18 October 2009
Pentecost Sunday
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
504th Compound’s Multi-Purpose Facility
Contingency Operation Base (C.O.B.) Adder
Tallil, Iraq
BIG IDEA: Regardless of the circumstances in our lives, we need to TRUST God at all times.
REFERENCES: Jonah (ESV); Job 26:7 (ESV) He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing; Proverbs 8:22 (ESV) “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old; John 1:1 (ESV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; Job 37:5 (NIV) God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. Job 40:9 (NIV) Do you have an arm like God’s, and can your voice thunder like his? Mark 4:35-41 ESV (Jesus calms a Storm); Romans 10:17 KJV So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God;
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Job 38:1-7 (ESV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Job 38:1-7 (ESV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Job 38:1-2 (CEV) From out of a storm, the LORD said to Job: Why do you talk so much when you know so little?
IV. PURPOSE: To encourage the hearers to TRUST God at all time regardless of the circumstances.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “God’s voice is in the storm”
VI. INTRODUCTION:
Why does God allow miscarriages? How come some babies – after birth – don’t live? Why does God allow some parents to die before their children are old enough to know them? Why do God allow some Soldiers – on the same deployment - to commit suicide while others live to learn how to prevent suicide? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
Who can ever forget the story in Mark 4:35-41 (ESV) where Jesus calms the storm? For don’t you remember, the disciples had just left Bible Study where they had learned the purpose of parables? Jesus had taught them about the “Lamp under the basket” (in Mark 4:21-24), Seed Growing (in Mark 4: 26-29) and the “Mustard Seed” (in Mark 4:30-33).
Mark reminds us that although Jesus spoke and taught in parables – privately He would get with His disciples and explain everything (Mark 4:34). Because he didn’t want them to confused; He wanted them to learn to Trust God and to understand how God works and increases our faith in the spirit. For the Good Book says, in Romans 10:17 (KJV), “… faith comes from hearing …the word of God.”
Some theologians are under the presupposition that after Jesus taught the disciples about faith and trust; the Lord gave them an unexpected examination called – the “Storm Test”. For God’s Word must always be tested!
****** TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 1: Some people have the idea – from peeking at Jonah that Storms only come into our lives when we have been DISOBEDIENCE;
a. but if we look closer at the reading from Mark 4 – we would see that this STORM comes to the disciples because of their OBEDIENCE TO THE LORD.
b. For the Good Book says that the same day that the Bible Studies had come to an end; Jesus suggested to His disciples that they “all go across to the other side of the sea” (Mark 4:1 ESV).
c. After entering the boat with the Lord – a “Storm” came which frighten these season Fishermen. The storm started beating and flooding the boat – threatening to sink it.
d. The Good says that the disciples ran and told Jesus …
e. The Bible says that Jesus told the wind to quiet down; and He told the sea to be hush.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 2: … “God’s Voice is Sometimes … in the Storm!”
a. For the past 3 Weeks I’ve been briefing - weekly on our Administration and Logistic (A&L) Breeze and requesting all of our leaders (enlisted and officers alike) to “show a little more patience” and tolerance with their Soldiers and military counterparts.
b. Many of you can attest to hearing me say: “If you’re feeling both excitement and anxiety simultaneously – it’s normal. Just ‘hang in there’. If you need someone to talk to, please contact your unit chaplain soonest.”
c. “God’s voice is in the storm.”
d. Today is the 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade’s (BfSB) Religious Support Team (RST) last Sunday of being in charge of worship in Iraq; and this coming Wednesday; we will conduct our last Bible Study for Iraq 09-11.
e. Yet, it warms my heart to see you here – in this Multi-Purpose Facility – this morning.
f. This twelve month long deployment is approaching its end - fast. Just last evening we had our Custom Inspection, as we laid out our personal and organizational properties for final inspection and loading.
***** TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 3: Now, my brothers and sisters, I sincerely thank you and many others that aren’t in this facility today; but were very much a part of our worship experience throughout this past year.
a. In addition, to throwing out rave reviews of you, I also have a confession to share with you.
b. I confess … that I’ve learned (in forty-seven years of living) that … “God’s Voice is … Sometimes … in the Storm!”
c. Now, like many of you, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t care for trials and tribulations or spiritual test and trouble that is designed to strengthen me spiritually.
d. You can say, all you want, that trials come to make me strong! But honestly, I don’t want to go through trials.
e. In fact, I don’t like trials! I dislike trials like some Soldiers dislike Army Physical Fitness.
****** TAKE 5 BEATS *****
MOVE 4: Figuratively speaking, sometimes my trials are like raindrops that keep falling on my head until the drops become annoying.
a. At other times, my trials are like showers of rain which falls rapidly and causes me to take cover and alienate myself from others.
b. But, then there are those trials like Hurricane Katrina … which thunders into my life – with flooding circumstances.
c. Katrina like trials can sometimes have a second and third order affect. The Katrinas’ in life doesn’t just affect us; but also our love ones.
d. … “God’s Voice is Sometimes … in the Storm!”
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 5: In our text today we find that the Book of Job is very old.
a. The dialogue section is written in the most difficult and archaic Hebrew in the Old Testament.
b. There is no mention in the Book of Job of the Law, no reference to Abraham or to the covenants.
c. In fact, Job was in scripted before the time of Moses.
d. As a result, Job gives us all insight into what people knew about God before mankind had been given a written revelation.
e. For Job suggest to all that the believers of his day and time knew God in a special manner; and they were inspired by His awesomeness.
f. They saw God as the Master of the world He created.
g. And in their eyes, God was seen as a creator who permits us freedom of choice; but holds us morally responsible for our actions.
****** TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 6: Therefore, in this book, many of us – like Job three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar - cannot understand why God permits Job to suffer if he is truly innocent;
a. Ultimately coming to the conclusion that God (almighty) is a loving God who punishes evil and rewards those who do right.
b. In the Book of Job the mystery of God’s working with human beings is explored through the suffering of Job, a good man …
c. … who like his friends simply cannot understand why God permits him to suffer if he is truly innocent.
d. Still, regardless of the circumstances in our lives, we need to TRUST God at all times.
****** TAKE 5 BEATS *****
MOVE 7: For the problem with human suffering is too deep and complex for our simple answers;
a. … And they were also too deep and complex for the simple answers Job three friends gave.
b. After reading the Book of Job, we learn that neither Job nor his friends knew about God’s Conference in Heaven.
c. Like many of our friends, Job’s friends didn’t know that God was using Job as Exhibit A before Satan and the angels to prove that people will trust God even when they do not understand what God is doing.
d. Jobs friends called him a hypocrite; but God called him a “perfect and upright man.”
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 8: My brother and sisters, we aren’t going through trails because of us;
a. We are going through because God knows that we are going to be His advocates for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
b. We must remember that our Storms have a first, second, and third order affect …
c. our storms doesn’t just affect us. But our storms affect our families too.
d. For example, my storm has been in the fact that I have been passed over for Lieutenant Colonel three times; and I’ve been told that it was because I hadn’t been to Iraq.
e. As a result, my family has been negatively affected. They have seen, first hand, the sacrifices our families have made for Soldiers and their family members;
f. And they have seen homosexuals get promoted;
g. They seen adulteress get promoted; They have seen folk with tremendous anger problems get promoted … but I didn’t …
h. It was all because God gave the enemy permission to test me with this STORM.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
CELEBRATION:
But, I found out that God’s voice is in the STORM.
For God knew that I needed this Iraqi experience.
He knew sending me to Iraq would enable over 100 souls … within this past year to be saved!
God’s voice is in the STORM.
God knew that I would see the place where many believe Satan himself fell out of heaven (upon Sin jar Mountain) … right here in Iraq.
And I have seen firsthand where Jonah travelled; and I’ve seen Abraham’s childhood home … all because of the STORM …
God’s voice is in storm!
