"Holding onto Integrity in Hard Times"

10-3-21 Sermon Notes “Holding On To Integrity In Hard Times” World Communion Sunday

Sometimes I think I am having a bad day…maybe even a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” (Did you read that children’s book?) Then I remember Job. We have heard about Job, haven’t we, and we have said this person has “the patience of Job,” or that person has “the troubles of Job.” It’s almost as if Job becomes so familiar a part of our language that we forget that Job was a real person. His story reads like a fable, but he was a real person. He is mentioned not only in Ezekiel 14: 14,20, but also in James 5: 11. He was a real man with real troubles, and lived in the land of Uz (near Edom). The first chapters of the book of Job establish some important facts about this guy:

•He was very prosperous - in his character (“perfect and upright” – think “perfect” in the sense of mature and complete, not sinless), in his family (ten children - in a Patriarchal Age a large family was seen as a blessing), and in his material possessions (land, animals, servants).
•He had much trouble! His wealth was taken away suddenly, his children killed suddenly, and finally his health taken away.
•He was faithful. Job said in 1: 21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Then these powerful words in 1: 22 – “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.”

Job might not have “charged God” but Job’s wife did, bless her heart. She suggested that Job just go ahead and “curse God and die.” (2: 9) I try to consider Job’s wife’s situation. She had lost 10 children in one day. That would devastate anybody. The family wealth was gone – POOF! Her once-great husband was now sitting in the city garbage dump, suffering from some terrible disease. It is understandable that she would question God. It is understandable that she would tell her husband curse God and die, and just get out of all this misery.

Her question to Job is what haunts me in this story. “Do you still persist in your integrity?” This is what we will talk about Sunday. How does a person hold on to his or her integrity, even in the midst of terribly hard time? How did Job do it? More importantly – how do we do it?

The Scripture Sunday will be Job 1: 1; 2: 1-10.
1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
2 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. 5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” 6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
See you Sunday,

Pastor Sam