Jobs Unparalleled Distress, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Most all of us in our years of growing up have had the experience of disobeying our parents get punished for when that discipline was connected with wrongdoing. It had a certain sense of justice to when we do wrong we get punished. But one of the surprises as we get older. However, is that we come to see that there's no way should not commit the amount of pain experience an even larger surprise is that very often or something. Quite the opposite.

We do right and then we get knocked down to the best looking of doing and just as we are reaching out to receive our reward were hit a blindside sent really joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana that's going pastor go get her now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world is amazingly redundant. Solomon said all those years ago. There's nothing new under the sun this past week, I find an article written by Ray Steadman, the late Ray Stedman, pastor Peninsula Bible Church in California that occurred 73 years ago.

Any he writes about a young man named Johnny Guenther he said Johnny Guenther was an act of fun-loving straight a student from Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He excelled in math and science in chess.

Early in 1946. His life was overshadowed by the discovery of a large malignant tumor in his brain. Over the next 14 months Johnny endured to operations painful spinal taps daily x-ray treatments, experimental injections of mustard gas and a severe dietary regimen. Many of the treatments. Johnny was subjected to in the 1940s are now known to have no therapeutic value, and during his treatments.

Johnny amazed his doctors with his courage and his optimism and ability to survive a particularly aggressive tumor for a while. Early in February 1947 he grew stronger as the tumor appears to shrink, but in April as Johnny was taking his college board exams. He suffered short bouts of amnesia there Johnny's illness had heard his attendance at school. He had built up so much extra credit that he was able to graduate with this class on June 4 when Johnny returned to Deerfield Academy for his final weeks of school. His classmates couldn't hide or shock of his thin waisted appearance. He wore a turban to cover his bald surgery scarred head and though his life was ebbing, he faced his final exam in chemistry and received in a on June 4. He received a standing ovation as he walked across the platform. The receive his diploma on June 12, Johnny was admitted into the local hospital where he experience worsening bouts of amnesia and in headaches and vomiting and tremors. The doctors told his parents that he was dying of a cerebral hemorrhage just a few days after entering the hospital.

Johnny received the news that his application to Columbia University have been accepted early on June 30, 1947 Johnny one into a, from which he never woke up.

He was pronounced dead. That night at 1102. Johnny's father journalist John Gunther recounted his story in a book that became a modern classic death be not proud. One of the most poignant ironies of Johnny Guenther stories the fact that his cancer attacked them at the very sight of his personality is intellect and his human potential Stedman and writes this, he said we hear a tragic story like Johnny Guenther's and we have to wonder why why was life taken from such a promising young man. Why was his life cut short. Why did he have to endure so much suffering. Why is life so unfair. One of the most profound observations of all these years of ministry is that one why is life so unfair. It bothers me and I know it bothers you, and yet the unfairness of life touches all of us.

I would say this way, welcome to Job's world is an amazing thing. An entire book of the Bible dedicated to this very question wises so unfair we join the Bible to Job, chapter 1 Job chapter 1 going to begin a study in the book of Job. I call pondering Job you know little bit about the story you know something about the front of the book in the back of the book, but I'm pretty sure you don't know the book you get, lost in the middle is an amazing book.

I don't know if you're aware this. It's by a mile. The oldest book in the Bible. Nothing seem enclosed Genesis is even close to Job.

Job is hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years before Genesis is the first book ever written in the word of God and I believe personally that the reason it's written is because God understands what it means to be a human being on a cursed and fallen planet among sinful people.

In other words, we will suffer, and God wanted humanity in the very first book to understand what about suffering is life fair. How does this work and all those kind of questions. Job is a unique book the beginning of the book is written in prose, just like a story in the end is written in prose, but the middle was written in poetry is the first of the five wisdom books of the Old Testament when you really study if you come away in the whole book Martin Luther called the book magnificent Thomas Carlisle, the Scottish essayist said there is nothing written. I think in the Bible or out of it. Of equal literary merit. Victor Hugo, the French poet and author said this, he said Job was perhaps the greatest masterpiece of the human mind, Eugene Peterson, a contemporary writer in his introduction to the book of Job. He said this is not only because Job suffered that he is important us is because he suffered in the same ways that we suffer in the vital areas of family, personal health and material things Job is also important to us because he certainly questions and boldly protested his sufferings. Indeed, he went to the top with his questions is not the suffering that troubles us is undeserved suffering. Almost all of us in our years of growing up having had the experience of disobeying our parents and get punished for it.

When that discipline was connected with wrongdoing. It had a certain sense of justice to it when you we do wrong we get punished for one of the surprises as we get older, however, is that we come to see that there is no real correlation between the amount of wrong, we commit in the amount of pain that we experience an even larger surprise is that very often there is something quite the opposite. We do right and then we get knocked down. We do the best were capable of doing and just as we are reaching out to receive our reward were hit from the blindside and sent reeling. That's what I want to start looking at today the book of Job and continue in the weeks ahead.

Job is a real man. Ezekiel 1414 mentions Job in the New Testament James, the Lord's brother and James five mentions Job so is not some story made up. This is a real man and he experiences unparalleled distress so these first five verses. I want you to see something I wanted to see his prosperity.

The book starts great. It just sounds like one of these happy books for five verses it says there was a man in the land of goods and his name was Joe going to assure why the calm Job. Not sure about the name. It's a very old old name, but he's from the land of Lewis's southeast of the Dead Sea. That's where he's at and they find him there and it says and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil so immediately. The first thing that you see about Job's character.

Nelly says he is blameless and upright, doesn't mean he simmers it means he's has great integrity before God and will see this as a place of these first two chapters, he says not only does he fear and respect God, but he turns away from evil. He has seven sons and three daughters C is a big family. You see, these are all adult children in just a moment, but he has seven sons and three daughters.

So he has a large family, and then it says this, his possessions were 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys and many servants, and the man was the greatest of all the men of the East. Now we read that Sally had some animals. Please understand something. I'm one of them. But the below, the commentators say Job was probably the richest man on earth at that time you measured your value by the animals that you won't notice what he starts out with. He has 7000 sheep of the average Shepherd at that time had maybe 50 to 107,000 sheep just them. The amount of wool that he could produce and sell. And then it says something a little bit odd to us. He had 3000 camels had a trucking business. That's what he had. That's why you have 3000 camels to see he would loan out as camels for moving goods all over the near East. Thousands of 3000 camel and then it tells us that he also had 500 yoke of oxen, which means he had a thousand oxen means to retooling up whenever they plow no you don't have a thousand oxen just work your own field. I mean, he had enormous fields, I'm sure, but he loaned them out. He sold those out to others so they could plow their fields hit 500 yoke of oxen, and then for many of us it seems so strange, 500 female donkeys want.

Why, what's the point of female donkeys will when you read about and find out that the delicacy of Job's day is female donkey milk if you were lucky enough to get donkey milk that was really special.

He had 500 female donkeys cited Duncan only enough for his whole family and his servants, but I'm sure he sold it as well so he has his tremendous amount of prosperity that's happening to him. Notice the summary of the writer that he was the greatest man in the East. His sons used to go to a feast in the house of each one. On his day and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. His name means his birthday that have a party at that sons birthday bright all the other brothers and sisters in for the party. Now this otitis on them by Job.

Notice that it says in verse five it says it came about when the days of feasting had completed their cycle that Job would send and consecrate them rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of the mall for Job said, perhaps my sons of sin and cursed God in their hearts that is continually is the priest of his family and is offering a burnt offering, he doesn't even know if they did anything. But he said if they did do anything I wanted covered by an offering before God is an amazing, conscientious and righteous man just looking out even for his own family and so the whole thing starts out there was a man and he was extremely prosperous.

Number six now there was a day Mrs. really were.

The thing changes scene changes curtain does not set changes and now you move from earth to heaven and there was a day for almost all of us is going to be that day and there was a day some of you already had a day like that.

There was a day you'll never forget. There was a day when you heard the diagnosis and prognosis. There was a day when you heard of someone you love, died there was a day you see there was a day and that's the way the writer handles and he said there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, the sons of God. Here are the angelic beings the spiritual beings. This may shock you, but it shouldn't.

If you read the word of God. It says and Satan was among them.

He's had no problem with the Senate and is not really Satan in English it says that but in Hebrew.

It's it it doesn't say exactly that in any in Hebrew. You have half sometime hot is an article. It was these sometime this time is the adversary we call waiting is his name is not his name. It's what years he's the adversary is called all the way. The first few chapters are the sometime every time it has the article he is the adversary of God and he presents himself, the God whom I think warm. Glad that's over with presents way back then. Not true.

When we read the book of Revelation, we see that Satan still is open access to God and he still accuses us day and night before God.

So nothing is really change the house that access now. What's interesting is the next phrase in the Lord said to Satan, so brought this up the same bring up no, the Lord brought it up. He's got something in mind here, the Lord brought it up any said. First of all, where you come from, and Satan answered the Lord and said, from roaming about on the earth and walking around on it that something a teenager and were we just messing around moving around. But that's not really true there that were roaming is the Hebrew word suit and it means that it means that he was going around with a specific agenda and goal in mind, you have a particular purpose.

He's always had that agenda. He is always had that agenda to destroy man and his testimony for God if he can. He said that's what he was doing and remember this, God knows doing that. So Whitey asked the question.

You see, because he wants the conversation so that he says the Satan, have you considered my servant Job notice because of my servant. Have you considered my servant Job have I you know if you want to a demon post office on the most wanted board. He's the guy the most wanted guy.

The guy we want to get, he's the bull's-eye do us. I consider him every moment of every day and guts we've ever considered my servant Job season for there's no one like him on earth blameless and upright man, fearing God and he turns away from you from evil guy just said is the most righteous man on earth. He's the only person other than Jesus Christ, you can be sure was the most righteous man on earth because Mandan say that God said he said there's no one like Joe. He's that righteous.

Once the disrespect in the next verse. Then Satan answered the Lord and said this Job fear God for nothing will. In an interesting member Satan's discussion in Garden of Eden. What's the first thing he does with VBS or question. See pieces of equipment is Job really expected for nothing. Now God is said Job was blameless. Satan is implying Job is not Job's selfish self absorbed. Watch what he says, he said, have you not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side you will bless the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land you know why Joe loves you. You pay them to.

That's what you do, you pay them that's wasted that's white. Look what you've given them, and you put a hedge about. I'd love to get my hands on him, but you won't let me. By the way could point of application he's put a hedge around you and me as well and I know is put it around you because you're here because of eating adventure. I knew you would be see that's the whole point. He said I can get to him. You paid him he self absorbed. That's what's really going on here that's the way it works is a really interesting thing he's very clever and what he ends up saying here's a notice he goes on with it and he says this he said, but put forth your hand, is a put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has occur shooters your face. You just go after what he has occur shooters face understand is Job know anything about this Job doesn't know this is going on. He has no idea discussion going on in their having this discussion, he said of course you write your face you take what he has away from them. That's what I do and then surprisingly then the Lord said to Satan, behold, all that he has is in your power all that he has is in your power now we that's a lot of stuff big family lots of servants all those present. It's all in your power now only. Do not put your hand on him he cannot harm him. Satan departed from the presence of the Lord there some principles here for us in these first versus his first 12 one. Is this you and I have an enemy whose real and you try to warn your life and your testimony for We have a real enemy and so often when you want to real troubles in your life you have to think this way is Satan behind this is to somehow going to discredit the testimony of the Lord you see is this going to bring about sin in somebody's life. Secondly, there are trials of come into our lives that are not deserved.

They are permitted or not deserved, but they are permitted trials in our own life. Thirdly, as you read this will evolve as we go through the book God has a plan for us, that we may never understand going through this whole book God has a plan for us that you and I may never understand short of men will know is were known, but until then we may never understand it. And lastly, the silence of God to make you wonder if he's there.

He cares the book the jungle make it clear to lessee is there and he does care so Satan touches almost all the Job has starting in verse 13 he says now it happened on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house that a messenger came to Job and said the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them. The sapiens attacked and took them in a so the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you.

And while he was speaking, another also came and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed him and I alone have escaped to tell you and why was still speaking to another also came and said, the Chaldeans formed three bands and a made a raid on the camels and they took the lives of the servants with the edge of the sword and I alone he said of escaped to tell you that's a bad day every cover stock market crash. He lost everything and all the servants in one day. Three messengers running and panting everything you own is gone.

If you were Job. What would you be thinking right then decide how feeling sorry for yourself. You might be thinking these my kids are alive. Still, my children and then right after that this man runs in his says in verse 18. Why was still speaking, another also came and said your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine with their oldest brother's house, and behold a great wind came across the water struck the four corners of the house.

It fell on the young people, and they died, and I alone escaped to tell you while that make you feel this is one day visit some building up. This is something this is instantaneous. There's no expectation any there's never going to happen and all of a sudden all this happens in one day. Verse 13 made it so clear now. I have sometimes instantaneous and pastoral never on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just 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 at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as Fellowship in the Word.

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