Part 1 • Presenting the Problem: Job’s Encounter with Satan (1:1 – 2:13)

A. Job’s Piety and Prosperity (1:1-5)

B. Satan’s First Challenge (1:6-22)

C. Satan’s Second Challenge (2:1-10)

D. The Arrival of Job’s Friends (2:11-13)

Part 2 • Seeking a Solution: Job’s Encounter with Men (3:1 – 37:24)

A. Introduction: Job Longs for Death (3:1-26)

1. Job Curses the Day of His Birth (3:1-10)

2. Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth (3:11-19)

3. Job Questions Why His Life Is Continued (3:20-26)

B. The Three Friends’ Solution to Job’s Problem (4:1 – 31:40)

1. The First Cycle of Speeches (4:1 – 14:22)

(1) The First Speech of Eliphaz (4:1 – 5:27)

(2) Job’s Reply to Eliphaz (6:1 – 7:21)

(3) The First Speech of Bildad (8:1-22)

(4) Job’s Answer to Bildad (9:1 – 10:22)

(5) The First Speech of Zophar (11:1-20)

(6) Job’s Reply to Zophar (12:1 – 14:22) 13

2. The Second Cycle of Speeches (15:1 – 21:34)

(1) The Second Speech of Eliphaz (15:1-35)

(2) Job’s Reply to Eliphaz (16:1 – 17:16)

(3) The Second Speech of Bildad (18:1-21)

(4) Job’s Reply to Bildad (19:1-29)

(5) The Second Speech of Zophar (21:1-29)

(6) Job’s Reply to Zophar (21:1-34)

3. The Third Cycle of Speeches (22:1 – 31:40)

(1) The Third Speech of Eliphaz (22:1-30)

(2) Job’s Reply to Eliphaz (23:1 – 24:25)

(3) Bildad’s Third Speech (25:1-6)

(4) Job’s Reply to Bildad (26:1 – 31:40)

C. Elihu’s Solution to Job’s Problem (32:1 – 37:24)

Part 3 • Arriving at the Answer: Job’s Encounter with God (38:1 – 42:6)

A. Jehovah’s First Words from the Whirlwind (38:1 – 40:2)

B. Job’s Reply (40:3-5)

C. Jehovah’s Final Words from the Whirlwind (40:6 – 41:34)

D. Job’s Reply (42:1-6)

Part 4 • Epilogue (42:7-17)

CHAPTER ONE — Daniel’s Training in Babylon
1:1-21 Daniel was among the first Jews to be exiled to Babylon in 605 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel, of noble birth, was probably a young man (teenager) at the time he was deported from Judah. Daniel and his friends were enrolled in a course to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. Daniel determined not to defile himself with the royal food because, in all likelihood, it was food that had been offered to idols. Daniel proposed a diet of vegetables rather than compromise his beliefs.

Note: Like Daniel, our convictions should be based on God’s Word. When we are tested or tempted, we should stand firm rather than compromise our convictions.

CHAPTER TWO — Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream & Daniel’s Interpretation
2:1-49 King Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream which none of his “magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers” (v. 2) could interpret for him. This angered the king and he ordered the execution of “all the wise men of Babylon” (v. 12), including Daniel and his friends (v. 13). Daniel appealed to the king for time to interpret the dream (v. 16). He asked God to show him Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the interpretation. God answered Daniel’s prayer. Daniel successfully interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and was rewarded and promoted to a high position in the king’s administration (v. 48).

Note: Like Daniel, we should pray and ask others to join us in prayer when we are dealing with difficult issues. And, we must be sure to praise God for His answer.

CHAPTER THREE — The Golden Image and Fiery Furnace
3:1-6 King Nebuchadnezzar made a colossal image of gold and ordered everyone in his kingdom to bow before the image or be thrown into a blazing fire.

3:7-23 Daniel’s friends (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) refused to bow before and worship the image and were thrown into a blazing furnace.

3:24-30 Daniel’s friends survived their fiery ordeal. They emerged unharmed from the furnace. Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged their God and issued a decree that any person who spoke against the God of Daniel’s friends be put to death.

Note: Like Daniel’s friends, we must be willing to do what is right, even if it means we must suffer for it. We must trust and obey God, whether the result of our obedience is triumph or tragedy.

CHAPTER FOUR — Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of a Tree
4:1-18 King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a great tree cut down to a stump. He asked Daniel (also referred to as Belteshazzar in v. 8) to interpret this dream for him.

4:19-27 Daniel interpreted the dream for the king. The great tree in the dream represented Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel cautioned that unless the king humbled himself before God, he would be cut down and reduced to the level of a beast for seven years.

4:28-37 Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his glory and was reduced to living like an animal for seven years (see also 5:20-21). “And at the end of the days” (v. 34), Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and worshiped God.

Note: We must always keep in mind that God hates pride and arrogance (see Prov. 6:16-19).

CHAPTER FIVE — The Writing on the Wall
5:1-4 King Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, profaned the articles of God’s temple at a great banquet.

5:5-12 A hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall. Frightened, the king called for his wise men to interpret the message but “his lords were astonied” (v. 9). The queen suggested the king send for Daniel, now more than 80 years old, to interpret the message (vv. 10-12).

5:13-30 Daniel interpreted the handwriting on the wall — spelling out Belshazzar’s death and the doom of the Babylonian empire. “That very night Belshazzar … was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom…” (v. 30).

Note: Belshazzar failed to learn from his grandfather’s experience (5:20-21). We must not forget the lessons learned and modeled by those in the past.

Note: God continued to use Daniel, even in his old age, because he lived a godly life. Like Daniel, we too should endeavor to live in a way that pleases God — for a lifetime.

CHAPTER SIX — Daniel in the Den of Lions
6:1-9 Darius gave Daniel great responsibility in his administration. The other government officials, motivated by jealousy and a hunger for power, devised a way to entrap Daniel. They talked Darius into issuing a decree making it illegal for anyone in the kingdom to pray to anyone other than the king. Violators were to be thrown into the lion’s den.

6:10-28 Daniel continued to pray to God three times a day. Reluctantly, the king had Daniel thrown into the lion’s den. God shut the mouths of the lions and protected Daniel. Daniel’s accusers were then thrown into the lion’s den and the king issued a decree that the people of the kingdom “tremble and fear before the God of Daniel” (v. 26).

Note: Daniel continued to kneel in prayer before God rather than before the king. Like Daniel, we must remember that our convictions are in our knees.

CHAPTER SEVEN — Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts
7:1-14 Daniel recorded his dream about four animals, a winged lion (v. 4), a bear (v. 5), a leopard with four heads (v. 6), and a beast with ten horns (v. 7). These beasts correlate with the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed about years earlier (see chapter 2).

7:15-28 Each beast represented a kingdom. The terrible fourth beast represents the anti-Christ (see 1 John 2:18; 2 Thess. 2:3; and Rev. 13:1). Daniel was assured that the fourth kingdom would come to an end and be replaced by God’s everlasting kingdom.

Note: Daniel’s dream assures us that God is in control of history. The God who knows what will happen tomorrow can certainly help us make it through today!

CHAPTER EIGHT — Daniel’s Vision of a Ram and a Goat
8:1-14 Daniel recorded a second vision he had while in the royal city of Susa, 350 miles east of Babylon. In his vision he saw a powerful ram with two horns. In his vision a mighty goat with “a notable horn between his eyes” (v. 5) challenged and defeated the ram.

8:15-28 An angelic messenger named Gabriel interpreted the dream for Daniel (v. 16). He explained that the two-horned ram represented the kings of Media and Persia and the goat represented the king of Greece. Daniel’s vision described persons and events that would occur several centuries after Daniel’s lifetime and also foreshadow events to occur in the last days.

Note: The fulfillment of prophecy should give us greater confidence in the truth and reliability of God’s Word. The fulfillment of prophecy should also motivate us to share the good news with those who have yet to hear it.

CHAPTER NINE — Daniel’s Prayer
9:1-17 Daniel read the “word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet” (v. 2 NIV) and understood that the seventy year period of captivity was coming to an end. Daniel therefore prayed on behalf of the Jewish people. He confessed his sin and that of the people and asked God to forgive them and rescue them from their plight. He asked God to restore Israel and Jerusalem for His sake and glory (vv. 17-19).

9:18-27 While Daniel was praying, God sent Gabriel to give him “skill [insight] and understanding” (v. 22). God revealed several future events to Daniel — Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, and more.

Note: Daniel served in high government positions and was, undoubtedly, a busy man. However, Daniel found time to read God’s Word and to pray. What about us?

CHAPTER TEN — Daniel’s Vision of a Man
10:1-3 Daniel had a disturbing vision of the terrible times that lay ahead for his people — a great war. This vision was very disturbing to Daniel who was happy that many of his people were returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the city.

10:4-21 After a three week period of fasting and mourning, Daniel had a vision of a supernatural being near the Tigris River. Some scholars believe this was a theophany —  an Old Testament manifestation of Jesus Christ. At this point, a heavenly messenger appeared to explain to Daniel what would happen to his people in the future (v. 14). The messenger explained that he had been delayed twenty-one days because of resistance by the king of Persia (v. 13). Michael, the archangel, had to assist this heavenly messenger in his fight with demonic forces.

Note: Read Ephesians 6:11-12

CHAPTER ELEVEN — The Angel’s Message
11:1-45 The angel that appeared to Daniel in chapter 10 shared detailed predictions with Daniel about wars between Medo-Persia (v. 2) and Greece (v. 3) and Egypt and Syria (vv. 4-35). These events also foreshadow events that are still to come — the Antichrist (vv. 36-39) and his defeat (vv. 40-45).

Note: Knowing that the end is coming should motivate us to live godly lives and to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER TWELVE — The End Times
12:1-13 The angel concluded his prophecy with hope. Michael will defend the Jews. Those who place their faith in Christ during the period of tribulation described in these verses will be preserved.

Note: God is in control of history.

Archer, Gleason L.
The Book of Job: God’s Answer to the Problem of Undeserved Suffering
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1982.
Note: This is an excellent work written by Dr. Archer after the death of his young Pastor in Chicago.

Bennet, T. Miles
When Human Wisdom Fails: An Exposition of the Book of Job
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1971.
Note: I used Bennet’s excellent outline of the book of Job to guide my personal study of the book.

Lawson, Steven J.
When All Hell Breaks Loose: You May Be Doing Something Right
Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 1993.
Note: This is an excellent book. Written in a no-nonsense devotional style. A very practical look at Job.

O’Chester, Harold
Why Me Lord?: When Trouble Comes To God’s People
Austin
Note: O’Chester writes with conviction. He lost his pregnant wife, son, and daughter in an automobile accident when he was a young Pastor in Mississippi. He was the sole survivor of the accident.
 
Robinson, Thomas
The Book of Job
The Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary
New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.

Smick, Elmer B.
Job
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1988.

1. Remember that God is sovereign.
Satan could do no more to Job than God allowed. Regardless of what may touch our lives, God is in control. Regardless of appearances to the contrary, God is in control. Never doubt that, even if you don’t understand how!

2. Remember that God’s ways are beyond ours.
God’s wisdom is infinite. God’s vantage point is eternal. He is moved by considerations far beyond the scope of our comprehension. Trying to pour His wisdom into our minds would be like trying to pour the ocean into a Dixie cup. Whenever we do not understand why God is allowing us to be afflicted, we must trust Him fully. He knows what is best for our benefit and for His glory. Give God the benefit of the doubt!

3. Allow yourself to grieve.
The Bible never instructs us to be stoic when our lives are touched by afflictions. We can grieve when our lives are touched by tragic circumstances. We can weep. God understands tears.

4. Ask God for the wisdom to filter the advice others give you.
Job’s friends were eager to give him theological advice. In the process, they misrepresented God and injured the very person they were trying to help. Be careful lest the advice others are eager to give you serve to demoralize you and weaken your faith.

5. Don’t allow circumstances to obscure your view of God.
It is easy to allow the clouds of trouble and affliction to obscure our view of God. It is easy to believe what we feel about God rather than what we know about God when our lives are torn apart by things or happenings which we do not understand.

6. Take inventory of your life.
It is usually in times of affliction that we are the most open to evaluation. In the good times we tend to celebrate while in the bad times we tend to evaluate. It is good to take personal inventory of our lives with a view toward eliminating anything displeasing to God.

7. Look to God for wisdom.
Look to God for wisdom in times of difficulty. Human wisdom fails. God’s wisdom, contained in His Word, can give us the hope and perspective we need to hang in, hang on, and come through.

8. Remember that God is able.
There is absolutely nothing that can touch our lives apart from God’s knowledge. God is not surprised or baffled by anything that touches our lives. We must always remember that He is bigger than anything that touches our lives. He is better equipped to deal with anything that touches our lives. And, He knows exactly what to do with everything that touches our lives.

9. We will understand it better by and by.
We will not always understand why God has allowed certain things to touch our lives. But, one day God will make it all clear. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part,” wrote Paul, “but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). In the words of the old Gospel song, “We will understand it better by and by.”

10. We should love and serve God, anyway!
Satan’s assertion was that man serves God only because of the personal benefits he receives. Satan posited that man serves God only because of the blessings he receives. “Remove those blessings,” said Satan, “and a man’s fabric of devotion will quickly unravel.” The book of Job teaches us that God is worthy of our love and devotion, even apart from His blessings to us.

In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17).

The “all” of II Timothy 3:16 certainly includes the Old Testament historical book Nehemiah, a book that does not often find a place in either our family or personal devotionals. After all, reading about the struggle of the Jews to rebuild the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem seems to lack the drama of the Exodus, the thrill of David and Goliath, or the pathos of the Passion of Christ.

Yet, as Scripture inspired by God, this book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of God’s bigger picture. Listed below are some of the contributions that this book makes:

A Historical Contribution
Ezra and Nehemiah record the last events of Old Testament history after the book of 2 Chronicles and prior to the “400 Silent Years” before the coming of Christ, so called because no book of the Bible was written during this time. Without the books of Ezra and Nehemiah there would be a significant void in Hebrew history.

A Doctrinal Contribution
These books reveal much about God’s faithfulness in keeping His promises to His people. They teach of God’s providence by relating how God preserved His people through the Babylonian captivity and ordered international events to insure the restoration of His people to their homeland.

An Understanding of Satan’s Schemes
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:11, “for we are not ignorant of [Satan’s] schemes.” The books of Ezra and Nehemiah contribute to our understanding of Satan’s schemes by showing how he tried to discourage and demoralize God’s people when they were trying to rebuild both the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem. These books teach us how we can deal with opposition, slander, threats, and mockery when we are trying to faithfully serve God.

An Understanding of Personal Holiness
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah make a contribution to our understanding of personal holiness. They teach us the importance and necessity of God’s people being separated from sin and forsaking sinful practices. It addresses the matter of unfaithfulness to the Lord and how to live a life that pleases God. These books also deal with the importance of prayer in our lives.

An Understanding of the Importance of Bible Study
Ezra was instrumental in reviving the people’s interest in God’s Word. In Ezra 7:10 we read, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra loved God’s Word and loved to teach others God’s Word. In fact, some scholars believe that Ezra wrote Psalm 119, the great Psalm about the Word of God. Both Ezra and Nehemiah were men who had a passion for God’s Word and for obeying God’s Word regardless of the consequences.

An Understanding of Godly Leadership
Without question, Ezra and Nehemiah were two of the most outstanding leaders in the Old Testament. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are filled with inspiring and challenging lessons for all who are leaders or aspire to serve in a leadership role. They teach such leadership lessons as goal setting, organizing, delegating, motivating, evaluating, administration, dealing with difficult people, and much more. These books make a significant contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of godly and effective leadership.

So, why study the books of Ezra and Nehemiah? Because studying these books will…

• help us to better understand Biblical history and put Biblical events into perspective. A study of these books will help us to see more of the bigger picture of Scripture.

• help us to better understand the ways of God and the schemes of Satan. A study of these books will help us to understand how to trust God through difficulties and how to stand firm in the face of opposition.

• challenge us to live holy lives and become people who love and obey God’s Word. A study of these books will challenge us to leave the comfort of lukewarm Christianity.

• help us to learn how to become better leaders and servants in God’s work. A study of these books will help us to learn how to be leaders and how to support our leaders.

“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
Revelation 2:4

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The church in Ephesus was a busy church. It was a church that had a great zeal for God’s work. It was a church known for its deeds, its discernment, and its dedication to the work of God. It was a church with a full calendar of activities and that toiled to the point of exhaustion. The church had persevered when things got tough, that carefully tested its teachers and leaders lest false brethren be given opportunity to infiltrate their ranks, and that worked without growing weary.

The church in Ephesus seemed to be doing all the right things. It seemed to be a model church. That is why after reading about their commendable deeds in Revelation 2:2-3, verse 4 comes as something of a surprise. “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

According to Revelation 2:4, our motivation for service matters to God. He is concerned with the question of why we are doing what we do.

Those who have ever been involved in service know that it is easy to get lost in labor. It is easy to lose sight of the purpose for our labor. And it is easy to get so involved in labor that we forget to spend time with the God for whom we labor.

It is not hard to bump time with God off of our agendas, after all, sometimes we are just too busy doing the work to stop and pray or to spend time alone with God. The net result of this is that we labor without love. Our labor becomes mechanical. Our labor becomes an end in itself. Our labor becomes what satisfies us. We have great programs but no passion for God. We have a litany of activities but no adoration for God. We have labor without love.

It is easy to let our activities, programs, and labors distract us from knowing and enjoying God. Luke 10:38-42 records the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary. Luke records that “Martha was distracted with all her preparations” or “with much service.” Martha certainly felt that she was doing the right thing and could not understand her sister’s inactivity.

Jesus took the opportunity to remind Martha that there are some things more important than activity and labor. The church today, it seems, would rather have a membership of Marthas than Marys. After all, Marthas plan, initiate, participate, and congregate.

Our western culture is inclined to doing. We measure people by what they do rather than by what they are becoming. We measure people by their outward activity rather than by their inward disciplines. We are attracted to achievers whose contributions to the work of ministry are numerous and visible. We are in the business of blessing busyness. And in and through it all, we lose sight of God.

God’s concern for the church in Ephesus was that they had left their first love. Warren Wiersbe defines “first love” as “the devotion to Christ that so often characterizes the new believer: fervent, personal, uninhibited, excited, and openly displayed.” Wiersbe also refers to it as “honeymoon love” and points out that when a husband and wife lose the excitement of their honeymoon days, they begin to take each other for granted and their life becomes routine.

When believers leave their first love, their service becomes mechanical, routine, and often unfulfilling. We do things because they are supposed to be done. We labor without joy. Our hands do but our heart does not feel. We serve without smiling, without joy, and very matter-of-factly.

Notice however, that God wrote that the church in Ephesus had “left” their first love. In other words, they could go back and recover what they had left behind. Notice also that God outlined in verse 5 how they could recover what they had left behind.

First, God said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen.” You must go back and remember what it was like at the beginning and long for that kind of love and relationship with God once again.

Second, God said, “and repent.” In other words, repent of the attitudes and actions that caused you to leave your first love.

Third, God said, “and do the deeds you did at first.” Very simply stated, you must go back to where you left your first love and cultivate those disciplines and attitudes that helped you to enjoy God as you labored and to labor because you loved God.

May we examine ourselves to be certain that we labor because we love God. May we not lose sight of God in our labor.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

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The office floor was littered with them. I had no idea what they were until I knelt to pick them up. And then I knew. The tiny rubber objects were mute evidence that a vandal had been in the room.

“Perhaps we should call the police and report the crime and have the tiny things dusted for finger prints,” I thought. “No, perhaps not!” I looked again at the cylindrical objects in my hand and shook my head. “Who would do such a thing?,” I muttered. “It just doesn’t make sense!”

Upon further investigation I found additional evidence. There before me were several slender yet-to-be-sharpened Number 2 pencils — without erasers! Someone had entered our office, decapitated our pencils, and littered our floor with the tiny erasers!

Now, I know that this is not the crime of the century nor is it likely to make the evening news. But it does bother me because pencils and erasers and I go way back. I remember the days when I learned to use one of those jumbo pencils with the jumbo erasers on the end. I made jumbo letters on my jumbo Big Chief Tablet. And when I made mistakes, I made jumbo mistakes that could only be corrected with a jumbo eraser. As I got older the pencils got slimmer and the erasers got smaller, but somehow I always managed to make jumbo mistakes. No problem. I always had an eraser handy that was capable of erasing my erratum.

Over the years I have developed an appreciation for the role of the humble eraser in our society. The business and academic worlds could not function as effectively without erasers. Students would have a difficult time doing homework and taking Algebra without the help of erasers. And lest we think the eraser is obsolete, it is one of the few things in our society that has kept pace with our burgeoning technology. When I bought my first typewriter it came complete with a package of lift-off correction tape. And then in later years my clumsy typing was aided by White-Out Correction Fluid. And my personal computer not only has a delete key, it also allows me to use a spell checker that will correct my mistakes.

Yes, erasers have played an important role in my life over the years. They have served to remind me that I am a human being with the potential to make mistakes. They have helped me to right countless wrongs. They have given me the opportunity to begin again. They have occupied a place on the ends of my pencils, not to criticize but to serve.

Erasers also play an important role in my spiritual life. I am thankful that God made provision for the stain of sin to be erased from my life (Hebrews 9:22). I am thankful that God has made provision for me to begin again when my life becomes marked with the wrong things (Psalm 130:1-4). I am thankful that the Christian life comes equipped with an eraser that can handle even my jumbo sins (I John 1:9). So if you know who the pencil vandal is, tell him or her to stop decapitating our pencils. I make too many mistakes to live life without erasers!

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10

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In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter uses a series of terms to describe what believers in Christ become. They become (in the corporate sense) a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and a people for God’s own possession.

Each of these terms is taken from an Old Testament passage: A chosen race (Isaiah 43:20), a royal priesthood (Exodus 19:6), a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), and a people for God’s own possession (Exodus 19:5).

But notice that Peter introduces the purpose for these marvelous changes with the word “that.” God has done this marvelous work in order that believers proclaim the excellencies (or praises) of God. The word “proclaim” means to announce, publicize, or tell abroad. Peter then lists three reasons why believers are to announce the excellencies of God.

First, believers are to announce the excellencies of God because it is God who has called them “out of darkness into His marvelous light.” The word “darkness” refers to the believer’s condition before coming to Christ. People who are apart from God live in darkness and are under the control of the prince of darkness (see Ephesians 2:1-3 and 1 John 5:19). When a person enters into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ, he is transferred from darkness to light (see Acts 26:18). Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary.”

Second, believers are to announce the excellencies of God because God has changed their status. Prior to coming to Christ, they were “not a people.” Apart from Christ men are “like sheep without a shepherd” (see Matthew 9:36). When an individual comes to Christ however, his status is changed from not belonging to belonging to the family of God.

Third, believers are to announce the excellencies of God because they have personally experienced His mercy. Prior to coming to Christ they “had not received mercy”, but on the day that they responded in faith to the claims of the gospel, they “received mercy”. The term “received mercy” refers specifically to the time of an individual’s conversion, to the moment when that individual placed his/her faith in Christ and was transferred from darkness to light and became a part of the family of God.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Hebrews 12:1

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I remember laughing the first time I heard the expression, “That’s as useless as a cigarette machine in a cancer ward.”

 

Hospital visits through the years however, have taught me that cigarette machines are not necessarily useless in cancer wards! I find this especially true every time I visit Wilford Hall Medical Center. The entrance to this large Air Force medical facility is usually crowded with patients who have gone outside to smoke a cigarette. On any given day you can see dozens of people in their hospital garb sitting on the benches smoking cigarettes.

On a recent trip to Wilford Hall, I noticed a woman slouched in a wheelchair outside of the hospital entrance. She was wearing a mink coat and had a cigarette in each hand!

She had lost all her hair and bore the visible signs of a losing battle with disease. Her countenance was painted with an empty and forlorn expression that betrayed the beauty of her expensive mink coat.

Her eyes were fixed in a stare as she alternately brought the cigarette in each hand to her lips. She appeared to be a woman whose relationship with joy and peace had long been severed.

Upon inquiry I learned that she was a cancer patient.

I thought it ironic that this woman was unwilling to release the very thing that was robbing her of health and life. Perhaps she felt that it was too late for reforms in her habits. The cigarette in each hand stood as mute testimony to their destructive power. The mink coat only served to accentuate her terrible condition.

It’s easy to be critical of the woman in the wheelchair until we stop to consider how much we share in common with her.

There are many people just like her on the rolls of the hospital for sinners we call the church. People who bear all the signs of spiritual disease and deterioration. People who are unwilling to let go of the very things that are ruining their spiritual health and life. People who stubbornly cling to destructive habits, attitudes, and courses that grieve God and alienate them from loved ones.

People who have grown accustomed to frustration and misery. People who insist on wearing the outward signs of wealth but who are inwardly impoverished. People who possess no peace and whose expressions radiate no joy. People who are the authors of their own agony.

God has a word for such people. His divine prescription can restore spiritual health. Through the writer to the Hebrews (12:1) God tells us to “lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us.” Through the great Apostle Paul He tells us to “walk by the Spirit, and [we] will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

For the believer, there is no spiritual health or progress outside of obedience to the Word of God. We must be willing to hear and obey. We must be willing to lay aside every destructive habit and attitude. We must be willing to forsake courses that lead only to destruction and death. We must be willing to allow God’s Holy Spirit to govern our lives. We must do what the Doctor orders!

“But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship,
do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
2 Timothy 4:5

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But You
These words are addressed to Timothy, Paul’s son in the ministry. Paul and Timothy had spent much time together, traveling throughout the Mediterranean world sowing the Gospel seed. Paul affectionately referred to Timothy as his “beloved and faithful child in the Lord” in I Corinthians 4:17 and as his “true child in the faith” in I Timothy 1:2. These men had a special relationship bonded and strengthened by their many experiences together. Paul, realizing that he was about to finish his course (2 Timothy 4:7), exhorted and challenged his young disciple to be and endure and do and fulfill.

Be Sober in All Things • (Watch)
If Timothy was to successfully run the course set before him and avoid the pitfalls of disqualification (see 1 Cor. 9:27), then he would have to “be sober in all things.” To “be sober” means to be alert or vigilant. And indeed the minister of the Gospel must be alert in every regard for two reasons. First, lest he become the victim of the schemes of the devil. We find another exhortation to vigilance in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The minister must be spiritually, morally, and ethically sober lest he be enticed to compromise his integrity. Second, the minister must be alert that he might know how to apply the Gospel salve to the wounds men sustain in their fray with sin. That is how the Gospel is made relevant to the lives of men. They must see that God has an answer to their pain and questions and doubts.

Endure Hardship • (Withstand)
Hardship comes with the job! Timothy, even as Paul, was sure to encounter hardship in the fruitful years of ministry still before him. Paul reminded Timothy that he had endured hardship when he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (I Timothy 4:7). Quitting is not an option for a minister of the Gospel.

Do the Work of an Evangelist • (Witness)
A minister of the Gospel must never neglect the importance of soul-winning. Personal evangelism must remain at the very heart of ministry. Introducing men to the Master must be central to all that we do. A minister must never neglect the lost.

Fulfill Your Ministry • (Work)
A minister has a responsibility to do whatever God requires of him. He must leave nothing undone that will advance the cause of the Gospel. The words undone, not attempted, and unfulfilled must be eliminated from his vocabulary. This is the part of the job description that states, “And all other jobs as assigned by God!”