Simple Faith

Bill Henry: Coming up today on Simple Faith.

Guest (Male): We need to be careful not to view everything around us through the lens of our hurt and suffering, however great they may be by the way, and instead view them through the lens of the scriptures of God, through his divine truths. Then they help us to understand to a point, but even more so to have faith in him who allows these things to happen in our lives. Welcome to Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry, coming to you from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. As we continue in the book of Job today, I want to remind you that Job wasn't the flawless servant of God that some people think he was.

Despite his strong faith, Job had his moments when he questioned God's motives. But though he had his moments of despair and even had a wrong view of God at times, Job still trusted God. And when your faith is tested, will you pass the test like Job did? Here's Pastor Bill Henry. You know, I I hear the words of God all the time just having all these problems. Well, start to apply it in your life and watch God change you. Watch God change your circumstances. Again, even in the midst of a storm, cuz notice the storm comes to both these people, the ones who are hearing the word of God and and those who are obeying it.

They're they're they count the storms come and the odd waters come and they rise and beat against the house, but it won't collapse. It doesn't say it's not going to be damaged. It doesn't say it's going to be here, but we won't collapse because it's founded on Jesus Christ and his solid rock of his word. Just want to encourage you in that. Notice verse five. Job goes on, and it's sad that you can see him spiraling down. He who removes mountains, they know it not. When when he overturns them in his anger, who shakes the earth out of its place and its pillars tremble?

Who commands the sun and it does not rise? Who seals up the stars? Who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea? I do love how Job here is pointing out the power of God. Today with even within the church, I think because of much that came in in the 1800s, what's called higher criticism of the word of God, and there was a lower criticism where basically only certain parts of the word are really the word of God. And so we have to make science align with it, and we have to say that evolution Well, now we believe in, you know, basically this evolutionary creationism thing, and we let's marry them together.

And so yeah, back in the 1890s, let's say the earth is a couple of 3 million years old, because that's what Darwin says, maybe just a few hundred thousand years old. And yeah, the widgets goes right along in these days in the beginning of creation. They might not be literal days. How long is a day after all? 10,000 years maybe, who knows? Look, they they it led them to compromise the word of God. And so all of a sudden, even now today, like I said before, when I was in school back in the 70s, the late 70s, it was the the earth is about 3 to 400 million years old.

Now today it's 3 to 4 billion years old. And and it gets more and more ridiculous. And And sadly, a lot of these guys that I love and gals, they just within Christianity go right along with it. Okay, yeah, so now a day was a billion years old, you know, or whatever it is. It's just crazy, but not Job. He believes that it's God who overturns the mountains in verse five. Number six verse six He's the one who shakes the earth in this place, who commands the sun that doesn't rise, steals up the stars, who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea.

It's interesting. I saw a picture of one of the landers. I think it was on Mars, and it was at night. And the stars were just again innumerable. Do you know that they used to back in the you know, hundreds of years ago, they said they could actually count the stars, that there's this many stars? That's what scientists said. Now we it's it's we know it's it's it's innumerable. And it it's interesting to me too how a lot of even Christians will get in into the the the deception of UFOs and you know, all these things and Bigfoot, if you will, and all the the crazy stuff, but especially UFOs.

Well, if God created the whole heavens, you know, there has to be other life out there. Why? Why? You don't think the heavens declare the glory of God and the power of God? And what I love cuz what happens when we take away that power when it's not awesome and God created all this for us, for his glory, it takes away then from the power of God in our own lives. Oh, God can't help me get over this and I'll never get victory over this and oh, God can't help me heal from this hurt and I'll die for the rest of my days And we start to doubt again the veracity, the genuineness, the truth of the word of God.

And And I'm telling you what we I love here that Job is pointing out God is this all He's all powerful. By the way, what does all powerful mean? Well, there's limits to being all powerful. It means all powerful. God can do whatever he wants to do. Isaiah 40 verse 22 It says he it is he who sits above the circle of the earth. By the way, notice it says circle there. When scientists believe it was flat, and sadly some Christians today, oh, it's flat, the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretches out the heavens like what?

A curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He brings the princes to nothing and makes the judges of the earth useless. It's meant to make us feel powerless, but then as Christians, it's meant to bring us hope and strength as we see oh, this is how powerful our God is. I love that. Look at verse nine. He talks about some of the constellations, who made the bear and Orion and Pleiades and the chamber of the south, who does great things beyond searching out and marvelous things beyond number. Behold, he passes by me and I see him not.

He moves on and I do not perceive him. Behold, he snatches away. Who can turn him back? Who will say to him, what are you doing? I like how the the New Living says verses 11 and 12 it says, yeah, when he comes near, I cannot see him. When he moves by, I do not see him go. If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him? Who dares ask, what are you doing? What is it about us as human beings that we still like to ask God what he's doing? Lord, what are you doing?

Like we have some right. Again, God's going to deal with this with Job later on, so we'll talk about that more later. Look at verse 13. God will not turn back his anger. Beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab. How then can I answer him choosing my my words with him? Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him. I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. So now Job begins to accuse God. Notice basically, you know, God will not turn his back in anger. You know, how can I answer him? Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him.

I must appeal for mercy to my accuser. Now he's blaming God for this. Have you ever noticed that from the very beginning we like to blame others? Ever go back to the Garden of Eden and remember when God came and said, hey, Adam, what do you what happened here? What's going on? How do you know that you're You know what I mean? Did you eat of the tree of the tree I'm totally paraphrasing right now. And I'm saying it's not my fault, bro. It's the woman you gave me. And then the woman, hey, why did you do that?

He goes, it's not my fault. It's the serpent's fault. And it's been going on through today. We love to blame others for our own sin. Oh, well, I was raised in abusive home, so that's why I'm abusive. Have you been saved? Have you been born again of the spirit of God? You've been set free from that. You've been set free. You're now to live as God has shown us in his word by the power of his Holy Spirit. I I I love how Isaiah says it in Isaiah 64 6 We But we are all like an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.

We all fade as a leaf our in our iniquities like the wind have taken us away. So again, he is thinking Look in verse five or 15 though I am in the right. No, Job, you're not in the right. Even though you're the most righteous man in all the earth, the most blameless, guess what? You still are a sinner. Still a sinner. Romans 3 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6 23 For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen. How blessed it is. How blessed it is that we don't have to live like Job. Remember this is where we have to cut Job slack because he didn't have his Bible to open up. Didn't have the word of God yet. And so I I I just We We have to remember this and not become too self whatever, but at the same time as we're reading these things, let's look at ourselves and be careful that we don't go to that same place of blaming God or blaming others for our own sins. Look at verse 16.

If I summoned him and he answered me, I would not believe that he was listening to my voice. For he crushes me with the tempest and multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. So again, he he continues to blame God for what has happened. Now remember even what happened to Job wasn't because of his own sin. I want to clarify what I said a moment ago, but sometimes it is because of our own sin. Sometimes it's because of sins of others. Sometimes it's just because God is letting us be tested for whatever reason for his glory really.

That's the bottom line. But here's the thing Be careful that we don't go to where Job goes. Notice again, oh, God just crushes me with the tempest. He multiplies my wounds without cause. He will not let me get my breath, but fills me with bitterness. Look, there might be times and and there are times in life when this bad things happening right after this bad thing, this bad thing is happening. But when we're in Christ, we have that peace that surpasses all understanding available to us that Job didn't have available. We have his Holy Spirit now abiding living within us.

We have his word that we can look to the Lord and meditate upon him and his word. And we can keep our eyes fixed on him and he will keep us in perfect peace because our eyes are fixed upon him and our trust is in him. We can do this now. We can read these words and learn and don't let yourself go to these lives. Oh, the Lord hates me. You know, he just the tempest all these multiply my wounds. He will not let me get my breath. But notice too he says here at the end of verse 18, but he fills me with bitterness.

Look, the Lord allowed these things to happen to Job, but he didn't fill Job's heart with bitterness. We do that on our own. Be careful of bitterness. We've talked about this a few weeks ago. That root of bitterness it likes to come in. And And be careful with that. So the sad part too by the way, notice that basically Job is slipping in the blaming God for some terrible things that God never do. Did Excuse me. Bildad and Eliphaz both blame Job too. And now Job is blaming the Lord. Verse 19 If it is a context of contest of strength, behold, he is mighty.

If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me. Though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse. I am blameless. I regard I regard not myself. I loathe my life. Ever heard somebody say that? They're going through really tough times and it's like, you know, I hate my life. I just hate myself. I hate the way I look. I hate this. And maybe we've said that too. But But here's the thing. Job here in verse 21 I am blameless. I regard myself not.

I loathe myself. Look, he may loathe the circumstances that he's in. And by the way, who wouldn't? Right? But this truth can be hard for all of us to handle. Here's the truth. He may loathe again what he's in, you know, what's happening in his life. Yet if he truly hated himself, he would be happy for what is happening. If he really hated himself, he'd be all Man, I deserve this. I deserve this suffering. I deserve all that pain. I deserve to lie there because I'm terrible and I hate myself. Do some more more. But no.

And so when we cry out, it's like, oh, I'm not happy with the way I look. Oh, you know, I hate myself. No, you actually love yourself and and you just don't like the circumstances you're in. Be careful. Ephesians 5 29 says this For no man has ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it. Even those who when they're cutting themselves or doing other self damage, again that's condemned in the word of God by the way. But we also need to understand there there's definitely hurt there. There's definitely things, but instead of bringing it to the cross and finding healing, bringing it to Jesus, we we attack other things and sometimes ourselves.

We should not be doing that. Verse 22 Job goes on. It is all one. Therefore I say he destroys both the blameless and the wicked. When the disaster brings sudden death, he mocks at the calamity of the innocent. Does God really mock at the calamity of the innocent? Job verse 29 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If it were not he, who then is it? So Job continues to to to to accuse God of being unfair to him. Verse 25 My days are swifter than a runner.

They flee away. They see no good. Remember again back to chapter one. Job says here they his days have never seen any good. They They see no good. Job had a beautiful family, a large family. He had a loving wife, wink wink. He had property. He had servants. He had riches. You can't say that he never had a good day, that his his days see no good. Guys and gals, be careful not to view everything around us through the lens of our hurt and suffering. Because I don't know about you guys and gals, but it's so much easier for me to remember those who have hurt me than it is those who have done good to me.

Oh, I remember that guy. He's a buzzard, man. He did this to me. She said that about me. I mean, all I can go back to grade school and tell you about people that hurt me or did different things. We all can. Amen. Amen. Look, we need to be careful not to view everything around us through the lens of our hurt and suffering, however great they may be by the way, and instead view them through the lens of the scriptures of God, through his divine truths. Then they help us to understand to a point, but even more so to have faith in him who allows these things to happen in our lives.

I love how Oswald Chambers said it in his wonderful devotion My Utmost for His Highest. I have to read this to you. It's a few, you know, paragraphs, but it it is so spot on. Ready? Life is not as idle or like metal or, but iron dug from central gloom and battered by the shocks of doom to shape and use. God gives us a work and then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that work. It is in the valley that so many of us give up and faint.

Even or every God-given vision and work will become real if only we will have patience. Just think of the enormous amount of free time God has. He's never in a hurry, yet we are always in such a frantic hurry while still in the light of the glory of the vision of work God has given us. We go right out to do things, but the work is not yet completed in us. God has to take us into the valley and take us through the fires and floods to batter us into shape until we get to the point where he can trust us with the reality of this work.

Ever since God gave us this work, he too has been at work. He is getting us into the shape of the goal that he has for us. And yet over and over again we try to escape from the sculptor's hand in every effort. It should be an effort to hammer ourselves into the shape of our own goal. The vision that God gives is not some unattainable castle in the sky, but a vision of what God wants you to be down here. Allow the potter to put on you on his wheel and whirl you around as he desires.

Then as surely as God is God and you are you, you will turn out as an exact likeness of the vision he has for you. But don't lose heart in the process. If you have ever had a vision and work from God, you may try as you will to be satisfied on a lower level, but God will never allow it. Isn't that beautiful? I just We just see this in the midst of the suffering God is always at work. And even now he's allowing all this to happen, Bildad and all these friends to come in for Job as we're going to see later on in the book of Job how God deals with that.

Look at verse 26. They go by like skiffs of readings talking about his days, his life like an eagle swooping on the prey. If I say I'll forget about my complaint, I will put off my sad face and be of good cheer. If I I become afraid of all my suffering, for I know you will not hold me innocent. I shall be condemned. Why then do I labor in vain? If I wash myself with snow and cleanse me cleanse my hands with lie, yet you will plunge me into a pit and my own clothes will abhor me.

For he is not a man as I am that I might answer him that we should come to trial together. There is no arbitrator between us who may might lay his hand on his both, letting him take his rod away from me and let not the dread of him terrify me. Then I would speak without fear of him, for I am not so in myself. He says there is no arbitrator here. Notice in verse 33. He's basically on trial, but he doesn't have a lawyer. He doesn't have a judge even to stand between him and God.

You know, it's interesting as he goes on, he says let him take his rod away from me and let me not dread of him terrify me. He's going back when talking about the rod. He's going back to you know, not going back, but we see it in the shepherd's tools. Shep One of the tools of a shepherd is a rod. And so he would have known this in that time. You'll remember back in Psalm 23 verse four it says, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Now you remember the staff. It's usually meant that crook staff that was like this and that would be basically to kind of push the the sheep where to go, sometimes to hook them out of danger if they got stuck in the, you know, bushes or something like that. And then they had a rod. The rod would be used to punish the sheep. And again, not just to punish them for the for the the sake of it, but it would be used for its own good to keep it away from danger.

The Bible says that God disciplines those whom he loves. Let us not despise the discipline of the Lord. And as we're closing tonight, remember look at verse 33 again. There is no arbitrator between us. We do have an arbitrator now, a mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. How blessed are we beloved in Christ that we have Jesus Christ? Job couldn't say this. None of the Old Testament saints could They could look forward to the coming of the Christ. They could look at the promises of the God in the revelation that they may be had at that time.

But I love this We do have an arbitrator. We do have Jesus Christ as our mediator between us and the Lord God. And we can come because of his death, because of his resurrection. We can come boldly to his throne of grace with every care, with every thought, with every temptation, with every trial, with every hurt and find him there. Our God, our shepherd ready therefore us to touch, to love, to bring his presence even more so into our lives.

Bill Henry: This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today we brought you a message from Pastor Bill from his series in the book of Job. It's our sincere hope and prayer that you've been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today. And if you'd like to share today's message with someone, it's available at our website to either watch or listen. And you can even download an audio MP3 version. We have a large number of Pastor Bill's messages archived, and you can find them all at simplefaith.org.

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We'd love to have you come visit us and make sure you say hi to Pastor Bill and let him know you listen to Simple Faith. For more information and directions, go to simplefaith.org. And you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for joining us today. Be sure to join us next time as our series in Job continues here on Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry. And be sure to join us for the Saturday edition of Simple Faith and our series in 1st Thessalonians. This program is brought to you by Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington.