When Is It Enough
Job 42:10, "And the Lord rturned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord †gave Job stwice as much as he had before." [1]
I. Fellow
A. Company
B. Companion
II. Foe
A. Complainant
B. Corrector
III. Friend
A. Comrade
B. Confidant
Introduction: The title of today’s message is the message that God gave me through my sister Janice shortly before she left this life. When is it enough?
Last week we discussed what Jesus’ disciples are going to face prior to the end. They asked Jesus how they would recognize the end and Jesus explained to them what we seem to be witnessing today. We who are Christians are His disciples. When will this mess be enough?
The scripture from Job is very familiar to most of us. Job had been through a mess to say the least. In the beginning of the book Job is described as a just and upright man. Yet he went through all sorts of loss and pain. Those closest to Job stood by for a while but later even they seemed to stand against Job. When was that enough for Job?
We all go through trials. Some seem to skate through and are able to be there for others who are going through more distress but we all have our crosses to bear. For those who seem to go from one physical problem to the next, perhaps they ask too; when will this pain be enough?
Money to make it seems to dwindle away until another income of money. Each time it gets closer to running out before more comes in. Times were once more comfortable financially than they are now. Retirement plans may have to change. When will the money be enough?
Pandemics and all sorts of reasons to stop public worship are more and more frequent. Watching TV or the internet seems to be OK but where is a pastor or a prayer partner when you need one. Friends have left the congregation and there are more reasons not to go to church than to go. People say that they sure do miss church. When they talk about it they seem to really miss congregating with their church family. When is the anguish of separation going to be enough to bring us back together? When is the separation going to be enough?
All the mess on TV is getting too much to watch. All we hear anymore is how we are to blame for the problems in this world. The brainwashing is getting to our offspring so that they don’t know what to think. We can’t talk about things that matter anymore because they don’t seem to matter to anyone born in this millennium. When are we going to be able to find like-minded Christians who love God enough to mention Him? When is the garbage enough?
Maturity was once a symbol of honor. People once cherished those who lived long enough to teach by their example. People cherished those golden age folks enough to take care of them. Because of those before us, we have what we have now. Now it seems that after a certain number an alarm goes off and the care team has left the building. When are the elderly going to be respected again for giving of themselves? When is this disrespect going to be enough?
We work and we expect to receive the same loyalty that we have given. Now the things that we once were able to do for ourselves are becoming more difficult. The ones that once wanted to learn to take our place now expect to receive and not give. What happened? We have been in captivity long enough haven’t we? When is it enough God?
Scripture: Our focal Verses tonight are Job 42:10. Please stand for the reading of God’s word,
Prayer:
Message: Who has the power to turn captivity into freedom? We stupidly look to certain people as those who free others. Monuments are made to them who we credit. No person does anything unless God allows. Now God is allowing those monuments to be torn down. In the first part of this verse we see who turned Job’s captivity.
It is amazing how people march and riot and burn and blame everything and everyone else when they feel that they have not the freedom that they believe they deserve? Even Job complained when he lost his family and possessions. At least Job knew who to complain to.
It was God who turned Job loose because it was God that enabled the devil to put Job into captivity in the first place. God even suggested that the devil might consider Job for testing. Why did God do that? The testing and trials that we are going through now; who enabled that? Why are we not asking God instead of asking those who don’t know Him?
There was a when for Job. Do you think that there might be a when for you? Do you think that there might be a when for the church, not just Merry Oaks? Why don’t we see what happened when Job learned his lesson and did what God told him to do? It might work for us!
It says that God turned Job’s captivity loose when he prayed for his friends. People who are yoked together as a team are said to be fellows. Fellow workers are those who work for the good of the same end. Team mates are fellows who pull together so that their ability together is far stronger than their ability to work apart from each other.
So were these folks friends of Job? They started out as fellows with the same goal. They came together to support Job in his misery. Almost like a company of brothers. When Job felt alone at the loss of his sons and their families the fellows came as companions to lessen the load of loneliness. Were they friends?
What is the difference in a friend and a foe? Someone who tells you what you want to hear even when it is a lie, is that a friend? We often consider people who tell the truth about us as adversaries. I suppose we watch too many politicians. They only want good news. Tell them the truth and you turn from friend to fiend very fast.
We do consider people who often give us complementary criticism as foes. To critique what someone does or says to make their work or words stronger is a good thing. That is what a friend does. Yes, sometimes the friend gets carried away and says too much. Then you must look closely for the truth in the friendship or you might discount the message and the friend.
Jobs friend said too much. They thought that they understood. They were leaning on their own understanding. They were not standing under the grace of God or they wouldn’t have been so hard on Job. It went from nice to mess quickly. They meant well. They messed up. God told them about it. Maybe they learned something too.
Were they complainants to Job? Job didn’t do anything to them for them to complain to him about. A true foe is one who only has complaints to direct at you because he/she considers you to be the enemy.
Weigh the complaints. Often they are not personal but meant to build up. That is the difference in a complainant and a corrector. A complainant argues to show how you have wronged him/her. A corrector argues to repair a discrepancy. Otherwise you might miss the weakness and go on without improvement. A corrector is in it to build you up. A complainant is in it to tear you down.
Sometimes it is hard to tell your friends. Were these guys Jobs friends or not? We don’t even have to speculate about that. If God says so then it is so. When did God turn Job’s captivity? When he prayed for his FRIENDS! Enough said! The Bible says that they were Jobs friends.
That is the cake. He learned what true friends are. The truth that Job received back twice the possessions that he lost in the beginning is icing on the cake. He got his friends when he prayed for his friends. They were comrades or fellows at the beginning of the mess and they wound up tighter than they were at the end because now there is prayer. Prayer makes everything better. Don’t you ever forget that! Prayer makes everything better. Friendship and family too! Church family too! Don’t ever forget that!
Job went through everything and those guys knew everything that he had gone through. There were no secrets. There should be no secrets between true friends. There should be no gossip between friends either. Everybody doesn’t need to know everything to pray for each other. If you tell your pastor something in confidence that is where it should and will stay with this old pastor. It shouldn’t be any other way with any other member of our church family. Confidants keep things confidential when they are received as such. Otherwise we have no congregation. We have a gossip group.
Friends can be counted on as confidants. How many true friends do you have? I have heard it said that a person is lucky if they can count the number of their friends on one hand. That is pitiful. I pray that is not true for you. I pray that we are a church of friends.
Prayer:
Invitation: Last week we talked about the end of this mess. He who endures to the end will be saved. We know that God saves through Jesus Christ and we cannot save ourselves. So he/she who endures this mess until the end of this mess will be saved from this mess when we get to heaven. That is what Jesus explained to us, his disciples.
Job was in a mess. He started out with who he thought were his friends. In the end of Job’s mess he learned that he had true friends whom he prayed for. What do we have here now? What should we do here now?
The invitation today is that we look around and see that we have other friends in other local churches. Yes there have been many who have seemed to talk too much about our situation here at Merry Oaks. Maybe they don’t understand. I certainly don’t. That is why I am going to pray for our friends in other sister churches. I’ll be preaching at one this week. I invite you to meet me there.
Pray for your friends. You have more than you think. Pray as we sing…
r Ps. 14:7. & 53:6. & 85:1. & 126:1? Jer. 30:3, 18. & 31:23. & 32:44. & 33:7, 11, 26. Ezek. 39:25. Hos. 6:11. Joel 3:1. Amos 9:14.
† Heb. added [all that had been] to Job unto the double.
s Isai. 61:7. So Isai. 40:2. Comp. Mark 10:30. Luke 18:30.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Job 42:10). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
