Three Great Truths

The Word of God as Divine Revelation

Now Holy Spirit, we come to you at this time and we ask you. We beg you we beseech you to take your word and to make it real in our lives.

Quiet our hearts.

Take from us the things that so often seem to just swim around in our hearts and minds. Maybe you allow us to put them aside for a few minutes to hear your voice. And hear your words spoken to us and that it might affect us in our lives that our lives would be changed.

That our lives would show forth the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so again, we ask you now to come and to teach as only you can. May the words of our mouths Meditations of our heart be acceptable in your sight.

For you are our rock and our Redeemer in Christ's name. Amen. I've asked you to read this portion with me and I want to focus on verse 13 and 14, but he is unique.

And.

Who can change who can make him change? Whatever his soul desires that he does. But he performs what is appointed for me and many such things are with me. You know friends. God's Word God's Word as his divine revelation.

Divine revelation to man is just an endless well of Instruction an endless well of comfort an endless well of of teaching add an endless well of Warning. And you and I could do no better than as we come to his word to realize that that this is not a book Written by men.

It is not something that was crafted in the minds of men over a period of time. But rather this is the revelation of God himself. This is God's Word to us. You and I as we come to the words this morning we need to approach it in that way.

Is that not why Jesus said that man? Shall not. Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that perceives from the mouth of God. And if you and I would consider it we can never really exhaust all the authority all the Instruction all the wisdom all the peace all the warning that comes from God's Word.

It was one time many of you know Charles Spurgeon the famous preacher in.

England and.

One time someone came up to him and they said to him that that they had read the Bible and they felt as if they Were full of it. There was nothing else to be gained from it in Spurgeon it is in the way, he spoke he said that the Word of God was like taking an empty jar and And pouring in rocks into this empty jar and then that he asked the person do you think the jar was full the person said yes it is.

And it's burden said what if I were to take smaller rocks and pour them into that same jar and fill up the spaces That are in between the larger rocks. Would you then say that the jar was full? The man said well, of course.

As Spurgeon went on and he said well, then what if I were to take sand and pour sand into the same jar? And that the sand would then again begin to fill up the spaces where even the little rocks Had left.

Would you then think that the Word of God that the job was full and the man of cloth once again said yes. And then Spurgeon said finally what if I was to fill it with water and that that water would then take up Every possible place.

Would you then think that the job was full and my friends? I think that's a great way of explaining the Word of God. The Word of God in our understanding is it we can never really fill that job to the point of exhaustion.

And as we consider these words and and I say to you in this way if we will truly consider them This is my friend. You did not come here to hear me. I'm sure I pray you came here to hear God. I Pray you came here to be to be taught to be instructed to be comforted to be warned By God and God himself and if we will do that Then I believe that we will find meaning in this portion of the Word of God.

I think the Word of God in many ways is like a a man who takes a pick he goes and he approaches this this mountain that's before him and it's This mountain is so big and so majestic and so high and so lofty and the man looks at that mountain and all he can Really do he cannot conquer that mountain.

He merely can take a pick if you will and begin to chip away at a few pieces and and my friends. That's all we're going to do this morning is to seek to to take a pick and just chip a few little pieces from the mountain of God's truth and particularly as it is revealed in these.

Two verses.

But he is unique and who can make him change. Whatever his soul desires that he does or performs. What is appointed for me and many such things are with him and I want to ask you to consider. But three things would be this morning and again just to touch them briefly.

One is that we are told something of the person in the being of God and Then in the second place we are told something of the activity and the actions of God towards his creatures. And then as we close I want to briefly mention something that I hope will leave us if you will hanging in praise and worship of The one that we are thinking of.

Job's Suffering and the Context of His Confession

Let me just ask you to consider the context. Perhaps you've not read Job in a while as we read in the opening of this man Job who God said was a righteous man God had declared him righteous. But nevertheless just because God had declared Job righteous does not mean that Job did not struggle with the affairs of his life.

Matter of fact.

If you will read the book over and over again you will see more and more that that is really the essence of of the life of Job as it's revealed to us is that his he is righteous before God and yet his life Just seemed so full of struggles and ultimately the end God reveals himself to Job in a glorious way.

That is who we are considering as the main character from the standpoint of men. He's right with God. But listen friends, would you not agree with me? Just because we're right with God does not mean that the struggles of life disappear and in reality the struggles of life become more difficult and The reason for it I believe in as simple Understanding is this we are living in between if you will two different worlds.

We no longer belong to this world. And and although we belong to to the world to come to new heavens of the new earth in some ways where we're kind of hanging in between and. So the struggles for the child of God I say to you are much greater and much more difficult Than for those who are only a child of this world.

So Job is is truly one who is. If you will had his life turned upside down Job has lost Just about everything he's lost his kids. He's lost his possessions he's lost his servants he's lost his wealth.

He loses his wife who thinks he is a fool. Not only on top of all that his body begins to dissolve. Right off his flesh. My friends that would certainly. Speak to you and me as a life of struggle on top of that Job has some friends and they come to him and they are supposed friends and they come and they want to give counsel to Job but you see the counsel that they give is is.

Defective.

Because really the only true counsel comes from God. And so as we look at through this portion of scriptures and we view this man Job and what he speaks of in different places. We are not talking of someone who's sitting High on the hog and and and everything is going his way, but no friends.

Everything seems to be going away from him. And I think that's all the more important as we see what he speaks of when he speaks of God. That in the midst of all his struggles in the midst of all his if you will confusion in the midst of all his Misunderstanding.

Yet Job would still say Words such as but he is unique and who can make a change and he performs what is appointed for me. Let us consider these words. And again, I say to you as we consider and may God open our hearts because my friends if God does not open our hearts This morning we will go away no better than when we came.

The Uniqueness and Unchangeableness of God

So, let me ask you to first consider how We are given something about the very person and being of God look at it, but he is unique and Who can make a change? That word unique friends. Believe me. I am no Hebrew scholar nor am I a Greek scholar.

I am Italian from the Bronx, but the word unique there designates and comes from a root word which speaks of a specific number of some kind a specific number of some kind a. If you will unique designation other translations will interpret verse 13 and they will say but he is of one mind.

Another translation will say but he stands alone. And I do not think we would be out of bounds if we would say that God is one of a kind. Did you ever say to someone have someone say to you, you know, you're unique.

I've had people say that to me and they say it with a half a smile and a half a frown. I'm not sure if it's a compliment or an insult. But yeah, when you say that what you're trying to say is you're different.

You're special.

Listen friends and I will get excited this morning and I make no apologies for it. God is special.

There's none like him.

Did you and I realize that when we came here this morning we came to worship one who is absolutely unique and beyond Comparison you see he's not the result of the thinking of men. He is not the result of the thinking of all men in there.

In their most Intelligent or or Understanding mind you could put all the minds of men together and you could seek to have them Comprehend one such as the Living God. They would fall far short my friends the Living God the true God Is separate from all else?

Now you and I might say amen. I know that do we. Do we really believe that God is unique that he is higher than all? That he transcends all. That there is none like him, but he is unique and some of you might know before we.

My wife and I came here. We we had been in the ministry 20 years different churches and During that time. I've been convinced of some things and then I've changed my conviction. But I have a conviction that I've had for a number of years and the conviction is this One of the greatest.

Hindrances.

To the churches of Christ. Comes not from the outside, but from the inside. I Have been convicted for a good period of time that one of the greatest obstacles in the churches of Christ is the result of the perception of.

The people who call upon God the perception and their concept of himself. That the deficiency that you and I have of the very person of God hinders us. That is not so much those that are outside that seek to to Drag us down and to silence us, but it's it's it's the problem of us.

Our concept of God is way too small friends our perception of this one Who is absolutely unique is deficient and not only is it a hindrance within the church? I believe it's a hindrance in the proclamation of the God we proclaim.

We go out sometimes and we preach an impotent Jesus. And we declare an impotent God as if as if God's just a little better than all the other gods of the world. My friends there is no other God. He's unique God says.

To those who have this deficient Insufficient perception of him. He says you really thought that I was such a one as you. You really thought I was like you. He's unique who can make him change. Some time ago.

I sent a text to my wife in 2017 we could send texts. I sent the text to my wife and I Was working and something just came in my mind. I sent her a text and I said, hey think about this think about things That belong to God that never change and I was a short list nevertheless.

Think about this this morning my friends who this God is. That never changes. God never tires that certainly is unique. That certainly is Something that none else no one else can claim. God never hungers.

Some of your bellies were already growling. God never is hungry. Well, you might say well, that's pretty fleshly. That's pretty worldly my friends. That's a that's a truth and you and I cannot say that of ourselves.

God never tires. God never hungry. Listen. God is never lonely. How's that God knows no loneliness. He's never alone. He is forever Father Son and Holy Spirit and in glorious communion and fellowship.

God is never lonely. I have a term I use for things like this and it's very eloquent and it's very High minded that's pretty cool. He's never depressed. No strong, I want to show you something. I will keep you in the book of Job this morning.

I want to show you something that maybe you've never read before and if you read it before I hope it makes your hair stand on.

End.

Turn with me if you will in the book of Job to Job 35. Job 35 and this is the point of the fact that God is unique and God never changes and nothing from the outside Could affect him in any way to change.

Job chapter 35, I don't pick it up in verse 4, but the point is in verse 6 to 8 as Elihu answers and speaks I will answer you and your companions with you. Look to the heavens and see and behold the clouds which are higher than you and look at this if you sin.

If you sin, what do you accomplish against him if your Transgressions are multiplied. What do you do to him? Verse 7 if you are righteous.

What do you give him.

What does he receive from your hand. Your wickedness affects a man such as you and your righteousness the Son of Man. Listen my friends. And I wonder if we really get this. God doesn't get bigger and smaller as the days go on.

If we sin against God we grieve God, yes. Do we do damage if you will to his manifested glory, but God doesn't become less God because people rebel against him. If you and I are righteous if you and I do the things that please God, then it pleases God, but God doesn't get bigger.

God is unchangeable.

He's forever.

God totally holy.

Completely.

God he is.

Unaffected.

Is that the God we proclaim? I'm sure you're not much different than me. Do you ever think to yourself man? I did good today. I was a good Christian today. God must be happy with me today, or I was a terrible Christian today.

My friends those things might be true, but God is forever the same. He never changes. He was the self existed God. And that again in the lofty terms is some pretty cool stuff to think of. If you will go back now to chapter 23 I want to ask you to think of.

This.

When Jesus the Savior. When Jesus the Savior of sinners. When Jesus came into a world and the world did not know him. When Jesus came into a world of darkness and the doctors did not comprehend him. When Jesus came into this world as the Son of God and the Son of Man.

My friends. He veiled his divinity. He did not lose it. He was no more no less the eternal Son of God. As a babe as he was on the cross. And the wickedness of men and the rebellion of men did not take anything from this one.

He veiled his his eternal being but he forever is. There's so much more that we ought to consider in considering that but I want to ask you to consider Those three thoughts that I mentioned so I must leave it but never forget.

The Sovereignty of God in Salvation and Providence

He's unique never told in the second place about Some of the activities and the actions of God. He's unique and who can make him change and whatever his soul Desires that he does whatever his soul desires.

You know, I think that is particularly offensive to the unbeliever that Not only is God.

Unlike any other.

Not only is he unique and not only does this uniqueness of God never change but God does.

Whatever he.

Pleases God does whatever he pleases and he performs what is appointed to me. You ever talk to someone about the sovereignty of God? I'm not asking you to talk to someone about the five points of Calvinism.

Sometimes we'd be better off leaving Theological terms aside and just talking about the truth of God and the character of God. And you talk to someone about the sovereignty of God and if you dare to say something Such as the God does whatever he pleases and he appoints he performs what is a point for me.

You usually if you've hit a nerve get some sort of reaction like this. Are you telling me that that God is is? Unanswerable to anyone and everyone. Is that what you're saying? Are you saying that that I'm nothing but a robot to be moved about at the whim of this God that you're speaking of?

My friends I'm ready to say amen. Maybe some would say hey in a minute. What are we. Just a bunch of? Chess pieces on a board and. We're just been moved around at the whim of God and he does whatever he wants to do with us and we can't stop them.

We can't we can't the freedom with.

Kind of.

Fatalistic don't you think perhaps when you mention the fact that God never changes that he does whatever he pleases to do. And he performs what is appointed for us as his creatures. Some would say hey, wait a minute.

What's the use? How much just lay down in the dirt? God's gonna do it anyway. That's the argument many people will give when you're talking about the sovereignty of God and the reality that unless God opens the heart The heart will remain shut and people say well if I'm gonna be saved, I'll be saved and I'm not gonna be saved.

It's not my fault. It's God's fault. There'll be no such arguments in the day. If anyone thinks of it, listen, here's a here's a way to to kind of work through those issues. If anyone ever says that as you speak to them about something in line of the fact that God does whatever he pleases to do and he performs that which is appointed as He has appointed.

If someone rebels against that my friends they are either giving you a reaction that is based on a lack of understanding.

Because.

You and I that maybe have been with the Lord many many years. Can you and I understand all that? Can you and I in the struggles of life in the perplexities of life in the confusion of life in the in the struggles of life?

Can can you and I say well God does whatever he pleases to do and that's fine with me. It's either many will say that because they have a lack of understanding of this glorious God. Well, you want to know the truth friends?

Their heart and rebellion just wells up against it. You see because I don't know how It always undresses itself or displays itself, but every man apart from Christ thinks he's his own God.

And.

Because he thinks his own he's his own God and yet being his own God. He cannot do what the Living God does because God does whatever he wants to do. Find me a man on the earth or a woman on the earth that can do Even in a small way anything that they desire to do.

And could cause things to take place that they desire to do. You see Job knows something being a righteous man. Job is basically lost everything. He's laying in the dirt. He's got boils on his body. His flesh is falling off.

His friends are condemning him and yet Job says that God never changes and he performs what is appointed for me. He knows who's working behind me. If you've never read the Song of Solomon. Read the Song of Solomon the book of the Song of Solomon.

And you will find that the Song of Solomon really is about to the beloved. Who is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. And The Shulmanite whom the beloved loves who is taken up as the person of Solomon and so in the Song of Solomon, it's the richest love story that has ever been told and In the Song of Solomon is a portion of it where the beloved speaks.

And again, I say to you he speaks as type of the Lord Jesus Christ himself and he looks upon the Shulmanite. And she is sleeping. And it says that he he comes at night when she is asleep. And he gazes at her through the window if you will through the lattice.

And he looks to watch over her. I've been gazing at my wife for almost 45 years. And I'm gonna continue to gaze at my wife. But you see that's how Job understands God in reality that this God who is majestic this God who is enthroned on high.

This God who spoke this whole world into existence. This God does whatever he pleases and Job knows because Job will one time at one place say though He slay me what?

That's right. Yet. I will praise him. How can that be?

How can that be. He knows the very character of God. He knows God is good only good always good. He knows if God before us who could be against us. He knows the Christ came into this world or would come into this world to redeem him to save him to recreate him to take him.

Friends the God that we came to worship this morning. He performs what is appointed for each and every one. He's just not sovereign over the universe friends. He's sovereign over us. He knows the way that I will take.

He knows the way that you will take. He knows the way that everyone will take. Why. Because I say to you unashamedly that God has already.

Purposed.

To do all he pleases. If you cannot see the gracious goodness. Love and mercy of God towards you my friends. The problem is with you. He that spared not his own son. Not his own son my friends. Do you not think he cares?

Take it even further. God says of himself. And he has no pleasure. You see I go back to my point before. God doesn't get bigger when when when men go off the judgment my friends. It's not like an imagination of men that the more evil that you ever see those.

Those movies and those stories where the more evil that comes into a being or something He becomes bigger and more powerful. My friends is not that way with the true God, is it? God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked would turn and live.

I've seen people. Haven't you. I've seen people whose veins jumped out of their neck when they were told that God does whatever they please and I've seen Years later on their knees. Thank you God that he does whatever he does.

That Jesus came into this world to save sinners. Friends if God didn't do whatever he had appointed to do for me. I've been lost. Joke could say this in the midst of all that if you will is turning him upside down and inside out.

He does whatever he pleases. Whatever his soul desires and he performs what is a point of view. One of the reasons why so many oppose such a truth of this is simply because they can't comprehend it. And I say that to you because man.

Apart from grace.

Man apart from Christ man apart from the possession of the Holy Spirit man and regardless of how he looks on the outside. Men are manipulators. Men are vindictive. Men are selfish. Then a self-serving and the very thought listen and the very thought of one who is unique and totally different from them Offends them and disturbs them.

Listen my friends if if when you and I proclaim the living on it when you and I Seek to live for God in the world if we don't disturb other people. There's something wrong with our Demonstration. We ought to disturb people to be met by this God.

Is it not? That's why he says what he says.

He said that.

He is terrified at his presence. It says that you and I should gather in fear and reverence in the assembly of the saints. And i'm not against. Any any good times or any such thing as that? But I say to you there ought to be something solemn about our worship.

We ought to gather as the people of God as the people who have been separated from from darkness and brought into light. Some of us roll out of bed and said God and we say God hang on. I'll be there in a little too serious about this.

That's okay with me because the God that I'm seeking to worship is not like another when all his anguish Job and all his struggles Job and all his issues. He knows that God is faithful. He knows that God is loving.

He knows that God is caring. He knows that God is his sustainer. He knows that God ultimately is the one who will vindicate him not through his own works. But through what ultimately would come through jesus Jesus jesus jesus sweetest name.

I know does that name mean something to you? You know what it says in the psalms. In psalm 94, I believe in psalm 94. It says in the anxieties of my soul. His comforts are my delight. Check that one out.

Is that not true the truth child of God when they seem to be almost at wit's end. There is that still small voice. And my friends if you do not have that voice, then you do not know God. You might say well, how can you judge a man's life?

I'm not seeking to judge the life. I'm seeking to tell you the truth that God Is so good to his children. That he always speaks if they are willing to listen. And he always performs that which is appointed for them.

How we want to give thanks to to God to the person of God. Isn't it great that God is not a philosophy. God's not a principle. God's not a force. God is a person person has so loved us. The person of his son came here to rescue us.

My friends that's at the heart of the gospel, isn't it?

He came to rescue us to save us. To make us his own. I've been reading through isaiah lately and I can't help but think of it over and over again. How many times God says even through israel at that time?

He says to the children of israel you read it from chapter 40 on to the end of the book. He continually says that they are his he says you are mine. My friend who else do you want to be part of this morning?

Who else do you want to belong to this morning? If not to this unique God this God who knows no enemies. It's God who speaks and it's done. It's God who says let there be light in their life. So you see as job speaks this he is unique and who can make him change and whatever soul desires that he does.

And he performs that which is appointed with me for me. And then if you will, let me just ask you in closing to think of one more thing and it's at the last part of verse 14 and it says many Such things are with him and all I can do again is I said just take a pick and see if you chop off a little piece Of this glory, I will suggest to you that if we will consider this this is perhaps um something that we can feast on forever and ever that God Says of God and many such things are with you.

And i'm going to ask you to do something. I'm going to ask you to turn to joe 26. I want to show you something and ask you to think about this. Open your mind let the spirit of God open your minds this morning think of this God.

Look at it in job chapter 26. Short chapter, let me read it to you and then make a point. But job answered and said How have you speaking of his friends in verse two? How have you helped him who is without power?

How have you saved the arm that has no strength? How have you counseled one who has no wisdom wisdom? How have you declared sound advice to many to whom have you uttered words and whose spirit came from you.

And if you will think of this as he speaks Of this living God the dead tremble. Those under the waters and those inhabiting them sheol is naked before him. Destruction has no covering. He stretches out the north over empty space.

He hangs the earth on nothing. He binds up the water in his thick clouds and yet the clouds are not broken under it. He covers the face of his throne and spreads his cloud over it. He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness.

The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished. He stirs up the sea with his power and by his understanding. He breaks up the storm by his spirit. He adorned the heaven his hand pierced the fleeting serpent.

Meditate on that my friend, but look at verse 14. These verses have been such a comfort to me. Indeed, these are the mere edges.

Of his ways.

And how small a whisper we hear of him but the thunder of his power. Who can understand? Let's see my friends when when you and I think that we've come to to to a good understanding a solid understanding of Of the richness of christ and of the goodness of god and of the power of the spirit my friends We've only begun to understand the mere fringes of his way.

Are with him.

Do you think we're just going to sit in chairs and say wow, well, it's great to be here.

We're going to explode.

We're going to learn things that that that are beyond comprehension and when we learn those we'll just begin to begin. This is just the mere fringes of his ways. You can't put god in a bottle you can't put him in a box.

Many such things are with him you and I comprehend. I love to watch the The animal shows. We watched the other night and there was shrimp. And the shrimp were well, they were like unbelievably colored and they and they there's so many different kind and and you look and you wonder about the the depths of the sea or the or the birds in the sky and and and all the Beautiful things that creation reveals to us and my friends.

They are just but the fringes of his ways. Eye has not seen here has not heard. The thing that god has prepared for those above him. And job had to have some of this in his heart and his mind. These are but the mere fringes on his ways the edges of the greatness of god.

Do you remember in closing you remember when moses was sent by god to pharaoh? And you remember when moses was sent by god Sent by god to pharaoh to let his people go and he knew god. Who knows all knew that pharaoh would harden his heart and yet I say to you if you read the word of god correctly.

Not only did pharaoh harden his heart, but god hardened pharaoh's heart. Work on that one for a while. But when he was sent to pharaoh. And he was to if you will manifest. But the mere fringes of the ways of the power god with the flies and the locusts and the frogs and the river turned into blood.

Ultimately to when the firstborn Of everyone of the house of egypt was to perish. And you remember during that what pharaoh said as his heart was hardened. He said this he said who is the lord? That I should obey a great question for us this morning.

Who is this god in russia? Who is the king of glory? Who is this savior. Who is this redeemer. Who is this one that opened his hands on the cross. Who is this one that said father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Who is this one that said it is finished? Friends, if you ever get tired of the grace of god and the cross of christ fall on your knees. I hope you never get over it. I hope it thrills your soul.

It doesn't mean you always have to be in a great mood.

Doesn't mean your life always has to be happy. And on the upside you could be in the depths. You could be like jeremiah in the pit. You could be like joseph in the dungeon. You could be like so many others.

And my friends the reality of christ ought to thrill your soul. So I ask you as we come to the lord's table. You and I worship the truth. Let me ask you a question. Have we carved out? In our own imaginations a god of our own.

Do we worship the savior or have we created a savior? According to.

This world is crazy.

I say to you this world is insane. The bible says that man apart from god is what? And yet. And yet my friends in the midst of it all. Isn't that great that the gospel is as real?

As true.

As powerful today as it was as christ hung on the godless cross. And it rose from the grave and the coal still goes out and jesus still says come unto me All you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest.