Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ. Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church, located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Job chapter one today. On a little more serious note, many of you years ago heard of a guy named Milton Burrell.
He said, if evolution really works, How come mothers only have two hands? Nobody loves you. Like mom does. And um I know there's always exceptions to the rule. You always have one comes.
I had a horrible mother. you know god bless your heart but a lot of us had great ones and Today we celebrate that. And if your mom's here or alive that you can speak to them, call them. You're blessed. And I know that you know that.
Today we've been doing a series on altars and our series on altars have collided with Mother's Day. And so you'll wonder kind of why am I dealing with this on Mother's Day? But you'll understand, and it kind of fits just right. I have shared some of these things in years past. But we have some new people because it's Mother's Day, and because we've been doing this series on altars.
I feel like we need to understand how Our study on altars How it really hits home. You know, we've been giving us, we've been kind of dealing with all the biblical definitions and all those things, but what does this mean for us? What does this mean for me? Job chapter 1, and I want to talk today about the family altar that alters your family. the family altar that alters your family.
Job was the kind of man that you like to have in your church. You had 12 kids. Wealthy. And Job was a very blessed man. What's interesting is that the Bible Doesn't say that Job ever saw himself as much.
The Bible says that God saw more in Job. Then Job even saw in himself. Look at verse 1 of Job chapter 1. There was a man in the land of us whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright. One that feared God and eschewed evil.
And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep and three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-asses, which would be female donkeys, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day. and sent and called for their three sisters. to eat and drink with them.
And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about, That Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. Before we pray, some I guess it's been eleven years ago now. Um Our son Caden was born at Chapel Hill Hospital.
We knew of obviously his rare heart defect and So day three was open heart surgery and Um three month old day was another open heart surgery and things and I had a lot of time there at the hospital when I was there. I had just become. kind of pastor of this church and So I was half the time at Chapel Hill, half the time here. My mom was dying with cancer. and it was just a difficult time.
And so I was at the hospital one day, and I found nooks and crannies at the hospital. Abandoned offices, literally walking around Chapel Hill Hospital to peek in, have devotions. I could still take you to some, I don't know if they put somebody in those offices now. I probably ended up where I shouldn't have been. But God knew I needed just some privacy to look at a different wall for a while.
And one day I was in there and I was Praying about prayer. And I said, Lord, I don't really know how. to pray for my son. I don't know what to ask for. I don't I don't even know half of what he's dealing with.
He can't verbalize it. We know the obvious. Um How do I pray for him? And I said, Lord, I need you to teach me. I ought to pray for my family different because I don't feel like anything's working.
And I have a love-hate relationship with the book of Job. I don't really enjoy messages out of the book of Job. God took me to this passage.
So two things just want to share with you today. First, Is Job in the home? Second is Job at the altar. and we'll let you go home. Let's pray.
Lord, I love you. I thank you for all that you've done. Pray that you'd bless. Thank you for every person here. Lord, I pray that we'll look to your word today.
to learn. What you want us to learn. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. First, the information.
And in just a few minutes, we're going to give you the application. Job in the home. And I want to talk about what it was like for Job and Mrs. Job. They're according to these verses in their house.
I want you to notice, number one, in the home as a parent, Job was challenged with the demands of parenting. Bible says he had ten children. I don't know about you. That's that's That's a lot of responsibility. There are a lot of demands there.
Thank God they didn't have drive-through restaurants back then. Can you imagine having to give 12 orders at a drive-through? For a family like that. I mean, you'd have to drive a church van, number one, and then you'd have to be going through the drive-through, and the man usually is driving, and the man hates giving orders, and those details drive him nuts. Just imagine, but here Job had 10 children.
And he had the responsibility to try to make sure all 10 children knew that he loved them. How do you spend time with 10 children? I mean, how do you make time for each of them? Job dealt with the demands of parenting, and maybe today some of you are dealing with the demands of parenting. Notice number two: Job was challenged with the diversity of parenting.
The Bible said he had seven sons and three daughters. How many of you know boys and girls are different? And why he gave him seven sons and three daughters? Why did God only give him three daughters?
Well, because it takes as much time for three girls as it does seven boys. You know what I'm saying? I mean, you know, guys, you just say, hey, there's a swimming hole, go swim. Or hey, hey, here's a ball, go play ball, or something like that. But he had not only the demands that he had ten children to be a good parent to, but he also had to figure out how to be a good parent to seven sons, three daughters, and all of them are different.
And we all know that every child is different.
Somehow, he had to convince seven sons that he loved each of them, knew about each of them, cared about each of them, knew little details about each of them, then three daughters, and he had to spend time and love them and show them that he cared, and then at the same time, teach all of them the things of God, character in life, morality, and all these things. I want you to notice, number three, Job was challenged with the distractions. of parenting. In verse 3, the Bible says that he had a great household. That means this.
Imagine the responsibility that Job had. He didn't just have 10 children. He didn't just have seven sons and three daughters. There were 7,000 sheep to keep sheared. There were 3,000 camels to get water to.
There was 1,000 oxen that had to be contained and fed every day. There were 500 donkeys, and all of them were female donkeys. That's as stubborn as you can possibly get. Happy Mother's Day to you. I walked by the nursery today, and there were, I saw at least three mothers in there watching kids.
So I walked by and said, Happy Mother's Day! Watch the kids. What a Mother's Day for these poor mothers have to go on Mother's Day and work in the nursery. How many of you think is a church way ought to do something special for the mothers that are in the nursery today? How many of you think, let's give them a hand?
Let's do something special. That was how would they even know? All right, I say, let's go ahead and vote. I think we ought to get an eating certificate or something like that for every mother that is working in the nursery today. You all agree with that?
Say amen. Amen. All right.
So, brother. Jacob, Jeff, whoever, make sure that we get certificates to these mothers. And so here we go. Here's Job. He's got all this to do.
The Bible says he had a very great household.
So that means there was property to care for, buildings to maintain. He was self-employed. He owned his own business. He had employees to pay, accounts payable, accounts receivable, customers to appease, books to balance, a house to keep up with, who knows how many mouths to feed, a wife to try to keep happy. And every one of these things were not bad things.
They were important things and they were necessary things. But every one of them represented something that can distract you from what's most important. How many of you know that you have necessary things in your life? but they can become distractions. from what is most important.
Number four, I want you to see that Job was challenged with the display of parenting. In verse 3, the Bible says that God said he was the greatest of all men in the East. The greatest of all men in the East.
Now, you say, well, that's the, you know, Job didn't say that about himself. God said that about Job. But how many of you know that when there's somebody. That good. that everybody else gets a little bit jealous.
Everything Job had done had touched had turned to gold. He was wealthy. He had a good family. He had all this property. He had all these things.
And even God said that he was a perfect man and a shoot evil. Imagine how many guys in that area weren't quite as successful as mister Job and didn't have quite the character of mister Job. And I don't know about you, but how many of them are probably watching everything he did? was just analyzing everything that he did. Can you imagine the pressure that was on him?
Everybody was watching Mr. Perfect. He was on display. I don't know about you, but it's tough when there are people that they just want to find fault with you. How many of you know that if you want to find fault with anybody, you're going to find it?
I want you to notice, number five, Job was challenged with the dangers of parenting. It can happen. Look at verse 4. The Bible says, and his sons went and feasted in their houses. Word for feasted in the Hebrew.
It doesn't mean that the boys Had a barbecue. It means they were partying. It means that they became inebriated. It means that they were just having a good old time. And they were doing some things that Job had always taught them not to do.
They were out of control. Notice this. It says they were feasting in their houses everyone his day. I mean, this went on. And the Bible says that they were feasting in their houses.
So his sons were, some of his sons were grown up and they were out of the house. We find here later that Job had kids in the house and he had kids out of the house. And now, here's what the dangers of parenting is: what you can raise your kids and teach your kids, and you can plead with your kids, and you can show them the Bible, and you can tell them the dangers, and you can give them illustrations, and you can warn them, and warn them, and warn them till you have tears in your eyes, and you know what you're talking about. You've been through it, you've been there, and you look at them, you couldn't love them as much, but you can spend a lifetime doing that. And five minutes around the wrong friend, or the wrong girlfriend, or the wrong boyfriend can ruin their lives.
It's the danger all of us have as parents. You can do everything you can do. And sometimes still your kids will look at you. and go their own way. I want you to notice, number six, Job was challenged with the decisions of parenting.
The Bible says that his sons here were in their own houses.
Now he's got a decision to make. I mean, where's the line as a parent? I mean, they're kind of in their own house now, so is do I cross the line and say something? I mean, do I get on them? Do I chew them out?
But yet they're grown up enough, they're in their own house, and it's kind of their own life now.
Some of you parents are dealing with that. Your grown children sometimes go off in directions and you know where it's heading and you know the danger of it, but where's that line of what you say and what you do? I want you to notice here Lastly, that Job was challenged with the discretion of parenting. The Bible says in verse 5 that And I love this, by the way. It says, and it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about that Job sent.
and sanctify them. Job showed discretion here.
Now, look into me. We're talking about Job at the home. We're getting ready to go somewhere in a different direction. But Job didn't just go show up there at their house with their friends and the people they were with. and belittle them.
and attack them. and just absolutely embarrassed them half to death. The Bible says Job sent and sanctified them. Job was going to be honest with them. But Job didn't do it in front of everybody.
The Bible says, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath.
So Job showed discretion in parenting. He knew that line where, hey, I've got to be truthful with them, but I don't need to do it in a way that's just going to absolutely embarrass them and demoralize them. Job in the home. And in the home, some things happened that are some of our worst fears. He's raised his kids right.
God said he was a perfect dad, and he eschewed evil, and now his boys were running right into it.
Now I want you to see Job at the altar. Number one, I want you to see in verse five. that Job showed defiance. In verse 5, it says that he sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. Job realized that there are times in the life of your children when they don't need your public preaching, they need your private praying.
What does it mean when the Bible says he sent and sanctified them?
Well, this word sanctified is very, very interesting as you follow it through the Bible. It's the word Kodash. And as you follow it through the Bible, it basically means to consecrate. You say, preacher, what does that mean? It means literally to make clean ceremonially or even morally to dedicate.
It's like we just did last week dedicating a baby to the Lord. What Job is talking about here is that when he found out that his kids were doing something that he knew wasn't right, the Bible says that he sanctified them. He got down, built an altar, he went to God and dedicated them to the Lord all over again. You say, what does it mean? It means he wasn't just going to sit back and let Satan have him.
He decided that he was going to fight for his kids and he was going to fight for their spiritual lives, but he was going to have to do it through prayer.
Now I find this interesting. Exodus 30:30, and thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them. Same word. Job was this. What was he doing?
He was. reminding his kids when he sent to them and sanctified them. He brought his sons together. And he reminded them. that they had been sanctified.
What does that mean? They had been set apart. for God. All growing up. All my childhood, let me tell you something.
My mom And my dad. constantly. You all have heard me say this. through my entire life constantly told me Daniel You belong to God. You don't belong to yourself.
Daniel, when you were a baby, we dedicated you to the Lord, just like we did last week here. We dedicated you to the Lord. I got a picture in my house, also over there at the Missions House, of Dr. Lee Robertson, president of Tennessee Temple University, dedicating me to the Lord. They had four or five preachers.
You talk about dedicated, I'm dedicated. I didn't have a chance. My mom and dad would constantly tell me, Daniel, you've been set apart for God's use. Don't you use your life? To go out here in this world.
And just have fun, do what you want to do. You've been set apart for God to use. God's got a plan for your life. God's got a purpose for your life. You've been set apart.
You're not like everyone else. God gave you to us. And we gave you back to God. And can I encourage every young person here, every teenager, whoever might be listening, God's got a purpose for your life. If you've been saved by the grace of God, you've been set apart.
You've been called out. God's got a perfect plan. He's got a purpose. And it's great. And so many kids never find it.
Job sentence. reminded them You've been sanctified. Can I encourage some parents here this morning on Mother's Day, and especially some mothers here today, don't give up on your kids. Don't give up on your grandkids. Don't say, well, bless God, I prayed and prayed and prayed.
They're just getting worse and worse. You just keep praying. You just keep praying. You just keep praying. You do the battle at the altar.
I want you to notice Secondly, he showed desperation. The Bible here in verse 5 says that Job rose up early.
Now, get this. What does it mean? For Job. to offer burnt offerings. Jesus hadn't come yet.
Jesus hadn't died on the cross. for our sins yet. The Messiah hadn't come yet. And that means this, for Job to talk to God, there had to be an altar. For Job to talk to God, there had to be a sacrifice.
For Job to be able to talk to God, he had to get up and he had to build an altar and he had to put wood on the altar and he had to set fire on that altar and he had to get a sacrifice on that altar for him to go to God. You and I are blessed. Because Hebrews teaches us, and we'll talk about it in the weeks ahead, that Jesus is our altar. And that means now that you and I can talk to God anytime we want to. We don't have to go build an altar.
We don't have to sacrifice anything. We can be driving in our car and talk to God. You can talk to him right now. Say, Lord, help him to wrap this up quick. He probably won't hear you, but you can go ahead and pray.
So, what does it mean? It means that Job got up early enough every day. to build an altar. to burn a sacrifice. and to pray.
for his children. John Bunyan said this: He who runs from God early in the morning. We'll probably not find him the rest of the day. This means before Job. Did any business He did business with God.
This means before important things were accomplished, the most important thing. was accomplished. It means before he did any accounts payable or accounts receivable. He went to God in prayer. Before he got busy doing anything else with all these responsibilities that he had, he made it a priority first thing early every morning that he was going to pray for his children.
It's amazing how many things we put before the things of God. It's amazing how many things we put before the house of God. It's amazing how many things we put before our own family. It's amazing how many things we've put before our own marriages. Number three.
He showed dedication. The Bible says he offered burnt offerings.
So Job went through this effort every day. Not just, hey, once a month.
So every day before he did anything for work, before he did anything for business, Job would get up every morning and he would build an altar and he would put wood on the altar and he would sacrifice for his children. That's how dedicated he was. Not only that, Can I show you next? He showed distinction. What do you mean he showed distinction?
Notice what the verse says. It said, thus Job did.
Now notice, I love this. He offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. Did you hear this? Job didn't just build an altar in the morning and just say, God bless my kids. Job prayed for each one of them separately.
Job went through the process of doing this ten times every morning. He prayed for each of them according to the number of them all. He had learned his kids so that he could pray for each of them according to their weaknesses and their strengths.
Now I have three boys. I have Daniel, Hudson, and Kate. And part of my job as a dad is to get to know them well enough so that when I get down and pray, I know what to pray for in their lives.
Now, there's going to be times I'm not going to know what to pray for. And I'll just have to say, God, you know more than I do. I don't know. I don't understand, but you're going to have to do it. But as a dad, I need to be able to know them well enough to have spent enough time with them, to have analyzed them that I can say, you know what, Lord, I pray you'd help Daniel.
He has a weakness in this area. God, Daniel has a strength in this area. Use that for your glory. God bless Hudson over here.
Now, if he's not careful, Satan's going to use and he's going to come after this weakness.
So, God, if you'll strengthen there, you know what happens? A lot of parents don't know their kids well enough to pray for them. Job prayed for all ten kids every morning before he did anything else. Uh yeah. Not only that, number five, he showed discernment.
We're almost done. Get this. Look at Verse 5. Why did Job get up and do this? He said, For Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned.
and curse God in their hearts. Did you get that? Job got up in the morning and he prayed and he said, God, I'm coming to you on behalf of my kids. God, my kids may have done some things that I don't even know about. And this is what Job said.
I see on the outside But for all I know, they might have cursed you in their hearts. That means this. Do you know how sometimes kids can sit right here in church and look one way, but in their heart they're a long way from God?
So Job got up every morning. He said, God, for all I know, I know these certain things about my kids, but I don't know everything about my kids. And God, I don't know their heart, and I don't know what might be going on inside.
So every morning, Job would get up and he'd say, God, I pray you'd bless my kids. Bless this one and bless this one. And God, I know that his heart might be wrong right now. There might be some sin in his heart. There might be some things inside that I don't like or that I don't see.
And God, you're going to have to deal with it. I want you to notice this last. He showed dependency. Look at the last little phrase in verse 5. Thus did Job Continually.
He didn't do this once in a while. He did it every day. He did it continually. Can I ask you something? Who's going to pray for your kids if you don't?
Kid. Would I ask you this? You think it would help, but man, sometimes just prowl through the night for our kids? Yeah, preacher. Or are you gonna The greatest news that anyone can receive is the news of the free gift of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
It is our desire for you to know him personally. Would you take a moment to hear this to-day? Every man is born with a sin nature. Romans 3:23 says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No matter how hard we try, We're not good enough to obtain God's glory.
or to get to heaven. Because of that sin carries the penalty of death. Romans 6.23 says, For the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life for the through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages of our sin, or the payment of our sin, only equals death and separation from God.
But it's only through God's gift salvation through Jesus Christ that we can accept Him as our Savior. Jesus Christ paid for your sin debt. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. All you have to do is receive Christ. by faith as your Saviour.
Romans 10.9 says That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Verse 13 continues, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. It's as simple as admitting that you're a sinner believing that Jesus is the only way. and calling upon his name. Bible says whosoever that's anyone can call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.
Have you accepted Christ as your personal Savior? There is no greater day than today to take care of this. Would you accept Christ as your Saviour? If you have any questions, please give us a call at 336-993-5192 or visit our website at Crowin Baptist Church. Dot com.
or visits that person at one of our three service times. We hope you have a great rest of your day. God bless you. Mm-hmm.
