Stuck in the Middle

Job’s First Test

Job 1:6-12 (NLT)

6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 

7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 

10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 

11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

This is what Job didn't know.  He didn't know about this conversation between God and the Devil.  

Sometimes crisis comes without context.  Sometimes a crisis will cause us to question God.  We must not underestimate the strength and power of God within us.  

Job was living in a dream into living in a nightmare.  Job lost it all.  

Job’s Second Test

Job 2:1-10  (NLT)

2 One day the members of the heavenly court came again to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 

2 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”

4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 

5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” 

7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.

8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 

9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

This is what Job did know.  

Job 19:25-26  (NLT)

²⁵ “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and he will stand upon the earth at last.
²⁶ And after my body has decayed,
    yet in my body I will see God!

A redeemer means to convert something meaningless into something that counts.  

1. Job knew that God is good. 

 The character of God must not be interpreted through our circumstances.  God is good even when bad things are happening.  

2.  Job knew that God is sovereign.

God is not confused by what's happening to us.   

3. Job knew that God is trustworthy.  

Job 13:15  (NKJV)

¹⁵ Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

We must decide in advance that we will trust God.  

This is what Job did.  

Job 1:20-22 (NKJV)

20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 

21 And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job first worshiped.  

Worship is about putting God first.  God is shaking things up.  Things have become our idols.  God is looking for purity.  You can't look for a full time God with a part time commitment.  

Job filtered out wrong voices.  Job's wife told him to curse God and then die.  Job's friends accused him of sin.  We must attach all difficulty to sin.  

Job kept moving forward.  

Job 17:9 (NLT)

⁹ The righteous keep moving forward,

    and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger

Don't get stuck in the middle.  Have the best day that you can have today.  

Job 42:10 (NLT)

10 When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!

God's will is for us to come out better than we started.

The God of Miracles

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

Luke 5:12-16 (NLT)

12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”

13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 

14 Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

15 But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 

16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

The prerequisite of a miracle is an impossible situation.  

A miracle is an extraordinary event manifesting a divine intervention of God into human affairs.  

The leper was quarantined.  He was untouchable.  He was in utter need.  

1. Jesus noticed him. 

2. Jesus touched him when he was untouchable.

3.  Jesus's touch has the power to heal.  

We must seek Him.  He is not only able to heal, but willing. 

Lord, please reach out and touch us, and save us from ourselves.   

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/miracles/

Facing Fear (during the time of the Corona Virus).

John 16:33 (NLT)

33 I (Jesus) have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

1. The fear of loss.

2. The fear of failure.  

3. The fear of rejection.  

4. The fear of the unknown.

2 Timothy 1:7  (NLT)

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

We must face our fear.  David did when he fought the giant, Goliath.  Read 1 Samuel 17.  

1. We must convert our fear into faith.  

Since our God is able, act like it.  

2. We must change our perspective through faith.    

Compare the size of your problem to the size of your God.  

Colossians 2:7 (NLT)

7 Let your roots grow down into him (Jesus), and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Maturity brings new perspective.  

David's brother saw the size of the giant compared to them.  

David saw the size of the giant as compared to his God. 

David smelled like a shepherd, but thought like a king. 

Feelings are real, but they are not always true.  

You may feel alone, but they are  not true for God is with you.  

Deuteronomy 31:8(NLT)

8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Psalm 23:6  (NLT)

⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
    forever.

If you know Jesus, you may be in trouble, but God's goodness and unfailing love will chase you down. 

At some point, you've got to fight in thoughts in faith.  

God is big enough to handle our problems.  

Pray that God  will eradicate this virus.  

This virus is bringing God's church to the world.  

Either your theology conforms to your reality, or your reality conforms to your theology or your God.  

When we give God our will, He gives us our way.  We must change to receive from God.  

We must move forward in faith.  We must find a way to keep moving forward.

We must keep moving forward.  Our God will come.  

When you can't out, our God can get in.        

We must trust that He is able. 

https://hopecity.com/sermons/hope-city-watch-party-facing-fear-pastor-jeremy-foster/

Converting Fear into Faith

Let’s Give Hope

(2 Corinthians 1:10 NIV) He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us

(Romans 8:28-39 NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gavehim up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s Provide Support

(Acts 2:42-47 NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

Let’s Stay Close

(Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Fear Not

1. Fear breeds more fear.

“I’ve been through some terrible times in my life, a few of which actually happened.” - Mark Twain

2. Fear clouds our judgment.

3. Fear redirects energy.


Convert fear into faith. 


(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.


Prayer 

(Psalm 34:4 NLT) I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. 


Read God’s Word 

(Psalm 91:1-16) I will dwell in the shelter of the Most High and I will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save me from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.


I will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 


“The LORD is my refuge,” and I make the Most High my dwelling, therefore no harm will overtake me, no disaster will come near my tent. For he will command his angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways. 


I will call on the LORD, and He will answer me; He will be with me in trouble, and with long life God will satisfy me and show me His salvation.” 


https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/converting-fear-into-faith  

How to heal a toxic relationship

God can heal toxicity.   

Here's what He did in the Bible.  

Exodus 15:23-26 (NLT)

23 When they came to the oasis of Marah, the water was too bitter to drink. So they called the place Marah (which means “bitter”).

24 Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. 

25 So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him. 

26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”

Honor heals toxicity.   

We must look past the person to what the person represents.  They are a person Jesus died for.  

1 Peter 3:7 (NLT)

7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.  

Trust heals toxicity.  

Distrust comes from what I expect and what the other person delivers.   We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions.  We must give others the benefit of the doubt.  

Hope is given, but trust must be built.  We must create an environment of trust by our actions.  

Loyalty heals toxicity.   

God is loyal.  He is full of  compassion, grace, and patience.  We must be like Him.  

Exodus 34:6-7 (NLT)

⁶ The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh!The Lord!
    The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
    and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
⁷ I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.^[b]
    I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
    I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—

    even children in the third and fourth generations.”