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Steve W. Reeves
stevereevesoutlines.blogspot.com
INTODUCTION:
A. Have
you ever watched the TV series “Monk?” The show is about a private detective
named Adrian Monk who has OCD and severe
anxiety issues. He also has the
observation skills to observe many details
others miss and resolve many crimes.
1. One of the things I like about “Monk,”
is the opening theme song entitled, “It’s A
Jungle Out There.”
2. Here are the lyrics. “It's a jungle out
there. Disorder and confusion everywhere
No one seems to care, Well I do Hey,
who's in charge here?
It's a jungle out there, Poison in the
very air we breathe Do you know what's in the
water that you drink? Well I do, and
it's amazing People think I'm crazy, 'cause I
worry all the time, If you paid
attention, you'd be worried too. You better pay
attention Or this world we love so much
might just kill you. I could be wrong now,
but I don't think so! 'Cause there's a
jungle out there. It's a jungle out there.”
Copyright: Lyrics © Original Writer and
Publisher Randy Newman.
3. Sometimes it seems like life is a jungle
with evil lurking around every corner and
people acting like wild animals.
B. The
existence of evil, pain, suffering and injustice is a stumbling block many people
struggle with in life.
1. Atheists conclude that the existence of
evil negates the existence of God.
2. They reason that if God is all powerful,
loving, pure, Holy, righteous and just, He would not allow His creation to be
affected by evil, pain, suffering and injustice. Since these things exist it
must be concluded that God does not exist.
3. TV
talk show host Larry King says he would like to believe in God but cannot do so
because of the pain and suffering in the world. CNN founder Ted Turner once
studied to be a minister but lost his faith in God when his sister died from a
painful, debilitating illness that led to her death.
C.
Unfortunately, many believers are ill equipped to answer this question. Some
might
suggest that there is no answer
(Deuteronomy 29:29) and you either have faith or
you don’t.
1. Peter wrote, “But sanctify Christ as
Lord in your hearts, always being ready to
give a defense to everyone who asks you
to give an account for the hope that is in
you but with gentleness and respect” ( 1
Peter 3:15).
2. In this message I want to offer some
guideposts for you to consider as you
address the issue of trouble in a
trying world.
a. These guideposts come from a story
that is older than the Bible itself.
b. The story concerns a man named Job
who lived during the days of the patriarchs. More than likely he was a
contemporary with Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob. He could have lived even earlier.
c. When we think of the book of Job we
often think of subjects like endurance, stamina, fortitude and wisdom. While
all of these things may appear in the book of Job they are secondary to the
real issue. Even Job is a secondary figure in the book. The main character is
God, Himself, and the real issue is God’s existence and sovereignty during
trouble in trying times.
I.
JOB’S CHARACTER
A. There
are a few people in the Bible who are complimented by God.
1. David was referred to as “a man after
God’s heart” (Acts 13:22).
2. Jesus is complimented as “My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
(Mt.
3:17).
3. Concerning Job, God told Satan “Have you considered My servant Job,
that
there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who
fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8)?
B.
Who was this man?
1. He was from Uz”
(1:1). Chapter 1:19 describes it as being “near a desert.”
Harpers Bible Dictionary proposes the location of Uz as being northwest
Arabia
or Edom. (See Jer. 25:20-21 and Lam.4:21). Some scholars have sought to
identify Job with Jobab, the second king of Edom (Genesis 36:33). This
cannot
be proven.
2. He was a blameless man. He was true to his belief in God.
He was upright
meaning “straight.” He shunned
evil.
3. He feared God like Abraham (Gen
22:19). He was a Godly man. Of Job, God
said, “I have no one like him on
the face of the earth” (Job 1:8). :
4. He was a family man with 7 sons and 3
daughters. His children loved each
other, visited in each other’s
homes and celebrated with each other. Job
regularly offered sacrifices in
their behalf.
5. He was a wealthy man with oxen,
donkeys, sheep, servants and land.
6. Job 1:3 sums it up by saying, “He was
the greatest of the men of the east.”
C. Job’s life appeared to be a tranquil sea
with gentle breezes and smooth sailing.
His life was well ordered, and full of
blessings.
II. JOB’S CHALLENGE
A. Sometimes trouble comes unexpectedly.
1. A sudden illness. A business
failure, A natural disaster. A misunderstanding.
2. Sometimes life is like driving along
on a beautiful day when suddenly someone
runs a stop sign or red light that
broadsides you. This is exactly what happened
to Job.
3. Keep in mind that Job had no idea what
was taking place. Unlike us, he could not
open his Bible and read about himself.
B. There are two meetings described in Job
1 and 2 that are unlike any other
meetings in the entire Bible.
1. The first one is described in
1:6-12. The second is recorded in 2:1-6.
2. They are extremely important in
helping us understand the problem of suffering
and the sovereignty of God.
3.
In the New Testament the apostle Paul reminded Christians in Ephesians
6:10-12, “Finally, be strong
in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put
on
the full armor of God, so that you
will be able to stand firm against the schemes
of the devil. 12 For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the powers, against
the world forces of this darkness, against
the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places.”
4.
On this occasion the angelic hosts presented themselves before God.
a. Angels are created beings.
b. Not all angels are good. In
Revelation 12, John described a scene in which
Satan, described as a great dragon, waged
war against Michael and his
angels. Satan and all of his angels were
cast out of heaven and flung to the
earth. Since that time the devil has been
waging war against God by
promoting and perpetuating evil
in every form.
5. At this time, God asked Satan,
“where have you come from?” Satan said
from walking and prowling back and
forth on the earth.” Remember that Peter
admonished, “Be sober, be vigilant,
for your adversary the devil prowls about on
the earth like a roaring lion
seeking who he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
4. When God said, “Have you considered
my servant Job for I have no one like
him?” Satan, who is called a
murderer, a liar and the accuser of the brethren,
replied, “It is because you have
built a fence around him. Remove your
protection and blessings and Job
will curse you to your face.”
5. Do not miss God’s response. In verse 12
God said, “Behold, all that he has is in
your power; only do not reach out
and put your hand on him.” So, Satan
departed from the presence of the
Lord.”
6. Notice two truths.
a. The origin of this evil action
came from the devil, not God.
b. God allowed Satan to attack Job
to prove Job’s faithfulness.
c. At no time, in this incident or
the next, did God fail to control evil and
maintain His sovereignty.
C. The evil attack upon Job took several
forms.
1. There was moral evil as
thieves swept in stealing his livestock.
2. There was natural calamity as a
destructive wind destroyed the house where
all ten of Job’s children were
killed.
3. God‘s only stipulation in this case
was that Satan could not touch Job
physically. Even this was lifted later,
but God refused to let Satan kill Job.
4. I do not believe God is capable of
originating evil. This does not mean that He
does not control evil and allow it
to exist in order to accomplish His divine will.
a. Exodus 4:11
b. Psalm 115: 3
c. Deuteronomy 32:38
d. God has sent famine, lions,
plagues.
e. Lamentations 3:37-38
D. You
do not have to get God off the hook for evil. He is sovereign and will allow
evil to
exist.
1. Well,
I won’t believe in God, who allows evil.
2. Do you think God is going to surrender
his sovereignty because you don’t believe?
3. He is God all the time, and all the time,
He is God.
III. THE CHOICE
A. How did Job respond to the evil that
suddenly sprang upon his life?
1. He grieved. This was evidenced by
him tearing his garment, shaving his head,
falling to the ground and worshipping
(vs. 20).
2. His grief was real. He did not,
allow these things to destroy his faith in God.
3. Job retained his perspective on the
temporary nature of human life. In verse 21,
he said, “Naked I came from my
mother’s womb and naked I will return. The
Lord gives and the Lord takes away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
B. God is sovereign. He is in complete
control all of the time. His has His on the
wheel of history. He is never
surprised. He never relinquished his control. He
always knows what He is doing.
1. In Job 13:15, Job’s faith prompted
him to exclaim, “Though He slay me yet will I
trust Him.”
2. In Job 19, Job said, “For I know
that my Redeemer lives.”
3. In Job 23:10, Job continued, He knows my paths and when He has tested me, I
will come forth as gold.”
4. What was the message of Job’s life?
“In all of this Job remained faithful and did
not sin.”
CONCLUSION:
A. Do you feel overwhelmed by everything going
on in the world? Let me remind you of
a song you’ve heard often. “He’s got the
whole world in His hands.”
1. Job reminds us that nothing, even the
forces of evil themselves, are out of God’s
control. He will use everything to
accomplish His will and His purpose. We may not
fathom it or understand it but we can
believe it.
2. Will you trust in Him:?
