Bro Gary Wednesday Evening 10/26/11

Bro Gary Wednesday Evening 10/26/11

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Eschewed evil:  He considered it to be sour and considered evil to be something that he could do without.  He was a just man and perfect before God.  Job’s life in one day took drastic changes.  

This is an old story.  When you are young it seems to take forever to get out of first grade or to get into kindergarten.  But it isn’t very long until you reach maturity and to some, way before maturity, their life takes dramatic changes.  Many of the changes they have no control over. 

Job was an adult man with 10 children and he was wealthy.  He was doing everything right when all of a sudden people came with bad news, bad news, bad news. 

Job 1:22  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

We can all learn a good lesson by living.  When events of life change the comfortable position that we are in, most in this audience are in a comfortable position.  We have a place to live and a vehicle to drive, and most of the time we have money. 

Job’s life was comfortable and then drastic changes took place.  When changes take place we need to remember to count our blessings and it will be a lot better than counting our losses.

Job sinned not nor did he charge God foolishly. 

Foolishly in the dictionary has something to do with slime, distasteful, and untempered.

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 1:2  And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

Job 1:3  His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Job 1:4  And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

Job 1:5  And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

He was pleading God to have mercy for his children.  This is a common thing with every parent that is saved.

Job 1:6  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

Job 1:7  And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Job 1:8  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Job 1:9  Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

There are a lot of blessings in serving God.  There are a lot of lessons that could be studied on this thought, “Does Job fear God for not.” There are a lot of things that we will never know about if we continue serving God.  God blesses and protects us.

We will only know if God lets us know how many things God has protected us from.  How many have been healed of brain tumors, never diagnosed by man?  How many other things has He taken care of?  How many times have people contemplated, planned and schemed to do evil, but God…

How many times have brothers and sisters found themselves on a job when someone decides that they are going to get rid of them but God steps in.

God took care of Job, his house…

Job 1:10  Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.

Job 1:11  But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

No one here knows what even tonight holds, let alone tomorrow.  The one thing that you and I can know is that we have it settled, “I’m going to stay true to God.”  Only God knows what will take place.

Job even lost all his children.

The devil thought that if God would just take the hedge away, that Job would turn his back on God.

Job 1:12  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 1:13  And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

Job 1:14  And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:

Job 1:15  And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

The five hundred yoke of oxen were taken away and all the servants but one.  In that same day…

Job 1:16  While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

The 7,000 sheep were burned up.  It was a real slaughter, a real loss, a loss of income, of food to eat, and of servants.

Job 1:17  While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

The 3,000 camels were killed.  God chose to allow one servant to live.

Job 1:18  While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:

Job 1:19  And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job 1:20  Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

There are those that would wonder if I’m headed for losses; there is no use fretting and wondering what am I going to do if this happens?  I don’t know but I have total respect for God and you and I have the example of a man that had great losses and what he did in this situation:

He fell upon the ground and worshipped God.  This man had it settled.  We are living in times that have never been lived in before.  It is common language to say, “I can’t believe the times that we are in and what we are seeing.”  Any that has morals will come up to you and say, “We cannot believe how people don’t have morals anymore.” 

Job had it settled.  He was broken but he worshipped.  He said,

Job 1:21  And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

May God help us to be thankful for what God has given us.  Karen and I have nothing to lose that we haven’t received.  The lord gave.  We have been well taught before I came along of giving everything back to God.  He gave it, we’ve enjoyed it and appreciated it and have been thankful. 

Job 1:22  In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Oh Church, you and I must have it settled that no matter what happens, no matter what gains come, or what losses, we are going to go on serving God.  It is so sad when people lose their soul for prosperity or when people lose their soul because of losses. 

During the time of the Chicago fire there were those that committed suicide because of all their losses.  Others thought, “We don’t have anything, but we are going to build again.”

Job charged God not foolishly.  May God challenge me to be sober minded and keep a right attitude toward God.  God knew what was going on.  He knew if there would be this door opened, or if there would be choices that would be made by those that we loved that would break our heart.  God knew.  May God help us to be sober minded and not charge God foolishly.  At the end, Job was blessed more than at the beginning.