THAT LYING DEVIL: “YOU WILL NEVER MAKE IT”
JOB
WHATEVER WE BELIEVE TO BE TRUE HAS TREMENDOUS
POWER IN OUR LIVES … IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE TRUE, WE
JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE IT TRUE TO GIVE IT THE POWER OF
TRUTH ON OUR LIVES.
WHAT WE BELIEVE:
SHAPES OUR ATTITUDES
GOVERNS OUR EMOTIONS
DETERMINES OUR BEHAVIOR
REGULATES OUR RELATIONSHIPS
DECIDES OUR FUTURE
THE BOOK OF JOB IS THERE TO HELP US MAKE SENSE OF
OUR LIVES … JOB STRUGGLES WITH GOD/FAITH/PAIN AND
SUFFERING … WE ARE GOING TO GET THE SS VERSION
TODAY, 1-2,42 … BUT SOME OF THE MOST BITTER WORDS
COME OUT OF HIS MOUTH – WHEN PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING
THEY ARE NOT NORMAL, THEY WILL SAY AND DO THINGS
THEY WOULD NOT ORDINARILY SAY OR DO …
UNTHINKABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, 1
A DESIREABLE CHARACTER
1:1, BILL GATES AND BILLY GRAHAM ROLLED INTO 1 …
HE HAD CREDIBILITY, GREAT REPUTATION, SOLID
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD … ONE WRITER, “… GOOD ON THE
INSIDE.” -
1:2, FAMILY – ESP. “7 SONS”
1:3, FINANCES
1:4-5, FAITH – THE PRIEST OF HIS FAMILY – SACRIFICING IN
MORE WAYS THEN ONE …
1:6-7, A DISTURBING CONVERSATION (BREAK IT DOWN)
1:13-19, DEVASTATING CIRSUMSTANCES
KEEP THIS IN MIND, AT THE TIME OF THE CATASTROPHE,
JOB WAS DOING GOOD … ILLUS. JN.9, “WHO SINNED, THIS
MAN OR HIS PARENTS?” … ILLUS. DISCIPLES IN THE STORM/
APP. PROBLEM OF RETRIBUTION … CORRELATING OUR SIN
WITH ALL THE BAD STUFF THAT’S HAPPENING … NO
MATTER HOW MUCH DOCTRINE OR HOW MANY TIMES WE
HAVE HEARD, “GOD LOVE YOU,” WE ALWAYS TRY TO FIND
SOME CORRELATING SIN – INSTINCTIVELY SAY, “I MUST
HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG.”
HE’S LOST EVERYTHING OF IMPORTANCE TO HIM …
“EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS?” SOME ARE MONDAIN AND
OTHERS ARE MONUMENTAL …
WHEN WE HAVE THOSE DAYS IT MAY SEEM SURREAL, LIKE
IT IS HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE OR WE ARE WATCHING
OUR OWN LIVES FROM THE OUTSIDE … WE WERE HOPING
THE HURRICANE WOULD SKIP OVER US … SEEMS LIKE A
DREAM … ENEMY SAYS, “QUIT!”
WHAT DO YOU DO? WE WILL EITHER LEAN INTO GOD OR
PUSH AWAY … MARRIAGE FALLING APART, SICKNESS ETC…
NOW IT IS YOUR STORY …
1:20, JOB IS NOT IN DENIAL … “WORSHIPPED” … THINK OF
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN SAID HERE … WORST POSSIBLE
SITUATION AND HE WORSHIPS …
1:21, HE QUOTES SCRIPTURE…
UNNERVING COMMENTS, 2:9-10
THE ACCUSER, 1-8
ACCUSES MAN BEFORE GOD, VS.1-5
ACCUSES MAN BEFORE MAN, VS.9-10
SPEAK TO HIS SICKNESS …
2:9-10, NOW … IF THE ENEMY CAN’T SELL YOU ON A LIE WE
WILL SELL IT TO SOMEONE CLOSE TO YOU … IN THIS CASE
THE PERSON CLOSEST TO JOB …
POINT: WHEN IT’S THE ENEMY WHO TELLS THE LIE, THE
GUARD GOES UP … BUT … WHEN IT IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE
WHO BOUGHT THE LIE AND COMES TO YOU, YOU ARE
VUNERABLE … THEY LOVE ME, WANT THE BEST FOR ME …
THEY DO NOT DO THAT WITH BAD INTENTIONS …
NEVERTHELESS, THE DEED IS DONE!
ILLUS. MOTHER’S DAY, PASTOR ASK THE CONGREGATION TO
ANSWER THIS STATEMENT, “MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAID.”
SOME ANSWERS WERE TYPICAL: “CHEW WITH YOUR MOUTH
CLOSED, STAND UP STRAIGHT, DON’T HIT YOUR SISTER,
YOUR FACE WILL FREEZE LIKE THAT, WEAR CLEAN
UNDERWEAR, DON’T SQUIZ THE CAT, DON’T TELL YOU DAD
ABOUT THIS…”
ANTI-TYPICAL: “WHY CAN’T YOU BE MORE LIKE YOUR
SISTER, YOU ALWAYS MESS UP EVERYTHING, YOU’RE NOT AS
PRETTY/SMART AS OTHER GIRLS SO, YOU HAVE TO WORK
HARDER AT SCHOOL.”
REMEMBER … THEY ARE NOT THE ENEMY, THEY ARE
VICTIMS OF THE ENEMY … MAYBE SOMEONE SAID THAT TO
THEM AND NOW THEY ARE SAYING THAT TO YOU …
THE ADVOCATE
WHO YOU GONNA BELEVE
UNMANNING CRITICISM,
GOOD TIMING, 2:11-13
POSITIVE THINGS FRIENDS CAN DO IN OUR TIMES OF
TROUBLE …
BAD THEOLOGY, 3-37
THE BLAME GM BEGINS – IF YOU DIDN’T DO BAD, YOU MUST
HAVE THOUGH BAD THINGS … THIS IS YOUR FAULT, GOD’S
PUNISHING YOU, GOD’S TURNED ON YOU …
6:8-9, JOB BELIEVE’S THEM … HE GET’S REAL
TRUTH … GOD HAS NOT AND DOES NOT WALK AWAY – HE
RUNS TO YOU (PRODICAL SON) …
ENEMY SAYS, “YOU ARE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE, NOT JUST
YOUR SIN, THIS IS WHO YOU ARE” AND WHEN YOU LOOK IN
THE MIRROR THAT WHO YOU SEE …
UNEXPECTED CONFRONTATION, 38-41
GOD’S PURPOSES, 38-42
ON THE ONE HAND THEY ARE INDICTING AND ON THE
OTHER HAND COMFORTING – COMFORTING ABOUT A GOD
THAT BIG … CAVEOT, IF HE GAVE US AN ANSWER WE WOULD
NOT GRASP IT …
GOD’S PRESENCE, 40:4
GOD’S POWER, 42:1-5
HE SEES GOD IN A WAY HE NEVER HAS BEFORE … SOME OF
YOU KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE … YOU HAVE GONE THROUGH
THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER WANT TO GO THROUGH AGAIN,
BUT YOU SAW GOD IN THAT TROUBLE …
WHEN WE NEED HIM MOST DESPERATELY WE SEE HIM
MOST CLEARLY.
PLACES I’VE SEE GOD
PS.34, “THE LORD IS CLOSE TO THE BROKEN HEARTED.”
IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BOOK – ENEMY THINKS JOB HAS
GIVEN UP – JOB STARTS TELLING HIMSELF THE TRUTH
JOB 19:25-27
2 COR.4:16-17, NLT, “FOR OUR PRESENT TROUBLE ARE
SMALL AND WON’T LAST VERY LONG. YET THEY PRODUCE
FOR US A GLORY THAT VASTLY OUTWEIGHS THEM AND WILL
LAST FOREVER.”
GRAB TRUTH AND HOLD ON
ILLUS. DAVID WATSON, “OUR GOD REIGNS!” JOHN COLLINS,
ANGLIAN PASTOR …
