WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.679 Good morning. 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:04.320 I'm looking around this room. 00:00:04.400 --> 00:00:08.160 There's like 20 people in this room that are more suited to speak to you today. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:10.720 I assumed all of you were dead. 00:00:11.039 --> 00:00:12.800 And that's why they asked me. 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:15.759 So I'm glad that you're alive. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:17.359 What a day. 00:00:17.519 --> 00:00:19.280 This is gonna be great. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:22.160 Yeah, I feel better about it now. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:23.839 It's all good. 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:25.359 I don't want you to worry too much though, okay? 00:00:25.440 --> 00:00:27.280 I um my name's Brad O'Kelly, by the way. 00:00:27.359 --> 00:00:28.559 I guess I should start with that. 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:30.480 Um I'm a nobody here. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:32.479 I don't uh I don't do anything. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:35.679 I mean, I'm not an elder, I don't work here. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.159 Um I do help with student ministry. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:39.600 Audrey got mad at me for that. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:45.920 Um high school boys, whew, uh yeah, they're a tough bunch, but they're they're good guys. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:48.159 Um yeah, other than that, that's about it. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:49.359 I don't worry though. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:52.799 I do have uh two degrees from one seminary if you're into that jazz. 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:59.679 And then um also I've spoken all over the Southeast to tens of people. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:05.760 Uh you know the church that you pass on vacation and go, who in their right mind would ever go to church there? 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:08.159 That's the church that calls me to come preach. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:10.959 And then they don't call me back. 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:15.200 So this is even better because this is the last Sunday we're gonna be in this room. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:16.879 We've got a brand new room next week. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:18.400 Russ will be back next week. 00:01:18.480 --> 00:01:20.159 We're just gonna pretend like this never happened. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:24.799 So we swing for the fence, and then it'll be done. 00:01:24.959 --> 00:01:25.439 All right? 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:26.879 So we'll have a good time at least. 00:01:26.959 --> 00:01:32.319 You're not gonna be any smarter when you leave here, but maybe you'll be able to sit at lunch and go, that was interesting. 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:34.799 Um, whatever. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:37.280 Let's look at Job 42 real quick one more time. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:39.519 Uh I know Lindsay Reddit and she did a great job. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:40.959 I didn't throw any weird names at her. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:42.159 I didn't do anything like that. 00:01:42.239 --> 00:01:44.319 Uh that was perfect of her to do that. 00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:45.840 She pumped the ladies' retreat. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:47.120 Y'all need to sign up for that. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:50.640 Uh my wife never complains about the ladies' retreat, so it must be pretty decent. 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:52.640 Um, you know, so yeah, you'll have a good time. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:56.159 But look at Job 42 real quick, because I just want to read through this thing one more time. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:58.640 And there's just a couple things I want to go through. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:01.359 All right, look at Job 42, if you got a Bible, if you got your bulletin, or whatever. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:07.760 It says, Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:10.319 Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:14.479 Therefore, I've declared that which I did not understand. 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.319 Things too wonderful for me which I did not know. 00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:20.719 Hear now and I will speak. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:24.000 I will ask, you instruct me. 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:30.240 I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.560 Therefore I retract and I repent in the dust and ashes. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:35.360 Let's pray one more time. 00:02:35.520 --> 00:02:36.800 Father, thanks for today. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:38.639 Uh thanks for letting me do this. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:40.479 Uh, I hope that it makes sense. 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:41.919 I'm gonna let you handle that. 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:45.840 I love you, and we pray your will be done in Jesus' name. 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:46.639 Amen. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:55.439 All right, so because we're just getting to know each other, um I've come up with a list of four things that'll help you know me better. 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:59.120 And these are also four things that I know I'm absolutely correct about. 00:02:59.280 --> 00:02:59.599 Okay? 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:01.840 You can't change my mind. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:04.400 My wife's tried. 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.680 There's just four things that I will not compromise on. 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:09.919 Number one, we'll just run through them real quick. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:10.639 Jesus. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:12.960 I mean, nobody's gonna argue with that in here, right? 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:15.199 Number two, Ford trucks. 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:18.479 Careful. 00:03:18.639 --> 00:03:21.759 I was raised Southern Baptist, that's like saying sick them to a dog. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:23.439 Tell you that right now. 00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:24.400 Ford trucks. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.800 Number three, gif peanut butter. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:29.919 Number four, cottonel toilet paper. 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:36.560 Those are four things that I know for a fact I am absolutely correct on. 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:38.000 You cannot change my mind. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:41.439 I've been lost without Jesus, life's a whole lot better with him. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:42.800 I know that for a fact. 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:46.479 I've owned a Chevrolet, I know plenty of you own a Chevrolet. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:48.800 The Lord will have his vengeance on you. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:50.319 I'll tell you that right now. 00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:58.800 It'll be when you're on vacation, got all them screaming kids in the back, and it's just that's what happens. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:01.039 Tell you right now, you got a chance. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:03.360 You got a chance right now to repent. 00:04:03.599 --> 00:04:05.280 Change your hearts, buy for. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:08.479 Third one is gif peanut butter. 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:12.639 That's from a small marital spat that took place early in our marriage. 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:19.680 Uh, when I opened the pantry, uh, I eat one spoonful of gif peanut butter every day. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:20.240 Okay. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:25.040 I had a birthday yesterday, I'm an old man, I'm like stuck in my ways, okay? 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:26.879 One scoop of gif peanut butter every day. 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:30.000 I open the cabinet early on in our marriage, and there's this jar. 00:04:31.199 --> 00:04:32.560 Glass jar. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.519 Something's happened to it. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:36.079 You know? 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:37.519 It's separated. 00:04:40.800 --> 00:04:41.920 It's weird. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:48.240 And of course, I called my wife and I said, you know, what is happening here? 00:04:48.399 --> 00:04:52.240 And I tend to, I'm just gonna be real honest with you, I tend to overreact. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:55.759 I don't know if you're picking up on that yet. 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:57.680 I tend to overreact. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:03.040 And luckily, my wife loves me enough and knows me enough to know that I will overreact in these situations. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.519 And so I call her in there and I go, what is that? 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:09.519 And at this point she knows you're overreacting. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:12.639 So she says, It's almond butter. 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:15.680 Eat it, it's better for you. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.160 I'm sorry, I didn't hear that last part. 00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:20.000 I was looking for my lawyer's phone number. 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:20.720 What? 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:22.720 Have you lost your mind? 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:26.000 Not eating almond butter. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:32.399 I will go to Costco and buy 872 ounces of gif just to prove it to you. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:34.560 We will leave it on the counter, you know. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:38.160 Small marital spat number two. 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:42.240 A lot of people think it was when she sold our furniture while I was at work on Facebook. 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:43.360 It's not. 00:05:43.439 --> 00:05:45.759 That's just Tuesday at our house. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:52.319 Um Marital spat number two was uh buying toilet paper on sale. 00:05:52.879 --> 00:05:53.199 Okay? 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:59.040 That's how you end up with Scott Single Py toilet paper. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.399 My question that day was, are we broke? 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:08.959 Am I do I not provide well enough for us to afford the second ply? 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:10.720 What's going on here? 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:18.480 And uh again I was told, shut up and use it. 00:06:19.120 --> 00:06:25.199 And she said, even if I did, even if I did buy the stuff that wasn't on sale, I wouldn't buy cottonelle, I'd buy shaman. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:26.079 Charmin. 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:32.399 That's when I was like, you ever been frustrated enough in a situation where you just audibly pray to the Lord right then? 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:35.920 Not a sweet pastoral prayer, just a prayer, like in this case. 00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:40.959 Lord, I know I said for better or worse, but this is a bridge too far. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:44.319 We need some cottonel in this house. 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.360 Now, some of you have picked up on the fact that my list is very short. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:49.199 There's only four things on the list. 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:53.680 That's because there's about 972 things I've been completely wrong about. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.160 Over and over and over again. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:06:57.439 I've been wrong. 00:06:57.680 --> 00:06:59.680 So the list is very short, and it's four things. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:04.000 And so when I look at somebody like Job, if you don't know the story of Job, here's what's going on with Job. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.079 This is 30,000-foot view, you ready? 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:08.480 What happens is he's got it all. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:09.120 Right? 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:12.480 Just like some of you in this room, you've got it all, whether you realize it or not. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:14.079 Job has it all, okay? 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:15.600 Everything's going right for Job. 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.519 He's got the family, he's got the house, he's got the cattle, he's got all the stuff happening. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:22.720 And all of a sudden the Lord says, Hey, you know what? 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:24.399 Have you seen my servant Job? 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:25.839 And he says this to Satan. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:27.600 He says, Have you seen my servant Job? 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:28.079 Look at him. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:28.959 Look how great he is. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:30.000 Look how his life is going. 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:33.120 Satan goes, I'm telling you right now, this is Brad O'Kelly's paraphrase, by the way. 00:07:33.199 --> 00:07:37.519 He says, I'm telling you right now, if you'll let me get my hands on him, he'll curse you by lunchtime. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:40.000 And God says, All right, go ahead. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:45.279 He trusted Job enough to really let Job have to go through this intense suffering. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:49.439 And then all of a sudden, I'm taking us all the way to the very end of Job's suffering. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:51.839 He's had friends show up that are morons. 00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:55.600 He's had a wife come up and go, why don't you just curse God and die? 00:07:55.759 --> 00:08:09.920 I mean, all of this stuff, just in the first couple chapters of Job, all these people come in and they just treat him like junk because the idea in their heads is this is that if bad things are happening to you, it's because you've done something bad. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:13.839 We know people like that in our lives, right? 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:17.279 I know people like that, because sometimes it's me. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:18.959 I get that way, right? 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:24.639 Good things ought to happen to good people, bad things ought to happen to bad people, life would be a whole lot better if that were the case. 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:33.519 And these are the thoughts going through the friends of Job saying, the only reason this is happening to you is because you've done something bad and you're not admitting to it. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:46.879 And Job spends this entire long book running through his friends' comments and sayings and all of this stuff trying to prove to them, I haven't done anything, I don't know what's going on here, I'm kind of lost at it. 00:08:46.960 --> 00:09:02.159 And in the midst of that suffering, in the middle of the book of Job, what happens is this is that all of a sudden he begins to allow those people and those words and those comments to influence his mind. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:12.879 And he begins to question God's judgment, question God's sovereignty, and question God's view of justice. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:19.039 And now we jump all the way to the end, and guess what's happened? 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:24.000 God has shown up on the scene, and he's dealing with Job. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:34.399 And just like I have a very short list of four things, I honestly believe that there's four things in this small little passage of scripture right here that absolutely never change. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:53.440 If we're talking about God in the Old Testament, all the way through the New Testament, how all those things translate, how you can find the gospel in the Old Testament, there's four things that happen in this passage of Scripture that I believe go straight through the rest of the Bible, all the way past Jesus, into Peter and Paul's ministry, and all right to what we're doing today. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:54.720 All the way. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:57.039 So here's the first thing I want you to see, and it's real tough. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.960 You're gonna have to write a lot, you know, because uh I I make one-word points. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.360 Okay, so get ready. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.120 First thing I want you to see today is I want you to see confessing. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:09.440 Look at Job 42, verse 1 and 2. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:13.840 The first thing Job does, he says, Then Job answered the Lord, he's face by face, face to face before the Lord. 00:10:13.919 --> 00:10:21.360 It says, Job answered the Lord, I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.320 Now that sounds like some high, lofty language, right? 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:32.159 Like he is really just laying it on thick to show God that he believes this, and this is, you know, this is really Job, like really coming into his own and all this stuff. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:32.879 This is great. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:34.879 And here's what's really happening. 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:45.600 What you don't realize is two chapters before, three chapters before in chapter 38, God has shown up on the scene in a whirlwind and is literally dealing with Job in this moment and questioning him. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:50.799 If you read chapter 38 and 39, I'm talking about peppering this guy with questions. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:52.639 Did you create the mountains? 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:54.320 Did you make the stream flow? 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:57.519 Have you had anything to do with setting the pillars of the earth in motion? 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:59.919 I mean, he is hammering Job with this stuff. 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:13.600 And finally, Job, in his very first words, the only thing that he can think to say is to confess to the Lord and go, I know that you can do all things. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:17.039 This isn't some high and lofty statement. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:31.679 This is literally Job confessing to the Lord that in the midst of his suffering, he forgot that God could do all things and does all things for a purpose. 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:34.159 That sounds like me. 00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:37.200 In the midst of the daily life, right? 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:42.720 In the midst of the things that we do every single day, the places that we go, the people that we see, all those things. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:51.679 When you get to work, when you get into the office, when you're at home with the kids, whatever it may be, it's pretty easy to forget that God's in control sometimes, right? 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:56.240 Because the situation that you're in gets out of control. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:11:59.759 That's what's happening with Job here. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:02.399 In the midst of this suffering, it got out of control. 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:05.039 And this is Job's confession. 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:14.240 I know that you can do all things, and that your purpose can't be thwarted. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:17.919 Second thing I want you to see today is understanding. 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:20.159 Look at verse 3 and 4. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:23.519 Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:33.039 Therefore, I've declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:35.840 Hear now, and I will speak. 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:38.960 I will ask, and you instruct me. 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:44.720 Now, the crazy thing about these two little verses right here is this is that it's actually Job quoting from previous chapters. 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:48.960 This is some of the stuff that God hammered him with in chapter 38 and 39 and all that stuff. 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:52.799 And what Job is doing is he's saying, You got me. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:53.919 You got me. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:55.759 I didn't understand what I was talking about. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.480 I had no clue how this was going to work out. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:12:59.919 I didn't know anything about it. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:01.919 And that I absolutely get. 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:03.840 I celebrated her birthday last night. 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:04.960 It wasn't a big number. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:06.879 We're inching closer to a big number. 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:08.639 A little worried about it. 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:09.600 That's okay. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:10.720 You know, it is what it is. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:17.600 But we went to, we did one of my favorite things, just gathered up spokes, and we went up here to Marietta Square and went to the Butcher of the Baker and had dinner. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:18.159 That's it. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.360 That's that's birthday. 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:20.559 Okay, done. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.879 But here's the crazy part about Butcher the Baker. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:31.120 I get the menu and I read the menu, and I'm gonna be real honest with y'all. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:32.559 I know you're gonna be shocked by this. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:35.200 There's some stuff on that menu, I don't know what it is. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:38.399 I have no clue. 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:39.440 I read it. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:42.000 I know that some of y'all, I know, let me I let me just go there. 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:44.399 Some of y'all are foodies, you know. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.279 Some of you are much smarter than me. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.200 You know what it is. 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:50.559 I don't. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:53.200 I'm reading through it and I go, I don't get it. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:56.799 Don't understand how you put these things together. 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:57.679 I don't understand. 00:13:57.759 --> 00:13:59.200 I don't even know what that is. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:01.120 But here's the thing. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:02.879 I've eaten there a hundred times. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:05.360 And at first I was intimidated by that. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:08.480 I would read the menu and I'd be intimidated by it and go, I don't, I don't get it. 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:10.320 I'm a little nervous to eat here, you know. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.399 What's something I can make sense of out of this menu? 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:13.440 And that's the only thing I'm gonna get. 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:14.080 No, no, no, no. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:20.480 See, here's what I learned is that they have they have great servers, they have all these people that were there, and literally now, and Micah and Katie, they go to church here. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:22.960 I don't know if they're here today, but they didn't pay me to say any of this. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:29.679 So um here's the great thing, though, is that is that Micah, he's he's the chef and he takes care of everything. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:34.799 So as I got to know Mike and Katie, I realized that, you know, there there's some there's some good stuff in here. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:37.840 I don't understand it, I don't get it, but there's some good stuff in there. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:42.720 And so what I've learned to do is this is don't worry about what's on the menu. 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.000 Stop trying to understand the menu, right? 00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:47.600 And just let it happen. 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.840 Because Mike is not going to send anything out to me that is gross. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:15:01.919 You see, there's a new understanding in my life, and that new understanding is this is that I don't have to understand the menu because I know what's happening in the kitchen. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:03.440 Does that make sense? 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:06.559 Do you know what's going on with Job right here in this very passage? 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:09.679 Job has been trying to understand the menu for so long. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:14.000 He's been staring at it and reading it and trying to figure out why is this happening? 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:15.279 What is going on in my life? 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:17.840 I don't understand why all this is taking place. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:28.559 And rather than stopping in that moment and saying, but it's still an almighty God in control of all of this. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:34.879 He keeps trying to make sense of the menu instead of just letting something come out of the kitchen. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:38.799 I get that. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:40.799 Because I go there all the time. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:42.159 I get how that works. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:52.639 We get caught up in this thing, and this level of understanding just escapes us until literally we get before an Almighty God and realize all this time. 00:15:54.720 --> 00:15:58.799 I've been trying to understand the menu, and I should have just been waiting on what's coming out of the kitchen. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:07.279 Job is in the midst of this suffering and in this junk that he doesn't understand. 00:16:07.440 --> 00:16:12.320 And literally now he's looking, and in verse 3, he says, Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:22.480 He's quoting God and he says, Therefore, I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:35.200 This is a brand new level of understanding on Job's part because it has finally hit him that as hard as I may try to understand all of this, it will literally never happen. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:44.559 Because what's going on is on a different level than where my mind and my heart can go because of an Almighty God and his sovereignty. 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:50.320 He says in verse 4, hear now and I will speak, I will ask you, and you instruct me. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:52.000 Job is literally looking at God. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:55.360 These are God's words to Job in chapter 38 and 39. 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:57.840 And Job is looking at God and going, Yes. 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:04.880 This is literally Job's moment of relief where he goes, Yes, please, just let me question what you're doing. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:08.720 Let me ask, and if you will, will you instruct me on what's happening? 00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:12.640 He's literally begging God, please, you instruct me. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.960 I'm tired of trying to figure it out on my own. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:18.880 Just teach me what you're doing. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:22.400 It's finally come full circle. 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:24.319 Here's the third thing I want you to see this morning. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:25.279 Believing. 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:27.039 Look at verse five. 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:35.200 I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:38.400 I want y'all to hang with me, okay? 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:40.319 Remember, I went to seminary. 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:42.720 I'm gonna throw some Hebrew at you. 00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:43.279 You ready? 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:44.559 I'm prefacing this. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:45.599 Because I'll probably say it wrong. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:50.400 There's probably somebody in here that's like a Hebrew scholar, never fails when I go somewhere, that's why I don't get invited back. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:57.039 I mess it up, and somebody comes up to me afterwards and is like Iin. 00:17:57.359 --> 00:17:58.160 You remember that word? 00:17:58.400 --> 00:17:58.720 Ayen. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:01.519 It's the Hebrew word for I. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:06.160 And all throughout scripture is the same word, ayen, ayen, ayan, ayin. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.680 And here's what happens: ayen, ayen, whatever. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:12.319 Somebody's gonna come at me and say that after this. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.680 Here's the best part though. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:15.440 All throughout scripture is interchangeable. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:16.720 You know what it's interchangeable with? 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:22.400 It's interchangeable with the physical and the spiritual. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:30.480 In other words, the eye that you physically see with and the eye of your spirit, the eye of the soul. 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:31.759 However you want to look at it. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:39.680 It's interchangeable all throughout scripture, 840 something times throughout scripture, and it interchanges every time. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:42.240 Physical, spiritual, physical, spiritual, physical, spiritual. 00:18:43.039 --> 00:19:02.559 So when Job uses these words right here, when Job says, I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you, it's not just the physical seeing of God that he's doing because God's on the scene, it's literally a deeper spiritual meaning of what's going on inside of Job right now. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:05.119 And he's saying, I knew all of this stuff. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:06.559 I knew it. 00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:09.680 But I forgot it along the way. 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:13.279 And now my eye sees you. 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:16.079 I had all the head knowledge. 00:19:16.240 --> 00:19:18.400 This is the place that we like to go as parents, right? 00:19:18.559 --> 00:19:21.440 This place we want our kids to go, don't we? 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:25.039 We want them to come to a different understanding of how much we love them. 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:26.160 And that's real simple. 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:34.319 Do what we say, do what we tell you to do, and you will be so much better off. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.319 How's that turn out? 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:38.880 It's working great for us. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.200 We're incredible parents. 00:19:41.440 --> 00:19:44.000 I don't know if y'all have picked up on that yet, but we are. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.200 We're incredible parents. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:46.160 It's working great. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.279 Just do what we tell you, and your life will be great. 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:54.000 Never does that work in any place in life, but we want our kids to get that, right? 00:19:54.400 --> 00:20:00.400 But what I've started to realize is this is that there are certain things that people like to teach their kids, and I, hey, it's all that's on you, man. 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:02.880 I don't know, I'm not here to fix your parenting or do anything like that. 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:14.480 You do what you gotta do, but you know, my girls, my three girls, my wife, the the house full of women that I live in, you know, there are certain things that they will never be able to say. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:20.720 You know, my girls will never be able to say, my daddy was the richest or the best looking or the smartest or anything like that. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:23.200 My wife will never be able to say those things. 00:20:23.440 --> 00:20:25.200 Because it's just not true, and that's on me. 00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:27.119 I'll take that, you know, I get that. 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:47.920 But what I need them to do is I need to get them to a different level of believing, a different level of understanding in their hearts that while their father or their husband may not be those things, may not be the richest, may not be the best looking, may not be the smartest, I am the guy that will absolutely 100% of the time charge hell with a water pistol for them if I have to. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:52.240 That's how deep my love is for them. 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:59.440 I need them to get on that level, not the level of knowing that I'm something, that I'm this or that I'm that or whatever. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.079 I need them to know that I'm the guy. 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:11.039 I'm the man in their life that literally will fight every single day for you. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.960 For the glory of God. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:19.119 And that's easy to forget, right? 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:25.440 That's simple to let that go and forget because let's be honest, it's a lot more fun to be the richest. 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:29.680 It's a lot more fun to be the best looking, a lot more fun to be the smartest. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:30.799 I would imagine, I don't know. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:32.160 I'm none of those things. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:34.400 I would imagine it's pretty good though. 00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.480 Seems like it from my perspective. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:40.160 But I don't know. 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:42.960 That's all I have to offer. 00:21:43.119 --> 00:21:44.079 You see what I'm saying? 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:52.400 It's all I've got to offer, is I know that they can physically see some things in me, and I need them to get past that and get to a deeper level of understanding. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:59.519 What Job is doing right here in this very passage of scripture is he's literally looking the Lord in the face and going, I knew all. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:07.920 Of this in my head, but it makes more sense now and I understand it better because I see it with my eyes. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:11.519 Not just the physical eye, but spiritually in his heart. 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:19.440 He's coming back to the realization that God is sovereign and over all things. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.839 Last thing I want you to see today is repentance. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:28.319 Look at verse 6. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:37.279 It says, but now, or I'm sorry, therefore I retract and I repent in dust and ashes. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:39.680 Let me tell you what's not fun. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:40.960 You ready? 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:42.400 Repenting. 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:46.240 There is nothing fun about that. 00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:54.000 To have to turn from your sin, to have to turn and admit that you've been wrong. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:54.880 You know? 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:57.519 Nobody enjoys that. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:00.559 It's bad when you have to do it before the Lord. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:08.319 It's even worse when you have to do it like in front of your wife, you know, or something like that, or somebody that you love when you have to turn and make a new way, a new path. 00:23:08.480 --> 00:23:10.079 Nobody wants to get into that. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:11.680 It just shouldn't feel good. 00:23:11.839 --> 00:23:23.279 But here's Job, and literally face to face before God, the last thing, the very last thing that he says, and he is literally closing his mouth at this point as he looks at God and he goes, I can't go anywhere else. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:24.720 I can't do anything else. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:28.559 The only thing left for me is to repent. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:34.559 So he says, I repent in the dust and the ashes. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:38.079 Now here's the beauty of that. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:41.039 It's we looked at four things, right? 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:47.279 Confessing, understanding, believing, repenting. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:51.759 Do you realize what's going on in this whole passage of scripture right here? 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:56.240 The tune changes, but the dance is still the same. 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:02.000 This is the same thing that Jonah told the Ninevites. 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:06.240 This is the same thing that John the Baptist preached in the wilderness. 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:10.000 This is the same process all throughout Scripture. 00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:12.000 It's the same process. 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:17.839 Paul, Peter, all of those people that took the gospel to the Gentiles, same process. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:19.519 It never changes. 00:24:19.680 --> 00:24:26.960 It's the same four things: confessing, understanding, believing, and repenting. 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:38.400 It's the same thing over and over and over again, right up to the very day where we sit in a chair at Christ the Redeemer. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:48.319 The process has never, ever changed when it comes to knowing the Lord God. 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:54.079 There's not a lot of things you can say that for in this life anymore. 00:24:54.559 --> 00:24:56.319 There's not a lot of things that don't change. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:01.759 There's not a lot of things that stay the same throughout history all the time, every time. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:09.119 But when you go to the Word of God, you see over and over again faith and repentance. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:10.079 And here's the great part. 00:25:10.240 --> 00:25:10.960 You ready for this? 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:12.480 And I'll shut up after this. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:13.599 Here's the best part. 00:25:13.920 --> 00:25:17.519 Do you know what happens after Job walks through this process? 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:20.319 The Lord restores him. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:22.640 Restores him. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:25.440 Not just the physical stuff. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:27.680 It says the Lord literally restores him. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:30.079 He begins to restore Job. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:30.880 Guess what? 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:33.440 There's also a spiritual meaning inside of that. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:42.240 Because it's the same thing that the Lord God does for us when we walk through that process. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:55.440 He restores us and the broken relationship that we had with an Almighty God through his Son Jesus Christ. 00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:03.119 We can be restored because of what Christ did for us on the cross. 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:07.119 Let's pray together this morning. 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:14.319 Lord, I don't know if that made any sense at all. 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:17.920 I hope it did. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:26.079 But the one thing I can say is I thank you that the process has never changed. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:32.880 That you restore us through your grace and mercy and love through what Jesus Christ did on the cross for us. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:35.039 We thank you for your restoration. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:43.920 Lord, as we take communion this morning, remind us of how deep your love is for us. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:50.079 We love you and we ask all this in Jesus' name. 00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:50.799 Amen.