Listen, Listen: Change

Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ August 1, 2010

“Listen, Listen: Change”

 

  • What an awesome week at VBS “High Seas Adventure”… around 10 boys & girls trusted Jesus!
  • Next Sunday morning many of our children will be singing for us in both services!
  • Keep praying: Dan Major (rare lung tumors, Danville), Rob (B.Tumor recovery), Dorothy K (new knee, thurs) Annette G (kidney), Nori (various ailments), Betty D son Mike (Melanoma), Pam Stevens (brain tumor), other unspoken requests…

 

  • How many times have you said, “God, I don’t understand???” Trying to make sense of circumstances
  • Antimony is a truth that we can’t figure out… man is finite whereas God is infinite… and Sovereign!

 

Isaiah 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Deuteronomy 29:29a “The secret things belong to the Lord our God…”

 

  • Last week we spoke about “Heroes” going through storms of life… we used the example of Job…
  • Today we’ll continue to follow Job in the tempest that blew into his life… We can all relate to him…

 

Quick Review from last week – Job

Job 1:1-3 1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

 

  • Tremendous Wealth, Honor, Family, Health, Blessings… 1:1-3
  • One Day, Satan (the accuser) went before the Lord… 1:6,2:1
  • God allowed His “hedge of protection” to be removed… 1:10
  • Job lost it all… family, fame, fortune, health… 1-2 … BUT he still had his faith in the Lord!

 

 

I. Job’s Life Dramatically Changed… Chpts 1-2 

Job 2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

  • Behind the evil in this world is an unseen enemy that is out to destroy God, His children, His program
  • God removed His hedge of protection… the enemy attacked – Job’s life dramatically changed…
  • Life is all about change… better or for worse. We hear slogans, “Change you can believe in”…oh really?
  • We change jobs, careers, habits, relationships, financial situations, marital status, churches, health…
  • When a storm blows across your bow… How do you personally handle it? Crisis will come… when?

 

 

II.   Job Dialogued with his Three Friends… Chpts 3-26

  • Job’s trials hit him hard… he sat on the ground in the dirt… 2:13 tells us he had three friends who came
  • They could not even recognize Job… they sat on the ground with him for seven days in silence…
  • They were like kindred faith… they believed in God… Chpts 3-26 we are given the back/forth dialogue
  • Essentially it came down to Job, even though you look good on the outside… you’re wicked inside. God sees your heart Job and is not pleased with you… Many verses, look at two…

 

Job 11:5 Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you

Job 18:21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God."

Job 4:17 'Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?

III. Job’s Assessment of Himself… Chpts 27-31

Job begins:

Job 27:5-7 5 I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. 6 I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live. 7 "May my enemies be like the wicked, my adversaries like the unjust!

  • I will never admit your assessment of me… I’m right, you guys are wrong in this matter
  • Everyone around me are wicked & unjust but not me… I am righteous before the Lord!

 

Job concludes:

Job 31:35 "Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense--let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

  • Job continues for 5 chapters… now arrogantly we come to his conclusion for his suffering…
  • Confident of his innocence, like a defendant in court… I will proudly wear God’s indictments!
  • Calling God the accuser… If God has something against me – “let Him tell me to my face…”!

 

I am innocent before God… (I, me, my is found 224 times in Job’s rebuttal chpts 27-31)

 

IV. Young man named Elihu [Elly-hoo] Passionately Speaks Up… Chpts 32-37

Job 32:1-5 1 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

  • This young believer was actually Abraham’s nephew according to Gen 22:21 (Ram, Aram)
  • He was passionate, hot in hearing these lengthy conversation… on and on and on…
  • He was angry with Job for his “righteousness in his own eyes... the sin of self-righteousness…
  • He was also angry with the three friends because of their lack of “spiritual depth?”…
  • A deadlock between Job and his three friends… God raised up Elihu to finally speak truth!

 

  1. Job, you claim innocence… Job 34:5 "Job says, 'I am innocent, but God denies me justice.
  2. Job, you speak fluff… Job 35:16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words."
  3. Job, you are bitter against God… Job 36:13 "The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, (midst of storm) they do not cry for help. (remaining self-centered and growing more and more bitter against the Lord)

 

Job 36:16 “He is wooing you from the jaws of distress…” Job, God is trying to lead you out of this ordeal

Job 36:33 “His thunder announces the coming storm…” Job, God is SHOUTING to YOU (dumb cattle…)

 

  • Young man, standing before & speaking to the greatest/famous man known in all the east…
  • With his heart pounding/palpitating in his chest… Can you hear Eliho ending his speech with:

 

JOB… WAKE UP! God is trying to speak to YOU!

Job 37:1-2 “… my heart pounds and leaps from its place. Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice…”

 

V. God Still Speaks Today by His Holy Spirit…

  • Creation… through the wonder of His creation… not yielded to the lies of evolution
  • Bible… through obedience to God’s Word, He chooses to reveal more of Himself to us
  • Prayer… through being still, know that I am God, away from distractions of life
  • Circumstances… through a thousand different situations handcrafted for you
  • Church… through His people, the instrument God so often uses

 

  • Do you find yourself in the midst of a “storm” where your problems seem insurmountable?
  • Are you growing weary in trying to live out the “perfect life”… yet in your heart you know you can’t?
  • Perhaps you’re harboring bitterness toward God (or someone) for something you’re struggling with?
  • MAYBE it’s time to “Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice…” Perhaps it’s God trying to speak to you?
  • Hebrew… Listen attentively, Listen obediently, Listen intelligently… with wisdom and knowledge
  • WAKE UP! Maybe God is trying to speak to YOU!

 

Hebrews 4:7b “… Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

  • ·      It all comes down to a decision we make…
  • “Listen, Listen (as God Roars in my life): we must choose to Change”
  • If the Lord is speaking to you… don’t allow your heart to become cold & hardened… say YES Lord!
  • God says everyone is a sinner, lost, under the judgment of God… change starts by getting saved…
  • God love you, Jesus died for your sins, buried and rose again… Power to forgive, power to change!

 

  • In the quietness of this time, you KNOW God is speaking to you right now… would you trust Him?
  • If God is speaking to you… you need forgiveness, hope of eternal life… lift your hand if that’s you…
  • I want to be born again… I need God in my life, would you follow me in this simple prayer…

 

Bow our hearts…

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. Thank you for dying on the cross for me. I now invite you into my life as my Lord and Savior. Take control of my life, forgive my sins and make me your child. Amen

 

  • As a believer… maybe it’s time you got rid of the sin and garbage in your life… get right & sell out…
  • Like Job, you may look good on the outside, but torn up inside… out of fellowship… storms abound…
  • Sometimes the biggest storms is what goes on in our hearts… unseen to anyone except God…
  • Admit, ask God to humble you, forgive you of sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness…
  • Then in faith thank Him… begin walking in victory you so desperately want… Flying High w/ Jesus!

 

Listen, Listen to the ROAR of God’s voice… YES LORD – choose to change!

Prayer