Job’s Final Word – Part 1
Job 25-31 (25-28)
February 7, 2016

Well obviously we aren’t going to cover all 7 chapters tonight in our study,
But because it is all one thought,
I think it is best to keep it in tact as we work our way through it.

Tonight we’ll begin looking at Job’s final statement.

JOB FINALLY RETURNS TO THE LAMENT
He began way back at the beginning of this book.

• After the initial onslaught of suffering Job began to air his complaints regarding
his situation.

• Before he could ever really fully express those, he was confronted by his three
friends who sought to silence him and to condemn him.

• They came armed with the prosperity gospel, and the blind certainty that Job
must have done something terribly wicked for such adversity to fall upon him.

• So, Job has taken somewhat of a break from his lament in order to debate his
three friends.

Tonight we’ll see that Job has finally silenced his friends
And will return to the lament he once began.

Now before we get to Job’s statement
We do have one final statement from his friends.

Bildad responds to Job’s last statement.

If you’ll remember Job had maintained that
• If he could only get to God and stand before Him and present his case to Him
• Then he knew God would be forced to vindicate him and he would come out as gold.

Job held fast to his integrity
And belief that justice demanded his acquittal.

As you might expect Job’s friends didn’t like such beliefs
And so once again rise to confront him.

The only difference is that it is clear they are now at a loss for words,
For Bildad only responds with a weak and shallow argument.

(Job 25) “Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, “Dominion and awe belong to Him Who establishes peace in His heights. “Is there any number to His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise? “How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman? “If even the moon has no brightness And the stars are not pure in His sight, How much less man, that maggot, And the son of man, that worm!”
If you are going to try and read what Bildad says and shoot holes in it,
You are going to have a very difficult time,
For everything Bildad says here is true.

“Dominion and awe” do belong to God.
• God is sovereign over all things.
• It is God who illumines all things (that is all things at their best only radiate His
glory)

And Bildad’s questions are right on.
“How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?”

His point is clear.
Man is sinful, fallen, corrupt and yet God is holy, perfect, and sovereign.

How could man ever expect that he can measure up \
And be righteous before a holy God?

And in truth we talk about this reality quite a bit.

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 3:10-12 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

We can read Psalms 51 about how David was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity and we agree that man does not measure up to God.

So there is nothing Bildad says here that we would disagree with.

The revelation here is that Bildad’s answer
Totally sidesteps the issue.

Job has been talking about the propensity of the wicked to prosper
And the reality that at times the righteous suffer.
And Bildad has no answer for that.

All he (or any of Job’s friends) seem to be able to do
Is reduce their responses to simple and bland truths.

It would be like
• If you come to me in the middle of your suffering and explain how you are suffering,
• But you know you didn’t do anything wrong to deserve it,
• But you are still uncertain as to what God desires…

And I look at you and say, “Yes, but God is love.”

Well you would agree with me because it is true,
But my answer would not have addressed the issue at all.

So it is here.
• Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad have run out of answers.
• They have been unable to cope with Job’s wisdom or his answers.
• They are now at a loss.

In fact, after Job finishes his discourse the Scripture will reveal this.

Job 32:1 “Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.”

These men have no answer.
They tried and they tried and they tried to expose Job and to condemn Job
And they could not.
JOB’S FRIENDS LOST.

And now, Job is about to take his victory lap.
He has finally silenced his friends
And so Job delivers his closing arguments.

And that is what we find in chapters 26 through 31.
It is Job’s final word.

And when you look at this section in in its entirety
It actually only comprises of two main points.

1) Job rebukes his friends
2) Job returns to his lament

So let’s begin working our way through this section.
#1 JOB REBUKES HIS FRIENDS
Job 26:1-28:28

Three chapters here entail Job’s response and rebuke to his friends.

And in these chapters Job is about to tell his friends
5 things they don’t understand anything about.

We want to pay attention here because we don’t want to be Job’s friends
When we seek to comfort those in pain.

1) YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND COMFORT (26:1-4)
“Then Job responded, “What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength! “What counsel you have given to one without wisdom! What helpful insight you have abundantly provided! “To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you?”
If you are picking up on the sarcasm there,
Then you’re reading this section correctly.

Job is certainly not congratulating or even thanking his friends.
He is mocking them for their utter ineptness as it pertains to comforting him.
• “What help you are…”
• “What counsel you gave…”
• “What helpful insight you have…”

Those are statements meant to humiliate and embarrass.
These men were not a help, these men did not give good counsel,
The insight of these men did not help.

We are not going to hash all back through everything they said,
But certainly you do remember the gist of it.

These men traveled to the home of a friend who was suffering immensely.
• This man had lost his possessions
• This man had lost his children
• This man had lost his health
• This man had lost his reputation

AND NOT ONCE DID HIS FRIENDS EVER PICK HIM UP.

All they did was go on an unwarranted investigation
To find out what Job must have done wrong.

When Job said, “Nothing”. They said, “We don’t believe you.”
• They accused
• They attacked
• They slandered

All for the purpose of exposing Job’s presumed sin.

When you slice it right down the middle,
We realized they didn’t really care about Job,
They just wanted to make sure they were protected
From what happened to Job.

And Job here calls them on it.
You guys were no help at all, you know nothing about comfort.

2) YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND GOD (26:5-14)

This section actually humors me just a little,
Because it is a classic “one-upping” of Bildad.

Bildad just tried to express the greatness of God in chapter 25.

He talked about how God has dominion and awe and how it is his glory that illumines all things, and how man cannot be pure in His sight.

Job here one-ups him.
It’s as though Job says, “You don’t even know the half of it”

And then Job goes on a rant about the real greatness of God.
(5-6) “The departed spirits tremble Under the waters and their inhabitants. “Naked is Sheol before Him, And Abaddon has no covering.”
• “Sheol” was the place of the dead.
• “Abaddon” was the place of punishment or utter ruin.

Bildad said that dominion belonged to God,
Job takes it a step further.

Yes, God has dominion in life, in death, in judgment, in everything.
• So much so that “the departed spirits tremble”
• Everything man has ever done lays bare before God, “Sheol” is “naked”.

God sees all and knows all and judges all.

Job is expounding on Bildad’s simple statement.

Bildad also said, “And upon whom does His light not rise?”
It was a simple expression of God as creator.
God created all things and His light shines on all things.

Job carries it farther.
(7-10) “He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing. “He wraps up the waters in His clouds, And the cloud does not burst under them. “He obscures the face of the full moon And spreads His cloud over it. “He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters At the boundary of light and darkness.”

Bildad called God the creator of light,
Job responds as if to say, “You’re in way over your head here.”

• Did you know that God stretched out the north over empty space?
• Did you know that God hung the world on nothing?

There’s a thought for you.

What did God create the world from?
Nothing, because there was nothing for God to create the world from.

God looked into empty, brought forth something,
Hung it on nothing, and told it to stay there.

You can actually hear Job telling Bildad, “You don’t even have a clue!”

Bildad then expressed that creation was not “just” before God.
He said that even the stars were not pure before God
And certainly man was not.

And again Job responds as if to say,
“You don’t even know what you don’t know”

(11-13) “The pillars of heaven tremble And are amazed at His rebuke. “He quieted the sea with His power, And by His understanding He shattered Rahab. “By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.”

It’s not just that creation falls short of His standard,
It’s that creation sits on pins and needles at the thought of His rebuke.

Nothing in creation dares defy Him.
Not the sea, not the sky, not the lightning.

Creation is terrified of His holy rebuke.

And Job then ends this short lesson
With these words to really pierce his friends.

(14) “Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; and how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”

Job just expounded on their simple view of God and then said,
“And even what I’ve told you barely scratches the surface.”

His point to his friends is simple – YOU DON’T HAVE A CLUE

You arrived at my house to give comfort; at which you stink.
You tried to explain God’s working to me; of Whom you know nothing.
Pretty harsh rebukes that Job has here for his friends.

You don’t understand comfort You don’t understand God
3) YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND INTEGRITY (27:1-12)

All along one of the main issues between Job and his friends is that
Job maintained his integrity while his friends continually attacked it.

• They argued time and time again that there is no way that Job could be a pure man and suffer like he was suffering.

• Job maintained that he was a pure man and that he did not deserve this suffering.

Well here Job is going to tell them that
They don’t know what real integrity looks like.
He starts with a simple declaration (an oath even)

(1-6) “Then Job continued his discourse and said, “As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. “Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days.”

As God lives, I will not let go of my integrity.
I am holding fast my righteousness.

“My heart does not reproach any of my days.”

In other words Job just said, “I’ve got a clean conscience”

It is similar to the statement of Paul:
Acts 23:1 “Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”

2 Timothy 1:3 “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did,”

I am suffering because God “has taken away my right.”

Next Job is actually going to show them
What they have been thus far unable to see.

Job is going to show them evidence of his integrity.
He is going to show them why they should have known
He was in fact an innocent man.

(7-12) “May my enemy be as the wicked And my opponent as the unjust. “For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? “Will God hear his cry When distress comes upon him? “Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times? “I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. “Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act foolishly?”

Job is here revealing that the response he has demonstrated since his affliction are not the response of the wicked.

Job says “For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off..?”

That is to say a godless man has no hope.
• He doesn’t expect vindication.
• He doesn’t have hope for anything better.
• Because he knows he is wicked.

He may lie about to those around him,
But in his heart he knows what he is and therefore has no hope.

But you will remember, that certainly isn’t Job.

Remember Job’s great statement of hope?
Job 19:25-27 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!”

Job was confused as to why he was suffering,
But he wasn’t without hope.

Job says, “That’s not normal for the godless”

Job goes on to ask (10) “Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?”

The obvious answer is “No, he won’t”
When God afflicts wrath on those who are living in sin,
Their first reaction is not to stay in close commune with God.

And yet if you’ll remember this book,
That’s the only one Job has wanted to talk to.
At times he has been forced to debate his friends,
But all he has really wanted is to draw near to God.

That is not a response of the wicked.

Jesus said:
John 3:19-21 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

In the Revelation we see:
Revelation 6:12-17 “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

The godless and the wicked and those without integrity
Don’t naturally cling to God when they are under divine wrath.

Job ends this section by saying:
(12) “Behold, all of you have seen it; why then do you act foolishly?”

Job was describing simple fruit.
• You don’t spot a man of integrity by whether or not he suffers.
• You spot a man of integrity by how he responds when he suffers.

Those who are righteous run to the light; they run to God.
They cling to God. They cry out to God. The hope in God.

Job is telling his friends that they obviously do not understand integrity.
They obviously do not know the marks of a genuine believer.

You don’t understand comfort
You don’t understand God
You don’t understand Integrity
4) YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND JUDGMENT (27:13-23)

Job’s friends saw Job’s suffering and made a foolish assumption.
They assumed that what Job was experiencing
Was the wrath and judgment of God.

But it wasn’t.
Job was experiencing the wrath and torment of the enemy,
Not the divine wrath of God.

And Job wants his friends to know that there is a major difference.
(you should know there is a major difference)

Job is about to explain it.
(READ: 27:13-23)

Job says, “This is the portion of a wicked man from God…”

Here is what God gives the wicked.
And certainly there is some temporal affliction here.
• Job mentions how he is destined for the sword.
• Job mentions how he won’t keep his silver
• Job mentions how his house won’t stand

But Job takes it a notch farther.
Job talks about what this man receives in the next life.

See in verse 19 the wicked man dies. Job says he “lies down rich”

That is he dies still in prosperity, but when opens his eyes on the other side of death, he will not like what he sees.

(20) “Terrors over take him like a flood”
• (22) He will be in unsparing pain
• (22) He will try to flee, but will not escape

Job tells his friends that they have no clue about the judgment of God.

God’s judgment on the wicked
Is not limited to poverty and sickness in this life.

In fact there are many wicked whom God allows to prosper in this life.

The judgment of God is what occurs to the wicked
In the next life for eternity.

There is a major difference between the affliction of the enemy and the affliction of God.

Jesus spelled it out clearly for us:
Matthew 10:28 “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Job’s friends came with the assumption that
What Job was receiving was the wrath of God
Job says, “You have no clue about the wrath of God.”

Can you see why Job’s friends were such sorry counselors?
• They didn’t understand comfort
• They didn’t understand God
• They didn’t understand integrity
• They didn’t understand judgment

5) YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WISDOM (28)

If you will remember these men continually appealed to history
As their source of wisdom.

Bildad said:
Job 8:8-10 “Please inquire of past generations, And consider the things searched out by their fathers. “For we are only of yesterday and know nothing, Because our days on earth are as a shadow. “Will they not teach you and tell you, And bring forth words from their minds?”

Eliphaz said:
Job 15:17-19 “I will tell you, listen to me; And what I have seen I will also declare; What wise men have told, And have not concealed from their fathers, To whom alone the land was given, And no alien passed among them.”

These men walked under a VERY COMMON MISCONCEPTION.
Namely that wisdom comes with age.

There was a lady who used to attend church here who told me that all the time.

Can I burst your bubble?
“Wisdom SHOULD come with age, but it is not automatic.
Wisdom comes with a fear of the Lord.”

Listen to Job explain that very thing.

In the first 11 verses Job is going to explain to you how you can acquire any precious commodity that the earth has to offer.
• You want gold?
• You want diamonds?
• You want silver?

Job will explain how to get it.
(READ 28:1-11)

But then he poses a commodity that can’t be found like this: WISDOM
(READ 28:12-22)

Wisdom is not automatic.
It can’t be found, it can’t be bought.

But there is an answer.
(READ 28:23-28)

God alone possesses wisdom and God gives it to those who trust Him.

The implication to Job’s friends is that they don’t have wisdom.
• It isn’t found in experience
• It isn’t found in history books
• It isn’t found in universities
• You can’t dig for it
• You can’t pan for it
• You can’t purchase it

Real wisdom only comes to one who trusts God.

Real wisdom doesn’t bank on its own understanding or knowledge
Wisdom recognizes the One who does know and trusts them.

Jesus said:
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”

A wise man is not the man who knows all the answers.
A wise man is the man who believes that God does.
And thus we’re back to Job.

• All he’s wanted to do is appeal to God.
• All he’s wanted to do is speak to God.
• All he’s asked of his friends is that they pray for him.

Job has yet to presume why any of this has happened to him,
His only request was that God reveal it.

Job’s friends on the other hand reached deep into their own experiences and their own logic and sought to explain the situation to Job.

And to that Job responds – “You don’t have a clue about wisdom”
And there you have Job’s rebuke of his friends.
• You don’t understand comfort
• You don’t understand God
• You don’t understand integrity
• You don’t understand judgment
• You don’t understand wisdom

No wonder they were sorry counselors and no wonder Job silenced them.

I would think before we ventured to step into the role of Job’s friends
We had better make sure we understand those things better than they did.
All they did was wound Job and earn a rebuke from God.
If you want to offer real comfort and encouragement then:
• Know the truth about God’s person and purposes for our lives before you speak on His behalf.

• Know what real integrity looks like before you accuse someone of not having it.

• Know what real judgment is before you tell someone they are under it.

• Know what real wisdom is before you offer something less to someone else.

These were the blunders of Job’s friends
And Job here rebukes them for it.

The Courage of Faith – Part 1 (Overcoming Your Fears)
Hebrews 11:23-31 (23-26)
February 7, 2016

Well, I know it has been several weeks since we were able to study Hebrews together having taken a month to refocus on missions.

But this morning I want to return to that study together
And continue looking at this amazing book.

Let me quickly pull you back in to focus regarding this letter.
If you will remember the book of Hebrews was written to struggling Jews.

They were those who had at least made a public profession of faith in Christ,
But now because of persecution were considering defecting from Christ.
The writer of Hebrews has been pleading with them not to do that.

He started with the theology of the issue.
Reminding the Jews that Jesus was greater than anything they ever had in Judaism.
• Jesus is greater than the prophets
• Jesus is greater than the angels
• Jesus is greater than Moses
• Jesus is greater than Joshua
• Jesus is greater than Aaron
• Jesus is greater than any sacrifice ever made
• Jesus’ covenant is a greater covenant than the old one

When you study the first 9 ½ chapters
It is clear that Jesus over Judaism is the obvious choice.

But that really sums up the problem.
THERE IS STILL A CHOICE TO BE MADE

Knowing Jesus is the right way is one thing,
Choosing to follow Him is a different issue altogether.

There have been many throughout the ages
Who have known the truth about Jesus and yet chose not to follow Him.

So having proven the facts the writer is now calling for ALLEGIANCE.
To be more specific the writer is calling for faith.

His basic request was seen in chapter 10

Hebrews 10:19-25 “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

That is really the main request of the writer of Hebrews.

Jesus is the real deal so:
• Draw near to God through Him
• Hold fast to Him no matter what
• Encourage others to do the same

However to make that decision
These Jews would need one weapon in their arsenal above every other.

THAT WEAPON WAS FAITH.

Hebrews 10:36-39 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”

And then the writer set out to describe exactly what he meant
When he asked for faith.

He followed with what we call “The Faith Chapter”

As I told you when we began the study, it easily breaks down into four main points.
1) THE REWARD OF FAITH (11:1-7)
NAMELY THAT FAITH OBTAINS GOD’S FAVOR.

Abel, Enoch, and Noah were all people who were justified because of their faith.
They were granted righteousness.

2) THE FOCUS OF FAITH (11:8-22)
NAMELY THAT FAITH OBSERVES GOD’S PROMISES

Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph were all people who were given a great promise from God and none of them ever received it.

Yet, despite having not received it, they continued to focus on the promise.

THIS MORNING we continue this study with the third reality of faith.

3) THE COURAGE OF FAITH
NAMELY THAT FAITH OVERCOMES YOUR FEARS

There is a foundational reality about your Christian walk
That every believer ought to know, and it is this.
FEAR IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH

• This is why Jesus comes down so hard on the disciples for panicking when He slept in the boat.

Matthew 8:26 “He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.”

• This is why Jesus came down so hard on things like “worrying”

Matthew 6:25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

• This is why the Bible says over and over, “Do not fear…”

Fear is the opposite of faith, and I can almost guarantee you that
Any time God asks you to walk by faith
The enemy will almost instantly counter attack with fear.

God says, “Do this”
Satan says, “But what if”

We are called to be those who DO NOT LOOK at
The present circumstances, the possible dangers or the potential failures. We are called to simply trust that God can handle all of those things.

This was the epitome of what Paul meant when he said,
“We walk by faith, not by sight”

And we could really scour the pages of Scripture with example after example after example of this crisis of faith where people had to choose to either walk by faith or give in to fear.
It is everywhere.

But the writer of Hebrews has already given us
The examples he wants us to examine.

When he wanted us to see the REWARD OF FAITH,
He showed us the saints of old and how they were made pleasing to God by their faith.

When he wanted us to see the FOCUS OF FAITH,
He showed us the patriarchs and how they kept believing even without seeing.

And when he wants us to see the COURAGE OF FAITH,
He takes us to a group of slaves living in Egypt and how He called them to rise up and trust Him for deliverance.

So let’s look at the courage of faith.

We can easily divide this section into three periods or three separate actions.
#1 THE CHOICE OF A SLAVE
Hebrews 11:23-26

When you read these 4 verses
They are all set during the period of Israel’s slavery in Egypt.

Exodus 1:8-11 “Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. “Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.” So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses.”

The glory days and prosperity of Joseph are but a faint memory.
There is a time period of nearly 400 years between
The end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus.

Joseph is in afterthought.

We lament today how people are forgetting the values of our founding fathers, and that was only 240 years ago. Let’s see where we are in another 160.

Israel is now bound in slavery.
And there is a king who so fears Israel that
He has actually hatched a plan to strip them of their power.

His first plan was to contact the Hebrew midwives and to tell them that when the Hebrew women give birth, if it is a male then the midwives should kill him.

But the Hebrew midwives feared God and did not do it,

So the king went with plan B.
Exodus 1:22 “Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

It was a universal law for all the Hebrew people.
And I should also remind you that
The life of a slave was not all that valuable
So the penalty for disobeying such an order was almost always death.

And in steps Moses’ parents.
Amram and Jochebed

Exodus 2:1-2 “Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.”

Now certainly every mother would have had affinity for their baby.
Every mother thinks their child is beautiful.
But that is not what the writer of Exodus was insinuating.

Steven makes it clearer for us in his speech to the Sanhedrin.
Acts 7:17-20 “But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, until THERE AROSE ANOTHER KING OVER EGYPT WHO KNEW NOTHING ABOUT JOSEPH. “It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. “It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home.”

Moses was “lovely in the sight of God”
That is to say, Moses was chosen
Moses was God’s deliverer

Amram and Jochebed could see that God had plans for this boy.
It was far more than just the normal and natural heartaches
Of being commanded to kill your child.

And they had a decision to make.
Trust God and defy the king or obey the king and stay safe.

It is a big decision.
(23) “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

They chose not to fear “the kings edict”
But to trust that God knew what He was doing.

That may not seem like a big decision,
But on the day that you face the death penalty for obeying God, you’ll understand the enormous amount of faith Moses’ parents demonstrated.

• These two slaves had absolutely no leverage on their side.
• They had nothing to protect them from the punishment of Pharaoh.
• AND YET THEY CHOSE FAITH OVER FEAR.

They are a tremendous example
For the recipients of this letter and for us as well.

But that wasn’t the only slave the writer of Hebrews highlights.

He also fast-forwards 40 years to the day when this Moses grew up.
(24-25) “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,”

This Moses (as you know)
Grew up as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
He had all the comforts of Egypt on a silver platter.

But somehow (an explanation that isn’t given in Scripture)
Moses knew that he was a Hebrew.

In fact Moses seemed to know that he was God’s deliverer.
Acts 7:23-25 “But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. “And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. “And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.”

Somehow God made it clear to Moses that he was not to be an Egyptian,
But that he should be a Hebrew.
AND HE HAD A CHOICE TO MAKE.

Keep the comforts of Egypt or seek the blessings of the people of God.

The Rich Young Ruler had the exact same decision
And he chose to stay rich.

How hard would it be to walk away from the life you’ve known?
The comforts you loved; the plans, dreams,
And aspirations that have been yours?

That is the very decision Moses is making.
Will you leave your reputation, your comforts, your opportunities, and trade it all for the life of a slave?

Moses said “Yes”

Exodus 2:11 “Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren…”

And I want to stop here for a second
Because the application is just too evident.
The writer of Hebrews is writing to a group of Jews
Facing precisely this dilemma.

They’ve been enjoying the life of Judaism
And all the privileges associated with it.

Now they are being asked to forsake all of that
(and to potentially put themselves in harm’s way)
To follow Christ.

THIS IS THE VERY CALL OF SALVATION.
Leave your life, to become a servant (slave) of Christ.

Jesus said:
Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

What a question! What a thought to ponder!
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

Jesus was saying, “How much would you take to go to hell?”
And of course you answer – NOTHING!

But then look at the other question.
“Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

There He asks, “Then what would you give to stay out of hell?”

People assume they are already headed to heaven
And as long as they don’t sell out to the devil then they’ll be fine.

But that is not true.
People are already slaves of sin and are already condemned
And therefore must consider the cost of having their debt paid.
They must consider how much it would cost to redeem them from hell.

That’s what Jesus wanted to know.
How much would you pay to not have to go to hell?

• Would you pay $100?
• Would you pay $200?
• Would you give up your job?
• Would you give up your friends?
• Would you give up your relationship?
• Would you give up your reputation?

Well, it’s important that you answer because those are exactly the stakes.

Let me read it again:
Matthew 16:24 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.”

Luke 14:25-27 “Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”

Matthew 10:37-39 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”

Jesus was reiterating that following Him costs you everything.
You don’t get to keep anything.

That is why salvation is explained through the euphemism of death.
That’s why we baptize,
It symbolizes the death of the one who came to Christ.

Paul said:
Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Romans 6:3 “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”

The decision to follow Christ is the decision to surrender all.
It is the decision to yield total control to Christ.
It is the decision to turn your back on you.

And let me emphatically say, any decision less than that
IS NOT SALVATION.

CHURCHES ARE FILLED WITH PEOPLE
Who make sentimental and shallow decisions regarding Jesus.

They believe He exists
They believe He died
They believe He can take them to heaven
But they refuse to totally submit their lives to Him.

Such sentimental and shallow faith is not salvation.
James 2:19 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”

Moses faced the decision of genuine salvation.
Choose this life or the next.

Can you feel the fear he must have been confronted with?
• What will Pharaoh do to me?
• What is like to be a slave?
• What will I do without these comforts?

Oh I’m sure Satan hit Moses with every fearful thought in the book,
BUT MOSES OVERCAME WITH FAITH.

The writer of Hebrews gives us insight into his thought process.
(26) “considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”

When Moses looked at the hardships of serving God,
He saw the value in the end.

Namely because “he was looking to the reward.”
(that is back to that focus of faith we talked so much about)

The point is that Moses saw the true value.

Jim Elliot (the missionary speared to death in Ecuador) said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

There lies Moses’ logic as well.

And incidentally I remind you again that this is the message of Jesus.

Matthew 13:44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Those are such powerful parables from Jesus.
And they are so fitting.

First we have a TREASURE HUNTER
• In those days banks were not reliable so your greatest treasure you buried in the ground and gave yourself a map to be able to find it.

• The problem was that during the Old Testament Israel was exiled to Babylon for 70 years.

• A lot of treasure was buried and forgotten or lost.

This was a man who made his living looking for buried treasure.
And if you want more proof that this is so, just realize that he is looking for treasure in a field he does not own.

And on this day he hit the jackpot.
He found a great treasure and immediately hid it again.

Then what did he do? (he bought the field)
How much did it cost? (everything)

Do you see the parallels to salvation here?
It cost him everything.

But let me remind you,
• We are not dealing with a philanthropist here.
• We are not dealing even with an honest or admirable man.
• We’re dealing with a man whose only objective is to get rich.

Now it doesn’t make sense that a man who loves money that much
Would so quickly give up everything he has.

Unless that treasure is worth far more than everything he already has.
This calculating man saw that it was
And couldn’t make the decision fast enough.

Get the point?
Following Christ will cost you everything, but if you’ll just look to the value, you’ll see that it is more than worth it.

Next we have a TRAVELING SALESMAN
We find “a merchant seeking fine pearls”

What was he? (“a merchant”)
• He was not a collector
• He was not a museum curator
• He was “a merchant”

His goal was to buy pearls that he could sell for a profit.
He, like the treasure hunter, was after money.

And I promise you he knew the value of a pearl.

My dad was a horse trader, and it really was quite amazing to watch him on the job.
• He could spot a defection on a horse before it was even fully out of the trailer.
• He could tell you if a horse would ride or not before you ever put a saddle on it.
• He knew if it had been shot up with bute
• He knew if it had signs of cancer

And it would blow me away, but he could tell you what that horse weighed within about 5 pounds just by looking at it.

He knew horses, that’s how he knew how to make money on them
When he bought and sold them.

This man knew pearls.
And he finds one “of great value”

So what did he do? He “sold all that he had and bought it.”

Why would a man whose goal was to make money,
So freely get rid of everything he had?
Because the pearl was worth more than the total sum of his entire life.

THE POINT?
If everyone could clearly see the value of Christ’s offer,
Even the wicked would instantly jump on it.

So what’s the problem?
Instead of operating by faith they operate by fear.

• All they see is the cost…
• All the see is the danger…
• All they see is the inconvenience…
They never look to the payoff.

I’ve had conversation after conversation
With people who have taken this road.

I had two ladies in my office at separate times last week
Seeking benevolence help.

• Both of them admit they don’t go to church.
• Both of them admit they live with men who aren’t their husbands.
• Both of them admit their life is not the life that God desires.

I told them each about Christ.
I told them each about these parables of Jesus.

And I asked both of them if they would be willing
To give up their relationship in order to gain Christ.

And to my knowledge, neither has.

Jesus said, “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
I asked, “Would you give up your relationship in exchange for your soul?”
And they said, “No”

It is fear of the unknown
It is fear of the “what if?”

THAT WAS THE DECISION MOSES WAS FACED WITH.
And Moses chose faith.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.”

And here we are back to the Hebrews of this letter.

Which will it be?
• Do you want Christ, who is clearly greater, or do you want
Judaism because it is more comfortable?

And everyone in here would give sound advice to these Hebrews.
Everyone in here would tell them, “Take Jesus!”

BUT HERE IS THE KICKER.
• You don’t get to make the decision for other people.
• You only get to make the decision for yourself.

What is your Egypt?
What is it that Christ threatens to cost you?

• For James and John it was their father’s fishing business.
• For Matthew it was his tax collector’s booth.
• For the rich young ruler it was his money.
• For Paul it was his reputation.
• For the Hebrews it was their tradition.

What is it for you?

In order to follow Jesus I’ll have to…
And that is when the fear rushes in.

• Do you suppose Amram and Jochebed thought about the cost of defying the king?
• Do you suppose Moses considered the cost of leaving the courts of Pharaoh?

INSTEAD OF GIVING IN TO FEAR, THEY CHOSE THE PATH OF FAITH.
We see the choice of a slave.
Next time we’ll look at the next examples of the courage of faith.

This morning I simply want to encourage you
To NOT allow fear to dictate your life,
But to instead trust God.

• Trust that He can do what He says.
• Trust that He will do what He promises.
• Trust that His reward is worth it.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

The Frustrations of the Righteous
Job 23-24
January 31, 2016

Well tonight we jump back into our study of the book of Job.
And while this study can be long,
We are learning some absolutely invaluable truths.

Namely because suffering is an absolute in this life.

• If for no other reason than the sin curse upon this world,
• Add to that reality the desire of Satan to steal, kill, and destroy,
• And even the prerogative of God to use suffering as a tool to
produce righteousness in His children

WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

That means that we need some sort of understanding regarding suffering.

We need to know some basic truths regarding why it occurs
And we need to know some basic truths
Regarding how we should respond.

Mainly, up to this point we have been EXPOSING the prosperity gospel.
That is that false belief system that says that God
Responds to the righteous with good things and to the wicked with bad things.

But we are ALSO (and this far less often)
Touching on the way the righteous should handle their suffering.

There are two undeniable truths regarding Job in this book.
1) Job did not deserve his suffering
2) Job did not handle his suffering very well

Now I am certainly in no position to critique Job,
For he’s probably handling it better than I commonly do,
But God will clearly reprimand Job for the way he responds during his pain.

So, without thinking ourselves better than Job,
We certainly must learn from his mistakes.
And that is what tonight’s two chapters is really about.

I called this sermon “The Frustrations of the Righteous”

Because that is really what we have here.
We have a righteous man (God called him righteous)
Who is frustrated with his circumstances.

We know Job’s theology is correct.
• Job knows that the righteous don’t always get instantly rewarded,
• Job knows that the wicked don’t always get instantly punished.
• Job knows that the payoff is in eternity, not necessarily today.

But just because Job’s theology is correct
Doesn’t mean Job is happy about it.
HE IS FRUSTRATED.

And I’ll go ahead and give you Job’s TWO main areas of frustration.
1) God is not available to the righteous in his suffering
2) God is not apparent to the wicked in his sin

In Job’s mind, God ought to be a little more pro-active.
God ought to be a little more hands on.
God ought to be a little more urgent.

To Job it feels like God is just letting things go on longer than He should.
Job feels like God is operating too late.

Now, I certainly don’t want a show of hands,
But I’d bet that if I could interview any one of you in the midst of your pain,
I’d bet that you’ve had similar frustrations.

WHERE ARE YOU?!?

Remember Martha and Mary?
Jesus found out Lazarus was sick, so He took His time and purposely waited for Lazarus to die.

That’s not how we think the incident should go.
It certainly wasn’t what Martha and Mary thought should happen.

Martha
John 11:21 “Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Then Mary
John 11:32 “Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Then the crowd that had been trying to comfort them
John 11:37 “But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

It was universal, they all thought the same thing.
He’s too late, why didn’t He act sooner?

Listen to the frustration of the disciples as they were in the biggest storm of their lives and they are just a little upset that Jesus is napping.

Mark 4:38 “Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

You hear it don’t you?
• C’mon Jesus, what is Your problem?
• What are you waiting for?
• Let’s go Savior, wake up and save!

It is the frustration heard over and over throughout the Psalms.

Psalms 6:3-5 “And my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O LORD — how long? Return, O LORD, rescue my soul; Save me because of Your lovingkindness. For there is no mention of You in death; In Sheol who will give You thanks?”

Psalms 13:1-2 “How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?”

Psalms 35:17 “Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.”

Psalms 74:10 “How long, O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Your name forever?”

Psalms 79:5 “How long, O LORD? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?”

Psalms 80:4 “O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people?”

Psalms 89:46 “How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire?”

Psalms 90:13 “Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants.”

Psalms 94:3 “How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult?”

You get the idea?

And I have to tell you, it’s not a lament that has ended.
Even in the future tribulation,
Even after death we see people asking this question.

Revelation 6:9-10 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

It is the frustration of the righteous
Who just can’t seem to figure out
Why God is so apathetic in regard to their justice.

That is certainly Job’s frustration.
I want us to look at it tonight and THEN BE REMINDED
Of what that type of frustration brings from God.

So let’s look at Job’s frustrations.
I already gave them to you.

#1 GOD IS NOT AVAILABLE TO THE RIGHTEOUS IN THEIR SUFFERING
Job 23:1-17

This isn’t hard to see.

(READ 1-7)

Do you hear what Job is saying?
If I could get to God and stand before Him, there is not a doubt in my mind that He would acquit me.

(4) “I would present my case”
(6) “Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power? No…”
(7) “I would be delivered”

Job’s friends have condemned him repeatedly for being a sinner,
But Job knows that if he could just have an audience with God,
That God would most certainly acquit him.

If God would just step into my situation, I know I’d be delivered.

BUT THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
(8-9) “Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him; When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.”

I can’t find Him.
He’s gone.

Just when I need Him…just when He could help…
I go looking and He’s nowhere to be found.

• It is the same lament of Martha, “If You had been here…”
• It is the same lament as Mary, “If You had been here…”
• It is the same thought as the disciples, “If You weren’t sleeping…”

Job says that God has all the answers
And could most certainly acquit him
And yet God can’t seem to be found anywhere.

And according to Job, THAT’S NOT FAIR
Because after all, God knows that I’ve been righteous:
(10-12) “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. “My foot has held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside. “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”

This is actually what makes Job so frustrated.
He knows that he’s righteous.

• He knows that if God would try him, he’d come out “as gold” (i.e. as pure)
• He knows that his “foot has held fast to His path”
• He knows that he has “kept His way and not turned aside”
• He knows that has “not departed from the command of His lips”
• He knows that he has “treasured the words of His mouth”

And yet God won’t stand up and vindicate him.

And to make matters worse,
It’s not like anyone can just grab God and force Him to do His job.

(13-17) “But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does. “For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such decrees are with Him. “Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence; When I consider, I am terrified of Him. “It is God who has made my heart faint, And the Almighty who has dismayed me, But I am not silenced by the darkness, Nor deep gloom which covers me.”

Today when we need someone to testify we can summons a person.
But Job says, “Good luck with that”

God is “unique”, you don’t just make Him come.
God is sovereign, He does what He wants.

And if you tried to rope Him and drag Him here, He’d terrify you.

(15) “Therefore I would be dismayed at His presence; When I consider, I am terrified of Him.”

Can you hear Job’s frustration?
• God can vindicate me.
• And if I could ever get God to listen, He would vindicate me.
• But God is avoiding me, and I can’t make Him show up.
• Furthermore, if I could make Him show up, I’m not sure I’d like it.

(Those words are going to turn out to be prophetic to say the least)

But you do understand Job’s frustration.

God is not making Himself available to the righteous in their suffering.

TURN TO: PSALMS 44
• (1-3) God we heard how You delivered the people of old.
• (4-8) We proclaimed that You would do that for us too.
• (9-16) But You didn’t, You let us perish
• (17-26) We don’t understand why

There lies the frustration of the righteous in the midst of their pain.
God, I just can’t seem to figure why you would stay so far away.

Remember Habakkuk?
Habakkuk 1:1-4 “The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw. How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted.”

Even if you’ve not recently gone through personal suffering,
I think MOST OF US CAN IDENTIFY with Habakkuk’s complaint.

He was a righteous man living in a corrupt society
That had turned its back on God.

• Iniquity is everywhere, and it’s only getting worse.
• I cry out for You to stop it and You don’t.
• There is strife
• There is contention
• Your word is ignored
• Justice is gone

WHERE ARE YOU?

That cry is heard over and over and over and over from the righteous.
It is the cry of Job.

But that isn’t his only frustration.

God is not available to the righteous in their suffering
#2 GOD IS NOT APPARENT TO THE WICKED IN THEIR SIN
Job 24

Here is Job’s other real bone of contention.
God just seems to let the wicked get away with whatever they want.

(READ 24:1-12)

Job says there is social injustice everywhere.
• People stealing land from widows
• People stealing flocks
• People stealing donkeys from orphans
• The poor working but begging for food, sleeping naked in the cold
• People stealing a baby to pay off a debt
• The poor treading wine presses while dying of thirst

And Job ends that discourse by saying:
(12b) “Yet God does not pay attention to folly”

That is to say, “It doesn’t seem to bother Him”
He apparently isn’t riled up enough to want stand up and do something about it.

Matthew West wrote a song called “Do Something”; it starts like this:
“I woke up this morning; Saw a world full of trouble now. Thought, how’d we ever get so far down? How’s it ever gonna turn around? So I turned my eyes to Heaven; I thought, “God, why don’t You do something?” Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of People living in poverty; Children sold into slavery; The thought disgusted me. So, I shook my fist at Heaven; Said, “God, why don’t You do something?”

That is the frustration of Job.
(In fairness to Matthew West he’ll go on to say, “God said, ‘I did’, I created you.”
It is a song meant to inspire action on our part.

But Job has that initial frustration.
• God, it’s bad enough that You won’t make Yourself available to the righteous in their suffering
• But couldn’t You at least make Yourself apparent to the wicked.
• Couldn’t You at least show Your power and scare them a little?

God doesn’t seem to care about social injustice.

Furthermore according to Job it doesn’t appear that God seems to care about SEVERE INIQUITY.
(READ 13-17)

We got all these people who just live in sin
And God seems to just let them keep doing it.

• Murder, adultery…doesn’t seem to matter to God.
• He just continues to let people celebrate homosexuality.
• He just continues to let people live together outside of marriage.
• He just continues to let sexual immorality run rampant.
• He just continues to let drugs and murder and greed go unchecked.

Job wants to know what the problem is.

Tell me you haven’t had similar thoughts.
• Tell me you haven’t at some time wished God wouldn’t just blow up an abortion clinic,
• Or send a bolt of lightning to the middle of a gay pride parade.

We’ve felt those frustrations.
Job has them.

Now listen, Job knows that the righteous will eventually be judged.
In fact, that’s what he says at the end of this chapter.

(READ 18-25)

Job knows that they are going to die and be judged.
He knows they won’t get away with it.
He knows eternity is the great equalizer.

That’s not his problem.
His problem is that God seems to be so apathetic about it right now.

God doesn’t seem too urgent to come to the aid of the righteous.
And God doesn’t seem too urgent to put a stop to the wicked.
And Job is frustrated.

Listen to the writer of Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 4:1 “Then I looked again at all the acts of oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them.”

Ecclesiastes 8:14 “There is futility which is done on the earth, that is, there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked. On the other hand, there are evil men to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I say that this too is futility.”

Ecclesiastes 9:2-3 “It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.”

In fact he is so frustrated with things that
He gives an unthinkable piece of advice:

Ecclesiastes 7:15-16 “I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness. Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?”

That’s frustration isn’t it?
• I can get on Facebook and see it right now.
• I see gobs of people enamored with Donald Trump for president.

No, I’m not telling you who to vote for,
But I know why people are enamored with Donald Trump.

It’s certainly not because of morality.
It’s certainly not because of faith.
(If you think the man is a Christian, you are deluding yourself)

People are drawn to Donald Trump because he is angry.
All he is doing is expressing the frustrations of the masses.

People who don’t think it’s fair.
This type of frustration is everywhere.

And in these two chapters Job is expressing it.
• Where is God when the righteous need help?
• Where is God when the wicked need to be stopped?

• Why isn’t God readily available to me in my pain?
• Why isn’t God readily apparent to intimidate the wicked?

I NEED TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWER

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

God doesn’t operate according to your logic.

Want the New Testament equivalent?
Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

It doesn’t matter if we are talking about your specific situation,
Or the cultural situation all around you.
I’ll tell you what God is not waiting for, and that is your advice.

Yes, we are commanded to pray.
Yes, we are told to present our requests to God.
But all the while we are told to pray according to what? (His will)

Make no mistake, God is not at a loss about what to do.
He is not seeking to gather a panel of advisors to find a solution.

God has never approached a man, thrown up His hands and said,
“What do you think?”

All He has ever asked for is FAITH

Does God seem slow? Then wait on Him.

Isaiah 40:27-31 “Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

I have to assure you that God was not waiting for Job’s advice.

In fact, in just a short while, God is going to tell Job that very thing.
Job 38:1-3 “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? “Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!”

Coming back from Angel Fire we were listening to a sermon by John MacArthur and he referenced this passage. He paraphrased it like this:
“What ignoramus stands before Me?”

In Romans 9 Paul is revealing the sovereignty of God.
They are points that Paul knows men will contend with.

Look at how Paul responds:
Romans 9:19-20 “You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?”

“who are you..?”

Well I don’t mind telling you that Job is going to get the point.
Job 42:1-6 “Then Job answered the LORD and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ “Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.” ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.”

Job is going to get it.
• His friends were dead wrong spewing their prosperity gospel.
• Job was righteous.
• He didn’t deserve what was happening.

But that did not give him the right
To question the plan or the character of God.

The simple fact is that even in the most unthinkable circumstances
God knows exactly what He is doing.

He’s not asking you to figure it out or give Him advice.
He’s asking you to trust Him in the middle of it.

Think about that often quoted passage in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

There is quite a statement in that.
“I know” (not you) “I know the plans that I have for you”

The difference we are talking about is
The difference between wisdom and understanding.

Understanding is knowing what’s going on and why it’s going on.
Wisdom is trusting that God knows what’s going on and He can handle it.

We don’t always have understanding, but we must always have wisdom.

Job’s frustrations here are NOT ok.
Learn from them and in the middle of your confusing circumstances,
Learn to trust God.

Praying For Missions
Colossians 4:2-4
January 31, 2016

Well we come to our final Sunday of this year’s missions month.
I pray God has used it to perhaps rekindle a
Fire for our purpose here as a church body in the world.

This morning we are going to talk about the issue of PRAYER in missions.

Commonly when people talk about missions they talk about 3 roles.
• You hear about GIVING
• You hear about GOING
• And you hear about PRAYING

Incidentally, most of the time when given the three options prayer is the option that most people pick because it appears to be the least costly.

“I don’t want to give…”
“I don’t want to go…”
“I’ll just pray”

Unfortunately people with that type of attitude
Make the worst prayer warriors.

What the church really needs are people who
Understand the purpose and necessity of prayer
And who will commit themselves to that calling.

THIS MORNING I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHY.

Over the years we have talked many times about
“The Doctrines of Grace” or “Reformed Theology”

Basically the understanding that God is sovereign over all things,
Even salvation.

• We are those who believe that God foreknows, chooses, predestines, and elects those whom He will save.

• We believe that of all whom God elects, He will lose none, but will raise them all up on the last day.

• We believe that such work is absolutely necessary because salvation is a supernatural work, absolutely beyond the ability of man to produce.

Now, this isn’t a sermon committed to rehashing the doctrines of grace;
That is for another time.

However, one of the key criticisms of the reformed theology
Is that it totally nullifies the point and purpose of prayer.

Those who detract from God’s sovereignty over salvation would argue:
If God is sovereign and has already decreed His will, and will certainly bring it to pass, then what’s the point?

Carried into the realm of evangelism they would ask:
If God has chosen His elect and has promised to bring them to glory, then why bother with things like prayer and evangelism?

And some of this criticism is warranted because throughout history
There have been people who have used reformed theology
As an excuse to stop praying and stop evangelizing.

WHAT I HOPE TO SHOW YOU is why God’s sovereignty
Does not nullify the need for evangelism and prayer
And why those who criticize it as such, are wrong.

IT IS TRUE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN.
• God will save His elect.
• The end (if you will) is determined.

However, THE MEANS through which God will draw out His elect
Is through the preaching of the gospel.

A quick example:
Acts 18:9-11 “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.”

God knew who His people where, and through Paul’s preaching,
God would draw them out.

Similar to what Peter preached at Pentecost:
Acts 2:38-39 “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

God is in the process of saving His elect,
The means by which God does that
Is the church which preaches the gospel.

And we really talked about that quite a bit a couple of weeks ago.
• We talked about how the gospel is so essential, because only it produces the genuine conversion that God demands.

THIS MORNING I want to show you why prayer is also important
Regarding the preaching of the gospel.
(here it is)
MISSIONS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE
THAT CAN ONLY BE WON WITH SPIRITUAL WEAPONS
Paul said:
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

You cannot win the battle with physical tactics.

Those who think the process of making disciples
Is about how enthusiastic, or persuasive, or emotional you can be
Are absolutely deluded regarding what genuine salvation is.

LET ME HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE MISSION.
Let me help you understand what we have been asked to do.

And I can give you a real easy physical illustration.
• Today, when you leave church, get in your car and drive down to the cemetery.
• Pick out a grave, it doesn’t matter who.
• Then you stand at that grave and you convince the person buried there to
come to church with you tonight.

How enthusiastic are you going to have to be to pull that off?
How emotional are you going to have to get to pull that off?
How persuasive are you going to have to be to pull that off?

You can’t, and you know you can’t, because it is impossible.

Remember when the Rich Young Ruler walked away sad, and Jesus said it was easier for a camel to walk through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven?

Peter said, “Then who can be saved?”

And Jesus responded:
Matthew 19:26 “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

You might as well try to talk a dead man out of the ground.

Rest assured those we are arguing with…
Those we are pleading with…
Those we are talking to…
THEY ARE DEAD

Ephesians 2:1-3 “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

The best illustration of this occurs in John 11.
You know it as the resurrection of Lazarus.

• 4 days Lazarus had been dead.
• 4 days his sisters had grieved.
• Then Jesus has the audacity to approach the tomb and command them to
remove the stone.

And then Jesus did something that is
Absolutely beyond the realm of human ability.

John 11:43 “When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”

JESUS SPOKE TO THE DEAD.
• I’ve been to a lot of funerals…I’ve preached a lot of funerals.
• I’ve stood at the head of the casket and listened to loved ones say all sorts of
things to the deceased.
But I’ve never seen the dead person hear it.

But Jesus did.
And you know the story, Lazarus heard, and Lazarus came forth.

This is precisely what we are seeking to accomplish
When we volunteer for the mission of the church.

We are saying, that we will go and preach to the dead
And call them to life.

Do you agree that this mission will require supernatural assistance?

John 6:43-44 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:64-65 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

We have been commissioned to call the spiritually dead into life.
Certainly we need supernatural assistance.

IF THAT WERE NOT BAD ENOUGH…
While we speak to the dead and seek to call them out, there is one who guards their tomb.

THAT IS THE ENEMY.
• He surrounds his captives with deception and lies.
• He fights against those who seek to call them out.
• He has incarcerated them behind his gates.
• And he wars against all who seek to release his prisoners.
Paul said:
1 Thessalonians 2:18 “For we wanted to come to you — I, Paul, more than once — and yet Satan hindered us.”

SO THE QUESTION IS THIS.
LET’S SAY that you have agreed that you are willing to volunteer for the mission to preach the gospel to the lost so that they may be saved.

Well let me ask you.
• How were you planning on getting to them?
• How were you planning on getting through to them when you get there?

Can I now talk to you about the importance of prayer?

The call to pray does not replace our mandate to preach.
Rather it is prayer that makes preaching possible.

Paul fully understood that.
• He knew what he was up against.
• He knew the enemy he faced.
• He knew the condition of those he sought to reach.

And he understood that if there was any hope of victory in this mission
Then someone had better go to war in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18-20 “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

1 Timothy 2:1-8 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”

And this morning we look at another example: Colossians 4:2-4
And through this text I’m going to ask you to take prayer seriously
And to commit yourself to it like maybe you never have before.

I have been learning this over the past few years.
That’s why we’ve shifted especially what we do on Wednesday nights.
• I don’t care how loving we are…
• I don’t care how bold we are…
• I don’t care how accurate we are…
• I don’t care how faithful few are…
IF WE AREN’T PRAYING WE WILL NOT SUCCEED
It must happen.

Let’s look at our text.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”

This is a letter that Paul wrote from prison to a church he had never met.
But after helping to correct their issues he then made a request.

Two main points.
#1 A REQUIREMENT FOR PRAYER
Colossians 4:2

If you’ll notice Paul gives three specifics about prayer.

He speaks of ATTENTIVENESS
“Devote yourselves to prayer”

He speaks of ALERTNESS
“keeping alert in it”

He speaks of ATTITUDE
“with an attitude of thanksgiving”

These are the basics of prayer
And I have to tell you they are quite challenging.

Let’s look at the ATTENTIVENESS to prayer Paul calls for.
“Devote yourselves to prayer”

The word “devote” there is a word
That means “to hold fast and not let go”

The simple command is to never stop praying.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray without ceasing;”

Paul told Timothy:
2 Timothy 1:3 “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,”

Of the apostles:
Acts 1:14 “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

Of the first converts:
Acts 2:42 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

Acts 6:4 “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Jesus said:
Luke 18:1-8 “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

He would say on another occasion:
Luke 11:5-10 “Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”

YOU GET THE IDEA.
Prayer is understood.
Prayer is required.

And this man Paul who was on the front lines of ministry,
Even currently in prison,
Did not want some half-hearted commitment to prayer.

The person who prays is like the person who holds the rope for the man who goes down into the well. He’d better be devoted.

IS IT ASKING A LOT? (absolutely)
• But Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel.
• He had no reprieve, he had no rest, he had no comfort,
• He had no moment when he could drop his guard.

Are we to suppose that those who commit to pray
Should expect any less of a commitment?

Certainly not. Paul said, “devote yourselves to prayer”

He also mentioned our ALERTNESS
He said, “keeping alert in it”

Now, in a simple sense this would be, “don’t fall asleep when you pray”

Obviously you can’t pray while you’re sleeping.
Jesus told His disciples to wake up so they could pray for Him in the garden.

But being “alert” is MUCH MORE than that.
• It carries the connotation of being aware of the need.
• It carries the idea of being specific about the request.

Many of you have children, and I’m fairly certain that you pray with your children, and that you teach your children to pray.

You are aware of the prayer of a child.
“God help everybody, God be with everybody, God give everybody a good day, God be with them, God help them”

There is nothing in the world wrong with a child praying like that.
After all, they are simply expressing all they know of the situation.

But that is NOT how the church has been called to pray.

WE ARE AT WAR.
And suppose the commanding officer spoke to the army and said,
“Go to such and such a country and win”

There needs to be a little more detail than that.

Much of the time Christians pray prayers
That are really impossible to answer,
Or at least impossible to ever see if they were answered.

“God be with them, and help them,
and watch over them, and protect them”

It’s not that those things are bad, but Paul is asking for much more.

You say, “Well, I don’t know what more to pray for.”
Then open your eyes, be “alert” and see what the real need is.

1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”

In other words, pay attention so you can pray effectively.

When the Corinthians were enamored with praying in tongues, Paul said:
1 Corinthians 14:15 “What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”

The idea is, open your eyes, use your mind, be alert,
And pray for God to do specific things.

WE AREN’T LOOKING FOR GENERICS HERE.
You are in a battle, you are in a war.
Pick a specific target, a specific obstacle, a specific goal, and pray!

And at the same time let me remind you that
Those in the N.T. DIDN’T focus their prayers on human comfort.

I’ve been in a lot of churches and I’ve seen a lot of PRAYER LISTS,
And you know as well as I do that 99% of those prayer lists are filled with kidneys and livers and tumors and hearts and colonoscopies, and so on and so on.

Look, when I’m hurting you bet I pray.
When I’m sick, or my kids are sick or you are sick, yes I pray.

But please understand the prayer ministry of the church
Was never primarily about making this life better.

WE ARE CALLED TO PRAY TO WIN SPIRITUAL BATTLES.

Listen to some of Paul’s prayers for the churches.
Ephesians 1:18-19 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”

Philippians 1:9-11 “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

He wasn’t praying about their doctor’s visits.
He was praying for effectiveness in their ministry.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it”

And then Paul deals with the ATTITUDE:
“with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

Look we can be honest.
I know that there are a lot of Christians
Who see prayer meeting as a bit of a drag.
We are good at having Bible studies.
I mean it fills the hour quite well, and we can go and sit and enjoy and leave.

But prayer meetings aren’t that way.
(it requires you to invest)
I am so proud of those of you who have committed yourselves
To coming and praying on Wednesday nights.

Because it isn’t easy, it is a burden, it is a battle.

But listen:
THANK GOD HE HAS MADE PRAYER POSSIBLE
• Could you imagine if God did not hear prayer?
• Could you imagine if God did not answer prayer?
• Could you imagine if that veil remained and we had no access?

The point?
Don’t see prayer as a drag,
See it is our only means of obtaining the goal,
Be grateful that we have it at our disposal,
And by all means be devoted to it.

That’s what Paul is saying.
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.”

That is the requirement for prayer.

#2 A REQUEST FOR PRAYER
Colossians 4:3-4

Paul wasn’t going to push them to pray without telling them his requests.

There are two and they are NOT WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT
From a man sitting in prison.

He doesn’t ask for deliverance from prison.
He seemed to understand that God had sent him to that jail as part of the mission.

His prayer is for OPPORTUNITY
“praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;”

• Paul knew he was speaking to dead men.
• Paul knew no one could come to Jesus unless the Father drew them.
• Paul knew that he’d never get past Satan’s guard on his own.

Paul needed God to push Satan aside, and fling open the door,
And grant that the dead would be able to hear
The message of the gospel from his lips.

And so Paul said – PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY

People don’t get saved if God doesn’t open the door.

That’s why when Paul returned from a missionary journey he would share about his successes like this:
Acts 14:27 “When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.”

Perhaps you remember this convert:
Acts 16:14 “A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”

• We know men will not be saved without hearing the gospel.

• But we also know that those men are dead and they can’t hear the gospel if God doesn’t grant that ability.

We’ll never get to them and we’ll never get through to them
If God doesn’t open the door.

That’s why we meet on a Wednesday night
• And we pray for those teachers,
• And we pray for those kids,
• And we pray for the parents of those kids who never come to church.

Many of you like me have a burden for the youth of our church.
I would tell you that I see a mission field there as clear as I’ve ever seen a mission to Africa or China or anywhere else we’ve been.

But do you understand what we’re up against there?

These young people might (if they are real faithful)
Spend 4 hours a week up hear listening to us.

That is compared to the 40 hours a week they are spending
Surrounded by the temptations and defilements of this world.

And if they don’t have Christians parents (which most don’t)
Then that number only increases.

Do you understand then why our 4 hours is so critical?
• Do you understand then why someone must be praying that God is opening the door to their heart?
• Do you understand why prayer is so essential?

4 hours isn’t nearly enough, unless God puts the enemy at bay,
And gives ears to the spiritually dead,
That our gospel might just make it through.

To try to preach the gospel to the dead without prayer
Is a losing effort every time.
Paul wanted them to pray for an opportunity.

He also wanted CLARITY
(4) “That I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”
• Anyone else in here ever afraid they won’t make sense to the lost when they preach the gospel?

• Anyone else in here ever afraid they won’t know what to say?

Picture it like a field goal kicker.
• His first hope is that the team is able to get within range.
• Then he hopes for a snap the holder can handle.
• Then he hopes the holder gets the ball down and in place.

From the time that the ball hits the ground until the defense gets there,
There is an open window of about half a second.

In that half second the kicker has to jump into action,
And what do you think he’s hoping for?
ACCURACY

That is what it is like when preaching the gospel.
• Pray that in that moment when the enemy is placed at bay,
• And for that split second when the heart of the dead is made to hear,
• Please pray that at that moment I’ll speak the gospel with a clarity they can understand.

It is such an intense responsibility.
• What if the door isn’t opened?
• What if I miss the opportunity?
• What if I say something confusing?

OH HOW WE NEED A CHURCH FILLED WITH PRAYER WARRIORS.
We don’t just need people who pick prayer
Because it looks easier than giving or going.
We need people who will be alert and devoted.

So…
• If we believe that the lost will perish…
• If we believe that their only hope of salvation is to hear the gospel…
• If we believe that they can’t hear it apart from God granting that opportunity…

THEN WE MUST PRAY
And when the opportunity presents itself we must preach the gospel

AND WE MUST BE FAITHFUL TO IT.
• If not, why are we here?
• If not, what are we doing?
THE MISSION NEEDS YOU CHURCH.
• We need you to give to fund those who go.
• We need you to go to preach the gospel to those who are lost.
• We need you to pray so that those who preach can have an open door.

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.”

The Shallow, Strange, and Stupid Prosperity Gospel
Job 22
January 17, 2016

Well, I’m sure you can tell by the title
What we’re going to be talking about tonight.

The simple fact that the prosperity gospel
(as certainly by now you’ve already realized)
Is shallow, strange, and just down right stupid.

Tonight we begin round 3 of the dialogue between Job and his friends.
They rebuke, he answers, and now it is the third time through the lineup.

What started out as a plan to comfort Job
And help him see his problem and how to fix it has taken a drastic turn.
It is no longer about Job, it is now about winning the debate.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are defending their theology.
Their entire belief system has been called into question by Job.

And they are bent on using Job’s predicament
To prove their theology is accurate.

The more they talk the more prosperity gospel they spew,
And it allows us to continue to get a good look
At this dangerous belief system.

And tonight, as you noticed from the title,
I’m going to once again show you how shallow, how strange,
And how stupid this theology is.

That being the case, I want to remind you again \
Of one of the foundational facts about the book of Job.

When God speaks at the end of this thing and reveals the final verdict,
You have to be familiar with what He says.

Job 42:7 “It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.”

Again I remind you that at the end of this book
God is going to reveal that the corporate testimonies
Of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are not right.

God Himself reveals that.

This is certainly helpful to us as we seek to discern all that we are hearing

Well tonight let’s examine Eliphaz’s third rebuke of Job
And as we do I want to show you
Some of the realities that comprise the prosperity gospel.

#1 SHALLOW DOCTRINE
Job 22:1-11

One of the things we are confronted with yet again from Job’s friends
Is precisely how shallow their prosperity gospel actually is.

(1-3) “Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded, “Can a vigorous man be of use to God, Or a wise man be useful to himself? “Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous, Or profit if you make your ways perfect?”

Eliphaz asks a series of questions
And the answer he is searching for is obviously “no”

“Can a vigorous man be of use to God?” NO
“Is there any pleasure to the Almighty if you are righteous?” NO
“or profit if you make your ways perfect?” NO

His point is this.
• God doesn’t benefit from your righteousness.
• Therefore there is no real upside for God to tip the scales one way or the other.
• God gets no benefit if He calls the righteous wicked or if He calls the wicked righteous.

According to Eliphaz this only means that
God can be and always is perfectly just.

A politician may not want to vote against a specific piece of legislation because it might affect the money he receives from the lobbyist. Thus, his potential gain, causes him to act unjustly.

According to Eliphaz God doesn’t do that.
And certainly we have no argument there.

But it is where Eliphaz goes with this that we find peculiar.
(4) “Is it because of your reverence that He reproves you, that He enters into judgment against you?”

I hope you recognize the jump Eliphaz just made.
• God is just and has no temptation to judge any other way.
• Therefore, if God is judging you, there can only be one reason.
• You must be wicked, why else would God do this?

THIS IS WHY I TELL YOU THAT THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL IS SHALLOW.
ELIPHAZ CAN ONLY SEE ONE PURPOSE FOR SUFFERING
AND THAT IS PUNISHMENT

That is an extremely shallow view of suffering.

• We learn from Scripture that suffering is a tremendous tool in the hands of God.
• We learn from Scripture that God uses it often and on both the wicked and the righteous.
• And we learn that Suffering has a number of uses and purposes at the hands of God.

Certainly one of those purposes is PUNISHMENT.
One would only need to read the prophets of the Old Testament
To see how God repeatedly told the children of Israel
That He was going to punish them for their sin
And that punishment would entail great suffering.

We aren’t denying the use of suffering in that capacity.
But that certainly isn’t the only use.

The Bible tells us that suffering is used to PROVE OUR FAITH

1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

It is obvious that suffering is one of the ways
In which God tests the sincerity of our faith.

In addition we know that suffering is a great PURIFIER.
The writer of Hebrews said:
Hebrews 12:11 “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

Peter said:
1 Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

There are few things that can cause you to focus on what really matters
Like a little suffering.

It has a way of purifying us and preparing us
For the ministries God has in store for us.

We know that suffering helps EQUIP US FOR MINISTRY

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”

It is a common reality that suffering raises your level of compassion.
It helps you sympathize and comfort those who suffer.

And then sometimes (as with Job, or Joseph) suffering is for a purpose that may be beyond our human understanding.

God is just simply accomplishing His purposes
And suffering is the means by which He does that.

The point to all this being is that for anyone to take the view that
Your suffering must be a result of your sin
Is taking a really shallow view.

But that is the view of Eliphaz and the prosperity gospel.
It sees no reason for suffering beyond the punishment of the wicked.

And Eliphaz believes this so strongly that
He actually begins to try and guess Job’s iniquity.
(5-11) “Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquities without end? “For you have taken pledges of your brothers without cause, And stripped men naked. “To the weary you have given no water to drink, And from the hungry you have withheld bread. “But the earth belongs to the mighty man, And the honorable man dwells in it. “You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the orphans has been crushed. “Therefore snares surround you, And sudden dread terrifies you, Or darkness, so that you cannot see, And an abundance of water covers you.”

Those are some pretty harsh accusations against Job.
Your lack of compassion and benevolence
Has brought upon you the wrath of God.

NOW HERE IS WHERE THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL GETS TRICKY.
IT SOUNDS SO CLOSE TO TRUTH

TURN TO: PSALMS 109:1-20

Can you hear David saying basically the same thing as Eliphaz?
Well, why is David right and Eliphaz wrong?

Because David is talking about the actual wicked who really did oppress the poor and who suffered as punishment for their sin.

Eliphaz is talking about a man who is suffering and therefore merely assumes he is wicked because he can’t see any other reason for suffering.

It is a slight difference, but it makes all the difference.
The prosperity gospel is extremely shallow.

Its Shallow Doctrine
#2 STRANGE DELIGHT
Job 22:12-20

This is a second often seen reality of the prosperity gospel.

Eliphaz begins by thinking he has Job’s mindset all figured out.

We already saw what he thinks Job did,
Now Eliphaz is going to reveal why he thinks Job was ok with doing it.

(12-14) “Is not God in the height of heaven? Look also at the distant stars, how high they are! “You say, ‘ What does God know? Can He judge through the thick darkness? ‘Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that He cannot see; And He walks on the vault of heaven.’”

Eliphaz is explaining why Job thinks it’s ok to sin.

It’s because he thinks God is so far away, vaulted behind the clouds
And unable to really see everything that is going on.
He thinks that Job commits all this sin because God will not see him.

I don’t know what Job ever said that would cause him to think this,
But he does none the less.

And that leads Eliphaz to ask Job a question.
(15-16) “Will you keep to the ancient path Which wicked men have trod, Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundations were washed away by a river?”

He is sure that Job is wicked and here asks, how long are you going to keep being wicked?

You know that wicked men don’t last, how long are you going to continue walking down their path?

Eliphaz goes on regarding the wicked:
(17-18) “They said to God, ‘Depart from us!’ And ‘What can the Almighty do to them?’ “Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me.”

Here he says these wicked are recipients of God’s goodness,
For He has “filled their houses with good things”
And yet they still tell God, ‘Depart from us!’”

And that is why Eliphaz smugly says: “the counsel of the wicked is far from me.”

Can’t you hear him?
• I’d never walk the path of the wicked, but you obviously are Job!
• They are destroyed for their ways and you are on their path.

Now, can I give you again a passage Eliphaz might have preached?

TURN TO: PSALMS 1

That sounds exactly like what Eliphaz is saying doesn’t?
I never walk in the counsel of the wicked, and that is why I am blessed, you on the other hand have taken their path and you are on the short road to destruction.

Now, if Eliphaz read Psalms 1 to you
The question would be how could you argue with him?

Well again, because he is so shallow in his understanding.
Just because the wicked suffer
Does not mean that everyone who suffers is wicked.

You cannot take passages of the Bible and apply them however you like.
Yet this is commonly done.

But that isn’t even the strange part yet.
I told you that the prosperity gospel also has STRANGE DELIGHT

Look at verses 19-20 “The righteous see and are glad, And the innocent mock them, Saying, ‘Truly our adversaries are cut off, And their abundance the fire has consumed.’”

Now listen to what Eliphaz is saying.
• Job, I know you are sinful
• I know you have oppressed the poor
• I know that is why you are suffering
• I know you did it because you don’t think God sees
• That is a dangerous path
• A path I would never walk

• And quite frankly when the wicked like you reach the end of that path and are destroyed, I am “glad”.

He actually says he will rejoice at the destruction of the wicked,
On the day when all that they have is consumed by the fire.

Strange isn’t it?
Yet, that is a common reality of the prosperity gospel.

• Their entire system is set up on people getting what they deserve.
• They have no capacity for the suffering of the innocent,
• And so when they see people suffering, they are just getting what they deserve.

It is a strange delight that Eliphaz has.

It most certainly isn’t the heart of God.

When James and John wanted to call down fire on the Samaritans, Jesus said:
Luke 9:54-56 “When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”] And they went on to another village.”

When John was shown the judgment of the wicked, God didn’t tell him to rejoice:
Revelation 10:10-11 “I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

When Jonah saw that God didn’t judge the Ninevites he was unhappy, this is how God responded:
Jonah 4:10-11 “Then the LORD said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

Beyond that we are familiar with passages like:
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

You get the idea.
Any belief that allows someone to see another person’s suffering
And not only dismiss it, but even glory in it, is a perverted belief.

Such is the prosperity gospel.

We see shallow doctrine
We see strange delight
#3 STUPID DECLARATIONS
Job 22:21-30

Here then comes Eliphaz’s advice to Job.
(21-26) “Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. “Please receive instruction from His mouth And establish His words in your heart. “If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored; If you remove unrighteousness far from your tent, And place your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks, Then the Almighty will be your gold And choice silver to you. “For then you will delight in the Almighty And lift up your face to God.”

Now, we certainly know the initial problem is the one it has always been.
They are calling for repentance as the solution to Job’s problem.
But Job was righteous and therefore repentance was not the answer.

But, just for argument sake, if Job had sinned,
This at least would be initially good advice.

I mean yielding to God and listening to God and returning to God and removing unrighteousness and forsaking your idols and finding your fulfillment in God…
That’s a really good idea.

Delighting in the Almighty is the whole idea.

Many of you have read and loved what Asaph said
At the end of the infamous 73rd Psalm.

Psalms 73:25-28 “Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”

I mean Eliphaz could have even preached that passage to Job.

That isn’t the stupid part.
It comes next:
(27-30) “You will pray to Him, and He will hear you; And you will pay your vows. “You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways. “When you are cast down, you will speak with confidence, And the humble person He will save. “He will deliver one who is not innocent, And he will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

Talk about a really bizarre turn of events.

Eliphaz just told Job that he should leave behind
All his earthly treasures and find contentment in God.

In the very next breath Eliphaz says:
And then when you pray God will hear you and whatever you decree,
It will be done for you.
God’s light will shine on your ways and you will speak confidently.

I hope this all sounds familiar to you.
It is what is called today: “The Word of Faith” movement.

I can’t go all the way with you here,
But it is based on a couple of faulty notions.

• Namely that as believers we are now divine and thus have all divine authority.
• And now have the ability (just like God) to speak what we want and see it come
to fruition.

The prosperity gospel preachers love to push this.
• Just speak to your cancer and tell it to be gone.
• Speak to your check book and tell it to fill up.
• Speak to your situation and tell it to change.

And of course (as we have said) they love to quote Bible verses like “whoever says to this mountain…”

They talk about all the power that is in your tongue.
After all God created the world with a spoken word
And now that we are divine like Him we can do the same.

BUT HERE IS WHAT IS SO STUPID ABOUT THAT.

• First, that they would put themselves on the same level as God. That’s not just stupid, that’s blasphemous.

• Secondly, that goes against the very notion of repentance and contentment which are basics of the gospel.

I mean Eliphaz just told Job to let go of everything so that God would give him the power to speak and have anything he wants.

The only thing missing is for Eliphaz to tell Job
To send in all that gold as see faith money.

That is a stupid declaration.
And yet it is the prosperity gospel.

It flies in direct contrast to the passage we studied last Sunday night.

1 Timothy 6:3-10 “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

And there again you get the idea.
It’s just the same old junk.

They take a little truth, misapply it, and then boldly proclaim it.
And yet at the end of the day
The theology they construct is shallow, strange, and stupid.

All they could do was take a righteous man who was suffering
• CONDEMN him for sin he didn’t commit,
• LAUGH at him for a judgment he wouldn’t receive,
• And INSTRUCT him to repent so that he could have prosperity God never promised.

Such is the prosperity gospel.

Instead be compassionate to those who suffer.
Instead prophesy again to those who are perishing.
Instead preach contentment to those who love this world.

That was the gospel message of Jesus.