Simple Faith

Guest (Male): There are a lot of people saying a lot of things these days, and a lot of them are pure baloney. Here's Pastor Bill Henry.

Bill Henry: Don't sit there and just subject yourself when people are talking like this. It's okay to get up and walk away. It's okay to hang up the telephone. It's okay to get out of that conversation online or whatever. You're casting your pearls before swine, and you're letting them cast their pearls of doubt. And I think that's part of what we see happen with Job. He just kind of goes down this rabbit hole, if you will, and just kind of circles around and and it's really a sad thing.

Guest (Male): Welcome to our broadcast today. This is Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. The book of Job is receiving our attention currently, and you know, Job is one of the oldest stories in the Bible. In fact, many Bible experts think it's the oldest book in the Bible. How would you fare if you were put through the trials that Job experienced? Job had friends to help him through, but they weren't much help. In fact, their counsel was hurtful. Today we'll meet Job's friend Bildad, and his words of advice are no better than the previous friend who came along, a man by the name of Eliphaz.

Let's join Pastor Bill now in Job chapter 8.

Bill Henry: So as we're looking once again at the the book of Job, um you know, remember that Job first started speaking in chapter 3 after all the loss uh that he had encountered, uh lost all his kids, uh that family, uh all these different things that happened. And then uh as he spoke in chapter 3, one of his three friends that came alongside him, uh Eliphaz, uh responded to Job, basically blaming Job for all the bad things that had happened. Uh and because he had never seen the innocent suffer, is what he said. Uh Job replied then saying that his complaints were just, and so was he.

And uh yet he was still wishing that himself, remember he would never have been born and uh you know, uh just wishing he was dead, he that he had no hope. Uh and we talked about that last time and how the enemy can come in uh and do that. And so as we come to chapter 8, at least we come to a someone who's going to going to encourage Job. Uh Bildad. Uh and if you haven't read it, you don't know I'm joking right now. Or if you don't remember perhaps, uh notice here in verse 1 it says, then Bildad the Shuite the Shuhite, excuse me, answered and said, how long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be with be a great wind?

I mean, how long you're going to bloviate Job? How long you just going to you know, blow out this great wind? And and it is so interesting because uh it's interesting when uh back in at the end of chapter 7, you know, just before this, as his friend stands saying, hey, when are you going to stop blowing wind, this great wind with your mouth? This is what he was If you just want to glance back at the chapter before, verse 17 through 21, it says, this is what Job was saying, like crying out to the Lord.

What is man that you make so much of him, and that you set his heart on him? Visit him every morning and test him every moment. How long will you not look away from me uh or nor leave me alone until I swallow my spit? If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth. You will seek me, but I shall not be.

And so his friend here is, you know, just railing into him. Hey, how long are you going to keep blabbing, buddy? How are you going How long are you going to bloviate here? Verse 2 he goes on. Uh and how long will you say these things, you know, uh excuse me, as I said a moment ago, the oh you have great wind. Does God pervert justice, or does the Almighty pervert the right? And if your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression. So now Bildad goes for the throat.

Your kids are all dead because they've sinned against God. He's just delivered them into their transgression. Right? I mean, imagine that. Uh I don't know if you've ever lost someone close to you or been through something very tragic, and some people come up and say the stupidest things. I remember one fellow when my brother Bob had been killed, you know, gunshot to the head and somebody at church said, well, maybe they were going to go into sin. He was going to go into sin, and so the Lord just spared him. Uh I mean, some people you know, and honestly then I didn't understand.

Now I just kind of say, oh, bless their heart. They're they're trying to encourage, you know. But here here we have He just going straight for the juggler. If your your children, look, they sin against him. That's their own fault. That's basically what he's saying here. Uh and it's crazy. I when I read this, I'll be honest, when I keep reading through this and and as we're teaching, and I know I I've been repeating this, but but it's so poignant. I have spoken with so many people over the years, you know, back in the '90s it was called the word faith movement, the positive confession.

Today they call it the manifestation movement. And basically if you're sick, it's your own fault. If you're poor, it's your own fault. Uh either you have sin or you lack faith. It's one of those things that's in your life. It's your own fault. But as we're seeing here, this is not a new false teaching. This goes all the way back to the book of Job, because they're doing the same thing to Job that many people do in the name of Jesus to others today. Uh these false teachings of the kingdom movement and you know, um you know, Bill Johnson and all this other stuff.

So verse 5, if you seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy, and if you are pure and upright, surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation. And though your beginning was small, your latter days will be very great. So now here he is, Bildad given the you know, hey, just seek God, plead with the Almighty Almighty for mercy. If you're pure and you're upright, then surely he will rouse himself uh you know, to rescue you. So again, he's saying it without saying it, you are impure. You are, you know, not upright.

And this is what he's telling him. Um but remember what Job We we read this last time. Job said about or God said about Job himself, Job 1 8, and the Lord said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? There is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. And then God God goes on to repeat that again in chapter 2. And yet here's this fellow, you know, trying to basically judge Job and and kind of hammer on him as he's doing. Uh what a great reminder for us to be careful when we're judging others who have fallen into sin.

I love how that we're told, you know, at the end of the book of Galatians that we go to somebody, a brother or sister who's fallen into sin, but we go with the spirit of meekness and humility and being careful. We don't want to make sure that we ourselves fall into to to the same sin. And and it can be very easy to judge others, and we need to be so careful. Look at verse 8. He just keeps on going. For inquire um please of bygone ages. And consider what the fathers have searched out. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are a shadow.

Will they not teach you and tell you and utter words out of their understanding? So this is interesting to note because this thing is still happening today. I don't know if you're getting what is he's they're saying here cuz it can be kind of interesting the wording. But basically you remember the first friend again, Eliphaz, you know, he had basically said, you know, that in his experience no righteous people have ever suffered. Nobody who is good ever suffers bad. That's what he said. Uh and he also gave his If you remember, he talked about his dreams and the visions that he had.

And all, you know, it's just all your fault, Job. And now Bildad, instead of pointing to a dream or a vision or his own feelings, he's pointing, oh, look at the fathers have gone by. Look to the previous generations, and there we'll find wisdom because they're old after all. Now I 'm getting older every day. Anybody else here getting older every day? Now you you know a lot of people just because we get older doesn't mean we 're getting wiser. Amen? Amen. And we have to be careful. And and and he's pointing back uh you know, to the days the fathers gone by, you know, that as if they would have any more knowledge into what's happening.

They're just men and just like they were. They lived 200 years ago, 100 years ago. And and so what? It doesn't make any sense, but we love to do that as human beings. Uh it's an interesting thing. 1 Corinthians 3 18 says this, let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool, that he may become wise, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. And and so beloved in Christ, we need to be careful on seeking the wisdom of men and women.

Uh and and it's very interesting how we like to do this. Somebody sounds very educated. Maybe they are very educated. Um but are they educated in the things of God through his word, or is it all about their experiences? It is all about them reading other dead people and then and from their reading dead people and their oh wow, this is great. So everybody's just bloviating on these subjects that a lot of them had have nothing they don't know anything about. Uh so many Christians today do this with psychologists and humanistic counselors. Um perhaps not realizing that the so-called wisdom of these, you know, of the psychological beliefs uh and counselors, do you know they change about every 10 to 15 years?

Um when I was young it was it wasn't really Freud anymore, but you heard about Freud. You heard about a guy named, you know, Jung. Uh you also heard For me when I was young it was the big Dr. Spock was the big one back then. And and everybody looks even the counselors and psychologists look at them and kind of scoff now. Oh, I can't believe they believe that. Well, it's the same today. Every 10 to 15 years they change the psychology, they change the way they're going to do it. Now still other Christians look to the wisdom of the early church fathers, their theologians of the day, or even to their own church.

Now don't get me wrong. These can be wonderful resources to us. Um and I'm not saying that they aren't, but what I am saying is always take the word of God above all of what any man or woman can say. Unless they're given you the word of God. It's a crazy thing and and sad that we like to listen to people like that. I I remember I've shared this before. I remember 2 or 3 years ago somebody who had been married three times said, well, let me I'd like to give you some marriage advice. You know, I love you.

Thank you for that, but no, thank you. Yeah, I I you know, just like somebody who gets in car crashes all the time, I'm not going to really listen to them how they drive. Let me give you some driving instructions. No thanks, man. I'm praying for you. I don't want to go in your car, you know. But sadly a lot of us tend to do that. Well, they've been married three times. We have to, you know, some of their mistake. You know what, beloved in Christ, how about we just go back to the word of God?

We can take wisdom from others, but always hold it up to the word of God. But he goes on. Look at verse 11. Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? While in while yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any plant. So are the paths of all who forget God. The hope of the godless shall perish. Now again, part of what Bill Dad is saying is true. Can we grow without the Lord where there's no Can a flower, you know, flower without not be cut down?

And such are the paths of all who forget God, the hope of the godless shall perish. And that's true. So many today think they can make it in this world without God, and and it's a hopeless thing. It is you know, the the the hope of the godless shall perish. They don't have any hope. You know, live for today, eat, drink, and be merry. For tomorrow we die. That that's it. It's done. But what's interesting what Bill Bad is getting wrong here is he's again implying that this is Job. That he's being godless, that he's not, you know, that he's going down this path.

Now can I encourage you also to note something? Notice the flowery words that Bill Dad is using. And sometimes if you ever talk to somebody uh and they and they use all these really flowery words and really high examples and in all these this high speech, if you will, be careful because a lot of times they're just doing it to make themselves look even smarter than they really are. And And And just be careful um you know, people who talk like he's doing now. Look at verse 14. His confidence is severed, and his trust is a spider's web.

He leans against his house, but it but it does not stand. He lays hold of it, but it does not endure. He is a lush plant before the sun. Notice how he just keeps going on with almost the same thing, but just in a slightly different way. Dude, I don't know I I don't know if I if I was Job and I had a glass of water, I might have Hey, just be quiet, dude. Verse 16, he's a lush plant before the sun, and his shoots spread over the garden. His roots entwine. The soap heap um or excuse me, stone heap, he looks above upon the house of stones.

If he is destroyed from his place, then it will deny him saying, I've never seen you. Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the soil others will spring. And so again, this is the godless. It's they have no joy to offer. You look around the world today. Um sadly the godless, what joy do they have to offer? None. It's the saddest thing in the world when you see people that hate God and and it's on display more and more within our culture, on TikTok, on Reels, and all on the news continually, people who hate God, hate Christians, hate Christianity, hate the Jewish people.

Notice how they don't hate Buddhists. They don't hate those who practice Islam and are out beheading and raping women. Uh they don't hate those people. Why? Because those are false religions. Uh and even, you know, Judaism, even though it's a false religion to a point because they have rejected the son, so they've really in fact rejected the father except for those Jews who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But they come after because there is truth there. And and so we need to remember that there is nothing that they offer. And And do you ever notice how they're the most miserable and mean and unforgiving people that I it's it's so sad to me.

The hatred and the anger and the bitterness. And again, behold the way of this is the joy of his way out of the soil. Still others will spring. Look at verse 20. Behold, God will not reject a blameless man. Uh he will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame in the tent of the wicked uh will be no more. So again, he's saying, look, if you love God and God will not reject a blameless man. Remember You got to remember the premise of what's going on.

Job is the most blameless man in all the earth. And yet here they are falsely accusing him. I it just boggles my mind, honestly. Uh here, you know, again Bill Dad is here saying that God will not reject a blameless man. Um and yet God himself says that Job was the most blameless man in all the earth. May we be careful, guys and gals, who we listen to. That's kind of what I was saying earlier with the glass of water. Don't sit there and just subject yourself when people are talking like this. It's okay to get up and walk away.

It's okay to hang up the telephone. It's okay to get out of that, you know, conversation online or whatever. You're casting your pearls before swine, and you're letting them cast their pearls of doubt. And I think that's part of what we see happen with Job. He just kind of goes down this rabbit hole, if you will, and just kind of circles around and and it's really a sad thing. So be careful, you know, not to um have people around you that are like that. And cuz a lot of times we do that because we're seeking to please others.

We're seeking to please men. We're seeking to please women. Maybe it's our parents. Maybe it's our kids. Maybe it's our friends. Maybe it's other people. Instead of just seeking to please the Lord. To love others as he has showed us how to love and command this and empowered us how to love. But remember, you know, I think Job here isn't being wasn't being very wise. In Colossians 3 23 it says this, and whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men. Knowing that from the Lord you'll receive the reward in the of the inheritance uh for you can serve the Lord Christ.

And so let us learn from from this is, you know, Bill Dad is basically wrapping up here and and he just basically is saying all these terrible things. Uh Job should have not listened to him, but look at verse chapter 9 verse 1. Then Job answered and said, truly I know that it is so. But how can man be in the right before God? If one wish to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who has hardened himself against him and succeeded.

Now it's interesting notice uh here uh where it says uh you know, if you want to contend uh if one wish to contend with God, with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. Contend here in the Hebrew is reeb. It literally means to strive, to contend, to debate, to conduct a legal case. Can I ask us here this more this evening, how many of us here contend with God at times? We we strive to make our legal case with God. But Lord, I've done all this. I've done this. I've done just as you commanded, and now you're supposed to do it.

I want you to do. It was funny. I was talking with one of the girls this afternoon, and you know, when we say, you know, that we're praying about something and and and it's so interesting cuz whenever the Lord says yes, we say, oh, the Lord answered our my prayers. Oh, the Lord answered the prayers. No, he always answers prayers. He either says yes, no, or wait. And And But we don't like the no or wait. Amen? So if he hasn't said yes, then it's just the Lord hasn't answered that prayer yet. We don't want to hear no.

Uh And so we have to be careful not to contend with the Lord. And these are some very sound and true words about God. He alone is wise in heart. Uh Job says here, and mighty in strength. Yet it's interesting again, so many today within the world and sadly many within the church do contend with God and his word. It's such a trippy thing to me. Uh they hardened themselves against him, against his Holy Spirit, against his word, and then think they can succeed. It boggles my mind. Over I've been in ministry for many years, over 35 years plus in ministry.

And sadly I'd have to say to a person that that people who confess Christ and yet have many problems in their lives are those who hear the word of God and then do not walk in accordance to it by the power of the spirit of God. Now that's not saying that if you do that, you're never going to have problems. But if you do that, God works out those problems in and through you for his good pleasure and for our good. Look, Jesus said it this way, John Matthew 7 24. Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise like a person who builds a house on a solid rock.

Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against the house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and does not obey it is foolish like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against the house, it will be a mighty crash. Uh in Proverbs 14 12 it says it this way, there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Look, beloved in Christ, if you're have if you if that is you, I'm a professing Christian man and my life is just so full of problems and and this and that.

And ask yourself, look, are you hearing the word of God? Are you reading God's word every day? Are you studying God's word every day? And are you then seeking to apply it in your life lovingly, obediently through the power of the Holy Spirit of God? Remember not to be saved, not to keep our salvation, but because we love God. We love his words. We love his commands. And we know, by the way, that when he gives us his commands, our ways aren't right, but his ways are. And he wants the best for us.

Guest (Male): This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today we brought you a message from Pastor Bill from his series in the book of Job. It's our sincere hope and prayer that you've been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today. And if you'd like to share today's message with someone, it's available at our website to either watch or listen, and you can even download an audio MP3 version. We have a large number of Pastor Bill's messages archived, and you can find them all at simplefaith.org.

That's simplefaith.org. Click the media tab, and if you'd like to contact us, just click the contact tab on our website. And there's a tab at the top of our homepage where you can also send us a prayer request. You can also call us at the church at 833 by grace. That's 833 294 7223. And if you'd like to write to us, our mailing address is post office box 55 Battleground, Washington 98604. Here at Simple Faith Calvary Chapel we have two services on Sunday morning at 9:00 and 10:45. And a great time of studying God's word Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.

We'd love to have you come visit us and make sure you say hi to Pastor Bill and let him know you listen to Simple Faith. For more information and directions, go to simplefaith.org. And you can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for joining us today. Be sure to join us next time as our series in Job continues here on Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry. And be sure to join us for the Saturday edition of Simple Faith and our series in 1 Thessalonians. This program is brought to you by Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington.