God Is Unfathomable, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ be fair like doesn't look fair out there. In fact, it's not fair out there and that June is on his and the idea that he has, which is an interesting idea from his point of view is this whole idea what's the point. What is he doing why God knows why but doesn't the pain and suffering.

Often leaders to this question. Joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our work. Many of you come to the same realization as I have. Life is often a mystery. And if you think that your Christian and that'll solve that dilemma for your mistake and wanted all CS Lewis assessing life.

He wrote this he said the best is perhaps that we understand the least is only CS Lewis could say it. Much of the time as we go through life and you observe all the inexplicable things you see around you, and there are plenty of those going now almost all of us are left with the same three letter word. Why why Nebraska that why so in light of that and some other issues I've decided that I'm going to begin a series of sermons that I'm entitled put on your thinking cap and so if almost none of you here three or four weeks I'll know why you decided not to go through that. I don't promise to provide the indisputable clear answers on these topics, but I I have hope that I'll be able to give you biblical perspective that will help you through what I call the mysteries of life and so I do understand. By the way that the subject will be talking about for the next few weeks are inscrutable, but I like it. Open your Bibles to Job chapter 9 Job chapter 9 you're pretty familiar. I'm sure with the book of Job and if if I were to summarize the entire book of Job into one word, the word would be why that's the whole point of the book everybody's talking about it. Why why is this happening why am I suffering so why, I just need to know I want to know why and when you get to Job 9 you've already gone by and I can Job form five Alfonse the first of the day of the friends came to be with Job and day. He said his friends often do I know why and I give them bad stuff because you've done bad stuff God punishing you for doing bad stuff and I did help Job much and then we get to chapter 8 in bill that comes by he says look, you've done something wrong and you going to have to repent that goes on says God would never reject a man who has integrity enough to repent suggests repent, but Job knows event having to repent up and so we still offer the same questions on chapter 9. Job sorta makes his own response. He says in verse one. In truth, I know that this is so what that had been said by Bildad. He said but how can a man be right before God. It's an interesting question. If you're saying I have some sin in me. Of course I do. How can any man be right before God, so God to punish everybody if that's the case, so he has that question, and then he says if one wish to dispute with him.

He could not answer him one in a thousand times. He said God is not answer me. I don't know he's feeling this thought. This thought of why he understands it, and then he goes over the first 10 and he says this, God does great things, unfathomable and wondrous works without number. Were he to pass by me. I would not seem were he to move past me. I would not perceive them were he to snatch away who could restrain them, and who could say to him. The other question, what are you doing is not just why you see something happening in your life and you say what you doing since is the question we often have as human beings to go to verse 22 and he says here he said you know God as I look at life.

It is all one. Therefore I say he destroys the guiltless and the wicked. If the scourge skills kill suddenly. He said he mocks the despair of the innocent, the earth is given into the hand of the wicked.

He covers the faces of its judges is not he who was it Ptolemy summarize it. Job looks at life incision. What software we have done never look at life and save this doesn't seem fair to me.

Especially when you see terrible horrific things happen to people you and I been as relatively innocent in these things. How can this be fair like doesn't look fair out there. In fact, it's not fair out there and that's with Job goes on and says so then he talks about himself on verse 25 and he says now my days are swifter then than a runner, they flee away, they see no good.

They slipped by like a read boats which are really quiet boat. He said like an eagle that swoops on its prey, and though I say I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful gutters and mother.

Job says no matter what I try to do when I see the way life really works now shortages. I know I'll try to smile. I'll try to look like. I'm happy but I'm not I'm you love the way says that he says I'm afraid of all my pains I know that you will not acquit me. I am accounted wicked. Why then should I toil in vain he has suffered so much to be saying what I've seen other people say I wish I were dead, yet he says it different is that I wish I were never born. That's a pain does to us and in the idea that he has is what's it's an interesting idea from his point of view is this whole idea what's the point.

You see, what is he doing why God knows why but Job doesn't know why it's the point of the book, the pain-and-suffering will often lead us to this question, but let me ask you this was some hypothetical situations you see on the news early reading the newspaper young child is kidnapped seven or eight-year-old little boy or girl.

Then they find him beaten to death and lying somewhere ever ask him why why did you let that happen.

Why I don't get it, a mass shooting at elementary school and earthquake that kills thousands of people pandemic that threatens the whole world, the mother of four small children is diagnosed with fetal cancer. A drunk driver kills newlyweds on the night of their wedding.

The arrest why I can guarantee you that if there's newlyweds were your children you'd ask why winter why did this one. Why, how did this happen while the great word in this chapter of Job is in verse 10 again. You see, that's the great word God does great things, unfathomable. That's the word receipt was hard for us as we believe in God. We know God can do anything and we know God is good. So that leaves us with the question why why this happened, why you see that that's the question a book of Job is a question often in our lives, but Job says something here that we just leased on a road to begin to understand this.

He said God is on unfathomable now what does that mean some of you may try to get up and say well it means it can be fathomed that's true but you don't use the word fathomed very often, so it's a bit more difficult for you but this word unfathomable in Hebrew is the only time it's ever used in the Old Testament and is not a word. It's three words in Hebrew, Job takes and puts three words together and English translators translated unfathomable the first word is to gear and to gear means inscrutable. Okay, it means inscrutable, not means not inscrutable, but what what's that mean it means you can't understand it.

That's what it means you can understand it. It's inscrutable the second Hebrew word is ion and it means beyond. It is beyond the inscrutable.

The third word is odd and odd means forever interesting. Put the words together. God's actions, gutters, inscrutable is is beyond inscrutable forever know what's that mean to you and me you don't understand, and you never will.

That's what it means you don't understand, and you never will not remember in the book of Job.

What we end up seeing is that's the whole point of the book, Job keeps saying why God what are you doing, just tell me why God won't.

Why will only because his unfathomable that becomes the word limit that explain this Job does God ever.

Job yes and he said Job you really a neat guy and you really have some good questions and I'm here to answer for his I would guided new comes out of the whirlwind a basis of Job, who are you who are you to question me. Tell me he said I don't recollect this, but when I created everything you want there.

So who are you to question me. Why are you doing this is an Job got it.

Job understood that he repented in sackcloth and ashes. He said you're right I should have never been even having the thought why or what are you doing about this. Look at the little bit closer and go to Isaiah chapter 55, Isaiah chapter 55 versus 89 we start getting an explanation. God says this through Isaiah, verse eight he wants to explain something he says for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For us, the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours.

My thoughts than your thoughts. That's really an interesting thing God says I don't think like you at all. You and I might be able to think like got a little bit, but he doesn't think like us all. He is so infinitely different in his thinking and his actions.

He tries to show you the differences between the distance between earth and heaven, which is infinite is. That's when I have a thought. It is infinitely higher than any thought.

You have when I do something it's infinitely more than anything you could possibly have and when we question God whether we want to admit it or not. What we end up doing is saying based on how I'm thinking about this. I want to know what you're doing. I want to know why this is happening and I think God would tell you and me and has told us in his word. If I explained it to you. You would have no idea what I'm saying none, because I don't think like you think. Not at all. I'm infinitely higher than the way I do things and you do them. You see, but that's what we usually want only ask the question why what were looking for is an answer, God give me an answer and I can tell you this. Almost every time you never get the answer because of God's point of view, this whole idea is a different idea that I get to a little bit later he has something else in mind. Now go with me is back this up into Romans chapter 11 in the New Testament Romans chapter 11.

Same idea I give you little bit of background. When you study the book of Romans. Whenever you finish chapter 8 the idea of the thought that Paul has picks up again in the beginning of chapter 12, chapters 9, 10 and 11 are parenthetical.

He pauses to try to explain something and what he wants to explain. He wants to explain something to Jewish believers who are in Rome. Jewish believers in Rome are part of the church of Rome but they don't understand what's going on they don't, they can't. Their view is, wait, wait, we have a question what happened to God's covenant with Israel. What happened now you're saying I'm in a church on the Gentiles.

But what happened to God's promise to Israel.

So Paul spends three chapters trying to explain this. The first thing he says in chapter 9 is look from a point of view the church always reels not Israel and what he means by that is, how does a Jew get saved at the time the Paul was writing the exact same way that a Gentile get saved he has to put his faith in Jesus Christ. If he doesn't put his faith in Jesus Christ. He can have a relationship with God. So he lets you know the Jews of the put their faith in Christ are saved the Jews and haven't.

They're not.

He then goes on in the Jews, the Jews are still thinking though what then what happened was promised of the nation so and 1125 will go first. 1125 Paul says this for I do not want you brethren to be uninformed of this mystery material so that you will not be wise in your own estimation them explaining a partial hardening has happened to Israel as a nation and then these words until the fullness of the Gentiles commit. What's the fullness of the Gentiles. We know for the rest the Bible, the church age until the church age is over, God has set aside his covenant relationship with the nation Israel and he will pick it up as soon as the church age is over. So Paul goes on and tries to explain this so that they could possibly understand it. He still has a commitment to the nation in this section, Paul uses three words are interesting. The first word is mystery on it means this is a mystery until I reveal it. You don't know. So the Jews didn't know the answer why why is God not dealing with Israel. The way promised the second analogy to users is the analogy of the pot and the potter. That's famous in this section, Paul asked the question, does the potter have control over the pot. The answer is pretty simple yes if if if your partner you don't have the pod sake. I don't like my shape and I like this I want something different.

Now the analogy upon potter's with us is the pot and I'm sure a lot of us would say to God I don't like my shape and I prefer something different but you going to get what you going to get that's about it. But the point of it is is that that's the analogy Potts don't have any right to talk to a potter about what they look like it's easy that's an analogy and he uses that now the third in word he uses is interesting. Starting in verse 33 Paul says oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God. He said how unsearchable are his judgments, and there we go again and unfathomable is ways same wardrobe uses on five, it cannot be understood by us. It cannot be.

You see, his ways are unfathomable for who he said for who is known the mind of the Lord he said or who became his counselor, he said.

Or, he said, who was first given to him that it may be given back again. God is not answerable to me in any sense he goes. He then he says for him.

He said for from him and threw him into him are all things you get so wound up assisting him be the glory forever. Amen. He goes into a doxology. Paul says well you see when you and I ask why. What are you doing we are questioning an infinite God with an extremely limited mind.

We what you're saying when you say that the God is you need to answer me. I want to know why I want to know what you're doing Duchess in. I mean is an amazing thing what God is able to do discreetly can't we cannot scrutinize what it is that God does them.

Explain this in a much clearer way of the sort of greatness of God go with me to Psalm 139 Psalm 139 is very likely to be my favorite Psalm in the solar may be a church to just an amazing song that David writes in a given context is received. At the end of the Psalm.

David's going to our time. David is King of Israel, why is the king of Israel. He worked his way up the chain right now, neither Shepherd God cities King of Israel through Samuel. He said there's the king. So now is King of Israel did have a hard time I saw you pretty sought solace of the kill them over and over again. Now David's king, and he has enemies everywhere and they want him dead. So is going through a hard time. He's trying to think this process through.

So here's how it starts in these first six verses, he says, you know, I cannot even fathom your understanding of me this very insightful piece of the Lord you have searched me and known me as a generic term if I said you think God really knows you yeah but what you going to see is he really knows you. He says you know when I sit down and when I rise up and make sense.

God knows everything and he knows of him sitting or standing watch. You understand my thoughts from afar. He says you understand my thoughts.

What thoughts are your thoughts unbelievable. There 7 billion people on the planet at any moment. Like right now God knows all of our thoughts right now. Simultaneously, you've never had a thought the guy doesn't know not want so I know every thought you have, you had thoughts of you don't even know you see what I mean.

You can even remember thoughts like the guys I got them all.

He says you scrutinize my path and my lying down.

He said you are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

You know everything is going to happen in my life with Mussina moment from the time I was conceived till today. God knew every single thing it was going to happen in every single day, every single hour every single minute of my life before there was one in mine and yours and everybody else's use to get an idea about when he's not like us. He's not like us to see his thoughts are not like our thoughts. Well then he goes on and says even before there was a word to my mouth.

Behold, oh Lord, you know what all he said you've enclose me behind and before you laid your hand upon me. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ and me to say this, you know why you're alive right now because God is protected; us to kill everyone of us number Job story when God and Satan were talking got to look at my servant Job is the rights most righteous man on earth and Sing Sing. Yeah, but that's because you build a hedge around him, you know, let me get Adam member. Jesus said to Peter.

Peter desires us if you like wheat but I pray kill us all is that the reason you have life. Titus got his this moment it is passed through Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well have Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is of the sermon, the pastor delivered during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and O LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online work you prefer, you can download the sermon and listening room. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org for pastoral Gebhardt injuries and heart. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order