Thoughts in Response to a Sermon about Job

(by Bill Stevenson)

During the sermon this morning about Job, the Holy Spirit urged me to share the main emphasis
and some exhorting verses in Philippians 1. I have so many Bible studies and articles I could
post in this blog, but He seems to be mostly having me post brand new things I read or do. And
most of the time the comments to the blogs indicate why-- indicating perfect timing. Remember
to also try to figure out why the indentions and the bolding in the Scripture passages. After
posting it in my Yahoo 360 blog, the Holy Spirit urged me to send it to all of my e-mail list. I
hope you will take time to enjoy it.

Remember, Job had no Scripture to refer to when challenged by Satan. Job is famous for his
patience and what is a common lack amongst those who own many Bibles?
James 5:7-11
Be patient therefore, brethren [and sisteren],
unto the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the Earth,
and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Be ye also patient;
establish your hearts,
for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Grudge not one against another, brethren [and sisteren],
lest ye be condemned:
behold, the Judge is standing before the door.
Take, my brethren [and sisteren],
the Prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord,
for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Behold, we count them happy who endure.
Ye have heard of the patience of Job,
and have seen the end of the Lord;
that the Lord is very pitiful,
and of tender mercy.

Do you think the last three lines were in relation to Job and his wife getting blessed with health
restored, livestock, and children because of Jobs faithfulness to God and his forgiving the 3
friends or do they refer to the time that Jesus was on the cross?

Also the following verses came to my mind in relation to the previous verses about the Prophets
of God--
Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are ye,
when men [and women] shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely,
for My sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:
for great is your reward in Heaven:
for so persecuted they the Prophets who were before you.

1
God told Satan twice that Job was His servant, that there was none like him on Earth, a
blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil. So our preacher this morning
asked us what do we serve God for and he gave three options: for gain-- blessings from God like
the Prosperity Movement emphasizes, or because of fear of God, or because of our love for God.
For the last one, he read 1 John 4:16-19--

And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.
God is love; and he [or she] who dwells in love dwells in God,
and God in him [or her].
Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment:
because as He is,
so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casts out fear:
because fear hath torment.
He who fears
is not made perfect in love.
We love Him, because He first loved us.

Now for some thinking about verses Philippians 1:

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 for your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing,
that He Who has begun a good work in you
will perform it until the Day of Jesus Christ:
***Do you pray for others in that way?

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound

yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 that ye may approve things that are excellent;
that ye may be sincere and without offence
until the Day of Christ;
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness,
which are by Jesus Christ,
unto the glory and praise of God.
***How could these verses be related to Job? How can they be related to present-day
Christians? How can they personally challenge you?

15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife;

and some also of good will:
16 The former preach Christ of contention, not sincerely,
supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love,
knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.

2
18 What then?
Only that in every way, whether in pretence, or in truth,
Christ is preached;
and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
***Can such qualities be applied to the 3 friends who talked with Job? How then should we
react and pray for Christian preachers? What should we not think, say, and do in relation to
them? What doctrines of preachers should we warn others about? How should we suggest
praying for them?

27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ,

that whether I come and see you, or else be absent,
I may hear of your affairs:
that ye stand fast in one spirit,
with one mind
striving together for the faith of the Gospel;
28 and in nothing terrified by your adversaries,
which is to them proof of perdition [eternal damnation],
but to you of Salvation, and that from God.
29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on Him,
but also to suffer for His sake;
30 having the same conflict
which ye saw in me, and now hear is in me.
***How does this passage relate to 1 John 4:16-19 and Matthew 5:10-12 above? What is in one
spirit mean? What does with one mind mean? And what does striving together for the faith of
the Gospel mean to you? Hint: Philippians 2-3 and Ephesians 4 might help in answering these
questions.