The Wizard of Uz
A farmer was showing a man around his farm one day when they came to the pigsty—and there was a magnificent pig with a wooden leg. Not surprisingly, the visitor asked about the wooden leg.
The farmer replied, “Arr…now that’s a very special pig. One night when we were all in bed, the farm caught fire. But that pig saw it, broke out of the sty, called the fire department, threw buckets of water on the fire, then rushed into the farmhouse and rescued me, my wife and the children. Yes, that’s a very special pig!”
“And did he lose his leg trying to fight the fire?” inquired the visitor.
“Oh, no! But a very special pig like that—you don’t eat it all at once!”
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good we are…we can do all the right things, but bad things still happen to us.
Are you blessed this morning?
Has God been good to you?
He Ain’t Never Done Me Nothin’ But Good
CHORUS
He ain't never done me nothin'
Done me nothin' but good
Nothin' but good
Ooo, ooo ooo,
He ain't never done me nothin'
Done me nothin' but good,
Nothin' but good.
VERSE 1
Job was a righteous man, the devil couldn't doubt it.
He surely loved the Saviour, there was no doubt about it.
But satan cursed his body from his feet to his head;
Told him all his children and his cattle we dead.
Job's wife said, "Why don't you curse your God and die?"
But Job said, "Woman, you're speakin' like a foolish child".
Job 1 (New King James Version)
Job and His Family in Uz
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed[a] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
Satan Attacks Job’s Character
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan[b] also came among them. 7 And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
9 So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
12 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Job Loses His Property and Children
13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house;
14 and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
15 when the Sabeans[c] raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
18 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
19 and suddenly a great wind came from across[d] the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
21 And he said:
“ Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
___
It only gets worse for Job…He loses his health, His friends question his righteousness.
Job gets depressed and rightly so.
He curses the day he was born!
But through all of this he remained righteous.
Job was willing to suffer for God.
He knew that God would be faithful to him.
He trusted and God proved Himself to Job and restored Job with twice as much as he had before.
Philippians 1:12-21 (New King James Version)
Christ Is Preached
12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
15 Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill:
16 The former[a] preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains;
17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
19 For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
What are you willing to suffer for God?
By the state of the Church at large it doesn’t seem like very many are willing to endure a whole lot for the cause of Christ.
Jesus gave His life for all of us.
He died to give us hope…the opportunity of salvation.
Will you serve him?
I don’t just me call Him your Savior and come to church when it is convenient!
I mean will you live every minute of your life striving to do His will?
As the musicians come forward this morning…
Let’s pray.