Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Sermon Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church and Full of Days.

Full of Days. How did Job have a full life? Nobody has been through the suffering that Job went through except our Savior, Jesus Christ. What would transpire to go through something like that to lose all your children, all your livestock, all your farm, all your finances, everything that you had, even your health?

Have your wife literally look at you and say, listen, you need to curse God and just die because you're in so much pain. Why would a man who had been treated like that? And then he has three friends show up and discourage him and preach at him and tell him all the things that he's done wrong.

Then he has another guy show up and tell him what he's done wrong. How could a guy like that at the end of everything, may it be said to him he was full of days? That word full doesn't mean just he had a lot of them.

It means that he had quality too. He had a wonderful life. I'd like to preach on that subject today, a full life. How can you have a full life when you've had such tragedy? How can you have a full life when you've had so many things go wrong? What transpired between that when Job's laying on the bed with boils all over his body, having lost all of his children, everything he had, he was a very wealthy man, he lost it all.

What took him from that point at the end of chapter 37 to at the end of chapter 42, this guy died being full of days. You say, preacher, I haven't had a very good life. I've had all this tragedy and all these things happen. Oh, listen to me, dear friend. You didn't have as much tragedy as this person did. You say, no, I've had a lot. Oh, yeah, but unless you've lost all your children in one day, lost everything you had, your home, everything, your property, and then you lose your health all in one day, how does a person take a situation like that, and then the day he dies, it's able to be said about him, man, that guy had a wonderful life. He had a great life.

What happened? In chapter 38, I want you to turn there, if you will. Normally, I'll pick six, seven, eight verses. You stay there, and I kind of explain those verses.

But in order to understand this book, we started last week just so we could get to today. Chapter 38, then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, I love that verse. All friends, all these friends show up, they give them all their advice, all their discouraging words, preach it, Job, tell them everything he's done wrong, how wonderful that was, I'm sure. Job's laying there in pain. All three of those friends didn't do one thing to help the pain, not just physically, emotionally, spiritually.

They did nothing but make it worse. Job's listening to everybody give their piece of advice of what should be done and how this happened and all these things. And Job is literally going through a storm here, not a physical storm where there's lightning and wind, but you know what I'm talking about. Storms of life, things that happen, circumstances, and sometimes you find yourself in the midst of a storm, and I love this verse, then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind.

Can I say this? God always has an answer in your storm. He always has an answer. God's always there.

And he always has an answer for you. You say, but I don't hear it yet. Oh, it took a while for Job to finally hear it. You say, well, I don't really see God in this. Well, Job didn't at first either. But when God finally got to the chance that Job was humbled enough and had been through enough and had gone through enough that he was finally willing to listen, God showed up. See, why didn't God show up before the three friends? Job wasn't ready to listen before the three friends. Why didn't God show up before all these health problems? Because Job wasn't in a spirit to listen before those health problems. You see, that whirlwind, that storm brought Job to the point that he was finally willing to listen to what God had to say. So what did God have to say? I want you to notice in chapter 38, and we're not going to obviously read all these verses, but I want to show you some things in chapter 38, chapter 40, and then chapter 42.

Very simple. Look at chapter 38. Look at verse 4.

This is what God says to Job. Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it?

Whereupon are the foundations therefore fastened? Or who hath laid the corner storm thereof? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Look at me. I want you to know the first thing God does is he shows himself as creator. He said, Job, where were you when I created the earth? Where were you when I hung the stars into space?

Where were you? Did you lay the cornerstone, Job, of the earth? You see, God is saying, Job, you're mad and you're angry and you want to argue with me, but I'm telling you, I am creator not only of the earth, not only of the universe, but I'm the creator of you. And can I say, dear friend, you and I have always got to remember whatever we go through, he's the creator. He's the one that made us. We need to remember that.

We better know our place. He's the creator. Second, in verse 12, notice this. Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days? He said, Job, have you been bringing the sun up every morning since you've been alive? Job, have you been commanding the wind and the rain to come since you've been alive? Have you done all this, Job?

Have you been doing that? You see, when God shows himself as creator, he immediately in verse 12 showed Job as the creation. That means this, God's the creator. Guess what that makes us? We're the creation.

That means this, he calls the shots because he made us. You say, well, I don't believe God made it. Doesn't matter what you believe. It doesn't matter what I believe. It doesn't change that. You can say, I didn't believe George Washington lived. That's fine if you don't believe that.

It doesn't change the fact that he did. God's the creator. Notice secondly, in verse 17, have the gates of death been opened unto thee or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death? Hast thou perceived the breath of the earth?

Declare if thou knowest at all. Where is the way where light dwelleth? And as for the darkness, where is the place thereof? That thou shouldst take it to the bound thereof. That thou shouldst know the paths to the house thereof. Knowest thou it because thou wast within born or because the number of thy days is great? Hast thou entered into the treasures of snow?

Hast thou seen the treasures of the hail? What is God saying to Job? He said, not only am I creator, but second, I'm the controller. He said, Job, I control the rain. I control the snow.

I control the wind. Job, you don't have any idea how the light works. Job, you don't bring up the sun every day.

Guess what? You and I don't bring the sun up every day. If you and I even knew all that God does just to give us sunlight, how he controls everything. You say, why is God telling Job this?

Because God's laying a foundation. Job, I'm the creator. Second, I'm the controller. You know what? You and I have always got to remember God is the one in control.

By the way, thank him for that. Can you imagine if one of us got a chance of controlling the earth and the world one day? Yeah, let me give it a shot.

I can't even control a microphone. Did you hear about the peanut that was walking to Walmart last week? It got assaulted. But anyway.

I've been wanting to use that one for a while. I know it's a dumb joke. Dear friend, if you and I ever think that we control anything, we're wrong. And by the way, you and I try to. We try to control our little world. And we control our little circumstances.

And we've got everything laid out. This is going to keep me safe. And this is going to do this. And I'm going to do this because I want to make sure this doesn't happen.

And you know what? There's nothing wrong with trying to be organized. There's nothing wrong with protecting yourself.

There's nothing wrong with all that. But listen to me, dear friend. You and I have got to remember and know we are really not the ones that control anything. God's in control.

And Job realized this finally. You know what? I didn't kill my kids. I didn't make all this happen.

I didn't give me this help. I'm not in control. A lot of times God allows circumstances in our life just to remind us we don't control as much as we think we do. I've had people that thought they were in control. Let me tell you something. One incident can take care of that.

One second of time can change that forever. The third thing in chapter 38 he tells is look at verse 36. And just listen if you don't have that in your Bible. He says this, Who can number the clouds and wisdom in the inward parts? Or who hath given understanding to the heart? God says to Job. Who can number the clouds and wisdom? Or who can stay the bottles of heaven?

Notice this also. Look at verse 39. Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? Or fill the appetite of the young lions when they couch in their dens and abide in the covert to lie in wait? Who provideth for the raven his food when his young ones cry unto God?

This is what God says. Hey, Job, you don't feed the lion. You don't even feed the ravens.

Who do you think does that every day? Who do you think provides food for every living creature? God says this, Job, I'm the creator.

I'm the controller, and I'm the caretaker. You don't have breath if I don't give it to you. A raven doesn't have food if I don't give it to him. A lion doesn't have food if I don't give him the ability to hunt for it. You don't have breath. You don't have health. You don't have anything if I don't give it to you. Guess what? You and I are up a creek without a paddle.

No offense to the guys that went yesterday. If you look at it, we really don't have much, do we? We didn't make much. We don't control much.

And we can't even take care of ourselves. God does it all. So God just wanted to get that out there. I want you to turn and look at chapter 40, if you will.

We're going somewhere with this. Look at chapter 40. Moreover, the Lord answered Job and said... He continues with his answer to Job. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? In other words, he's saying this, Job, you're going to argue with me. Are you going to try to instruct me to tell me what to do?

Look at this. He that reproveth God, let him answer it. God says, Job, are you going to try to tell me what to do?

Really? You're going to argue with me and tell me what to do and how to do things? First thing God is telling Job here is this.

Number one, we have to have submission to his position. You and I have to realize we don't tell God what to do. God tells us what to do. The Bible says we're supposed to tell God our desires. He says, you know, share the desires of your heart and everything through prayer and supplication. Let your request be made known unto God. God is our Father.

He loves us. There's nothing wrong with going to God and saying, God, you know, this is a desire of my heart. These are things I like, but God, I want your will.

But listen to me, it doesn't matter necessarily what we want or what we think we should have or how we think things should go. The thing you and I have to remember is we have to submit to his position. He's in charge, and that's why God in the chapter before said, hey, I'm the creator, I'm the controller, I'm the caretaker. You really think you're going to tell me what to do?

Listen to me, dear friend, when it comes to trials and storms in our life, we have to remember something. We have to submit to his position. We don't tell him what to do. We have no right to tell God what to do. He said, but God, this isn't fair what you've let happen to me. Oh, we're going to tell God what's fair?

God, you shouldn't have done that or allowed that in my life. Oh, we're going to tell God that? Look if you would at verse 7, chapter 40. God looks at Job, and he says, just gird up thy loins now like a man. I love that. That's the Old Testament Bible way of looking at a guy and saying, hey, be a man.

Grow up and be a man. Look if you would at verse 7. I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? That means will you try to ridicule or eliminate my judgment?

Are you going to try to make it of none effect? He says, wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency and array thyself with glory and beauty.

God looks at Job, and he says this. All right, you think you're a big guy? Hey, can you construct me?

Can you talk with thunder? Can you do what I can do? Why don't you go ahead and array yourself with beauty and majesty? God is beautiful and majestic. God's glory and majesty is evident throughout scripture, and God looks at Job and says, all right, let's see what you can do. Let me show me your glory and majesty.

What do you think we're going to do, comb our hair or something? We don't have glory and majesty. You know why? We're the creation. He's the creator.

Notice this. Look at verse 10. Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency. Array thyself with glory and beauty.

All right, let's see what you got, Job. What's God saying? First, he said submission to his position. Second, we have to surrender to his plan.

Can I tell you this? You will never surrender to God's plan if you haven't submitted to his position. Until you get to the point in your life you say, God, you're the boss. I'm the employee. God, you're the creator. I'm the creation.

We're going somewhere with this. This is a beautiful picture in chapter 38, and now in chapter 40, Job is starting to get a glimpse of who God is, and he's starting to get a glimpse of who he was. And that's where life starts, folks.

That's where it starts when we start getting to the point in our life where we need to be when we finally start seeing God for who he is and we finally start seeing us for who we are. We've got to submit to his position. He's in charge, and we've got to surrender to his plan. God, whatever you tell me to do. And Job did not like God's plan here. And can I tell you this?

I wouldn't have either. But it's not up to us whether we like it or not. It's up to us to surrender to it. You say, well, preacher, that sounds kind of harsh. Oh, really? You say, oh, God's harsh. God's me, all right? Chapter 42. At the beginning. Chapter 42, look if you would at verse 2. Now Job's answering God back. After God finally got done telling Job what Job needed to hear, then Job said this in verse 2. I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholding from me. First and foremost, now after Job's been through all this and God finally instructs him and God preaches to Job and tells him what Job needs to hear, all of a sudden, Job now sees the light.

All of a sudden, Job now finds himself in a position where he should have been the whole time. And he says this, God, first, I recognize your ability. And I want you to notice in this passage, first and foremost, we see God's ability.

And this is what he says about him. Notice if you would in verse 2. I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholding from me. You talk about doctrine, Job says first, he's omnipotent. And he says second, he's omniscient. What does it mean to be omnipotent?

We believe God has character traits. Omnipotent means this, God can do anything. He's all powerful. Omniscient is all potent where we get, boy, that was potent, you know, that's powerful. God is all powerful.

And Job says, I know that no thought can be withholding from me. That means you know everything. Omniscient means this, knowing. God is all knowing.

Guess what? Let me tell you about God. God can do anything he wants to do and he knows everything there is to know. And the reason he knows everything there is to know and the character trait that is implied here is this, that God is omnipresent. That means God is everywhere at one time everywhere. Now that blows your mind. You say, oh, so God knows what's going on at my house at the same time he knows what's going on at your house.

Yep. So Job finally sees God's ability. He says, God, you're omnipotent. You're omniscient.

You're omnipresent. Notice, if you would, as he begins to read down, look at verse 4. Here I beseech thee and I will speak. I will demand of thee and declare that unto me. Listen to what Job says in verse 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee.

What have we been saying in verse 38 and verse 40? God desired Job to see God for who he was. I am creator. I'm controller. I'm caretaker. You got to submit to my position. You got to surrender to my plan.

Finally, Job does. And he said, God, you can do everything and you know everything. I've always heard about you, but now I see you. You ever gotten to the point in your life where you finally saw God?

Oh, you've heard about him for years. And we know the verses and we know the things, but you let yourself get in the middle of a whirlwind like Job was. And out of that whirlwind, God has an answer for you. And the answer is always this, and we can finally seek God for who he is. Notice what Job says in verse six.

Wherefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. That means this, that not only we see God's ability, but second, we see our inability. You see, when Job finally saw what God can do, Job then recognized how little he could do. And when he saw God and his omnipotence and his omniscience, Job says, hey, I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes. Job exercised two things in that verse. Number one, he exercised humility.

He said, I abhor myself. And second, he exercised repentance. That's always the answer. You say, I don't know what's going on in my life.

Well, let me tell you the answer. Humility and repentance. Humble yourself before God and repent at the things you've done wrong. You say, well, that's a wonderful step, wasn't it?

Yeah, it was an amazing step. You say, why would Job have, and this is the whole reason I think God put this book in here. Job, who starts off in chapter one and two as probably the most perfect, righteous man that had ever lived, ends up in chapter 42 repenting. You see, the best of us still have to repent. The best of us still have sin.

The best of us are still wrong. The best of us still have to humble ourselves because apparently when you're the best, you still have pride. You say, well, that's great. Now Job finally did it. He finally got to where God wanted him.

Not yet. We're almost done. There was one more step.

One more step for Job to learn what he needed to learn. Look, if you would, at verse 10. Let me explain what happens. Actually, let me read it. I know it's a lot of scripture for us.

I want to read this. Look at verse seven. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, that's one of the friends that showed up, my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken to me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath. Okay, you say, well, God's awfully hard on Job.

Well, you hadn't seen nothing yet. Now he turns to the three friends. And he tells them, let me tell you something. You weren't speaking right about me when you said what I thought. When you started saying, well, let me tell you, God does this, and God wants this, and God's mad at this, and God said, no, you weren't speaking for me.

You were wrong. You didn't know me like you think you know me. Look, if you would, at verse eight. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks, seven rams, go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, and my servant Job shall pray for you.

For him will I accept. Boy, how things have changed. Listen to me. These three friends now are in trouble. God's wrath is getting ready to fall on these three guys, and he says, let me tell you what you do. You go get you a sacrifice, and you get over there, and you make a sacrifice, and if Job prays for you, I'll accept that. So these three guys that just came up to Job telling them all he did wrong, now they need him to save the wrath of God in their life. You see, there was one more step Job had to take.

Yes, he'd repented. Yes, he'd humbled himself before God, but in the midst of all this, Job had gotten bitter at those guys, and I would have too, wouldn't you? And God sets up, this is better than a movie, folks.

Listen to me. God sets up the scenario. Here's the three guys that just ridiculed you, didn't help you when you needed it. I'm getting ready to pour wrath on them, which the average person would have been glad about. Yeah, get them, God. And God says, all right, I will save wrath on them if you pray for them.

So you have now the power to judge them or you have the power to save them. Look at verse 10. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. As soon as Job did that, as soon as Job, he said, now, how could Job do that to those guys?

Let me tell you how, look at me. Because for these last two chapters, God had been preaching to Job. And Job finally saw who God was and how rotten he was. The last thing in Job's heart was mad at this person because of what they'd done to me. I think Job was still thinking of what he'd done to God.

How dare I hold bitterness at somebody for what they've done to me after God's forgiven me for what I've done to him? And Job prayed for those three friends. I don't think it was, Lord, help these three guys, amen. God wouldn't have accepted that.

God knows the heart. It was Job sincerely begging God to spare these three men. And when he did that, the Bible says, that quick, God turned the captivity of Job. Notice this next phrase. And gave him twice as much as he had before.

Oh, hold on here. Blessing day is about to come. All this trouble and all this laying there and losing everything and all the pain and all the suffering, and you say, oh, I can't believe God's so mean. I can't believe God would preach at him going this. Oh, listen to me, dear friend, as long as you think, oh, God's mean and God's mad, you don't know God. God is gracious. God is good. God is loving. Sometimes he has to get honest and sometimes he has to discipline us, but boy, can he reward obedience. Boy, can he reward when you get over bitterness and get things right with people. Oh, can he bring the blessings.

Let's see what he did. Look at verse 11. Then came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had been of his acquaintance before and did eat bread with him in his house.

First thing God rewarded him with was this, friends. You see, he needed a new bunch. Because the three guys that he thought were his friends, when he finally was in the middle of a storm, realized they weren't friends at all. You ever had a few friends like that?

They were friends till the storm came. You know who often are people like that? Christians.

Unfortunately. Oh, the unsaved world is too, but more is expected from Christians. And buddy, I tell you, well, we're good with people when they're good, but I'm gonna tell you something.

They mess up, well, we jump on them quick. May that not be the way it is here at this church. Can I have an amen right there? Let me tell you something.

This is what your kids do. I love you and I'm not gonna criticize you and I'm gonna pray with you and help you, whatever they do. I don't care what you end up doing.

I don't care how bad you mess up. Can I tell you this? We love you just the same and we'll try to help you.

You're not gonna change how we feel about you. And I'm here to tell you that oftentimes we are so judgmental and we're not friends in the storm and all of a sudden Job realized I don't have any friends, but as soon as he did what God asked him to do, he brought friends. Notice secondly, if you will, in the middle of verse 11. And they bemoaned him and he comforted him.

That word bemoaned means they helped him, they encouraged him. All over the evil that the Lord had brought upon him, notice this, every man also gave him a piece of money and every one an earring of gold. Remember, Job had lost everything he had. But the Bible says God gave him twice as much as he had before. Notice this, he was a very wealthy man before, but after these people got done giving him money, apparently he had double what he had before. That means this, not only did God reward him with friends, but second, he rewarded him with finances. He met every need he had.

He lost everything. But God gave him twice as much as he had before. You see, Job had earned it before.

Listen, I want you to get this. Job had earned that money before with his wit and with his health and with his ability. But this time it came from God. You appreciate it a lot more when it comes from God. Boy, you appreciate it when it wasn't something you earned and you've lost it all, and when God gives it to you, you realize how gracious and good he is. Tell you something, you get out and you work and you use your body to fix and do things, and you say, oh, I've earned myself this.

No, you haven't. God gave you the health to do that. God gave you the mind to do that. That's his graciousness to you. It came from God, folks. Notice, thirdly, looking at verse 12. So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. For he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 she-asses. That means this, not only did God bless him with friends and finances, but third, he blessed him with a new farm. He gave him a bigger farm. Job had a nice farm before. That's the one he earned. But he had a nicer farm after it because God's the one that built that one.

You can try to do things on your own, folks, if you want to, and you can provide for yourself if you want to, but you about as well just let God do it because he'll do a much better job of it. Notice, if you would, verse 13, he also had also seven sons and three daughters. Now, we've talked about this before. Job lost 10 children in one day, and then God gave him 10 more, and you say, but the Bible says God, that Job got double everything that he had before, that God doubled everything, but he only had the same amount of kids. Oh, listen to me.

He didn't lose his first 10. They're in heaven. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kirtland Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kirtlandbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.