He Is My God!

Gtcotr/ss101826

This morning we are going to discover and discuss 3 powerful truths spoken by a young man and recorded in the book of Job. Most people are somewhat familiar with Job and his terrible misfortunes.

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

·        BTW - blameless does not mean without fault but rather it indicates sincerity, honesty, benevolence, uprightness, and to be without guile.

The story of Job is not a fictious account. Ezekiel named Job along with Noah and Daniel in Ezekiel 14. As well, the New Testament quotes the book of Job (1Corinthians 3:19 - Job 5:13 & Job 5:17 – Hebrews 12:5).

In chapters 1 and 2, Job suffered the loss of everything from family to his farm, and from his wealth to his health. Afterwards he found himself sitting with friends in the dust for 7 days and 7 nights, bemoaning his life. Job complained and declared his innocence while his 3 old friends reasoned with him about his evident guilt. They went on and on for 29 chapters … chapter 3 to chapter 31. These 4 old men continued to argue until finally a young man who was also sitting and listening had enough and decided to speak up. This young man’s name was Elihu. Elihu means: He is my God!

When we read the Bible, it is important that we know who is speaking. You don’t want to do anything or say anything just because it is in the Bible. What Satan has to say is recorded in the Bible. Demons spoke to Jesus and you can find that recorded in the Bible. Pharisees and false prophets, liars and thieves said things that are written in the Bible; enemies of God spoke words that are recorded in the Bible. Just because something is written in the Bible does not make it true and does not make it good advice.

Just because something is written in the Bible does not make it the Word of God. And the converse is true – Just because the words are not coming from Jesus or the Apostle Paul, does not make the information false. God speaks through whomever He wills, and He can even speak through a donkey if He likes.

The best way to know if what you are reading is The Word, the Will, and the Way of God is to make sure it lines up in support of the One-Story God is telling. The One-Story God is telling is the story of redemption. Unless and until the words in question line up with the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith, we do not have the right interpretation. And when it does, we can trust it.

I believe Elihu spoke a lot of truth to those old men that day. In fact, there were only 5 men who spoke during those 7 days and Elihu was the only one of them that God did not correct or rebuke. Let’s look at 3 simple truths spoken by this young man.

1.  There is a spirit in man.

Job 32 NKJV

6 ¶  So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you.

7  I said, ‘Age should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’

8  But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

9  Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.”

·        Proverbs 20:27  The spirit of a man is the candle of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

·        Romans 8:16  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

·        We can’t always wait for someone else to do it.

·        1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one despise your youth …

2.  Dreams and visions are the language of the spirit.

Job 33 NKJV

14 ¶  For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.

15  In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds,

16  Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction.

·        Acts 2:17  ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

·        Joel 2:28 … (young and old, sons and daughters)

3.  We cannot live without His Spirit.

Job 34 NKJV

14  If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,

15  All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

·        1 Corinthians 15:45  And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

·        John 1:3  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

·        1 John 5:12 If you have the Son, you have life; If you do not have the Son, you do not have life.

Elihu spoke these truths while Job was still suffering. We cannot allow our experiences or the experiences of others to dictate the truth or invalidate God’s Word. The fact of the matter is, God did rescue Job. One of the last things Elihu said to Job and his friends just before God spoke was:

Job 38: 14 Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Immediately after Elihu finished, God Himself began to speak for Himself. Sometimes it takes a bold friend who will speak the truth in love to open our ears so that we can hear what God wants to say directly to us. I want to encourage you this morning to speak the truth in love to your friends when they face trouble, disappointment, hardship, or loss. Point them to Jesus. Tell them about His love and how much He cares for them even when they are hurting.

Additional Points to Ponder from Elihu

·         God will never do wickedly.

Job 34 NKJV

12  Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.

13  Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world?

·         God is watching.

Job 34:21 For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps.

 ·         God has a plan for your life.

Job 36 NKJV

11  If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

12  But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.

 ·         God is great!

Job 36:26 Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered.

Don’t Take the Bait

 2 Timothy 2:23–26

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever talked with someone who just wanted to argue? No matter what you said or what evidence you gave, they were determined to prove their point. We've all met people like this, whether that be in our family, at our workplace, or even our friend group. But if we're honest, at times we have been that person.

We live in a culture that often cares more about winning arguments than finding truth. People love being right, and we don't like being told we're wrong. But there's a difference between healthy debate and an argumentative spirit. Asking questions and challenging ideas is fine. The problem is when someone isn't listening to learn, only waiting for a chance to respond.

The greater danger is letting an argumentative person stir up an argumentative spirit in us. We can get so focused on proving a point or getting the last word that we forgetting that we are called to be a light and represent Christ. You can win an argument and still lose an opportunity to be a witness for Jesus.

This is what Paul is addressing with Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter two.

BACKGROUND OF 2 TIMOTHY

Paul is writing to Timothy, a young pastor who was called by God to lead and establish the church in Ephesus. Throughout this letter, Paul warns Timothy about false teachers, foolish controversies, and people who were creating problems within the church. Earlier in chapter 2, Paul mentions two men, Hymenaeus and Philetus. These were people who wandered away from the truth and were frustrating the faith of others through their teaching.

Paul knew that Timothy was dealing with a real problems and yet he was still tasked with protecting the truth and helping people grow in their faith. However, Paul also understood that Timothy could not allow himself to be influenced when dealing with quarrelsome people.

We are going to look at four points listed in Paul’s letter to Timothy about dealing with argumentative people.

1.   Avoid Arguments That Produce Nothing Good

2 Timothy 2:23 — “ But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.”

The first instruction Paul gives Timothy is to avoid foolish and ignorant disputes because they produce quarrels. Notice that Paul doesn’t tell Timothy to avoid every disagreement. He doesn’t tell Timothy that he should never correct someone or challenge false teaching. In fact, just a few verses later, Paul tells him to correct those who oppose the truth. So what’s the difference? The difference is that some conversations are productive, while others are not.

There are conversations where people genuinely want to understand something. They may disagree with us, but they’re willing to listen, willing to ask questions, and willing to consider another perspective. Those conversations can be very healthy. But there are other conversations where someone has already made up their mind. They’re not interested in understanding what you have to say. They just want to argue. Paul says we need to learn to recognize the difference.

Argumentative quarrels rarely accomplish anything good. Instead of producing understanding, they produce frustration, anger, resentment, and division. Proverbs 20:3 — “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” In other words, there’s something honorable about a person who doesn’t feel the need to argue about everything.

In the gospels, there were numerous occasions when the religious leaders tried to trap Jesus with their questions. They weren’t seeking understanding. They were trying to catch Him saying something they could use against Him. In Matthew 22, they asked Jesus whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. The question was asked to trap Him, but Jesus recognized their intentions and responded with truth and wisdom.

You see, just because someone invites you into an argument doesn’t mean you have to accept the invitation. We don’t have to respond to every accusation. We don’t have to correct every opinion. We don’t have to defend ourselves against every criticism. Sometimes the wisest thing we can do is refuse to participate in a conversation that’s going nowhere.

2.   Don’t Become What You’re Trying to Avoid

2 Timothy 2:24 — “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient.”

Think about that for a moment— Timothy was responsible for correcting people who were teaching things that weren’t true. He was dealing with people who were creating disputes within the church. Yet Paul tells him that he must not become quarrelsome himself. Just because someone else is acting foolishly doesn’t give us permission to act foolishly too.

I think this is where many of us struggle. Have you ever been having a perfectly good day until you encountered someone with a bad attitude? Maybe they said something disrespectful to you. Maybe they accused you of something that wasn’t true. Maybe they challenged something you said. And before you knew it, you were frustrated too! You started responding with the same attitude they had. Your voice got a little louder. Your words became a little sharper. And suddenly, you were acting just like the person who frustrated you in the first place.

That’s exactly what we have to guard against. We cannot allow another person’s attitude to determine our character.

James 1:19–20 — “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, because human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

Notice that James doesn’t say we should be quick to respond. He says we should be quick to listen. Sometimes we become so focused on what we’re going to say next that we stop listening to what the other person is saying. And once we become angry, our focus can shift from helping the person to defeating the person. We may still be right about the issue, but our attitude is no longer reflecting Christ.

It’s possible to be right about what you’re saying and wrong in how you’re saying it. This is why Paul shares with Timothy the character he should demonstrate: kind, patient, and able to teach. And these qualities should be present even when someone is opposing him. Proverbs 15:1 reminds us that a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Our response can either calm a difficult situation or make it significantly worse.

3.   Seek Restoration, Not Defeat

2 Timothy 2:25 — “In humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth…”

Paul goes on to tell Timothy that those who oppose the truth should be corrected with gentleness, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Paul isn’t telling Timothy to avoid correcting people altogether. He makes it clear that our attitude and our motives matter. When we correct someone, our goal should never be to humiliate them, embarrass them, or prove how much smarter we are. Our goal should be to help them.

This is one of the biggest differences between someone who wants to argue and someone who genuinely wants to help. An argumentative person is focused on winning. A person who loves others is focused on helping. Think about how differently we approach conversations when our goal is restoration rather than victory. When we’re trying to win an argument, we may become defensive. We may interrupt. We may become impatient. We may say things we wouldn’t normally say. But when we’re genuinely trying to help someone, we’re more willing to listen, more patient, and more careful with our words. We recognize that the person we’re speaking with matters more than our desire to prove a point.

Galatians 6:1 — “When someone is caught in wrongdoing, those who are spiritual should restore that person with a spirit of gentleness, while watching themselves so they aren’t tempted.”

That sounds very similar to what Paul tells Timothy. Correction should come from a heart that genuinely wants to see someone restored.

Paul also says in verse 25 that God may grant them repentance. That reminds us that we cannot force someone to believe the truth. We can communicate the truth. We can explain Scripture. We can answer questions. We can lovingly correct someone. But ultimately, we cannot change someone’s heart. That’s God’s work. Sometimes we become frustrated because we feel like we have to convince someone that we’re right, but that’s not our responsibility. Our responsibility is to faithfully communicate truth with love and allow God to work in the other person’s heart.

4.   Recognize the Real Enemy Behind the Trap

2 Timothy 2:26 — “And that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

This is where I think the passage becomes especially powerful. Paul says that through repentance and coming to their senses, these people may escape from the devil’s snare, having been taken captive to do his will. These people were caught up in opposition to the truth. They needed to come to their senses and escape from the trap of the enemy. That’s a serious warning. The devil desires to deceive people, to turn them away from the truth, and to create division and destruction. One of the ways he can accomplish those purposes is through pride, anger, foolish disputes, and an unwillingness to receive correction.

This doesn’t mean that every person who gets into an argument is somehow being controlled by the devil. But Scripture does teach that the enemy can take advantage of our sinful attitudes and behaviors. Think about how many relationships have been damaged because two people simply couldn’t agree. Think about how many friendships have ended because someone had to have the last word. Think about how many churches have experienced division because people became more committed to their own opinions than to loving one another. Sometimes what started as a simple disagreement becomes something much bigger. That’s exactly why we need to be careful.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our ultimate battle is not against flesh and blood. We have to remember that the person we’re arguing with is not our ultimate enemy. That’s what Paul is teaching Timothy. These people were caught in a spiritual trap, and Timothy’s responsibility was to correct them with gentleness so that, by God’s grace, they might be set free.

•   Be careful that while you’re trying to win an argument, you don’t get caught in a trap the enemy set for you.

•   The enemy would love for us to become bitter.

•   He would love for us to become angry.

•   He would love for us to damage relationships and create division.

•   If we’re not careful, we can allow our pride and our desire to be right to become tools that work against the very things God wants to accomplish.

We must remember: We are called to fight for people, not simply fight with people.

TAKEAWAYS

I.      Not every disagreement deserves your participation.

II.     Don’t allow someone else’s attitude to determine yours.

III.   We are called to fight for people not fight with people.

IV.   Recognize who is really behind the argument.

The Life of David - Practical Life Lessons

Gtcotr/ws101426 

2 Samuel 11 NKJV

1 ¶  It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

2  Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.

3  So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

4  Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.

5  And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

6 ¶  Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7  When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered.

8  And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him.

9  But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

10  So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

11  And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

12  Then David said to Uriah, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13  Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

14 ¶  In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15  And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”

16  So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men.

17  Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

26  When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27  And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

Satan is looking for an opportune time to tempt you.

·        Luke 4:13  Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

Nothing good happens after midnight.

·        Our natural ability to resist impulse and opportunity wanes with every hour after lunch … once dark, impulse driven sin rises.

Sin can claim more of your life than you first imagined.

·        It was months and perhaps years before David faced what he had done.

I hesitate to leave David in this place for an extra week but this is where he lived, not in secret, but openly for a long time. He will be ok for a few days until we can finish this story.

Years later, David wrote a song about this situation. We will read it from Psalms 51 before we finish this full account of David’s life.

The Greatest Ability

Gtcotr/ss101126

While people are looking for a move of God, God is looking for a move of people.

God moves through people, to people.

In about the year AD65, the Apostle Paul had almost completed his earthly life and ministry. He was in prison in Rome for his last time. Before being executed for preaching the Gospel, Paul sat to write an encouraging letter to his spiritual son, Timothy (2 Timothy 4:6-8). I believe Paul’s second letter to Timothy is the last word we have from this great man of faith. 

At that time, Timothy was the pastor of the Church in Ephesus. Just like Jesus, Paul also longed for the kingdom message and mission to continue after his death. He had given his life for the Gospel and hoped the Church would continue to grow and continue to go into all the world (Matthew 28).

From his prison, perhaps now in chains and ready to die, Paul writes:

2 Timothy 2 (NKJV)

1 ¶ You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

6 The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops.

7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Paul encouraged Timothy, and thereby the scriptures encourage us to:

1. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

1. Grace is unmerited/underserved/unearned opportunity and ability.

2. You have been graced by God … be strong in that grace. 

2. Reproduce yourself. 

1. Make disciples of the faithful

2. Not the able …

3. God can make the faithful able … give them grace.

3. Endure hardships.

1. Don’t wimp out of quit because life gets hard.

2. Expect some difficult times and don’t let them discourage you.

4. Play according to the rules.

1. The rules are simple:

1. Take what you have …

2. Start where you are …

3. Do the best you can.

   
   

The key thought Paul expresses in this passage is found in verse 2.

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Faithful means to be loyal and available, trusted and present.

God can give a person every ability except availability.

5. Be available …

1. God gives us the ability to serve Him ...

2. Availability is what we give back to God.

Paul’s greatest ability was his continued availability to go where God sent and do what God needed.

It’s the same today … God moves through people, to people - and your greatest ability will continue to be your availability.