Sermon Tone Analysis

What to Do When the Trouble Keeps Coming

Job 42:1-17

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - July 27, 2014

BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION:

*On the world scene, there is some new, big trouble almost every day: Crisis on our southern border, planes shot down in Ukraine, with the Russian army ready to attack, and rockets raining down on Israel.

*Much closer to home, many people we know are going through big trouble.

At least 3 of our families have loved-ones battling cancer.

Jackie is back in the hospital, and Peggy's cousin passed away last week.

*As I headed back from Dallas yesterday morning, I saw a truck pulled off on the left shoulder of that 6-lane highway.

At first I thought it must have been engine trouble or out of gas.

But then I saw a middle-age man walking back down the median hillside with his little dog.

They had just come from a well-tended memorial cross on the side of the road.

So with all of those cars racing by, he was there to mourn the loss of a son, a daughter or a wife.

*Yesterday afternoon at the hospital, Jackie was in surprisingly good spirits: So thankful that Patsy "just happened" to be there when Jackie fell, so thankful for Valda also being at the emergency room, and so thankful for your love and prayers.

Jackie was also thankful that she didn't get hurt any worse than she did.

And it could have been a lot worse.

I walked out of Jackie's room pleasantly surprised at how well she was doing.

But as I walked back into the ICU waiting room, I saw a young woman who had obviously just heard some very bad news about someone she loves.

*The list of troubles goes on and on.

There are even times when trouble seems like it will never stop coming.

That's what happened to Job.

What do you do when the trouble keeps coming?

-- God's Word shows us what to do, and Job's story is a great place to start.

*The background to today's Scripture reminds us that bad things happen to the best people.

Job was certainly a very good man.

Job 1:1 tells us that Job was "blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."

*In Job 1:7&8 we also see that:

7. . .

The Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?''

So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.''

8. Then 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, one who fears God and shuns evil?''

*God gave a good testimony for Job.

And if God says good things about you, then you must be doing something right!

But in His infinite wisdom, God allowed the devil to test Job.

*Why did the Lord allow so many bad things to happen to this very good man?

-- Much of it is a mystery, and there could be many other reasons, but let me suggest four:

[1] First: The Lord loved Job and He knew that when it was all over, Job would be twice as blessed as he was before.

[2] Also, Job needed to learn that he could trust the Lord in every situation.

We get a hint of this truth in Job 3:25, where Job said, "The thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me." Job needed to learn that he could trust the Lord in every situation.

[3] But the Lord also let these things happen so that we would not think that living for the Lord brings a life without trouble and pain.

[4] On top of that, the Lord wanted to teach us to be careful about judging other people when they are having troubles in life.

*God has great reasons for everything He does, and for everything He allows the devil to do.

Listen to how the devil attacked Job in chapter 1.

This is vs. 13-19 from the New Living Translation:

13.

One day when Job's sons and daughters were dining at the oldest brother's house,

14. a messenger arrived at Job's home with this news: "Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them,

15. when the Sabeans raided us.

They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands.

I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

16.

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: "The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds.

I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

17.

While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: "Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants.

I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

18.

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: "Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother's home.

19.

Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the desert and hit the house on all sides.

The house collapsed, and all your children are dead.

I am the only one who escaped to tell you."

*Then in Job 2:7, "Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head."

*In these verses we can see that the devil has some control over thieves, murderers, lightening storms, tornadoes, and diseases.

On some level, every trouble in the world can be traced back to our enemy, the devil.

And bad things happen to the best people.

With all of this background in mind, let's read Job 42:1-17.

And as we read, think about what we can do when the trouble keeps coming.

MESSAGE:

1.

What should we do when the trouble keeps coming?

-- First: Know that God is near

*When we are going through trouble, we might be tempted to think that God has forgotten or abandoned us, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

Psalm 46 gives a great testimony about God's nearness in troubled times.

There the Bible says:

1. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

2. Therefore we will not fear, Though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

*That Psalm writer knew about the nearness of God, and so did Job.

By the time we get to this chapter, Job had already been reminded of God's nearness.

But it happened in an extraordinary and terrifying way.

Job 38 tells us that the Lord appeared to Job in a whirlwind, and that word "whirlwind" came from the Hebrew word for hurricane.

*So the Lord appeared in a terrible storm.

Then He began to quiz Job with some very hard questions.

Job 38 begins by saying:

1.

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

2. "Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

*In the NLT, God's question says: "Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words?"

And that was just the start.

Here's a little more of what God said to Job that day:

3. Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.

4.

Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

5. Who determined its measurements?

Surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

6.

To what were its foundations fastened?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

7. when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

*That was not a pleasant experience for Job.

But it was a giant step to help him get through his troubles.

It was a giant step to help him come out blessed on the other side.

And it makes all the difference in the world when we realize that God is here with us.

[1] God draws near and one reason why He draws near is to correct us.

*God Himself said that Job was the best man of his generation, but Job needed correction, and that's why God chastised His servant Job.

But God did that in love.

He wasn't trying to be mean to Job or add to his pain.