There is something about that name. Amen? That absolutely is the most incredible name that’s above all names. And, you know, it’s just something peaceful about even saying the name Jesus, because you could think about how powerful that name is, how powerful that name is. Jesus spoke one word, and everything, a whole raging ocean became like glass.
How incredible is that? With everything around us raging and storming and all that’s going on, Jesus can take care of all of that. You know, today, we live in uncertain times. We live in uncertain times. There’s a lot going on in our life today.
And so I wanna share a few things with you today. I want you to think about this, what crazy times we live in with so much uncertainty. It’s a lot of uncertainty, and especially right now, there are things going on. People are losing their jobs. Things are changing all over the the country.
Things are changing all over the world. There’s just stuff happening, it seems like, every which way that you turn around. People are afraid of losing their jobs, rising costs, even crazy weather. We’ve even had some weather that’s just, you know, who if you raise your hand, I’m gonna call you a liar. Whoever saw nine inches of snow in Mobile, Alabama before?
Nobody. Because it hadn’t happened before. Seven, eight, nine inches of snow in Mobile, Alabama. Nobody ever expected that. It’s not something we ever had, but we did.
So all these things that are happening, it’s uncertain. We just we don’t understand exactly what’s going on. But I want you to think about this. Scripture never tells us that our lives will be certain and structured. Scripture never says that.
There’s nowhere in scripture it says, when you call upon the name of Jesus, your life is absolutely certain. There’ll be no surprises, no changes, no hardships, no problems, nothing happening. It actually says that when you call upon the name of Jesus, you will have trouble in your life. That you will. There will be things that happen we have absolutely no control.
We think about this structure and all these things going on in our life, but listen, all of this control and certainty in our life is, it’s really just a fantasy. There’s no such thing really as control over your life because there’s too many things on the outside of your life that play into it. God has shown us certain truths for uncertain times. God has shown us certain truths for uncertain times. I’m gonna go over three passages this morning.
I’m gonna go over three passages, and we’re gonna talk about each one of these passages. We’re gonna learn some things from these passages about uncertain times. Because this is the time we live in. We don’t live in a time where everything is perfect. The reality is we never have.
But it just seems more right now, like there’s so much more happening. And so we wanna talk about that just a little bit today. I wanna pray before we read these passages, and then we’re gonna cover them, and we’re gonna talk about them, and we’re gonna ask God to reveal to us exactly what he wants to see. Let’s pray. Father, we come to you today, and as we open your word, god, the place that we can find answers is in your word.
We’re not gonna find the answers in the Wall Street Journal. We’re not gonna find the answers in the on Facebook. We’re not gonna find the answers even from our neighbor next door. God, we’re gonna find the answers from your word, the ones that you gave us. And this morning, as we go through these three passages, help us to take comfort in knowing, God, that you’re in control, to show us and reveal to us that, father, we can trust you.
Father, you said you would never leave us or forsake us, and, father, we believe that. And so I pray that today as we go through this time together, that you would touch each life how they need to be touched. Every person is going through different things, but, god, some need to be comforted because of the affliction that’s going on in their life. Some may need to be afflicted because they’ve gotten too comfortable. But father, whatever it is, I pray that you would touch us today, and you would reveal to us exactly what you want us to see.
God, we ask all these things in Jesus’ precious and holy name. Amen. If you will, turn with me to the book of Job. The book of Job chapter 19, and we’re going to go verses 17 through 25. We’re gonna read that passage, and then we’re gonna discuss some of it.
So Job chapter 19 verse 17 through 25. If you don’t have your Bible with you, the passage will be on the screen. It says I believe that’s a start. Yeah. It says uh-oh.
I went too far. I got it. Alright. It says, my breath is offensive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own brothers. Even young children despise me.
I rise up and they speak against me. All my associates abhor me, and those I love have turned against me. My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, and I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. Pity me. Pity me, oh, you my friends, for the hand of God has struck me.
Why do you persecute me as God does and are not satisfied with my flesh? Oh, that my words were written. Oh, that they were inscribed in a book that with an iron stylus and with lead, they were engraved in the rock forever. As for me, I know that my redeemer lives. And at the last, he will take his stand on the earth.
Now here’s the thing. I want you to think about this. All this passage that we just went through, Job has a lot going on. Job is in a the worst spot that anybody could ever imagine. If you’re familiar with Job and you’re familiar with how we got to this point, Satan has talked to God and said, let me sift him.
God allowed it. And Satan took away his family. He took away his wealth. He took away his health. He took away everything.
And all that happened to one behind another, behind another, behind another. And Job is sitting literally in sackcloth and ashes begging for peace. And he has all of these friends that are coming out to him, but none of them are giving him peace. None of them are giving him peace. Job is afflicted by disease.
He’s afflicted by disease. He’s literally it says in scripture, he’s scratching sores off of his body. He’s literally afflicted with disease, a terrible, terrible situation. Many of you have dealt with disease in your life. Many of you may have dealt with cancer.
Many of you deal with respiratory illness. There’s so many things that we deal with in our life that we wonder why do I have to go through all this. We see other people not going through that. Maybe you wonder how do I have to go through all of these things? But we’re afflicted.
Job was afflicted by disease. He was also abused by the despot, by those that were around him. They abused him. They were like, what have you done? You have sinned, and god is punishing you.
The reality was the opposite. Job was living for god exactly as he was supposed to. But Satan said, if I afflict him, he’ll turn away from you. Job had been abused by all of these, and then he was abandoned during this time. All of his friends, you know what they did?
They turned away from him. They all said, Job, you have sinned in God’s hand. His punishment is on you, and so we’re just turning away. You need to curse God and die. That’s what his wife said.
Job cursed God and die. That’s how bad it was. That’s pretty bad. You just need to do that. But in all the things that Job said and everything that was happening in his life and all that was going on at the end of that passage at the end of that passage, things changed.
This was a time when he most needed a shoulder to cry on, and yet nobody was there. Instead of a reassuring hand and somebody to try to help him out, he was belittled and abandoned. All this that went on, everything that was happening, all the affliction, all the abuse, all the abandonment, and in spite of the disease and and despite the despair, he found a certain truth. And the truth that he found was, my redeemer lives. God lives.
We look at this and it says, we have a lord that lives. That’s what he finds in verse 25. And all this is going on and everything that’s happening, he’s telling you how bad it is and everything that’s going on, but he said, but I know my redeemer lives. He’s not dead. He lives.
My redeemer lives. And because of that, I can trust him. Because of that, with everything that’s going on, I’m appealing to him. I will not turn away. I will stay focused on serving God.
My redeemer lives. We have a Lord that lives, it says in verse 25. Now in this, this reminds us of some things. This is what he said. As for me, I know my redeemer lives, and the last he will take his stand on the earth.
So there are some things that we know. There are some things that reminds us of when we read this verse. Number one, I want you to think about this. It reminds us of the redemption. The redemption.
Well, what do you mean the redemption? We have redemption because of Christ. Because of Christ. We cannot be redeemed without Jesus Christ. What I mean redeemed?
Well, every single one of us, the scripture said, has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Every one of us. So we all are given a price to pay. That price that we’re given for sin is death and eternal separation from God. However, Jesus paid that price.
He redeemed us by paying that price, and all of us can understand there is a redemption for our sins because of Jesus Christ. Job said, my redeemer lives. He’s alive. He’s not dead. I know I will be redeemed.
We can understand that we have redemption. We have redemption because of Christ, and no matter what happens, nothing changes with that. Well, wait a minute. So you’re telling me that even though I sinned, Jesus paid that price. He paid the price to redeem me.
And I accepted that redemption, and I have salvation. Okay? Good. Now I messed up, and I sinned again, And I had this problem or I had that problem. You’re telling me that that redemption that I got initially does not change?
That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Because that one time that Jesus went to the cross and paid the price for all sin, past, present, and future. He died once for all. If it would didn’t cover everything, he woulda had to keep going to the cross and keep dying and keep shedding his blood over and over and over again. But he didn’t have to do that.
He did it once, and it covered everything for all eternity if we accept it. He paid the price. He redeemed you if you simply accept it. He’s not forcing it on you. You have to accept it.
But understand that with everything else that’s going on in your life and all the stuff that’s happening and all of the world seemingly caving down around you, you have redemption if you know Jesus Christ. You have redemption. So the ultimate is my redeemer lives. I have been redeemed. I will spend an eternity in heaven with him.
We have redemption because of Christ. I want you to think about why do we have redemption because of the resurrection. We have redemption because of the resurrection. You see, if Jesus went to that cross and he died on that cross and he was buried in that tomb and he never was raised from the dead, we would have no hope. We would have absolutely no hope.
It’s because of the resurrection that we have hope. It’s because of the resurrection that all this is possible. Because there are other people who have been great people, who have done many things, who have died for people, but they were never resurrected. You see, they didn’t overcome the grave. They didn’t overcome all of that.
They died. They were buried, and that was the end of of their earthly life. That was the end of of what they had to give. But Jesus died, he was buried, and he was resurrected to walk fresh and new. And today, he sits at the right hand of the father.
Amen? Amen. And so because of that, we can think about with everything that’s going on, we have redemption because of Christ, and it’s because of the resurrection that we can have that hope. We can have the hope that no matter what else is going on in our life, that god is still in control. We can have the hope that will go through every single day.
Understand that one of the the biggest problems, especially for Americans that we deal with in this country, is depression. There are so many people that are dealing with depression, and many of them don’t deal with it very well. They don’t go see anybody. They don’t talk to anybody because there’s a stigma, right, about depression. Oh, if I go see a counselor, then that labels me.
No. It labels you as human and that you need help. You need to talk to somebody. But the number one person you need to be talking to is god. But you may need more than that.
The number one problem across our nation in mental health is depression, and depression causes so many other things when it’s not dealt with. But we can take all of these things that are happening, and we can turn it over to God and understand that he redeemed us because of the resurrection. We can have hope. We can get up every single day, and we continue to move and do the things that we need to do because he paid the price, because he’s alive today. We can have that hope.
We don’t have to think all hope is lost. It’s never lost because of Jesus. I want you to think about this. Why is it still hope with we have the redemption, we have the resurrection, but why is there still hope? There’s a lot going on.
I mean, do you see what’s happening in the world today? The weather patterns, everything that’s crazy. Do you see the unstable governments? Do you see the all the stuff that’s going on? How can you say that we can still have hope?
Because he will return. He will return. How can you be sure of that, preacher? Because he said, if I prepare a place for you, I will return for you. He said he’s coming again.
The scripture says that he will return to claim his children. He will return and bring us to heaven with him, those who know him. He will return one day. Just as he was here the first time, he will come back. But this time, not as a baby, not as a helpless child, but as a king.
And when he comes back the next time, he’s gonna bring us home with him. I didn’t get a single amen. He’s coming back. And when he does, he’s gonna bring us back with him. All of this stuff that’s going on is done.
We have hope every single day because he told us that he paid the price for us. He was buried, and he resurrected. He’s sitting at the right hand of the father, and he is going to return. So even though the times we live in are uncertain, even though the times we live in are hard, even though we sometimes wonder how are we gonna make it through the next day, we can trust him. Because everything that he’s ever told us in scripture has come true, except for the resurrection.
We’re waiting on that. Not the resurrection. I mean, the return. Except for the return. He’s coming back.
He’s coming back. And when he does, everything is going to change. I want you to understand, he will return and take us home someday. Now if that’s not quite enough for you, I’m gonna share a little bit more with you. I want you to turn with me to Romans chapter eight verses 28 through 39.
Romans chapter eight twenty eight through 39. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son so that he would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom he predestined, he also called. And these whom he called, he also justified.
And those whom he justified, he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Amen? If God is for us, who can be against us?
How can anything stand against us if God is for us? You know, in the military, they teach you, how to survive in cases of conflict, and they give you all this equipment, and then they want you to understand that it works well. And so one of the things that they do is when you’re in basic training, they give you a a protective mask. You might call it a gas mask. I wouldn’t because I’d be doing push ups if I called it that.
It’s protective mask. You put it on, and it keeps out all these chemicals and things that are around you. They want you to know that it works. So they take you to a chamber where they have filled it with riot gas. That’s bad stuff.
And they make you go inside with your mask on and you take a deep breath. You don’t smell anything. Their skin’s burning. You know there’s gas there because your skin’s on fire. Your neck’s on fire, but you can breathe and everything’s okay.
And then they do something crazy. They tell you, take off your mask. And then they start asking you a bunch of questions until you go and take a deep breath. And then you’re coughing and and spewing and and everything’s coming out and you just wanna get out of there. And you finally get out.
But here’s what they’re trying to teach you. If you have on that mask, those chemicals are gonna protect you. But it’s just a man made mask. The reality for us is even though there are things going on all around us, if God is for us, it’s just like he’s wrapped us in his hands. And if he’s for us, then who can be against us?
There’s nothing that can penetrate that. Will we have trouble in this world? Yes. He told us we would. He said if the world gave me trouble, it’s gonna give you trouble.
We’re gonna have trouble in this world. The reality is I’ve got you wrapped up. You might stumble and fall, but it’s not gonna be permanent. I’m gonna take care of you. And you know what?
Even if something happens to you, even to the point of death, those that die live. Because to be absent from the body is present with the Lord. And so if he has you wrapped up, no matter what happens, who can be against you? No one. If God is for you, who can be against us?
Not a single one can be against us. We have a love that lasts. We have a lord that lives, and we have a love that lasts. We have a love that lasts. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things?
Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died. Yes.
Rather, who was raised, who was at the right hand of God, and who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Just as it is written, for your sake, we are being put to death all day long. We are considered as sheep to the slaughter.
But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. If God is for us, who can be against us? We may be led to the slaughter. We may be persecuted, but God is in control. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our lord.
We have a love that lasts. And all of the things that happen in this world and all of the hardships and all of the persecution and all of the uncertain times and everything that’s come our way, we have a love that lasts because nothing can separate us from the love of god. You know what I read in that? It says not a single created thing can separate you from the love of god. Here’s what I want you to understand very clearly about that.
That means that even you cannot separate yourself from the love of god if you have given him your life. Not even you. You can’t pull away because he has you. He said nothing can separate you. Can you have salvation that lasts for all eternity?
Absolutely. He’s telling you right there that no matter what, you can’t be taken out of his hand if you have given yourself to him in the first place. It can’t happen. We have a love that lasts. How long does it last?
For all eternity. We don’t know how long eternity is because we can’t fathom that. We have this idea of man. What if it was a hundred and fifty years? We don’t know anybody that’s lived to be a hundred and fifty.
A hundred and fifty years seems forever, but a hundred and fifty years is a blink of an eye. Eternity, there’s no such thing as time. God’s love lasts for all eternity once we accept him as lord and savior. So we have a redeemer that’s coming back. We have a lord that lives.
We have a love that lasts. There is no place that his love cannot reach. K? I want you to think about that. There is no place his love can’t reach, but I have pulled far away from God.
There’s been so much happened in my life, I’m mad at God. And I pulled so far away from God because of everything that’s happened, there’s no way that he still his love still reaches me. There is no place that his love can’t reach. There is nothing in this world that can remove you from the love of God. There is no place that his love cannot reach.
That is an incredible thought. There is no person that he doesn’t love. There’s no person that he doesn’t love. Not one. He loves every person.
Wait a minute. Preacher, Not everybody knows Jesus as lord and savior. That’s right. There are some people that don’t know him. They’ve never given their life to him, but he still loves them.
His love was so great that he died for them. While they are yet sinners, he died for them just like you. He died for you while you were still a sinner because he loves everything that he ever created, and every person is created by god. He loves every person. There’s not one that he doesn’t love, but it can’t be because, you know, I I know this person, and they’re so awful.
They’re so terrible. All the things they’ve done in their life, They curse God all the time. They say they hate God, that they don’t believe in God. All these things, God surely can’t love them. There’s no person that he doesn’t love.
He loves every creation he ever made, but he gave us humans a choice. You choose. Here I am, all the redemption, all of the forgiveness, all of the love that you could ever ever have, it’s here for you. All you have to do is accept it, but you choose. If you choose no, then that’s your choice.
If you choose yes, then nothing can take you out of my hand. We have all that available. Even with everything that’s going on, even with everything that’s going on, we have a lord that lives. We have a love that lasts. There is no problem in which his love doesn’t endure.
There’s nothing too big for him. His love covers it all. But you don’t realize that I I’ve I’m losing everything. I’m gonna lose my home. I’m gonna lose my car.
I’m I’m my my wife is leaving. My my kids hate me. Everything. His love can endure through all things. No matter what is going on at this point in your life, god’s love is bigger than that.
God’s love is bigger than that. I want you to look at first Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 58. First Corinthians fifteen and fifty eight. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the lord. Your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Be steadfast. Be immovable. Stand in God. Have faith in God. Put your trust in God, and have a labor that lingers.
Have a pardon me, that lingers. What do you mean have a labor that lingers? I I don’t I don’t understand. Well, like I said, first of all, we have a lord that lives. We have a love that lasts, and now we have a labor that lingers.
Most of us on earth and everything that we do on this earth, it does not matter in eternity. But every labor for the Lord lasts forever. Think about that. What have you done with this life that God has given you up to this point? Many of you are 40.
No laughter. Many of you are over 40, 50, 60, 70, even 80, even 90 in this room, and all the things that you’ve done in your life. Maybe you’ve built an empire that is, you know, seemingly going to last forever. Newsflash, it won’t last forever. Maybe you have done things that is in the history books.
Maybe you have raised a family and and have 73 grandchildren, great grandchildren, and beyond. It’s still not gonna last forever. But every labor for the Lord lasts forever because it carries into eternity with you. What have you done for god? You can sit down and think about all the things you did for you, for your family, for your job, even for your church, all the things that you did for an earthly thing.
It won’t last forever. But the labor that you spend for the Lord lasts for all eternity. Every labor for the Lord that you do lasts for all eternity. That even includes giving the least of these a cup of water in his name. That’s a labor for the lord.
Well, I I don’t I can’t do much. Can you give somebody a glass of water when they’re thirsty? That’s a labor for the lord. Can you invite someone to come to church? Yeah.
That’s a labor for the lord too. Can you walk in a path that others can see Jesus in you? Yeah. That’s a labor for the lord. And then we can go even further.
We can go out and tell people about God. In fact, you have opportunity to do that this coming Saturday. We go out and tell people that’s a labor for the Lord. We can spend time helping people. That’s a labor for the Lord.
As we do these things, they last forever. The labor that we do in this earth doesn’t really matter in all eternity. It’s our labor in the Lord that matters most. Do you have a certainty of a relationship with god? You see, here’s the thing.
Today, we’ve talked about what we have. All the things that we’ve talked about. If you don’t have a relationship with god, then all these things we’ve talked about, you don’t have. Only a relationship with God gets you those things. Only giving your life to him gets you those things.
Listen. I am not one that will stand up here and try to make you feel good. What I wanna do is stand up here and tell you today that God’s word says that if you die in your sin, meaning you have not been redeemed because you’ve never given your life to God, that you don’t have that eternal love because you never gave your life to God, that you don’t have that forgiveness because you’ve never given your life to God. If you die in your sin, the scripture says, you will spend an eternity in a devil’s hell. It’s a choice only you can make.
There is no in between. You can’t stand with one foot on one side and one foot on the other and hope that you land on the right side at the end of time. You know what happens when you have one foot over here and one foot over here? Eventually, you’re gonna fall. Eventually, you’re gonna fall, hopefully not today.
Eventually, you’re gonna fall. You have to understand, god gave you a choice. Do you have a certainty of eternity with your relationship with god? He gave you a choice. You choose.
People say, well, I don’t believe a loving god could send somebody to hell. Amen. A loving god does not send people to hell. People send themselves there by refusing to accept him, by turning away from him. Do you have that certainty in your life?
Do you have that relationship with god and know for sure that you have been redeemed? Do you know that your redeemer lives? Do you know that he will return? Do you know that he loves you? Do you know that all of these things that we have is true?
Only you can answer that. I’ve often said, I wish that when somebody got saved, the lord would just put a big o s right on their head. And I could meet people and know that person knows Jesus. But then when I met somebody that didn’t have the big o s, I would spend time talking to them about the Lord and how they could come to know him, but he doesn’t do that. So when I look out at a congregation of people like today, I don’t know who knows Jesus and who doesn’t.
Only you know. You know that. You’ve made a decision or haven’t made a decision in your own life. Only you know. So the question for you today is simple.
Do you have certainty of your relationship with God? Do you know him? Have you given your life to him? Are you absolutely certain? I always say this, if you walk out those doors and cross this busy, busy street and get hit by a car and die before you can get home today, will you wake up with God?
How can I know? I’m glad you asked. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Seek first the kingdom of God. That’s how you know.
Seek him first. Seek him. If you know him and you’ve given your life to him, seek him. As you seek him, all these other things that you need in life, they’re gonna be added to you. All these things that you need, God’s gonna take care of you.
Is he gonna give you a brand new car and a brand new house and million dollars in your bank account? Probably not. Although he could. What he’s gonna do is take care of you somehow. I don’t know how.
Will it always be easy? No. It wasn’t always easy for him, but god’s gonna take care of you. God’s gonna take care of you. All these things will be added to you if you seek him first.
Put him number one in your life. He’s the one that you should seek every day. Wake up every morning seeking God. God, what today do you have for me? I wanna spend my time laboring for you today because I know it follows me into all eternity.
What do you have for me today? Seek him first. Everything else takes care of itself. Seek him first. Do you know him?
If you know him, are you seeking him? Are you trying to follow him? Are you trying to do the things that you need to do in life so that you can walk close with God? He’s promised he’ll never leave us or forsake us if we call upon him. Now all this uncertainty that’s going on in our life, he’s promised, I’ll be here.
I will never leave you. I’ll take care of you. So the question for you today is a simple question. It seems like a hard question, but it’s very simple. Do you know him?
Have you given your life to him? Do you have an assurance of your salvation today? You can have that assurance. If you’ve given your life to him, he says, you can be sure of that. If you’ve given your life, you have that salvation, and nothing can take you out of his hand.
Have you never made that decision? Have you never given your life? If you can’t look at yourself and say, I’m absolutely certain that if something happened to me today, I would wake up in heaven. Then have you ever truly given your life to Christ? Only you can answer that question.
People have been in church for forty years as church members, taught Sunday school, done whatever, and finally realized, you know what? I missed the step. I never gave my life to Christ. I’ve been trying to work my way to heaven. Doesn’t work.
You have to give your life to Christ. So today, I’m asking you to do this. During all these uncertain times, I want you to be certain of one thing. I want you to be certain of your salvation. We’re gonna take a moment.
We’re gonna have a time of invitation. I’m gonna pray. As I pray, I want you to consider in your own life, am I certain that I know Jesus Christ? And if not, when we have the invitation in just a few moments, I want you to come talk to me. I wanna share with you exactly how you can be certain.
Perhaps you know that you know Jesus, but you haven’t really been laboring for him very well. You haven’t really put him as a priority. He hasn’t been the first thing in your life, and you want that to change. The altar’s open. You can come and spend time at the altar.
You can ask him to help you walk exactly as he wants you to walk. Whatever it may be, if there’s something you need to talk to the Lord, the altar’s open if you choose to go. Right now, you take that examination and you answer to God yourself. Father, we come to you.
