WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:54.170 🎵 🎵 And thank you choir and Jennings and Macy 00:00:54.170 --> 00:00:57.049 for those good songs. It's now time for Children's 00:00:57.049 --> 00:00:59.409 Church. If we have any little tykes, six and 00:00:59.409 --> 00:01:08.090 under. The rest of us will be in the book of 00:01:08.090 --> 00:01:16.450 Job. Job chapter 3 is where we will start in 00:01:16.450 --> 00:01:34.609 verse 20. Job chapter 3 verse 20. Job chapter 00:01:34.609 --> 00:01:38.030 3, verse 20. If you've never read the book of 00:01:38.030 --> 00:01:41.930 Job, I would encourage you to read it. It's kind 00:01:41.930 --> 00:01:46.150 of a long book. However, really, the first four 00:01:46.150 --> 00:01:49.030 or five chapters kind of set the tone and the 00:01:49.030 --> 00:01:51.310 last four chapters kind of wrap the story up. 00:01:51.390 --> 00:01:55.209 Really, the bulk of the book of Job is simply 00:01:55.209 --> 00:01:57.750 a discussion between Job and his friends who 00:01:57.750 --> 00:02:00.219 have come to... comfort him in his suffering, 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:02.359 and that's really what the book of Job is about. 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:07.200 It's about suffering, and it is a good book for 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:10.759 us to read. However, if you have read it before, 00:02:10.939 --> 00:02:14.039 you know that it probably leaves you with a lot 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:17.479 more questions than it does answers, especially 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:20.479 as we begin to look at the beginning of the book 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:23.879 of Job. We may kind of scratch our head at some 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:27.530 of the things that we see there. And we're going 00:02:27.530 --> 00:02:30.550 to talk about it a little bit today, and I probably 00:02:30.550 --> 00:02:32.430 won't be able to answer your questions about 00:02:32.430 --> 00:02:36.610 Job, so I'm sorry for that. But it does give 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:39.229 us a lot to think about and consider in our own 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:44.610 lives, because like Job, each of us suffer in 00:02:44.610 --> 00:02:46.849 many ways throughout our lifetime, sometimes 00:02:46.849 --> 00:02:50.569 in great ways in the way that Job does, and sometimes 00:02:50.569 --> 00:02:54.129 maybe in lesser ways, but we all know what it 00:02:54.129 --> 00:02:57.460 means to suffer in some way. And I think that 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:00.439 that's why this book is beneficial to us. So 00:03:00.439 --> 00:03:03.259 let's read through this couple of verses here, 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:07.520 Job chapter 3, verses 20 through 22. Then we'll 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:12.819 pray and get started. Why is light given to one 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:16.419 burdened with grief, and life to those whose 00:03:16.419 --> 00:03:20.379 existence is bitter, who wait for death but it 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:23.759 does not come, and search for it more than for 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:26.680 hidden treasure? who are filled with much joy 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:30.659 and are glad when they reach the grave. Let's 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:33.659 pray. God, we come to you this morning, and we 00:03:33.659 --> 00:03:36.099 thank you for your word, and your word is good, 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:38.740 dear Lord, and you are good, and we need to be 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:41.120 reminded of that sometimes, dear Lord, because 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.319 perhaps we are guilty, dear Lord, sometimes in 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:47.139 our suffering of questioning you and doubting 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:50.000 you, dear Lord, or maybe even getting angry with 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.099 you, God, but I pray. that in these few minutes 00:03:53.099 --> 00:03:55.639 today that your Holy Spirit would speak to us, 00:03:55.819 --> 00:03:58.979 that you would help us this morning in the midst 00:03:58.979 --> 00:04:01.000 of our suffering. Dear Lord, perhaps there are 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:03.159 some in this room today that are suffering and 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:08.180 suffering greatly. I pray, dear Lord, that even 00:04:08.180 --> 00:04:10.340 if they don't get an answer to all their questions 00:04:10.340 --> 00:04:12.500 today, dear Lord, that they would at least find 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:15.719 comfort in your presence, God. That they would 00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:18.139 at least know that you have not forgotten them, 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:20.389 dear Lord. that they would know that you are 00:04:20.389 --> 00:04:24.189 in control today. So God, I pray that you take 00:04:24.189 --> 00:04:27.350 away any pride or any fear that I have this morning, 00:04:27.410 --> 00:04:29.829 that every word that is said is for your glory. 00:04:30.490 --> 00:04:32.449 I pray, dear Lord, that you would help us to 00:04:32.449 --> 00:04:36.009 listen, to hear from you, that your Holy Spirit 00:04:36.009 --> 00:04:38.189 would do the work, dear Lord. Free us from distractions 00:04:38.189 --> 00:04:41.709 and worries. And I pray that you would help us 00:04:41.709 --> 00:04:43.910 to draw closer to you and find strength in you 00:04:43.910 --> 00:04:47.649 today. And I ask these things in Jesus' name. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:54.139 Amen. Job is a man who experiences great suffering. 00:04:54.199 --> 00:04:57.339 I'll tell you the story very quickly. I encourage 00:04:57.339 --> 00:04:59.980 you to read it for yourself. But in the beginning 00:04:59.980 --> 00:05:02.740 of the book of Job, we see this discussion between 00:05:02.740 --> 00:05:07.500 Satan and God. And ultimately what occurs is 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:12.230 God allows Satan permission to do... essentially 00:05:12.230 --> 00:05:15.170 whatever he wants to Job apart from killing. 00:05:15.310 --> 00:05:18.769 Now, he starts off with some small things by 00:05:18.769 --> 00:05:21.370 taking away things that he has, and eventually 00:05:21.370 --> 00:05:25.290 Job still praises the Lord. He loses his stuff. 00:05:25.350 --> 00:05:28.949 He loses his children. He loses pretty much everything 00:05:28.949 --> 00:05:32.430 that he has. Now, Job is a righteous man. We 00:05:32.430 --> 00:05:34.730 see that in the beginning of the story, that 00:05:34.730 --> 00:05:39.079 Job is a righteous and godly man. And all of 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:41.579 these things are taken from him by Satan, which 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:46.939 God allows. And Job still praises the Lord. And 00:05:46.939 --> 00:05:49.060 Satan's not happy with this. And he says, but 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:52.639 if you let me do whatever I want to Job, if you 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:56.000 let me punish him and bring pain to him, God, 00:05:56.120 --> 00:05:59.379 then you will see that this man who is a righteous 00:05:59.379 --> 00:06:03.319 and godly man, that he won't stick by you. And 00:06:03.319 --> 00:06:06.019 God, again, this comes with some difficulty and 00:06:06.019 --> 00:06:08.259 some questions in and of themselves that we won't 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:12.300 look at today, but God allows this to take place. 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.500 And Satan does all these things to Job, and Job's 00:06:16.500 --> 00:06:19.740 body's covered with all these sores, and Job 00:06:19.740 --> 00:06:24.800 is just miserable. And we see that in the first 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:27.040 couple of chapters. We're introduced to the story. 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:31.180 And it doesn't take long until even Job's wife 00:06:31.180 --> 00:06:33.439 says, look, why don't you just curse God and 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:36.680 die? Why don't you just get this over with? And 00:06:36.680 --> 00:06:39.540 pretty soon his friends come. And his friends, 00:06:39.560 --> 00:06:43.259 they start out on a high note because it said 00:06:43.259 --> 00:06:45.879 his friends come and they sit with him and they're 00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:48.339 trying to be a comfort to him. And it says they 00:06:48.339 --> 00:06:50.759 don't know what to say, so they just sit there 00:06:50.759 --> 00:06:53.720 with him in silence. And after that, things go 00:06:53.720 --> 00:06:56.800 downhill because they open their mouth. And as 00:06:56.800 --> 00:06:59.120 soon as they open their mouth, they begin to 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:03.100 give Job bad advice. They tell Job, they say, 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:06.800 look, Job, you have sinned and done something 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:09.420 really bad. Because God, he's done took your 00:07:09.420 --> 00:07:12.439 family, he's done made you sick, he's took everything 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:15.839 you had, your wealth, your livestock, everything 00:07:15.839 --> 00:07:19.779 you got is gone. Job, you have messed up. And 00:07:19.779 --> 00:07:22.240 each of his friends take turns, one after the 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.660 other. They'll go on there and say, Job, you 00:07:24.660 --> 00:07:26.300 need to do this and do this, and you need to 00:07:26.300 --> 00:07:28.100 not do that, and you need to examine yourself, 00:07:28.279 --> 00:07:30.560 and you just need to confess your sin. And then 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:33.220 Job will come back and say, I've been living 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:35.920 right. There's no sin in me. I don't know what's 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:38.920 going on. And he'll kind of confront them. And 00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:40.720 then the next friend will take a turn. And there's 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.480 three friends that are there at the beginning 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:44.699 and a fourth friend that comes toward the end. 00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:47.360 But the first three friends ain't worth nothing. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:52.300 They just continually condemn Job and his suffering. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.180 And at the end of the book, we see a wonderful 00:07:56.180 --> 00:07:59.500 conclusion. Because as we see throughout the 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:03.699 book, we see Job begin to question God more and 00:08:03.699 --> 00:08:08.600 more and more. He begins to call out God. Come 00:08:08.600 --> 00:08:11.040 on, God, talk to me. Bring your case against 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.959 me. Show me what I have done. And he begins to, 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:16.120 you can sense a little anger there, a little 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:19.250 frustration there. And he's a godly man, but 00:08:19.250 --> 00:08:23.129 he's tired of this and he wants to know why these 00:08:23.129 --> 00:08:25.509 things are happening to me. And I think that 00:08:25.509 --> 00:08:28.850 is the main question in the book of Job is why. 00:08:29.910 --> 00:08:32.370 And that's what we see in this first verse that 00:08:32.370 --> 00:08:36.700 we look at. Why God? Why are you allowing this 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:40.820 to happen to me? God, why am I where I am? Why 00:08:40.820 --> 00:08:44.039 am I going through what I'm going through? God, 00:08:44.039 --> 00:08:47.299 I would rather be dead and in the grave and my 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:51.740 life be done. Why won't you just let me die, 00:08:51.899 --> 00:08:55.440 God? Why? And this is a question that we see 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:58.659 repeated again and again and again in the book 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:00.360 of Job. Let me read you just a couple of more 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:04.830 verses here. Job chapter 10 verse 18. Why did 00:09:04.830 --> 00:09:07.690 you bring me out of the womb? I should have died 00:09:07.690 --> 00:09:11.049 and never been seen. Now this is pretty serious. 00:09:11.690 --> 00:09:14.690 And perhaps some of us have felt this way before. 00:09:15.090 --> 00:09:17.350 You ever said that or heard somebody say that 00:09:17.350 --> 00:09:19.389 in the middle of your suffering and your pain 00:09:19.389 --> 00:09:22.269 and your hardship? You say, I just wish I'd never 00:09:22.269 --> 00:09:26.570 been born. I wish I was never here. God, why 00:09:26.570 --> 00:09:29.409 did you even allow me to be born if it's just 00:09:29.409 --> 00:09:33.190 to live this life in pain and suffering? And 00:09:33.190 --> 00:09:36.169 that's the question that Job asked. And Job was 00:09:36.169 --> 00:09:39.690 a godly and righteous man. And that goes to show 00:09:39.690 --> 00:09:42.429 that even men and women who love God and who 00:09:42.429 --> 00:09:44.870 seek God and who try to live for God, there are 00:09:44.870 --> 00:09:47.409 times in our life that we just question and we 00:09:47.409 --> 00:09:51.570 don't understand and we say, God, why? We see 00:09:51.570 --> 00:09:54.610 another example of this in Job chapter 13, verse 00:09:54.610 --> 00:09:59.450 24. Why do you hide your face and consider me 00:09:59.450 --> 00:10:03.590 your enemy? Where are you at, God? Why don't 00:10:03.590 --> 00:10:07.330 you show yourself to me, God? Why can't I see 00:10:07.330 --> 00:10:10.049 you? Why don't you speak to me? Why don't you 00:10:10.049 --> 00:10:12.789 reveal yourself to me, God? Where are you at? 00:10:12.830 --> 00:10:15.809 Are you hiding from me? God, am I your enemy? 00:10:15.970 --> 00:10:18.629 I'm being treated like one that is being punished. 00:10:18.850 --> 00:10:23.429 God, why are you allowing this to happen? We 00:10:23.429 --> 00:10:26.210 see the question again in Job chapter 21, verse 00:10:26.210 --> 00:10:29.450 7. Why do the wicked continue to live, growing 00:10:29.450 --> 00:10:33.740 old and becoming powerful? You ever asked that 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.679 question before? God, why do good things, I mean 00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:39.460 bad things happen to good people? God, why is 00:10:39.460 --> 00:10:41.240 it that there are some people in this world that 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:44.179 do evil after evil after evil and they live long 00:10:44.179 --> 00:10:47.620 lives and they appear to be blessed for their 00:10:47.620 --> 00:10:50.460 evil? They continue to have good. They continue 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:53.240 to not have anything to worry about. Why is it, 00:10:53.259 --> 00:10:56.220 God, that godly and righteous men and women who 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:58.919 serve you are stricken with disease and whose 00:10:58.919 --> 00:11:01.740 lives are cut short and who experience all kind 00:11:01.740 --> 00:11:05.220 of pain and suffering? God, why do you allow 00:11:05.220 --> 00:11:09.179 this? And this is the million -dollar question. 00:11:10.039 --> 00:11:12.639 And I suspect for everybody in this room, there 00:11:12.639 --> 00:11:15.360 have been times in your life where you have asked 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:21.419 God, why? Why? That's the answer we want. Why? 00:11:22.860 --> 00:11:26.320 But here's what the book of Job teaches us. God 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:29.820 doesn't ever answer Job's why. He never does. 00:11:30.340 --> 00:11:33.480 He never answers that question. And I suspect 00:11:33.480 --> 00:11:37.019 that for most of us today, if not all of us, 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:40.039 that we have probably asked God why at some point 00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:42.840 in time in our life and not gotten an answer. 00:11:43.419 --> 00:11:45.960 Maybe sometimes we do. Maybe some of those whys 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:49.139 have an answer. But a lot of times our whys go 00:11:49.139 --> 00:11:52.620 unanswered. We are just as frustrated and just 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:55.820 as suffering as much as Job and just as angry 00:11:55.820 --> 00:11:59.139 with God. And we want God to show up and to speak 00:11:59.139 --> 00:12:01.919 and to make it right and to tell us why He did 00:12:01.919 --> 00:12:04.539 what He did. And so many times we beg and we 00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:08.980 plead and we cry out to God and God remains silent. 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:15.909 He doesn't answer our why question. Now I wish 00:12:15.909 --> 00:12:18.289 right now I could say, and here's why God does 00:12:18.289 --> 00:12:21.830 that. But I can't tell you the answer to that 00:12:21.830 --> 00:12:26.610 question. Because He is God, and we are not. 00:12:28.029 --> 00:12:31.029 We can look at the way God does things, and certainly 00:12:31.029 --> 00:12:33.480 we can improve on them. At least we think we 00:12:33.480 --> 00:12:35.399 could. Well, if I was God, here's the way that 00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:38.220 I would do this. Y 'all ever said that before 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:41.440 or know somebody that said that before? Maybe 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:43.519 you see somebody, like you see an electrician, 00:12:43.539 --> 00:12:45.340 he's working on the wiring, and somebody besides 00:12:45.340 --> 00:12:47.220 you says, I don't think he's doing that right. 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:48.559 That ain't the way I would do that. And I say, 00:12:48.659 --> 00:12:50.379 oh, really? I didn't know you were an electrician. 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:52.399 Well, I ain't, but if I was, I know that ain't 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.610 the way you do it. Have any of us ever been so 00:12:55.610 --> 00:12:58.289 bold to say that? We call somebody else out for 00:12:58.289 --> 00:13:00.490 doing something wrong when we don't have a clue 00:13:00.490 --> 00:13:02.509 how to do it either. But we know they ain't doing 00:13:02.509 --> 00:13:06.289 it right. And sometimes we do that with God. 00:13:07.610 --> 00:13:12.059 We're not God. Think for just a second. God is 00:13:12.059 --> 00:13:15.019 the creator of the heavens and the earth. He 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:18.639 has spoken things into existence. He has made 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:22.039 your body and all its complexity to be able to 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:25.620 breathe and see and hear and smell and your heart 00:13:25.620 --> 00:13:28.580 to beat thousands and millions of times throughout 00:13:28.580 --> 00:13:33.039 your lifetime. And we are going to tell God how 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:37.309 to do things. And we may say, well, I don't know 00:13:37.309 --> 00:13:38.850 how it's supposed to be done, but I know the 00:13:38.850 --> 00:13:42.149 way he's doing it ain't right. But what we have 00:13:42.149 --> 00:13:45.129 to remember is that God's ways are higher than 00:13:45.129 --> 00:13:47.850 our ways and God's thoughts are higher than our 00:13:47.850 --> 00:13:51.470 thoughts. Now, I don't know why God does the 00:13:51.470 --> 00:13:56.070 things that he does, but I know this, he is God 00:13:56.070 --> 00:13:59.870 and I am not. And it's a good thing that we are 00:13:59.870 --> 00:14:03.450 not God. Because we can only see as humans. And 00:14:03.450 --> 00:14:05.610 we would change things and make the best decisions 00:14:05.610 --> 00:14:08.809 we could make in changing situations as human. 00:14:08.970 --> 00:14:13.429 But God is so much greater than us and he sees 00:14:13.429 --> 00:14:16.710 and he knows everything. And so the decisions 00:14:16.710 --> 00:14:20.470 that God makes, and this is the hard part, the 00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:24.830 things that God allows us to go through are for 00:14:24.830 --> 00:14:29.820 a purpose. And it doesn't seem fair, and it's 00:14:29.820 --> 00:14:36.360 often extremely painful, but God is God. And 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:38.879 for many people, that is not a sufficient answer. 00:14:40.039 --> 00:14:43.379 But that is the only answer that we can hold 00:14:43.379 --> 00:14:48.440 firm to, is to know that God, the God that created 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:51.120 the heavens and the earth, knows what He's doing. 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:55.320 He knows what he's doing, and we may not understand 00:14:55.320 --> 00:15:00.379 what he is doing, but we have to trust him, and 00:15:00.379 --> 00:15:04.200 maybe even entrusted him. Job never stopped trusting 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:07.080 God, but he was angry at God. He never cursed 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:10.220 God like his wife told him to. He never did what 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:12.940 his friends told him to, but he still was in 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:15.620 the midst of great suffering, and he just wanted 00:15:15.620 --> 00:15:19.840 to hear from God. And so he continued to ask, 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:26.159 why, why? Why? God never answered his questions. 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:29.820 And maybe in the midst of our sufferings, we're 00:15:29.820 --> 00:15:32.899 asking why, but maybe there are better questions 00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:36.980 that we could ask today. Maybe we could ask how 00:15:36.980 --> 00:15:39.759 in the midst of our suffering. Maybe we could 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:42.879 ask God, how can I be better than Job's friends? 00:15:43.629 --> 00:15:45.929 God, maybe there are people around us who are 00:15:45.929 --> 00:15:48.529 suffering and maybe we are like Job's friends 00:15:48.529 --> 00:15:51.529 and we are just as quick to call them out and 00:15:51.529 --> 00:15:53.870 say it's their fault and say that they've done 00:15:53.870 --> 00:15:56.370 something wrong. Maybe we can look at this story 00:15:56.370 --> 00:15:59.570 and say, God, how can I be better than Job's 00:15:59.570 --> 00:16:03.149 friends and Job's wife and all those around him? 00:16:03.970 --> 00:16:06.289 Because if we're not in the season of suffering 00:16:06.289 --> 00:16:09.070 in our life, you're not going to have to look 00:16:09.070 --> 00:16:12.169 very far to see someone who is suffering that 00:16:12.169 --> 00:16:15.009 you know. Some people in this church look around. 00:16:16.269 --> 00:16:19.529 You see it on their face. You hear it in their 00:16:19.529 --> 00:16:22.809 voice. You know what they're going through sometimes. 00:16:23.049 --> 00:16:25.330 Sometimes you don't. Sometimes you know their 00:16:25.330 --> 00:16:27.230 situation. Sometimes you know their sickness. 00:16:27.389 --> 00:16:29.009 Sometimes you know they're troubled at work. 00:16:30.370 --> 00:16:33.250 How can we be better friends than Job's friends? 00:16:33.389 --> 00:16:35.570 Maybe that's a good question for us to ask in 00:16:35.570 --> 00:16:38.710 our suffering or when it comes to the sufferings 00:16:38.710 --> 00:16:46.220 of others. Maybe we could ask who? Who? God, 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:48.379 who could I help through the suffering that you've 00:16:48.379 --> 00:16:51.100 brought me through? Now maybe there's times in 00:16:51.100 --> 00:16:53.259 the past that you have gone through some great 00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:56.799 suffering in your life. And God has got you through 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:59.620 it by his word, by his spirit, by his grace, 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:02.059 by his mercy, through another brother and sister 00:17:02.059 --> 00:17:04.880 in Christ. Maybe through some of your suffering, 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:08.559 God has brought you peace and comfort. And maybe 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:10.599 you need to say in the midst of your suffering 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:13.240 today or in the midst of those who suffer around 00:17:13.240 --> 00:17:17.170 you, God. Who can I help through this? God, what 00:17:17.170 --> 00:17:20.029 situation have I been through that I see somebody 00:17:20.029 --> 00:17:22.529 I know that's going through that situation and 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:25.490 I can go to them and I can say, brother, I know 00:17:25.490 --> 00:17:27.890 what it's like to go through that. Sister, I 00:17:27.890 --> 00:17:30.190 know what it's like to go through that. And I 00:17:30.190 --> 00:17:32.329 know in the midst of the suffering, it seems 00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:34.670 like there is no hope, but I want to tell you, 00:17:34.690 --> 00:17:39.069 God helped me and there is hope. Maybe that's 00:17:39.069 --> 00:17:43.230 a better question to ask. Maybe another question 00:17:43.230 --> 00:17:46.910 we could ask instead of why is what? God, what 00:17:46.910 --> 00:17:50.069 can I learn in the midst of this suffering? God, 00:17:50.089 --> 00:17:52.470 what are you trying to teach me in the midst 00:17:52.470 --> 00:17:56.269 of this? And oftentimes, perhaps we learn something 00:17:56.269 --> 00:17:59.430 about ourselves that we didn't realize. Perhaps 00:17:59.430 --> 00:18:02.170 in the midst of our suffering, God wants us simply 00:18:02.170 --> 00:18:05.369 to seek his word more. Maybe through our suffering, 00:18:05.430 --> 00:18:08.779 God is trying to strengthen our faith. Maybe 00:18:08.779 --> 00:18:11.559 through our suffering, God is just trying to 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:17.259 wake us up. God, what can you teach me through 00:18:17.259 --> 00:18:20.920 my suffering? What can I learn? And maybe if 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.099 we begin to reflect on ourselves and our suffering, 00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:26.000 maybe we see some things there that aren't good. 00:18:26.700 --> 00:18:28.980 Some things that maybe we would call out to God 00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:31.819 and seek Him, that God would begin to work in 00:18:31.819 --> 00:18:36.579 our life. Maybe another question we could ask 00:18:36.579 --> 00:18:43.079 is, When? God, when will I get through this and 00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:48.680 how can I use it to grow in you, God? When will 00:18:48.680 --> 00:18:52.680 these things end? Maybe God gives us an answer 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:56.019 to that. Maybe He doesn't. But maybe in not even 00:18:56.019 --> 00:18:57.880 getting an answer to the when will this end, 00:18:57.980 --> 00:19:00.539 maybe even still God will strengthen our faith 00:19:00.539 --> 00:19:03.480 and help us to grow in Him and trust in Him and 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:08.349 be patient in Him all the more. Another thing 00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:10.369 perhaps we could ask instead of why is where. 00:19:11.609 --> 00:19:14.569 Where will this lead me, dear Lord? Where will 00:19:14.569 --> 00:19:18.410 this lead me? When will this end? What's going 00:19:18.410 --> 00:19:21.150 to be the end point of this? What's going to 00:19:21.150 --> 00:19:23.829 be the result of all this? Where will all of 00:19:23.829 --> 00:19:28.230 this suffering end up? And in the story of Job, 00:19:28.369 --> 00:19:35.579 it ends in a good place. Job continued to seek 00:19:35.579 --> 00:19:37.859 God and he continued to trust God even though 00:19:37.859 --> 00:19:40.460 he was angry with God and he had called out to 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:43.700 God and he asked, why, why, why, why, why, why, 00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:47.539 why? And God never responded until the end of 00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:53.619 the book. And finally God said, Job, here I am. 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:57.039 Now you sit there and listen to me like a man. 00:19:57.579 --> 00:20:01.900 And then God proceeded to tell Job, Job, who 00:20:01.900 --> 00:20:05.109 are you to question me? God, I have created, 00:20:05.329 --> 00:20:08.329 Job, I have created the universe. I have created 00:20:08.329 --> 00:20:10.910 everything that you see. I know how wildlife 00:20:10.910 --> 00:20:13.490 works. I know how they live. I know how they 00:20:13.490 --> 00:20:15.829 give birth. I know where the rain comes from. 00:20:16.049 --> 00:20:18.009 I know how to keep the oceans in their place. 00:20:18.230 --> 00:20:21.069 I can command lightning bolts to strike and where 00:20:21.069 --> 00:20:22.890 they're going to strike and where they're going 00:20:22.890 --> 00:20:25.450 to land. I can command the sun, the moon, and 00:20:25.450 --> 00:20:27.589 the stars and everything that there is. And they 00:20:27.589 --> 00:20:31.009 listen to me. Job, where were you when I did 00:20:31.009 --> 00:20:34.069 these things? Job, can you explain? to me how 00:20:34.069 --> 00:20:36.950 these things work? Do you know these things, 00:20:37.069 --> 00:20:42.549 Job? For about two chapters, God goes on and 00:20:42.549 --> 00:20:44.910 on and on and says, let me tell you about this 00:20:44.910 --> 00:20:47.650 thing that I did, Job. Can you give me an answer 00:20:47.650 --> 00:20:49.750 to this? Let me tell you about this thing that 00:20:49.750 --> 00:20:51.970 happened, Job. Can you tell me how that works? 00:20:52.130 --> 00:20:56.829 And on and on and on and on, God goes and he 00:20:56.829 --> 00:21:00.950 responds to Job. And when God gets through responding 00:21:00.950 --> 00:21:05.160 to Job, Listen to what Job said in Job chapter 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:09.420 40, verse 4. He says, I am so insignificant. 00:21:10.140 --> 00:21:14.599 How can I answer you? I place my hand over my 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:17.819 mouth. That's all he'd been asking for, for chapter 00:21:17.819 --> 00:21:20.920 after chapter after chapter. God, show yourself 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:24.660 to me. And when God showed himself, Job said, 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:28.430 hold up. I suspect that'd be a pretty intense 00:21:28.430 --> 00:21:30.170 thing. You know what I thought about this morning? 00:21:30.250 --> 00:21:31.930 Y 'all probably heard some of this too. When 00:21:31.930 --> 00:21:34.029 that storm come through, it was some amazing 00:21:34.029 --> 00:21:36.190 thunder. I'm talking about, like I thought the 00:21:36.190 --> 00:21:37.630 windows was going to break. They were rattling 00:21:37.630 --> 00:21:42.150 so much so. And it was just, just thunder, just 00:21:42.150 --> 00:21:45.549 vibrating everything. And I thought about the 00:21:45.549 --> 00:21:48.190 voice of God. And I said, you know what? That's 00:21:48.190 --> 00:21:50.700 probably what it's like when God speaks. It's 00:21:50.700 --> 00:21:53.480 probably this powerful thing that scares you 00:21:53.480 --> 00:21:56.319 to death. And here Job was ready to hear from 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.660 God, and God spoke. And Job said, sorry, God, 00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:04.660 I'm not ready. He said, God, I don't know, God. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:09.720 He says, I am insignificant. I'm going to put 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:11.799 my hand over my mouth. God, I'm going to shut 00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:14.789 up. That seems to be when people get in trouble 00:22:14.789 --> 00:22:16.730 in this story. Job's friends did pretty good 00:22:16.730 --> 00:22:18.569 until they opened their mouth. Job was pretty 00:22:18.569 --> 00:22:20.730 good until he opened his mouth and he realized, 00:22:20.990 --> 00:22:26.470 God, I'm insignificant. God, I never should have 00:22:26.470 --> 00:22:29.569 questioned you. God, I had no right to question 00:22:29.569 --> 00:22:33.170 you. God, I am so insignificant and you are God 00:22:33.170 --> 00:22:36.289 and my suffering is great, but God, you know 00:22:36.289 --> 00:22:39.750 what you are doing and God, I'll never question 00:22:39.750 --> 00:22:43.940 you again. I'm just going to listen to you, God. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:46.339 I'm just going to sit here in your presence, 00:22:46.380 --> 00:22:50.440 and I'm just going to listen to you, God. And 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:53.119 I wish I could tell you the answer to all your 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:55.700 why questions. I wish I could tell you today 00:22:55.700 --> 00:22:58.019 that God was going to give you the answer to 00:22:58.019 --> 00:23:02.019 your why questions, but chances are, he's probably 00:23:02.019 --> 00:23:04.960 not going to tell you why. You're just going 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.759 to have to continue to go through life, and you're 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:09.359 going to have to continue to go through seasons 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:12.170 of suffering. And like Job, you may question, 00:23:12.269 --> 00:23:14.829 you may call him out, you may be angry with him, 00:23:14.869 --> 00:23:17.410 but perhaps like Job, we need to come to this 00:23:17.410 --> 00:23:22.369 realization that God is in control. And that 00:23:22.369 --> 00:23:25.029 we may not understand what he does, we may not 00:23:25.029 --> 00:23:28.190 like what he does, it may not feel good, we may 00:23:28.190 --> 00:23:32.470 want it to end today, but God knows what he's 00:23:32.470 --> 00:23:36.490 doing. And so where will our suffering lead us? 00:23:37.210 --> 00:23:40.720 Well, if we're like Job, If we remain faithful 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:44.319 to God, if we put our faith and trust in Jesus 00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:47.400 Christ, if we seek God's Word to live in obedience 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:51.140 to it, even in the midst of our suffering, there 00:23:51.140 --> 00:23:55.420 is blessing. Blessed are those who suffer for 00:23:55.420 --> 00:23:58.859 the kingdom of God. Where will it lead us? It's 00:23:58.859 --> 00:24:03.359 going to lead us to the presence of God. It's 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:06.000 going to lead us out of this suffering. Now, 00:24:06.019 --> 00:24:08.750 I wish I could tell you today that... your suffering 00:24:08.750 --> 00:24:10.730 in this world will go away one day. And it may 00:24:10.730 --> 00:24:13.670 or it may not. There are seasons of suffering 00:24:13.670 --> 00:24:15.369 in our life and we get through them sometimes 00:24:15.369 --> 00:24:18.809 and we move on. And sometimes we live in our 00:24:18.809 --> 00:24:20.950 season of suffering until we leave this world. 00:24:21.029 --> 00:24:22.990 I wish I could tell you that things were going 00:24:22.990 --> 00:24:24.950 to get better for you today, but I can't tell 00:24:24.950 --> 00:24:28.329 you that they are. Because God is the one who 00:24:28.329 --> 00:24:33.329 is in control. But I can assure you this, that 00:24:33.329 --> 00:24:35.210 suffering will not be the end of your journey 00:24:35.210 --> 00:24:38.240 if you've trusted in Jesus Christ. That suffering 00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:41.279 will not get the final say, even if your suffering 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:44.000 ends in death. I can tell you today that your 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:47.400 suffering will not win. But if you trust in God, 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:50.259 your suffering today will lead you to the presence 00:24:50.259 --> 00:24:53.240 of God and lead you to the blessing of God. And 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:55.700 at the beginning of the story of Job, Job lost 00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:59.559 everything that he had. But at the end of the 00:24:59.559 --> 00:25:03.400 story of Job... When God comes before Job and 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:06.000 God calls Job out and Job says, God, I'm sorry, 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:09.180 I should have kept my mouth shut. You know what 00:25:09.180 --> 00:25:13.980 God does for him? He blesses Job. More so than 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:16.579 he had ever been blessed before. More flocks, 00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:19.819 more herd, more children, more money, more everything, 00:25:19.940 --> 00:25:23.640 and with a long life. And at the end of it all, 00:25:23.779 --> 00:25:27.920 at the end of his suffering, Job found the mercy 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:32.710 and the grace and the blessing of God. And so 00:25:32.710 --> 00:25:35.849 it shall be for you and I. Maybe in this life. 00:25:36.369 --> 00:25:38.650 There are times in this life we go through suffering 00:25:38.650 --> 00:25:41.609 and we experience God's blessing at the end of 00:25:41.609 --> 00:25:44.950 it all. Praise the Lord. But even should God 00:25:44.950 --> 00:25:48.269 choose not to end our suffering in this life. 00:25:48.509 --> 00:25:51.069 And the thing that we are suffering to today 00:25:51.069 --> 00:25:55.529 ends in death. Even if it leads to more suffering 00:25:55.529 --> 00:25:57.750 and more suffering for days and months and weeks. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:02.500 Let us not be like Job and question God, but 00:26:02.500 --> 00:26:04.980 let us be like Job at the conclusion of the book 00:26:04.980 --> 00:26:08.119 where he knew who God was and he said, God, I 00:26:08.119 --> 00:26:10.640 know that you're in control and I'm not going 00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:15.160 to question you. So I don't know the answer to 00:26:15.160 --> 00:26:18.660 your why question today. And God's probably not 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:21.279 going to answer it. But I can tell you this. 00:26:21.700 --> 00:26:25.380 It may not seem like it today, but God is good. 00:26:25.980 --> 00:26:28.940 It may not seem like it in your suffering, but 00:26:28.940 --> 00:26:31.779 God loves you. It may not seem like it in your 00:26:31.779 --> 00:26:35.200 suffering, but God hears your prayers. He cares 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:38.119 about you. And even in our suffering, there may 00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:40.960 be something that God can teach us. Even in our 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:43.400 suffering, it may help us to help others. Even 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:45.619 in our suffering, it may draw us closer to him. 00:26:45.799 --> 00:26:48.220 And I can promise you this today, that if you 00:26:48.220 --> 00:26:50.980 trust in God, if you put your faith in Jesus 00:26:50.980 --> 00:26:54.400 Christ, at the end of your suffering, there will 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:57.299 be blessing for all of eternity in the presence 00:26:57.299 --> 00:27:00.579 of God. And the good news is, is that once we 00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:02.720 are in the presence of God for all of eternity, 00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:07.970 we will suffer no more. Maybe today you need 00:27:07.970 --> 00:27:10.069 to go before God and you need to say, God, I 00:27:10.069 --> 00:27:13.079 just need you to help me. Maybe you need to stop 00:27:13.079 --> 00:27:15.140 asking why, why, why, why, why, and just saying, 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:18.119 God, I need you. I don't understand. I'm hurting. 00:27:18.299 --> 00:27:20.980 I don't like it, God. Just please let me feel 00:27:20.980 --> 00:27:23.299 your presence. Let me feel your comfort. Give 00:27:23.299 --> 00:27:26.400 me a moment of rest. Give me a moment of hope, 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:29.019 dear Lord. Just let me know that you hadn't forgotten 00:27:29.019 --> 00:27:31.539 me today. And maybe these very scriptures we 00:27:31.539 --> 00:27:34.099 read today is that reminder for us that God has 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:36.920 not forgotten us. He has not abandoned us. And 00:27:36.920 --> 00:27:38.980 whatever we're going through in our life, it's 00:27:38.980 --> 00:27:40.819 not that we're being punished for something. 00:27:41.390 --> 00:27:44.289 It may be the opposite. It may be that just as 00:27:44.289 --> 00:27:47.210 God used this experience to strengthen Job and 00:27:47.210 --> 00:27:50.109 draw him closer to Him, that God wants to do 00:27:50.109 --> 00:27:52.690 the same for us today. Because I can guarantee 00:27:52.690 --> 00:27:56.069 you, even though Job was a righteous and faithful 00:27:56.069 --> 00:27:59.549 man of God at the beginning of the book, he was 00:27:59.549 --> 00:28:02.509 even more so at the end of the book. And oftentimes 00:28:02.509 --> 00:28:04.829 the things that God wants to do in our life to 00:28:04.829 --> 00:28:08.630 grow us, they only come through suffering. Let 00:28:08.630 --> 00:28:11.559 us not question God today. But let us trust him. 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:14.180 Let's pray. God, we come to you today. We thank 00:28:14.180 --> 00:28:16.000 you for these words. And we thank you for this 00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.039 book. God, this is a hard book for us to understand 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.220 and wrap our heads around. And God, we can relate 00:28:22.220 --> 00:28:24.940 to Job. Because God, there are so many times 00:28:24.940 --> 00:28:27.480 that we want to know why, why, why. And we ask 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:29.839 you and we ask you. And dear Lord, we even feel 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:32.460 like some of the same things maybe that Job feels. 00:28:33.069 --> 00:28:35.410 We wonder, dear Lord, why you let us linger on 00:28:35.410 --> 00:28:37.529 in this world in the midst of our suffering. 00:28:37.630 --> 00:28:39.650 We wonder why you even brought us into this world 00:28:39.650 --> 00:28:42.369 to start with. We wonder, why aren't you here? 00:28:42.410 --> 00:28:44.470 Why aren't you listening? God, we wonder if you're 00:28:44.470 --> 00:28:47.569 punishing us. We wonder if you even care, dear 00:28:47.569 --> 00:28:52.309 Lord. But I pray that we would see and know through 00:28:52.309 --> 00:28:55.549 the book of Job that even in suffering, dear 00:28:55.549 --> 00:28:58.650 Lord, you do not forget about the one who is 00:28:58.650 --> 00:29:01.259 yours. That even in our suffering, dear Lord, 00:29:01.359 --> 00:29:03.259 it doesn't mean that we're being punished for 00:29:03.259 --> 00:29:05.920 something we did. God, sometimes life happens, 00:29:05.940 --> 00:29:08.420 and dear Lord, it's hard for us to wrap our head 00:29:08.420 --> 00:29:10.720 around and understand why you allow some of the 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:15.660 things to occur, but yet you are God. So I pray, 00:29:15.740 --> 00:29:17.740 as hard as it may be, that we would accept that 00:29:17.740 --> 00:29:19.779 truth and live on that truth today, dear Lord, 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:22.680 that we would not forget that you are in control. 00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:25.599 And then most importantly, dear Lord, we would 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:28.740 not forget that we would know today. That you 00:29:28.740 --> 00:29:31.180 sent Jesus Christ to suffer and die on the cross 00:29:31.180 --> 00:29:34.279 for us so that through him we could have an ultimate 00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:38.480 escape from our suffering. So God, I pray that 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:41.000 while we walk this earth, that you give us strength. 00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:43.880 I pray that you give us comfort. I pray that 00:29:43.880 --> 00:29:46.940 you help us, dear Lord. We are weak and our sufferings 00:29:46.940 --> 00:29:50.299 beat us down and wear us down and they just get 00:29:50.299 --> 00:29:53.500 the best of us sometimes, dear Lord. But I pray 00:29:53.500 --> 00:29:56.160 that on those days that we question and doubt 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:59.480 and we wonder why, That you would bring us back 00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:03.339 to the cross of Jesus Christ. To know that God 00:30:03.339 --> 00:30:05.119 you've got something better for us than what 00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:08.180 this world has to offer. And maybe in this world 00:30:08.180 --> 00:30:10.279 dear Lord we don't see much good. But dear Lord 00:30:10.279 --> 00:30:14.319 we see Jesus Christ. He is the best thing that 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:17.700 there is dear Lord. So through him dear Lord 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:20.099 I pray that we would keep an eye to the future. 00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:23.859 Keep an eye to an eternity where we will be able 00:30:23.859 --> 00:30:28.259 to escape suffering forever. But God, I pray 00:30:28.259 --> 00:30:30.039 for those in this room that are suffering today. 00:30:31.059 --> 00:30:33.259 Maybe there are some that are in the midst of 00:30:33.259 --> 00:30:35.680 just a horrible time in their life with whatever 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:39.420 it may be. I pray, God, that in this moment that 00:30:39.420 --> 00:30:42.380 your Holy Spirit would just give them peace. 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:45.619 Let them feel your presence now, dear Lord. Give 00:30:45.619 --> 00:30:48.079 them some comfort and some joy in the midst of 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:50.819 this suffering. God, give them that boost that 00:30:50.819 --> 00:30:53.039 they need today to keep going and not give up 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:55.599 and not question you, but to trust you, dear 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:58.809 Lord. Maybe there are some in this room that 00:30:58.809 --> 00:31:01.390 have been through extreme suffering and they've 00:31:01.390 --> 00:31:04.769 made it through, dear Lord. I pray that anybody 00:31:04.769 --> 00:31:07.150 that's done that would just help others who suffer. 00:31:08.130 --> 00:31:10.309 God, I pray that you would help us just to seek 00:31:10.309 --> 00:31:13.230 you and to trust you today. I pray that you can 00:31:13.230 --> 00:31:15.309 help us to see in the midst of our sufferings 00:31:15.309 --> 00:31:17.750 how you may want to use that, dear Lord, to grow 00:31:17.750 --> 00:31:19.930 us and to teach us and help us to learn things, 00:31:20.009 --> 00:31:24.119 to draw us closer to you. God, I pray right now 00:31:24.119 --> 00:31:25.740 that if there's any this morning that have made 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:27.859 a decision to put their faith and trust in Jesus 00:31:27.859 --> 00:31:30.079 Christ, maybe today they realize that they need 00:31:30.079 --> 00:31:32.480 some hope and they haven't found it in the world 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:34.599 and they're suffering. But God, I pray today 00:31:34.599 --> 00:31:36.259 that they would know that there is hope and there 00:31:36.259 --> 00:31:38.079 is love and there is grace and there is forgiveness 00:31:38.079 --> 00:31:40.759 and there is one who brings us comfort and can 00:31:40.759 --> 00:31:43.000 deliver us from our suffering in Jesus Christ. 00:31:43.079 --> 00:31:45.700 And I pray, God. that if there is one that has 00:31:45.700 --> 00:31:47.839 put their faith in Jesus today, that they would 00:31:47.839 --> 00:31:50.940 come forward as we sing, dear Lord, and let us 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:52.700 know about that decision, that we can rejoice 00:31:52.700 --> 00:31:55.039 with them. God, maybe there are some today that 00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:56.579 are suffering. Maybe they need prayer. If they 00:31:56.579 --> 00:31:58.019 want to come down and get prayer, dear Lord, 00:31:58.099 --> 00:32:01.000 I encourage you to just put it on their heart, 00:32:01.059 --> 00:32:03.480 dear Lord. Maybe they need to just seek somebody 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:05.299 else in their life to help them in their time 00:32:05.299 --> 00:32:07.960 of suffering. Whatever it is, dear Lord, if you've 00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:10.000 spoken to anybody this morning, I pray that they 00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:12.660 would respond to you now. And I ask these things 00:32:12.660 --> 00:32:17.289 in Jesus' name. Amen. As we stand and sing, if 00:32:17.289 --> 00:32:19.269 God has spoken to you today, now is your chance 00:32:19.269 --> 00:32:21.009 to respond. If you need prayer this morning, 00:32:21.150 --> 00:32:23.250 I'll be happy to pray for you. If you've accepted 00:32:23.250 --> 00:32:25.910 Jesus today and you've put your faith and trust 00:32:25.910 --> 00:32:28.190 in Him, I encourage you to come forward as we 00:32:28.190 --> 00:32:31.269 sing and let us know that we can rejoice with 00:32:31.269 --> 00:32:33.349 you and that we can baptize you just as Jesus 00:32:33.349 --> 00:33:01.170 commanded. I gave my life to ransom thee, surrender 00:33:01.170 --> 00:34:35.219 all to thee. Thank you. tonight if you want to 00:34:35.219 --> 00:34:37.920 learn more about this new digital ministry that 00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:40.820 we have available. And when you leave today, 00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:42.860 check your email. You will have an invite. Go 00:34:42.860 --> 00:34:44.599 ahead and sign up. Or if you need help, come 00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:46.739 back tonight. But I encourage you to come and 00:34:46.739 --> 00:34:48.820 be part as we talk a little more about that. 00:34:48.920 --> 00:34:50.519 Dad, would you close us with a prayer, please? 00:34:51.219 --> 00:34:52.980 Lord, we thank you for a beautiful day today.