Why, When You're Angry With God, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

3:55 Beloved, as you get ready to get into the Word of God today, I want you to bow with me in prayer that we might prepare our hearts and our minds, our lives to bear the fruit of God's Word that we receive on today. Bow with me and be in prayer.

4:18 God, how grateful we are not only for the opportunity, but really the privilege of gathering together in worship into hearing your holy word. Your word is the lamp to our feet, the light to our path. And we just still believe, oh God, that when you speak through the pages of Holy Scripture, you're speaking directly to us. I ask God now that I would not stand in the way of what your Holy Spirit intends to do. Allow our hearing to be clear, are receiving to be unintruded, that we might bear the fruit of this word in due season if we do not faint or grow weary. Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. In Jesus' name we do pray, amen.

5:07 Family, today, with the grace of God, I want to get back into that series we began last weekend simply entitled, When You're Angry With God. When the Lord laid this on my heart, I knew that it would be uncomfortable because many of us have been raised in religious traditions and churches that taught us that we don't question God. and therefore if you ever questioned God, if you ever had the audacity to be angry with God, they looked at it as an indictment against your faith that somehow something was wrong with you because you should never be upset with God. And although that sounds religious and although it's been preached and taught in many churches, the tough reality is that that's not the reality of a walk with God. Because in truth, beloved, at some moment in your life, God is going to move in a way that disappoints you. God is going to act in a way that shocks and frightens you. God is going to answer prayer in a way that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

6:20 And if you're honest, you may wind up in a place where you're angry with God. I want to thank all of those who are courageously transparent, both on social media and in the chat, to raise their hand and say, been there, done that. That many of us can attest to the reality of being angry with God. If not angry, frustrated. If not frustrated, confused. If not confused, disappointed. If not disappointed, upset. Especially around the death of someone we loved and were praying for. Nothing can push you to an angry corner with God like God allowing someone you love to die. That's where we found Mary and Martha last week in John chapter 11.

7:17 That when their brother Lazarus dies and Jesus finally shows up, they're angry with him. And they run to him and they say, if you had been here, our brother would not have died. And I suggested on last weekend that all of us can reach a if place with God. If dot, dot, dot, then dot, dot, dot. You fill in the blanks. If God loved me, then this would not have happened. If God was faithful to his word, this should not have gone down this way. If God is truly omnipotent, then this should never have happened in my life. Last week, we took some moments to look at the sources of Mary and Martha's anger, which sometimes become our own. suggested to you that they were angry because they prayed from a privileged position, believing that their righteousness and their relationship with Jesus should have kept them from the experience of Lazarus dying.

8:24 And how often our holiness, our discipleship, our righteousness, our reading the Bible, our prayer, our trying to do right and live right comes across as a quid pro quo, that if we do this, we expect God to do that. And remember that righteousness and holiness and discipleship is not an investment in mercy, it's a response to grace. It's what we offer to God for what the Lord has already done. And therefore, our prayers are not ways of manipulating the will of God, but our prayers are ways of opening our eyes to the glory of what God is doing, even when God is doing what you don't want God to do. Secondly, we sometimes become angry because of our context of comparison. If the truth is told, it's not really what God does for us that upsets us.

9:25 is how much God seemingly does for someone else. And I want to remind you that one of the worst things you can do in life is compare the reality of your life to a snapshot of someone else's. Because the wicked, the ungodly, may prosper, but they're never blessed. And thirdly, we sometimes become angry with God when we struggle with sovereignty, when God moves in ways that we don't understand. And I want to remind you that when the hand of God escapes your understanding, the character of God must be believed in your heart. To reach that place where Martha said, but even now, even now there's some things I believe about God that I will not let go of. If. Well, it seems to me that the conditionality of if has to be followed up with the curiosity of why. Why, God?

10:30 And it seems to me that the best place to stand in Scripture and ask the question why is in the shoes of Job. Job is a book all about why. This 18th book of the Bible is named after Job, but the truth be told, it could be given a different name. It could be entitled Howard John. It could be called Dr. Judy. It could be called Bobby or Brooke, Marcia or Mark, whoever your name is, because at some moment, all of us will walk in Job's shoes. Biblical scholars believe that the book of Job is one of the oldest books of the Bible, which really is appropriate because Job asks the oldest question of humanity. Why does God allow this to happen? The book of Job is complicated. I can't do justice to it in one sermon, but I would ask that you hear the reading of Job chapter 23, beginning in verse number one. If you'll journey with me in your Bible or on your devices, the 23rd chapter of the book of Job, beginning in verse number one, I want to read in your hearing of the new international version of God's holy word, Job chapter 23.

11:55 Then Job replied, No, he would not press charges against me because there the upright can establish their innocence before him. And there I would be delivered forever from my judge.

12:38 But if I go to the east, he is not there. If I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him. When he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take. And when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps. I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. As we meditate on not only these words of Job, but the story of Job, simply want to ask the question, why? Why?

13:32 Let's begin our sermon with the seminary second. You all know that every moment of sermon, there's some time when we dig into the seminary language and explore what we learn in school. The question of why is the seminary issue of theodicy. Let the church say theodicy. Theodicy is the question of the justice or the righteousness of God in allowing or establishing moral or physical evil in our lives and across the earth. Let me say it again. Theodicy is the question of the justice or the righteousness of God in allowing or establishing moral or physical evil in our lives and across the earth. In the Cliff Note version, it's trying to understand how and why a good God would allow bad things to happen to good people.

14:41 Theodicy is a question all of us know, all of us have asked, and all of us will experience. Why does God allow bad things happen to good people? As a matter of fact, you can't get out of the first chapter of Job without asking the question, why? When you get home and you reread chapter one of Job, you'll find out that Job chapter one sets the context for a critical question of theodicy. In chapter one, verse one, we are introduced to Job, a man of a town named Uz, Uzzi. And here's what chapter one, verse one tells us about Job. It's real simple. Job's resume reads like this. He's blameless. He's upright. He fears God and he shuns evil. Chapter one, verse one gives us the religious resume of Job. Blameless, upright, fears God, shuns evil. Job is a whole lot better than you and me. He's blameless. He's upright. He fears God and he shuns evil.

16:04 The Bible says not only is Job righteous, but Job is blessed. He owns cattle, camel, and servants. He has land and multiple homes. He's got a whip and a ride. He's got a faithful wife who is birthed him 10 children who are all grown and doing well, and Job prays for them every day. Job is the man. As a matter of fact, when little children are raised in Uzz and they get to elementary school and they have to write the essay of what they want to be when they grow up, all of them say, we want to be Job. Job is who everyone wants to be. He's blessed. He's blameless. He's upright. He fears God and he shuns evil. But before you applaud too soon, before we get to verse six of chapter one, all hell breaks loose.

17:12 In chapter six, we are transported from us to the throne room of heaven. and it is there where God is engaged with the divine counsel that Satan shows up. And in Job chapter 1, we're giving a little insight into a conversation between God and Satan. God asked Satan, where have you been? Satan's response is, I'm just doing what I do. I'm walking over the earth. I'm looking for some folk to mess with. I'm trying to cause some havoc. I'm trying to wreck some evil. I'm trying to jack some folks' lives up. I'm just doing what I do. And in that interaction, the very first question we have to wrestle with shows up. Now, let me pause just a minute. I want people to understand what I intentionally try to do when I preach. When I come before you and bring the word of God, there are a few things that are always on my agenda. Number one, I want to be faithful to what God has placed on my heart and mind in prayer. Number two, I want to engage you in the Bible and cause you to look at scriptures in a way you may never have looked at them before. Number three, I want to take you into a seminary second and raise a theological issue that may not have crossed your mind or term you may not be familiar with. Number four, I want to intentionally use some words that make you go to the dictionary.

18:43 Good preaching ought to add to the repertoire of our vocabulary. And then finally, I want to raise some questions that make you think about some things you may not have been thinking about. Not to think about them like I do, but to ask yourself the question, to debate it with your spouse, to talk about it with your children, friends and colleagues, small groups, villages, Bible studies, areas where we raise these questions and debate. So when I ask a question, I'm not necessarily saying that I don't believe or I've lost faith, but I want you to ask the same question. Last week when I asked you, what is the purpose of prayer? I was not saying that there is no purpose. What I was suggesting is that if the will of God is fixable and unchanging and inevitable and prayer doesn't necessarily change what God is doing, why then do you pray? Because the purpose of prayer cannot simply be to change the outcome and get the answer you want, because there's going to be a moment when you pray and it does not change the outcome and you don't get what you want. And in that moment, you have to understand that prayer is about much more than simply getting what I want.

20:03 What is the purpose? The question was meant to cause you to think. Now, come back to Job chapter one. God and Satan are interacting. Satan says, I've been on the earth doing what I've been doing. And the question that comes out of that conversation is this. who or what is responsible for the evil that we experience who is to blame for the trauma the tragedy and the trouble that we go through who's responsible for the bad things that happen to good people is that just life do bad things just happen to all of us did we bring it on ourselves, can I look at what I'm going through and say that I'm responsible for it? Is this the attack of the enemy? Do you believe in spiritual warfare? Do you believe that there's an eternal enemy who's at war against the righteous of God? Or is God somehow to blame? Does God ordain the trouble and the tragedy? And if God doesn't ordain it, but God allows it, is God responsible?

21:15 when you look at the evil we go through when you see what we experience who do you blame do certain traumas and tragedy fit in certain categories or are they all a blend in a mix of all the above who is to blame god and satan are kicking it god's talking to satan about what he does. And all of a sudden, Mel, without provocation, without understanding, and without a reason, God says, have you considered Job? God puts Job on Satan's radar. God volunteers Job to go through a season of satanic suffering. God volunteered Job for something Job did not deserve.

22:16 Listen, beloved, allow me to pause and keep the engine running, but I'm gonna tell you this. God, the one thing you never have to do on my behalf is volunteer me to go through a season with Satan. God, I want you to answer my prayer. I want you to be a shield around me. I want the blood to cover me. But God, you ain't ever on my behalf have to volunteer me to go through suffering with Satan. God volunteers Job. And when God volunteers Job, listen to what Job says to God. Does Job fear you for nothing? What Satan really says is the only reason Job is blameless and upright and fears you and shuns evil is because he's found out that when he's blameless and upright and fears you and shuns evil, you protect him. That Job is only righteous for a reason.

23:21 And beloved, that raises the second question that I want you to wrestle with. what is the motivation for being righteous? Why are we holy? Why do we try to live like Christ? Why do we obey the commandments of God? Why do we pray? Why do we worship? Why do we give? Why do we serve? Because watch this, Job is righteous and it's his righteousness that identifies him as a candidate for suffering. And if righteousness doesn't keep me from suffering, why am I righteous? What is the motivation? I thought the more I loved the Lord and the more I read Bible and the nicer I was to mean people and the more I prayed and the holier I tried to live my life, the more God would keep me from some of these things. But what's scary about Job is that it's his righteousness that makes him a prime candidate for suffering.

24:27 What is the motivation for being holy? Satan says to God, if you take your hand off Job and let me have him for just a little while, I guarantee you he'll curse your face. God is so confident in Job that God says to Satan, you know what? I'll take that bet. Because if there's anyone who's going to be faithful, if there's anyone who will remain steadfast, if there's anyone who will trust in me, it's my servant Job. It's on. A bet is made.

25:07 And for what boils down to little more than a wager between God and Satan, Job loses everything. As a matter of fact, by the end of chapter two, Job has nothing.

25:30 Cattle and camel stolen. Servants killed. or tornado sweeps through the land and crashes upon the house where all 10 of Job's children are and all 10 die at once in a tragic traumatic accident.

25:52 Job is diagnosed with disease and winds up sick. And y'all, it gets so bad for Job that even his wife looks at him and says, Bae, you ought to just curse God and die. You've got a reason to be angry with God. If this is a result of righteousness, it ain't worth it. You might as well die than try to be faithful to a God who will allow you to go through this.

26:21 And when you get to the end of chapter two, this man who in chapter one is blessed, blameless, upright, fears God and shuns evil. At the end of chapter two, he's sitting in a heap of ashes. Not just physical ashes, but the ashes of everything he's lost.

26:42 And the Bible tells us that three of his friends show up. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. And they come to bring comfort and compassion to Job. And Mark, the Bible says that Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, they sit silently with Job for seven days. For seven days, they sit in silence with Job. And when the sun dawns on chapter three, everything changes. because in chapter three, after seven days of sitting silent with Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar want to know the same thing Job wants to know. Why did this happen?

27:38 Why did this suffering land in your life? Why did you lose 10 children in a tragic accident? What's the purpose? What's the reason? What's the cause? What's the goal? Why did God allow this to happen to you? The premise of their question is that God would not allow this to happen without a reason. And we have the right to know that reason. And so from chapter 3 to chapter 27, Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, from chapter 3 to chapter 27, are simply trying to figure out why. Why did God allow this to happen to you?

28:37 Have you ever had a why moment with God? God. why did this happen to me? Why did my dad, who never smoked, die from lung cancer? Why did mama have to die like that? Why didn't you keep that officer from killing Dante and Brianna or stroking out, strangling out Derek and killing Mike? God, why didn't you use your omnipotence to stop that from happening? Have you ever had a moment when life took you to a circumstance and a situation that left you scratching your head and looking at God and asking God, why did you let this happen to me? God, why?

29:28 Just give me some insight. Just give me a clue. Just give me a little answer. Just help me understand, God, why this? that's where Job is from chapter 3 to chapter 27 asking God why and when you read chapter 3 to chapter 27 you'll find Kendall that it is a repeated pattern that goes like this Job speaks and then Eliphaz has an answer. Job speaks, then Bildad has an answer. Job speaks and then Zophar has an answer. And it starts all over again. Three cycles of Job, Eliphaz, Job, Bildad, Job, Zophar start again. Job, Eliphaz, Job, Bildad, Job, Zophar start again. And Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are trying to convince Job of their reason for why God has allowed this to happen.

30:38 Eliphaz says the reason this is happening is because God uses suffering as a way of correcting us. But if you just trust God, he'll never put more on you than you can bear. That's what Eliphaz says. Bildad says, the reason your children died is because you didn't pray enough. So if you just pray more, it'll all work out. Zophar says, no, the reason it happened is because you're not as righteous as you proclaim. You've messed up somewhere and you've not been open and transparent and you must confess and repent. And when you repent, God will stop it because you brought it on yourself. Don't you miss this. Here are the religious answers they give Job. You want to know why you're angry? You want to know why this happened? You want to know why this went down? Because you just need to trust God. You just need to pray some more and you just need to repent.

31:37 That if you trust God, he'll never put more on you than you can bear. That if you pray, this wouldn't happen. And if you live right, this wouldn't have gone down. They give Job all of the religious answers. And here's the problem. None of those answers fit the reality of Job's situation. Because you and I know what God said about Job in chapter one. Job is holy. Job is blameless. Job is upright. Job fears God. Job shuns evil. Job has done nothing wrong. And what Job is struggling with is that the answers you are giving me do not match the reality of my situation. So when today, you know what it's like to find yourself in Job's shoes and all the common cliches, all the religious answers don't connect with what you're really going through. Have you ever had folk mean well, but what they said to you did not help you. It brought no consolation.

32:43 it did not resonate with your reality? You telling me that God knows what's best ain't helping me right now. You reminding me that God won't put more on me than I can bear. I don't want to hear that when mama died. You telling me I brought it on myself does not connect with where I am. Don't tell me just to pray until it ends. Have you ever been in a place where religious answers just don't help. I don't want to hear that right now. I just buried my dad. My mom just got diagnosed. And here you are with your religious self telling me just pray. I've been praying.

33:30 Job is going back and forth with Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. and Angie he finally recognizes that you know what I need to talk to God that he gives up on Bildad Eliphaz and Zophar and directs his conversation to God because Job recognizes what I'm gonna tell you right now you can't waste chapter after chapter of your life with people who have no discernment of what God is really doing in your world. You can't waste the days of your life trying to prove yourself and argue with folk who have no divine discernment about what God is really doing in your world.

34:17 So Job says, let me talk to God. And he goes to God and he pleads his case and he asks God to give an answer. but it doesn't get any better. God shows up in chapter 38 and watch what goes down. Can I preach right here? God shows up in chapter 38. He meets a Job who's angry. He meets a Job who wants to know why. He meets a Job who doesn't understand why this is happening. He meets a Job who's had the courage to ask God why. God shows up. And this is what God says in chapter 38. He says, Job, if you want to know why, I'll answer that question if you can answer a few of mine. God shows up and read chapter 38. This is what he says. Job, gear yourself up like a man. No, No, no, Job, stand on your feet, put some back in your backbone and look me eyeball to eyeball.

35:26 And I'll tell you why if you can answer some of my questions. And beloved, God then proceeds to ask Job 77 questions that Job can't answer. Don't miss this. God looks at a Job who's angry and wants to know why. And God says, I'll answer your question why when you answer 77 questions that I know you can't answer. God gives Job a pop quiz with 77 questions that Job can't answer. The questions fall in three categories. One is, Job, who are you? When you think about who I am, Job, who are you?

36:22 Who really are you? The second category is where were you? Where were you when I put the heavens and the earth together? Where were you when I put the sun in the sky? Where were you when I put the fish in the sea? Where were you when I made the winds move? Where were you when I caused night to be dark and day to be like Job? Where were you? And then the third category, are you able? Are you able to cause the grass to grow? Are you able to put the bark in the dog and the meow in the cat? Are you able to do what I'm able to do? God asked Job 77 questions that Job can't answer. Y'all, doesn't that seem like overkill?

37:10 77? Seven? Well, even if you're a beginning Bible student, you know the significance of the number seven. Seven is used to represent a totality of something. So 77 is a dramatic portrayal of everything. And when God asks Job 77 questions, he can't answer. What God is literally saying to Job is what God is saying to you and me, that there are some things about God you will not be able to understand. There's some things about the Lord you cannot comprehend. There's some things about the way God does what God does that will never make sense to you.

37:54 God, why not just answer Job's question? Even if the answer was Job, I'll let you go through it so I can prove something to Satan. Why not just answer the question? because maybe, just maybe, there's another lesson here, and it's one of the most difficult to digest.

38:18 And that lesson is this. You have to learn to live with unanswered questions. You've got to accept the fact that God will not always reveal the answer to the question why. You may never understand why certain things happened the way they did. You may never understand why they didn't hire you. You may never know why she left you. You may never get closure as to why that relationship didn't work. You may never know why the diagnosis came to your family. You may never know why that accident happened to you. You may never know why. God does not reveal to Job why.

39:14 And can I push it? And the way God responds to Job with 77 questions, it's almost God saying, and I don't have to. I don't owe you an answer to why. No matter how righteous you are, no matter how blameless you think you are, no matter how many scriptures you quote, no matter how many ministries you belong to, you cannot subpoena God and force God to give you an answer to the question why. We may never know why. And if that bothers you, if that leaves a bad taste in your mouth, come back to Calvary and see Jesus dying on a cross and looking up to God asking, why has thou forsaken me? And God does not answer.

40:11 And if Jesus doesn't get an answer, what makes you so holy that you think you will? So here's the question, Job. Here's the question, Howard John. Here's the question, Judy. Here's the question, Bobby, Brooke, Marcia, Mark. Here's the real question.

40:35 Do you need an answer to be faithful? Do you need God to make sense for you to keep trusting God? Do you need to know why to keep holding on to God? Can you trust God when you don't understand God? Can you be faithful to God when God has not given you an answer that makes sense to you? Can you keep praying and pressing and striving even when you're angry with God and God refuses to give you insight? Someone, you need to hear that.

41:14 Because you came to this sermon today expecting God to give you an answer. When I told you last week that the sermon this week was why, you tweeted all your friends, told them to log on because you thought this preacher with this Bible and this God would give you an answer. But I come by to tell you sometimes the answers escape us.

41:38 I can't tell you why. I'm just Bildad. I'm just Eliphaz. I'm just Zophar. I can give you what I think, but it may not connect with where you really are. And the real question for you is, do you need an answer to keep trusting God?

41:59 That's why this 23rd chapter of Job is so critical. Because in Job chapter 23, Job seemingly has made peace with the fact that I may not get an answer. Job says listen if I could I would go to God and make my demand and God would answer me but this is what he says beginning in verse 8 but I can't find God when I look to the north I don't see him when I look to the south he's not there on the east I can't find him in the west he's not there Job acknowledges the reality of not being able to find God and get the answer that he wants. So then Job transitions, and here's where the sermon gets good to me. Job says, listen, when I can't find God, when I'm angry with God, when God doesn't give me an answer, when I don't know why, when this thing frustrates me and upsets me, and I've gone through what doesn't make sense to me, Job says, here's what I've done. And watch what he drops on us from verse 10 to 12, and I'm going to get out your way. Job says, watch this. This is what I've learned.

43:15 That when I'm angry and God doesn't make sense, he says in verse number 10, but this is what I know. The Lord knows the way that I take. Watch this. He says, I can't find God, but I know that God sees me. I may not understand God, but I know that he's got his eye on me. I may not know why this happened, but I trust and believe that as it's happening, that I serve a God who's got his eye on me. And I came by to encourage someone today with a good news of hope, and that is that God sees everything that's happening in your life. God knows how much this hurts. God knows you don't understand.

44:08 God sees what's happening to you. God is aware. God is never just a bystander. God is never just idle. God is never just watching you. God has always had his eye on you. and when God sees, God is active and involved. You know what it's like? It's like when I used to play hide and go seek with my kids when they were younger, used to love those innocent days when they were four or five years old and they loved playing hide and go seek. I'll never forget one of the very first times I played hide and go seek with my youngest son, Cooper. I taught him how the game was played, that he had to go hide, and I would come find him. And so I turned my back, and I said, Cooper, go hide. I'll count to 10. I counted to 10, and when I turned around, he was standing in the corner, not behind anything, not hidden, but he had his hands over his eyes.

45:07 He was standing in the corner with his hands over his eyes, and I finally figured out what was going on. he was under the impression that if he couldn't see me that I couldn't see him and I had to let him know even though you may not be able to see me with your eyes because I'm your father I see you all the time and someone that's what I came by to tell you today in this space where you can't see God and you don't hear God and you're wondering why and your situation has caused you to doubt the love of God, I want you to know we have a God who always sees you. That your inability to see God has not hindered God's ability to see you. And whatever God sees, God is involved in. Here's the good news. Because he sees me, he's involved with me even when I don't know it. Come here, Let me teach the Bible real quick. God is still active with Job, even though Job doesn't know it.

46:17 Job has lost everything and he thinks God has forsaken him, but God sees him and is active with him because with everything Job went through, there was still a hedge around him. Job didn't recognize it, but there was a hedge around him, keeping him and protecting him in the midst of what he went through. There's somebody watching today in the midst of your Job circumstance. You can raise your hand and declare, I know something about that hedge. That hedge has always been around me. God's hand has always been on me, even when I didn't like what was going on around me. God's hedge was still, it was that hedge that kept you from losing your mind. It was that hedge that kept the gun out of your mouth. It was that hedge that kept you from losing your house. It was that hedge that kept your marriage together. It was that hedge that kept your child safe. Is there anybody watching who knows something about the hedge of God.

47:29 That he sees me and his hedge is always around me. Job says, when I'm angry with God and I don't get an answer to why, I take confidence in knowing that he sees me. That's not all that Job says. he says not only do I take confidence and knowing that he sees me but in verse number 12 Job says this I have treasured his words in my heart that I've held on to the word of God no no as a matter of fact the word of God has become more valuable to me in the middle of my struggle than it was in my good days, that when I'm going through the going through, I've learned to treasure the word of God. Because beloved, when there's no answer for my head, there's still a word for my heart. That when I don't understand what I see, I can still trust in what I've read. That when I don't know why this is happening. I can hold to the truth and the treasure of the word of God. Yes, it's getting bad right here. And yes, I've gone through some things I don't understand. And yes, life has gotten rough on me, but this is what I know. Weeping still endures for a night. It's all going to work together for my good. He will never leave me or forsake me. He walks with me and talks with me that in the midst of it, I found out that the word of God will hold my life together when life is trying to tear me apart. Job gives us some good advice that when you don't have an answer as to why, treasure the word of God in your heart. Hold on to what God has spoken.

49:25 Reread what God has said. Get back into your word and let the word hold your life together. When tragedy is trying to pull it apart, you've got to learn to stand on the word of God. That's what he says. He knows and he sees me. I'm holding God's word. But I like this testimony. Listen to the assurance of Job. He says, and when I come forth, when I've been tested, I will come out as gold. Job says, when I've been tested, I will come out as gold. Let me pause for a minute.

50:09 Do I believe God tests us? Yes. But what Job is talking about here is not God using suffering as a test. Don't miss this. Does God test us? Yes, I believe God does. But I also know that what Job is speaking about here is not about being tested by God. Job's struggle was not God testing him. Let me let me argue my case. in ancient Jewish culture it was common for them to find a metal or a stone and not know what it was and they developed certain tests of the metal and the stone that would identify what it was to those who didn't know it don't miss this the test was to take what was unknown and do something to it that revealed what it was to those who didn't know what it was. Let me say it again.

51:11 The test took what was unknown, did something to it to reveal what it was to those who didn't know what it was. Now, why do I believe that suffering is not a test from God? Here it is. Because God already knows what you are. God already knows what you can handle. God already knows what you're made of. God made you. God knows everything about you. God doesn't have to test you to reveal to God who you are because God already knows that. So who is the test for? For the person who doesn't know what it is. And so Job says, watch this. The test was not God taking me through something to reveal who I am to God. but the test was to reveal who I am to someone who didn't know who I am. Don't miss this. The test didn't show God who I was. The test showed me who I was. That when I went through this, not only did I learn something about God, I learned something about myself.

52:21 and I would argue with you that if you look back at your Job moments and the trauma and the tragedy and the pain and the problems that every one of them showed you something about yourself it showed me how strong or how weak my faith was it showed me the character of my discipleship It showed me the gap in my prayer life. It showed me where my faith need to be strengthened. It showed me how much I loved my mother. It showed me what I was able to endure. Is there anybody here who can look back at where they've been and realize it showed me something about myself? that in this Job moment, God sees me. In this Job moment, I treasure the word of God.

53:18 In this Job moment, I've learned something about myself. And watch what Job says, finally. Job says, you know what? While I've been angry, while I'm going through this, I've learned to follow the footsteps of God. I have followed his footsteps.

53:44 Now, if I haven't lost you, this ought to be a little confusing because Job, hold on, wait a minute. I thought you just said you couldn't find God. You just told us that you looked for God and couldn't find God. You wanted an answer and couldn't get one. And now you're telling me you're following the footsteps of God. Hold on, Job. I thought you said you couldn't find God. And I got with that because there's some moments I can't find God. And now you're telling me you're following his footsteps. Which one is it, Job? Do you know where he is or do you not know where he is? Job had to speak back to me. Job said, Howard, I didn't say I was following God. I was following the footsteps of God. The footsteps. steps. Yes, Howard, I went back to where I know the Lord had already walked. And even though I couldn't find him where I was, I went back to where I last knew he had been. And I walked in the steps of the last time I remember where God was. Here it is, beloved. Don't you miss this, that when I can't find God, when I'm angry with God, when there's no answer, Job says, leave where you are.

55:02 and go back to where you know God has been and remember where the Lord brought you from and how he carried you through and where he led you through. Go back to the footsteps of God. Okay, I'm done. I'm done. Some of you, you're not feeling me. I'm trying to make this simple about what it means to go back and remember where the Lord brought you from. You all know that a few weeks ago, a movie we were all waiting to see finally came out on Amazon Prime. Yes, you remember it. Coming to America number two. We were all waiting for coming to America number two. We wanted to see the storyline continue. We wanted to see what happened. We wanted to see Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones and Wesley Snipes. We wanted to see this movie of black excellence and black beauty.

55:59 I was waiting to see Coming to America. And that Friday night when it came out, I had the family gather together, brought my mama upstairs, had the boys sitting down. It's Friday. We're about to watch Coming to America. Now, I know it had mixed reviews, but I'm going to tell you, it was funny to me. I laughed throughout that whole movie. I laughed to see that the princess was still barking. I was cracking up when they brought Randy Watson back on the stage. That movie had me in tears. I enjoyed it. And I looked around and my two sons had the audacity to be watching this movie without a smile on their face. I was enjoying it, but they did not laugh.

56:59 And I got a little upset. How can you watch this movie and not laugh? And I remember my oldest said, Dad, it's not funny to me. I don't like it. And then I realized what the problem was. The reason he didn't enjoy it the way I did, because he had not seen the first one. Because if you had gone back and seen the first one, you would have enjoyed the second one a whole lot more. So I said to him, son, in order for you to enjoy what we're watching right now, we got to pause and go back to 1988 and pick up the original one and watch that one. Because when you remember the first one, you'll enjoy the second one a whole lot more. Goodbye, Alfred Street. May the Lord bless you real good. I came by to talk to someone who doesn't enjoy where they are right now, don't like what God is doing, angry with God. I got some good news for you. Go back to 1988.

58:01 Go back to the footsteps of God and see what God has already done. And when you remember the prayers he's answered and you remember the blessings he sent And you remember the storm he carried you through. And you remember the hell he brought you out of. It'll cause you to appreciate this just a little bit more.

58:30 Why? I don't know. But he knows where I am. I treasure his word. It's showing me something about myself. and I've learned to go back and follow the footsteps of God. You may never know why, but you can still trust God. If when you're angry with God, why when you're angry with God? Next week, by the grace of God, we're going to talk about when. God when is this going to be over Lord I thank you for knowing where we are even when we don't know what you're doing I thank you that you've seen fit to deposit your word as treasure to our hearts I thank you God that you're showing me something about myself and I thank you that even when I don't know what you're doing today I've got footsteps in my yesterday and for that, oh God, we give you thanks.

59:41 Now, I pray, Lord, that there be anybody listening to this for the very first time and they believe in you and they want to trust in you and they want to give you a chance in their life. Jesus, I pray that you would break into their heart even now and Lord, that as a church family, we would be faithful in guiding them into the path of discipleship, that they may know the joy of what they're dealing with right now. God, come into our lives. Christ, redeem us from our sins. Holy Spirit, live within us. This is our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen. you know the bible says that whenever the word of god goes out that it never comes back void or empty and i'm just crazy enough to believe that whenever the word of god goes out in sermon and in song the components of worship that it does something for someone today maybe that word creates the thing you desire to want to know jesus christ as your lord and savior Listen, there's nothing we would rather do in this church family than to share with you the amazing gift of grace and love that God has for you.

1:00:57 If you desire to open your heart for the very first time or to reconnect with the Lordship of Jesus Christ, do me a favor. Send us an email at deaconswithaness at alfredstreet.org. It would be our joy to reach back out with you and share the journey of salvation. if you're listening today and you desire to connect with our church family you've been looking for a place to grow and go I invite you to do the very same thing send us an email at deacons with an s at Alfred Street or you can go onto our website where there's a link that would allow us to reach back out with you and open the arms of fellowship no matter where you may be in the world wide web to Alfred Street Baptist Church do me a favor if you will continue to be faithful to whatever the Holy Spirit places on your heart as what you give to help support the ministry, you know that we tithe the tithe here at Alfred Street, which simply means that every week we take no less than 10% of what was given and sow it right back into the heart of communities and families who need our help and assistance, which means that as you help us make glorious the name of Jesus, you also help us feed those who are in need.

1:02:11 I look forward to sharing with you on next weekend. Meet us right back here. Follow us on all of our social media pages. If you haven't, won't you subscribe to our YouTube channel that together we might make glorious the name of Jesus in all that we do. And now to the almighty, the eternal, the all wise, the sovereign, the gracious and merciful God who alone is creator of heaven and earth. To the God who's made himself perfectly known to us in Jesus who alone is our Christ, our loving Lord, our sacrificial Savior, our resurrected, risen, reigning, returning Redeemer. To the God who chooses to dwell in these earthen vessels of clay through the sustaining power, promise, presence, purpose, and person of the Holy Spirit. To that all wise God be glory and majesty, dominion and power from now until eternity as redeemed of the Lord, who loved the Lord and awaited his return.

1:03:12 Said amen.