curse you if you take his stuff away.

That's a pretty bold statement.

I can understand saying you take all this stuff away, he'll curse you.

This is space that.

We hit our thumb on our on with a.

Hammer and we.

Curse Scott, you know we.

We curse got a lot.

He goes, you take his stuff away and he'll push you to your face.

And in my sense he's kind of overextended his argument.

Yeah, he'll curse you.

Not too sure anybody is going to curse.

God to his face.

'cause he's holy.

Then the Lord said to Satan.

Behold all that he has is in your power.

Only do not port forth your hand on him.

God says I'm not going.

To do it, but I'm going to.

Let you do it.

I'm going to.

Let you.

Take his possessions and his blessings away.

She can't touch him.

God is still sovereign and notice even.

Our adversary or accuser the liar can only go as far as God lets him go.

Because he's sovereign.

And in essence, God is saying to job.

I'm sorry saying to Satan.

You're wrong.

Job won't.

Now I'm going to let you see it.

I'm going to let Jobe see it.

And I'm going to let all of heaven see.

That Joe is blameless and upright and fears me not because of what he has, but because of.

Who I am.

So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

I want you to.

Think about it as I said.

What would the conversation be like?

If God and Satan had a conversation about you and about me.

I kind of hate to hear about that conversation.

Same guy Edge Joe might be faithful.

He's been faithful several times.

I'll wait till next Saturday and he probably won't.

Notice the.

Confidence that God has.

About Joe

If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn first Corinthians chapter 10, verse 13, and for those of you who can underline in your Bible.

I'd suggest you do this if you don't, maybe write a sticky note or something, because this is kind of an important verse to help you with.

I want to start with verse 12 therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed unless he does not.

Start out saying don't think you're more strong than you think you are.

Take heed.

No temptation.

Not some.

Not most.

Not the hard one.

No temptation has overtaken you, but such is as common to man.

We all like to think that we're unique and special.

Now, I may not know how you feel.

About us something?

But we've all gone through something we've.

All had financial difficulties.

Maybe your financial difficulty meant you couldn't buy bread and my financial difficulty that could buy a monologue, Ben, but we've all faced things that we we couldn't get because we didn't have enough money and we've all faced illnesses because that's the fact of human beings.

And if we haven't faced an illness.

Yet just wait a little while you will.

And even your phone, face and illness, you'll hit your thumb with a hammer and that will.

Hurt a lot.

We have aches and pains and the older we get the worse it gets.

And we've all had people that we've loved.

We've gotten really sick.

And have died.

It's common.

As I said once I read a will that said.

If I die.

She always find humorous because only two people in the history of humankind never died.

And the answer to that is they're.

Still not here.

Enoch walked with God and wasn't.

And Elijah got on a charity of fire and took off.

They ain't here now.

We all die.

It's common to man.

And God.

Not but God and God, when those temptations come, when those difficulties come, when the problems face you.

God is faithful.

God is faithful.

Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that?

Which you are able.

But with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

You see, God had great faith in job because he had demonstrated his consistency of being a blameless and upright person who feared God.

That was who he was.

Is that who we are?

And if not, that should be who we are.

And God is saying when temptation comes when that attack of Satan comes, when these difficulties come, that says, I'm not going to let it go more than you can bear.

So why is it sometimes some people have greater difficulties, another 'cause?

Maybe God has more confidence?

In them than in you.

Because maybe he thinks you have a little bit of difficulty.

You'll turn tail and run.

But that person can.

Face great difficulty and still praise him.

And he will also allow some way of you to get out of that problem.

This is an important.

Statement of God.

So that when those problems come.

When those temptations come.

You can say God, your word says.

I'm needing a little help here.

'cause I'm not that strong.

Hit me a way of escape.

Or build that heads around me.

Or get me that strength in my.

Ankles and knees and hips where I can stand firm and faith.

'cause I trust you.

But our response should not be I praise you because you bless me.

I praise you because you're God and.

Yep, Yep.

You're worthy of it.

Your God, you're my father.

You're worthy of it.

You're my savior.

You're worthy of it, you're my Lord, you're worthy of it everything that I have and everything I hope to have is because you've blessed me and you're worthy of being praised and you take it all away you're still worthy to be praised and our response to.

What God allows.

It's what we need to consider.

Now those who will say what this book talks about and whatever is what's called the theology of retribution.

You do something wrong.

God gets you.

There's a.

A pastor back into 16 hundreds Jonathan Edwards and he had a.

Hellfire damnation German English God just is like you're a spider on it and he just got a flame.

And he can't wait to drop you.

That's not the God of the old or New Testament.

The only God of the old test.

God is not there to be even with you.

God is there to redeem you.

To save you.

How do we take this?

And apply it.

Every day.

We get up in the morning.

We say, Lord?

Help me to get through this day.

And praise you.

And then the next day we get up and say Lord, help me get through this day.

To praise you.

Because let's face it, if you make a commitment today to.

Live for him forever.

You'll be faithful several times.

If you make the commitment morning by morning by morning by morning to say I trust you God.

I may not know what's going on, I didn't know what happened.

I didn't know the conversation to heaven wasn't a part of that conversation.

You had a conversation to heaven about me and I don't know what it was.

But it's OK.

'cause I trust you.

It's OK because your word is sure, and I trust your word because it has never been wrong.

So when I see words like this, I'll trust it.

Because my future is secure.

In you.

My 401K may go up, it may be.

Go down, but I will praise you regardless.

Our response should not be the hedge or the lack of the hedge.

Our response should be.

As well.

Joe will say in our next.

Reading of the word.

The Lord giveth.

And the Lord taketh away.

Bless it. Be the name.

Of the Lord.

And all God's people said.