19 Jan “5 lies of the devil” | part TWO “GOD IS MAD AT YOU”

Key Verse: JOB 1 & 2

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WOONSOCKET: Construction is underway!

FIRST TUESDAY- January 28 – we will have childcare. 6:00p prayer, 7:00p worship.

We are having it the last Tuesday because we will be breaking our FAST that day.

FASTING – January 26-28 Food and Social Media

STARTING JANUARY 19 WE ADDING ANOTHER SERVICE IN NORTH ATTLEBORO:: 8:00 AM on Sunday mornings starting mid-January! Quieter service. If you attend Thursdays, please remain attending that service.

Waters Church Facebook Page now has groups set up for each campus and a group set up for Life Groups.

To join the groups, just go to the Waters Church FB page and go to groups and join the ones you want. Make sure you join the Life Group (group) so we can get people interested in joining a Life group. The Heach Coaches and I will be moderating the group and adding topics for discussion.

CLASSES; Baptism class is every 4th Sunday of the Month. at 11:30 / Growth Track runs the first 3 Sundays every month at 11:30 – this is a one and done registrants only need to attend one session / Starting Point runs every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 11:30 – details and descriptions can be found on the registrations which are located under Events on the HUB.

Pastor Tim referenced a news article from ABC news  titled: “Are you angry at God?”  The article stated that  two-thirds of Americans believe God is angry at them.  

There are many variations of this lie that God is mad at us. God is punishing us, out to get us, done with us.  Sometimes unintentionally a church we’ve attended might communicate that too. They may have unintentionally sent messages of how horrible you are, and how much of a sinner you are etc.

 

Ice-breaker Question: 

 

Q: Have you had past experiences where you believed God was mad at you or out to get you because someone unintentionally made you feel that way? For example: family, friends, a church?

 

Pastor Tim referenced the movie The Joker which is an origin story about the villian.  Society is now fascinated with the origin stories of the villain.  It strikes a nerve, we want to know where trouble comes from, so we can avoid it.  We struggle with Trouble.  

 

TROUBLE Makes Everyone a THEOLOGIAN. 

When things are good we don’t think about God.  Suddenly when trouble happens we need to assign the blame.  We blame: God, self, or others. 

 

IF I start to Blame God–become atheist  

IF I start to Blame Self–Religious professionals

IF I start to Blame Others–Politician

 

We blame the wrong people and Satan’s underneath it all.  He’s a liar and deceiver.

1 John 5:19 

Satan’s Strategy in our Trouble: HIDE and DIVIDE.”

 

Q: Have you ever gone through some kind of trouble and blamed God, yourself, or others? Was there a time when Satan divided you against others? God? The truth?

 

In times of TROUBLE the Devil seeks to COMMUNICATE one repeated LIE: “God is mad at you.”

 

S. Lewis said, “The problem of pain is atheism’s most potent weapon against the Christian faith.”

 

In Job 1-2, we are invited to see THREE REALITIES: 

(1) the nature of our ENEMY

(2) the nature of our WORLD

(3) the nature of GOD.

 

Job 1:1–3 (ESV) There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.

Job 1:6 (ESV) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.

Job 1:7–8 (ESV) The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And 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, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

Job 1:9 (ESV) Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?

Job 1:10 (ESV) Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 

Job 1:11 (ESV) But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 

 

Underlying accusation the Devil tells us is that you and everyone will only serve God for what they can get out of Him.  

 

Concerning the nature of Enemy: 

1: Satan uses CIRCUMSTANTIAL TROUBLE  to give us SPIRITUAL  uncertainty. 

 

Job 1:20 (ESV) Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; BLESSED be the name of the LORD.”

 

Learn to worship through the storm/trouble. There is a backstage reality to the trouble you face in life or you will believe the Devil’s lie that God is mad at you and out to get you.  Learn to praise God when everything around you isn’t good. When everything is bad God is still good. The Devil wants to turn your heart away from every good thing…starting with God.  

 

I reveal my  LEVEL of TRUST in God  MOST CLEARLY when life goes MOST POORLY.

 

Q: When has there been a time where Satan used circumstantial trouble to give you uncertainty? How did you respond to your trouble? What or who did you turn to?  

 

Concerning the nature of our WORLD: 

2: Satan can use  CIRCUMSTANTIAL  TRAGEDY because he has been given LIMITED AUTHORITY.

Job 2:3–6 (ESV) 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, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

 

TWO BIG TRUTHS about the WORLD:

1. It is under the CONTROL of SATAN

Luke 4:6 (ESV) (Satan said to Jesus), “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.

2. It is NOT my HOME.

Hebrews 13:14 (NLT) For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ezekiel 18:31–32 (NLT) Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? 32 I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live!

Remind yourself to fight the good fight of faith. God does not want you to lose.  God calls to us in our fight. Will we turn to God in our troubles and live or will we run from God in our troubles and die? 

 

Q: Are there any areas in your life that need improvement to fight the troubles?  Praying, fasting, worship, serving, reading the Bible?

 

3rd: Job invites us to see the nature of God.

3: In Jesus, God took on Satan’s  WORST TROUBLE at the CROSS to SAVE you and BRING YOU HOME.

Job’s friends gave him lengthy speeches. Eliphaz: you’ve sinned, God’s disciplining you  Bildad: you’ve sinned and God is judging you Zophar: payback for all the year’s you never thanked God for the good. 

 

Job 38:1–2 (ESV) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

 

Job 42:3–6 (ESV) I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

 

The moment Job got a better picture of what God was about he repented and turned himself toward God.  God showed up in the whirlwind of trouble. 

 

John 12:31 (ESV) Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

 

On the CROSS, the only TRUE INNOCENT SUFFERER died so that I could LIVE in the LOVE of God.

 

Pastor Tim told the story about Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese army officer during WWII.  He believed that the war was not over and refused to surrender for 29 years. He was convinced that WWII was still going on, and that every attempt to bring him home was a plot of deception.  He essentially “fought” a war that only lasted 6 years for 29 years.  

 

Q: Have you ever done the same thing with God, fought a fight that God already won?  What lies has or is Satan telling you about your troubles and struggles?  

 

Gospel Message: God is not mad at you, he took your sins upon himself so you don’t have to pay for them.  The war is over, he took the shots for you, he took the punishment and blame and he bore it on the cross for you and for me.   Live in the peace of the gospel message.