The Revelation of God’s Sovereignty
Must be restored to the Church
TEXT: Job 40:1-5 The Lord said to Job: 2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" 3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 "I am unworthy — how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer — twice, but I will say no more."
Job 42:1-3 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 [You asked,] 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”
Introduction:
To adequately teach or preach on the Book of Job, which is 42 chapters long, would take weeks if not months! But the fact that the Holy Spirit took 42 chapters in giving us the story of Job tells us that what happened in Job is a very important part of the Word of God.
This is the story of a real man, not just a figurative character. The prophet Ezekiel names him with Noah and Daniel in Ezekiel 14:14, “Even if these three men — Noah, Daniel and Job — were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
The fact that Job is named along with Noah and Daniel tells you of his standing with God. Both Daniel and Noah were Godly men that were highly favored by the Lord. And Job is in that elite company.
I feel like that it is an important truth to know as we get into the story of Job. Why? Because the story of Job is about a righteous man who suffered greatly. Listen to what God said about Job in Job 1:8 “Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."
There are those in the Church today that teach that if you are really living a righteous and holy life, you will be spared the suffering that everyone else suffers. That is simply not true. The fact is that we live in a sinful broken world, and suffering is a part of that brokenness. And both those who love God and those who don’t are affected by the curse that is on this sinful world. That curse will one day be broken when Jesus returns, but not until them. Christians go by the way of the grave just like everyone else. Now, being born again, becoming a new creation in Christ, and living a surrendered life to the Lord is the way of blessing. And there are sufferings that we bring on ourselves because we sin and disobey God. But not all suffering comes because we sinned or disobeyed God. Sometimes we suffer and go through hardships simply because we live in a fallen world of sin.
This is the story of Job. He was a godly man who suffered greatly. As we have already seen, God said, “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." So then, why did he suffer? I hate to disappoint you here, but the book of Job never gives us that answer! Job does not answer the question of why do the righteous suffer! God never did tell Job why he suffered. God simply expected Job to trust him in spite of suffering, in spite of not knowing why he suffered. Job could not have known that his suffering and his story would be part of God’s revelation to his people down through the generations that would be a model in how to handle the suffering that we go through and that doesn’t make any sense.
What I want to do for the next few minutes is give you an overview of the revelation in the book of Job and then zero in on what I feel like the Holy Spirit is saying to us today asHe further prepares us for the coming move of the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray.
I. Overview of the Book of Job:
1. In Chapter one, the Word of God reveals to us that there is a spiritual world, and that things are going on in that spiritual realm that we should be aware of because those things affect our life in the natural realm.
God is real and Satan is real. And there is a drama that is being played out on the earth. In that drama, there is warfare between good and evil. In the midst of that warfare between God and Satan there is man who is made in the image of God. It is God’s heart to bless man and make him a part of his eternal family forever, sharing in the glory of God. Satan on the other hand has come to steal, kill and destroy mankind. So there is a battle for the souls of men. In Job chapter one, we see that battle being played out. In God’s eternal plan, he has given mankind a free will. Man is given the freedom to either accept God or reject Him. Job is the amazing revelation of man choosing God even when everything he has in this world has been taken from him! In the midst of his suffering Job said, though the Lord slay me, I will trust Him.” (Job 13:15. In another place he said, “the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
It is also very important here to know that chapter one of Job also teaches us that God is sovereign and Satan cannot do anything to a child of God without God allowing it. The point is that Satan does not have the poweror the authority to just attack us at will and overpower us. If God allows suffering, there is a reason for it. He is working a bigger plan and it is a good plan. It is an eternal plan.
God’s will for us is to trust even when we can’t see why or don’t understand, just as Job did.
2. Now, Job was not perfect. He was human just like you and I are.
In Job’s suffering, he cursed the day he was born. He cried out to God. He didn’t understand. He spoke of his righteousness before God. His suffering didn’t make any sense to him. Job was essentially saying, God I serve you and live a godly life, why am I suffering like this?
3. Job’s comforters.
While Job is going through all of this suffering, he has three “friends” who come to see him in all of his sorrow and woes. But instead of comforting him, they tell him that the reason why he is suffering is because there is sin in his life! Some comforters!
Just a word of wisdom here: when someone is going through a hard time, don’t be one of “Job’s comforters!” Don’t judge them and tell them that they are suffering because there is sin in their life! You really have no idea what is going on with them. The best thing you can do is love them and let them know that you are praying for them. That’s it. Nothing more. You don’t know what God may be doing in their life.
4. God confronts Job.
Because I am about out of time this morning, I’m going to share just a couple of scriptures with you:
1. Job 38:1-7 Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
Job, I am God. I am the Creator of all things. Who are you to question me?
2. Job 38:31-33"Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion? 32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up [God's] dominion over the earth?
This is an amazing revelation! God is asking Job about the story that He, God, is telling in the stars of heaven! The Pleiades, Orion and the bear with its cubs are part of the 12 constellations that God set in the heavens. Those 12 constellations, beginning with Virgo and ending with Leo, is the Gospel of God’s Son that He wrote in the stars! That Gospel begins with God’s Son being born to Virgo, the virgin, and concludes with that Son returning to the earth as Leo the Lion of the tribe of Judah!
I’m not trying to overwhelm you here, but I am trying to make a point. What point is that? God is so much bigger than we know or can even imagine!
God is confronting both Job and the Church in the 21st century with His sovereignty as the Almighty God, who is Creator and Redeemer! There is no one like Him!
And the Good News is that He loves us and has an eternal plan for our lives! But like Job we must learn to trust Him!
5. Job’s response.
Job 40:1-5 The Lord said to Job: 2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" 3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 "I am unworthy — how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer — twice, but I will say no more."
Job 42:1-3 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 [You asked,] 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”
Job 42:10-11 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.
CONCLUSION
Our response to the Word of the Lord is critically important to our being prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
What should that response be?
1. First, we should humble ourselves before God just as Job did. He alone is God. He alone is sovereign and is perfect in love, power and wisdom. Our part is not to question Him but is instead to trust Him.
Job sat in awe of God, and so should we. Revival will not come until the church learns to sit in awe of God. Before revival the fear of the Lord must be restored to the Church.
2. Secondly, we must pray for everyone who has spoken against us or wronged us just as Job did. Forgiveness must be restored to the Church before the power and blessing of God is restored to the Church.
God not only made Job prosperous again, but He gave him twice as much as he had before.
I believe that the next move of God will be a double portion of the Holy Spirit! God is ready to restore to the Church twice of what she has know before in previous revivals!
ALTAR
1. Lord, return the fear of the Lord to your Church.
2. Lord, I forgive everyone who has hurt me.
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