Ron Dunn Podcast - Will A Man Serve God For Nothing?

Episode Date: March 11, 2015

Pastor Ron Dunn preaches from the book of Job, and answers the question Will A Man Serve God For Nothing?

You are listening to the Ron Dunn Podcast. Ron Dunn is a well-known author and was one of the most in-demand preachers during the latter part of the 20th century. He led Bible studies all over the United States, Europe, and South Africa. For more information and resources from Ron Dunn, please visit rondunn.com. All the angels, or whoever they were, some translations read the sons of God, but I think the heavenly beings is a good open translation. And they came before the presence of the Lord, and there was Satan among them.

And the Lord said, well, where have you been? And somebody said his response makes him sound like an evangelist. He said, well, I've come from going back and forth and to and fro across the earth. And the Lord said, well, have you considered my servant Job, that there's not a man like him on the face of the earth, an upright and blameless man who fears God and turns from evil. Now those are God's words. That's not the word of Job's publicist. That's not the word of his mother. That's the word of God. And it's repeated again in the second chapter, and as we read earlier, it's also in the first chapter in the first verses. Three times, emphasis, tying it down. There is not a man on the face of the earth like him.

He's the best man there is, an upright man, blameless, fears God, turns from evil. And the devil said, ah, does Job fear God for nothing? The word nothing in the Hebrew means out of favor. It speaks of an ulterior motive. In other words, the devil can't understand anybody serving God in the first place. He thinks that's just foolish. And so when he sees somebody serving God, he's always suspicious of that person's motives, you see.

So he says, ah, yeah, I know about Job. I know that you've blessed him. I know that you've increased his substance in the land. You've made him the richest man in the east. Not only that, but you've built a hedge around him, a fence around him, so that nothing can touch him or all that he has. Now, I figured the devil knew that

because the devil had been trying to get through that hedge, trying to get to Job, but he couldn't do it. And so the devil says, you know, the fact of the matter is, God, Job's not serving you for nothing. Nobody will be good for nothing. I mean, there has to be a payoff. Why, look how you blessed him. Of course he's serving you. Who wouldn't serve God with those kind of wages? You've given him the Midas touch, and not only that, but you've protected him so that he can't lose anything that you've given him.

Well, anybody would serve God on those conditions, of course, naturally, if there are going to be blessings and payoffs like that. But he said, I want to tell you the truth about Job. Job's pulled the wool over your eyes. If you were to stretch forth your hand and touch all that he has and reduce him to nothing, you'd find out the truth about Job, and he would curse you to your face because nobody will serve God if there's no payoff.

And so I believe the theme of the book of Job is not so much why do the righteous suffer, but why do people serve God? Why do people serve God? Will a person serve God for nothing if there are no blessings attached, if there's no payoff? Will a person serve God for nothing? And I have to confess to you tonight

that the devil has asked a very legitimate question and a question that I think all of us must face and somehow try to answer. Why do I serve God? Why do you serve God? Why are you here tonight? Why do you come on Sunday? Why do you tithe? Why do you do that?

Well, because you believe God's going to bless you. Naturally, we all believe that. I remember when I was in seminary, a fellow pastor of mine nearby was having in their church one of these 13-week stewardship campaigns. And it was an intensive 13 weeks. They would mail letters every week to every member of the church telling them about the needs of the church and encourage them to give.

And in every Sunday school class on Sunday morning, there would be somebody there testifying as to the blessings of tithing in their life. And the pastor would preach a series of messages on giving and tithing. The whole thing was capped off by a stewardship banquet on a Monday night. And you invited everybody. I mean, they may not have been coming to the church for 20 years, but their name is on the roll, so they're all free to come, and you have a good meal catered in, and you have great entertainment, great music, and a master of ceremonies, and it's just a high time, And then you have a real bell ringer of a preacher who

comes in and encourages the people to tithe, and then you have them to sign the pledge card, you see. Well, I picked him up on Tuesday morning as we were driving to seminary. I could tell that he was sort of, well, unhappy. And then I said, well, what's the matter, Lord? And he said, nothing. No, I didn't say anything. I knew he wanted to talk, you know. He said, well, what's the matter, Lord? And he said, nothing. No, I didn't say anything. I knew he wanted to talk, you know. He said, well, all right, if you want to know, I'll tell you what's the matter. He said, you know, we've been having this stewardship campaign.

I said, yeah. And he said, you know, last night we had our stewardship banquet. And I said, yes, I know that. And you know who spoke. It was a mutual friend of ours. And I said, yes. He said, well, we know that. And you know who spoke. It was a mutual friend of ours. I said, yes. He said, well, we were having a great time. I mean, everybody was excited,

and it was the climax of those 13 weeks of preaching and testifying and really pleading with our people to get behind the budget and everything. And do you know what he said? You know what his first words were when he got up there that night? I said, what? He said he got up and his very first words were these. He said, ladies and gentlemen, if you tithe, the only thing I can promise you is you'll have 10% less

than you had before. And then he proceeded to say that we ought to tithe and give, not because God will bless us, but simply because God commands us to do it. And he said, man, you could feel the air go out of the balloon all of a sudden. I mean, everything just seemed to deflate right then and there. He was so upset. That's a pretty good question. Now, I tithe. I've tithed ever since I got into the ministry and got serious about the Christian life. My wife and I

have tithed ever since we were married and tithed when we really couldn't seem to afford to tithe. It comes out before everything else. I mean before taxes or anything. Boy, right off the top, it comes off. And there have been times when, boy, I kind of hurt to see her, you know. You reckon the Lord put that on the cuff for a week and let her carry us? And boy, a case stronger than I am about that. She said, no, sir. Boy, this goes right off the top. I said, how about tithing to ourselves? You know, we're in the ministry. you know, we're going to tithe our tithes. Well, of course, I believe God is going to bless us for that. And I've always said that if God doesn't get it through the tithe,

He'll get it through the rear end going out on your car or collect it in some way. So sometimes I tithe out of an unworthy motive of knowing I'm going to get something back or out of an unworthier motive knowing God's going to get it from me one way or the other. But you see, most of us believe that if we do give to God, do serve God, and do these things for God, He's going to bless us, and I believe that's true.

But let me ask you a question tonight. What if He didn't? What if he didn't bless you? What if you said, all right, I'm going to start tithing, and you tithe with the expectation that God is now going to bless you, and the minute you start tithing, well, next week your business goes bankrupt,

and you lose everything. What about that? Will a person serve God for nothing? I mean, this is a theologian's phrase. Is there such a thing as disinterested piety? Disinterested piety. Disinterested piety. In other words, is there such a thing as a person being pious and worshiping God without any interest in the blessings that might come, or the blessings that might not come? Or is it true that we serve God knowing that if we serve God, then He's going to bless us?

Will a person serve God for nothing? I'll tell you what. It's easy to be good when the good have the goods. It's easy to serve God when God is blessing, when everything is going your way. But here is the question. Is God alone Himself worthy of our service without any of His blessings?

Is He? Now, the book of Job is a book of questions. In many ways, it is a frustrating book because it's a book built of questions upon questions upon questions. And in the book of Job, the way you answer a question is by asking another question. So, I'm going to attempt tonight to answer this question, will a person serve God for nothing? And the way to answer that is by asking three other questions. So let's ask these other questions. Will a person serve God for nothing?

Question number one, will a person serve God, excuse me, when his life turns tragic? Will a person serve God when life turns tragic? Now, I'm using tragedy tonight in the classical literary sense. Tragedy as opposed to just regular suffering. Tragedy is when a good man or woman suffers undeservedly, that there is no reason that they should suffer. Their suffering cannot be traced back to any cause, and their suffering seems to serve no purpose other than to destroy the human spirit. Tragedy.

That's like a three-year-old girl running out in the street to retrieve her ball and getting hit by a truck. You see, that's tragedy. The Holocaust, that's tragedy. Theologians call it radical suffering as opposed to regular suffering. You see, there is suffering that you and I deserve. I mean, if a man smokes four or five packs of cigarettes a day

and gets cancer, he can't say God did it or the devil did it. That's his own fault. He deserves that. If I'm fiddling with the radio or trying to change tapes and run a stoplight and have a wreck, it's foolish for me to say God did this or the devil did this. No, no, that's my fault. I deserve that. If I'm hammering a nail into a wreck, it's foolish for me to say God did this or the devil did this. No, no, that's my fault. I deserve that. If I'm hammering a nail into a board and I drop the hammer and it hits my toe

and swells up my toe, I can't say God did it or the devil did it. No, it's very simple. Gravity or told. That is deserved suffering. But I'm talking tonight about undeserved suffering. And that was the case with Job, you see. His life turned tragic. Why? Because God has already said it. He is a perfect and upright man, and one who turns from evil and serves God, fears God, and yet all of a sudden these things come upon him. Let's begin reading again at verse 13. One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the oldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, and the Sabaeans fell on them and carried them off and killed the servants with the edge of the sword.

I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another came and said, The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them. I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another came and said, The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels, and carried them off and killed the servants with the edge of the sword. I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another

came and said, Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead. I alone have escape to tell you. Then Job arose, tore his robe, and said, I'm going to shoot the next sucker that walks through that door. No, excuse me. I don't know what that was. I read that. I sort of got caught up emotionally in this. Boy, you talk about your bad days. I mean, he's having one. I mean,

a messenger comes in with bad news, and before he's even finished the message, here's another one. Before he finishes, here's another one. I mean, it's one right after another. Well, what is Job's response in verse 20? Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the devil has taken away. No, that's not right. Isn't that amazing? You see, what we have here is a wager going on between God and Satan. The devil says, God, I'll make you a bet. I'll bet you that if you were to put forth your hand and touch Job and take away everything he has,

I'll bet you that he will curse you to your face. And God says, I'll take that bet. Now, here is an interesting thing. We always talk about our faith in God. But did you realize that sometimes God has faith in us? God has faith in Job. And God says to Satan, all right, you take and do everything you want to with him, but I have faith in my servant that he will serve me for nothing. And so the devil won the first round. Well, I mean, the Lord won the first round. Now let's go to chapter 2, verse 1.

One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the Lord from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it. The Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? Boy, he's just not going to leave this thing alone, is he? He keeps bringing Job's name up. You do realize, of course, that all of Job's problems

began because God bragged on him. It wasn't the devil who brought up Job. It was God. Makes me want to say to the Lord, if you ever have another conversation with the devil, please keep my name out of it. Don't go bragging on me, boy. There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. Now watch this. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him for no reason.

Now, we'll get back to that. Then Satan answered the Lord, skin for skin, all that a man has will he give to save his life. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face. The Lord said to Satan, Very well, he is in your power. Only spare his life. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

And Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes. Here he is. One day he's sitting on the city council. The next day he's sitting on the city dump. On the ash heap, which was really, is really a delicate way of putting it. It was the

dung heap burnt dung heap it was the sanitation fill Mary was covered with all of these leprous type sores sitting there on that ash heap with a broken plate scraping himself trying to get some relief from all those sorts. My goodness. From all that he had, being the greatest man in the East, wealthy, healthy, until an outcast, everything stripped from him. Well, a person serve God for nothing? It's going to be interesting to see what Job does now. Now we're going to find out the truth about Job. See if he really does love God.

See if his motives really have been pure. Will a person serve God when life turns tragic? I never will forget when our first son died, we received a lot of cards and letters from people all over the country expressing their sympathy, and every one of them meant so much to us. But there was one letter that really caught my attention

and has stayed with me all these years. It was from a couple in a church in Memphis. I had recently been in their church in a meeting, and when they learned of Ronnie's death, they wrote. And the first paragraph of that letter, they simply expressed the common condolences and expressions of sympathy that you would expect. But it was the second paragraph of that letter that really captivated me. Here's what they said. I'm just quoting them. This is what they said.

They said, Brother Dunn, we know that you are a man of God, and you have committed your life to serve Him and to preach His Word, and we know that you are a faithful servant of God. We do not understand how something like this could happen to you. I got the impression they were thinking, you know, we're just mere people. We could understand how something like this could happen to us, but you are a man of God. How could something like that happen to you?

Of course, I think the real fear that was in their hearts was this, my goodness, if this could happen to a man of God, what might happen to us? We don't understand how something like this could happen to you. And I agreed with them. I agreed with them. I don't understand how something like this could happen to me. Hey, wait just a minute here, Lord. Hang on just a second, Lord. You remember me? I mean, I'm your child, you know. I'm the one that trusts you, and I'm the one that's given my life to serve you, and you know. It looks to me like that if we're Christians and

we're serving God, that that ought to count for something, don't you think? You know, don't you really believe, don you really feel that that being a christian and serving god when you could not be a christian you could not be serving god you could you could be an atheist or you could be a rabble rouser you could be living an open godless wicked life you could be doing that but you're not you're a christian and you're trying to live for god you're here in church tonight you'll be here sunday morning and you're trying to live for God. You're here in church tonight. You'll be here Sunday morning, and you're bringing your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord

as best you understand. Now, that ought to count for something. Don't you believe that we deserve a little special consideration in this matter? I mean, there ought to be a few perks that go with this job, a few fringe benefits. I mean, when God starts passing out calamities and catastrophes, He ought to keep in mind that I'm His child and I'm His servant.

Well, my goodness. If God's not going to treat me any differently than He does the godless man across the street, then why serve Him? What's in it for me? I mean, if there are no extra blessings, if there's no special protection, if there's no immunity granted to us,

then why are we serving God? Why don't I take that 10% tithe I give every Sunday and keep it for myself and spend it and buy a new car, buy a new house or something else? I mean, why am I doing all of this? God doesn't seem to appreciate it at all. That's a good question. Will a person serve God or nothing? You know, the hard truth is, folks, that faith cannot be tested by prosperity. It just can't be.

You see, anybody can praise the Lord as long as everything is going the way they want it to go. Even a lost person can praise God. But what if the opposite is true? What if suddenly the life is filled with tragedy that you don't deserve? Now, see, the problem was that the prevailing theology of that day was that if a man really served God, God would bless him physically and materially. That was the theology of that day. That's why when you read the Old Testament,

you'll notice that in the Old Testament, salvation is depicted more in terms of physical and material blessings than in terms of spiritual blessings. In the Old Testament, they had not yet developed spiritually enough to understand that the greatest blessings are spiritual blessings. You read the book of Psalms and others, and most of the time they're thanking God for physical deliverance or physical blessings. You come to the New Testament and you'll find the opposite is true.

You read the prayers of Paul, you'll not hear Paul thanking God for his three-camel garage, you know, that he has and all the stocks and bonds. No, he's thanking God for the spiritual blessings that he has in Christ Jesus in heavenly places. And those today that preach a health and wealth gospel base their teaching almost 100% on Old Testament scriptures, you see. Because it was the prevailing theology

that if you were right with God, God's going to bless you physically and materially. And, well, if you suddenly went bankrupt or you suddenly got sick, that just means one thing, friend, you have sinned. Boy, I'm glad that theology's not with us anymore, aren't you? Yes, it is. Turn your radio on. Yes, sir. Matter of fact, some time ago I got a ministry newsletter from a colleague in the ministry,

and he made this statement in this newsletter. He said, Your financial condition is a reflection of your spiritual condition. Now, you know, that sounds mighty good at a high Regency ballroom over here in the States. I'd like to hear him, I'd like to see him go over to Ethiopia and Somalia and Rwanda and preach that same message. The thing that disturbed me is that that same day

I got the newsletter, I got one of these computerized personal letters from him. It was one of these letters that has several sentences underlined in blue, you know. And what it was, his ministry was in desperate need of money. And so he was appealing to us that we need to give him a big offering. Now, I didn't do this. I wish I had, but I thought I was being, you know, a good spiritual person, and I didn't do this. But I'm not quite that spiritual now, and I wish I'd have done it. I missed a great opportunity. What I wanted to do was to write him a letter and say, Dear brother, I got your letter telling about the problems you're having

financially in your ministry. I read recently somewhere that your financial condition is a reflection of your spiritual condition. Oh, I wish I'd have done that. Is it too late to do that? Yes. But you see, Job himself had taught this. This was what Job believed. Now all of a sudden, man, it's come crashing down. God's not treating him like that anymore. Matter of fact, God's treating him like an enemy. And scholars have come to believe that the name Job anciently meant enemy. So, that's a good question.

Second question. Will a person serve God when he has to stand alone? Will a person serve God when his friends forsake him, nobody understands him, and he finds himself standing alone or sitting alone as Job was out yonder on that ash heap? Well, it looked to me like, and everybody else, it looked to me like God's abandoned Job.

Bless his heart. Boy, don't you feel for that man? Well, cheer up, Job. Your wife's on her way. Y'all been reading ahead, haven't you? Verse 9, Then his wife said to him, Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God and die. No sympathy there. No understanding there. Boy, look at what he says. You speak as any foolish woman would speak.

Shall we receive the good at the hand of God and not receive the bad? Boy, isn't that something. Is that a testimony of faith or not? And all this Job did not send with his lips. Well, so much for his wife. Oh, not to worry, Job, your three best friends. They've heard about your plight and they want to come and mourn with you.

Now, verse 11, Now when Job's three friends heard all of these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the... I wish this stuff had happened in America with these names. Anyway, they met together to go and console and comfort him. When they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept aloud. They tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads. They sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great. Well, here come his three best friends,

three best friends any guy could have. Money can't buy friends like these. And they hear about Job's suffering, and so they go on to him and kind of, you know, be with him and comfort him and console him. But when they see him there on that ash heap, they can't believe him. They don't recognize him.

I mean, my goodness, this can't be our friend Job. And they're so overwhelmed with it that they throw dust in the air over their heads and they tear their clothes and they scream and cry out. And then you know what they do? They sit down on the ground and watch him for seven days and seven nights without saying a word.

I would find that very comforting, wouldn't you? You know, say a word to him. Reminds me of vultures perching on a limb, waiting for the fellow to expire. Well, finally, at the end of seven days and seven nights, they do have something to say. They've thunk it over. And they have come to a conclusion. They've funk it over. And they have

come to a conclusion. You know what that conclusion is? All three of them say, Job, you have sinned. We'd like to believe you, Job, but I mean, facts is facts. We'd like to believe you that you haven't, but the evidence is here. You can't deny it, can you? I mean, you've lost everything. You've lost your family. And you're sitting there on that garbage heap, on that ash heap, and still persisting your integrity, saying, I have not sinned. I have not sinned. And Job, the evidence is overwhelmingly against your son. Listen, you're going to have to confess and get right, or God is never going to return you to His favor.

Now, you see, suddenly Job is having to stand alone. Nobody believes in his innocence. Not his wife, not his three best friends. He's an outcast. Now, is he still going to hold true? You see, it's easy for us to serve God and stay true to God when we are surrounded by encouraging friends and loved ones.

You know, I was thinking a moment ago, what if I had come to this church this week under the circumstances, and instead of comfort and encouragement, I would have received condemnation and criticism. What if everybody had said, well, you must be doing something wrong, preacher, or things wouldn't be going like you. What if Michael had called and said, Ron, no man that's right with God can have the problems that you're having and such as this. And we just feel, I've met with my staff and the deacons, and we just feel that there must be something wrong in your life. And so we're canceling the meeting.

You know what I think I'd probably do? I'm afraid I think I'd probably do I'm afraid I think I'd probably throw my Bible across the room and say alright that's it I'm just going to give up it's bad enough facing this but if nobody else understands and everybody else thinks I've

sinned and thinks there's something wrong no and everybody else thinks I've sinned and thinks there's something wrong. No, but I haven't received that. And I didn't receive that from our first son. Our church that I pastored then was marvelously Christ-like in all of their love and care and comfort. But you know, not everybody receives that kind of treatment. There are people and there are churches that if something like that were to happen,

they would begin to condemn you. So it's easy to serve God and be faithful to Him when you're surrounded by people who encourage you and believe in you. Well, what about when you have to stand alone? What about when nobody believes in you? When everybody looks at you with great suspicion and casts doubt upon your integrity?

Will a person serve God when he has to stand alone when his friends have forsaken him? That's a very good question. That's a very good question. But you see, we are quick to criticize Job's friends, aren't we? I do. I criticize them. I say they're no friends at all. But the fact of the matter is,

they had no choice but to condemn Job. They had to condemn him. Why? Their theology said to. They either had to admit that their theology was wrong, or they had to condemn Job, and they chose to hang on to their theology. You see.

They had to say what they say. Why? Because basically, folks, we believe, and I've said this before, that there is always a link between suffering and guilt. I mean, if you're suffering, there's guilt somewhere. Yes, sir. And Job is a problem to a lot of people. There are a lot of people who believe that if you serve God and are right with Him, that you'll be healthy and wealthy. That's a very

popular doctrine. But here comes along Job, a man that God Himself says three times, he's a perfect and upright man, and yet he suffers like this. And so these people have been trying, one thing after another, trying to find out there had to be something in Job's life that caused this. There had to be something in Job's life that caused this. There was an inconsistency there somewhere. There had to be something. And lately what they've jumped on is that verse in chapter 3, the end of chapter 3, where Job says, that which I've always feared has come upon me. And they leaped upon that and they said,

oh, that's why all this suffering came upon Job is because there was fear in his heart. If there'd been no fear in his heart, then none of these things would have happened. But I want to take you back to a verse I started to comment on earlier in the second chapter and verse 3, about the middle of that verse when God says he still persists in his integrity,

although you incited me against him. Now watch it, to destroy him for no reason. There was no reason in Job's life for God to do this God himself says it you could run a fine tooth comb through the life of Job and not come up with a single reason why this should happen God himself says I'm doing this for no reason

now God had a reason of course but no reason as far as Job was concerned and sometimes these things happen, folks, for no reason. They just happen. So here is Job having to stand alone. You know, that's why I admire, and I'm a preacher, as you may have guessed, and I work under great conditions. I have been so blessed by God because everywhere I go, people receive me graciously and they treat me so graciously.

And I have perfect working conditions I wonder how well I would fare if I was working where some of you folks are working you see I have great admiration for people who work in offices that are godless, jobs where there is no Christian support, and you have to put up with all sorts of things and foul language and all that sort of stuff. There is no encouragement. I wonder if I would be as faithful to God as you are. I admire our Christian people, church members who work in the world, in a godless world, and yet they still stand for Christ. I admire young people, teenagers, who are going to schools that are secular, and there is nothing godly about those schools. They're surrounded by friends who are under all kinds of pressures to release their morals and all of this,

and yet they still stand for Christ, and most of the time they have to stand alone. I admire them. It's not easy to serve God when you're having to stand alone. So that's the second question. Will a person serve God? Oh, by the way, I need to mention one thing. You see, it's not just that Job was forsaken

by his wife and his friends. He was also forsaken by God. Not really, but so it seemed to Job. It seemed like he was forsaken by God because God was treating him like an enemy and God wasn't answering any of his questions and Job begins to lash out against God. Now Job's problem, and this is interesting to me,

Job's problem isn't with God's absence. His problem is with God's presence as an oppressive presence. Now, for instance, see, here's what suffering alone does for you first of all it isolates you you see everybody else's world is still in full color technicolor but now when you're suffering your world is only in black and white you're isolated that leads to loneliness in turn, that will lead to bitterness. In chapter 6, you have Job's loneliness.

In chapter 7, you have Job's bitterness. He lashes out against God and life. Verse 1, do not human beings have a hard service on earth, and are not their days like the days of a laborer, like a slave who longs for the shadow? But here's what I want you to notice. Look over here in, let's see, verse 11. He says, Therefore I will not restrain my mouth.

I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. Am I the sea or the dragon that you have set a guard over me? When I say my bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint, then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions. He's talking to God. So that I would choose strangling and death rather than this body. I loathe my life. I would not live forever. Let me alone for my days are a breath. What are human beings that you make so much of them, that you set your mind on them, visit them every morning,

test them every moment? Will you not look away from me for a while? Let me alone until I swat off my spittle. Actually, what Job is saying is, God, I can't even spit without you being there. Leave me alone. Why are you hounding me like this? He says in verse 20, if I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity? Why have you made me your target? Why have I become a burden to you? Tough words. You see, Job standing alone in his mind, not only forsaken by his wife, not only forsaken by his friends, but forsaken by God, abandoned by God. All right, let's come to the last question.

Will a person serve God when God is silent? Will a person serve God when God is silent? Will a person serve God when God is silent? See, I think this may well be the most difficult one of all. You know, God's not answering Job. God's not giving him any answers. God's not talking to him. You see, I believe that I can handle just about anything as long as I have a reason for handling.

And you know, we feel like, God, if you just give us an explanation, then, you know, we might not like it, but that, you know, that gives us something to hang on to so we know why this is happening. I'd like to know why this is happening. I could handle it better if you'd just tell me why this is happening. The least you could do is to give me a reason why this is happening. I can handle things better if I know a reason. My wife, Kay, handles all of our finances, which is good because I'm on the road all the time,

and she's there, and she's a great administrator, and so she takes care of all that stuff. That's probably why I stay on the road. I know if I stopped, I'd have to take that stuff back over. And, you know, my life is characterized by creative chaos. And hers is characterized by order. It's a sickness. Well, therefore, she handles our income tax every year. She takes care of it all. Isn't that a blessing, guys?

I mean, that's wonderful, isn't it? Well, this past year, I don't know what it was, but there was some new law, some new something in there. And as Kay was figuring it up, it was going to cost us about $800 more if she was reading this right. Why is this going to cost us $800? Well, she said, I don't know.

It doesn't make it clear. So she called up the IRS. Called three times, as a matter of fact. Spoke to three different people, asking them, what does this mean? Do you know what each one of those people said to her? We don't know. Serious.

Well, one actually said, we're not sure yet of that we've not studied it now but you need to go ahead and pay it now you know I don't like to pay taxes anyway but I'm happy to do it because there's no other country I'd rather live in in this greatest country in the world and and and I'll pay my taxes. But I like to have a reason, you know? I mean, okay, I'll fork over the extra 800 bucks, but give me a reason. I mean, any reason. Does Bill need a new haircut? I mean, is that, I mean, is there, you know, all I need is a reason. If I could have a reason, then I could handle it better.

But, boy, when you're asked to do things and they say, well, we don't know what that means or why you should do it, but just do it. Boy, it's hard. Well, Job, I think, as he indicates, believes that he could handle this situation better if God just give him a little bit of insight into what's happening. But God doesn't. God is silent.

And God usually is, isn't he? And I preached Monday night on that question, why? It's the most oft-asked question. And it's the most unanswered question, why? It's the most oft-asked question, and it's the most unanswered question, why? Boy, I heard something in 1986. In 1986, I was in a conference with Elizabeth Elliott, the wife of Jim Elliott, who was one of those missionaries killed by the Aka Indians.

It was in Ecuador in 1956. Thirty years, 1956, 1986, 30 years. And she said, I do not know any better now than I did 30 years ago why God chose to work that way well that was astounding to me you'd have thought in those 30 years she would have gained some insight you say well I that's easy to to know why God did that because notice how she even went back and won some of those men who killed her husband. Yeah, but God could have saved those men, you know, another way.

I mean, God can do it any way he wants to, can't he? I mean, he's God. And she said, after 30 years, I have no more clue as to why my husband was killed than I did the day he was killed. That's amazing. Well, a lot of times preachers want a word from God. A lot of times we want a word from God. Some word of explanation, some word of direction,

and none comes. Will you still serve God? Will you still serve God? will you still serve God? well in closing let me just mention that God finally did speak turn to chapter 38 at last God is going to say something it's about time well I'm ready for some answers at last God is going to say something. It's about time. Boy, I'm ready for some answers.

I'm going to sit right down here on the front row and open my ears wide and get my pen and notebook ready, and I'm going to write down, because it is about time that God throws a little light on my situation. So, God's going to speak now. I'm going to hear some reasons. Well, chapter 38, verse 1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind.

Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man. I will question you, and you shall declare to me. Hmm, I get the impression this is not going to go Job's way. All right, God finally has something to say to Job, and what does He say to him? You know what He says to him? He says, turn on the Discovery Channel.

That's what He says. Tells him to take a hike, a nature hike. Now look at what God said. Verse 4, Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know.

Or who stretched the line upon it? Verse 16, Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. And then over in verse 34, can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightning, so that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightning so that they may go and say to you, here we are? Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?

Who has the wisdom to number the clouds or who can tilt the water skins of the heavens when the dust runs into a mass and the clogs cling together? What's God talking about anyway? Well, it's nothing relevant, I guarantee you that. Job's wanting to know why he's lost his children. He's wanting to know why he's lost his possessions. He's wanting to know why he's got all these sores on him. He's wanting to know why he's suffering like he is.

And all God wants to talk about is nature. You see, what I have discovered and what Job is discovering is that when you finally meet God, it's not to get the answers to your questions, but it's to discover what are the right questions. You know what God is saying here? God is saying, Job, I have a right to do whatever I do. See, he's reminding Job of who he, God, is and of who Job, man, is. He said, let me get this straight here. Job, you've been ranting and raving down there and complaining. You know, as I've thought about this and listened to you, for the life of me, Job, I can't recall seeing you around when I created this mess can you number the clouds can you call the lightning to come to your

aid and and I love this beautiful picture. Can you tilt the water skins of heaven, make it rain? He's reminding him that he is creator and Job is creature. And God is saying, Job, whatever I do, I have a right to do it. And my dear friends,

when you and I find ourselves in situations like Job, the first hurdle we're going to have to get over is, does God have a right to do whatever He does? And the answer is, like it or not, God has a right because He is the creator. But not only does God have a right, he also has a reason. Look at chapter 42. Then Job answered the Lord, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Note the word purpose. Now Job realizes that there is a purpose behind all of this, that while there may be no reason as far as Job is concerned, there is a reason where God is concerned. God has a purpose, and that purpose can't be defeated. You say, well, what is that purpose? I don't know. It's enough to know that He has one.

I tell you, folks, it's enough tonight to know that there is a purpose to everything that goes on in my life, that my life is not in the hands of some fickle faith, that God's not up in heaven just shooting craps and seeing what's going to happen to my life, that it's not left to fate or chance, that God has a divine purpose behind it all,

and that everything that's happening in my life is happening to fulfill His eternal purpose. And that gives me a sense of security and comfort and confidence. If I didn't believe that, if I thought, well, I'm just unlucky and the gods have frowned upon me, then you see what use is there in going on. Why not drown yourself in a bottle? Why not on drugs why not take your life there's no meaning to life matter of fact it wasn't tranquilizers I'd probably own drugs

myself but why not do that, but there is a reason. Now, you may never know it in this life. Do you realize that even after this was all over, God never told Job why these things had happened? You know, you would think that when it was all over, God would come to Job and say, Well, now, Job, son, boy, I really appreciate you, but I'm going to tell you now why all this happened.

You see, the devil came to me, but he never explains it. Job lives and dies without ever having an ounce of understanding as to why all that happened. It has to be that way for Job to trust. God has a right, God has a reason, and finally God has a reward. Look at verse 10, chapter 42. And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Hey, that's pretty good, isn't it? Verse 12, the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginnings. Job, I have a reward. Well, he gave Job twice as much as he had before. And in verse 12, he gives an inventory. And he had 14,000 sheep. He started out with 7,000. 6,000 camels started out with 3,000.

1,000 yoke of oxen started out with 500. And 1,000 donkeys started out with 500. He also had seven sons and three daughters. He started out with seven sons and three daughters. Now, wait just a minute. That's not right. If he gave Job twice as much as he had before, and he started out with seven sons and three daughters,

then verse 13 ought to read 14 sons and six daughters. This is probably a liberal translation. Yeah, it's a... Your translation reads differently, doesn't it? I mean... It doesn't? Huh. Let's see. He lost ten. God said, I'm going to give you twice as much as you had before, know, Job did have 20.

Ten in heaven and ten on earth. Because you never lose what you lose to heaven. You know, Dr. Havner, Vance Havner of course fascinating old man didn't get married until he was 40 he said he wanted to think it over never learned to drive they finally bought a Buick

and Sarah drove him around they had no children. Just he and Sarah, inseparable. Until 1973 when Sarah died. My privilege to be with him on several occasions after that. People would come up to Dr. Havner, and they'd say, Oh, Dr. Havner, I hear that you lost your wife. He'd say, No, I haven't lost her.

I know right where she is. He said, You haven't lost somebody when you know where they are. And then he would quote this little poem. Death can hide but not divide. She is but on Christ's other side. She with Christ and Christ with me. United still in Christ

are we. God has a reward. God's no man's debtor. Nobody will ever be able to stand in heaven and shake a fist at God and say, God, you owe me. Won't happen.

Well, I like to imagine what happened when this was all over. Don't you imagine the devil made himself mighty scarce? I mean, he's lost a big bet. I think God probably had to go looking for him. Oh, where are you? Come on out. Ah, there you are, hiding over there behind the bushes. Come on out. Pay up, son. See, I told you. Look at that. Look at Job. Look at there. I told you he would serve me for nothing. I like to think that maybe someday God could point,

could say to the devil and point to me or point to you and say, see, I told you he would serve me for nothing. It's a good question, folks, a legitimate one, even though asked by the devil, and one that we must deal with. Will a person serve God or not? Would you bow your heads with me now for just a moment?

Amen. Ron Dunn's podcast is available only for personal edification, not to be duplicated, uploaded to the web, or resold without prior written consent. It is managed and operated by Sherwood Baptist Church. For more Ron Dunn materials, sermon outlines, devotions, and scanned pages from his study Bible, please visit rondunn.com.