#Job #Pilgrimage #Faith #God #PartThree #Bible #Study #Series #SandyTaylor #CroxleyGreen #ChartridgeMissionChurch #Chesham
Sandy Taylor preaches this, our third part of our series on the book of Job. Here Sandy looks at Job's pilgrimage of faith and the journey Job finds himself on: looking for answers to life's toughest questions.
Chartridge Mission Church, a beacon of faith, was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a warm and welcoming fellowship and would be delighted to have you visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is fully accessible, with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet, ensuring everyone can participate in our services.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
The village Church with an international audience.
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Please make cheques payable to Chartridge Mission Church and send them to the address above, attention Pastor Barry Kempson.
Recorded on Sunday, 26th July 2026.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
Sandy Taylor preaches this, our third part of our series on the book of Job. Here Sandy looks at Job's pilgrimage of faith and the journey Job finds himself on: looking for answers to life's toughest questions.
Chartridge Mission Church, a beacon of faith, was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a warm and welcoming fellowship and would be delighted to have you visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is fully accessible, with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet, ensuring everyone can participate in our services.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
The village Church with an international audience.
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Please make cheques payable to Chartridge Mission Church and send them to the address above, attention Pastor Barry Kempson.
Recorded on Sunday, 26th July 2026.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
Category
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TravelTranscript
00:00Ye living, dying, let me bring my love to him,
00:07an offering that he who lives to be my King,
00:15called and started to be my Saviour.
00:21It's good to be with you. My name is Sandy Taylor.
00:23I was proud of the notice on the notice board.
00:25That's the first time I've ever heard my name in lights.
00:29It's good to be with you.
00:31My wife Vivian is with me.
00:33We live in Croxley Green, which is about 14 miles from here,
00:38something like that.
00:39And we've known Paul and Kathleen forever, it seems, for a while.
00:45So it's good to fellowship with you and thank you for inviting me, Paul.
00:49Thank you, Andy, for directing me in how this works.
00:53I've been asked to look at, and I believe it's part of your ongoing study,
00:57the chapters 29, 30, and 31.
01:01If you're looking for anything to enlighten you, depress you,
01:04and then wonder what the story is all about,
01:06then these are the three chapters that you should go to.
01:09I'm always grateful when I'm asked to speak because I've got to ponder much more deeply
01:13the scripture that I've got to be dealing with, I've got to be handling.
01:18And so I am grateful for the invitation, Paul, just because, and maybe more,
01:23but because it's opened up these three chapters to me in a way which I have never seen them before.
01:30And therefore, hopefully, it will enable those who are listening to this
01:34to get something from the Word of God as well.
01:38So we have three chapters, challenging chapters.
01:42We have a book which is a challenging book.
01:44And I was grateful this morning.
01:45I spoke to a friend of mine at the church we go to down in Amersham
01:50who goes through stuff in his life.
01:52Let's just put it like that.
01:53And he's younger than me, actually.
01:56So I was going to say he's an older child.
01:57He's younger than me.
01:59And he's gone through a lot of stuff and continues to go through a lot of stuff.
02:02But this is his favorite book because it speaks of his life.
02:05That's how his life is.
02:07And the chapters that we're talking about here are ones which are Job's reflection
02:14on where he has come from, what he's gone through, and how he's responded.
02:20I believe God gives me things.
02:22He gave me one hymn, which is the one we're going to sing in the last.
02:24And the other thing which he gave me is a verse that I learned as a child.
02:28So I only remember it in the King James Version because that's the only version we had
02:32in the good old days when there was only one version and not the confusion that is
02:38reigning with so many versions.
02:40But it's 1 Corinthians 10 verse 13 which speaks to this situation with Job.
02:46It says in the King James Version,
02:48There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.
02:52But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.
02:57But will with the temptation also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it.
03:03And that's in King James.
03:05No temptation, no trial is too great for you.
03:09God will not allow a trial greater than he knows you can cope with.
03:14And effectively that's what this is saying.
03:16There will be a way of escape that you can bear it.
03:19So here we have Job looking at his life.
03:22This is his final defence.
03:24It's the three chapters that he speaks in his own voice in response to the voices of the others
03:29who have been part of your journey through Job, I'm sure.
03:33And this is his response to the naysayers who have been speaking into his life.
03:37There's another to come after this.
03:39And then there's a few verses, I think it's in the last chapter,
03:42where Job has a final thing to say about how God has led him and dealt with him.
03:49But these three chapters particularly are in his present circumstances looking at the past,
03:54looking at the present and looking at how he's dealt with the present,
03:58which is a tremendous trial to him.
04:01But no temptation has taken him but he is able to bear it with God's grace.
04:05The good old days is what he thinks in chapter 29, when things were really good.
04:11Then we've got the present disgrace in chapter 30.
04:15And in chapter 31, the oath of innocence is how it's described.
04:21That is, I have done nothing wrong, yet all this is happening to me.
04:27So the good old days.
04:28Job looks back to the past when he was deeply blessed by God.
04:32He was a wealthy, highly respected leader.
04:35Who helped the poor, widows and orphans.
04:38Job felt God was his closest friend and guide.
04:42And he assumed this peace would last his entire life.
04:46That's a presie of that chapter.
04:49We'll maybe go into it in a wee bit more detail.
04:52Chapter 30 is present disgrace.
04:54Job contrasts his past glory with the miserable present.
04:58He has lost his wealth and dignity.
05:00Now outcast in the young ones, young sons of beggars mock him and spit on him.
05:07He feels that God has abandoned him, turning his joy into deep sadness and physical pain.
05:12And then the oath of innocence.
05:14It's an interesting one.
05:16And I think it's a challenge for all of us in this present day as to how we live our
05:21lives in Christ.
05:24Job presents a formal list of things that he never did.
05:28Almost like a signed legal contract.
05:30He swears he has never committed adultery, cheated anyone or lied.
05:34Ignored the poor.
05:36Worshipped idols.
05:37Rejoiced that an enemy has suffered.
05:40So Job in his stating of these things is basically saying,
05:43I've done nothing wrong.
05:44I've kept the faith.
05:45I have kept my integrity before God.
05:50And so we'll look a wee bit at that as well.
05:53So that's the summary.
05:55So first of all, let's go to chapter 29.
05:58Effectively what we're saying here is that the blessing which God has given us
06:02is something that we need to contemplate and remember in our lives.
06:06And Job is doing this in this chapter.
06:09There's a famous saying by Spurgeon which is too many people write their blessings in the sand
06:17but engrave their sorrows in marble.
06:19So effectively what we're saying is that we tend to become morbid about the ways in which we are suffering.
06:29And we all suffer.
06:31So I'm not minimizing that.
06:33But the blessings which God has given us in this life and for the life to come
06:37are immeasurably greater than anything that this world could offer or throw at us.
06:42And in any event we've got the promise of God's word which says
06:46nothing that affects you will be too great for you to bear under God.
06:51So these things brought together, we need to remember the blessings that God has given to us.
06:58Now there are physical blessings and these are listed here by Job in chapter 29.
07:04But there are many other kinds of blessings as well.
07:08But in terms of what Job's life was like prior to his present circumstance we see that in verse 3
07:17God's candle had shone on his head and when by his light I walked through the darkness.
07:25So Job was walking in the presence of God, experiencing the presence of God, experiencing the light of God
07:31and walking in his goodness.
07:34In verse 4 we see,
07:36Just as I was in the days of my prime, when the friendly counsel of God was over my tent.
07:43A tremendous phrase.
07:45The friendly counsel of God was over my tent.
07:47Sorry, I'm reading from the New King James Version.
07:49So if this is not marrying in with what's in your Bible, forgive me.
07:55So the friendly counsel of God was over my tent.
07:59So Job was blessed beyond measure with the presence of God and with the counsel of God in an intimate
08:06way.
08:07In verse 5 we see,
08:09The Almighty was with him and his children about him.
08:12When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were around me,
08:15when my steps were bathed with cream,
08:17and the rock poured out rivers of oil for me.
08:20He was enormously blessed by the presence of God, the provision of God,
08:25both in his own life, in his family life, and beyond that.
08:30Job had been a blessing to others as well.
08:32Now, we read in verse 12 to 13 that he cheered the poor and fatherless and widows.
08:40Because I delivered the poor who cried out, the fatherless, and the one who had no helper.
08:45The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.
08:52So not only had he been blessed in his own circumstance,
08:56but he also had been blessing others with the blessing he had received.
09:01I think that's a lesson for us as well.
09:04When our circumstances are good,
09:07too often we luxuriate in the goodness of God in our own circumstance.
09:13And sometimes, too often perhaps,
09:15we rarely extend that blessing to others, whatever that blessing be.
09:21I was in a group locally.
09:24We were discussing the MI actually,
09:25and the complaint of the Jews,
09:26that the rich Jews were not looking after the poor Jews.
09:32And the question that was being considered was,
09:36how do we act with the favour that God bestows upon us
09:40towards those,
09:41A, of the household of faith,
09:42but also towards the world?
09:44Because we're not just supposed to
09:47deal with and bless the household of faith.
09:50It says especially the household of faith.
09:52But it doesn't exclude the others as well,
09:55who are not of the household of faith.
09:57And it was fascinating to me as the group,
10:00which is a fairly,
10:02I think some of the people are quite wealthy,
10:04were challenged in their walk with God
10:07as they recognised that they were
10:09dealing with the blessings of God
10:11in a self-centred way,
10:14I think is the phrase to use,
10:16rather than a generous way,
10:19not dealing with the blessings of God.
10:21But we know that Joe, from this,
10:23was actually generous to those around him.
10:26The poor, the fatherless, the widows,
10:28he helped the disabled and poor.
10:29We read in 15 and 16,
10:32I was eyes to the blind,
10:33and I was feet to the lame,
10:34I was father to the poor,
10:36and I searched out the case that I did not know.
10:39I broke the fangs of the wicked
10:41and plucked the victim from its teeth.
10:43So not only was he looking after those who had nothing,
10:47he was actually fighting for righteousness and truth.
10:49And in his life of blessing before God,
10:52that's his experience,
10:53that's what he was doing.
10:54And that's how he was delivering the blessing to others
10:57through what he had received from God.
11:02The other element of this particular chapter
11:04is that men eagerly listened to his counsel,
11:07so he was revered in his community.
11:09He was somebody who was significantly blessed of God
11:16with wisdom, intellect, discernment, and everything else.
11:19And with these things, he was revered by people.
11:24We read that men listened to me,
11:27this is verse 21,
11:29and waited and kept silence for my counsel.
11:33I don't think we have people like that these days,
11:36to be honest with you.
11:37I don't see it in any sphere of life.
11:41It may be happening and we just don't see it.
11:43But when we talk about those things
11:45where wisdom is needed
11:47and wise counsel is needed,
11:50very rarely do we see
11:51those who have authority in the world
11:55having the kind of counsel,
11:58wisdom, and discernment that's needed
12:00to deliver righteousness and truth.
12:02Now, righteousness and truth can come
12:05outside of a relationship with God.
12:09You can be righteous without being a believer.
12:12It's helpful to be a believer,
12:14but it'd be nice to think that believers
12:16were righteous automatically as well.
12:18You can be a believer and not be righteous,
12:21in my humble opinion.
12:23Write to me afterwards if you disagree.
12:25But that's a circumstance which I believe exists,
12:27and I think the truth of this matter is
12:29that as we get closer in our relationship with God,
12:32which clearly Job was enjoying,
12:34that closeness of relationship,
12:36then he was delivering a righteous outcome,
12:38both in terms of those who were in authority
12:41in the world around him
12:42and those who were in need
12:44in the world around him as well.
12:46So not only was he using his great wealth
12:48and power to bless others,
12:52he was also recognized as somebody
12:55who walked in discernment and wisdom,
12:57and he recognized that his discernment and wisdom
12:59came from God
13:00and not from any other circumstance of life.
13:03There's a hymn which I came across another one,
13:06when burdens overwhelm us,
13:08it does us good to count our blessings.
13:11And that's what here Job is doing.
13:13He's burdened with his stuff that's going on,
13:16all the things that's happening to his life
13:18and his body and his family and everything else.
13:21And there's a hymn which goes,
13:23Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
13:26Does the cross seem heavy your call to bear?
13:29Count your many blessings,
13:31every doubt will fly,
13:32and you will be singing as the days go by.
13:35The question, very simply from my point of view,
13:37is how often do I,
13:39as somebody who is a child of God,
13:41count my blessings and recognize the good things
13:44which God has done and is doing in my life.
13:46And to live in honoring God in that
13:50and recognizing that everything that I have
13:53and everything I hold
13:54is not mine, but is God's.
13:57And it's his provision anyway.
13:58And I am merely a custodian for the moment
14:01of those things which he's given me.
14:03And I am grateful to him for that.
14:05But we tend to major on those things which are negative,
14:08those problems that we have.
14:11And as we see in the next chapter,
14:12Job goes into his current circumstances,
14:16his awful circumstances that he's experiencing
14:19as somebody who has lost all that.
14:22He's gone from all that.
14:24That was his past.
14:25That was his previous glory.
14:27And now he is in a very different circumstance.
14:31So we move on to chapter 30.
14:35So he was despised by unkind youth.
14:39He was afflicted, he felt, by God.
14:43And I think that's an important point.
14:45And that we will deal with in slightly more detail.
14:48Because the conversation which I had
14:50with my friend this morning
14:52indicated that my reading of this
14:54was perhaps slightly skewed.
14:56And if it was skewed,
14:57I will show you what my reading of it was,
14:59what his reading of it was,
15:00and I'll leave you to get discernment from God
15:03as to which one is right.
15:05He was despised by unkind youth.
15:07Let's deal with that first.
15:08Verses 1 to 15.
15:09There are the kind of men
15:10who he would not have set
15:14with the dogs of his flock.
15:16So these are worthless men.
15:18I mean, he is quite despising
15:20of the people that are despising him.
15:23And his language is quite powerful,
15:27quite strong.
15:29And you can tell that he's really,
15:31really upset,
15:32really, really annoyed,
15:35and feels really, really aggrieved.
15:37The people that he would not have had
15:40sleep with his dogs
15:42are now people who are taking the mickey,
15:45making a fool of Job
15:47in his current circumstance.
15:49And often that can be the way.
15:51When God blesses people,
15:53there will always be people
15:54who will come along
15:55and say,
15:57how did they get that?
15:58And there's jealousy
15:59and all these sort of things go on.
16:00And I'm very conscious of that
16:02in circumstances that we deal with
16:05from time to time,
16:06where God has blessed somebody,
16:08there is always going to be somebody saying,
16:10how did they do that?
16:12It's not God,
16:13it's they've done something dodgy
16:14or whatever.
16:15So when the great fall comes,
16:18and it does come,
16:19sadly,
16:20amongst people who are believers,
16:22and we see it recently
16:23in church circumstances around the world,
16:27there are many naysayers
16:29who will come along immediately
16:29and say,
16:30yeah, that was all wrong,
16:31it was wrong,
16:32it was wrong.
16:33And it may well have been wrong.
16:35I'm not defending
16:36those people that have been exposed.
16:39But what I am saying is
16:40that when these things happen,
16:42it is the people that Job describes
16:46as would not have sat with his dogs
16:49who are the people who do that.
16:51So I,
16:51in my current circumstance of understanding,
16:54see quite a lot of people
16:56pulling down ministries
16:59which are imploding
17:01for good cause,
17:03potentially.
17:04But there are
17:05the voices off
17:07who are
17:08piling on,
17:10causing damage
17:11to the cause of Christ.
17:12Now,
17:13I'm not saying that damage
17:14hasn't been done
17:15at the source of the problem,
17:17but to elevate
17:18that damage
17:19to a world stage,
17:20I think,
17:21is unhelpful.
17:23And it's certainly
17:23not something
17:24that I don't believe,
17:25it's something I don't believe
17:26God would honour
17:27and follow through.
17:29And I see that
17:30because it's a very current thing
17:32in the wider media.
17:35There are churches
17:36that are imploding
17:37all over the world
17:39and the people
17:40that are saying,
17:41yeah,
17:41this is,
17:42they've enriched themselves
17:43and maybe they have.
17:44They've enriched themselves
17:45at the expense of others.
17:47They've been devious
17:48in various ways
17:49which are inappropriate.
17:50All of these things
17:51may be true
17:52and they need to be
17:53called out for it.
17:55But they need to be
17:55called out for it
17:56within a Christian context
17:57and not in the eyes
17:59of the world
17:59because if you go
18:00out against your brother,
18:01you don't go to court,
18:02you don't go to the world
18:03to ask them to judge
18:05what you're doing.
18:06The church should be doing it.
18:07Whether it's capable
18:07of doing it or not,
18:08that's another matter.
18:09But my view is
18:10that what we're talking
18:11about here is
18:12Job is somebody
18:14who has been
18:15greatly enriched
18:15and blessed by God.
18:17His circumstances change
18:18through no fault
18:19of his own
18:21and the voices of
18:23come in
18:23to destroy him
18:24and cause him
18:25further upset.
18:28So the next point
18:29that I have here
18:31is from verses
18:3216 to 31.
18:34Job starts complaining
18:36of his afflictions.
18:37Let's have a look.
18:38And now my soul
18:40is poured out
18:41because of the plight,
18:43of my plight.
18:44The days of affliction
18:46take hold of me,
18:47my bones are pierced
18:48in me at night
18:48and my gnawing pains
18:50take no rest.
18:52By great force
18:53my garment
18:54is disfigured.
18:55It binds me about
18:56as the collar
18:57of my coat.
18:59He has cast me
19:00into the mire
19:01and I have become
19:02like dust.
19:05So the he
19:06that he's talking
19:06about that has
19:07cast me into
19:07the mire
19:08and he has become
19:10like dust
19:11is God.
19:12So this is the question
19:14that I'm posing
19:16to myself
19:17and to you
19:18and I invite you
19:19to consider it
19:20and ask God
19:21to reveal the truth
19:22of it
19:22is whether
19:24Job is right
19:25and my friend
19:26this morning said
19:27Job blamed God
19:31and was wrong
19:32to blame God
19:34or
19:36God allowed it.
19:38That's a fact
19:39because we know
19:40he said to Satan
19:41at the beginning
19:42have you considered
19:43my servant Job?
19:44So God allowed it
19:46and the question
19:47is God allowing it
19:48and
19:49God being blamed for it.
19:51Are these two sides
19:52of the same coin
19:53or is there
19:54something there
19:55that we need to
19:56understand,
19:57discern
19:57and work out
19:59because from my
19:59point of view
20:00when I was first
20:01reading this
20:02I thought well
20:03Job's right
20:03God's allowed it.
20:05God's invited it
20:07arguably
20:07because he said
20:08to Satan
20:08have you considered
20:09my servant Job?
20:12But Job is
20:13blaming God
20:14very specifically
20:15for the very specific
20:17issues that he suffers from.
20:20So that's the
20:21conflict in my own mind
20:23and I'm not here
20:24to give you an answer
20:24because one of the things
20:25that I'm really interested in
20:27is having people
20:29get as excited
20:29about the word of God
20:30as I have become.
20:32I've got to say
20:33I have become
20:33of recent years
20:35I've become more
20:35and more excited
20:36about the word of God
20:37and an understanding
20:38of it.
20:39So there is a poetic
20:41nature to the book
20:42of Job
20:43which I see
20:43in these three chapters
20:44one is
20:46didn't I do great
20:47wasn't I blessed
20:48two is
20:49I'm moaning
20:49and three is
20:50this is what I did
20:52it's not fair
20:53basically.
20:54So from my point
20:55of view
20:55the issue
20:56of how Job
20:58responds to God
20:59is
21:00is it correct
21:02that he
21:05that God
21:06caused these
21:07afflictions
21:08or
21:09does God
21:10just allow
21:11that to happen?
21:13I'm sure you've
21:14all got a view
21:14probably a well
21:15developed view
21:16I was
21:17I was confronted
21:17this morning
21:18with an alternative
21:19to my
21:20monologue
21:22so I'd be
21:23interested to
21:24to hear that
21:24but it's something
21:25that I believe
21:26we can
21:27understand
21:28on the basis
21:28that
21:30God invited
21:31Satan
21:32to consider Job
21:34and that opened
21:35the door
21:36for all that
21:36happened
21:37and he has
21:38cast me
21:38into the mire
21:39and I have
21:40become like
21:41dust and ashes
21:41so he knows
21:43that God
21:44has cast me
21:45into the mire
21:46but God
21:46has allowed it
21:47and this
21:48this is quite
21:49interesting
21:49because we
21:50talk about
21:50afflictions
21:52that come
21:52upon us
21:53physically
21:54and perhaps
21:56financially
21:56and these
21:57afflictions
21:58we say
21:59are the
22:00enemy at
22:01work
22:01or God
22:02is allowing
22:03how do we
22:04frame what
22:05we say
22:05so that our
22:07souls are built
22:08up and our
22:08trust in God
22:09is built up
22:10and not
22:11so that we're
22:12destroyed in the
22:12process of
22:14blaming God
22:14for things
22:15for which God
22:16is able
22:17which God
22:17is able to
22:18use in
22:19bringing us
22:19into a
22:20closer
22:20relationship
22:21with him
22:21building our
22:22character
22:23and all
22:23these sort
22:23of things
22:24which is
22:24true of
22:24this passage
22:26or do we
22:27just blame
22:28God
22:28but still
22:29hold on
22:30anyway
22:30in the midst
22:31of blaming
22:31God
22:32I think
22:32it's a
22:33it's a
22:33study to be
22:34done
22:34in perhaps
22:35a longer
22:36time than
22:37we have
22:37here tonight
22:38to actually
22:38come to
22:39a conclusion
22:40but my
22:41my own
22:42understanding
22:43of it
22:43is
22:44that God
22:46has allowed
22:47Job is
22:48suffering
22:49Job is
22:50blaming God
22:51but the
22:52specific
22:52suffering is
22:53from Satan
22:54it is not
22:55from God
22:56but God
22:58has basically
22:58taken this
22:59hand of
22:59protection
23:00which is
23:00evident in
23:01chapter 29
23:02from Job
23:03and allowed
23:04this to
23:05happen until
23:05redemption
23:06comes
23:07my thoughts
23:10we then
23:11move on
23:11to chapter
23:1131
23:14and this
23:14is the
23:15one which
23:15arguably is
23:15the biggest
23:16challenge for
23:16me
23:18because he
23:19is basically
23:20saying
23:22I am
23:24people use
23:25the word
23:25integris
23:26I have
23:26got personal
23:27integrity
23:28I have
23:29done nothing
23:30wrong
23:31I have
23:32lived a
23:32life of
23:32purity
23:33before God
23:34and even
23:35in the midst
23:35of all of
23:36this suffering
23:37I have
23:38not let
23:39my faith
23:40slip
23:41or my
23:42purity
23:42slip
23:43and the
23:44level of
23:44purity
23:45which is
23:45described in
23:46Job 31
23:47is of
23:48such a
23:49high bar
23:50that I
23:52challenge myself
23:53when I read
23:54it to live
23:55a life as
23:56pure as
23:57Job is
23:57enunciating
23:58here as
23:59he is
23:59telling here
24:00because from
24:01my point of
24:01view the
24:02way that he
24:03describes his
24:04life is
24:05not the
24:05life I
24:06live and
24:07I therefore
24:08have to
24:08learn lessons
24:09from this
24:09chapter as
24:11to how I
24:11should be
24:12living my
24:12life in
24:13purity before
24:14God
24:16so in
24:16the first
24:17one is he
24:18guarded against
24:19lust in
24:2131 to
24:2234 he
24:23protected his
24:23eyes when
24:24there was a
24:25woman around
24:26he would
24:26divert his
24:27gaze
24:29he was
24:30conscious of
24:31God's all
24:31seeing eye
24:32and I think
24:32there is an
24:33element in
24:34mature Christians
24:35that they've
24:35come to
24:35understand the
24:36reality of
24:37who God
24:37is and
24:38that God
24:38sees
24:39everything
24:40but we're
24:41in a
24:41world which
24:42has fallen
24:42and a
24:43world which
24:43flaunts its
24:44fallenness in
24:45front of
24:46Christians in
24:47this way and
24:48in other ways
24:49as well but
24:50we're talking
24:50about this
24:51way and
24:52from my
24:52point of
24:52view that's
24:53one of the
24:55major concerns
24:56within Christendom
24:57as we've
24:57discovered over
24:58the recent
24:59past with
25:00many of
25:00these scandals
25:01that have
25:01been highlighted
25:02that the
25:04integrity of
25:05the believer
25:05recognising
25:07God is
25:07God and
25:08God sees
25:09all but
25:10still doing
25:11it anyway
25:11seems to me
25:12to be a
25:13major flaw
25:14within
25:14Christendom
25:15and I
25:16and we
25:17need to
25:17guard our
25:17hearts
25:18against these
25:19pitfalls
25:20these traps
25:21of the enemy
25:22which are
25:23on every
25:25front
25:26but for
25:26Job he
25:27he didn't
25:29he was
25:30pure
25:30when it
25:31comes to
25:32women
25:36he sought
25:36to be
25:37honest
25:38and from
25:39his
25:39the blessings
25:40which he
25:41talked about
25:41he was an
25:42honest man
25:42in 31
25:445 to 8
25:45if I have
25:46walked with
25:46falsehoods
25:46or if my
25:47foot has
25:47hastened
25:48to deceit
25:48let me be
25:49weighed
25:50on honest
25:51scales
25:51that God
25:53may know
25:53my integrity
25:54if my
25:55step has
25:55turned from
25:56the way
25:56or my
25:57heart
25:57walked
25:58after my
25:58eyes
25:59or if
26:00any spot
26:01adheres
26:01to my
26:02hands
26:02then let
26:03me sow
26:04and another
26:04eat
26:05yes let
26:06my harvest
26:06be rooted
26:07out
26:07so he's
26:08effectively
26:09saying
26:10I'm
26:10pure
26:11I have
26:11not
26:12been
26:13dishonest
26:14in my
26:14business
26:15dealings
26:15and again
26:16that's a
26:16massive
26:17challenge to
26:19believers
26:20as somebody
26:21who's been
26:22in business
26:22for a few
26:23years now
26:24I am
26:24conscious
26:26that
26:27there are
26:28ways in
26:28which believers
26:29act within a
26:29business context
26:30not all
26:32I've got to
26:33say
26:33but there are
26:34ways in which
26:34believers act
26:35in a business
26:35context which
26:36is worse
26:37than the way
26:38the world
26:38operates within
26:39business
26:40people in
26:41business
26:41that are in
26:42the world
26:42can be more
26:43righteous
26:43often are
26:44more righteous
26:45than believers
26:45and it saddens
26:47me to say that
26:47but that's a
26:48reality
26:49and it's
26:50not a
26:50good thing
26:53that's
26:54quite sad
26:56he
26:57he committed
26:58no adultery
26:59that's the
27:00other thing
27:00so it's
27:01tied to the
27:01first one
27:02not only did
27:02he not
27:02look
27:03he didn't
27:03do
27:05then he
27:06treated
27:07he examined
27:08his integrity
27:08as an employer
27:09and then we're
27:10back into the
27:10business context
27:11from my point
27:12of view
27:12and it's
27:12interesting to
27:12me that
27:13having come
27:14across
27:14believers in
27:15business
27:17over many
27:18years
27:19and even
27:20in churches
27:21over many
27:22years
27:22in church
27:23communities
27:23in many
27:24years
27:26employees
27:26being treated
27:29compassionately
27:31honourably
27:32favourably
27:33generously
27:33just as
27:34are words
27:35that don't
27:36fit
27:37in many
27:38circumstances
27:40I could
27:41give examples
27:41but because
27:42of where we
27:43are and who
27:43we are
27:43I'm not
27:44going to do
27:44that
27:44but there
27:45are people
27:47that I've
27:47come across
27:47within the
27:48last three
27:48or four
27:49weeks
27:49who are
27:51effective
27:52slave labour
27:53within
27:54Christian
27:55institutions
27:56and it's
27:58true of
27:58family members
27:59as well
28:00historically
28:00where they
28:01have been
28:02effectively
28:02slave labour
28:03within a
28:04Christian
28:04institution
28:05and abused
28:07by that
28:07institution
28:08I find that
28:08really appalling
28:09to have to
28:10acknowledge that
28:12but Christians
28:13in a business
28:14context arguably
28:15can be the
28:17most difficult
28:20to deal with
28:22in business
28:24and the most
28:25unholy and
28:26unrighteous in
28:27their dealings
28:27with their own
28:28staff and that's
28:29really an
28:30indictment which
28:31I don't enjoy
28:32sharing but it's
28:33a reality of the
28:34experience that I've
28:35had and I think
28:36many others that
28:37I've sojourned
28:38with over the
28:39years so that
28:40when we come
28:42to this subject
28:44and we say we
28:45have a testimony
28:46we have a
28:46witness our
28:47witness is not
28:49only what we say
28:50with our mouths
28:50but it's how we
28:52deal with those
28:52around us and
28:53certainly those
28:54over whom we
28:54have authority
28:55like servants
28:56or farm workers
28:57I think it's
28:57farm workers
28:58that's mentioned
28:59here and from
29:02my point of view
29:03it is utterly
29:05incumbent upon
29:06those of us
29:07who know and
29:07love God
29:07to have lives
29:09like Job
29:10had this is
29:11my challenge
29:11in this chapter
29:13to be
29:15honourable to
29:16those people
29:17that I have a
29:18financial responsibility
29:20for as an
29:21employer or
29:21whatever else
29:22and I run
29:24I run a
29:25business which
29:26historically had
29:27employees and I
29:29endeavour to do
29:30this without
29:30understanding this
29:32chapter or the
29:32reality of this
29:33chapter I'm not
29:35going to say how
29:35it ended up
29:37but the reality
29:38is that I
29:39honoured the
29:40people who
29:41were believers
29:42happened to be
29:43believers it just
29:44happened that these
29:45are the people that
29:45I employed and I
29:46didn't employ large
29:47numbers so that
29:50the honour was one
29:51way and not
29:52necessarily returned
29:53but there we go
29:54such is life
29:56we're held
29:56accountable for
29:57what we do and
29:58not how others
29:59respond to what
30:00we do Job
30:01examined then his
30:03integrity as a
30:03neighbour he gave
30:05to the poor he
30:06clothed the poor
30:07and needy he
30:08never sided
30:08against the
30:09fatherless he
30:10never rejoiced
30:11when an enemy
30:12suffered loss nor
30:14had he ever
30:15cursed them
30:17he was always
30:18hospitable and
30:19generous all of
30:21these are
30:21hallmarks of
30:22what a believer
30:23should be and
30:24so as Job is
30:25listing his
30:26integrity the
30:28markers for his
30:29integrity these are
30:31things that we
30:31as believers need
30:33to have in our
30:34minds as to how
30:36we need to live
30:37towards those that
30:39we come into
30:39contact with and
30:41specifically towards
30:42God he also
30:44examined his
30:45integrity as a
30:46worshipper he did
30:47not worship his
30:48wealth and when
30:50you've got money
30:52I would imagine
30:53it's quite easy
30:54I've never been in
30:55the position of
30:56having great wealth
30:57but I would imagine
30:58it's quite easy when
30:59you've got a large
31:00sum of money in the
31:01bank to to have
31:03your faith in the
31:04money and not in
31:05God and I can see
31:08how that works and
31:09I've seen it work as
31:10well and I don't
31:12believe that every
31:14believer who is
31:14wealthy what falls
31:16into that category
31:17but there is a
31:18circumstance where
31:20when you're coming
31:21through something
31:23your faith in God
31:24is sharpened and
31:26is much more real
31:26and is much more
31:27present when you're
31:29you've got money
31:31in the bank
31:31your faith in God
31:33is dulled
31:34your circumstance
31:35is more comfortable
31:36and you're able to
31:37hold your head up in
31:38the world because
31:39you've got that
31:39the reality is our
31:41hope and our joy
31:43and our future
31:44and our treasures
31:45are not in the
31:46money that we've
31:46got in the bank
31:47but are in the
31:49treasures that we
31:50have in heaven
31:50how we have
31:51lived for God
31:52how we have
31:53dealt with our
31:53neighbours
31:54how we have
31:55employed people
31:56and how we've
31:57dealt with them
31:58as well
31:58so in terms of
32:00where Job is
32:01in chapter 31
32:05it's a challenge
32:07to us as
32:08believers
32:08he never worshipped
32:09idols
32:09he had no
32:10secret sins
32:12or unconfessed
32:13sins he would
32:14say
32:14and he wished
32:16God would hear
32:17him
32:17now God was
32:18hearing him
32:18all along
32:19it was that
32:21God wasn't
32:22intervening
32:24so these
32:25are a few
32:27things that
32:28bring together
32:29for me
32:30where Job is
32:31at this stage
32:32in the book
32:33he has come
32:34and heard his
32:36three friends
32:37give their
32:37various pieces
32:38of advice
32:40and then he's
32:41made his defence
32:42his defence is
32:43I was blessed
32:44I'm not blessed
32:46I did nothing
32:47wrong
32:49I was blessed
32:51I need to honour
32:52God in the
32:52blessing
32:53I'm not blessed
32:54I need to honour
32:55God in the
32:56in the hardship
32:58this is
32:59I did nothing
33:00wrong
33:00this is how
33:01I ought to live
33:02and as a yardstick
33:04for how we should
33:04be living
33:05it's quite amazing
33:06to me
33:07that this
33:08chapter 31
33:09particularly
33:09is one which
33:11is not one
33:11that I've
33:12sojourned on
33:13and spent time
33:14in
33:14and I'm grateful
33:15for being invited
33:16here
33:17to have the
33:18opportunity to do
33:19that and to
33:19learn from it
33:21we've got a
33:22friend who's
33:23he's very much
33:25older than us
33:26but he's been
33:28a pastor
33:29and various
33:29other things
33:30and he has
33:32come
33:32he has begun
33:33to teach
33:34and understand
33:36from scripture
33:38that for every
33:39battle
33:39we have
33:41there's a banquet
33:42being prepared
33:44and I find
33:45that fascinating
33:46so he has
33:47shared with us
33:48from his
33:49and he's got
33:50vast scriptural
33:50knowledge
33:51so he's
33:51somebody that
33:52I trust
33:53in his
33:53discernment
33:53and understanding
33:54of scripture
33:54that for every
33:56battle
33:56that exists
33:57there's a banquet
33:58being prepared
33:59and we know
34:00that in the end
34:00there's a banquet
34:01we know in the end
34:02of Job
34:02there's a banquet
34:03we know that
34:04he went through
34:04a lot of battles
34:05but the
34:06pivotal verse
34:07obviously is in
34:08Psalm 23
34:09you prepare a table
34:10before me
34:11in the presence
34:11of my enemies
34:12you anoint my head
34:13with oil
34:13my cup runs over
34:14surely goodness
34:15and mercy
34:15shall follow me
34:17all the days
34:17of my life
34:18and I will dwell
34:18in the house
34:19of the Lord
34:19forever
34:19Job was beginning
34:21to lose sight
34:21of that reality
34:22he didn't change
34:23his life
34:24he didn't change
34:25his style of living
34:26in any way
34:27through the midst
34:28of all the awful
34:29things that
34:29chapter 30
34:31tells us about
34:32but he
34:34recognised
34:35that
34:37eventually
34:37in fact he was
34:38looking for death
34:39in chapter 30
34:40death was his out
34:42he'd come to the point
34:43where that was
34:44his way to go
34:45but the reality
34:46was God
34:46was preparing
34:47a banquet
34:48which
34:48somebody later
34:49in this series
34:50is going to have
34:50the joy
34:51of sharing
34:52is that you Paul
34:55so
34:55yeah
34:56so that
34:57that is
34:58with every battle
34:59there's a banquet
35:00this is just
35:01what I want to share
35:02with you
35:02are things
35:04phrases
35:04that are worth
35:06studying
35:06in scripture
35:07that's one
35:08that we got
35:08recently
35:09with every
35:10battle
35:11there's a banquet
35:12there's a banquet
35:13being prepared
35:13and we know
35:14there is a banquet
35:15being prepared
35:16for us
35:16in glory
35:17at the end
35:18of our lives
35:18when we're
35:19taken to glory
35:21so there is a banquet
35:23God had been good
35:24to Job
35:24it was helpful
35:25for him to reflect
35:27on God's goodness
35:28during his great grief
35:29it hurt Job
35:30to have the outcasts
35:31of society
35:32mocking him
35:32his grief
35:33was made worse
35:34by not knowing
35:35why he was suffering
35:36but that is often
35:38true
35:39that is when
35:40we must trust
35:41God's sovereignty
35:42and love
35:42Job guarded his heart
35:43from sensual lust
35:45he treated people
35:47fairly
35:47he was very generous
35:48he loyally worshipped
35:50God
35:50in many ways
35:51Job was a great
35:52example to us
35:53of integrity
35:54as Job reflected
35:56on his blessings
35:57burdens
35:57and business
35:58did God
35:59identify something
36:01in our lives
36:02in which we need
36:03to work
36:03or change
36:04if so
36:06don't ignore
36:07God's still
36:08small voice
36:09obey him
36:10so if we have
36:11heard anything
36:12that from
36:13these passages
36:14have stirred
36:16our innermost
36:17being in some
36:18way
36:19then don't
36:20pass it by
36:22take it
36:23receive it
36:23apply it
36:25cogitate over it
36:27chew it over
36:27and then
36:29allow God
36:30to transform us
36:31as I've been doing
36:32over the two
36:33or three weeks
36:34that I've been
36:35given this passage
36:36to study
36:36so thank you
36:37God bless you
36:39it's good to be
36:39with you
36:40and I wish you
36:41God's blessing
36:42I am not still
36:45to understand
36:48what God has willed
36:51what God has woned
36:53I only know
36:55about his right hand
36:58since one who is
37:01my Saviour
37:04I take him
37:07as his word
37:09indeed
37:10Christ
37:11God
37:11for sinners
37:13this I read
37:15and in my heart
37:17I find a need
37:20of him
37:21to be
37:22my Saviour
37:25that he should leave
37:28his bliss on heart
37:31and comfort
37:32for sinful
37:34man's
37:35did I
37:36all kinds
37:37of strength
37:38so once
37:40did I
37:41before you
37:43my Saviour
37:47and all that he
37:49fulfilled
37:51may see
37:52the glory
37:53of his life
37:56in me
37:56and with his work
37:59content
38:00to be
38:01as
38:03dark
38:03with my
38:04dear
38:05Saviour
38:08ye living
38:09dying
38:11let me
38:12bring
38:13my
38:14child
38:14to me
38:15I am offering
38:17that he who lives
38:20to be
38:21my King
38:22call and start
38:24to be
38:25my saviour
38:28Amen.
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