Job Chapter 35:ALL

Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee, Weekend Edition. Pastor David McGee is internationally recognized for his unique conversational verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter teaching through the Word of God. We have hundreds of his teachings through the many books of the Bible and encourage you to visit crossthebridge.com to study the Scriptures along with Pastor David. But right now, open your Bible to the Word of God. Here are a couple of the testimonies that we got. Now remember when Pastor Dave reminds us, when someone says thank you for the ministry, they may email him, but they're talking to us collectively. All of us are part of what God is doing in this place.

Listen to this. It's difficult to share with them because they live 1,500 miles away. Now that I know hundreds of people are praying for them, I am more hopeful that they will be open to receive the truth. Thanks again, in Jesus, Bob.

And Bob said that he's had a tough time having the boldness to share with his family members. And after listening to Pastor David and recognizing that we have over seven, I think it's 800 people now on our prayer team, he had the courage to send them DVDs of the gospel from this ministry and from other ministries. So thank you for being a part in Prayer Warriors, who now this guy's encouraged to share the gospel with his family, who he's feared sharing with.

Listen to this next one. Dear Pastor David, the past eight months my wife and I were going through some difficult times in our marriage to the point that she wanted a divorce and therapy was no longer an option since she had already made her decision. I prayed every day for Jesus to help her see things different and removing Satan out of her head and her heart and keeping him away from destroying our marriage and family.

Yesterday morning, around 4 a.m., my wife came in the bedroom, hugged me, and said she wanted to work things out and stay married. Yes, Lord. I know we have a long road ahead, but the power of prayer really works when you really believe. I want to thank you for praying for us and really appreciate all your emails that you sent. Thank you.

And here's one more, the third one. I just want to thank you for your ministry to share his great message of salvation. I've listened to your message for several years now and also really enjoy that you're occasionally sharing unto every man an answer.

Thanks for all of that. Your ministry prayed for several years for my adult daughter who was on the street and lost to drugs. Those prayers have been answered in a big way. She's found God and through him has turned her life totally around and for four years has been following Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayer today. Man, that's good. So no doubt Pastor David's going to share with us, but thank you for praying for these people.

Look, this is real. This is what we're getting consistently, constantly throughout the day. These are fresh testimonies from around the nation. How about we start off tonight before Pastor David comes out? If you don't mind, let's pray for Pastor David.

As he stands on the front lines leading us with sword drawn, walking in everything that God has called him to, no doubt him standing on the front line leading us into battle. Lord, thank you for these sweet testimonies, Father. From around the nation, Lord, a broken marriage healed. Lord, a gentleman who has feared sharing the gospel with his mother and family and now he has the boldness to share the gospel with. Thank you for removing that fear out of his life, God.

Thank you for that. And Lord, thank you for the woman who sent a name in several years ago for her daughter who was on the street and on drugs. God, thank you for delivering that young girl. And Lord, we thank you for the testimony that she's been following you for four years.

God, how many people are you using that young woman to reach right now? Lord, no doubt we're going to get to heaven and see these people. Lord, help us to not give up. Help us to continue to pray for our pastor daily.

Thank you for his perseverance, his tenacity, his willingness to say yes, to stand on the front lines and lead us into battle. Lord, help us to stay arm in arm during this time when, no doubt, things are heating up and your return is near. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

You are loved. You ready to be blessed? Here comes Pastor David. Pastor David has been teaching practical lessons from the life of Job. We are finding out that what needed to be learned back then still needs to be learned today.

I think you'll find that to be true today and tomorrow as we take a closer look at chapter 35. Now, here's Pastor David. Listening to D.A. and those testimonies, man, how precious. Don't forget what we're doing. We really are changing the world. People are hearing the gospel around the world because of what we do here. Praise God. Let me encourage you to join our Lost Loved Ones prayer team. It is such a blessing to be able to pray for people who don't know the Lord, and people come to us entrusting us with their lost loved ones, with their relatives and their friends and their families saying, please pray for these people. They don't know Jesus.

And then what happens, you can decide if you receive them like once a day in a batch, you know, all at once, or you can receive them I think every hour, or you can choose to get the prayer request whenever they're generated, where as soon as somebody types in the name of their lost loved ones, it comes to me. And I pray for them right now and right there. God called us to do this.

We'd never heard of anybody else doing it. We stepped out in faith and did it expecting God to save people. And guess what God did? He saved people. Amen.

I mean, praise God. We've heard from so many people who've had lost loved ones get saved. Plus it's been a source of real encouragement for believers everywhere.

Let me encourage you to become a part of the prayer team there. Turn with me to the book of Job chapter 35. Job is one of those stories a lot of people are familiar with. Job starts out and he's a blessed man. He is a blessed man.

He has all these flocks and herds and wonderful family. And yet there's a couple of things we read in there that he was afraid that his kids were going to fall away from God, do something silly. That's a legitimate fear, but you can't let that fear control you. Later on, Job says the thing that we greatly fear has come upon us.

We've been looking in the Bible and reminded that it tells us we have not been given. God has not given us a spirit of fear. And while some fears are understandable, when you begin to let fear control you, you have issues. You need to let faith control you, not fear.

And if you're going to doubt something, doubt your fear, not your faith. So these things are going on with Job and then bam, bam, a lot of stuff goes wrong. He loses the herds, the buildings, and then his kids. His wife was left alive to give him advice. Her advice was curse God and die. So then these three friends show up and they start under the guise of compassion, under the guise or disguise of caring.

These three guys come in and start talking to him. Oh, Job, oh, you did this wrong and you're doing this wrong and you brought all this on yourself. Job needed compassion. He needed mercy. He needed ministry.

He got judgment. And while some of the things they said were true, they weren't applicable for the time. You know what, friend, you can save a lot of time and a lot of trouble and a lot of heartache and a lot of heartbreak. Is it when somebody is talking to you and telling you something, ask yourself, why are they telling me this? Why are they saying this to me? If Job would have asked that question early on, he would have realized these three friends were just honking their own horns. They weren't there to comfort him.

They were there to belittle him to make themselves feel better. When somebody is telling you something, ask yourself, why are they telling me this? Especially if it's anything negative or derogatory or, well, I knew you were going to mess up. I know you said you weren't, but we all knew you were going to mess up.

We were all talking about you messing up. We all is that person and they're two dogs. Is that loving God and loving people? Now, into our story here walks Elihu and we see immediately this Elihu guy is different. If we ask ourselves, why is he there? He would answer, I'm here on behalf of God.

I'm here to talk to you and tell you some things. Elihu really cares, but he's having to say some difficult things. In ministry, we have to do that all the time.

And last night, DA had to come to me with something that I didn't want to hear and he sure didn't want to say, but it needed to be said. Job 35 verse 1. Moreover, Elihu answered and said, do you think this is right? Do you say my righteousness is more than God's?

For you say, what advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have more than if I had sinned? I will answer you and your companions with you.

Look to the heavens and see and behold the clouds, they are higher than you. If you sin, what do you accomplish against him? Or if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him? If you are righteous, what do you give him or what does he receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects a man such as you and your righteousness, a son of man. So when you mess up, you hurt yourself and you hurt the people around you and you may hurt God's feelings and yes, God has feelings, but you won't hurt God physically.

You hurt yourself, verse 9. Because of the multitude of oppressions, they cry out. They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty. But no one says, where is God my maker?

Who gives songs in the night? Who teaches us more than the beast of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of heaven? There they cry out, but he does not answer. Because of the pride of evil men, surely God will not listen to empty talk, nor will the Almighty regard it. Though you say you do not see him, yet justice is before him and you must wait for him. And now because he has not punished in his anger, nor taken much notice of folly, therefore Job opens his mouth in vain. He multiplies words without knowledge. There's 42 chapters in the book of Job and I would encourage you to read through the rest of it and see what happens, you know, when God himself begins to speak to Job in chapter 38 and speaks from the out of the world with him. And ask Job, who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? And then God blesses Job more than he was blessed before, except this time he was blessed and he didn't have the fear.

He wasn't walking in the fear. God had dealt with that. When we look back at the beginning of this chapter in verse 2, do you think this is right? Do you say my righteousness is more than God's?

Who can be more righteous than God? Now one of the versions uses the word refuge. It's a great word. And it's more than just a concept. In the Hebrew scriptures, in the book of Joshua, I think about chapter 20, they started this concept of a city of refuge. And what it was is if you mistakenly, accidentally messed up, accidentally took somebody's life, you could go to the city of refuge and you would be safe. Because if you didn't go to the city of refuge and you accidentally took somebody's life, their relative would then take your life. And then, of course, what would happen?

Then your relatives would turn around and ch-ch-ch-ch. 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 to receive a short encouraging text from us each day.

That's 94253. And now back to the teaching. When they laid out the country of Israel in the Hebrew scriptures, what's so intriguing in the details of where these cities of refuge are, when you construct them and put them on a map, what you discover is nowhere in Israel where you more than a half a day walk from a city of refuge. There's a whole thing about keeping the highways and the byways to the cities of refuge clear that reminds me of the verse in Genesis where the angels are protecting the way to the tree of life. Once you got to the city of refuge, that was it.

You were protected. God himself was giving you refuge. The first life lesson, this is one of the models for this ministry is to be a city of refuge, a ministry of reconciliation. One of the models for this ministry is to be a city of refuge, a ministry of reconciliation. Now when I say city of refuge, somebody could be listening right now from Sunday, somebody was listening from Germany.

You're listening from Germany or the Philippines. You're able to pray the prayer, ask God to forgive you and enter the city of refuge. Spiritually speaking, when somebody comes forward here and asks God to forgive them for the first time and they're born again, they enter the city of refuge. If you're a born again Christian, you already are in the city of refuge. There's a lot of verses that talk about the city of refuge and God being a refuge, so much so we have to recognize that there's something more going on here. Psalm chapter 9 verse 9 says, the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Psalm 46 one, God is our refuge and strength, the very present help in trouble. You need help tonight? God's here.

Run to him. Don't let something else or somebody else or somewhere else be your strength and refuge. Some people like to run off somewhere and that's their refuge. Some people like to escape into a book and that's their refuge. Some people escape in alcohol and that's their refuge. No, let God be your refuge.

Amen. Psalm 46 one, God is our refuge and strength, the very present help in trouble. Verse 7, a few verses later, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Verse 11 of Psalm 46, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 57 one, be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for my soul trust in you and in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge. Now that doesn't mean God has wings, have a picture of us to understand that he's covering us and protecting us. Do you remember Jesus stood over Jerusalem and said, oh, how many times I wanted to gather you under my wings? Do you realize he looks over us and says the same thing? How many times I wanted to gather you and protect you, but you ran away and in the shadow of your wings I will make my refuge until these calamities have passed by.

Psalm 62 seven and eight, in God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God. Trust in him some of the time. Trust in him when things are going good. Trust in him at what? All times.

I know it's Thursday night and it's a little late there. Trust in him at what? Okay, let's let him hear us in Greensboro. Trust in him at what? Praise God. Amen.

It sounded like Greensboro was hollering too. Trust him at all times you people, pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Before you pour out your heart to somebody else, pour it out to God. And before you whine or complain about what's wrong in your life to somebody else, go to God. Sometimes people are so busy trash talking other people that they ain't got time to go to God.

When you begin to choose to trash talk somebody else rather than go to God, you're headed for trouble. Psalm 91 two, I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him I will trust. Psalm 91 seven through 16 uses it several times.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked, because he made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the most high, your dwelling place. See, we're together. There's a bond there, a fellowship. Why? Because you made the most high, your dwelling place, and I've made him my refuge.

So we got something in common. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. And next time you're anxious, go to Psalm 91 and read this passage.

Listen to this. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against the stone. Now, it's okay to pray to God about angels. It's not okay to pray to angels, and no angel would ever receive your prayer. If you got an angel that's receiving your prayers, that's talking to you about stuff, it's probably not an angel.

The enemy comes even as a what? Angel of life. Pray to God. God, please send your angels to protect this person and that person. Please, God, send your angels to go with my wife. God, send your angels with that missionary. It's okay to pray like that. As a matter of fact, some of you have never prayed like that, and you need to start.

Why? Because your angels are just sitting around doing nothing. They're like unemployed angels because you didn't tell them anything to do. Think about it.

You had two big supernatural buff beings that are at your beck and call. Now, what do you do? Pray. God, send angels here. Send angels there. Protect this person.

Protect that person. Because, I mean, look at verse 11. For he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways.

But we will pass it. Verse 14, because he has set his love upon me. Therefore, I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he's known my name. He shall call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him after he gets in trouble. I will be with him as long as he's not in trouble. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him salvation.

Yeah, I've got several more of these. Psalm 144, 2. Psalm 142, 5. Proverbs 14, 26. Proverbs 14, 32. Jeremiah 4, 6.

And I want to read these Hebrews, the Hebrew scriptures. Hebrew chapter 6, verse 8. That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.

Hebrews 6, 17 through 20. God also bound himself with an oath so that those who receive the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. That he will never change his mind. God will never look at you and say, I don't love you anymore. Man does that. God does not do that.

Man will look at you and say, you know, I'm leaving. God does not do that. It seems like society is on two tracks, the believers and the unbelievers. If you're an unbeliever, you're looking to the political system, whichever side. You're looking to the world.

You're looking to man to settle your problems. Talking about misplaced hope. If you're a believer, you know the futility of that. You know the UN is not going to fix everything and that God himself is going to fix this. God also bound himself with an oath so that those who receive the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath.

These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us to the curtain in the God's inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Here's the life lesson. You need to spiritually run to the city of refuge for forgiveness, blessing, and protection. You need to spiritually run to the city of refuge for forgiveness, blessing, and protection. Now look, we're all going to run somewhere. Where will you run? Will you run from God? Will you run to what, a doomsday shelter? Look, for what's coming on planet earth at some point, gathering food is not getting ready. Following Jesus is getting ready.

Loving God and loving people is getting ready. No, I'm good. I don't need the city of refuge. I hadn't killed anybody. You said it was for people who killed people.

It was for that and so much more. And maybe you haven't literally murdered somebody. But Jesus talked about if you called somebody fool or if you got mad at somebody for little or no reason, that's like killing them. What's the standard of somebody that needs a city of refuge? Just for murderers? I mean, as long as you're good, you don't need the city of refuge, right?

No. The standard is not good. The standard is perfection. And while some of us may claim to be good, I don't think anybody in their right mind will claim to be perfect. So that's what it would take to get in heaven without Jesus.

That's what it would take to fellowship with God is perfection. I don't have that to give you. If I had it, I would give it to you. I don't have it.

You don't have it either. So the standard is not good. The standard is perfection. And the Bible bears that up. Romans 3 10, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. And then 3 23, for all is sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

So we need the city of refuge. We need the Messiah. Jeremiah 29 11 says, For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Listen to that.

A peace, a future, and a hope. Run to Jesus. If you get worried, run to Jesus.

You mess up, run to Jesus. Jeremiah 29 12, Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. John 14 27, Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.

The world gives and takes away. Jesus doesn't do that. Let not your heart be troubled.

And neither let it be afraid. But, pastor, I've been reading the book of Revelation, and I see all these bad things going on. First of all, when you read the book of Revelation, if you notice with chapter 4 to 19, there's two tracts of people.

There's two groups of people. There's what's going on down here with the horses and the plagues and the seals and all that stuff. And then there's a group worshiping in heaven for seven years. If you know Jesus, you're in this group.

They go around the throne and sing, You are worthy who has redeemed us in your blood. You've been listening to Pastor David McGee on Cross the Bridge Weekend Edition. Tune in again tomorrow afternoon as Pastor David continues teaching on most stations. If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 10 a.m. Eastern Time or on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. Eastern Time? Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There you will experience a live service from David's home church, The Bridge in North Carolina. Again, that website is crossthebridge.com.

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, click on the donate button and support this program with your regular gifts. And 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!