October 22, 2025 • 57 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Wednesday Bible Study. We are so glad
that you are with us today. My name is Rick Burgess.
I'll be walking us through the Book of Joe begin today.
We'll be in chapter thirty six. If you want to
go ahead and turn there and be set up and
ready to go. We are in the studios of my
day job, the Rick Burgess Show. You can find out
(00:22):
everything about that by going to Rick burgesshow dot com.
This Bible study is part of a greater strategy. It
started out now this Bible study because we're just doing
books of the Bible. Women are certainly invited to join
us on all of our different options, but here in
the room, it's all men because it started as just
a men's Bible study, which then grew into what is
(00:42):
now Themanchurch dot com. Over twenty four hundred churches all
over the country doing parts of our strategy, if not
the full strategy, which features high challenge in the form
of events and conferences. And we have speakers that we
send out and we do conferences. But the most important
thing that we do that kind of makes us unique
(01:04):
is we provide resources for the equipping part, the discipleship part,
which so many times is sorely lacking. And these are
curriculum and resources designed for men, men and women, of
course being equal in value but beautifully distinct. And we
have a forty week curricula. We have six of those
that you can choose from, and we have also a
(01:26):
number of individual resources in the forms of devotionals in books.
All those can be found at the Manchurch dot com.
If you'd like to go there, you can contact us.
We'll help you with that. If you'd like to implement
a men's strategy that is sustainable and is producing great
fruit all over the country. Of course, the strategies right
(01:47):
out of the Bible, so no surprise that it actually
works if implemented, and it is easy to implement, so
we'll help you with that. Also our conferences, we have
two more coming up in twenty twenty six Birmingham, twenty third,
twenty fourth of January start well the thirtieth and thirty
first of January. Tickets are moving very quickly on those.
(02:08):
Early access is all but gone at this point, but
you can still check to see if there's still some available.
You can find those by going to Themanchurch dot com.
So let's open up in a word of prayer, and
let's jump right into job chapter thirty six. Lord, thank
you for today, thank you for the men that are
here in the room, and they're encouraging faces week after week,
(02:32):
year after year. We always welcome new faces to join
us as well. Lord, I'm so thankful for those that
are now watching this all over the world, whether that
be live or on the archive or listening to our archive,
whatever the case may be. We know that you have
orchestrated their ears to be leaning into what you have
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to say today. And Lord, you are perfect. I am not,
so help me to overcome my shortcomings as you speak
through me through the power of the Holy Spirit, and
help us to discern through that same filter, the filter
of perfection in your presence, the Holy Spirit. In the
name of Jesus Christ, we pray Amen. So here we
(03:13):
are Alai who is still going. He is just about done.
As a matter of fact, if you looked at at
the point he's making now, time's not going to allow
us to do it this way. You really could take
chapter thirty six and thirty seven and put them together,
because it's going to be a similar theme, two different things,
but a similar approach because This is going to be
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this younger man's last attempt to persuade Job that his
losses and his sickness all are God's way of urging
him to repent. It has no recorded effect that we have.
This will prepare us and Job for the revelation of God,
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who will appear very soon in a whirlwind. I mean,
we're getting really close. It's this chapter and next chapter
and all the people are done, and then we're going
to hear from the one and only living God. How
about that? So that's going to be something. But God,
of course is sovereign. God is perfect, God is all knowing.
(04:20):
So what you're going to see is a lie who
not on purpose. He really is being used by God
to be his intro guy, his hype guy. So these
two chapters are going to be things that God is
actually going to say and double down on about himself.
So this is kind of of a lie who laying
(04:41):
out the stage without knowing he would end and say,
ladies and gentlemen, now please welcome the great I am
coming in chapter thirty eight. But here's he's going to
speak first of God's greatness. Now many people think of
this as having a little touch of arrogance from Alaihu.
(05:04):
I don't necessarily agree with that, even though you know,
there's people that are much more impressive than me that
do think that. But there's also many others more impressive
than me that don't think that I tend to be
in their camp. I honestly think that this is more
bold than it is arrogant. Now, there is a difference.
And if you've read the book that I just finished
(05:28):
about my dad, that has been out since May of
twenty twenty five, my dad took it upon himself to
teach me the difference between confidence and arrogance, and boldness
and arrogance. As he would often tell me, these are
not the same things. And today I'd like to define
which one you seem to be perpetuating. My dad loved
confidence and he loved boldness. He did not like arrogance.
(05:50):
And so so anyway, I think if I were just say,
if somebody said, Burge, what do you think? I would
think that this is a young man who's very bold
about who God is, not necessarily who he is. Understand
he thinks that job is being his complaining against God
is unwarranted, so he's upset about job. What he perceives
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as Job's treatment of God. I don't think he's elevating himself.
I think he's elevating God and he's just very bold
about it. I don't know about you, guys. Some of
the most valuable people in my life are people who
are bold, who are confident, and they are not afraid
to point out the things they know about God. If
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they feel like I seem to afraid, I forgotten. And
so I don't think this is a problem about him
talking about God and his greatness. Now. I think where
people get confused and want to get on a lie
who and call him arrogant is because he is going
to sprinkle in some accusations against Job that he needs
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to repent. And I think the mix of those two
sometimes give people that at that point of view, it
doesn't matter. But I just wanted to share with you
those two points of view. So verse one, he's just
going to continue. Now, Notice, go back to thirty five.
I spend more time on this this week just because
it interests me. Thirty five it says an a lie
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who answered here it says and a lie who continued.
I still want to go back to that thirty five
What is he answering Is it still just the original question?
I guess, But this time the writer seems to say no,
he's just continuing on there. I think he's kind of
giving up on job making a response, and he just
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wants to get on record. Ever been that way before.
I know that we're not going anywhere with this argument,
but I want to get on record everything that I
think about it. And so he continues, and he said,
and two, bear with me a little. Now, I do
find that funny. You ever had somebody tell you to
make a long story short and you're set? You said, now,
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we've missed that. So I don't think a lot. Who
can say, bear with me a little? We've already done that.
You're asking us to bear with you a lot because
you've been going a while. And so and he said,
and I will show you for I have yet something
to say. Now this is important. This is where you
see me come in and kind of give the kid
a break on God's behalf. You know, if we're being
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bold about a truth, but it's the truth of God.
Not to elevate ourselves, but to refuse to compromise God.
There's nothing wrong with that. That's not arrogant. That's just
talking about how great God is. He says, So I
need you to stay with me. I think it's funny
he says a little. If he said a little while longer,
I'd be okay there. But this has hardly been the
littlest one of the longest, and this one will be
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one of the longest of the speeches that Ali who
has given. But he does say, and I think it's important.
I want to speak on behalf of God. I want
to be sure that we all remember who God is.
That's fine, I'm okay with that. Verse three. I will
get my knowledge from Afar and ascribe righteousness to my maker.
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That's important too. It's not elevating himself. Bottom line is
he's saying what I say is right because it came
from God, and God is always right. Is that true?
You know? I was talking about this Sunday. Yes, it
was this past Sunday, and I had a wonderful opportunity
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to go and encourage a whole association of pastors, and
my grandmother in Glory would have been thrilled because it
was a Baptist association in Alabama. And there's nothing that
my grandmother would have would have loved more than those
two things. And she loved Jesus. She loved Baptists, and
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she loved Alabama Baptist. Okay, And as I said, my
grandmother was such a Baptist. She whispered of denominations. So
so if you did you talk to so on so
yeap method is you know? And uh so uh so anyway,
but I but I was talking to them. I was
talking to them, and I was I would saying now
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more than ever, and we all know this, right guy,
I mean, this is the truth the time when we're
doing this Bible study, no matter how many years later
you listen to this or whatever, and the time we're
in right now the answer for this twisted dark society.
Nothing wrong with voting. It's imported and you want, you
want to use that vote to vote the best you can,
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you know, for the things that that that are right
for your country and right for this country. But there
is no political candidate, there is no political legislation that
is the answer for our problems, uh our. The answer
for our problems is the church. And and that's always
been the case, but it's so now more than ever.
It seems like to me that the Western Church just
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a little bit seems to be trying to get to
the sidelines, and because they don't want to get in
this fight. But it's time for us now more than ever,
to be bold in our proclamation of not just the
one and only living God, that's a given, but the
exclusivity of the Gospel. And what we do is we
don't apologize for the exclusivity of redemption through christ alon
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because we didn't come up with it. That. We didn't
come up with that. Jesus did. So all we're doing
is going out and saying Jesus said that He's the way,
the truth and the life, and there is no path
to redemption and to the Father and the Father's perfection
except through his perfection. There is no other way. And
we don't apologize for that, nor do we have to
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feel bad about that. We need to say it in love,
no doubt about that. But it's okay to be bold
and uncompromising when we say, but this isn't our standard.
We're flawed people, we're nothing, as we said what we're
nothing but a bunch of beggars, just telling you where
the bread is, the bread of life, life is Jesus,
and there aren't multiple ways for redemp things like that,
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multiple ways, And it's not a time for the pullpit
to be apologizing for the truths of the Gospel. And
I think that most people in society are really right
now just saying I just want truth because this sure
is hard to find. So now, more than ever, preach
the truth. That's what's going to draw people in, you know.
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I mean you might be able to to you think
that you've got to come up with something that is
so palatable. But I think more than ever, Jesus is
in no need of pr agents shoot them straight. I
actually think people are begging for that, and because that
middle ground is kind of gone, you know where unfortunately
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where I used to live kind in this. You know,
I'm not really for Jesus, but I'm certainly not against him.
Of course that doesn't exist. Now there's people saying I
want to be a follower of his or I don't
want anything to do with it. So let's just tell
the truth. And so you see this young man who's
willing to this is what he's trying to do. Now.
He doesn't understand what God's doing with job. I got that,
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but I like him pointing to God without apologizing and
saying God is always right, which is true. Verse four,
I will he says, for truly, my words are not false.
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Okay,
there you go. So he's even claiming that he is
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completely free from falsehood. Why because he wants to use
perfect knowledge. And where does perfect knowledge come from. It
comes from God. He also talked to you. Also hear
this coming up in thirty seven sixteen, and is in
the next part of his speech next week. So he
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is speaking to job, there's no doubt about that, the
one who was called blameless by God by the way
in verse one eight and also in chapter two of
verse three. So keep in mind he's getting a little
bold right now about saying that he is completely free
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of any falsehood, and he's saying this to a man
that God said, oh, by the way, he's blameless. So
that part is a little bit of comedic in its
own way. So now five through fifteen you're gonna hear
Alaihu talking about God's retribution to the good and the
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bad and merciful to the just. And it really kind
of bothers me when we were this far into this
study and we're still banging on some of this bad theology.
But what he said about God so far, though, let's
just celebrate that for a minute. But now we get
into five. Behold, God is mighty, Yes he is, and
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does not despise any He is mighty in strength of understanding. Now,
what he's really saying here is that God is resolute.
There's no doubt about that. But he's not prejudice. He
understands what's going on. Now he's saying this to say, job,
he's not gonna turn you away if you'll just if
you'll just come to him and you'll just repent. God
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knows your heart, he knows what you did, and you
just need to own it. And if you do, he
is just no doubt. Jesus told us much later that
everything about God is perfect and the standard is perfection. However,
it is interesting to see the Old Testament talking so
much about mercy and grace. However, God also knows so
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much that he knows if you're truly repented or not.
He's not gonna turn you away. He's not be prejudiced,
saying that because of who you are, no matter what
you do, I won't forgive you, which is good news.
So verse five, behold, God is mighty. He does not
despise any. He is mighty in strength and understand. Look
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at six. Now in six he says he does not
keep the wicked alive, but give us the afflicted. They're
right now. He's got a problem here. Now, it's that
tired old theology wicked or not spared, the afflicted are spared.
It's just not true. And eternity correct, an eternity correct.
(16:24):
But Job was saying, y'all are trying to apply this
to this imperfection, and that's this fallen earth, and we
need to know that, y'all, y'all do realize that we
are falling people in a fallen world. This is one
of our forty week curricula is one called Impact. And
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I remember being new to the faith and I didn't
know what to do with tewod Peter chapter one. I
had no idea what to do with it. I'm like,
what's Peter doing telling us all these things we're supposed
to do. I thought we are saved by grace through faith, period.
And I know James is talking about it feels a
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little bit like James, you know that there's something something
are to be going on. But no, what Peter was
saying is no, no, no, I'm not talking about redemption
by the time I'm talking to you. And second, Peter,
I'm talking to the redeemed. And what I'm saying, though
you may be redeemed, that's true, no question about that. However,
if you're still alive and Christ has not returned, I
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want to give you a heads up that you you
better be careful because you still have a sin nature
and you still live in a sinful world. And then
he says that knowing those two things, therefore, make every
effort to supplement to the faith that saved you these
things so that you'll have a fruitful life you want.
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You won't live a life that's not impactful. But you're
gonna need to be real aggressive about your sanctification. You're
gonna need to continue. I just talked to a guy
this week and he said, I don't know what's wrong
with me, and I can't seem to get my act together,
and I'm worried that I'm going to hell, and I'm
worried that I'm not redeemed because i just can't seem
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to get it right. And I said, and that's been
the problem. You keep trying to get it right. You
just need to submit to the authority of Christ. You
just need to repent. And then I said, look at
these words, and here look at John fifteen. Abide in Jesus,
and I explained him what that that means. And then
let Jesus transform you. I think you keep trying to
do the atta boy, and let me try a little
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bit harder. And you're being frustrated because you're trying to
do this of your own strength and hoping that somehow
because you believe in Jesus, and if you can straighten
your life out, then you'll really be saved. And I said, no,
only Jesus can straighten your life out, speaking from expirits.
Just abide in him. Get in the word of God.
You know these things that Peter's talking about. I mean,
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understand the Word of God. I said, how active are
you in the church? You know? He said not much.
I said, that's a problem. Be active in the local church,
be in worship, be in Bible, study, pray together with
your wife, immerse yourself in Jesus. And I said, and
he's so powerful he will It's not going to be overnight.
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But he's so powerful that he will. He promises he
will take away these things, and he will transform you,
and he will produce much fruit in you, proving that
you're his disciples, and his Father will be glorified by
what he has done in you. I don't want to
go down this whole road to get everybody going. The
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one thing that Romans chapter eight is saying that we
all have these ridiculous arguments about, but the one thing
it is saying is just what John fifteen is saying,
and just what Peter's saying, is that it is predestined
that if you have been redeemed, it is predestined because
how powerful he is, we will become more like Jesus,
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because of how powerful he is. Well, here, you know,
you've got a lie who trying to act like that
Heaven and Earth are the same, and they're just not.
There's people on Earth that look like they're doing quite well.
Joe keeps pointing this out. God's not smiting them now,
he will if they don't repent. But I don't raise
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your hand. If you know people who've been afflicted and
God did not save them and they died, my hands up. Okay,
I mean but I know that they were redeemed. And
I've seen wicked people beat cancer, beat all kinds of stuff,
you know, which is God's grace. In my opinion, there's
different kinds of grace, you know. You say, well, God's
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gracious because he healed somebody that I knew was redeemed.
He's also gracious when he heals somebody who's wicked to
give them another shot. So it's just not true that
on earth you can clearly see bad people get punished
and good people are delivered. It's just not true. But
they still keep believing this because it's all falling right now.
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But it's going to be made right. That's the promise
to hang on to. As I've had to say so
many times, it's not always going to be like this.
Cherry said that to so many people, and I've kind
of taken that on talking all the time. It ain't
always going to be like this. So verse seven, he
does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with
kings on the throne, he sets in forever and they
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are exalted. Bad theology again, I mean, here it is again.
He says God does this is what God does for
good people. He watches over them. He actually sets them
on royal thrones, and he exalts them forever. This is
why Job thinks God has removed his protective eye, because
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Job once believed these same things. And he goes, I
was once exalted, I was once honored, and now I'm
downtrodden and I am despised by everybody. So either the
theology that I believed is wrong, are There's something I've
done that I can't identify? Right? You know when Ali
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who is saying all this, I bet Joe's just not
and going, yeah, I know that's what we believe. But
I'm telling you my situation is not like that. I'm
blameless now blameless. Remember always remember this does not mean perfect.
It doesn't mean sinless. It means he's not unrepentant. There's
nothing between him and God. He hasn't dealt with He
certainly had some he was not a sinless man Verses
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eight through twelve. Now there's going to be a cup.
You know, you're going to see a lie who are
doing a series of conditions create these results. So look
at verse eight. In verse eight, and if they are
bound in change and caught in the cords of affliction,
they's setting up nine right there. He's saying, if you
are bound in change and you're caught in affliction, then
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look at nine. Then he declares to them their work
and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly. The warning
is teaching about sin. Now this is and he's really
telling job right now to you not to say this
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is arrogant. God's dealing with you because you're arrogant. Now.
This has been an accusation that has been made about
him by all of them. And now Ali who seems
to be jumping in and he's saying, God, what he
does is he if you're bounding changed and you're caught
in the cords of affliction, God's trying to show you
that your work is a work of sin. He's trying
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to show you your transgressions, and he's trying to show
you that you are arrogant. He's humbling you. Boy, what
would a lia who do with the one I keep
representing over and over again that God keeps humbling Paul
even after he's been redeemed. I mean, Paul tells us
that that's not a guess on my part. Paul tells
us that in sewo Corinthians twelve. Right, so that's not
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even up for debate. And Paul's clearly redeemed. But he
said that this thorn in his flesh has been left
there by God, and there's a demon harassed him about it.
I always think about that demon, and I think, I
bet you I know what that's demon saying. We don't
know in scripture, but I think it's an easy guess.
How come God won't take that flesh that thorn from you.
Here's this God you claim to love, and here I
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hear you praying. And but you know, Paul said, no, no, no, no, no.
He's doing this to keep me from being conceited. He
knows me better than I know myself, and he knows
if I don't have this, this that keeps keeping me down,
I'll become He let us know because he's highly educated,
he's been taken up to the Third Heaven. He's healing people.
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God's brought him through a number of things. We know
that he's sold out for Jesus and Paul, apparently, because
God knows us better than anybody, needed this not to
become arrogant. He kept him down, kept him humble. Now, Now,
what would a lie who do with that theology? The
apostle Paul had to be humbled and you and I
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don't think we have to be humbled sometimes. I mean,
it's it's it's how about it's I think it's arrogant
to think that you don't ever need to be humbled.
I mean, I look, I struggle with it, there's no
question and uh. And now God has taught me some
incredible lessons and has has broken me down to the
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point that the thing that gets me so much, and
I think about Paul and Roman seven, it gets to
me so much. And maybe you're the same way I am,
brothers and sisters out there. God has taught me incredible
lessons that were crystal clear and changed my life forever.
But it but but as time goes on, there's days
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that I come back and go, I cannot believe the
attitude I took today, after all you've taught me. I
cannot believe the way I acted today, after all you've
taught me? How How how could I not have handled
that situation today better? After all you've taught me? And
now we're back to tewod Peter again. Because you have
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a sin nature and you live in a sinful world,
don't ever. You know, it's just like anything you can
you can take it to the physical, but the same
thing with the spiritual. You got to keep feeding it.
You got to keep spiritually you got to keep spiritually healthy,
you got to keep getting stronger, you got to keep growing.
You haven't studied the Bible enough. You have, you haven't
done these spiritual disciplines enough. You got to keep doing them.
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Not because you haven't been redeemed, because you want to
finish well and you don't want to compromise Christ by
by having bad moments, and you want to keep becoming
more like him. But that doesn't happen. Just kind of
hanging out has nothing to do with a works based redemption. No, no, no,
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we're talking about fruitfulness. We're talking about impact. Uh, we're
but it doesn't go any further if you look at
one that's really simple. You've heard me say this a
thousand times, but I have to learn things simply, and
I think maybe the gifts that God's given me is
to try to simplify it for people like me. But
I don't. I don't need to go to the seminary
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to understand that. If Jesus told me as his disciple,
to teach the world all that he's commanded. I have
to know what he commanded. That's just simple Calhoun County
stuff right there. Right Jesus, did you say teach all
you commanded? I did, so I guess I need to
know it. Probably, I bet you do. I can't teach
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something I don't know, right, So I guess I need
to know this since I'm supposed to teach it. Right.
So so that that's the kind of stuff that you
can't get around. So h a lie who continues with
this with his you know, his conditions and his results.
So he says, that's uh that that God's to teach
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you a lesson by letting you struggle. And anybody who
struggles he opens their ears to instruction. I'm in verse
ten now and commands that they returned from iniquity. He's saying,
it's correction, not punishment. It's correction. It's a call for
you to repent and to be more obedient. Verse eleven.
If they listen and serve him, they complete their days
(28:24):
in prosperity and their years and pleasantness. That's a bad
theology right there. Now. He's showing he's orthodox on the
theology of the day. But this is true what he's saying.
That what he's saying is true of an unregenerated sinner.
It's just not true of Job. Now, one part about
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it that he gets right that is true, and that
is that if a sinner listens to God and decides
to serve God and decides to own the problem, then
they cannot complete their days in prosperity and their years
in pleasantness. Their eternity would be in prosperity, and their
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eternity would be in pleasantness, but not their life here
on earth. There's no guarantee of that. Now, you will
have a peace that defies all understanding. Yes, but it
doesn't mean life's going to be easy. It doesn't mean
that at all. And keep in mind he's saying that
Job needs to do this, but Job doesn't need to
repent of anything verse twelve. But if they don't listen,
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they perish by the sword and they die without knowledge.
That's the opposite of what he presented in eleven. The
opposite then would also be true Job. If one does
not repent, then that means that they perish by the
sword and they die without knowledge. Well, It's true that
they perish, there's no doubt about that. It may or
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may not be by the sword. But again, this would
not apply to Job. Thirteen, The godless heart cherish anger,
and they do not cry for help when he binds them.
The wicked are slow learners. They get angry, they won't
(30:13):
cry out for help. They're stubborn. Now, I wonder who's
directing that at I think that Job, first of all,
has cried out for help several times and he doesn't
know why he's not getting it. He is he saying
the godless in heart. That would not apply to Job
at all. Now, he is right that people who are
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godless in heart, that they do tend to be angry.
They don't ask God for help. They are defiant when
he binds them. That's true. Fourteen, here comes another thing
that's really not true. They die in youth and their
life ends among the cult prostitutes. So what this means
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the cult prostitute. There's much discussion about that. That's not
think that. What he's saying is those wicked people. He
says they die young. That's not true. I've seen wicked
people who live a really long time. Back to God's
grace on that. But in that time that theology, they
believed that somebody died young it was of course there
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was something wicked about them. They thought part of living
the right life was a long earthly life. And then
what he's saying at the end about the cult prostitutes
is that they die in shame. That's really all he's saying.
He's not saying that they literally become cult prostitutes or
anything like that. This was very common in the pagan religions,
and most of these cult prostitutes when they would die,
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and they died, often they were just buried off in someplace.
That he's saying, if you're unrepentant and your life ends,
you will die in shame, just like a cult prostitute would,
or anyone who died in shame. It's just an example
of dying in shame. So next he says he delivers
the afflicted by their and opens their ear by adversity. Well, yeah,
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God does use difficulty to get our attention, He does
difficulty to teach us things, He does difficulty to make
us more dependent on him. Does he open our ears?
He does? Uh? And but here's here's the problem. What
he's saying to Job, right here, does God have your
attention yet? Are you listening yet? Because this is why
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he does these things, And I want to know whether
your ears have been opened. Again, Job gives no answer.
I think Job is just done with defending himself at
this point. So now he's going to get into God's
discipline to Job. Sixteen through twenty one a lot who's
going to get tougher on Job. And it's it gets
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a little uncomfortable here because now he turns and he
just says, he also allured you out of distress into
a broad place where there was no crap, and what
was set on your table was full of fatness. I'm
talking to you now, Job, he God, your troubles are
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God's judgment, evil, marriage, punishment, good brings blessings. But repentance
can turn wrath into wealth, and can turn a curse
into grace, can turn death into life. All true, it
just doesn't apply to Job. So once again, I'm sure
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Job's like, yeah, I believe all that. I hear you.
There's no doubt about that. So then he goes to seventeen.
He says, but you are full of judgment on the
wicked judgment and justice have now seized you. Added now
has seized you. But no, you wouldn't repent, Joe. You
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know everything I just say is true and you haven't
done any of it. So you're now in the grip
of the law of God, who always gives people what
they deserve. Not true, not in the New Covenant. How
many of you are glad that God didn't give you
what you deserve? Yeah, my hand is up, you know,
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of course, I know Dave Ramsey's not the only person
to say that. But when he says that I'm better
than I deserve, he's He's speaking absolute truth that any
of us could say that on our worst day, if
we are redeemed, we are not getting what we deserve.
But a lot who says, now God hands out what
is deserved. And you had a shot and that windows
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closing job. Beware, look at this, Beware less wrath entice
you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the
ransom turn you aside. Hey, don't let your love of
money convince you to scoff and consider wealth is or
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as they answered all your problems. And he says, you know,
the ransom that God is requiring of you don't let
that make you angry at him now, don't think you
can buy him off. That's what he goes on and
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says in nineteen look at this. Will you cry for help?
Will your cry for help of l to keep you
from distress and all the force of your strength. What
he's saying is you cannot buy your way out of
this job. God took away every ounce of wealth you
might have started thinking your wealth gave you confidence and
somehow you could just do anything and then buy your
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way out of it. And you're not going to buy
your way out of this job. Twenty. Do not long
for the night when peoples vanish in their place. Don't
just long for this for it to take you into
a darkness and disappear, and then you think that's going
to have you. You know this is going to solve
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your problem, which you know. Job has said that he's
kind of he just wants to kind of be dead,
and he says, be careful with that. What you need
to do with what's going on is not go deeper
into darkness. Job. You need to respond by returning to
the light. That's what you need to do. Don't long
for the night when when when people vanish in their place.
You don't, You shouldn't yearn for that. You've said that
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a few times. What you need to do is you
need to return back to the light. Now we know
that Job doesn't need to return to the light. Certainly
he's starting to get, you know, in a place where
he longs for this just to be over. So again
he's hearing something that does not apply to him. Take care,
do not turn to iniquity for this. You have chosen
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rather than affliction. Don't turn to evil by complaining about
this to God. Don't complain to God or about God.
Job would rather suffer and challenge God's justice, then simply repent.
Why are you choosing this? But Job knew his integrity.
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Now this is where it gets real complicated here. I
want you to think for a minute. Job knows his
integrity so well he considers it a sin because think
about it. I know I have this in my life.
I have some conflicts with people in my own life,
in my own family that I could solve by just
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compromising God. It could be over like that if I
would just tell them what they want to hear. If
I would just go ahead and give in, that would
be the end of it, as far as you know,
having this conflict. But job knows what I know. But
if I do that just to make this go away,
I don't have integrity anymore. I'm now pretending something's true
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that isn't just to get these people off my back,
because what they're demanding of me would actually be another
way of me compromising God by giving in to it.
Think about being in that situation. So now this is
the part I was telling you about where he kind
of becomes the uh, the person who's going to introduce
(38:18):
Have you ever been if you've ever been anywhere, and
you've ever been in a situation where you speak before
you do things, you always get there and go okay,
am I up? After this next song? Is somebody introducing me,
you know? And I've had there's been so many times
that it's obvious the person introducing me has no idea
who I am, you know, and and so it's uh.
(38:38):
And I've heard some of the most interesting introductions before.
I had a funny one on Sunday night that when
I was talking about with a long friend and so
he's he's the one that had me come speaking. He's
sitting there and I said, how many? How many songs?
He said, one? Just one song? I said, okay. So
the song starts ending, and I start getting my Bible
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and I keep my phone with that stopwatch to time it.
And of course some people think I put it there
for no reason. But anyway, so I'm getting I'm getting
bottle of water, and I mean, the song's ending, and
I noticed the praise team's not leaving. They're not starting
that where they pray and everybody walks off, you know,
and I kind of look at my buddy. He looks
(39:20):
back at me, and they start. You hear the keyboard going,
he goes are two songs. So anyway, so right now,
Ali who is starting the anticipated He didn't know it,
the anticipated appearance of God with this introduction starting in
twenty two. Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who
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is a teacher like him? You know what we say
to that to young alaihu Amen, I mean he's shifting
to a description of God the creator. That God is transcendent,
God is mighty. It's impossible to explain God. There are
no words. Now, remember though, that he's still speaking to Job,
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which is important. He's telling Job who teaches like God?
He is exalted in power, which is something job knows
twenty three who has prescribed for him his way or
who can say you have done wrong? Well, the answer
that's no one. We know that you can't question God.
(40:25):
But here's the problem that Elihu has too. He's kind
of adding, unofficially, you can't question ur theology. Well, that's
actually not true, you know. It's it was one thing
that I was taught early on the by John Lennox,
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who's gone out in a great apologetic defending the faith
all over the world. And he cautioned me early on.
He said, you know, and for some reason, when someone
cautions you, you know, in an Irish accent, it just
it seems cooler and uh and and he was just saying,
you know, be real careful about making bold proclamations about
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theology until you've really, really, really studied it. And uh
and he said, because you could find in your sanctification
process and your maturation you having to come back and say, oh,
by the way, I was wrong about that. I didn't
I didn't understand that. So you know, don't don't make
bold proclamations when you're new to the you know, the
(41:30):
process of teaching and learning. You know, give these things time, really,
really weigh them out. Be sure they're consistent with everything
that's going on with scripture, because God's not inconsistent. Now
there's gonna be and and and I was also taught
by people who taught me is there's nothing wrong with
saying I don't know, I'll try to find the answer,
(41:50):
or I don't think God has answered that he did.
There's some things God doesn't answer you. You we believe
by faith, and now we want to know everything He
has allowed to to know absolutely. But it's okay. And
of course I've already told you this one and another
great Bible teachers said it's okay to speculate. You just
need to tell everybody you're speculating. So in this case,
(42:10):
he Elihu is in good shape. But he's starting to
now say that the theology of the day can't be questioned,
and that's just not true. So in twenty four he says,
you know, remember to extol his work, of which men
have sung. His work speaks for itself. Job. We sing
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about these things, We sing about these things, the things
that he's done. We sing about why are you questioning God?
Which job is not questioning who God is. He is
questioning what is God doing? Right? And that's okay. I mean,
I can remember vividly. I've told you guys this before,
(42:58):
you know, right when I got the news that my
youngest son had died his earthly death. As soon as
I stepped on that plane to go home from where
I was, the first thing that I uttered in the
plane was not something against God. I honestly just asked
an honest question, what are you doing and what are
you trying to teach me? Man? I really, I really,
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I really would like to know what's going on here.
And I know that you're you haven't abandoned us. I
know that you were there during all of this. Well,
I don't want to miss what I'm supposed to know,
you know, So what what are you doing? I didn't say, like,
what do you doing? Shaking my finger at him. I'm
not that stupid. I was just, honestly, as a child
(43:43):
to a father, saying, hey, give me some help here,
give me the words I need, help me to know
what you're doing and teach me everything I'm supposed to
to learn. And how about this God did? But here
he is? That's all really job has done, and he's
kind of getting something from Elaihu that he's saying. I
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thought we all agreed on the things that God has done.
And I think Job, if he would have answered here,
would have said, well, yeah, this is a different deal,
because remember, Job knows something that these other men don't know,
and that is that he's blameless. Twenty five. All mankind
has looked on it. Man beholds it from afar. We
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can see everywhere his work speaks for itself. We sing
about it. Everywhere we look. We see God in his works.
And he's really going to start talking about the weather
a lot. Here is one of the things that we
would see. Look look out here, Job, look look around. Behold,
God is great twenty six and we know him not
(44:46):
the number of his years unsearchable. I mean, God cannot
be fathomed. He is beyond our understanding. And so this
really continues. What's next about these weather going into thirty seven?
But we're not going to go into thirty seven today.
I'm going to give you just what's on this side
of thirty seven because we just don't have time. And
(45:08):
he says, for he draws up the drops of water,
they distill his mist in rain. God is behind the weather.
God is behind how it works. They have a little
better understanding of weather here in the Book of Job
than I would have thought. But he's saying, look, he
has the clouds, pull up the moisture. Then he lets
(45:30):
them know. He takes the clouds out, and he drops
the moisture on us. You know, I know some of us,
those of you who don't know where we live, where
we're living right now, we're not sure we'll ever see
that again. We've been a little bit of a drought.
I did see rain yesterday. Did y'all see any of it.
I was at the farm and I saw the rain
come down, and that was kind of a cool feeling.
And it rained a little bit last weekend. So so,
(45:51):
but he's saying, look, if you watch God and all this,
you can just see him work. You ever done that?
You ever just looked at God in creation and said,
how can anybody not believe in him? I mean, look
at everything that's going on. So the weather is a
good thing to discuss. And they also knew that God
was on the one that could really control the weather.
Twenty eight and I'm sorry, yeah, twenty eight, which the
(46:15):
skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly. Well, yes,
sometimes abundantly, but sometimes not. But no doubt that God's
behind He brings the rain when we need it. Twenty
nine Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and
the thunderings of his pavilion? No? I mean, we have
(46:35):
some idea how all this works. But the bottom line
that's being asked here is he saying. He's saying, if
you look around, he's scattering all these things. Can we
really understand how he makes these clouds? How he explained
how weather works. He's looking at Job and he goes,
can you Job tell us how all this works? Because
(46:56):
God does this? Since you know so much about God
that you're gonna question him, can you explain all the things?
What does this sound like God's resume coming up? I mean,
you see that Alai who is about to introduce God's point.
God makes all these points. We're going to go through
this again, but this time we're gonna hear him from God,
which is a whole different deal. So he says, look
(47:16):
at thirty behold the scatters. He scatters his lightning about
him and covers the roots of the sea. The all
encompassing effects of a storm. It shakes the ocean, it
shakes it to its very roots, to its very core.
That look at the power job of the lightning. Look
(47:38):
at the power of his storms. Thirty one. For by
these he judges people's He gives food in abundance. By
controlling the weather, God exercises his dominion over the world
job and its inhabitants. He governs the weather, He governs
the ability to even grow food and eat it. He
is governing all of this. Who in the world are
(48:00):
you to have anything to say to God? Don't you
see how we are, how we look compared to him?
And I will tell you know, I agree with a
lie who here. If you've ever been in rough weather,
you feel real small, real quick, real small, real quick.
(48:20):
The devastation of weather is overwhelming. It really, really truly
is so. Then he gets into thirty two, and he
said he covers his hands with the lightning and commands
it to strike the mark. Well, he's saying a lot
more here than weather. Now he's saying lightning bolts are
(48:41):
in his hands, and he releases those boats just like weapons.
And he's also saying something and if he throws one
at somebody. Then they had it coming. What happened to
all the kids destroyed by weather? Now again back in
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the very beginning, if you didn't weren't here with us,
then we all sat here and kind of pondered, Okay,
if the weather killed Job's kids and Satan killed the kids,
and God drew the boundary, can Satan also control the weather?
(49:27):
You know, the boundary is set by God. But if
he allows Satan to control the weather, can he? Apparently so?
So either that or you think that God through the
storm in there and killed his kids, or do he
allow Satan to use the weather. That's the thing I
(49:48):
caution people about all the time because and I've heard
great teachers teach me this is and we're studying this
in the Gospel of Mark at church right now. You
got to watch the set with Signs and Wonders. We're
also doing the Strange Encounters podcast because the demons and
Satan they are supernatural as well. Now they the you know,
(50:10):
the there's there's hierarchy and the angels. We've studied that.
We talked about that in our study of Daniel. God
is far reaching. I mean, Satan is nothing but a
created being by God Lucifer, and he's a big problem
for us. He's not a problem for God at all.
There's a big gap from the creator to the created. However,
(50:30):
angels and demons have supernatural abilities that we don't have.
And so just remember that because sometimes signs and wonders.
If you say it's okay to say pray for miracles,
they are not all. You know, God's gonna do what
he's gonna do, and he does miraculous things. That's different
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than praying for a sign for God to prove himself.
You got to show me something, because you remember when
Jesus the Pharisees kept prassing him on that. He was like,
no signs for you this generation, My goodness, ll y'all
have seen the virgin birth. You've seen all the things
that Isaiah told you to be looking for, and Jeremiah
told you to be looking for. I've done all those things.
(51:12):
Everything that Isaiah said I should be doing, I'm doing.
Y'all should know this. And you're gonna stand here and
ask me for another sign. Uh, And he says, this
generation gets no sign because y'all have had a bunch
of them. Okay, no more signs, So be careful if
you get into a I want to see this supernatural thing,
so I will believe in God. That's completely different than
(51:34):
praying for God to work. Okay, because be careful with that,
because Satan may hear that and say I got a
sign for you, and uh and and and before you
know it, you have seen a sign and a wonder,
but it didn't come from God. So be very careful
(51:56):
with that, especially if you're kind of obsessed with it.
So next he says thirty two, He covers his hands
with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark
thirty three. It crashes. It's crashing, declares his presence the cattle.
Also declare that he rises kind of an odd ad
on the cattle there, but the crashing the thunder, that's thunder.
(52:20):
When you hear thunder, that that's God declaring his presence.
All that thunder that we hear. Now you think is
he's saying in the cattle responding to the thunder. He
really isn't what he's saying here. It's kind of an
awkward move with the original language into the English. He's
trying to also, because remember this goes on through thirty
seven for about another thirteen verses or so this same theme,
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and we'll get some more of that next week. But
what he's saying is, look at all the cattle out there.
This is God again in his resume, he's talking about
animal kingdom and the thunder, the lightning and the cattle.
You know that all that shows him. He's not saying
the cattle's reaction to under He's just saying, the cattle
also represent creation, the animal kingdom. God also did that.
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So really, what you have here is a lie who
saying that all this declares the majesty of God. And
he's right, He's completely right. And so next week we're
going to finish a lia who proclaiming God's majesty. And
then the week after that, Lord Willing, we're gonna hear
(53:31):
from God the and I think we need to Really
that's big that we you know, I know that he's
inspired all these words that we get. But then there's
places like you know, the rest of job, where it's
it's not people you know, declaring truths about God and
(53:56):
saying here's what I've been inspired to teach you. We're
going to have a writer of the Bible that is
going to say I have access to God's exact words
when he decided to come on the scene and speak
directly to these people. And here's what he said directly.
(54:16):
It's kind of like you think about the while we
love so much. You know, you remember we were studying
First Corinthians. How many of you in that one? And
the Apostle Paul is saying, hey, we're getting factions right now.
We got people more enamored with the speaker than who
we're speaking on behalf of Some of y'all want Apollos,
and some of y'all like me, and some of y'all
(54:37):
like Peter. And you remember we were trying to figure
out what all those represented, and we said Apollos represented
the eloquent speakers that we just love to hear. My goodness,
I love to hear that person. I'd like to hear
him read the phone book. That was kind of like Apollos.
And then you had Paul that that's you know, I'm
an intellect if I know what, I hang out with
the Apostle Paul, and I'm being taught by the very
(54:58):
highly educated Apostle Paul. Well, that's your intellects, your stuffies,
your you know, the people that that they want to
They want to talk about how deep and how educated
Paul was, and that's there. They preferred that teacher because
of his education. And remember us trying to figure out,
so what's the deal with the Fisherman celebrity. That's the
celebrity speaker. He was with Jesus. And he wasn't just
(55:20):
with Jesus. He wasn't just in the twelve. He was
in the three uh okay, and you could argue after
James went up pretty quick got down to the two
uh and uh. And he was one of Jesus's closest friends,
and he told us exactly what Jesus said and did.
So there's those things. Well we're about to hear directly
(55:42):
from God and uh and and coming up week after
next and and and and I will tell you that
it's going to be a moment when God takes ali
whose presentation uh and says uh. I'm going to ask
everybody a question. I'd like to know. I've been sitting
here listening to you people, and I'd like to know
(56:04):
who in the world is questioning me. That falls under
the nice little warning be careful what you ask for
and what you pray for. Let's pray, Lord, thank you
for today. Thank you for these men and how encouraging
they are. Thank you Lord for all those that join
us for this, and thank you for just your holy
(56:27):
word of God, the fact that we have a revelation
about you. We see a lot of flawed people, but
we see a perfect and wonderful God. Help us to
glean from it all that you intended. And may we
never forget, never forget, no matter how flawed a lie
who may be, and why he's telling Job this. He
(56:48):
doesn't understand Job, but he has a pretty good understanding
of the majesty of You. And may today be the
day that we sit back and we look at all
the things that were pointed out today and we cling
to that wonderful hemp. How great is our God. We
(57:12):
are not wonderful, but you are. And thank you for
allowing us access to you. Thank you for offering us
grace and mercy if we're willing to repent. Thank you,
Lord for being slow to anger. In your holy name,
we pray Amen.
Welcome to the Wednesday Bible Study. We are so glad
that you are with us today. My name is Rick Burgess.
I'll be walking us through the Book of Joe begin today.
We'll be in chapter thirty six. If you want to
go ahead and turn there and be set up and
ready to go. We are in the studios of my
day job, the Rick Burgess Show. You can find out
(00:22):
everything about that by going to Rick burgesshow dot com.
This Bible study is part of a greater strategy. It
started out now this Bible study because we're just doing
books of the Bible. Women are certainly invited to join
us on all of our different options, but here in
the room, it's all men because it started as just
a men's Bible study, which then grew into what is
(00:42):
now Themanchurch dot com. Over twenty four hundred churches all
over the country doing parts of our strategy, if not
the full strategy, which features high challenge in the form
of events and conferences. And we have speakers that we
send out and we do conferences. But the most important
thing that we do that kind of makes us unique
(01:04):
is we provide resources for the equipping part, the discipleship part,
which so many times is sorely lacking. And these are
curriculum and resources designed for men, men and women, of
course being equal in value but beautifully distinct. And we
have a forty week curricula. We have six of those
that you can choose from, and we have also a
(01:26):
number of individual resources in the forms of devotionals in books.
All those can be found at the Manchurch dot com.
If you'd like to go there, you can contact us.
We'll help you with that. If you'd like to implement
a men's strategy that is sustainable and is producing great
fruit all over the country. Of course, the strategies right
(01:47):
out of the Bible, so no surprise that it actually
works if implemented, and it is easy to implement, so
we'll help you with that. Also our conferences, we have
two more coming up in twenty twenty six Birmingham, twenty third,
twenty fourth of January start well the thirtieth and thirty
first of January. Tickets are moving very quickly on those.
(02:08):
Early access is all but gone at this point, but
you can still check to see if there's still some available.
You can find those by going to Themanchurch dot com.
So let's open up in a word of prayer, and
let's jump right into job chapter thirty six. Lord, thank
you for today, thank you for the men that are
here in the room, and they're encouraging faces week after week,
(02:32):
year after year. We always welcome new faces to join
us as well. Lord, I'm so thankful for those that
are now watching this all over the world, whether that
be live or on the archive or listening to our archive,
whatever the case may be. We know that you have
orchestrated their ears to be leaning into what you have
(02:53):
to say today. And Lord, you are perfect. I am not,
so help me to overcome my shortcomings as you speak
through me through the power of the Holy Spirit, and
help us to discern through that same filter, the filter
of perfection in your presence, the Holy Spirit. In the
name of Jesus Christ, we pray Amen. So here we
(03:13):
are Alai who is still going. He is just about done.
As a matter of fact, if you looked at at
the point he's making now, time's not going to allow
us to do it this way. You really could take
chapter thirty six and thirty seven and put them together,
because it's going to be a similar theme, two different things,
but a similar approach because This is going to be
(03:36):
this younger man's last attempt to persuade Job that his
losses and his sickness all are God's way of urging
him to repent. It has no recorded effect that we have.
This will prepare us and Job for the revelation of God,
(03:59):
who will appear very soon in a whirlwind. I mean,
we're getting really close. It's this chapter and next chapter
and all the people are done, and then we're going
to hear from the one and only living God. How
about that? So that's going to be something. But God,
of course is sovereign. God is perfect, God is all knowing.
(04:20):
So what you're going to see is a lie who
not on purpose. He really is being used by God
to be his intro guy, his hype guy. So these
two chapters are going to be things that God is
actually going to say and double down on about himself.
So this is kind of of a lie who laying
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out the stage without knowing he would end and say,
ladies and gentlemen, now please welcome the great I am
coming in chapter thirty eight. But here's he's going to
speak first of God's greatness. Now many people think of
this as having a little touch of arrogance from Alaihu.
(05:04):
I don't necessarily agree with that, even though you know,
there's people that are much more impressive than me that
do think that. But there's also many others more impressive
than me that don't think that I tend to be
in their camp. I honestly think that this is more
bold than it is arrogant. Now, there is a difference.
And if you've read the book that I just finished
(05:28):
about my dad, that has been out since May of
twenty twenty five, my dad took it upon himself to
teach me the difference between confidence and arrogance, and boldness
and arrogance. As he would often tell me, these are
not the same things. And today I'd like to define
which one you seem to be perpetuating. My dad loved
confidence and he loved boldness. He did not like arrogance.
(05:50):
And so so anyway, I think if I were just say,
if somebody said, Burge, what do you think? I would
think that this is a young man who's very bold
about who God is, not necessarily who he is. Understand
he thinks that job is being his complaining against God
is unwarranted, so he's upset about job. What he perceives
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as Job's treatment of God. I don't think he's elevating himself.
I think he's elevating God and he's just very bold
about it. I don't know about you, guys. Some of
the most valuable people in my life are people who
are bold, who are confident, and they are not afraid
to point out the things they know about God. If
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they feel like I seem to afraid, I forgotten. And
so I don't think this is a problem about him
talking about God and his greatness. Now. I think where
people get confused and want to get on a lie
who and call him arrogant is because he is going
to sprinkle in some accusations against Job that he needs
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to repent. And I think the mix of those two
sometimes give people that at that point of view, it
doesn't matter. But I just wanted to share with you
those two points of view. So verse one, he's just
going to continue. Now, Notice, go back to thirty five.
I spend more time on this this week just because
it interests me. Thirty five it says an a lie
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who answered here it says and a lie who continued.
I still want to go back to that thirty five
What is he answering Is it still just the original question?
I guess, But this time the writer seems to say no,
he's just continuing on there. I think he's kind of
giving up on job making a response, and he just
(07:40):
wants to get on record. Ever been that way before.
I know that we're not going anywhere with this argument,
but I want to get on record everything that I
think about it. And so he continues, and he said,
and two, bear with me a little. Now, I do
find that funny. You ever had somebody tell you to
make a long story short and you're set? You said, now,
(08:00):
we've missed that. So I don't think a lot. Who
can say, bear with me a little? We've already done that.
You're asking us to bear with you a lot because
you've been going a while. And so and he said,
and I will show you for I have yet something
to say. Now this is important. This is where you
see me come in and kind of give the kid
a break on God's behalf. You know, if we're being
(08:24):
bold about a truth, but it's the truth of God.
Not to elevate ourselves, but to refuse to compromise God.
There's nothing wrong with that. That's not arrogant. That's just
talking about how great God is. He says, So I
need you to stay with me. I think it's funny
he says a little. If he said a little while longer,
I'd be okay there. But this has hardly been the
littlest one of the longest, and this one will be
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one of the longest of the speeches that Ali who
has given. But he does say, and I think it's important.
I want to speak on behalf of God. I want
to be sure that we all remember who God is.
That's fine, I'm okay with that. Verse three. I will
get my knowledge from Afar and ascribe righteousness to my maker.
(09:09):
That's important too. It's not elevating himself. Bottom line is
he's saying what I say is right because it came
from God, and God is always right. Is that true?
You know? I was talking about this Sunday. Yes, it
was this past Sunday, and I had a wonderful opportunity
(09:32):
to go and encourage a whole association of pastors, and
my grandmother in Glory would have been thrilled because it
was a Baptist association in Alabama. And there's nothing that
my grandmother would have would have loved more than those
two things. And she loved Jesus. She loved Baptists, and
(09:53):
she loved Alabama Baptist. Okay, And as I said, my
grandmother was such a Baptist. She whispered of denominations. So
so if you did you talk to so on so
yeap method is you know? And uh so uh so anyway,
but I but I was talking to them. I was
talking to them, and I was I would saying now
(10:16):
more than ever, and we all know this, right guy,
I mean, this is the truth the time when we're
doing this Bible study, no matter how many years later
you listen to this or whatever, and the time we're
in right now the answer for this twisted dark society.
Nothing wrong with voting. It's imported and you want, you
want to use that vote to vote the best you can,
(10:37):
you know, for the things that that that are right
for your country and right for this country. But there
is no political candidate, there is no political legislation that
is the answer for our problems, uh our. The answer
for our problems is the church. And and that's always
been the case, but it's so now more than ever.
It seems like to me that the Western Church just
(10:58):
a little bit seems to be trying to get to
the sidelines, and because they don't want to get in
this fight. But it's time for us now more than ever,
to be bold in our proclamation of not just the
one and only living God, that's a given, but the
exclusivity of the Gospel. And what we do is we
don't apologize for the exclusivity of redemption through christ alon
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because we didn't come up with it. That. We didn't
come up with that. Jesus did. So all we're doing
is going out and saying Jesus said that He's the way,
the truth and the life, and there is no path
to redemption and to the Father and the Father's perfection
except through his perfection. There is no other way. And
we don't apologize for that, nor do we have to
(11:43):
feel bad about that. We need to say it in love,
no doubt about that. But it's okay to be bold
and uncompromising when we say, but this isn't our standard.
We're flawed people, we're nothing, as we said what we're
nothing but a bunch of beggars, just telling you where
the bread is, the bread of life, life is Jesus,
and there aren't multiple ways for redemp things like that,
(12:05):
multiple ways, And it's not a time for the pullpit
to be apologizing for the truths of the Gospel. And
I think that most people in society are really right
now just saying I just want truth because this sure
is hard to find. So now, more than ever, preach
the truth. That's what's going to draw people in, you know.
(12:26):
I mean you might be able to to you think
that you've got to come up with something that is
so palatable. But I think more than ever, Jesus is
in no need of pr agents shoot them straight. I
actually think people are begging for that, and because that
middle ground is kind of gone, you know where unfortunately
(12:47):
where I used to live kind in this. You know,
I'm not really for Jesus, but I'm certainly not against him.
Of course that doesn't exist. Now there's people saying I
want to be a follower of his or I don't
want anything to do with it. So let's just tell
the truth. And so you see this young man who's
willing to this is what he's trying to do. Now.
He doesn't understand what God's doing with job. I got that,
(13:08):
but I like him pointing to God without apologizing and
saying God is always right, which is true. Verse four,
I will he says, for truly, my words are not false.
One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. Okay,
there you go. So he's even claiming that he is
(13:31):
completely free from falsehood. Why because he wants to use
perfect knowledge. And where does perfect knowledge come from. It
comes from God. He also talked to you. Also hear
this coming up in thirty seven sixteen, and is in
the next part of his speech next week. So he
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is speaking to job, there's no doubt about that, the
one who was called blameless by God by the way
in verse one eight and also in chapter two of
verse three. So keep in mind he's getting a little
bold right now about saying that he is completely free
(14:15):
of any falsehood, and he's saying this to a man
that God said, oh, by the way, he's blameless. So
that part is a little bit of comedic in its
own way. So now five through fifteen you're gonna hear
Alaihu talking about God's retribution to the good and the
(14:35):
bad and merciful to the just. And it really kind
of bothers me when we were this far into this
study and we're still banging on some of this bad theology.
But what he said about God so far, though, let's
just celebrate that for a minute. But now we get
into five. Behold, God is mighty, Yes he is, and
(14:56):
does not despise any He is mighty in strength of understanding. Now,
what he's really saying here is that God is resolute.
There's no doubt about that. But he's not prejudice. He
understands what's going on. Now he's saying this to say, job,
he's not gonna turn you away if you'll just if
you'll just come to him and you'll just repent. God
(15:20):
knows your heart, he knows what you did, and you
just need to own it. And if you do, he
is just no doubt. Jesus told us much later that
everything about God is perfect and the standard is perfection. However,
it is interesting to see the Old Testament talking so
much about mercy and grace. However, God also knows so
(15:42):
much that he knows if you're truly repented or not.
He's not gonna turn you away. He's not be prejudiced,
saying that because of who you are, no matter what
you do, I won't forgive you, which is good news.
So verse five, behold, God is mighty. He does not
despise any. He is mighty in strength and understand. Look
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at six. Now in six he says he does not
keep the wicked alive, but give us the afflicted. They're
right now. He's got a problem here. Now, it's that
tired old theology wicked or not spared, the afflicted are spared.
It's just not true. And eternity correct, an eternity correct.
(16:24):
But Job was saying, y'all are trying to apply this
to this imperfection, and that's this fallen earth, and we
need to know that, y'all, y'all do realize that we
are falling people in a fallen world. This is one
of our forty week curricula is one called Impact. And
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I remember being new to the faith and I didn't
know what to do with tewod Peter chapter one. I
had no idea what to do with it. I'm like,
what's Peter doing telling us all these things we're supposed
to do. I thought we are saved by grace through faith, period.
And I know James is talking about it feels a
(17:08):
little bit like James, you know that there's something something
are to be going on. But no, what Peter was
saying is no, no, no, I'm not talking about redemption
by the time I'm talking to you. And second, Peter,
I'm talking to the redeemed. And what I'm saying, though
you may be redeemed, that's true, no question about that. However,
if you're still alive and Christ has not returned, I
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want to give you a heads up that you you
better be careful because you still have a sin nature
and you still live in a sinful world. And then
he says that knowing those two things, therefore, make every
effort to supplement to the faith that saved you these
things so that you'll have a fruitful life you want.
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You won't live a life that's not impactful. But you're
gonna need to be real aggressive about your sanctification. You're
gonna need to continue. I just talked to a guy
this week and he said, I don't know what's wrong
with me, and I can't seem to get my act together,
and I'm worried that I'm going to hell, and I'm
worried that I'm not redeemed because i just can't seem
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to get it right. And I said, and that's been
the problem. You keep trying to get it right. You
just need to submit to the authority of Christ. You
just need to repent. And then I said, look at
these words, and here look at John fifteen. Abide in Jesus,
and I explained him what that that means. And then
let Jesus transform you. I think you keep trying to
do the atta boy, and let me try a little
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bit harder. And you're being frustrated because you're trying to
do this of your own strength and hoping that somehow
because you believe in Jesus, and if you can straighten
your life out, then you'll really be saved. And I said, no,
only Jesus can straighten your life out, speaking from expirits.
Just abide in him. Get in the word of God.
You know these things that Peter's talking about. I mean,
(18:58):
understand the Word of God. I said, how active are
you in the church? You know? He said not much.
I said, that's a problem. Be active in the local church,
be in worship, be in Bible, study, pray together with
your wife, immerse yourself in Jesus. And I said, and
he's so powerful he will It's not going to be overnight.
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But he's so powerful that he will. He promises he
will take away these things, and he will transform you,
and he will produce much fruit in you, proving that
you're his disciples, and his Father will be glorified by
what he has done in you. I don't want to
go down this whole road to get everybody going. The
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one thing that Romans chapter eight is saying that we
all have these ridiculous arguments about, but the one thing
it is saying is just what John fifteen is saying,
and just what Peter's saying, is that it is predestined
that if you have been redeemed, it is predestined because
how powerful he is, we will become more like Jesus,
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because of how powerful he is. Well, here, you know,
you've got a lie who trying to act like that
Heaven and Earth are the same, and they're just not.
There's people on Earth that look like they're doing quite well.
Joe keeps pointing this out. God's not smiting them now,
he will if they don't repent. But I don't raise
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your hand. If you know people who've been afflicted and
God did not save them and they died, my hands up. Okay,
I mean but I know that they were redeemed. And
I've seen wicked people beat cancer, beat all kinds of stuff,
you know, which is God's grace. In my opinion, there's
different kinds of grace, you know. You say, well, God's
(20:44):
gracious because he healed somebody that I knew was redeemed.
He's also gracious when he heals somebody who's wicked to
give them another shot. So it's just not true that
on earth you can clearly see bad people get punished
and good people are delivered. It's just not true. But
they still keep believing this because it's all falling right now.
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But it's going to be made right. That's the promise
to hang on to. As I've had to say so
many times, it's not always going to be like this.
Cherry said that to so many people, and I've kind
of taken that on talking all the time. It ain't
always going to be like this. So verse seven, he
does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous, but with
kings on the throne, he sets in forever and they
(21:27):
are exalted. Bad theology again, I mean, here it is again.
He says God does this is what God does for
good people. He watches over them. He actually sets them
on royal thrones, and he exalts them forever. This is
why Job thinks God has removed his protective eye, because
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Job once believed these same things. And he goes, I
was once exalted, I was once honored, and now I'm
downtrodden and I am despised by everybody. So either the
theology that I believed is wrong, are There's something I've
done that I can't identify? Right? You know when Ali
(22:10):
who is saying all this, I bet Joe's just not
and going, yeah, I know that's what we believe. But
I'm telling you my situation is not like that. I'm
blameless now blameless. Remember always remember this does not mean perfect.
It doesn't mean sinless. It means he's not unrepentant. There's
nothing between him and God. He hasn't dealt with He
certainly had some he was not a sinless man Verses
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eight through twelve. Now there's going to be a cup.
You know, you're going to see a lie who are
doing a series of conditions create these results. So look
at verse eight. In verse eight, and if they are
bound in change and caught in the cords of affliction,
they's setting up nine right there. He's saying, if you
are bound in change and you're caught in affliction, then
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look at nine. Then he declares to them their work
and their transgressions, that they are behaving arrogantly. The warning
is teaching about sin. Now this is and he's really
telling job right now to you not to say this
(23:15):
is arrogant. God's dealing with you because you're arrogant. Now.
This has been an accusation that has been made about
him by all of them. And now Ali who seems
to be jumping in and he's saying, God, what he
does is he if you're bounding changed and you're caught
in the cords of affliction, God's trying to show you
that your work is a work of sin. He's trying
(23:37):
to show you your transgressions, and he's trying to show
you that you are arrogant. He's humbling you. Boy, what
would a lia who do with the one I keep
representing over and over again that God keeps humbling Paul
even after he's been redeemed. I mean, Paul tells us
that that's not a guess on my part. Paul tells
us that in sewo Corinthians twelve. Right, so that's not
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even up for debate. And Paul's clearly redeemed. But he
said that this thorn in his flesh has been left
there by God, and there's a demon harassed him about it.
I always think about that demon, and I think, I
bet you I know what that's demon saying. We don't
know in scripture, but I think it's an easy guess.
How come God won't take that flesh that thorn from you.
Here's this God you claim to love, and here I
(24:22):
hear you praying. And but you know, Paul said, no, no, no, no, no.
He's doing this to keep me from being conceited. He
knows me better than I know myself, and he knows
if I don't have this, this that keeps keeping me down,
I'll become He let us know because he's highly educated,
he's been taken up to the Third Heaven. He's healing people.
(24:43):
God's brought him through a number of things. We know
that he's sold out for Jesus and Paul, apparently, because
God knows us better than anybody, needed this not to
become arrogant. He kept him down, kept him humble. Now, Now,
what would a lie who do with that theology? The
apostle Paul had to be humbled and you and I
(25:07):
don't think we have to be humbled sometimes. I mean,
it's it's it's how about it's I think it's arrogant
to think that you don't ever need to be humbled.
I mean, I look, I struggle with it, there's no
question and uh. And now God has taught me some
incredible lessons and has has broken me down to the
(25:28):
point that the thing that gets me so much, and
I think about Paul and Roman seven, it gets to
me so much. And maybe you're the same way I am,
brothers and sisters out there. God has taught me incredible
lessons that were crystal clear and changed my life forever.
But it but but as time goes on, there's days
(25:52):
that I come back and go, I cannot believe the
attitude I took today, after all you've taught me. I
cannot believe the way I acted today, after all you've
taught me? How How how could I not have handled
that situation today better? After all you've taught me? And
now we're back to tewod Peter again. Because you have
(26:12):
a sin nature and you live in a sinful world,
don't ever. You know, it's just like anything you can
you can take it to the physical, but the same
thing with the spiritual. You got to keep feeding it.
You got to keep spiritually you got to keep spiritually healthy,
you got to keep getting stronger, you got to keep growing.
You haven't studied the Bible enough. You have, you haven't
done these spiritual disciplines enough. You got to keep doing them.
(26:35):
Not because you haven't been redeemed, because you want to
finish well and you don't want to compromise Christ by
by having bad moments, and you want to keep becoming
more like him. But that doesn't happen. Just kind of
hanging out has nothing to do with a works based redemption. No, no, no,
(26:55):
we're talking about fruitfulness. We're talking about impact. Uh, we're
but it doesn't go any further if you look at
one that's really simple. You've heard me say this a
thousand times, but I have to learn things simply, and
I think maybe the gifts that God's given me is
to try to simplify it for people like me. But
I don't. I don't need to go to the seminary
(27:16):
to understand that. If Jesus told me as his disciple,
to teach the world all that he's commanded. I have
to know what he commanded. That's just simple Calhoun County
stuff right there. Right Jesus, did you say teach all
you commanded? I did, so I guess I need to
know it. Probably, I bet you do. I can't teach
(27:40):
something I don't know, right, So I guess I need
to know this since I'm supposed to teach it. Right.
So so that that's the kind of stuff that you
can't get around. So h a lie who continues with
this with his you know, his conditions and his results.
So he says, that's uh that that God's to teach
(28:00):
you a lesson by letting you struggle. And anybody who
struggles he opens their ears to instruction. I'm in verse
ten now and commands that they returned from iniquity. He's saying,
it's correction, not punishment. It's correction. It's a call for
you to repent and to be more obedient. Verse eleven.
If they listen and serve him, they complete their days
(28:24):
in prosperity and their years and pleasantness. That's a bad
theology right there. Now. He's showing he's orthodox on the
theology of the day. But this is true what he's saying.
That what he's saying is true of an unregenerated sinner.
It's just not true of Job. Now, one part about
(28:46):
it that he gets right that is true, and that
is that if a sinner listens to God and decides
to serve God and decides to own the problem, then
they cannot complete their days in prosperity and their years
in pleasantness. Their eternity would be in prosperity, and their
(29:08):
eternity would be in pleasantness, but not their life here
on earth. There's no guarantee of that. Now, you will
have a peace that defies all understanding. Yes, but it
doesn't mean life's going to be easy. It doesn't mean
that at all. And keep in mind he's saying that
Job needs to do this, but Job doesn't need to
repent of anything verse twelve. But if they don't listen,
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they perish by the sword and they die without knowledge.
That's the opposite of what he presented in eleven. The
opposite then would also be true Job. If one does
not repent, then that means that they perish by the
sword and they die without knowledge. Well, It's true that
they perish, there's no doubt about that. It may or
(29:52):
may not be by the sword. But again, this would
not apply to Job. Thirteen, The godless heart cherish anger,
and they do not cry for help when he binds them.
The wicked are slow learners. They get angry, they won't
(30:13):
cry out for help. They're stubborn. Now, I wonder who's
directing that at I think that Job, first of all,
has cried out for help several times and he doesn't
know why he's not getting it. He is he saying
the godless in heart. That would not apply to Job
at all. Now, he is right that people who are
(30:35):
godless in heart, that they do tend to be angry.
They don't ask God for help. They are defiant when
he binds them. That's true. Fourteen, here comes another thing
that's really not true. They die in youth and their
life ends among the cult prostitutes. So what this means
(30:56):
the cult prostitute. There's much discussion about that. That's not
think that. What he's saying is those wicked people. He
says they die young. That's not true. I've seen wicked
people who live a really long time. Back to God's
grace on that. But in that time that theology, they
believed that somebody died young it was of course there
(31:16):
was something wicked about them. They thought part of living
the right life was a long earthly life. And then
what he's saying at the end about the cult prostitutes
is that they die in shame. That's really all he's saying.
He's not saying that they literally become cult prostitutes or
anything like that. This was very common in the pagan religions,
and most of these cult prostitutes when they would die,
(31:39):
and they died, often they were just buried off in someplace.
That he's saying, if you're unrepentant and your life ends,
you will die in shame, just like a cult prostitute would,
or anyone who died in shame. It's just an example
of dying in shame. So next he says he delivers
the afflicted by their and opens their ear by adversity. Well, yeah,
(32:05):
God does use difficulty to get our attention, He does
difficulty to teach us things, He does difficulty to make
us more dependent on him. Does he open our ears?
He does? Uh? And but here's here's the problem. What
he's saying to Job, right here, does God have your
attention yet? Are you listening yet? Because this is why
(32:26):
he does these things, And I want to know whether
your ears have been opened. Again, Job gives no answer.
I think Job is just done with defending himself at
this point. So now he's going to get into God's
discipline to Job. Sixteen through twenty one a lot who's
going to get tougher on Job. And it's it gets
(32:49):
a little uncomfortable here because now he turns and he
just says, he also allured you out of distress into
a broad place where there was no crap, and what
was set on your table was full of fatness. I'm
talking to you now, Job, he God, your troubles are
(33:09):
God's judgment, evil, marriage, punishment, good brings blessings. But repentance
can turn wrath into wealth, and can turn a curse
into grace, can turn death into life. All true, it
just doesn't apply to Job. So once again, I'm sure
(33:31):
Job's like, yeah, I believe all that. I hear you.
There's no doubt about that. So then he goes to seventeen.
He says, but you are full of judgment on the
wicked judgment and justice have now seized you. Added now
has seized you. But no, you wouldn't repent, Joe. You
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know everything I just say is true and you haven't
done any of it. So you're now in the grip
of the law of God, who always gives people what
they deserve. Not true, not in the New Covenant. How
many of you are glad that God didn't give you
what you deserve? Yeah, my hand is up, you know,
(34:15):
of course, I know Dave Ramsey's not the only person
to say that. But when he says that I'm better
than I deserve, he's He's speaking absolute truth that any
of us could say that on our worst day, if
we are redeemed, we are not getting what we deserve.
But a lot who says, now God hands out what
is deserved. And you had a shot and that windows
(34:36):
closing job. Beware, look at this, Beware less wrath entice
you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the
ransom turn you aside. Hey, don't let your love of
money convince you to scoff and consider wealth is or
(35:00):
as they answered all your problems. And he says, you know,
the ransom that God is requiring of you don't let
that make you angry at him now, don't think you
can buy him off. That's what he goes on and
(35:20):
says in nineteen look at this. Will you cry for help?
Will your cry for help of l to keep you
from distress and all the force of your strength. What
he's saying is you cannot buy your way out of
this job. God took away every ounce of wealth you
might have started thinking your wealth gave you confidence and
somehow you could just do anything and then buy your
(35:42):
way out of it. And you're not going to buy
your way out of this job. Twenty. Do not long
for the night when peoples vanish in their place. Don't
just long for this for it to take you into
a darkness and disappear, and then you think that's going
to have you. You know this is going to solve
(36:03):
your problem, which you know. Job has said that he's
kind of he just wants to kind of be dead,
and he says, be careful with that. What you need
to do with what's going on is not go deeper
into darkness. Job. You need to respond by returning to
the light. That's what you need to do. Don't long
for the night when when when people vanish in their place.
You don't, You shouldn't yearn for that. You've said that
(36:26):
a few times. What you need to do is you
need to return back to the light. Now we know
that Job doesn't need to return to the light. Certainly
he's starting to get, you know, in a place where
he longs for this just to be over. So again
he's hearing something that does not apply to him. Take care,
do not turn to iniquity for this. You have chosen
(36:49):
rather than affliction. Don't turn to evil by complaining about
this to God. Don't complain to God or about God.
Job would rather suffer and challenge God's justice, then simply repent.
Why are you choosing this? But Job knew his integrity.
(37:10):
Now this is where it gets real complicated here. I
want you to think for a minute. Job knows his
integrity so well he considers it a sin because think
about it. I know I have this in my life.
I have some conflicts with people in my own life,
in my own family that I could solve by just
(37:32):
compromising God. It could be over like that if I
would just tell them what they want to hear. If
I would just go ahead and give in, that would
be the end of it, as far as you know,
having this conflict. But job knows what I know. But
if I do that just to make this go away,
I don't have integrity anymore. I'm now pretending something's true
(37:56):
that isn't just to get these people off my back,
because what they're demanding of me would actually be another
way of me compromising God by giving in to it.
Think about being in that situation. So now this is
the part I was telling you about where he kind
of becomes the uh, the person who's going to introduce
(38:18):
Have you ever been if you've ever been anywhere, and
you've ever been in a situation where you speak before
you do things, you always get there and go okay,
am I up? After this next song? Is somebody introducing me,
you know? And I've had there's been so many times
that it's obvious the person introducing me has no idea
who I am, you know, and and so it's uh.
(38:38):
And I've heard some of the most interesting introductions before.
I had a funny one on Sunday night that when
I was talking about with a long friend and so
he's he's the one that had me come speaking. He's
sitting there and I said, how many? How many songs?
He said, one? Just one song? I said, okay. So
the song starts ending, and I start getting my Bible
(38:59):
and I keep my phone with that stopwatch to time it.
And of course some people think I put it there
for no reason. But anyway, so I'm getting I'm getting
bottle of water, and I mean, the song's ending, and
I noticed the praise team's not leaving. They're not starting
that where they pray and everybody walks off, you know,
and I kind of look at my buddy. He looks
(39:20):
back at me, and they start. You hear the keyboard going,
he goes are two songs. So anyway, so right now,
Ali who is starting the anticipated He didn't know it,
the anticipated appearance of God with this introduction starting in
twenty two. Behold, God is exalted in his power. Who
(39:42):
is a teacher like him? You know what we say
to that to young alaihu Amen, I mean he's shifting
to a description of God the creator. That God is transcendent,
God is mighty. It's impossible to explain God. There are
no words. Now, remember though, that he's still speaking to Job,
(40:03):
which is important. He's telling Job who teaches like God?
He is exalted in power, which is something job knows
twenty three who has prescribed for him his way or
who can say you have done wrong? Well, the answer
that's no one. We know that you can't question God.
(40:25):
But here's the problem that Elihu has too. He's kind
of adding, unofficially, you can't question ur theology. Well, that's
actually not true, you know. It's it was one thing
that I was taught early on the by John Lennox,
(40:46):
who's gone out in a great apologetic defending the faith
all over the world. And he cautioned me early on.
He said, you know, and for some reason, when someone
cautions you, you know, in an Irish accent, it just
it seems cooler and uh and and he was just saying,
you know, be real careful about making bold proclamations about
(41:07):
theology until you've really, really, really studied it. And uh
and he said, because you could find in your sanctification
process and your maturation you having to come back and say, oh,
by the way, I was wrong about that. I didn't
I didn't understand that. So you know, don't don't make
bold proclamations when you're new to the you know, the
(41:30):
process of teaching and learning. You know, give these things time, really,
really weigh them out. Be sure they're consistent with everything
that's going on with scripture, because God's not inconsistent. Now
there's gonna be and and and I was also taught
by people who taught me is there's nothing wrong with
saying I don't know, I'll try to find the answer,
(41:50):
or I don't think God has answered that he did.
There's some things God doesn't answer you. You we believe
by faith, and now we want to know everything He
has allowed to to know absolutely. But it's okay. And
of course I've already told you this one and another
great Bible teachers said it's okay to speculate. You just
need to tell everybody you're speculating. So in this case,
(42:10):
he Elihu is in good shape. But he's starting to
now say that the theology of the day can't be questioned,
and that's just not true. So in twenty four he says,
you know, remember to extol his work, of which men
have sung. His work speaks for itself. Job. We sing
(42:34):
about these things, We sing about these things, the things
that he's done. We sing about why are you questioning God?
Which job is not questioning who God is. He is
questioning what is God doing? Right? And that's okay. I mean,
I can remember vividly. I've told you guys this before,
(42:58):
you know, right when I got the news that my
youngest son had died his earthly death. As soon as
I stepped on that plane to go home from where
I was, the first thing that I uttered in the
plane was not something against God. I honestly just asked
an honest question, what are you doing and what are
you trying to teach me? Man? I really, I really,
(43:22):
I really would like to know what's going on here.
And I know that you're you haven't abandoned us. I
know that you were there during all of this. Well,
I don't want to miss what I'm supposed to know,
you know, So what what are you doing? I didn't say, like,
what do you doing? Shaking my finger at him. I'm
not that stupid. I was just, honestly, as a child
(43:43):
to a father, saying, hey, give me some help here,
give me the words I need, help me to know
what you're doing and teach me everything I'm supposed to
to learn. And how about this God did? But here
he is? That's all really job has done, and he's
kind of getting something from Elaihu that he's saying. I
(44:05):
thought we all agreed on the things that God has done.
And I think Job, if he would have answered here,
would have said, well, yeah, this is a different deal,
because remember, Job knows something that these other men don't know,
and that is that he's blameless. Twenty five. All mankind
has looked on it. Man beholds it from afar. We
(44:25):
can see everywhere his work speaks for itself. We sing
about it. Everywhere we look. We see God in his works.
And he's really going to start talking about the weather
a lot. Here is one of the things that we
would see. Look look out here, Job, look look around. Behold,
God is great twenty six and we know him not
(44:46):
the number of his years unsearchable. I mean, God cannot
be fathomed. He is beyond our understanding. And so this
really continues. What's next about these weather going into thirty seven?
But we're not going to go into thirty seven today.
I'm going to give you just what's on this side
of thirty seven because we just don't have time. And
(45:08):
he says, for he draws up the drops of water,
they distill his mist in rain. God is behind the weather.
God is behind how it works. They have a little
better understanding of weather here in the Book of Job
than I would have thought. But he's saying, look, he
has the clouds, pull up the moisture. Then he lets
(45:30):
them know. He takes the clouds out, and he drops
the moisture on us. You know, I know some of us,
those of you who don't know where we live, where
we're living right now, we're not sure we'll ever see
that again. We've been a little bit of a drought.
I did see rain yesterday. Did y'all see any of it.
I was at the farm and I saw the rain
come down, and that was kind of a cool feeling.
And it rained a little bit last weekend. So so,
(45:51):
but he's saying, look, if you watch God and all this,
you can just see him work. You ever done that?
You ever just looked at God in creation and said,
how can anybody not believe in him? I mean, look
at everything that's going on. So the weather is a
good thing to discuss. And they also knew that God
was on the one that could really control the weather.
Twenty eight and I'm sorry, yeah, twenty eight, which the
(46:15):
skies pour down and drop on mankind abundantly. Well, yes,
sometimes abundantly, but sometimes not. But no doubt that God's
behind He brings the rain when we need it. Twenty
nine Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds and
the thunderings of his pavilion? No? I mean, we have
(46:35):
some idea how all this works. But the bottom line
that's being asked here is he saying. He's saying, if
you look around, he's scattering all these things. Can we
really understand how he makes these clouds? How he explained
how weather works. He's looking at Job and he goes,
can you Job tell us how all this works? Because
(46:56):
God does this? Since you know so much about God
that you're gonna question him, can you explain all the things?
What does this sound like God's resume coming up? I mean,
you see that Alai who is about to introduce God's point.
God makes all these points. We're going to go through
this again, but this time we're gonna hear him from God,
which is a whole different deal. So he says, look
(47:16):
at thirty behold the scatters. He scatters his lightning about
him and covers the roots of the sea. The all
encompassing effects of a storm. It shakes the ocean, it
shakes it to its very roots, to its very core.
That look at the power job of the lightning. Look
(47:38):
at the power of his storms. Thirty one. For by
these he judges people's He gives food in abundance. By
controlling the weather, God exercises his dominion over the world
job and its inhabitants. He governs the weather, He governs
the ability to even grow food and eat it. He
is governing all of this. Who in the world are
(48:00):
you to have anything to say to God? Don't you
see how we are, how we look compared to him?
And I will tell you know, I agree with a
lie who here. If you've ever been in rough weather,
you feel real small, real quick, real small, real quick.
(48:20):
The devastation of weather is overwhelming. It really, really truly
is so. Then he gets into thirty two, and he
said he covers his hands with the lightning and commands
it to strike the mark. Well, he's saying a lot
more here than weather. Now he's saying lightning bolts are
(48:41):
in his hands, and he releases those boats just like weapons.
And he's also saying something and if he throws one
at somebody. Then they had it coming. What happened to
all the kids destroyed by weather? Now again back in
(49:06):
the very beginning, if you didn't weren't here with us,
then we all sat here and kind of pondered, Okay,
if the weather killed Job's kids and Satan killed the kids,
and God drew the boundary, can Satan also control the weather?
(49:27):
You know, the boundary is set by God. But if
he allows Satan to control the weather, can he? Apparently so?
So either that or you think that God through the
storm in there and killed his kids, or do he
allow Satan to use the weather. That's the thing I
(49:48):
caution people about all the time because and I've heard
great teachers teach me this is and we're studying this
in the Gospel of Mark at church right now. You
got to watch the set with Signs and Wonders. We're
also doing the Strange Encounters podcast because the demons and
Satan they are supernatural as well. Now they the you know,
(50:10):
the there's there's hierarchy and the angels. We've studied that.
We talked about that in our study of Daniel. God
is far reaching. I mean, Satan is nothing but a
created being by God Lucifer, and he's a big problem
for us. He's not a problem for God at all.
There's a big gap from the creator to the created. However,
(50:30):
angels and demons have supernatural abilities that we don't have.
And so just remember that because sometimes signs and wonders.
If you say it's okay to say pray for miracles,
they are not all. You know, God's gonna do what
he's gonna do, and he does miraculous things. That's different
(50:51):
than praying for a sign for God to prove himself.
You got to show me something, because you remember when
Jesus the Pharisees kept prassing him on that. He was like,
no signs for you this generation, My goodness, ll y'all
have seen the virgin birth. You've seen all the things
that Isaiah told you to be looking for, and Jeremiah
told you to be looking for. I've done all those things.
(51:12):
Everything that Isaiah said I should be doing, I'm doing.
Y'all should know this. And you're gonna stand here and
ask me for another sign. Uh, And he says, this
generation gets no sign because y'all have had a bunch
of them. Okay, no more signs, So be careful if
you get into a I want to see this supernatural thing,
so I will believe in God. That's completely different than
(51:34):
praying for God to work. Okay, because be careful with that,
because Satan may hear that and say I got a
sign for you, and uh and and and before you
know it, you have seen a sign and a wonder,
but it didn't come from God. So be very careful
(51:56):
with that, especially if you're kind of obsessed with it.
So next he says thirty two, He covers his hands
with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark
thirty three. It crashes. It's crashing, declares his presence the cattle.
Also declare that he rises kind of an odd ad
on the cattle there, but the crashing the thunder, that's thunder.
(52:20):
When you hear thunder, that that's God declaring his presence.
All that thunder that we hear. Now you think is
he's saying in the cattle responding to the thunder. He
really isn't what he's saying here. It's kind of an
awkward move with the original language into the English. He's
trying to also, because remember this goes on through thirty
seven for about another thirteen verses or so this same theme,
(52:43):
and we'll get some more of that next week. But
what he's saying is, look at all the cattle out there.
This is God again in his resume, he's talking about
animal kingdom and the thunder, the lightning and the cattle.
You know that all that shows him. He's not saying
the cattle's reaction to under He's just saying, the cattle
also represent creation, the animal kingdom. God also did that.
(53:07):
So really, what you have here is a lie who
saying that all this declares the majesty of God. And
he's right, He's completely right. And so next week we're
going to finish a lia who proclaiming God's majesty. And
then the week after that, Lord Willing, we're gonna hear
(53:31):
from God the and I think we need to Really
that's big that we you know, I know that he's
inspired all these words that we get. But then there's
places like you know, the rest of job, where it's
it's not people you know, declaring truths about God and
(53:56):
saying here's what I've been inspired to teach you. We're
going to have a writer of the Bible that is
going to say I have access to God's exact words
when he decided to come on the scene and speak
directly to these people. And here's what he said directly.
(54:16):
It's kind of like you think about the while we
love so much. You know, you remember we were studying
First Corinthians. How many of you in that one? And
the Apostle Paul is saying, hey, we're getting factions right now.
We got people more enamored with the speaker than who
we're speaking on behalf of Some of y'all want Apollos,
and some of y'all like me, and some of y'all
(54:37):
like Peter. And you remember we were trying to figure
out what all those represented, and we said Apollos represented
the eloquent speakers that we just love to hear. My goodness,
I love to hear that person. I'd like to hear
him read the phone book. That was kind of like Apollos.
And then you had Paul that that's you know, I'm
an intellect if I know what, I hang out with
the Apostle Paul, and I'm being taught by the very
(54:58):
highly educated Apostle Paul. Well, that's your intellects, your stuffies,
your you know, the people that that they want to
They want to talk about how deep and how educated
Paul was, and that's there. They preferred that teacher because
of his education. And remember us trying to figure out,
so what's the deal with the Fisherman celebrity. That's the
celebrity speaker. He was with Jesus. And he wasn't just
(55:20):
with Jesus. He wasn't just in the twelve. He was
in the three uh okay, and you could argue after
James went up pretty quick got down to the two
uh and uh. And he was one of Jesus's closest friends,
and he told us exactly what Jesus said and did.
So there's those things. Well we're about to hear directly
(55:42):
from God and uh and and coming up week after
next and and and and I will tell you that
it's going to be a moment when God takes ali
whose presentation uh and says uh. I'm going to ask
everybody a question. I'd like to know. I've been sitting
here listening to you people, and I'd like to know
(56:04):
who in the world is questioning me. That falls under
the nice little warning be careful what you ask for
and what you pray for. Let's pray, Lord, thank you
for today. Thank you for these men and how encouraging
they are. Thank you Lord for all those that join
us for this, and thank you for just your holy
(56:27):
word of God, the fact that we have a revelation
about you. We see a lot of flawed people, but
we see a perfect and wonderful God. Help us to
glean from it all that you intended. And may we
never forget, never forget, no matter how flawed a lie
who may be, and why he's telling Job this. He
(56:48):
doesn't understand Job, but he has a pretty good understanding
of the majesty of You. And may today be the
day that we sit back and we look at all
the things that were pointed out today and we cling
to that wonderful hemp. How great is our God. We
(57:12):
are not wonderful, but you are. And thank you for
allowing us access to you. Thank you for offering us
grace and mercy if we're willing to repent. Thank you,
Lord for being slow to anger. In your holy name,
we pray Amen.
Host
Rick Burgess
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