Today's Sermon is coming from Job 2:11-13
One of the most famous stories of the Bible is the one that is filled with a
plethora of
emotions and themes – and that is the story of Job. The book of Job has been
described
as the roller coaster of Scripture – one minute there is something good, the
next there is
something bad; one minute there is rejoicing, the next minute there is sadness;
one
minute there is family celebration, the next minute there is family sorrow; one
minute
there is wealth, there next minute there is bankruptcy; one minute there are
possessions,
and the next minute there is sackcloth and ashes. In other words, the book of
Job is a
reflection of how life really is.
Many of us relate to Job because our lives are not always pleasant, not always
filled with
victories, not always filled with great achievements. In this life, there are
times that only a
primal scream or a tearful cry or a deep rooted moan can produce. In this life,
there are
bills that are always due, illnesses to always be prayed about, sicknesses that
always make
the church bulletin, and problems that only escalate in nature. However, this
text begins
in the first chapter by telling us that there was a man who lived in the land of
Uz, who's
name was Job. Job was surrounded in life:
He was surrounded by his possessions;
He was surrounded by his wife and children;
He was surrounded by his financial portfolio.
He was surrounded by his grand house and land;
He was surrounded by his fieldworkers and servants;
He was surrounded by his finer things in life;
And he was surrounded by the presence of God. The scriptures tell us that he
was an
upright man who loved the Lord and prayed for his grown children just in case
they
sinned. And Job was so close to the Lord's heart that he bragged on him to
Satan. Satan
makes him the object of a godly challenge – he says if you just let me have him,
I'll make
him curse God and want to die.
I'm trying to hurry through this story – but when was the last time God bragged
on you?
When was the last time said there's no one who prays like you? There's no one
who sings
praises like you? There's no one who give their tithes like you? There's no one
who says
amen like you? God gives Satan permission to have access to his body, but not
his soul.
Job is immediately stricken:
His children are killed in a storm;
His servants are murdered by the Sabeans;
His houses are destroyed by whirlwinds;
His financial portfolio is destroyed;
His facial features have been decimated;
His skin is now hanging off the bone;
His breathing is erratic;
His complexion has turned to ash;
His body is now covered with boils;
His living room is now made up of a spot of burnt ashes;
His medicine kit now consists of a few pieces of broken pottery;
His wife is no longer an encourager;
His friends have abandoned him;
His community now says he got what he deserves;
And he is left with a confused and critical wife, a crumbling and crustladen
body, a
creditless and cautious existence, and only a few friends, a few contemporaries.
Let me
suggest these are not three poor friends. Rich folk don't hang out with the
poor. Movie
starts don't hang out with the fry cooks at McDonalds. Millionaires don't hang
out with
the unemployed. Like momma used to say, "birds of a feather flock together."
And Job
had a country club lifestyle but also had three fellow travelers – Eliphaz,
Bildad and
Zophar. Three rich, older friends, who have heard of Job's problems. I want to
examine
three points:
First, They Came to See Job While He Was Sick
The Bible says that these three men sent word to each other and said, let's meet
in Uz and
visit Job. And look at their objectives – and not only did they want to visit
Job they want to
console him and to comfort him. But I have discovered you can have some godly
goals
and Satan will pervert it.
Not only did they want to console him and comfort him, but between leaving the
house
and showing up at Job's place, they also wanted to criticize him and condemn
him.
There's nothing wrong with wanting to see the sick. There's nothing wrong with
wanting
to making plans to see the sick. Matter of fact, it's admirable to want to
minister to
someone else. It's wonderful to want to help someone who's down and out – it's
actually
a part of our Christian duty – to be a blessing, to minister to the sick.
They came from three different locations – no doubt the grapevine had it out
that Job was
going through hard times. However, I have discovered that you are going through
some
hard times – it will thin out your rolodex. People will start removing
themselves voluntarily
and pull disappearing acts on you.
I wish I had someone that will tell the truth in this room – let cancer come
tomorrow, let a
disease come that no one can cure, let your figure 8 turn into a figure 0, let
your car get
repossessed and your house go into foreclosure, you'll then find out who your
true friends
really are.
While you have a job, you have some friends;
But get laid off, and your friends will lay off as well;
While you have your health, you have some friends;
But get sick and your friends will get sick of you.
While you have your car, you have some friends;
But start buying bus passes and your friends will take a hike.
While you have some cash and credit cards, you have some friends;
But try to borrow some money and your friends will get financial amnesia.
Even some of the same people on the same row you shout with will stop
fellowshipping
with you.
In this life, you'll only get a few good friends – that will stick with you
through thick or
through thin. You're blessed if you can count five friends on your one hand.
Someone
once said, "those who lose their wealth, can't expect the visits of their
friends."
But even your best friends can change. Even your best friends can doubt you.
Even your
best friends can disappear. Even your best friends can hurt you. Even your
best friends
can get on your last nerve.
Lets tell the truth – some of your most painful moments in life can come from
your
friends. The Bible once described the wounds on the back and said these stripes
come
from the house of my friends.
My enemies, I expect them to act in a certain manner, but its my friends that
worry me –
they are the ones who can change up on you. Job said my enemies did what I
expected
them to – they rejoiced at my misfortune, but my friends turned their back on
me.
Secondly, They mourned Job while he was alive. They make the trek to Job's
house, and
the scriptures say when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize
him, and
they raised their voices and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust
in the air
upon their heads.
This portion of the text puzzled me all week – they met together and they surely
noticed
all of the changes on the way to Job's House – the roads were probably in bad
shape, the
house was gone, all was up was a temporary tent, and now they see Job, outside,
and he
doesn't look like a rich man, with his two layers of clothing. His coat and his
cloak or
mantle didn't fit right. He didn't look like a man who had servants to help him
get dressed
in the morning. He didn't look like a man who was bathed in the finest of oils
and waters
in the morning and had his hair brushed by servants. No, he is now a shell of
what he
used to be.
Let me tell all of us, especially young folk in the room, if you just keep on
living, all of us
won't be what we used to be. And you don't have to get old to join this
category. I know
some 40 year olds who don't look like they used to. I know some 30 year olds
who don't
look like they used to. I know some 20 year olds, who burnt their candles on
both ends,
who partied and drank and snorted and shot up, and they look older than their
mommas
and daddies – if God has given you another day, you ought to take care of these
bodies –
y'all don't hear me… We don't run like we use to, talk like we use to, squeeze
into small
clothes like we used to…
The Bible says even though they were at Job's house, they didn't recognize him –
but
between they didn't recognize him and they raised their voices – they figured
out that it
must have been Job, everyone else is dead, it must be Job.
It was the same Job who they went golfing with…
It was the same Job who they went hunting with…
It was the same Job who they swapped stories with…
It was the same Job who they talked about land and money with…
It was the same Job who visited their houses…
It was the same Job who they knew his wife and kids…
It was the same Job who they knew he had all kinds of money…
But now Job does not look the same – bildad, Zophar and Eliphaz express their
grief in
three ways – they cry aloud, they tear their robes, and then they throw dust in
the air
toward heaven and it lands on their heads.
They cried aloud to show their emotional shock and sorrow;
They tear their robes in brokenheartedness;
They threw dust on their heads in deep grief.
They cried aloud in front of Job.
They tore their robes in front of Job.
They threw dust on their heads in front of Job.
They did not comfort and they did not console – they turned an event that could
have been
used to encourage Job into a reminder of how bad things were and how they didn't
believe
he was going to make it.
When you're down and out – lost your job, having family problems, got a habit
you can't
break…
You don't want anyone coming to see you that's not an encourager. You don't
want
anyone coming to see you that's not supportive.
You don't want anyone coming to see you that's not positive.
Before we jump all over these three, I need to tell us that all of the Bildads,
Zophars and
Eliphazs aren't dead yet. There are some people who God has placed at the right
place at
the right time and they say or do something so discouraging or stupid and they
miss a
God moment. They could have been a blessing but they become a burden. They
could
have been a help but they become a hinderance. They could have been a joy but
they
became a joke.
You see what they failed to realize was that God had strategically placed them
in a position
but their spiritual immaturity demonstrated that they couldn't handle the
assignment.
Check this out -
Job used to be rich. They are still rich.
Job had children. They still had children.
Job had lands. They still have lands.
Job had resources. They still have resources.
Job had servants. They still have servants.
But the one thing that they apparently lacked was something that Job still had.
Eliphaz,
Bildad and Zophar had things but they didn't have a relationship with God, not
like Job
had. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose your soul?
They had toys and trinkets but they didn't have the relationship with God that
Job had. I
don't see a prayer life. I don't see any holiness. They had works but no
faith. They had
things but no Holy Ghost. And let me tell you – you might be missing a great
set up by
God because you are in the right place, at the right time, but you don't have
God in your
life. And you can try to do godly things but without godly motives!!!
I may not have resources – but I know the Lord.
I may not have great possessions – but I know the Lord.
I may not have tons of educational degrees – but I know the Lord.
The problem that I have with Job was he was honest, he was upright, he was a man
of
prayer – but he hung around people who had money, fortune – but didn't know how
to
pray! What in the world is a godly man doing hanging around ungodly folk???
And when times come for divine appointment, I don't want to be a divine
disappointment.
These men fell short of the goal – what was a God-Moment, they could have chose
to pray
to ask God to heal Job, they could have given a sacrifice on Job's behalf, they
could have
shown tender sympathy toward Job – yes, Job is disfigured, yes, Job is deformed,
but yes,
God is great!!
His three friends treated him and carried on as thought he were already dead.
And notice,
on the way to see Job and when they saw Job, they cried out – but never called
on the
name of the Lord! Lord deliver from people who can cry and cry out but don't
know who
to cry out to. Anybody here know who to cry out to?
Lastly, They were mute around Job while he was bedridden. The Bible says that
they sat
on the floor with Job. As his breath was going from bad to worst, his hair
falling out in
clumps, his skin eroding from the bone, and they sat there for seven days. That
sounds
admirable that they sat with their friend for seven days. But they didn't say a
word to Job.
No doubt, they were at the right place, but they just sat there and stared at
Job. While his
breathing was changing, while his body was decaying – they just sat there and
stared and
never uttered a mumbling word. Matter of fact, they didn't bring anything in
their hands –
no gifts, no clothes, no resources, not even a bottle of aspirin or some rubbing
oil. They
came empty handed.
This story almost has a worship sense to it. Check this out – they came to see
Job, they
didn't recognize who he was, they came to his house, they sat there and looked,
and
didn't bring anything in their hands. Sounds like some people I know who come
to church
every Sunday, they don't know who the Lord is, they come to his house, they sit
there
every Sunday and look, and they don't bring anything in their hands.
All they did was stare. One of the worst things that some of us really can't
stand is for
someone just to stare… (START STARING)
Staring says I've got nothing to say.
Staring says I'm thinking some things that I better not say.
Staring says I'd rather look than pray.
Staring says I don't know what you're going through.
Staring says It must be your own fault.
Staring says I'm thinking of some things to say when I talk.
Staring says there's nothing I can do.
Staring says you're on your own.
Staring says I can't believe what I'm seeing.
They stare at Job's sore boils, Job's leprosy, Job's elephantitis, Job's body
racked with
pain, Job's horrible appearance, Job's bad breath, Job's bad skin – but they
don't say a
word. They don't pray. They don't encourage. These are the types of people
who don't
know how to operate in the Spirit. These are the types of people who don't know
how to
minister to their fellow man.
They didn't share any scriptures. They didn't say you know, weeping endures for
a night
but joy comes in the morning. They didn't say, it's gonna be all right. They
didn't say,
this is just a test, God's going to give you a testimony.
I'm glad to know that there is somebody who knows me. There is somebody who
won't let
me stay in the mess I'm in. I'm glad thre is somebody who won't let me lay
there and
suffer all by myself. I have decided to clear out my rolodex. I'm gonna get
rid of all of my
Bildads, all of my Zophar's, all of my Eliphaz's – and I'm gonna hang on to my
real true
friend. My true friend is Jesus.
He is a heart fixer and a mind regulator. I'm going to hang on his unchanging
hand. Job
had his faith not in his friends. His friends couldn't help him. Their money
stayed home.
Their faith stayed home. But Jesus… that's where Job parked his faith and his
trust. Job
said… though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him.
I'm going to trust the Lord.
I'm going to serve the Lord.
I may be sick, but I'm gonna serve him.
I'm going to praise the Lord.
I may be slow, but I'm gonna praise him!
(GO TO CALVARY AND CLOSE….)
God bless,
Pastor Morgan
