Job Chapter 23-24:ALL

Welcome to Cross the Bridge But right now open your Bible to the Old Testament Book of Job and follow along for today's teaching. In this series of special weekend edition programs, Pastor David has been teaching lessons from the life of Job. Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible.

We are finding out that what needed to be learned back then still needs to be learned by us today as we continue studying chapters 23 and 24. Now here's Pastor David. He led me to Job 23, verse 9. When he works on the left hand, I cannot behold him.

When he turns to the right hand, I cannot see him, verse 10. But he knows the way that I take. When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. He knows the way I take. When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

That's an accurate statement. I love the analogy that when you're refining gold, you bring up the heat and then you really see what's in there. It's like God's in it. When the heat comes, we get to see what's in people. When the heat comes, some just dig in and say, yeah, I'm not letting go. God's done something special. Some had it in their heart before then to let go, but it just manifests in that trial.

The stuff comes up as the gold gets hotter and the refiner peels the dross or the impurities off. See, sometimes when you'll say something, you get in a heated moment or something like that and you think, oh, that's so not like me. You said it. And I know we like to pretend that's not us, but it is us. It's us in the heated moment. And in that heated moment, God is going, look at this.

That's your righteousness. So they pull impurities off. It's hotter, more impurities. The refiner knows that he's finished. When he looks at the gold and instead of seeing impurities, he sees his reflection.

That's what God's doing in each and every one of us. Impurities come up. Heat comes up. God pulls them off. Heat comes up. Impurities come up.

These grapes are off. There's certain things that are not part of that process. Running over and kicking the kettle over, that's not part of the process.

Throwing dirt into the gold, that's not part of the process. Going back to Job 23 verse 11, my foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way and not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

A lot of wisdom in this man. And it's such a shame that it's so obvious to us that Job is a really, he's a mature believer. He's going through a lot of stuff. And his friends are so not mature believers.

And here's Job needing compassion. And they don't give him compassion. Verse 13, but he is unique and who can make him change? And whatever his soul desires, that he does. For he performs what is appointed for me and many such things are with him. Therefore, I am terrified at his presence when I consider this.

I am afraid of him. For God made my heart weak and the Almighty terrifies me. Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness and he did not hide deep darkness from my face.

He saw some things, experienced some things. And he says, God made my heart weak. But God also kept his heart beating.

God's keeping your heart beating now. In the morning, he will wake us up. There is some people that will not wake up tomorrow. Hopefully, none of us.

No, hopefully nobody listening. And so God will wake us up. So don't think, no, no, no, you know, I'll just get up. Alarm clock gets me up.

No, no, no. Jesus gets you up. You go out here to Mount Ger's cemetery and just sit your alarm clock in the midst of the grave and it goes off.

I guarantee nobody getting up. So it's not the alarm clock. It's Jesus.

You know what? Let that help shape your day tomorrow. When you get up, think, wow, God's given me this day.

It's awesome. He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to give me this day.

He didn't know it to me, but he gave it to me. Chapter 24 verse 1. Since times are not hidden from the almighty, why do those who know him see not his days? Some remove landmarks and they seize flocks violently and feed on them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless and they take the widow's ox as a pledge. They push the needy off the road and all the poor of the land are forced to hide. Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, they go out to the work searching for food and the wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

Let me give you these verses and the New Living Translation will help you. Evil people still land by moving the boundary markers. That's the landmarks. They steal livestock and put them on their own pasture. They take the orphan's donkey and demand the widow's ox as security for a loan. The poor are pushed off the path. The needy must hide together for safety like wild donkeys in the wilderness.

The poor must spend all their time looking for food, searching even in the desert for food for their children. So Job is, in this chapter he's talking about, looks like the wicked are getting away with stuff. Verse 6, they gather their fodder in the field and clean the vineyard of the wicked. They spend the night naked without clothing and have no covering in the cold.

They are wet with the showers of the mountains and huddle around the rock for warmth of shelter. Some snatch the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge from the poor. They cause the poor to go naked without clothing and they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

They press out oil within their walls and tread wine presses yet suffer thirst. The dying groan in the city and the souls of the wounded cry out yet God does not charge them with wrong. See that's one of those times when Job's making a statement that's not correct. God will charge those people with wrong. As a matter of fact, we know from another place in scripture that the orphan, the fatherless, he takes real offense to somebody messing with them.

He takes real offense to somebody messing with widows. So that statement that Job makes in verse 12 is not a correct statement. Verse 13, there are those who rebel against the light and then I'm just going to read through and then I want to make some comments to help us. I know God's going to do something and set some people free. Verse 13, there are those who rebel against the light.

They do not know its ways nor abide in its past. The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and needy and in the night he's like a thief. The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight saying no one will see me and he disguises his face. In the dark they break in the houses which they marked for themselves in the daytime. They do not know the light. For the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death. If somebody recognizes them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death. Some of these things they could literally be killed for, executed according to Jewish law.

They should be swift on the face of the waters. Their portion should be cursed in the earth that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards. As drought and heat consume the snow waters, there's one of those references.

It's interesting, it's just snow in the Middle East. As drought and heat consume the snow waters, so the grave consumes those who ascend. The womb should forget him. The worm should feed sweetly on him.

He should be remembered no more. And wickedness should be broken like a tree. For he prays on the barren who do not bear and does no good for the widow. Verse 22. But God draws the mighty away with his power. He rises up but no man is sure of life.

He gives them security and they rely on it, yet his eyes are on their way. They are exalted for a little while, then they are gone. They are brought low. They are taken out of the way like all others.

They dry out like the heads of green. It's a little obscure there in the New King James. Verse 25.

Know if it were not so, who will prove me a liar and make my speech worth nothing? Verse 22 there in the New Living Translation. Actually Job 24 verses 22 through 25 in the New Living Translation.

The meaning is a little more obvious. God in his power drags away the rich. They may rise high but they have no assurance of life. They may be allowed to live in security but God is always watching them. And though they are great now, in a moment they will be gone like all others, cut off like the heads of grain. Can anyone claim otherwise?

Who can prove me wrong? When we begin to think, well, these events, situations, we begin to think that we're toying with the enemy. When we begin to rely on our feelings rather than our faith, you're coming to a dangerous place. We're told in the Bible that in the last days people will begin to love themselves more. I know that we all understand that's not talking about us. It's talking about other people.

But here's the reality. God made sure that we heard that in the last days people were going to become lovers of themselves. 1 Timothy 4 says that the Spirit expressly says in modern times, some will depart from the faith. Let's understand the Word of God is it gets in your face.

And even if I was just reading through it, it would be in your face. Some people don't want that. They don't want to follow Jesus. Now I don't get that. I do not understand that.

And that's a good thing. And if you don't understand that, that's a good thing. Don't try to understand them. Don't start trying to understand why somebody would walk away from the faith. That is such a bad conversation to have in your head.

Don't do it. That's the enemy. If you're wondering why somebody would walk away, what I would do is first go to the Scriptures and see what the Scriptures say. And the Scriptures say in 1 Timothy 4, verse 1, Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. Now I'm not saying that everybody who leaves is departing from the faith. Many are. And that's sad. That's heartbreaking. Now they're not going to come up to you and go, Hey, I'm departing from the faith.

Please pray for me. No, they're going to say, Oh, well, I've got issues with leadership, so I'm out of here. Maybe after they wander around, maybe they will stick somewhere. Will it be a place that's biblically oriented, that proclaims salvation that God has blessed with so much fruit?

I don't know. I know I've been around, I've spoken and taught at over 400 churches. I've been in ministry for over 20 years. And I have never seen a church like this one, ever. It's special.

It is special, man. Praise God. So let's understand that we don't want to make the same mistakes that these folks in the Book of Job made.

They were thinking, Oh, Job's going through all these things, so obviously this is God speaking to us through these events. Well, no. No, it's not. In this situation, we know from reading chapters one and two that it's not. But what about your life? What about my life?

See, we didn't get to hear the strategic session in our life. And yet, let's understand, in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Holy Spirit could not dwell in someone. The Holy Spirit had to walk alongside someone.

Leviticus says, without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. And so we needed the blood of Jesus to be forgiven so the Holy Spirit could dwell in us. But now that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us, go with me to John chapter 10. Gospel to John chapter 10.

It's at the beginning. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. And again, John chapter 10. Pastor David will be back in less than one minute as he continues teaching in the Book of Job. A great way to start out each day is with a practical email devotional every morning from Pastor David. Visit crossthebridge.com to start receiving yours for free. If you have a cell phone, you can also text the word ENCOURAGE to 94253.

That's 94253 to receive a short, encouraging text from us each day. And now, back to the teaching. While you turn there, John chapter 10. In John chapter 2, the first time there's a miracle done, it's about a marriage.

There's some interesting exchanges there. Mary, the mother of Jesus, says to the guys, and really says to us, whatever he says, do it. That's great advice for us. Whatever Jesus said, do it. Jesus then, he turns water into wine. Incidentally, in another place, he says, you hypocrites, you strain a gnat and swallow a camel. What he meant by that is those water containers, they would actually strain them so they wouldn't accidentally drink a gnat because a gnat's unclean. Meanwhile, they ate camel burgers and camels are unclean. So Jesus says, what are you doing?

You're straining a gnat and you're eating a camel? You're not making any sense. You're being hypocritical. In John chapter 10, verse 3, Jesus is speaking of himself and it says, to him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. Jesus has spoken here and he's spoken about calling us to a ministry of reconciliation.

We read that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should have eternal life. And we see that we can help with that and that we hear from Jesus. And if we go back to verse 10, this is one of the verses that would be good to memorize. John chapter 10, verse 10, the thief, let's talk about the enemy. The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Jesus not only wants to give us life, he wants to give us abundant life, overflowing life. What does the thief want to do? He wants to rip us off. He wants to take your eternal rewards. He wants to take your joy here and now. He wants to distract you.

He wants to give you counterfeit things. He wants you to think that it's God talking when it's him. Guys, I've heard people, oh, God told me to do this. God told me to do that. And I knew God did not tell them to do that. Saying that God told me to do something doesn't make everything okay. It's not okay to leave somebody hanging.

It's not okay not to honor your commitment. And be careful with that little, well, the Lord told me. Bob Coy, somebody walked up to Diane after the service and says, you know, the Lord told me you're going to be my wife.

He didn't know who she was. She said, did you tell Pastor Bob? He said, no, why? She said, he's my husband.

You might want to know that. The Lord told me to leave my wife. The Lord told me to leave my husband. The Lord told me to... No, no, he didn't. God is never going to contradict his word, ever. Look at verse 14. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known by my own.

You know, that's so good. He's the good shepherd, and he knows the sheep. So we're safe.

Why? Because we're good sheep? No, he's the good shepherd. I tell you what, you start looking at sheep, you're not going to be flattered.

It's not a good comparison. I mean, it's a warm fuzzy. You picture Jesus and think, but sheep are... They're not the most intelligent animal in the barn.

Shall we just say that? If something flies overhead and they can hear it at all, they just run. They'll run over a cliff when they start running, because they're just running. Run! Where are we going?

Run! Even though they've got food and all their needs taken care of, they endlessly fence walk looking for holes to get out. They just do that. They will go out. They will leave them. They will starve to death, getting away from the care of the shepherd. Verse 15, As the Father knows me, even so, I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And again in verse 27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. We follow Jesus.

Let's turn a few more pages, and we're going to close with this one. John chapter 21. This is the last chapter in the Gospel of John.

And John and Peter kind of had some healthy competition, kind of brotherly friction sort of thing. And John is asking what God's going to do with him, and John's wondering about Peter. Peter's wondering about John. And then in John 21, 21, Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, But Lord, what about this man?

Peter's right there beside Jesus. He could ask Jesus anything. What is he asking? What about this guy? What are you going to do with him?

Jesus said to him, If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow me. You follow me. We're endlessly getting distracted, gang. A part of that can be good. We can be endlessly creative. We can carry on far past where we think our limits are. We can hold on far past where we think we can. The Word says that God wants to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Are you living like that?

Like daily God is going to do more than you can ask or think. Well, Pastor, if all that's true, why does it get so hard to just stay the course? Why do people give up?

Why do people bail out? Because it is hard sometimes. And Jesus said that it's a narrow gate. I wish that I could be everybody's pastor.

I can't. I wish we could be everybody's church, but we're not. But we're your church. If this is your home, this is your church. And for most of us, there's just no doubt God brought us. So don't let circumstance, events, sickness or things happening in this fallen world, which we're told that the enemy is the prince of the power of the air.

He's obviously got influence, if not control. And that's why bad things happen, because we're saving lives. And the enemy doesn't like that. Because while we're saving lives, the enemy came to kill, steal and destroy. We came to give life.

To give what is not owed. And to build up that which the world has crushed. To be a part of rebuilding lives and hearts. Watching God instilling dreams and visions in the people. Watching them raise up to be a pastor, elder, a deacon, a missionary, an evangelist.

Working with kids. The opportunities are endless. But the people helping are not endless. And we can only do what we together decide we will do. Let's pray. Lord, thank you. Thank you that you are answering prayers tonight. God, people have been praying for direction, praying for guidance.

Lord, you're answering that prayer. Lord, those who are committed to this ministry are committed to a ministry that is being used to change the world. That every day, every week, every month, people are getting saved, they're being discipled. The word is being proclaimed, the gospel is being shared.

The leaders are being raised up. There's spiritual fruit. And Lord, we thank you for that.

And where we see those things, we can know that you're at work because man cannot produce those things. In Jesus' name, we invite your Holy Spirit, Lord, in this place to stir up in our lives and in our hearts. And Lord, we thank you. Lord, when you are moving in our hearts and in our lives, you don't call us to tuck our tail and run. You call us to dig in and to be there for others like they were there for us. You've been listening to Pastor David McGee on Cross the Bridge, Weekend Edition.

Tune in again next Saturday afternoon at 4.30 Eastern and 1.30 Pacific Time as Pastor David continues teaching Lessons from the Life of Job on most radio stations. Friends, God loves you and wants you to experience His peace, forgiveness, and life. The Bible says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. How do you receive this gift of everlasting life from God? First, acknowledge you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and died for you on the cross, taking your sin upon Himself to provide forgiveness for you.

Then ask for Him to enter your heart and life, turning away from your sins, that is, your own selfish desires, and then open your heart to follow God's plan for your life. You can start your new life by praying something like this from your heart. Dear Jesus, I believe that you died for me that I could be forgiven. I believe you are resurrected that I could have a new life. Lord, I have done wrong things and I am sorry.

Please forgive me for all of those things and please give me the power to live for you the rest of my life. In Jesus' name, amen. My friend, if you prayed that prayer today for the first time or are coming back to God after wandering away, please let us know. Email PastorDavid at CrossTheBridge.com and share your good news. That's a great first step to growing in your new faith. We'd love to email you back some more ways to continue in this wonderful adventure of faith.

Remember that you are not alone and you are loved. Also, don't forget to visit CrossTheBridge.com to discover more resources provided at no charge to help you learn more about the Bible. If you'd like to help us share God's word with others, please click on the donate button and support this program with your regular gifts. Tune in to Cross The Bridge weekend editions each Saturday and Sunday on this station or on the CrossTheBridge.com website. God bless you and have a great day.