Please click the appropriate link to listen or download:
CrossView - August 21st, 2011
(entire service, including sermon)
Sermon - August 21st, 2011
(scripture reading and sermon only)
Click Here for corresponding scripture, small group connection guide, and sermon notes
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Job 42
This is our final week in the book of Job. God has remained silent since chapter two, when He gave consent for Job to be tested. Now, in chapter 38, God finally answers Job. Chapters 38-42 are a theophany, or an appearance of God to humans. He spoke in the form of a great storm, or “whirlwind”. Ancient near eastern people believed storms were the voice of the gods. God answers Job in a series of poetic speeches that show mankind’s limited knowledge. He tells Job to “gird up his loins” – in other words, prepare for battle! He asks a series of questions concerning creation; questions with obvious answers – only God can create and control creation. He is the Divine Architect of earth and heavens, and meticulously controls the weather.
God’s speech in chapter 39 continues the idea of man’s limited knowledge. This time, God deals with creation and control of the animal world. Job had owned great flocks and herds, and would have been an expert in their diet, vulnerable areas, mating seasons, etc. But what about wild beasts? Who controls their feeding and breeding? Who defends them against predators? God, of course, has designed into them the ability to care for themselves. Examples are given of several wild animals, most of which would have had a reputation in Jobs day of being really stupid! The wild donkey, for instance, laughs at the poor beasts of burden in the city. The wild ostrich, though lacking common sense, outruns the horse and rider.
Throughout the book, Job has gotten increasingly angry with God for not answering his questions. Now, in chapter 40, God gives Job the opportunity to answer the questions God has just asked. Job is frightened and unable to answer. God states that as long as Job is powerless over creation, he has no basis for his charges. God goes on throughout this chapter and the next to describe two of His most fantastic creatures – behemoth and leviathan. Behemoth was a monster, and a mythical symbol of chaos and evil. Leviathan was a sea monster, a mythical symbol of the unknown (ancient people were often terrified of the vast oceans, believing them inhabited by great creatures.) Yet, even these two beasts are subject to God’s power.
In chapter 42, Job relents. He accepts God’s judgment that man’s knowledge and power are limited. Job simply could not know the answers he sought, but he could know God, which was better than having the answers to his questions. He repented and sought forgiveness for his offensive attitude. God immediately forgave him! Ironically, God expressed great displeasure with Job’s friends, for in trying to defend God, they didn’t really know God. Job, on the other hand, though angry with God had actually come to know Him. God allowed Job to atone for the sin of his friends. In the conclusion of the story, we learn how God’s blessings far outweighed Job’s brief period of suffering, and even extended to Job’s family for four generations.
Today we celebrate the gift of acceptance, and the blessings made available through it.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. What is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God? Are both important?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Job accepted the truth about himself.
• We must accept the truth about ourselves.
• God accepted Job.
• God accepts us.
This Week’s Assignment –
What truth about yourself have you been denying? Accept it by writing it here:
Now, allow God, who already knows you, to accept you as you are and bless you!
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Job 37:14-24
In last week’s scripture focus, we were introduced to Elihu, a young man who had been listening in on the dialogue between Job and his friends. No longer able to withhold his tongue, Elihu speaks in anger. He’s angry at Job for his accusations against God, and angry at Job’s friends for their failure to answer Job’s charges satisfactorily. In Elihu’s first argument, he challenged Job’s claim that God had been silent. He reminded Job that God speaks through dreams, through suffering, and through angels. He also preached to Job that any suffering in this life was merely temporary, and meant to turn the sufferer back to God so they wouldn’t suffer more greatly in death. Elihu, like Job’s friends, maintained it was Job’s sin that was causing his pain.
Elihu begins his second argument in chapter 34, quoting Job’s earlier words often. He says Job has been hanging around with wicked men, and has somehow picked up their ways. Job’s greatest sin, in Elihu’s opinion, is his charge that God treats the righteous and the wicked equally. This would make God unjust. On the contrary, Elihu states that God shows temporary mercy to righteous and wicked alike, all so they might lead a repentant life and be spared ultimate tragedy. This fails to answer Job’s basic question – why do the innocent suffer? Elihu uses somewhat circular reasoning to answer Job – God doesn’t do wrong because God can’t do wrong, so when it seems God is wrong, God is not really wrong!
In his third argument, Elihu accuses Job of saying that sinners are no worse off than the righteous. Why did Job bother to live a righteous life if his fate was no better because of it? Why not just go on and live a wicked life? Elihu points Job to the clouds. He says that neither our sins nor our righteous acts change a single thing in God’s creation. They only affect our fellow humans, so why should God respond to human action? His fourth and final argument is laid out in chapters 36-37. Ancient near eastern people believed true learning was always accompanied by harsh discipline. God even used the very seasons of the year to teach humans, which include both times of plenty and times of suffering. Job was warned to use this “season” of life to learn, rather than sin.
Elihu brings his defense of God to a dramatic conclusion. Continuing with the theme of sky, weather, and seasons, he asks Job for information he can’t possibly supply in order to show Job the folly of his accusations against God. Can Job even begin to understand how God controls the weather, let alone control it himself? During the summer months there was no rain, and nothing could be done about the heat in a desert climate except to endure it. In the same way, Job couldn’t expect the God who controls the seasons to take time out to answer Job’s accusations. Furthermore, Elihu claims, Job wouldn’t be able to comprehend God’s answer were God to give it. This is a beautiful poem celebrating God’s majesty, but this still fails to address Job’s problem.
We’ll explore this idea of God in the seasons more deeply in today’s sermon.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. If you were to give this current time in your life a season, what would it be? Is this a season of enjoyment for you (spring, fall) or a season of endurance (winter, summer)?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Elihu described different seasons in his part of the world.
• We have different seasons in our lives as well.
• God worked through rainy and dry seasons.
• God works through our seasons of life.
This Week’s Assignment –
What season of life are you currently enjoying or enduring? How is this current period of time in your life drawing you closer to God? How can you use it to lead others to Jesus?
Please click the appropriate link to listen or download:
CrossView - August 7th, 2011
(entire service, including sermon)
Sermon - August 7th, 2011
(scripture reading and sermon only)
Click Here for corresponding scripture, small group connection guide, and sermon notes
CrossGroups Connection Guide
Today’s Scripture Focus: Job 33:12-33
Last week, Job gave his closing argument to God and his friends. He refused to accept that his misfortune was somehow related to his own actions. Job’s three friends finally stopped responding, either because they couldn’t dispute Job’s argument, or they gave him up as a hopeless hypocrite. Remember, we don’t know a lot about the origins of Job, but we do know it originally consisted of just the first couple and last couple of chapters, with everything in between compiled by later editors. At one point, the book probably jumped straight from chapter 31 (Job’s final word) to chapter 38 (God finally appears and speaks.) However, good Jews reading the story after the Babylonian exile would have been very troubled by this jump.
Why would the post-exilic Jewish community view this leap as problematic? Scholars of that time were attempting to understand why God had allowed the destruction of the Temple and Jewish nation. The blame certainly couldn’t be placed with God! Yet, so far Job is placing blame on God for his suffering, and his friends have been unsuccessful in disputing his claim. Enter Elihu. This is the first we’re hearing of this by-stander in the story. He’s also the only character with a distinctly Jewish name and family tree. He represents the readers who have had to listen to Job’s accusations and the friend’s hollow, pithy clichés with increasing anger. When Elihu finally speaks, the reader’s anger comes out in his words.
Elihu has apparently been present on the sidelines throughout the entire discussion. He may have been a relative of Job’s, or another community member if the dialogue took place in an open square. He hasn’t spoken up to this point due to his age, for he is the youngest man present. In the ancient near east, age and wisdom went hand in hand. Old age was greatly valued, and it would have been a huge breach in social custom to interrupt or disagree with an elder. However, Elihu takes everyone’s silence as his cue. True wisdom, he claims, comes not only with age, but from the spirit of God within us. He refuses to continue to let God be slandered, whether speaking up breaks a rule of society or not.
Elihu introduces a couple of new ideas in chapter 33. Job’s main complaint is God’s refusal to show up to court and answer Job’s charges. God, in his mind, has been completely silent. Elihu, unlike Job’s friends, answers this charge directly. He says that God may not answer, but Elihu certainly will answer for God, and then Job can see if his arguments pass muster. He reminds Job that God indeed does speak to mortals. God speaks first through dreams and visions to warn of danger (implying this is what God had done with Job). God then speaks through our sufferings to warn us of a more dire fate waiting on the other side of death’s river, and God’s mediators (angels) will intercede for us if we repent, and God will answer through healing.
In today’s sermon, we’ll talk about how God speaks through suffering.
• Go around the table and share prayer requests. Have someone lead in prayer.
• Let everyone who would like to share anything exciting from their week.
• Did anyone do last week’s assignment? What was the result?
• Ask these three questions. Let as many answer each one as they would like.
1. Can you think of a painful experience that you wouldn’t want to repeat, yet which taught you a lesson for which you are grateful?
2. Is there anything in today’s scripture that especially speaks to you?
3. What questions would you like to ask about today’s scripture?
• Go over this week’s assignment (below). Commit to work on it together.
Today’s Sermon
Key Truths –
• Elihu’s reaction to Job’s suffering was anger.
• We often react to suffering with anger as well.
• God remained patient through Elihu’s anger.
• God remains patient through our anger, too.
This Week’s Assignment –
What is making you angry today? God is big enough to handle your anger and love you through it. When you get angry this week, confess it to God and ask to be taught through your pain.