Consider My Servant Job

The message from this transcription is about finding hope in the Lord and not in earthly things. The speaker discusses the book of Job and how it answers questions about suffering. They emphasize that suffering comes from Satan and the fallen world, not from God. The importance of faith and grace is highlighted, and it is mentioned that our suffering is temporary while our faith in God is eternal. The speaker encourages reading the entire book of Job in context to understand its message. Overall, the main idea is to put our hope and trust in God rather than in worldly things. We pray that this week's message challenges you in your walk with the Lord, causes you to grow in your faith, and encourages you in your love for the Word of God. Can you open your Bibles to Job chapter 1, verse 1. Start at the beginning. First thing, stones of remembrance. Job is one of the books in my life that is a stone of remembrance because when we go through suffering, we really need to think about not the suffering that we're going through, but the hope that God provides. So stones of remembrance, Job is one of those chapters. If anybody in this auditorium is not happy about being in this auditorium, they like the big one better, but then we're here where God wants us to right now on this exact day. So I'll comfort you, I'll pray with you, but when we're in this room, a lot of us have stones of remembrance in this room, including the book of Job. So the remembrance for me is, I gave my first sermon here in 2013, and a month later, a month later, here's the remembrance stone right here. I was standing here worshiping at one of these services we used to have, where it was just worship music, praying for people, and I was praying, and God said, Church, plant friends. And it was right here in 2013. And then, as us elders used to do, we'd be in prayer over people from this side all the way around. Pastors and elders praying for people. And we were praying for everything, for sickness, for disease, for everything. And I remember a young lady who came up and was praying for her future husband to be a godly man. And she later received that man. So these are those prayers of remembrance, those stones of remembrance that we go through. And this place will always be that. When we were having, going through language school in French for nine months, and it was brutal, I had to remember back to this stone and what God said. Church, plant friends. And he worked miracles, because that church still exists today after we left, after he sent a pastor. So just remember that this is an incubator. If you're new to faith, this is the incubator. If you're older in faith, you're still being incubated from where you are to where he wants you. Because there is community. There is learning. There's so much Holy Spirit in this, not only in this church, but in this room for some reason. So let's move along now. So where is our hope? Of course our hope is in the Lord. It's logical. So let's go through some verses. Keep Job open, because there will be verses not up there that I'll say. Romans 5.2. Through him, Jesus, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in, what? The hope of the glory of God. Romans 12.12. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Suffering is tribulation. Be constant in prayer. When Paul is speaking about the ministry that God gave him to the Gentiles, in Colossians 1, verse 27, to them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Glorified is heaven living. We'll get there, but not now. And in Titus 2.13, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, where is your hope? Is your hope in the eternal? In the spiritual things? Or is your hope in jobs, cars, family, friends? Government is our hope in government. And when persecution comes to the church from government, where is our hope then? Or perhaps one of the seven mountains that we're praying and fasting through, whether it's media, government, education, entertainment, family. Is that where our hope lies? How much hope are we willing to put in those things compared to the eternal hope? Is it even the same hope? Or has earthly hope, earthly hopes, overtaken our eternal hope? So don't let the visible change your eternal. Our hope is in the Lord. We need not focus on earthly hope, because they will let you down. Instead, focus on the Lord. So let's consider the servant Job. Where will his hope be found? Job chapter 1, 1-3. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. And that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all people of the East. Who wrote that? Did Job wrote it? The writer is anonymous. It was about the time of Abraham. But God wrote this. God wrote this. All scripture is God-breathed. And God called him. He was the greatest man, greatest of all people of the East. The book of Job describes hope, our eternal hope. And the good, the fun thing about this book, besides being my favorite book, it answers huge questions of why do we suffer. And there is a difference between worldly suffering and spiritual suffering. And towards the end, in chapter 38, there is a plot twist, where we hear the voice of God in the last three to four chapters. And if you are seeking God, that is a good chapter to read. In our times of suffering, in our times of non-suffering, he is our rock and our savior. He will never change. The world, the earthly things will change. When we are suffering, he is there. No matter what you think of the created things around you. He is solid. They are not. He knows, God knows that your faith will prevail throughout all of your suffering. And the worldly things, they will let you down. Guaranteed. They will disappoint you. Job describes that no evil, no sickness, no death, no disease, no testing comes from God. Our hope keeps us solid. Our faith through grace will always be there. Our faith is saving faith, so that we will see his face and live with him forever in a perfect world. So if all of the suffering, disease and death doesn't come from God, who does it come from? It comes from Satan. And living in a sinful, lost, fallen world, that's where it all comes from. Because remember, God is good all the time. Satan is bad, a deceiver and a liar, and a murderer all the time. So faith. Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 10. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Grace and faith are involved, because as we read Job, we can get sidetracked and agree with Job's friends. His wife, who famously said, curse God and die already, and Job's complaining. But we need to realize that we cannot undo the result of the fall by our work. We read in Luke chapter 22, Jesus is talking to Peter. Verses 31 to 34. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail, and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Jesus could have stopped any travail that Peter was going through. But Jesus knew that Peter's faith would bring him through all of the turmoil, all of the three times he brought him through. We are sick because of sin, we suffer when we are sick, and do not suffer when we are well. But in actuality, we suffer every day, because heaven is not here. God is not face to face. So the suffering, the earthly suffering, is temporary. It comes and it goes. But God revealed in Job that our suffering continues every day, that we have to put up with a sin-filled world. The worldly life is suffering. The only faith the world sees is in government. And the works that we see in this world are the works of Satan and the sin-filled lifestyle. So our faith, a follower of Christ's faith, spiritual faith, a saving faith that not only knows and comprehends the facts about the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also trusts in the person and the work of Jesus alone for salvation. Jesus is the only way for salvation, the only way we get out of this world. So what about suffering? In John chapter 1, verses 12 and 13, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Our suffering will not bring us farther away from God. Because he has called us, he has us, and he will bring us through any suffering. You cannot lose what God has given you. You will succeed in everything that God has given you throughout your whole life on earth. We must read Job in context. You can't pull the verses separately across. But the context of Job is the whole book. You have to read the whole book because you start with a good part of Job, what he has. And then you hear, in all the middle chapters, his friends who criticize him, who judge him, and who don't really know about Job. And after a while you start to agree with them to say, Man, Job must have did something, because he lost everything. But then at the end, you get to where God gives testimony about himself. And about how God is sovereign. And remember when you read through it, the whole book, Job did nothing to trigger this attack, these attacks. Job is searching for comfort, and that's what he wants. When our people are suffering, they're grieving, and they're searching for comfort. God's testimony about Job was Job was blameless and upright, which we just read. One who feared God and turned away from evil, as described by God. He prayed and offered sacrifices for his children. Job's children would go out every weekend and drink wine and party, basically. And on Monday morning, Job would offer sacrifices for his children, in case they sinned. Job was blameless. Job had integrity. And Job loved God. In Job chapter 1, verses 6 to 12, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And Satan also came along with them. So then I start to thinking, so God is having a meeting somewhere with the sons of God and Satan. And it just doesn't happen once, it happens twice in this book. So the Lord said to Satan, From where have you come? Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro on earth, and walking up and down upon it. And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? That there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will curse you to your face. And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Satan needs God's permission to attack you. In these chapters, in these verses, Satan assumes to know Job. God is only giving you things. That's why you love God. God provides blessings, we read in this. God will provide blessings. And hedges of protection exist. You must pray through your places, pray through your houses, pray through your car, to strengthen those hedges of protection like the people do here in this room before you show up. So what happened? Well, suffering begins. So I will make it easy and say basically, everything was taken away from Job. Chapters 1, verses 13-19. When everybody was drinking at the oldest brother's house, the oxen were plowing, the donkeys were feeding beside them, and the Sabaeans fell upon them, took them and struck them down, struck down the servants with the edge of a sword, and one person alone escaped to tell Job. Oxen and donkey are gone. While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, The fire of God fell from heaven, burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them. One left and told Job. While he was yet speaking, another came. The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels, took them and struck down the servants with the edge of a sword. And while he was yet speaking, the fourth one came. Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you. So Pete, what can we do? What can Job do? What did Job do? What can we do when everything or some things are taken away that we have on earth? What did Job do? Just sit around and fuffer? Remember last week Pastor John talked about incense being prayers? You pray. Job prayed. Without prayer, there is no incense. So how did Job respond? Everything was taken from him. We go to chapter 1, verses 20 and 22. Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshipped. And he said, naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. This is one of those stones that when we go through suffering, we go back to. We say, blessed be the name of the Lord. Grief, worship, profession of faith, prayer. Job worshipped the Lord and did not sin. As we move through this, chapter 2. So all those possessions are gone. What about Job? Another meeting with the Lord, sons of God and Satan. Chapter 2, verses 3 through 6. Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth? A blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, skin for skin, all that a man has he will give for his life, but stretch out your hand. Touch his bone and flesh and he will curse you to his face. Satan is making assumptions and judgments of what Job will do. So the Lord said to Satan, behold, he is in your hand, only spare his life. Do not kill him. So Job was struck with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, and he took pieces of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat in ashes. Verses 9 and 10, then his wife said to him, do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die. But he said to her, you speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God and shall we not receive evil? And in all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job's attitude, shall we receive only good from God? Shall we receive only his blessings? So all of a sudden Job's friends heard about this, and they came around Job, three friends, and they sat with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. So as we go through suffering, here are some suffering facts. From a pastor that I listen to, David Platt, suffering is often undeserved. Suffering is often unexpected. Suffering is often unimaginable. And suffering is always painful. Job's friends did good, sitting with him for seven days and not speaking. And then they decided to talk. So beginning in chapter 6, until about chapter 38, it goes back and forth, the book of Job. Two to three chapters of his friends, two to three chapters of Job responding, and it's back and forth like that. So I'll just summarize them. Chapter 5, verse 8, his friend says, As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause. Or in other words, what they're saying, Are you praying, or are you praying hard enough? Verse 17, Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves. Therefore, despise not the discipline of the Almighty. Or, are they saying, it must be your fault. You must have done something wrong to deserve this. God obviously is punishing you. No, he's not. Chapter 6, Job's response. Job is seeking God. He's seeking answers from God as we move along, and you will see the progression in what Job, what God, their conversation is moving through. So Job says in chapter 6, But now be pleased to look at me, for I will not lie to your face. Please turn. Let no injustice be done. Turn now. My vindication is at stake. Is there any injustice on my tongue? Can not my palate discern the cause of calamity? It is okay to be in prayer to God, to cry out to God when you're going through suffering, when you're just going through daily life. It is good. Chapter 10, Job continues his plea to God. God's judgment will come, but not on this earth. If I sin, chapter 10, If I sin, you watch me, and do not acquit me of my iniquity. If I am guilty, woe to me. If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace, and look on my affliction. The pain and suffering of Job in the early sections of this book was palpable. It is so evident what he's going through. But God allows us to vent our frustrations and questions to him. But God does hear him. He hears us, as we will see in the last chapters. All of a sudden, now in chapter 12, we see a change in Job's attitude toward the Lord. The fog of suffering is beginning to clear. He's been processing, has been heard. Verses 23 to 25 in chapter 12, He makes nations great, and he destroys them. He enlarges nations. He leads them away. He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of earth, and makes them wander in a trackless waste. They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. Verse 24, the people of the earth, they live without the light. They live without the Son of God. They have no hope. When we're in church, that's not the only time to have hope. That's not the only time to go to God. We are here to grieve, worship, be in community, be centered on Christ. The church, Christ's church, is not the church of the world. However, the world attacks us. The seven mountains, for instance, attacks us, persecutes the church and us, and attempts to change Christ's church and our beliefs into worldly standards. There is no hope in the world of creative things if the church looks and believes like the world. But in chapter 19, Job sees his Redeemer again, because he's processed through. My Redeemer lives a confident hope, for I know that my Redeemer lives. And at last He will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me. Up to this point, Job has been searching for answers. And now in chapter 28, he remembers wisdom. Where is wisdom found? Verses 23 to 28, God understands the way to it. He knows its place, for He looks to the ends of the earth, sees everything under the heavens. When He gave to the wind its weight, and apportioned the waters by measure, when He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then He sought and declared it. He established it and searched it out loud. And He said to the man, two men, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding. Are you feeling weak by the stress and strain of the suffering, daily life? Here's what Paul said, 2 Corinthians 12 7-9 So to keep me from becoming conceited, because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness, therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. God allowed that thorn to be placed in Paul's flesh to keep him from being conceited. In our sufferings, His grace is sufficient. His grace is sufficient in our pain. In our relationships, His grace is sufficient in our loss, because His power is made perfect in our weakness. His grace is sufficient in the persecuted church. Just a minute, I've got to roll through this quick. When we were in France, there was a new law enacted called the Upholding Republican Values Law. It sounds good, because the government wrote it. It was enacted in 2021. It provides the authorities with broad powers to monitor and dissolve churches, religious organizations, and groups. They determine, the government, to be promoting ideas contrary to French values. French values, not our beliefs. Not any religion's beliefs. French values. The government can shut down religious gatherings, the judges to be preaching incitement or hatred or violence. This can be done without a court order. The definition of hatred or incitement to violence is open to interpretation. Sermons can be reviewed and approved by French government. All religious groups are now required to obtain a permit from the government, which must be renewed every five years if they receive funds from abroad, including missionaries and mission agencies. If they don't like where the money's coming from, you have to leave on your visa. And the one sobering fact coming out of France. So this, they took a survey of youths 15 to 24 years old. That's 12% of the population, about 9 million people. 57% of those youths consider Sharia law more important than the laws of France. That's about 4 or 5 million people who believe that. His grace is sufficient in death. Acts chapter 7. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look, he said, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. When I go through death, when that happens, I just pray that I can look up to heaven like Stephen did and see the glory of God. That's what I'm looking for in death. The climax of everything now occurs in chapter 38. And these verses you should read when you have a chance. Because now he starts with Job. The Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man, I will question you, and you make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding, who determined its measurements. Surely you know, for who stretched out the line upon it. I don't necessarily want to hear God say that to me, but God speaks. Let's move ahead to chapter 40 when the Lord challenges Job. Verses 6 to 9. Then the Lord answered Job out of a whirlwind and said, Dress for action like a man, I will question you, and you make it known to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? Have you an arm like God, and can thunder with a voice like his? Can you look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand? Hide them in all the dust together, bind their faces in the world below. Then, if you can do all that, will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you? Job, in chapter 42, begins his submission, confession, and repentance. Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what I do not understand, things too wonderful for me which I do not know. And as we look ahead to the ending of the book, the big turn comes, of course, of restoration. The Lord also rebuked all of Job's friends. The Lord said to those three friends, My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Therefore, take seven bulls and rams and burnt offering for yourselves, and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly, for you have not spoken of me what is right, my servant Job has. Job needed to pray for his friends. When he was going through stuff, sometimes the friends, they start to separate, and we get angry at them. So the Lord had Job pray for his friends. Restoration came, and the Lord blessed him, double what he had before. So in review, hope, faith, suffering, stones, worship team can come up as we close this. Judgment will be rendered. The book of Revelation reveals the final judgment in Job. No one was judged by God, but there was rebuking, and then confession, and then repentance and worship by Job and his friends. So my question to you, who do we judge? Who do we make assumptions about? Job's book described hidden sin and outward visible sin. Job's friends and his wife assumed that Job had sinned, or hidden something from his friends and his wife or God. What about us? What about our judgments on earth of others? Is this correct? In Job, his friends were rebuked because of their judging Job and what they thought was disobedience, sinning against God. That is something to remember when we see others sin or live a lifestyle that we believe is sin. We do not know people's hearts or their private sin. Did Job's friends really know Job? They have accused him of sin. Can we see hidden sin? Because remember, Luke chapter 12, verses 1 and 3, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops. Our personal sinning that no one knows about, that we try to hide and that we just can't stop doing, will be revealed one day, one earthly day. Inward sin is hidden. It is no different than outward visible sin. And sin is wrong and sepsis. It separates us from the love of Christ. You will be judged, but not by us. So may you have a blessed week. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. If you are ever in the Tedoussa Culpa area and looking for an English-speaking congregation, please join us on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. in the main auditorium of Iglesia CCI in Colonial Trepici, just off Boulevard Suyapa, near Una. If you would like prayer or more information about our church, contact us at fellowships.cci at gmail.com. That's fellowships.cci at gmail.com. Or follow us on social media. We hope to see you or hear from you soon. God bless you.