Lessons On How To Turn Setbacks Into Comebacks

Lessons On How To Turn Setbacks into Comebacks

Job 13.15

September 19, 2004 Chester FBC, Chester, IL Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A During the loss of first baby, Kaylea, a well-intentioned deacon named Brother Allen came to the house for a visit. (Scan picture of Kaylea from my shelf.)

a He was trying his best to minister, comfort, & support us. He used Job as a biblical point of reference to encourage us.

b Job, one of the oldest manuscripts in the Bible, probably written before Exodus!

B Jobs story: He had everything, he lost everything, and he got everything (plus interest) back.

a During his setback, he had three friends telling him how he must have done something wrong or God wouldn’t have punished him by taking away everything.

*Job’s buddy, Zophar calls him a phoney/hypocrite . . .

11 "For He knows false men, And He sees iniquity without investigating.

Job 11:11 (NASB) Curse God and die!!!

b In my self-centeredness, I was wanting to compare myself to Job, but I wasn’t like Job whatsoever. I was like his friends! His wife! His enemies!

*It wasn’t as much as why do bad things happen to good people as it is about religious people misunderstanding the way of the Lord with His kids.

2 Job placed his unwavering trust in God during the most difficult setbacks of his life. (ETS)

A "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. Job 13:15 (NASB) (Put text over picture of Kaylea as a background)

a We must cling to God even when we can not find comfort from Him. (ESS)

b I hope you will commit to putting these lessons on how to turn setbacks into comebacks into practice. (Objective)

B What lesson is most lacking in your setback experience? (Probing Question)

a Let’s look at two lessons from Job 13.15 can help us turn our greatest setbacks into our greatest comebacks. (Transitional Sentence)

b Pray

I The first lesson from Job 13.15 that can help us turn our setbacks into comebacks is . . . ALWAYS TRUST GOD! Job 13.15a Though He may slay me, I will hope in Him.

1 Job proclaimed that regardless what God would do (or allow happen) to him, he would never lose faith.

A Job had suffered tremendous loss at God’s permissible hand.

a He had lost the three things which are considered signs of a man’s well-bing.

1 He lost his wealth. (1.14-17) (Ox, camels, donkeys, sheep, servants)

2 He lost his children. (1.18-19) Sons, daughters, grandbabies

3 He lost his good health. (2.1-8) Boils from top of head to feet

b He lost his wealth & kids on the same day! Bankrupted emotionally & financially in one afternoon.

B Men have cursed God when any of these three things had happened to them.

a Job didn’t turn from God when all three happened to him!

b v.15, Job says , "God, you can kill me, but I’m not leaving you. Trusting you God is more important than living is to me."

2 Job’s ancient statement (Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.) to this day strikes dread into the heart of nominal Christians everywhere.

A That statement strikes my heart dreadful.

a Regardless of my setback, I’ve got to keep trusting God!

b No matter what you take, God . . . I’m gonna trust you.

No matter what I suffer, God . . . I’m gonna trust you.

No matter what you do to me, God . . . I’m gonna trust you.

No matter what the diagnosis is , God . . . I’m gonna trust you.

B That statement also strikes dread into the heart of the enemy! (The gates of hell will not prevail when we say/live/believe Job 13.15!!!)

a The devil can not stop us/church with that kind of commitment to God.

b We’re telling the pain, hardships, devil, cancer, divorce, circumstance, funerals, setbacks that NOTHING can stop us from trusting God.

3 Terrorism has become an international danger because they have already given up their lives for their cause.

A They’ll hijack four commercial airliners, crash them into WTC & Pentagon.

a Drive trucks loaded w/ explosives into embassies & headquarters.

b Strap explosives on their bodies, board a bus, and detonate it.

B This is where Job ended up - - - willing to give up his life for God.

a 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; . . . Gal 2:20 (NASB)

b When we can say what Paul said, that we’ve already died, then we can trust God to turn our setbacks into comebacks.

TS: Setbacks rarely turn on a dime into comebacks. The turn is a process that involves the second lesson from Job 13.15.