"The God of Justice"(Job 31:1-28)

 Job 31:1-28

 The fact that God is with us all the time is comforting, but it can also be a little stressful. Although God has forgiven us of all our sins because of Jesus' sacrifice, we are still in a battle. We should always be ready to fight against sin.

 God watches us to protect us from evil desire and sinful ways. God draws a clear line between good and evil, and God wants us to be on the good path.

 Does not he see my ways and number all my steps? “If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!)

Job 31:4-6 ESV

There are three things that God wants us to avoid.

 

1. Sinful desire

 We have to be honest that we are weak and sinful instincts are still in us. We also must remember that we have the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our sinful desires. With the Holy Spirit. We can fight our sinful instincts and not put our sins into action.

 

“If I have walked with falsehood and my foot has hastened to deceit; (Let me be weighed in a just balance, and let God know my integrity!) if my step has turned aside from the way and my heart has gone after my eyes, and if any spot has stuck to my hands, then let me sow, and another eat, and let what grows for me be rooted out. “If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her.

Job 31:5-10 ESV

  

2. Lack of love

 Job confesses that he would be guilty if he did not show love to others. This love is directed towards everyone. The servants, widows, and fatherless were those who would be in need or could not protect themselves, and Job made efforts to care for them. It easy to become caught up in our own lives and ignore our neighbors, yet God wants us to love our neighbors. In fact, Christians are to participate in the ministry of God by loving others. We need to love those people who have been brought into our lives.

 “If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or my maidservant, when they brought a complaint against me, what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? Did not he who made me in the womb make him? And did not one fashion us in the womb?

Job 31:13-15 ESV

 or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless has not eaten of it (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow), if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or the needy without covering,

Job 31:17-19 ESV

 

3. Idols

 Idols distract us from God and truly serving God. We need to be faithful to God in any circumstance. If we love God because things are good, what happens when things go wrong.  Idols can become our focus, and God is forgotten in good times when our idols seem to save us. Of course, Idols cannot truly save us and eventually disappoint us or destroy us whereas God can truly save.

 “If I have made gold my trust or called fine gold my confidence, if I have rejoiced because my wealth was abundant or because my hand had found much, if I have looked at the sun when it shone, or the moon moving in splendor, and my heart has been secretly enticed, and my mouth has kissed my hand, this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges, for I would have been false to God above.

Job 31:24-28 ESV

 God is loving, but He is also just. On our sanctification journey, God is watching us to protect us since He loves us dearly, but we must make efforts to fight sin and be ready to serve God.

Farewell Bhandari Family, Thanksgiving Service

 

Worship songs;

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Thank You For The Cross The Mighty Cross

How Great Thou Art

Give Thanks

278 Thank You for the cross the Mighty Cross

 Thank You for the cross the mighty cross 

CCLI Song # 242056 Mark Altrogge

우리 죄 위해 죽으신 주, 만왕의 왕 내 주께서 

Hymn 21 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty(Lobe den Herren)

CCLI Song # 43073 Catherine Winkworth | Joachim Neander

Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain

  

Praise To The Lord The Almighty (Lobe den Herren)

Verse 1

Praise to the Lord the Almighty

The King of creation

O my soul praise Him

For He is thy health and salvation

All ye who hear now to His temple draw near

Praise Him in glad adoration

Verse 2

Praise to the Lord Who over all things

So wondrously reigneth

Shelters thee under His wings

Yea so gently sustaineth

Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been

Granted in what He ordaineth

Verse 3

Praise to the Lord Who doth prosper

Thy work and defend thee

Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee

Ponder anew what the Almighty can do

If with His love He befriend thee

Verse 4

Praise to the Lord Who

When tempests their warfare are waging

Who when the elements madly around thee are raging

Biddeth them cease turneth their fury to peace

Whirlwinds and waters assuaging

Verse 5

Praise to the Lord Who

When darkness of sin is abounding

Who when the godless do triumph

All virtue confounding

Sheddeth His light chaseth the horrors of night

Saints with His mercy surrounding

Verse 6

Praise to the Lord

O let all that is in me adore Him

All that hath life and breath

Come now with praises before Him

Let the amen sound from His people again

Gladly for all we adore Him

"Whom Shall I Trust?"(Psalm 115)

 Psalm 115

John Calvin identified the "Awareness of God" when he noticed that all people need something to rely on. People need to rely on something especially when they are facing struggles. 

For Christians, we rely on God to help us during difficult times, but we need to ask why we can trust in God only and not other sources. Psalm 115 gives some insight into this.

The author of Psalm 115 talks about how idols do not give any true hope. The idols of the Old Testament were statues or objects that people made.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

Psalm 115:4 ESV

The things we create are not evil, but when we start to worship or put our trust in these creations, we turn them into idols. We like the physical things. We want to see and touch it. Money, food or other assets are sought after because we need them and it is easy to put our trust in them.

They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

Psalm 115:5‭-‬8 ESV

Our idols, those things we put our trust in, become personifications. The reality is that although there is some temporary relief, they are not like God. God does speak, listen and is with us.

A kindergarten may take care of children, but it is not the same as a parent. A parent has their children forever and they sacrifice for them. A kindergarten teacher is only with the children for a short time and they are being paid for it. Similar to God and idols, God is always our God and we are his children.

The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

Psalm 115:12‭-‬15 ESV

God knows us and does not forget us or our problems. We know where our help comes from and it is only God who can truly help us. We need to trust God because He is the only one who can help us.

The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 115:16‭-‬18 ESV

We cannot be passive Christians. We have to actively follow God and actively trust God. It is not enough just to wait for God while doing nothing. We actively wait for God through prayer, reading the Bible, coming to church, following God's commandments, being still, and pressing on.

Yes, we trust in God, and for good reasons, but we must be actively practicing trust in God and not other idols. 

Christ's Follower

 Luke 5:1-11

In today's passage, when Peter realised who Jesus truly was, he asked Jesus to leave because Peter felt inadequate.

 

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:8 ESV

 

This is very typical. Many people encounter God and realise how sinful they are and want to flee from God. We feel guilty when we start to know who we truly are after encountering God. Yet, it is not good to be stuck in our feelings of guilt. We need to follow Christ.

 

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 15:16 ESV

 

Jesus chose Peter's boat. There is no explanation why Jesus chose this boat other than he chose the boat. We may feel inadequate that Jesus has chosen us to do tasks and then make excuses about why we cannot be used by Jesus. However, Jesus knew who we are with all our faults. He still chose us despite our short comings.

 

We need to accept that Jesus chose us because he loves us. We are not chosen because of our greatness, but our weakness.

 

Jesus does something unusual. He gets into a boat uninvited and asks Peter to put out the boat.

 

and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

Luke 5:2-3 ESV

 

Peter doubts Jesus, but he still obeys Jesus.

 

And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.”

Luke 5:5 ESV

 

Peter's obedience allows something to happen which Peter could never imagine. Peter not only caught fish, but he also caught so many fish that he could not contain it in one boat. His fellow fisherman had to bring another boat to hold all the fish. The same is when we obey God's word. The mercy and blessings will be so abundant that your family, friends, and neighbors will also be touched by God.

 

And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

Luke 5:6-7 ESV

 

Becoming a Christian means to allow the love of God to fill you so that you are transformed. God transforms you so that your mission will be successful. That transformation from God requires humility. Simon with sincere humility confesses his sin to Jesus. More than anything this is what we need to do when we encounter Jesus to allow a transformation in us to create a  right relationship with Jesus.

 

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

Luke 5:8 ESV

To be followers of Christ like Peter, we need to encounter Christ and see our faults, but not become so overwhelmed that we flee from the truth or become paralyzed by our flaws. We need to admit to Jesus that we are sinners and have a willingness to obey even when our senses, experience and community might tell us to go a different path. Then we can follow Jesus and God will produce an abundance of blessings that we never imagined.