Latest / CCC West Covina / Wednesday Evening Message: So Close, Yet Zophar

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Wednesday Evening Message: So Close, Yet Zophar · CCC West Covina

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I wonder if you have any friends.
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Yeah. Friends, I'm sure you probably
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have at least one friend. Maybe two.
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Maybe three. How many good friends do you
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have? Nobody has a lot of good
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friends. We have a lot of Associates, a
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lot of acquaintances but most of us have one two, maybe three
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really good friends in our lifetime.
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The question is, what kind of friends are they?
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Jobe had friends. He had at least three friends
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that we know of, I'm sure he had more.
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I mean, after all he was a greatest man on the planet.
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So I'm sure he had other friends.
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We just don't know who they are, but he had at least three
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friends, three friends. I think his wife was his friend,
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I'm not so sure. I mean that she told him to
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curse God and die. Maybe she wasn't his best
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friend, I don't know. But he had at least three
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friends, but with friends like Joe bad, who needs enemies,
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right? Because his friends were not the
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best of friends. In fact, when they began to
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speak, they were condemning critical.
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Condescending. Toward this person they believe
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was a friend of theirs. And when you read a story of
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job, you really begin to understand what's the best way
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to communicate with people. And how not to communicate with
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people. And job's friends.
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Help us understand that tonight we come to jobs, third friend.
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We've already heard what eliphaz has said and what build that is
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said. But tonight we're going to hear
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from a man named zophar. Some people believe that he is
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the youngest of the three. Maybe he is.
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That's because he speaks last and they would give preference
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to age order. And so maybe he was the youngest
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we don't know that for certain, but maybe that's The case, but
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he's Brash. He's harsh, maybe he's trying to
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gain the upper hand, on the other two are show the other
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two, how much she knows. And, and how he can best them in
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the in the conversation. But so far was close, but yet so
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far from the truth. In fact, one author says it this
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way. How sad it is when people who
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should Shear Ministry, end up creating misery.
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How tragic that? These three friends focused on
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jobs words instead of the feelings Behind these words?
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The Chinese proverb says, through conversing face-to-face,
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their hearts have a thousand miles between them, how true
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that is. As job sat in the ash Heap,
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after all information is not the same as communication.
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Information is giving out. Communication is getting
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through. These men, these three friends
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were interesting interested in informing job as to why he was
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the way he was. But they did not communicate
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with what job they were miles apart.
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They would sit next to each other.
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In the ass sheep. They would converse with one
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another face-to-face. But their hearts were so far
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apart. So, they could not communicate
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to one another. We find that in marriages.
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Do we not? We want to be close to our
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spouse but sometimes our hearts are far from our spouse.
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We want to inform our spouse as to what they did wrong and how
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they did it wrong and how they could do it, right, or really,
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how they could do it my way instead of their way.
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We would inform them, give them information but we don't
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communicate with them because we don't communicate heart-to-heart
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just face-to-face. We find ourselves miles apart
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instead of being closed. Instead of being intimate and
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having a Ministry, we create misery and that's because our
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hearts are so far from the truth.
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And these men who believed in God, were still far from the
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truth of how God's word applied to job.
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So, zophar is going to speak, he's going to indict job in
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three arenas. He's going to attack him when it
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comes to his integrity. He's going to attack him when it
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comes to his ignorance about God and attack him in his inability
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to repent. Just 20 versus a very short
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summation and then we'll spend some time in application as to
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how these verses apply to your life and to mine.
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Text begins in verse number. 1 of chapter 11, then zophar the
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name of theit answered shall multitude of words.
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Go in answered and a talkative man, be acquitted.
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He begins the same way build that begins by condemning jove
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for speaking too much. In fact, he condemns Joe by by
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saying all these words that that you are speaking?
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Truly are covering up. The real reason you are the way
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you are. You're trying to convince us of
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something that you can't convince us of.
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Now, it is true that Proverbs chapter 10 verse number. 19
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tells us that in a multitude of words, there wanteth not sin,
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the more you speak, the more you cover up your sin.
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It also says, in the latter part of that verse that he that
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retaining, his lips is wise, but so far, Tells job that he's just
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babbling, he's talking too much. And therefore trying to hide
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something. He tells job that he is unwise.
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He is untrue and he is. Unkind.
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So he attacks Integrity. He tells them show your boast or
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lies. Silence, men, do you think you
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can lie to us? You think you can exaggerate the
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truth? You think it keep talking and
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try to cover up that which is real job.
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You think you can lie to us and silence us, put us, put us to
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the silence. The words you say are untrue.
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And then he says, and shall you scoff?
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And, and none. Rebuke other words.
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Why do you mock us? Your unkind.
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Here, we are trying to communicate with you or talk to
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you and yet you respond with unkind words, but job, didn't do
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that. They accuse them of that simply
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because they won't, he won't bow to their criticism.
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He stands strong on what he believes to be true.
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This is the first number four for you have said, my teaching
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is Pierre and I am innocent in your eyes now.
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Job never said that. But they're accusing them of
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that. He's accusing job of saying that
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his teaching is pure. And that there truly is no sin
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in his life. Now job never said that either
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on at least three occasions job said that he had sinned.
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He has sinned, he knows he's not sinless.
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And so he knows he is not an innocent man.
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Although he's upright God-fearing blameless, Turning
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Away From Evil, that's Job chapter 1.
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God says that about Job, the writer of joke tells us about
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him so that's who he is. We never said these words.
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And so they say He's a hypocrite, basically you say one
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thing and live another way. So he begins by attacking the
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Integrity of job and then he attacks the, the ignorance of
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job. When it comes to understanding
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who God is for God, it's an all wise God.
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Now job knows this. But instead he says this but
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would that God might speak and open his lips against you?
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Would it be that God would would just tell you job where you're
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wrong? They even speak.
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Now, God is going to speak and when he speaks he's not going to
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condemn job, he will condemn zophar and eliphaz and build
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that he will rebuke them, but he will not review job.
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We saw it last week, job chapter 42, verse number seven.
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So so far is going to get his wish.
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God's going to open his mouth. He is going to speak, but he's
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not going to speak against job. so he says in verse number 6,
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show you the secrets of wisdom for sound.
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Wisdom has two sides. God need to show you the his
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wisdom joke, there's the reveal side and the concealed side, and
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maybe he's going to open his mouth speak to you and reveal to
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you, that, which is concealed. And then he says these words, if
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you can believe it or not, he says no Then that God forgets
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part of your iniquity. In other words, he says just be
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glad that God hasn't punished You, for all your sin.
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What you have gotten your loss of your children, the loss of
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your, your business, the loss of your home.
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The loss of your health is only partial punishment.
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God can do a lot more than that. But it's only punish you for
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part of your iniquity, not all of your iniquity.
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Now, how could you say that the job?
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As you sit there. But he does.
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Now it is true that that God never gives us what we deserve.
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That's a good thing. Is it not?
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You know, it's because of his mercies that were not consumed.
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He knows our frame. He knows that we're were nothing
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but dust. God treats us with mercy and
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Grace. And, and compassion and love.
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He does do that. And if God punished us every
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time we sinned, then we'd be in big trouble.
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But God is merciful, doesn't do that.
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But so far, truly condemns job. He comes against him and says,
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you know what, be lucky. You were not punished to the
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full extent of the law that God didn't unleash on you,
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everything you deserve because of your sin.
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How do you say that to a man who's lost everything?
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And there's nothing to show for it.
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But so far does that? This is this.
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Can you discover the depths of God, can you discover the limits
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of the almighty answered? No, nobody can.
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But job knows that never last week and in chapter 9, would a
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job. Say verse number 10, who does
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great things unfathomable and wondrous Works without number.
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God does those kind of things job knows, you can't understand
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the Almighty job knows, you can't comprehend everything that
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God does jump understands that. But so far wants to wax eloquent
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and try to inform Joe job that he's ignorant concerning.
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The things of God. Says they are high as the
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heavens. What can you do deeper than she
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ol? What can you know?
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It's measure is longer than the earth and broader than the see
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if he passes by or shuts up or calls and assembly who can
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restrain him. Answer, no one can.
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So, he talks about the awesomeness of God, he talks
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about the abilities of God. He talks about the awareness of
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God, that God is aware of everything he says in verse
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number 11, for he knows faults men.
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He sees iniquity without investigating.
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We know that God never has to search us.
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He just knows all about us, why? Because he's omniscient.
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So he's trying to inform job. He's giving job information, but
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he's not communicating with job, he's not wanting to understand
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jobs predicament and the pain that is in to console him and
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working through these things. Nope, he's just trying to inform
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him about the fact that you are ignorant.
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Concerning the knowledge of God, the wisdom of God, the emissions
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of God, the ability of God. Joby just don't understand.
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But if you're with us, you know, that job doesn't understand
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because it's theology is extremely sound.
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So he says verse number 12, an idiot will become intelligent.
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when the full of a wild donkey, Is born a man, well that will
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never happen. So tells job to job from the
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human standpoint of view. You're never going to be
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intelligent enough. You're never going to come to
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understanding these things. Well, we know that we're never
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going to understand all that God is But so far wants to make him
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understand, you'll never get the knowledge you're searching for
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joke. So, he attacks job's inability
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to repent. If you would direct your heart,
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right? And spread out your hand to him.
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If iniquity is in your hand, put it too far away and do not let
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wickedness. Dwell in your tents.
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We know that that repentance is a heart issue.
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If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me
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Psalm 66:18, right? That's why we preach the word,
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why? Because Jeremiah 29 tells us
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that when you preach the word, God's word is like a fire in a
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hammer. It Purifies the soul with it
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pummels, the heart, it crushes, the the hard heart.
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And so we know that that repentance is a heart issue, but
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he's trying to get job to repent from some wickedness that he's
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committed, but that he hasn't So he says did indeed.
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You would lift up your face without moral defect, and you
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would be steadfast and not fear for you at.
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Forget your trouble as Waters that have passed by, you would
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remember it. Your life would be brighter than
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a Noonday. Darkness would be like the
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morning, then you wouldn't trust because there is hope and you
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would look around and rest securely.
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You would lie down and none would disturb you.
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And many would entreat your favorite joke.
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These are all the benefits of repentance.
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If you just repent, your rest securely, if you just repent,
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things will go so much better for you.
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Well, that's not necessarily true.
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Your people who sin and repent, they still have to suffer the
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consequences to sin, right? That had, that does happen.
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But so far is trying to convince Joe that you need to repent.
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And because you are unable to repent unwilling to repent, says
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this as he closes out the eyes of the wicked will fail and
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there will be no Escape for them.
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And their hope is to breathe their last.
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If you don't repent job, your only hope is to die.
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That's it. Now so far speaks twice not
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three times. Like the other men do he just
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speaks twice, which is a good thing, because he wants to leave
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job, hopeless. He wants to leave job,
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groveling. Think about that speaking to a
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man who's in so much pain. Completely isolated all by
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himself. And yet, you want to leave him
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in that condition. And that sounds so far, Lisa.
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Joba, respond and respond in a magnificent way.
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But what I want to do with you tonight is show you how it is.
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This applies to us. Job James 5.
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Verse number 11 says these words We cannot excuse me, we count
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those blessed to endured. You have heard of the endurance
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of job and a seen the outcome of the Lord's, dealings with that,
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the Lord is full of compassion and merciful.
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You have heard of the endurance of job.
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Now, if we've gone through these, these first 11 chapters,
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we realize that for job, he has Unexplicable pain.
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So harsh, so difficult. None of us can really imagine
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it. And so when the writer James
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says that you've heard of the endurance of job, it is true.
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He had he had to endure. All the Affliction, all of the
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loss, all of the pain, and he did under all that.
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But he also had to endure the criticism of a so-called
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friends. A lot of us can endure physical
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pain, but we can't endure criticism.
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We can't endure when our friends come to us and say things that
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aren't true about us. We begin to crumble.
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But not Joe. I told you on Sunday that jobs a
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book about hope. It gives hope to people, like
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you and me. Because job was a man who lived
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in light of hope it will unveil that to even all the more as Joe
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responds to two so far next week.
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But there's something about jobs, endurance.
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That's remarkable. His ability to sit there and
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miss all of us pain and hear the words that are spoken to him.
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With no mercy and no compassion. That's why James says that
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you've heard of the endurance, of job and how the Lord dealt
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with him. Excuse me, with mercy and
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compassion. Because the Lord is full of
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Mercy. The job even though so far, when
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the leave him hopeless, he lived in light of his hope, his Hope
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was in God. It wasn't anyone else?
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His hope wasn't his friends and you can't have your hope in your
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friends or your family. Why?
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Because they're going to fail, you.
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Inevitably they're going to fail you so your hope must be in God
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alone. Psalmist said these words in
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Psalm 146. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
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O, my soul. I will praise the Lord while I
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live. I will sing praises to my God.
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While I have my being to not trust in princes in Mortal man
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in whom, there is no salvation, his Spirit departs and returns
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to earth. And that very day, his thoughts
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perish. How blessed is he?
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Whose help is the god of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord.
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His God. Who made Heaven and Earth the
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sea and all that is in them who keeps Faith forever, who
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executes Justice for the oppressed who gives food to the
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hungry, the Lord sets the prisoners free, the Lord opens
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the eyes of the blind, the Lord raises up, those who are bowed
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down the lord loves the righteous.
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The Lord protects the strangers, he supports the fatherless and
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the Widow. It's the Way of the Wicked.
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The Lord will reign forever. Your God o Zion to all
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generations. Praise the Lord.
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The psalmist learned to Hope in God.
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Over in. Psalm 71 it says in You O Lord I
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have taken Refuge. Let me never be ashamed in your
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righteousness. Deliver me and Rescue Me
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incline. Your ear to me and save me.
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Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come.
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You have given commandment to save Me For You.
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Are My Rock and my Fortress rescue me.
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Oh my God, out of the hand of the wicked out of the grasp of
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the wrongdoer and ruthless Man For You Are My Hope O Lord God,
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you are my confidence from my youth by you, I have been
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sustained from my birth. You are he took me from my
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mother's womb? My praise is continually of you.
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Verse 14. As for me, I will hope
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continually and will praise you yet more and more Romans chapter
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14 Romans chapter 14. Excuse me, chapter 15 verse.
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Number 13. Now, may the god of Hope.
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Fill you with all joy and peace in believing say, you may have
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Bound in Hope by the power. Of the Holy Spirit.
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In other words, the Bible tells us that God is a god of Hope.
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Timothy tells us that that Christ is our hope and in the
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book of Galatians, Paul tells us that the gospel Is Our Hope.
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Job lived in light of his hope in God, in no matter how
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critical his friends were he never lost his hope in God
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because it's hope wasn't in his friends.
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His hope wasn't in his wife. His hope.
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Wasn't God. So James says, you have you have
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heard of the endurance of job. Yes, you know that, he endured
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physical affliction. you know, they endured pain, immeasurable
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but he also endured constant criticism from his so-called
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friends. And he endured it.
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A unique and special way. Questions.
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How did he do that? Because we need to learn how job
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endured. If we're going to endure, right?
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So many times it's we just crumble under criticism.
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We crumble under difficulties, we crumble under things that
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that we shouldn't crumble under The job never did.
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Yeah, it says some things that maybe maybe will question at
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times, but remember job, God has nothing but good to say about
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job at the end. So what is it about job that
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caused him to endure? Not just a physical anguish.
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But the misery he experienced from his friends.
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How could he do that? You know, you don't wake up one
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day and say today I'm going to endure through everything.
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You don't wake up tomorrow and run a 26-mile marathon.
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You'll die. After 26 feet.
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I mean I would I would make it 36 feet in length 16 miles,
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right? You got to build up toward that.
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It's like it's like football. You got to endure all the way to
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the end. Footballs 4/4 not 1/4, right?
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So you train so you can endure through all four quarters.
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And it takes time to endure to build up endurance.
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Same is true spiritually. So, wake up one day and endure
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Affliction or endured criticism. There has to be the groundwork
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that's been laid. There has to be the cultivation
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of a the spiritual muscles that will allow you to continue,
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keeping on amidst, all the Affliction of persecution and
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it's all the pain, all the disappointments.
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How do you do that? How does somebody in der?
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Not just physical Affliction, not just personal anguish.
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But relational misery. Because no one stands by you.
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Now. There is no one there to hold
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jobs hand. No one.
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There was was caressing his hand and maybe rubbing his bald head,
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or putting their arm around him. Mainly because his body was full
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of Oozing pus filled sores, right?
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But there is no one there, to give him any comfort whatsoever,
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which makes his endurance, all the more Marvelous.
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Because he didn't have a human support system.
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He only had a Divine support system.
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That's all I needed. See, our problem is we think we
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need a human support system. Now it doesn't mean we don't
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support one another encourage one.
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Another pray for one, another doesn't mean we don't do those
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kind of things. It's just that you can't depend
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on those kind of things. Jobe didn't depend on his
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friends. He would depend solely upon God.
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So let me give you three words. Three?
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Words that I believe are critical to jobs.
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Endurance, that help us understand how we could sit
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there and listen to zophar bildad eliphaz eventually alive.
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Who And never crumble under the criticism.
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But we remain steadfast. Strong, even though physically
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he was frail. His inner Spirit was strong.
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Three words. All right, confidence.
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Conviction. And commitment.
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Okay. Jobs endurance.
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Was rooted. In his confidence.
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In God. That's where it was routed.
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There was no self confidence in job.
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It was all God confidence. He says, later in the Book of
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Job, Job chapter 31. If I have put my confidence in
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gold and called Feingold, my trust, if I have gloated because
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my wealth was great, and because my hand had secured so much if I
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had looked at the sun when it's shown or the moon going in
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splendor, And my heart became secretly enticed in my hand
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through a kiss from my mouth. That too would have been an
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iniquity calling for judgment for.
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I would have denied God above Job did not put his confidence
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in his gold and he had a lot of it.
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Who is very wealthy, man? He did not put his trust in
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anything. Outside.
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Of his God. His confidence was in his God
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Alone. If we're ever going to endure,
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we must be solely confident. In God himself and no one else.
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And that's what job was. In fact, every great man of God
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in the Bible was confident in his God.
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Whether it's the Apostle Paul, whether it's Daniel, whether
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it's Joseph, whether it's Peter, John, they all had confidence in
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God. Confidence in what not only
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God's activity, but God's ability.
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Great confidence in God's activity as well as his ability.
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Paul said this way being confident of this very thing
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that he who began a good work in, you will complete it until
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the day of Jesus Christ. That's how Paul to find it.
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Paul says, I am I have this persuasion?
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Another word for confidence. I am confident of this very
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thing. I am confident of God's
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activity. I'm confident of God's ability
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that is I am confident God's activity being confident of this
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very thing that he who began a good work in you.
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God begins to good work in you. It began in eternity past with
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predestination, right? Paul says it well and the book
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of Ephesians Ephesians chapter 1.
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Verse number 4, when he says he chose us in him before the
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foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless
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before him in love. And then he says, in verse 11,
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we have obtained, an inheritance having been predestined,
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according to his purpose. Who works all things after the
30:54
counsel? Of his will.
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In other words God who began a good work in you, which deals
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with the realm of predestination, And then, when
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time in eternity intersect, I call upon the name of the Lord,
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and I'm saved that good work. Just comes to be realized in my
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own life. The work of Salvation as well as
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the work of justification and sanctification and conformation.
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So ultimately, there's this glorification of my body.
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Paul was confident in the activity of God.
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That would God began in you. He will complete it.
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Job, had that same confidence. We know he's an upright man that
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is he is right with God. And the only way he could be
31:51
right with God is because God declared him righteous God.
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Did the work So he began a good work in.
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You will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
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Not only in God's activity when it comes to his salvation.
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But God's ability, when it comes to your sanctification, He will
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complete the work. Other words, God's already at
32:21
work. God's never not at work in your
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life. He's always doing something to
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conform me to his image, to sanctify.
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You to set you apart to make you, holy, And she might serve
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him in a way that honors and glorifies his great name. so,
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like Paul. Jobe.
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Endured because his endurance was rooted in the confidence
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that he had. In his God.
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Did he understand all that God was doing?
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Nope. Do you know we understand a lot
33:10
more than joke did because we have the Bible.
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We have all 66 books joke didn't have a Bible.
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We can read theology books. Job didn't have a theology book.
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So we have a lot more understanding of God and
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knowledge of God, and the workings of God, because we know
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Job, chapter 1 job, didn't know that chapter Dentist and the
33:29
conversation going on in Heaven from God.
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And Satan, we do. but yeah, job endured he was able to be
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steadfast. And immovable.
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Because of his confidence in God.
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Miss your question. Where's your confidence this
33:50
evening? Is that in your gold?
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Is that in your friendships, your family, your job.
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Where is your confidence? We can only be confident in God
34:04
himself. He's the only one we can count
34:07
on. He is the only one is true to
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his word fully and completely. He never reneged.
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He's always there. He never forsakes us.
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He is always present with us. He is.
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Our confidence. so, When Paul defines what a Believer is in
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Philippians chapter 3. Verse number 3 says that we are
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The Marked Ones. We are the we are the
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circumcision. We are the ones that have been
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set apart by God. We are the ones who put no
34:47
confidence. In the flesh.
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But we worship God in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus.
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We have no confidence in anything of the flesh are
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confidence is solely and God himself.
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Salvation is a work of God, when salvation is when God Saves you
35:09
and he redeems you, he calls you, he moves you, he conforms
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you. He's going to bring everything
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about you to completion. Until the day of Christ.
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Remember to Not only was jobs, endurance rooted in his
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confidence in God. But it was riveted by his
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conviction about God. He had a deep conviction.
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About God. I told you. early on that,
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unless you understand Job. Chapter 1. you will never be
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able to live through anything like Jobe lives through unless
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you understand Job, chapter 1, You'll always crumble under
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pressure. Because Job chapter 1 is is the
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Crux to the book. It tells us he was a he was an
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upright blameless God-fearing man turning away from evil.
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The character of job is supreme. And so that's that's jobs
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character. But his ability to endure, yes,
36:33
centers around that character because that character had a
36:35
confidence in God. But it was, it was, it was
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riveted by a conviction about his God.
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And that conviction was that. God was a, holy God, a pure God.
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That's why he would turn away from Evil.
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That's why job 31:1. He says, I've made a covenant
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with my eyes. Not to look.
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And morally unfaithfully upon a woman. because in a deep
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conviction about the Holiness and purity of God, That's why he
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was a blameless, man. Because he knew that God called
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for blamelessness. He knew that God called for
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purity of heart. He now he knew that God called
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for a cleansing of the Soul. He had deep conviction about
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that. He was so convicted about God's
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Purity and God's holiness. He wanted to live to that
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standard. That was a standard.
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So he can make a covenant with his eyes.
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Not to look lustfully upon another woman.
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He would not trust in something outside of his God. because
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everything was was, was riveted by one conviction that he would
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not compromise. He didn't. you know, every every
38:00
man of God in the scriptures, the same way, Daniel, was that
38:05
way, right? Daniel chapter chapter one.
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Verse number 8, the Daniel made up his mind that he would not
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defile himself with the Kings Choice food or with the wine,
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which he drank. So, he sought permission from
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the commander of the officials that he might not defile
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himself. get a conviction that he would not defile himself and
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that conviction Was. Was based on the fact that his
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God was a holy God. And he could not defile himself.
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Well the same was to a job the same with Judith Paul Peter John
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all these red Joseph, right? Joseph had confidence in his
38:50
God. He knew his God was going to be
38:52
with him but he also had a conviction about about the
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purity of his God the Holiness of his God.
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So that would cause him to run away from Potiphar's wife, when
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she tried to seduce him because he wanted to live a pure and
39:05
holy life. That's a deep-rooted conviction.
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then unfortunately, a lot of people just don't have What Joe
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did? It caused him to endure.
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All kinds of criticism, all kinds of of adverse
39:26
circumstances. Later on in the Book of Daniel
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it says of Daniel these words and you know them.
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Well Daniel chapter 6 verse number 3, then Daniel began to
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distinguish himself among the Commissioners and say traps
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because he possessed an extraordinary kind of spirit.
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His fear was different than anybody else's spirit.
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And the King plan to appoint him over the entire Kingdom.
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And then the Commissioners and say, trust began, trying to find
39:52
a ground of accusation against Daniel and regard to government
39:55
Affairs. But they could find no ground of
39:59
accusation or evidence of corruption.
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And as much as he was faithful and no, negligence or corruption
40:05
was to be found in him. Well, known it.
40:13
Was that true of Daniel but it was true of job.
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That's why he was an upright God-fearing blameless, man.
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His conviction about God's holiness moved his life.
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How about you? How convicted are you about the
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Holiness of God? The purity of God.
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Bible tells us that he's holy. Holy, holy Very important aspect
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of his character. Everything stems from his
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Holiness. He is so separate from us, so
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different from us. and Joe banister that the Bible tells us
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in, In Psalm 15. These words, which makes.
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Zophar has attack on jobs Integrity, just so wrong.
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Didn't tell lies. It wasn't boastful.
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He didn't make untrue statements, he wasn't a
41:27
hypocrite. Psalm 15.
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The Bible says O Lord, who may abide in your tent who may dwell
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in your Holy Hill. He walks with integrity and
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works righteousness and speaks truth in his heart.
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That's it. And then it says in verse 15, at
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the end of verse, number 6, he does these things.
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Will Never Be Shaken. Other words Integrity cause you
41:59
to endure. And Never Be Shaken.
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Never be fearful. Never turn away.
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You see, he had this deep riveted conviction, that God was
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holy and because God was holy, he needed to be holy.
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That's why the Bible says he was a blameless.
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Upright God-fearing man, turning away from evil.
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He was convicted concerning his own Purity, and his testimony.
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They would live for the glory and honor of his God. and so,
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when you look at job and you realize that this man had
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Supreme endurance, it's simply because of his confidence in his
42:46
God and His conviction about the character and nature of his God,
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as well as his commitment to that God, to know him to
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understand him. And to live for him.
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Note, The Book of Proverbs the 24th chapter says, the 10th
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verse. If you are slack in the day of
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distress your strength, Is small.
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Are you slack in the day of distress?
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Are you the kind of person who can't bear up under the pressure
43:23
whether it's verbal criticism? What is physical suffering?
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If that's the case your strength is small.
43:32
It's not large, certainly not. You won't endure, certainly not.
43:38
That's why. Daniel says that those who know
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the God will display strength and take action.
43:45
Why is it job could endure? Because he knew his God, he was
43:49
committed to knowing god. He was committed to
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understanding god with not nearly the tools that you and I
43:55
had today. He was committed to knowing his
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God in a deep. And, and intimate way.
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And he did. The things he says about God
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shows us house down. His theology is, as he talks
44:14
about the greatness of God, the wondrous works of God, Joe Knows
44:18
those things. But but he didn't let it rest
44:22
there. He kept wanting to know, let the
44:24
Apostle Paul, all that I may they know him in the fellowship
44:28
of his sufferings, right? Paul says, I just want to know
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my God more and more and more. And whether it's Daniel or
44:39
whether it's job or whether it's, it's Peter or Paul, or
44:42
whoever it is, maybe they want to know their God.
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Why? Because that commitment causes
44:49
you to endure. It causes you to stand strong
44:53
unfazed. When the Bible talks about Job
44:58
fearing, God, Fearing. God is the beginning of
45:04
knowledge. Right?
45:07
Proverbs tells us that knowing god is equivalent to fearing.
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God, the knowledge of God is equivalent to fearing.
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God if you fear God, you know God, why?
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Because you know, he needs to be feared, the more, you know, God,
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the more you're going to fear. God, there is forgiveness with
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thee. Psalm 130 person before that
45:24
thou mayest be feared. Why does God forgive you of your
45:27
sins that you might fear Him? Roma Street tells us that there
45:31
is no fear of God before the eye of the unbeliever.
45:34
They don't fear God. But job feared God.
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Because he knew his God. in the more you come to know, God, the
45:44
more you fear Him and Joe did. So when the Bible says that he
45:51
was an upright God-fearing man who turned away from evil and
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was blameless. It's because their deep
45:59
commitment to know, as God. And I wonder if that's your
46:05
commitment. How much do you really want to
46:09
know? God?
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You know, the Bible says in Jeremiah chapter chapter 9,
46:15
right? Let not the Mighty Man boast in
46:18
his mind or the rich man, boast of his riches or the wise man
46:22
boast in his riches. But isn't it funny?
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We posted all those things right?
46:26
We love to post in our might our riches, our intellect, we love
46:32
to boast in those things. And we all had this tendency,
46:37
right? We can send our kids to Junior
46:40
College or we send our kids to Harvard.
46:43
I want my kid to go to Harvard. Why?
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Because in reality, I boast in wisdom, but the Bible says let
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not the wise man boast in his wisdom.
46:55
I, I can let my kid play at a division.
46:59
Three school and play division. One school.
47:01
And I can tell everybody is on TV.
47:05
We boast in our abilities. See I want my kid to go to good
47:12
schools and get a good education so he can she can be a lawyer or
47:16
a doctor or somebody makes a lot of money because we posted our
47:20
riches We tend to lean that way, don't we?
47:26
yet the Bible says let him who boasts boast in this the word
47:31
boast Or Glory means to be heavy Three way down.
47:37
All right, you'll doesn't it. Word means to, to, to be heavy.
47:41
Why? Because the, the more riches you
47:43
have, the heavier were the heavier.
47:45
You were, the more intellectual had the heavy you were right?
47:52
And yet, God says, I want you to be heavy in knowing me.
47:57
Knowing me because I'm The God Who exercises loving kindness.
48:04
And mercy. And justice.
48:09
I want you to know me. Is it wrong for your kid, to go
48:12
to Harvard? No, they're wrong for your kid
48:15
to get a D1 scholarship. No, it's wrong for your kid to
48:17
be a lawyer. No, so great things nothing's
48:21
wrong with them. He's can't be heavy in those
48:23
things just can't boast in those things.
48:27
Glory in those things, be heavy in the knowledge of God knowing
48:32
god. Coming to understand your God.
48:38
And that requires, you knowing him and fearing him.
48:44
Listen to what the Bible says. And in Psalm 112 how blessed is
48:49
the man who fears, the Lord, who greatly Delights in his
48:51
Commandments that great The man who greatly Delights in his
48:56
Commandments, is the one who fears God.
48:59
They're parallel statements. If you're fearing God, you're
49:03
delighting in God's Commandments.
49:06
If you're not delighting in God's Commandments because
49:08
you're not fearing God and he says this, his descendants will
49:12
be Mighty on the earth. Generation of the upright will
49:14
be blessed. For this man, verse 36 Will
49:20
Never Be Shaken. I'll Never Be Shaken.
49:24
The righteous will be remembered forever.
49:26
He will not fear evil Tidings. His heart is steadfast trusting
49:31
in the Lord. His heart is upheld.
49:33
He will not fear. If you're what if you what man
49:37
would do to him? See the man who fears God
49:41
Delights in the Commandments of God because he's coming to know
49:43
more and more about his God. That kind of man is never
49:46
shaken. He never Teeters, he stands
49:52
established, and strong. See, and that's what we need
49:58
today. People like job.
50:02
Who endured? it's easy to, to To endure when
50:10
when things are easy. You know, someone said, one
50:15
time, there's two choices of Life, the easy way in the right
50:17
way, right? The easy way, in the right way.
50:22
We love to take the easy Road. Because it's so cushy so smooth.
50:30
Always, so we say But there's a right way to do things.
50:35
And usually that's the heart of the hardest way.
50:38
And Joe was a man of great endurance.
50:42
I Marvel at this. I just can't understand and
50:45
believe what I'm reading when I read the book of Job, That when
50:50
they criticize him, he didn't say anything until they're done
50:54
and then he speaks not to defend himself.
50:59
But just to, to show them, the reason of what's happening in
51:04
his own mind. What's going on.
51:09
But for him to sit there and injure criticism to endure,
51:13
condemnation, to endure ridicule.
51:18
When he's already in physical pain, when he's already an
51:21
emotional pain, he's already lost everything that he has.
51:25
He has nothing to hold onto right in the constant throughout
51:30
all these accusations against him against them, one after
51:34
another, after another, after another sister and listens and
51:38
he endures all of it. He is the Bible's greatest hero
51:46
Bar, None, this man is heads. And Tails above everybody else
51:53
because he was able to endure. What others never did in her
51:56
Paul, endured the Affliction of his enemies, his enemy spoke
52:00
against him, Jobs, friends spoke against him.
52:06
And you think that jobs friends were his enemies?
52:10
But he endured it all and my prayer for you and me is that we
52:12
would be men and women of endurance.
52:16
That we would understand our confidence is only in God.
52:20
That's it. No one else.
52:24
And nothing else. His ability.
52:28
To make sure that he brings us to a point where we look just
52:32
like him. Knowing that that we this deep
52:36
conviction about the character and nature of God.
52:39
These are pure and holy God and I need to be as holy as God
52:41
himself is Holy I might then be committed to knowing him every
52:47
day, more and more. Because I want to understand my
52:51
God. Now, that lived his glory and
52:54
honor, let's pray, father, thank you, Lord for tonight and thank
52:58
you for the opportunity. As brief as it is to look into
53:00
the word of God and our prayer. Father, is that we would be men
53:04
and women who exemplify you Thank you for this man job, who
53:09
understood? Understood you?
53:14
Did he grasp everything about you?
53:17
No, he's not. Did he understand why he was
53:21
going through was going through? No, he didn't.
53:24
Be a great conference in his God, that God was going to do
53:27
something great. when where how He did not know.
53:36
But he never lost his faith. He never never backed away from
53:40
his Trust. He hoped his God.
53:45
My prayer for all of us stores that we would live that same
53:47
kind of life. Hoping solely.
53:52
On you for everything in Jesus name.
53:56
Amen.