Real Life/Real Faith - Sermon #4
Can Your Faith Take A Beating?
Text: Job 1
Introduction
1) Job’s Real Life Of Blessings
A. Job’s Profile
B. Hidden council in heaven
2) Job’s Real Life Of Heartache
3) Job’s Real Life Of Critics
Of course, their thinking seemed logical, but it was not spiritual. Mortal human beings are far too ignorant to understand fully the ways of God. For us to fit God into our own little “theological boxes” is to limit Him and make Him less than God.
(1) they fail to enter into Job’s sorrows and sympathize with him; (2) they have a rigid concept of God and His works, one that is not fully true; and (3) they are too dogmatic and proud to listen to Job and honestly examine their own beliefs.
4) Job’s Real Life Of Integrity
A. God educates Job on his own understanding of God
“Now,” says God, “you have reproved me and argued with me. Give me your answer!” There is only one answer Job can give (40:3–5): “I am vile; I have talked too much about things I do not understand. I will say nothing more.”
B. God rebukes his friends (42:7-14)
Once his fortunes were restored, Job’s friends and acquaintances returned to him to comfort him and encourage him.
Some of these same people had undoubtedly criticized him and judged him in the past, but now that was all over.
They brought gifts to Job, perhaps as evidence of their sincere sorrow for the mistakes of the past.
Conclusion
The main lesson in the Book of Job is not that you will be rich and powerful when suffering is over, but rather that Almighty God has a purpose in suffering and nothing can thwart that purpose. Even Satan must bow to God’s control, for God always writes the last chapter.
God gave him great honor after he suffered as a testimony in an age when there was no written Bible to teach people divine truth.
The secret of Job’s life was endurance (James 5:11); he trusted God in spite of Satan, circumstances, friends, or loved ones. His faith at times wavered, and sometimes he accused God, but he still endured “as seeing Him who is invisible.”