Pleading for a Man With God
Notes
Transcript
Pleading for a Man with God
Text: Job 16:21 (KJV 1900)
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
Introduction:
* In our text verse this morning the man Job cries out in agony of the heart and makes a heart wrenching plea “O that one might plead for a man with God!”
* The Bible tells us that Job was a man that pleased God and was right before God. Job in the past had walked and fellowshipped with God, but now the heavens were shut up to Job.
* The book of Job opens up with the revelation that Satan appeared before God on a day when the angels of God presented themselves before God.
Job 1:6–8 (KJV 1900)
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
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.
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?
* God asks Satan, “Satan where have you been” and the Devil replies walking to and fro in the earth.
* The Bible tells us that Satan does that very thing in the New Testament:
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV 1900)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
* God asks Satan, “Have you seen my servant Job? There is nobody like him in the earth.” God tells Satan that Job is the “real deal,” Job really loves me and lives a clean life.”
* The Devil replies to God “Yeah the only reason Job serves you and lives right is because of all the protection and blessing that you provide for him.
Job 1:9–12 (KJV 1900)
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
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.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
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.
* Well, most of us are familiar with the rest of the story, God removed his hand from blessing and protecting Job, and allowed the Devil to take everything away from Job; his family, his wealth, and even his health.
* So Job takes it all on the chin. Job doesn’t sin by cursing God for his trials:
Job 2:7–10 (KJV 1900)
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.
What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
* So we find poor Job, sitting in a pile of ashes, alone, penniless, scraping the scabs off the boils that are all over his body, grieving in his pitiful condition, but still with his integrity intact.
Job 27:5 (KJV 1900)
5 God forbid that I should justify you: Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.
Job 13:15 (KJV 1900)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him.
* Now, while in this pitiful condition, Job’s friends come to Job and begin to berate Job; and one after the other tells Job, “Job, it is plain to see that you are being punished because you are not right with God!”
* Job is disgusted with his friends for their “better than thou” attitude and gives them a thing or two in return:
Job 12:1–4 (KJV 1900)
And Job answered and said, 2 No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you.
3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?
4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, The just upright man is laughed to scorn.
Job 16:1–5 (KJV 1900)
Then Job answered and said, 2 I have heard many such things:Miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Shall vain words have an end? Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4 I also could speak as ye do: If your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, And shake mine head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
* And so Job, suffering the attack of Satan, sitting in a pile of ashes, scraping his sores, has to now listen to his hypocrite friends tell him how evil he is, and how that he needs to get right with God!
* What a pitiful, miserable sight!
* Now this is the background of our test verse this morning. Job, overwhelmed with all this misery and confusion cries out…
Text: Job 16:21 (KJV 1900)
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
Body:
* The words that Job cried out spoke to my heart this week as I was doing my reading to read through the Bible with you this week.
* I have already finished the New Testament, and now am up to the book of Psalms since January 1st.
* The words that Job cried out in desperation have laid heavy on my heart this week:
Text: Job 16:21 (KJV 1900)
21 O that one might plead for a man with God!
* That’s what we need this morning! We need someone who will make it his, or her business to cry out to God for the souls of men!
* The night I was called to preach, at 13 years of age, Dr. Tom Malone, founder of Midwestern Baptist College, thundered out the question from the pulpit that God asked the prophet Isaiah “Is there a man will stand in the Gap for me?”
* Just like in the times of Isaiah, so it is in or time. If God does not find someone to stand in the gap, and plead for the souls of men in America, God will bring judgment upon our wicked land!
* God looked upon the wickedness of the nation of Israel, and because there was no one to plead with the souls of men, God destroyed the Land and nation of Israel.
Ezekiel 22:29–31 (KJV 1900)
30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.
* A dear friend of my former pastor, Dr. John R. Rice, one of the greatest soul winning evangelists in the past century, wrote a book entitled “No man cared for my soul.” I have the copy with me this morning from my father’s study.
* The title of this great book about caring for the souls of men, was taken from Psalms 142.4 where David, hiding from Saul in a cave, cried out in desperation:
Psalm 142:4 (KJV 1900)
4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, But there was no man that would know me: Refuge failed me; No man cared for my soul.
* How many people within a 10 minute drive from Blue Springs Baptist church will cry out…
“I lived in Philadelphia, Tennessee and I needed God, I needed help, I needed to be saved- I looked on my right hand, and I looked on my left hand, but no man cared for my soul!”
* How many boys and girls sit at home this morning in run down house trailers, who’s lives are about to be destroyed by sin,-
but they have no hope because there is not Sunday school teacher at Blue Springs Baptist Church to care for their soul!
* How many people in our community are lost, headed for the eternal damnation of a fiery Hell, because there is no visitation program at Blue Springs Baptist Church to take the Gospel from door to door!
* How many people around the world will have no hope of hearing the Gospel and will go to Hell because Blue Springs Baptist Church has no mission program?
* O that God would raise up people in Blue Springs Baptist Church that will plead with God for the souls of men and women and boys and girls that are perishing all around us!
* Our text this morning says:
21 O that one might plead for a man with God!
- It doesn’t matter if people have already refused the Gospel!
- It doesn’t matter if people have chosen to hate God! There may still be hope for their soul!
Romans 5:20 (KJV 1900)
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
- God is still looking for someone to plead with Himself for their souls!
* In Exodus chapter 32, while God was writing the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai in the wilderness, the people of Israel were dancing naked in front of a Golden Calf.
* God was so angered with the people, to the point that He had decided to kill them all, and send them straight to Hell!
* But the man Moses stepped in the Gap between God and the people and pleaded with God for their souls! And God harkened to the pleading of Moses for men’s souls, and God saved the people from destruction!
* God desires for someone to stand in the Gap for the souls of men this morning!
* Oh that this morning God would place a burning desire on the People of Blue Springs Baptist Church to plead for the souls of men!
* May we listen to the cry of Job: 21 O that one might plead for a man with God!
* May the Holy Spirit of God strike your heart and smite you with a desire to stand in the Gap between the Judgment of God and the people of our little community!
Conclusion:
* You might say to me Pastor Woody how do you know that we are not already pleading for the souls of men enough, at Blue Springs Baptist church?
* Well, it’s very simple. No one is getting saved here. This condemnation hits me harder than it does you this morning.
* For the single finger that is pointed at this congregation, there are three fingers pointing back at me.
* So what is going to make a difference in this church’s attitude for the souls of men? Well Jude has the answer in verse 22:
Jude 22–23 (KJV 1900)
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
* What is going to change this church into a church that pleads with God for the souls of men? Compassion for the souls of men!
* Jude goes on to say in the next verse:
23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
* This morning God is pleading with someone to stand in the Gap for men’s souls!
* We read in Luke 15:7:
Luke 15:7 (KJV 1900)
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
* All the host of heaven is overwhelmed with compassion and concern for the souls of men!
* The rich man in Hell was concerned and pleaded with God for the souls of his five brothers!
- If God Himself is concerned that we plead for the souls of men
- If the angles in heaven are concerned that we plead for the souls of men
- If the people in Hell are concerned that we plead for the souls of men
* Then why, please tell me why, churches are so unconcerned, and plead so little for the souls of men!
* We must repent of this sin! We need a revival this morning!
* This revival will only come to Philadelphia Tennessee by individuals pleading with God for the souls of men!
* Job cried out in our text verse:
Text: Job 16:21 (KJV 1900)
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
* I pray that the Holy Spirit will grip your heart this morning and call you out to be a soul winner that pleads for the souls of men!
* We will not sing, or play the piano, this morning.
* Has the Holy Spirit moved on this church during this message to bring revival to Philadelphia Tennessee?
* Will you make a commitment to choose a person, and pray, and plead for their soul, until God moves on them by the Holy Spirit?
* If you will make that commitment, join me here on this alter and ask God for a renewed compassion for the souls of men.
* Join me at this alter, as I ask God for a real revival, that cries out to God with with Job:
Text: Job 16:21 (KJV 1900)
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
