He is Still in The Fire// Week 6// Angry at God

Angry At God

Job November 22, 2020

I. Introduction:

A. Have you ever been angry with God, felt like He ripped you off? I have!

B. When I was 27 years old, God clearly led me to go to seminary to prepare for the

ministry. Kim and I had $14,000 saved in the bank at that time.

1. Over the next five years every moment of time, every bit of energy, every

penny we saved and earned was used to get ourselves prepared to serve God

in the ministry.

2. By the time we graduated I had destroyed my back working on the docks

trying to help get through school, had two young children, literally only $100

in cash with nothing in the bank, and a small truck load of other people’s

throw away clothes and furniture.

C. The first three years of ministry were extremely difficult.

1. I spent long hours pouring my life into the ministry here at MVC and the

lives of the people here.

2. Add to that the stress of a young family, back problems, financial pressures,

and two undependable cars, fixing up a fixer upper house, and a strong attack

by the devil against our family.

D. One Saturday night Kim went out to a roller-skating party with one of our girls.

She fell and landed squarely on her tailbone.

1. Early Sunday morning Kim woke up unable to move and in great pain. I

knew that I had to take her into the hospital.

2. I called one of Kim’s sisters to get the girls, and one of the pastors to fill in

for my responsibilities at church.

3. Now it was time to move the most undependable car out of the driveway so I

could take Kim to the hospital in the other car.

a) I got in the car and it would not start.

b) I thought I could push the car into the street so I could get to the other

one. I got out and pushed but the car was caught on a high curb at the

end of our driveway so I could not get the car over it.

4. I remember getting back in the car, rolling up the windows, raising my fist

and shaking it at God as I yelled out to Him “God, you have ripped me off! I

have spent every penny I have, every bit of time, every bit of energy in

serving you and all you have given me in return is junk!

E. Maybe you have cried out for help from Him but He has not answered. Maybe

you have been claiming a promise that He has made but God is nowhere to be

found. Maybe you have walked with God for years but it does not seem like God

is coming through for you.

1. I know everyone says you are not supposed to be angry with God but if you

were radically honest with yourself and others, you would have to say I am

ticked at God!

• I want to share with us the story of Job this morning because that is where God led me,

met me in the depths of my heart, and set me free from my anger.

II. The book of Job.

A. Chapter 1-3 introduces us to Job and his trouble and pain.

1. We learn here that Job was a very wealthy man who feared God and was

greatly blessed by God!

2. Satan told God the only reason Job loves you is because you blessed him so

much – “paid lover” but take away all his blessing and he will curse you to

your face. Read v9-11

3. Because of this test Job lost all his livestock, all his servants, all ten of his

children and his body was attacked with severe boils from head to toe.

4. Then Job’s wife spoke up. Listen to 2:9-11

B. In chapter 4-31 we see four angry old men arguing about who is the fault of all

this trouble. This was not a pretty exchange and it got very heated! Ever been in

one of those meetings?

1. Job did not hold back at all about what he honestly thought of the situation,

about his friends’ counsel, and God!

2. His three friends called for him to confess his sin because only bad people get

the kind of trouble he is getting!

C. Then in chapter 32-37 we see the wise counsel of a young man

1. Elihu was there the whole time and heard everything that was said.

2. 32:2-3 sums up the arguments of these four in Ch. 4-31.

a) Read v2-3

b) His friends basically did not know what they were talking about but they

still condemned Job

c) Job justified himself before God!

(1) He later repeats some things that Job had said. Read 33:8-10,

34:5-6

d) Job was angry with God because he felt that God was not being fair with

him. He has taken away my rights!

(1) Bottom line Job felt that the good get good and the bad get bad!

(2) Listen to 31:2-4

(3) Job said disaster is for those who sin. Doesn’t God see my ways

that I am a righteous man?

3. Elihu closes this section by talking about man’s inability to understand the

great wonders of life! Read v4, 14-15, and 19 (we cannot defend ourselves

because we do not understand). Finally, in v23 he tells us that God is not

unjust but is full of righteousness! Read v23

D. In chapter 38-41 God calls Job into his office of nature for a talking to!

1. God starts by confronting Job’s ability to understand the great mysteries of

life and nature. Read 38:1-4

2. When God gets done taking Job on this tour of nature that is bigger than Job

is smart He says this:

a) Read 40:1-2, 6-8

b) God says that Job has been condemning God in order to justify himself.

c) Job has been saying “God has been wrong and unfair in giving me bad

things because I am a righteous man”

3. Then God adds to His argument that Job does not have the power to control

them either.

a) Sounds like God has been taking Job to school to teach him that life is

smarter than he is smart and stronger than he is strong!

4. God talks to him about the hippopotamus in Ch. 40 and finishes with this.

Read v24

5. Then in chapter 41 God talks to him about the crocodile and says this: read 8-

11

6. Bottom line God says to Job “I owe no one anything! I own everything.”

E. The message that God was impressing upon Job’s heart was that He has purposes

that are higher than his legalistic system of good for good and bad for bad and that

he could not understand these purposes nor change them even if he tried.

1. God taught Job that He gives blessings and trials equally out of His grace

and purposes. These do not come because we earned them because of some

good or bad in our lives, but they come because of God’s grace and purposes.

2. Job learned these lessons. Ch. 42

a) God was moved out of the small box that Job had Him in.

(1) In v 2, he acknowledged the power of God that cannot be

overcome. Read v2

(2) In v3, he acknowledged the understanding of God that was too

wonderful for him. Read v3.

(3) He experienced Him in a brand new and powerful way. V5

b) He repented of his belief that God was unfair to him and owed him

something. Read v6

III. Conclusion

A. God taught me the same lesson.

1. God does not owe me a thing “no matter how much I have done for Him”

2. God is good even when He does not give me good things.

3. His ways are higher than my mind can comprehend

B. In closing, consider if this way of thinking that was in me may be in you:

Emotion

Anger

Thinking

God has been unfair to me

Belief

God owes me something but did not come through

C. Time to reflect before God