Sit Down and Shut Up

Pastor Dr. Derrick L. Smith

Job • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

Job

A Friend

0 ratings

· 1,129 views

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Introduction

, 42:10-11

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Haddon W. Robinson once said that, “No sermon is ready for preaching, not ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as a crystal.” That said, I want to tell you what this sermon is really about and that is this. If you’re going to surround yourself with people, make sure they have your best interests at heart.

Lately, the Lord has been dealing with me regarding authenticity. It appears that we live in a world in which people are no longer real. They are no longer all in, they’re no longer there when they should be. They’re everywhere but where they need to be and are now expendible. They no longer add substance to your life leaving you in a conundrum because you want to hold on to these people who mean you no good and God is trying to show you their true identity. While it is true that we are relational and everybody needs somebody, it is disheartening to me that people are no longer genuine and no matter how loving, or how giving you, or how available you are, when you need someone no one is there for you, but gather like buzzards when you fall. Is there anybody in this place that can testify that you’ve dealt with some things and felt all by yourself! Come on don’t leave me out here by myself in the introduction. You’re steady trying to hold on to what God has released, only to experience the same disappointments time and time again. George Santayana, said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

In that Psalm, David complains about his distress and the trouble he was in, and the lack of friends, and begs God to just make it end; he wanted relief. It is in that Psalm that David records these words, he says, “Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I waited for sympathy, but there was none; for comforters, but found no one.” (V.20) Let’s us know that just like when a snake sheds its skin, it’s still a snake; some folk may change their outfit, but they’re character is still ugly. Is there anybody in this place that can testify that you’ve dealt with some things and felt all by yourself! Come on don’t leave me out here by myself in the introduction. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This message may not shout you, but it’ll free you if you just be real about it!

Today’s text is a morbid, yet sobering reminder that not everyone who comes, comes to comfort! Some folk come to be nosey, some folk come to gossip, and others to condemn! Here we have the latter of the three the condemners! And it is here beloveds that we find by way of the text, a man by the name of Job! A man whose very name in Hebrew means "persecuted, hated" or to be an enemy, but it also means "he who returns." We’ll get there later. The Book of Job is one of the books in the Hebrew Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible. It is, perhaps, the oldest book in the Bible. Anonymous in authorship, most theologians to accept Moses as it’s author due to the fact that the writer refers to and directly quotes several psalms and, though its very nature is depressing, it is actually the first poetic book in the Old Testament and considered one of the wisdom books and gives us a glimpse of the soteriological nature of God concerning His people and His ability to restore.

As we open today’s text, the Holy Ghost would have it that we remember that not everyone who comes, comes to comfort! Some folk come to be nosey, some folk come to gossip, and others to condemn! It is here my dear brothers and sisters that we find by way of the text, a man by the name of Job! The Book of Job is one of the books in the Hebrew Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible. Even though its very nature is depressing, it is actually the first poetic book in the Old Testament and considered one of the wisdom books of the Bible. We are looking here at the latter of the three options I previously proposed! Let me remind you that Job has just had the hardest experience of ALL of our lives! He’s lost his children, he’s lost his livestock, he’s lost his farm, all of his money is gone, his wife thinks he’s crazy told him to curse God and die ... yet we find him solemn and refusing to turn his back on God!

When the story begins, Job has seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, making him one of the greatest men in the East. He is so esteemed, the prophet Ezekiel mentions him along with Noah and Daniel. Let me remind you that Job has just had the hardest experience of ALL of our lives! He’s lost his children, his livestock, his farm, his money’s gone, his wife thinks he’s crazy and told him to curse God and die ... yet we find him suffering in silence and refusing to turn his back on God!

He doesn’t know what happened, he doesn’t know that there was a meeting about him that he wasn’t even invited to! All he knows is that surely God must be angry at him, yet he hasn’t even committed any sin that would warrant such a punishment. Let me shed a little light in the subject here, you see everyone likes to read the book of Job from the standpoint of weeks, months, and years, but can you tell you that all of this happened to Job in a matter of ONE DAY!

He doesn’t know what happened, he’s unaware there was a meeting about him that he wasn’t invited to! All he knows is that surely God must be angry at him, but he hasn’t sinned. There’s an eerie bit of irony in the narrative, due to the fact that God is so close and yet He’s so far away. Let me shed a little light on the subject here, you see everyone likes to read the book of Job from the standpoint of weeks, months, and years, but can I tell you that the majority of Job’s calamity happened in a matter of ONE DAY! His attack spanned about two days, but we don’t know how long it lasted. On the second day, his body was afflicted with boils. How do we know, it’s right here in the text for you. The Bible declares in chapter one and again in chapter two, “Now there was a day” meaning, in just a few hours time, Job lost his oxen, his servants, his sheep, his camels, his children, and his body was hideously scarred... everything … except his faith.

You gave up on it, but God gave it backAll he knows is that surely God must be angry at him, yet he hasn’t even committed any sin that would warrant such a punishment. Let me shed a little light in the subject here, you see everyone likes to read the book of Job from the standpoint of weeks, months, and years, but can you tell you that all of this happened to Job in a matter of ONE DAY!

Look at your neighbor really quickly and tell them. And you thought you were having a bad day!

We are listening in on what would appear to be the very pinnacle of Job’s complaint, but it really isn’t. Mind you, he’s spoken out before, but now there’s a different connotation to his complaint. You see, he’s up against some harsh criticism and now, Job is on the offense! You have to remember that being a believer doesn’t give folks a license to treat you any way they want. The dilemma is how do you treat folk that don’t care how they treat you? How can you be good to people that want to destroy you? Uh huh, we like to pray for the patience of Job, but not many of us can pass the test of Job?

Transition: But wait, there’s more. Tell your neighbor don’t throw away that plate just yet. There’s still some meat on that bone! You’ve got to be cognizant of the fact beloveds that …

I. Everybody That Comes Ain’t Coming To Help

As we delve into today’s text, we find that Job has a few friends who came to see about him.

As we delve into today’s text, we find that Job has a few close friends who came to see about him.

Y’all didn’t catch that ... I said close friends. That means that all hurtful things don’t come from strange tongues!

Y’all didn’t catch that ... I said friends. That means that all hurtful things don’t come from strange tongues!

Uh huh some of those tongues know your business and have deep ties to you. And it’s those deep cuts that do the most damage!

Uh huh some of those tongues know your business and your deep secrets. Deep cuts do the most damage!

It is interesting to me as we gander at this passage of Scripture, that his friends only showed up after they heard about what happened.

It is interesting to me as we gander at this didactic portrait of Scripture, that his friends only showed up after they heard about what happened. Oh come on and go with me. You know how people can be! Just nosey for no reason.

You didn’t hear a a word from them while you were dangling on the edge, but after pookie and Ron Ron make a phone call or send a text here they come! And they didn’t come with good news. They didn’t get come with a positive outlook.

You didn’t hear a word from them while you were dangling on the edge, but soon as they get a call or text, here they come! And they don’t come with good news or a positive outlook.

Where were you when I needed you?

Where were you when I was crying my eyes out asking the Lord God Why me?

Where were you when I was crying my eyes out asking the Lord God why me?

Where were you when I was making plans to kill myself because surely life would be better off without me in it.

Where were you when I was making plans to kill myself becuase surely life would be better off without me in it.

Where were you when the love of my life left me?

Where were you when I lost everything I held dear to me

Where were you when I lost my momma or my daddy

Where were you?

Here I am struggling and not knowing where my next meal or the money for my light bill is gonna come from and I ain’t seen hide nor head of you, but the second all my business is in the street.

Where were you?

Here I am struggling and not knowing where my next meal or the money for my light bill is gonna come from and I ain’t seen hide nor head of you, but the second all my business is in the street.

The second my name is in everybody’s mouth

The very second I got an eviction notice, or divorce papers in the mail, diagnosed with an illness they say they can’t cure ... here you come knocking on my door!

The second my name is in everybody’s mouth

How is it that you wanna show up now?

The very second in which I received my eviction notice or my divorce papers came in the mail or I’ve been diagnosed owed with an illness they say they can’t cure ... here you come knocking on my door!

This message may not shout you, but it’ll free you if you just be real about it today. There are some people connected to you that don’t even deserve the grace of your space!

And let me tell you something, when you’re going through, you need folk around you that will speak life into you! Not condemn you to a worse state than you’re already in! Jesus said in Matthew 12 round about the 43rd verse, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

How is it that you wanna show up now?

Some folk just want you to feel as bad as they do about themselves! Stop asking folks to pray for you and let you vent!

You better to learn that everyone who shows up ain’t showing up for your benefit. I just told you there were three types of folk. And sometimes, the voices you hear keep you in bondage and depression! You gotta stop letting everybody talk to you about you!

When you’re going through, you need folk around you that will speak life into you! Not condemn you to a worst state than you’re already in! Jesus said in Matthew 12 round about verses 43-45, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Some folk just want you to feel as bad as they do about themselves! And they’ll do whatever they can to make you look bad so they look good! Stop broadcasting your hard times asking folks to pray for you!

Sometimes you’ve got to let folk know that you don’t know more about my life than I do! You only know what you heard and that was a lie too! Like the song says, don’t ask my neighbor come to me!

You’ve got to learn that everyone who shows up and showing up for your benefit. I told you there were three types of folk. Sometimes, the voices you hear keep you in bondage and depression! Stop letting everyone talk to you about you!

I didn’t make it up y’all I promise it’s right here in the text. Job said I see it, I know it, I’m not inferior to you! That word inferior in the Greek is hustereó (hoos-ter-eh'-o) and it means coming behind and therefore left out .

In other words, you only think you know what’s going on. You weren’t there, I was! It happened to me not you! How you gonna tell me more about my situation than I know!

Their words lacked value! They didn’t add to him, because they had nothing behind them.

You’ve gotta be mindful of a naked person that offers you a shirt!

Transition: No this isn’t another you got haters sermon, we all know that. You got them, I got them, everybody got them and quite frankly I’m tired of hearing about them. Move on! What this sermon is about simply put, is this. The only one that’s going to get you through ... is you! Because what you’ll come to find out is that ...

II. Everybody Who Sits With You Ain’t Your Friend

The biggest hindrance to your success is listening to other folks’ mess!

You gotta look at what happened. Let me bring you up to speed ... in chapter one, he lost everything. He was just going about life like any other day; unaware he was about to be tested due to a dare! That’s right, Satan double dog dared God and God obliged. Because he knew he would win!

You better get yourself together! Whose report will you believe? We believe the report of the Lord!

You gotta look at what happened. Let me bring you up to speed ... in chapter one, he lost everything. He was just going about life like any other day; unaware that there was a meeting about him that he wasn’t even invited to! Unaware that was about to be tested due to a dare! That’s right, Satan double dog dared God and God obliged. Because he knew he would win!

The biggest hindrance to your success is listening to other folks’ mess!

But that’s what I love about God. He only puts you a fight that he’s trained you for!

God only puts you a fight that he’s trained you to win! You might take a few jabs and a right hook, but you’ll be alright.

Stay with me. Job’s so-called friends showed up in chapter 2! And they sat with him for seven days! They didn’t even recognize him. Ok, put some text on it Smitty … they think you shooting from the hip. The Bible says, “ When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air over his head.”

Lean over, nudge your neighbor, then holler back at me. Sometimes you DO look like what you’ve been through!

You have to understand the customs of those times. See, tearing your clothes and pouring dust over your head was a sign of grief and mourning. What am I saying? It looked liked they had the right intentions. We learn in chapter 2 that, “They sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.” That was a front because you see Jewish law required a person to be buried the same day they died. Job never got the opportunity to do that for his children. Then a seven-day mourning period began. The text says they sat with him in silence for seven days and seven nights.

Jewish law requires a person to be buried the same day as his or her death, and then a seven-day mourning period commences. A special meal of condolence is provided after the burial. Mourners remain in the house of mourning with friends and family throughout the week. Prayers are offered, and readings from the Torah are shared.But you’ve got to be mindful of folk who don’t ever have anything to say. Sometimes, they’re just watching you to see if you’re as saved as you say you are! They want to see what you’re going to do before they come at you crazy.

Job never got the opportunity to do that for his children

and then a seven-day mourning period commences.

We just read that they sat with him in silence for seven days.

But check this out … you’ve got to be mindful of folk who don’t ever have anything to say. Sometimes, they’re just watching you to see if you’re as saved as you say you are! They want to see what you’re going to do before they come at you crazy.

Fast forward to chapter 3 and we hear Job speak, and his statement begins by cursing the day he was born!

The first person to reply was Eliphaz the Temanite and he tells Job in so many words you round encouraging others and you can’t even take your own advice. Then he tells him, In my experience, only those who plant seeds of evil harvest trouble.

Some of you in here God told to start a business 20 years ago. And you’re still stuck in the same place because you’re worrying what they’re going to say!

In other words, if you wouldn’t have done what you done you wouldn’t have gotten what you got!

This puts Job in a position to have to defend himself … get this … and he hasn’t even done anything wrong!

Anybody ever defended yourself for doing right?

The first person to speak was

Then Bildad the Shuhite speaks and he tells Job that he should repent! Stay with me God got me coming up the rough side of the mountain today. This a hard one to preach because I’ve lived this right here! This message feels different today. He told Job, “Since your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion.” The Bible doesn’t say his children had done anything at that point. Job interceded on their behalf in case they had!

Listen, I just lost my seven sons and three daughters. And didn’t even get to give them a proper burial and you got the nerve to tell me it’s their fault they’re dead! That’s strike two!

Finally, Zophar the Naamathite speaks and he has the audacity to rebuke Job! All of their words were designed to tear him down and convince him that he was wrong and should repent; that he deserved everything he’s experiencing! These words only served to keep him in a state of bewilderment and depression. A verbal battle ensues, Job goes back and forth with them from chapter 3 until today’s highlighted text, but now he’s had enough! He’s wondering how anyone can be so cruel and judgmental under the guise of being caring and wise. It intrigues me that some 477 years, 11 months, and 7 days later David, God’s first King writes Psalm 69, a psalm of personal lamentation or complaint.

In that Psalm, David complains about his distress and the trouble he was in, and the lack of friends to comfort him, and begs God to just make it end; he wanted relief. It is in that Psalm that David records these words, he says, “Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I waited for sympathy, but there was none; for comforters, but found no one.” (V.20) Lets us know that just like when a snake sheds its skin, it’s still a snake; some folk may change their outfit, but they’re character is still ugly.

You don’t know abandonment and desolation until you’ve been lonely in crowd and everybody’s got something to say, but ain’t none of them making no sense.

Everything they say sounds right, but it’s hitting your ear wrong!

Jesus said, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite!” Y’all better hear me this morning?

You don’t appreciate a real friend until you’ve dealt with some fake ones! Let me tell you something, You better learn how to encourage yourself! Just because you LOOK the part! Folks don’t know you’re just a walking case of grace! But hear me good grace can be deceptive.

You better learn how to encourage yourself! Just because you LOOK the part! Folks don’t know you’re just a walking case for grace! Let me tell you something grace can be deceptive.

You better preach up in here lil black boy from a little country town called Gainesville!

Grace will make you look like you got it all together when you really dying on the inside

When you really dying on the inside

You better get yourself together! Whose report will you believe? We believe the report of the Lord!

But you gotta keep face in front of folk so you don’t look weak!

You helping everybody, but won’t nobody help you

You comforting folk, but they won’t comfort you

Calling folk that ain’t calling you

You doing for them, but they haven’t done anything for you.

Job’s so-called friends

And the second you pull back here they come. Well, you Christian you supposed to forgive me.

When will you learn that don’t nobody got you like You and God got you!

Not your mama

Not your daddy

You better learn how to encourage yourself!

Not your auntie

Not your spouse

There are some things that only you and God can work out!

Everything they say sounds right, but it’s hitting your ear wrong!

This message is empathetic in its scope, because people are hurting and so-called friends are deserting. It’s hard to find a real friend these days. They only attach themselves to you to suck the very essence of life out OF you! And, when you’re no longer useful, they become boastful and full of themselves. And they forget all about the ones they once called friend.

When you no longer do for them, they begin to put a divide between you and them

They stop calling

They stop answering

They stop coming around

They no longer like your posts on social media

And sometimes they pop up in the people you may know box ... meaning they have disassociated themselves from you completely. They’ve blocked you in real life too! You just ain’t found out yet!

And sometimes they pop up in the people you may know box ... meaning they have disassociated themselves from you

You’ve got to understand that real friends don’t act like that. Real friends don’t lie, cheat, or steal! I’m reminded that the Bible says that a friend sticks closer than a brother! But how can two walk together except they be agreed? Pardon my candor, but what kind of friend are you?

Instead of helping me figure this thing out you making me think I’m crazy!

All up in my face today and you’ll be discussing my case tonight

You better to learn how to cut them off at the kneecaps! Love them from a distance and move on with your life. I ain’t got time today! Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Keep it moving. Sometimes the ingredient for change requires a shift in personnel! You better adopt the attitude of solitude. Aretha Franklin said you gotta disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace!

Don’t let the good times fool you beloveds! Where there’s no reciprocity, there’s no connection!

When you connnect with them you’re instantly connected to those connected to them as well!

And when a person cuts you off there they’ve blocked you in real life too!

Don’t let the good times fool you! Where there’s no reciprocity, there’s no connection!

Don’t let the good times fool you!

Transition: Paul said in , “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” This brings us to our third and final point because it teaches us that …

III. All Advice Ain’t Good Advice

Job’s friends all said the same thing just in a different way … this your fault! His wife told him to curse God and die! Mighty God, what do you do when your own wife turns against you?

Job’s friends all said the same thing just in a different way … this yo fault!

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

If you don’t love me, keep your mouth closed! Get from round me with that foolishness. You ain’t moving nothing but your mouth! Sit down and shut up! Jesse James said, “I'm tired of talk. Cuz talk cheap and I need help to get on my feet I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death I can do that on my own.

Listen, if you don’t love me, keep your mouth closed! Get from round me with that foolishness. You ain’t moving nothing but your mouth! Sit down and shut up! Jesse James said, “I'm tired of talk. Cuz talk cheap and I need help to get on my feet I can do bad by myself I don't need no help to starve to death I can do that on my own.”

Half of the time they spending all of their time telling you what you did wrong!

I don’t have the energy to pretend like I’m OK in this season! The walls are closing in around me and I need somebody to help pray me free! But all of my appointed time, I’m gonna wait until my change come!

They spend more time telling you what you did wrong than telling you it’s going to be alright!

You shouldn’t have said that

I told you not to go there

You knew that was wrong when you did it

Stop complaining

You need to repent

You need to fast

You should have prayed more

Be patient

Shut up! Before I remind you of whose bed you just got out of this morning ... and it wasn’t your husband or your wife laying next to you! Watch how quiet they get. Uh huh y’all say it with me ... you ready here we go .. sit down and shut up!

Here I am crying my eyes out contemplating suicide and you won’t even call or come give me a ride so we can talk it out!

Instead of praying for me you talking about me

Instead of tarrying with me you’ve gone and left with the one that caused me this misery in the first place

Instead of having my back you left me out front!

And will be the first one at my funeral rolling all over the floor foaming at the mouth with snot running out your nose.

Sit down and shut up! If you ain’t come to help, then I don’t need you here! And don’t call me funny acting, I just need some time to myself! Back away, get out, go home and leave me alone! Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge. I might carry it well, but that don’t mean it isn’t heavy! I might look good doing it, but that don’t mean it’s not beating me up inside!

Sit down and shut up!

Shut up! Don’t make me remind you of whose bed you just got out of this morning ... and it wasn’t your husband or your wife laying next to you! Watch how quiet they get. Uh huh y’all say it with me ... you ready here we go .. sit down and shut up!

Job said you coat the truth with lies; you are all worthless doctors! Solomon later said that Kind words are like honey sweet to the soul and healthy for the body! If that be the case then their words probably felt like serrated daggers! Because if in fact the power of life and death are in the tongue. That means that your words can either help or hurt!

You better check your circle, Jesus said, “Did I not choose ye twelve? And one of you is a devil!

Instead of helping me figure this thing out you making me think I’m crazy!

It’s ok y’all ain’t gotta say amen. Stay quiet, but I can admit that I have problems dealing with people and their antics at times. The preacher ain’t perfect and everyday ain’t bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me! Some days it’s you better get up out my face before we tear this place up!

You’ve got to have more to add than an I told you so

You’ve got to learn how to cut them off at the knees! The Lord giveth and the Lord take the away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

The premise of the message isn’t for you to look at those around you. It’s really for you to look at you! Because there is something in you that keeps attracting them to you!

Y’all better stop messing with me! I ain’t got but one good nerve left and it’s got your name on it!

You don’t know what it took for me to get here this morning

You don’t know the hell I caught all week long

You don’t know how many folk I wanted to choke this week

You don’t know how many times I wanted to snap ...

Sit down and shut up!

Folk will drive you over a cliff and beat you getting mad about what they did to you.

Y’all ain’t gonna help me preach this thing. Cause you’re too busy looking cute with your lil Easter suit at Christmas time. See This ain’t for you deep saints that fast seven days a week and always resting in the inner courts past the gates and into the Holy of Holies that never slips or don’t have any worldly thoughts!

But I wonder if I got any real folk in here that know what I’m talking about. Those of you who can testify that I yeah I might have Jesus in my heart to share, but baby you can get these hands too!

I can be nice and sweet but messing with my family might get you knocked in your teeth.

I’m talking to the real saints.

If you ain’t never wanted to cuss nobody out ... shut up

If you ain’t never had to go take a minute to get yourself together ... sit down somewhere

If you ain’t never had to repent for seeing yourself knocking somebody out ... I’m not talking to you no how

If you ain’t never had to repent for seeing yourself choking somebody out ... I’m not talking to you no how

We keeping it real today!!! I should choke you, but God said ... love you!

The prophet Nehemiah told the men at the gate if they didn’t stop what they were doing he was gonna have to put his hands on them and he wasn’t talking about to pray! Read your Bible!

Is there anybody in here that can testify that if it had not been for Holy Ghost holding me back, Christ keeping my mouth, and God the Father giving me common sense to walk away I would have been in cell block 9 today!

I like to tell people you lucky my grandma a Christian! Because it was her prayers that’s keeping me off your tail!

Sit down; be cool! You don’t wanna test drive this car here!

Sit down; be cool!

I didn’t come to pacify you I came to keep it real with you! I’m saved that don’t mean I’m soft, shy, or stupid!

Pastor you better get me out of here! We’ve gotta stop feeding the people what they want to hear so we can get the return invite and tell them what really happens when you trying to live right! This life ain’t easy! God ain’t always giving out houses and cars. Don’t play with this thing, you can speak in tongues all you wanna, but folk will make you cuss in English if you not prayed up! God said, “My spirit shall not dwell with man always for he is carnal!” I gotta get this out now cause y’all might not invite me back next year.

Conclusion

It’s important that we understand the didactic nature of God. Meaning that everything you go through is designed to teach you something about God ... get this ... while He’s showing you something about yourself! He only put you through it because He knew you could do it! And at the end of every period of testing is blessing!

In saying that, it begs the question what is this passage trying to teach us? From all of the background studying the, the illustrations, where is the application? How do we link this message to our lives and apply it’s content?

In order to do that, we must ask ourselves one additional question ... what would God like me to learn from my attachments? You ever wonder why God exposed Job’s friends like that? Let me tell you why.

You only see people’s real nature when it’s their turn to nurture!

And for some people it’s not in their nature to nurture!

You only see people’s real nature when it’s their time to nurture!

What He’s teaching us here, is that you’ve got to know when to say enough is enough! Like Job said, if only you would just shut up and let that be your wisdom! In those days, a silent man was seen as a wise man! That meant he gave some thought to what he was going to say and when he spoke, it was counted to him as wisdom and held in high respect. That’s why the Bible says let every man be quick to listen and slow to speak !

Your lesson and application is that you’ve got to learn to stop letting folk treat you any kind of way. Stop letting what they say guide your steps! They’re impeding the very flow of God’s plan for your life and you’re allowing it to happen.

The beautiful thing about all of this. Is that there’s a blessing waiting for you if you just stay focused. If you keep folk out of your ear and stay steadfast and unmovable! Stay with me, here is the manifestation of your application and don’t you dare miss it. Do you remember the last two verses we read? Yeah, it’s ok I know y’all thought I forgot about them. The Bible says in ch. 42 verses 10-11, “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring.” Y’all missing it! When he got from around them, God put him in the company of some folks who really cared.

Sometimes, you have to cut folk off in order to see the manifestation of God in your life and He’ll send you some real folk. The piece of silver and earring was a sign of restored wealth.

But there’s a back story see, prior to this, God checked his so-called friends for him!

Ok I gotta help you cause I gotta get out of here.

Job didn’t have to say a word. God had it worked out! Job just wasted his breath!

He didn’t even have to say a word becuase God had the whole thing figured out! All that he said to them was wasted breath!

The Lord told them in verse 8, to take seven bulls and seven rams and go give Job a burnt offering for yourselves. Then He said My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you.

God said don’t even waist your time cause I ain’t listening! In fact, you deserve to be put to death for what you did!

The Lord told them in verse 8, to take seven bulls and seven rams and go give Job a burnt offering for yourselves. Then Be said My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you accord

I wish y’all saw what I see. When people think they’re doing you dirty, they’re really doing it as unto the Lord. God said, you wronged him and in the process you wronged me. Now I’m gonna make you go back through him to get back to me

Remember the statement you gonna need me before I need you? This is the manifestation of that statement

Be careful how you treat folk cause God has a strange sense of humor!

Oh my shondo, y’all still missing it! The very same ones that talked trash to him, abandoned him emotionally during the toughest time of his life, let me say it this way ... the ones that switched out on him ... had to come right back to him because they needed him!!!

You know you saved when you can pray for the ones that don’t mean you no good!

You’ve got power when God puts His yes to their prayers in your hands!

But get this, had he listened to them God would have killed him.

Y’all ain’t caught this thing yet!

You’ve gotta learn how to cut off people’s access to you

Stop letting folk make you feel bad for doing good

Stop telling all your business and move in silence

Stop letting folk make you feel bad for doing good

you better stand your ground and look them devils in their faces!

Tell them to sit down and shut up!

Learn how to tell folk to sit down and shut up!

They might call you crazy, but praise God anyway

Stand your ground and look them devils jn their faces!

Stop telling all your business and move in silence

Stop telling folks all your business and move in silence

They might call you crazy, but praise God anyway

They may say you acting funny, but keep doing what you do

They may say you too deep, but stay on your knees

Pray on my child, you’ve got a home on high

Guard your heart and commit your ways unto the Lord

Build your hopes on things eternal

Look to the hills from whence cometh your help, all your help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and the earth

Look to the hills from whence comets your help, all your help comets from the Lord which made heaven and the earth

I may not have the house, car, Job, education, or the money I want, but a bad day with Jesus is better than 100 with all of that mess

I may not have the house, car, Job, education, or money you want, but a bad day with Jesus is better day than with all of that mess

And one day God’s gonna bless me, but for right now don’t you mess with me

You don’t know who you dealing with!

I’m a child of the king!

I’m favored.

What can man do to me?

I’m favored

God’s got my back, Ask me how I know United Open Door!

God’s got my back

Cause everywhere I step I blaze a new trail

Everywhere I step I blaze a new trail

Everywhere I turn I win

Everything my hands touch He causes to prosper

Everything my hands touch prospers

Tell them you ain’t seen nothing, you ain’t shaking nothing, and you ain’t stopping nothing!

Get out of my way!

If God be for me … who can be against me

What can man do to me?

If God be for me … who can be against me

You ain’t seen nothing yet!

If God be for me … who can be against me

He walks with me, He talks with me, and He tells me that I am His own!

Praise be to God who always causes me to triumph!!!

Head them off at the pass

The late Rev Dr. Charles Booth once said. That the centrality of the Gospel is that no matter how much we are blessed, on the heels of every heavenly experience is a hellish encounter! Simply put, whenever God wants to bless you expect the devil to be there trying to test you!

And he’ll use your friends to get next to you! But look here, don’t be like Job! Don’t explain yourself to nobody! Someone once said you have to learn to be OK with people not knowing your side of the story.

Related Media

Related Sermons

Sit Down and Shut Up

Introduction

Transition: But wait, there’s more. Tell your neighbor don’t throw away that plate just yet. There’s still some meat on that bone! You’ve got to be cognizant of the fact beloveds that …

I. Everybody That Comes Ain’t Coming To Help

II. Everybody Who Sits With You Ain’t Your Friend

​

Transition: Paul said in , “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” This brings us to our third and final point because it teaches us that …

III. All Advice Ain’t Good Advice

Conclusion