 Let's open our Bibles to chapter 24 of the book of Job. Job 24. We're gonna look at chapter 24 and 25 tonight And you say 24 and 25 is that possible and the answer is yes Because chapter 25 only has six verses. I was before I Not before anything I should say it like this earlier this this afternoon I was walking from a meeting that I have in the chapel area and I was walking this way and a van stopped as I was walking and Two ladies were in the van and Began to speak to me for just a moment. It was real sweet and they said that they That they haven't been able to be in church because they had gotten COVID and so They were they had just showed up today and all and it was just a blessing and so I I said well I'm you know praise the Lord. I'm glad you're you're well And and some of us in this room have had that that ugly disease, you know But John had it and John's here right now, and I just wanted to welcome him back, you know And and to fire him because I really miss firing firing you John I really do so thank you for coming back so I can fire you again on Sunday So here we are Job chapter 24. I'll read the first verse and then we're going to get into our study I always review some of the things That we've already looked at and so we'll look at verse one I'll give you a brief review look at that verse together Then we'll move through chapter 24 and as mentioned a moment ago We'll look at chapter 25 because once again you can condense those six verses to a few thoughts And and that's how we'll do this tonight. So in verse one of chapter 24 in the book of Job it reads Since times are not hidden from the Almighty Why do those who know him see not his days? So as we begin Job has just made a statement about God. He said it in chapter 23 verse 13 and he had said that God is unique and Who can make him change? Well, what Joe was saying at that point was that God is inflexible Nobody can prevail upon him to change his mind He was saying this in the context of his continually asking God for help But the fact is he continued to be afflicted and so I say no one can change God's mind In other words, no one can change God's mind concerning the way that he is treating me No one can resist him and no one can control God God is doing what he has determined to do and God does as he pleases He's saying God has all the information God makes decisions based on what he already knows and We are different We often make decisions based on partial or even insufficient information and because of this We can change our mind when we get more facts But the point is God never has partial information In numbers 2319 it simply says God is not a man that he should lie nor a son of man That he should change his mind Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? God knows everything and God does what he says he's going to do He also is pointing out that God is strong in character and he can't be persuaded against his better judgment He cannot be urged to do evil and God cannot be Tempted he cannot yield to temptation like he says in the book of James in the New Testament chapter 1 verse 13 When tempted no one should say God is tempting me for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he tempt anyone and He in rather Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 13 it says your eyes are too pure to look on evil You cannot tolerate wrong and so God doesn't change his character is strong He can't be persuaded against his better judgment. He can't be urged to do evil and also he is good He never has a reason to change Because he's faultless He's faultless from the beginning in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 32 verse 4 It simply says he's a rock his works are perfect and all his ways are just a Faithful God who does no wrong upright and just is He the psalmist in Psalm 145 verse 17 said the Lord is righteous in all his ways and Loving toward all he has made And so Job is discouraged Job has become discouraged because God didn't do what he had asked him to do and Because Job has been put through so much pain. He's become terrified of God God hasn't moved when Job has asked So now he he thinks God is the one who's causing all these troubles And so in verse 1 of chapter 24 he says since times are not hidden from the Almighty Why do those who know him see not his days? God sees and knows all the changes that take place amongst people Why is it that he doesn't deal with people according to their true character? Why do those who know him see not his days meaning why do those who know him see not his days of wrath? Why do those who know him not see it when he punishes the wicked? Why do they not get to see God take vengeance on his foes? You see God sees wickedness, but the righteous don't see God punish the truly evil Sometimes the wicked seem to be spared and they live their lives in luxury But the simple fact is God will vindicate the righteous and God judges sinners, but he does it in his own time Luke 12 verse 2 says it like this there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known in 1st Corinthians 3 verse 13 every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is So don't put God in a box Allow him time to work He says in verse 2 some remove landmarks They seize flocks violently and feed on them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox as a pledge They push the needy off the road all the poor of the land are forced to hide Indeed like wild donkeys in the desert. They go out to their work searching for food The wilderness yields food for them and for their children. They gather their fodder in the field Glean in the vineyard of the wicket They spend the night naked without clothing and have no covering in the cold They are wet with the showers of the mountains and huddle around the rock for want of Shell of shelter for lack of shelter And so he begins to speak concerning the the acts of the wicked that seemed to go unpunished And we'll look at each one of these things briefly one at a time He speaks in verse 2 of removing landmarks notice. He says some remove landmarks They seize flocks violently and feed on them some remove landmarks landmarks Landmarks were used to distinguish my property from yours. It's like the establishing the border This is my property this landmark would be placed there and that would divide my property from your property And so what he's saying here is some people actually steal The land from their neighbors now we not we may not understand what that's all about But you need to know that in the Old Testament when God gave the law through Moses He was very particular in speaking concerning this kind of action and in the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy 19 verse 14 He said it like this God said you shall not remove your neighbor's landmark Which they of all time have said in in your inheritance Which you shall inherit in the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess it you're not to remove it You're not to take other people's property Proverbs 22 28 says removed not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set You're not supposed to steal property from one another, but he's saying these are the evil people who seem to get away with it They moved the landmarks and they take portions of other people's land and he's beginning to speak concerning the evil that seems to go unpunished He says in verse 3 they drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow's ox as a pledge And so he's speaking concerning the fact that That they sometimes oppress the helpless they have no one to protect them the widow in the orphan Where the two most helpless people in the in the society even prior to God establishing the nation of Israel And so he's saying some are are oppressing the helpless no one can protect them and so it speaks concerning In verse 3 it says they drive away the donkey. They take the widow's ox They're speaking as if that's the only thing they have they only had one docking donkey They only had one ox and and so they have one animal and when taken away They have nothing to produce food. They have nothing with which to work and to survive Again later on when Moses gave the law Taking from orphans and widows was considered a great sin and the law Made this very clear in Exodus 22 26. It says if you take your neighbor's cloak of security for a loan you must return it before sunset and so carrying for the widows and the orphans and making sure that that that person who used their cloak as as a Deposit as collateral well at night. They're gonna be cold and they're poor and that's all they have to worm themselves And so God was showing mercy and said the nation needs to do the same So in the Old Testament you find that God says it's it's important for us to care for the widow in the orphan But you see the same thing in the new in James chapter 1 verse 27 it says pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this to visit Orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself and spotted from the world So caring for the helpless in society is something that is a biblical mandate Speaking again of the evil in verse 4. He says they pushed the needy off the road all the poor of the land are forced to hide Literally, they would make the poor move as the rich were walking down the path The poor would see the rich person walking towards them and that rich person would not move out of the way That poor person had a step out of the way of the rich person And they would force them to walk on the side of the road in other words They would bully them and they caused them to fear because the rich can be powerful and extremely intimidating Verse 5 again indeed like wild donkeys in the desert They go out to their work searching for food the wilderness yields food for them and for their children and so wild donkeys What wild donkeys actually are are simply speaking about them the the donkeys that are without restraint and and I don't know I I'm not somebody who's ever hung around with with donkeys. I've known a few who were donkeys but they weren't really donkeys but While donkeys can be vicious from what I was reading. I didn't know that but they can be vicious and And and and they have they have no control. No, nothing is controlling them. So they're without restraint Well, that's a picture of these oppressors. They're robbing the poor is what he's saying. They search for opportunity to take from them Sometimes during that day that were what were called plundering bands of marauders and they would scour the desert looking for victims to rob or to injure and The wilderness would yield food because they were plundering those who were in the wilderness and Verse 6 it says they gather their fodder in the in the field and glean and the vineyard of the wicked and So they they plunder the fields that men have worked hard to to cultivate These are not honest laborers But instead they they rob other people's vineyards They take the produce that has been produced by others they take advantage of them and then Verse 7 they spend the night naked without clothing and have no covering in the cold They've abused people so that they have very little They have no clothing. They have no bed no bed clothes and then they sleep without blankets In other words, it's speaking away the way that they treat them with cruelty in verse 8 He says they are wet with the showers of the mountains and huddle around the rock for a lack or want of shower They're forced out of their homes and what they do is they're out there in in in the weather and they're they're finding Shelter in caves and so he's just pointing out what these oppressors are doing to the poor. They're taking advantage of them and speaking Harshly to them and taking all the things that they have and so as he's speaking concerning this He continues by saying some snatched the fatherless from the breast and take a pledge from the poor If the debtor couldn't pay his debt the oppressor would take a child from them as as his own possession and what they would do is they would sell the baby to pay off the debt or They would raise that baby to be their slave and that's how the debt would be paid off and Job is speaking about the evil That seems to go unpunished And we said again they cause verse 10 they cause a poor to go naked without clothing They take away the sheaves from the hungry. They take everything from the poor. They force him to work for them They can carry food, but they themselves cannot eat of the food that they're carrying in verse 11 They they press out oil within their walls and tread wine presses yet suffer thirst So the poor are working for the oppressor and the presser has like luxury items, but these people can never partake in them That is something common by the way that is something that we're all familiar with I would say People who are working in restaurants Who? Who personally could never afford the meal that they served to other people they couldn't afford it themselves, but they're working in the restaurant Sometimes they're they're given clothing to wear maybe a uniform It's real nice and and sharpen this and that because they're working in a real nice place But they wear that on the job, but their personal clothing is is really almost rags I was in India and As we're in India, we were in a restaurant our Our hosts those who were taking us to see the land and and all of that and to do ministry The ones who were leading us had taken us to eat and as we're seated at a table This young man came walking in I'll never forget this guy. He's wearing a a nice uniform It was gold and he had a hat you know on and and he is real sharp and and one of the guys who was Introducing us to the nation of in of India said said to us He said you see this young man here And so naturally our eyes went to him and and he smiles at us with a big bright smile And he says you see how how nice he looks and we you know I didn't know what he was getting at and so we just kind of nod It's kind of an uncomfortable thing as he's doing this to be honest But he says do you see how nice he looks he said That young man puts that uniform on when he comes here He works with that uniform, but he leaves it behind if you see what he actually wears here and wears home You would understand that this is someone who works in a restaurant that he couldn't afford to eat at and there Are a lot of people like that. We know that there are a lot of people who come who work they could not they could not eat at the restaurant that they're working at and Someone very often can and does take advantage of them Because they're forced that not so much force, but they're they're put in a position where they they actually Serve those who are used to luxury when they themselves couldn't partake of it They can they can carry the food for somebody, but they can't partake of that food themselves And so they give the oppressor luxury items that they never partake in and verse 12 The dying growing in the city and the souls of the wounded cry out Yet God does not charge them with wrong so much suffering occurs so much pain and This is what Job is saying, but God doesn't seem to notice this The dying are growing in the city, but God doesn't seem to notice this at all Well that observation is found in other places in scripture and Psalm 94 verses 3 and 4 It reads Lord, how long shall the wicked? How long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? Lord Are you ever going to move? Are you ever going to expose the things that they do? Are you ever ever going to allow their their sins that? that seems so obvious to some, but Are hidden so well from others are you ever going to expose that are you ever going to? Show them for what they really are is that ever going to take place? Many people ask that question Job is asking in that question How is it that Job is a righteous man is suffering as much as he is when those who are unrighteous Seemed to get away with it and that's the point. That's what he's saying Often this the seeming unfairness is mentioned in scripture And the fact is God does notice God does see these things In the New Testament James wrote strongly concerning this it was actually a warning to those who are rich in James chapter 5 listen to what he says in James chapter 5 verses 1 through 8 He said now listen you rich people weep and wail Because of the misery that is coming upon you Your wealth is rotted Moths have eaten your clothes your gold and silver are corroded Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire You have hoarded wealth in the last days Look the wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty You've lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence You've fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men who were not opposing you Be patient then brothers until the Lord's coming See how the farmer waits for the land to yield his valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains You to be patient stand firm because the Lord's coming is near He says you wealthy He says you do all of these things you hold back the the money from the from the laborers And you think you're getting away with it. I worked for somebody many years ago many years ago now and and he had he had a number of men who were working for him and He had one or two of them Living on the property. He had he had a piece of property a large piece of property He kept his his equipment in and I'll never forget how I walked into it was like a shed But it was a shed that really if I be honest with you it was so messed up it should have been condemned it it was pieces of slats of wood and and you could see through the slats and and In the shed where tools and things were there was it was kind of it was very dirty and and all in and I happened to walk into that shed area and what I found in there was a was a Cot that was there inside of the small room and Also had one of those small stoves that portable stoves that you have that you usually take when you go camping and all And it had one of those kinds of stoves a kind of a hot plate kind of thing And and I come to find out that the the man who owned all this this property and the man who was hiring all these workers Actually was allowing one of them the foreman to live in this particular shack and was basically deducting the cost of living in that shack from his wage And I thought this is just wrong. This is absolutely wrong You wouldn't put your dog in this shed And yet you put in a man in here and we reducing the amount that you pay him As kind of a rent listen that happens all the time. We know that that happens all the time. It's unjust It's unfair Job is talking about that Job is making it clear These are the things that I see these are the things that are wrong These are the things that they seem to get away with it seems as if God doesn't even notice it How was that possible and yet no God does take notice of that and God even brings warning that that you're not to treat people in that way But Job was seeing it and Job is questioning it and he's concerned about it. He says in verse 13 There are those who rebel against the light. They do not know its ways nor abide in its paths In other words when he says there are those who rebel against the light There are those who reject living honestly. There are those who reject living Righteously or justly They reject the light they reject the light of reason they reject the light of divine revelation the word of God They prefer to walk and to live in darkness Again, this is a statement that seems to anticipate the teaching of of John when John spoke concerning light The Apostle John in in John's gospel chapter 3 verses 19 through 21 said it like this This is the condemnation That the light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light unless his deeds should be exposed But he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen that they've been done in God There are people who who who walk in darkness they and they like their deeds to be hidden by the darkness We're gonna see something of that in just a moment But the point is is that they like to do their deeds in darkness because in darkness the deeds are not clearly seen So they don't care. They don't know They don't have moral restraint They don't have the light of conscience. He's speaking of someone who's completely hardened in sin This is a person who can't see what they're doing is wrong. They're rebelling like he says in verse 13 There are those who rebel against the light. They don't know its ways. They don't abide in its path They could care less you speak to them you talk to them about the Lord You share with them perhaps they go to church or watch something on on TV or listen to something on the radio or whatever And they just completely rejected. They don't want to hear it at all I've had that so many times here in church, you know, people don't want to hear it They get up they walk out sometimes they walk out in an angry way I remember I was asked to speak at another fellowship many years ago now in in Orange County And as I was speaking and it was a smaller auditorium as I was speaking I Said to them I said, you know every time I come because I used to speak there quite often I said every time I come somebody gets up and walks out. I was very clear I said listen every time I speak somebody gets mad at me and walks out I'd like to ask you not to do that this time I'd like to ask you to listen because every time somebody more than one Would walk out usually it was my wife, but we'd we'd talk about that on the way home. You're embarrassing But I said it I said, you know Could you please just Bear with what's being said think it through. I really tried to reason with them and lo and behold About halfway into the message Somebody got up and they had metal doors And he got up and he slammed that doors so hard the little building began to cut you could It was so that's what people do. They don't want to hear it They don't want to hear it You know and and I've often wondered about that I've often wondered and that seems to be more common today than even in the past I've been doing this for a long time and I it seems to be more common in our day than it was even in the past because For the first 20 years or so we hardly saw in our own fellowship very many people respond like that But in the last few years it seems to be more common where people will come to church And I don't know what they were expecting maybe juggling monkeys and and clowns on unicycles I don't know what they were expecting But if they're not getting what they want, they're very quick to just walk out It's very rude, but people do it anyway right they do it anyway You know and and set council culture that has taken place if they don't appreciate or accept what you said or even respect What you said and what's the point of me listening anymore? It's a narcissistic way of looking at life It's just all about me and I see that all the time. I see it often, you know, one of the one of the Byproducts of the COVID thing is I don't see that here anymore That's kind of like I'm wondering is there something wrong with me and then I realize well No, you know people are actually listening the people who show up actually want to hear so for me It's been a blessing to see that frankly that doesn't mean that they don't walk out But fewer do today, you know and that's kind of nice and when they walk out the door We have big people waiting there to hit them and it's really It's a good thing But he's speaking concerning that he is saying there are those who rebel against the light They do not know its ways nor abide in its path They have no desire to walk in the ways of God and so he goes on and he says in verse 14 The murderer rises with the light. He kills the poor and 80 and in the night He's like a thief. So he begins to to point out certain things about those who are hardened in sin He begins by saying the murderer the murderer rises with the light it as soon as the Sun rises he's awake and He's ready to do evil He says that he kills the poor he kills the needy if it satisfies his personal desire and his own needs and even when it's night he continues his evil deeds and God is aware of this, but he doesn't seem to react to it and verse 15 continuing. He speaks of The adulterer in verse 15 the eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight saying no, I will see me He disguises his face. He spoke of a murderer. Now he speaks of an adulterer. He says an adulterer Likes to wait until it's dark because in the dark he can disguise himself go into his neighbor's house and and commit adultery with his neighbor's wife and all and He thinks he gets away with it This is something interesting that Solomon wrote about in the book of Proverbs in chapter 7 verses 6 through 8 He says at the window of my house. I looked through my lattice and and saw among the simple I Perceived among the youths a young man devoid of understanding passing along the street near her corner and He took the path to her house in the twilight In the evening in the black and dark night There was a woman a woman met him with the attire of a harlot and a crafty heart It's the same thought they go out at night. They disguise themselves. They hide in the shadows It's a point of this adulterer is trying to disguise themselves and get away with this sin He starts speaking in verse 16 in the dark. They break into houses Which they marked for themselves in the daytime They do not know the light. He's speaking about those who mark out homes in neighborhoods They go by and they see the house of the wealthy man and they begin to just watch it carefully and eventually they break in These are thieves marking out homes so they can burglarize them They use darkness to cover their deeds Why because the light would expose them and so once again they seem to get away with this in verse 17 He said the morning is the same to them as the shadow of death in other words They prefer the darkness because light exposes their actions and in the light obviously they'll be caught and So he says in verses 18 through 21 now he pronounces judgment by saying They should be swift on the face of the waters their portion should be cursed in the earth So that no one would turn into the way of their vineyards as drought and heat consume the snow waters So the grave consumes those who have sinned the womb should forget him the worm should feed sweetly on him He should be remembered no more and wickedness should be broken like a tree And so he begins to speak in some pretty strong ways verse 21 He prays on the barren who do not bear and does no good for the widow So he's saying they should they should face swift judgment when it says in verse 18 They should be swift in the face of the waters They should perish quickly like the rushing of water the river water just rush them away Those who see their swift destruction should curse what they leave behind in verse 19 again He says as drought and heat consume the snow waters so the grave consumes those who have sinned and so He's speaking of sudden death The sudden death of the wicked He's pointing out yes, they live and yes, they prosper at least it appears that they do but they also die And so there's a sudden death that they'll experience in verse 19 as drought and heat consume the snow waters the grave consumes those who have sinned and so He's speaking of that sudden death and Then in verse 20 he says the womb should forget him the worm should feed sweetly on him What an interesting way to say it The worm should should feed sweetly on it when I was reading that I said that's pretty gross You know, but it is he should be remembered no more wickedness should be broken like a tree The womb should forget him verse 20 May his mother and friends forget him May this bully be the victim of worms that devour him May his wickedness be completely and finally broken never to grow Again why because he prays on the barren who do not bear it does no good for the widow Because his life was filled with taking advantage of the weak and the powerless He deserves to die. He deserves to be forgotten as soon as possible Then he says in verse 22, but God draws the mighty away with his power. He rises up But no man is sure of life. He gives them security They rely on it yet his eyes are on their ways. They are exalted for a little while Then they're gone They're brought low They are taken out of the way like all others They dry out like the heads of grain and so he begins to speak concerning judgment Fact is he's saying Everyone from the rich to the poor will die They may be honored But the honor is not permanent and when they die They will be forgotten You know, I've lived long enough now to to have questions sometimes like Like I'm reading here and those who live longer lives you can accumulate years of noticing and wondering Job is in the midst of pain that he's been experiencing over the disease that he's having to deal with He's had a lot of time to think He's gone from a very exalted state as we've seen already how when he would walk into a room that That the young would become quiet in his presence and the aged would stand in respect He was a man who was used to having people come to him for counsel And he was a man who saw When somebody wasn't doing well, he was a man who would care for them He was loved by many respected by all and Then in a very short time as we've seen he lost everything and he doesn't know how and he doesn't know why he can't Figure out what I did did I sin when what way did I sin as I review my life as they look I mean, I've had plenty of time to think as I look Over the things that I've done over a lifetime. I I don't know why I don't know why all of my all of my my My herds have been taken. I don't know why my my property has been destroyed I don't know why my children have been taken from me I don't I don't know why my wife has apparently turned against me I don't know why my body is in such pain. I I don't understand why I have to sit on this this heap of ashes And and and scrape my own body to to remove the pus from my swollen skin and and then my friends show up And as they come and speak to me they sat there quietly for several days and that was okay I appreciated the quiet just having them with me because I was suffering alone But the moment they begin to speak they begin to tell me that I'm suffering because of something I've done And he's saying I'm so wounded. I don't understand Why is it that the evil seemed to prosper? Why is it that the people who who seem to do not care about their children have good kids? Why is it that that those who don't care about the poor who have so much for themselves that they could easily support or help somebody else? They keep to itself. They heart it to themselves. Why is it that that happens and why are people like me being treated the way that Lord? You're treating me. I don't understand One thing I do know at the end of the day the rich and the poor all die Whether somebody has lived a life that people look at and say boy What a life he lived and or somebody who lives a life that wasn't quite the same they both died This is one thing they have in common. They're both gonna die But I don't understand why one seems to get his reward here And one lives in such a way that he'd be like a saint and he seems to be neglected But I do know one thing it's appointed unto men to die, but once after this comes the judgment and That's what's going to take place after this the judgment Verse 24 they're exalted for a little while then they're gone They're brought low They're taken out of the way like all others. They dry out like the heads of brain They're exalted for a little while and then they're gone Again, I see that I See people that are so important That that made such a difference in a lot of people's lives and a lot of times When they die it just kind of like My wife and I have noticed this with we've said boy I've said to her You know we're getting old because a lot of the people that we used to look to as entertainers are dying You know, they're they live for a certain amount of time. They get so much But then they die that's one thing the rich and the poor alike do they die and they leave everything behind And Job is making it very clear that These are the people that that they're exalted. Yes for a while, but then they're gone And he says in verse 24 they're brought low. They're taken out of the way like all others And he says in verse 25 now if it's not so who's going to prove me a liar and Make my speech worth nothing If this isn't true, then convince me otherwise Who's gonna tell me what I'm saying is not true? And so what we have is a response. We have bill dad the shoe height and So he says in verse one of chapter 25 he answers and says Dominion and fear belong to him He makes peace in His high places is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not rise? How then can Man be righteous before God How can he be pure? Who is born of a woman if even the moon does not shine and the stars are not pure in his sight How much less man? Who is a maggot and the son of man? Who is a worm? In that isn't that that's nice What is he saying? I mean, this is just a few verses six verses and he sums it up I mean, it's just a very quick thing. We can look at this rather briefly really Because what he gives is a short response When he says in verse one rather verse two Dominion and fear belong to him. He makes peace in his high places When he's beginning to speak he's simply saying God is the absolute king over the entire universe Job He's terrible in might and Because God is terrible in might All men should seek peace with him Jesus made it clear. He said don't fear the one who can kill the body and after that has no more power If you're gonna fear Fear the one who can kill and then throw you into hell if you're gonna fear fear him And so what build that is saying here is that God is Excellent in majesty. He is powerful. He's terrible in his power and because God is terrible in his power Everyone should seek peace with him Why because it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God We we learned that in in the book of Hebrews He so he says men should seek him and make peace with him while they can In verse 2 dominion and fear belong to him. He makes peace in his high places When he says he makes peace in his high places in verse 2 among the among the angels It is he who maintains peace. It is God who establishes harmony He's the one who makes peace possible because he's the one who puts down all opposition Is there any number verse 3 is there any number to his armies upon whom to upon whom does his light not shine Can you count the amount of military that he can muster his angelic hosts are without number There's so many you can't you can't even count them and his son his son shines over the entire earth and so Verse 4 how then can a man be righteous before God How can he be pure who is born of a woman? How can man who is born with a sin nature? Claim to be pure. How can a man who finds it easy to lie to steal and to oppress? How can that man Actually claim to be pure when he should know within himself that he's not what we have a tendency of doing is We collect friends that we look at as being a little worse than us to make us feel better about ourselves I always had at least one friend who was worse than me could so I could say within myself I'm at least I'm not that bad and people do that So how can a man be righteous? That's the question. I mean if there was a question That we ought to meditate on it would be that how does a man become righteous before God? How can a man who is sinful from his mother's womb? How can a man a human being how can a person who receives a sin nature from from from from Adams fallen nature? We are made after man's image. We have a fallen nature. How can we be made righteous? How can we become pure? And that was a big question then and it's still a question by the way today that people want to know How can I who am not not good? How can I become good? Have you ever? I'm sure you must have I did What led to me getting saved was when I finally realized that I was I Was impure I remember I? remember I I Was driving home, and I was an alcoholic at an early age. I was driving home from from partying and I was driving my dad's car My dad had a Volkswagen that he actually had bought for my sister Madeline and and because my car wasn't Operating at that time. He let me drive my sister's car So I went out and I did what I usually did and I've become very drunk and all of that I was driving home, and as I was driving home I pulled the gear shift out of the transmission I pulled it out and it was in my hand And I was it on Pioneer Boulevard because I slammed it and it just pull out now What am I gonna do once you you know? I'm in fourth gear once you hit You know your brakes I couldn't start out in fourth gear and by the way I was so inebriated I wouldn't have been able to even work it anyway, so I pulled over the side of road I said remember where this was it was on Pioneer Boulevard in Norwalk coming towards in the intersection of Imperial Highway and Pioneer I lived right there in that area some of you know where that that is and So I pulled over to the side of the road and I'm thinking when am I gonna do when this this car is there was a Now again, this is probably 1969. It was a Bonneville Pontiac Bonneville was a big car. It's like as big as the Cadillac pulled over behind me And I'm in a Volkswagen and these four guys were loaded on Reds Climbed out and one of them came up to me said you need some help and I said yeah, I said I can't Get the car moving he says okay So he gets up behind me and starts pushing me and I'm going 30 40 50 miles an hour And now I'm coming to an intersection and as I come to the intersection He stops and sling shots me into the intersection. I was on my Put my feet on the brakes I was trying to stop and I couldn't stop because he was he was messed up himself Then he says oh red light. He stops shot me through the intersection I ended up swinging across it took a right and I hit the the lights post in the center of an island I smashed into it and then just wobbled off to the side of the road I still remember that when a sheriff because the sheriff station was just down the road The Norwalk sheriff pulls up behind me and he walks up to me and I'm just sitting in the car And he says if you climb out of this car, I'm gonna arrest you stay in the car So I just sit in there and as I was sitting there some girlfriends of mine some friends I had pulled up behind and one of them her name was Pam Pam says hey David. What's going on? What are you doing? I climbed out of the car when I climbed out of the car the cops that I warned you cuffed me put Me in the back of the card. They towed away my dad's car. They put me in jail And it slept at slept at the Norwalk substation In the middle of the night they brought in some other guys and it was the guys who had pushed me in they had gotten arrested They had gotten arrested in the morning we all went to alley County and And I called a friend of mine's dad His name was Ed and I said Ed bail me out. I'll pay you back. But don't tell my dad So Ed goes we'll get you out So I'm waiting and here comes my dad Ed ratted me out and so Here comes my dad my dad didn't smoke But my dad had one cigarette after another just smoking one after another I don't know where I went wrong and I looked at my dad and I'll never forget saying to him this I said dad. I'm sick. That was the first time I ever admitted even out loud Dad, I'm sick. There's something wrong with me. I was 19 years old. I was 19 years old How can a man be righteous before God? How can he be pure who's born of woman? I Understand that question. How can I be made well? How can I how can I who is born with the sin nature? How can I be helped? What can be done? To change a man like me Have you ever been there? You must have been that's how you got saved probably When you finally looked in the mirror and didn't like what you were looking at when you finally Realized there's something wrong with you When you finally said there is Something wrong, how can I be pure God and that's what set me on a journey. That's what set me on the journey Wasn't much after that much time after that that Again, I was I was an alcoholic and my dad sent me to a psychiatrist. I was 20 years old now I remember I was 20 my dad sent me to a psychiatrist Try to get me well and I would just sit there and just talk to this guy and I didn't care I didn't care if he listened. I didn't think he'd understand anyway I remember that and then one night some friends of mine came over and once again We had a half gallon of wine. I dropped some reds Downers second all lily have 40s for those who know what those are. I Dropped a lot of them and I almost died It was laying in the back of my my car and I was realizing that I Was I was gonna die and I thought oh my god, my mom's gonna find her son dead in this car God help me and that's the first time I remember praying. I Hadn't prayed in so long as to God help me. Don't let me die And I woke up the next morning and I found this empty bottle this empty wine bottle and he threw it into the field And I just kept on moving in the wrong direction And that's when my friend Bill started asking me to go to church and that's when my friend Bill started saying David there's something wrong with you man. You need God and That's how I got saved because I finally got to the point where I could I Needed an answer to this question in verse 4 how then can a man be righteous before God? How can he be pure who was born of woman in verse 6? How much less man who's a maggot a son of man who is a worm? How can you be made right with God? And that's when I discovered what makes you right with God giving up Saying God be merciful to me. I'm a sinner. I am I am I'm a maggot. I'm a worm. I have I Need your help You see the Bible makes it clear. I'll have sin and fall short of the glory of God From the the greatest to the least all are gonna die and all will stand before God all suffer All suffer during this day and all deal with moral corruption In Ecclesiastes 720 it reads there's not a just man upon earth that does good and sins not In the New Testament in the book of Galatians chapter 3 verse 22 the scripture has concluded all under sin That the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe So you hear that gospel and it sounds so easy. It sounds so simple. It's it's so simple You think now it's got to be harder than that But it's not It was that point where you finally say within yourself you finally say God I need help. I don't know what to do. I Don't know what to do. I'm hurting every person that loves me. I'm hurting my my mom. I've hurt my dad I've hurt my sisters. I've heard everybody. I've heard the girls that I date I I even I take advantage of my friends Lord. I'm just somebody that is a maggot I am a word. I am I'm that I am nothing God And that's what happens. There's nothing wrong with admitting what you are Because then God can make you something new You know if any man being Christ is a new creation old things are passed away Behold all things are become new and that word behold. It's like get a hold of this Look at this listen to this listen up. Behold everything becomes new Isn't it wonderful that God got holy your life and changed you it's wonderful It really is you know and and so this question is answered through Christ God gave his son and It sounds so simple, but it requires you saying God none of me and all of you Forgive me of my sins. I am a sinner and in first John 1 8. It says if we say we have no sin We deceive ourselves the truth is not in us But if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness And in one moment in one second You can pass from darkness into light you can pass from death into life in one second in one moment You can say God be merciful to me a sinner and God is merciful and God makes you new And I've had people coming in this church more than one Who've come up to me or have written or have said of me. I don't trust that guy Because I knew him in high school. He's just a con what he is is he's conning all of these people there That happened on an Easter Sunday where somebody came they had invited him to come to church and there I was and they said I know that guy. I knew him from high school I had a guy in this church who was here for a full year for a full year. He was sitting right I could point out where he was sitting I didn't recognize him at the time for a year and then finally his wife wrote and said did you go to Sierra High School? And I will I looked at her last name and I said I know your husband because he and I used to get in trouble together and He had been sitting here for a year and he finally told his wife I only know one David Rosales and that can't be him because we had gotten in trouble so much That's how God can change you right? That's how God can transform you It's not just because I'm old. It's because I've been changed by the spirit of God and that's what he does He transforms your life. He's a forgiving God and that's the whole point God does forgive the things he's saying here are really questions He's he's he's making a statement, but it's really questions. How can a man be righteous before God? How can he be pure who is born a woman if even the moon doesn't shine the stars are not pure in his side How much less man who's a man get the son of man who's a word? How can a man be made right before God the New Testament provides that answer to faith in Christ who? transforms who forgives who makes you brand new God does that John right here. I'll point him out for just a moment John I knew John when he was six years old seven years old I've known him a long time and John I didn't even know was coming to this church and where he is going He's going to the lion tamers because he was he was messed up He's messing. He's still our month brother. He was messed up He was messed up He was messed up with the drugs and all of that garbage that and you know what God did God Transform this man so much. He's now on staff with us serving Jesus Christ teaching the word of God because that's what God Does in the life of people? That's what he does That's what he does God is in the business of forgiveness and No, I cannot be right in my own strength. No, I am what you say. I am I'm a magnet. I'm okay I get it. I am but you're not and you are in the business of taking what is off-scouring and Fashioning it into something glorious you do that My uncle Louie I've said this story some of you have heard it forgive me for repeating it it comes to mind as I'm closing my uncle Louie Married my aunt my aunt Tilly He was from Georgia and One day he said to me David you're the apple of my eye And I was like eight years old I know what that is I got mad at him and I and my dad said what's wrong with you I said Why is he calling me an apple? You know, I don't I was really mad at him my dad said that's just a way of saying he loves you I said oh, he said your uncle Louie loves you David. I said really Really? Okay, well, I had been asking for a particular bicycle a Schwinn bicycle I had actually cut things out of the Sears catalog and the whole nine yards I'd put in my dad's lunch and and I would whistle by him much I I sure would like a Schwinn bike and and I was hinting constantly to my father. I wanted a bicycle and so Christmas came along and and my dad said we've got something outside We were been waiting for Louie to come Uncle Louie and Tilly to come and it's out in the patio And I still remember thinking I got my bike Well, see my uncle Louie was was one of those fellas that would go to the trash and would dig out the trash And he would take it to his little shop that he had at home because he'd been disabled in an accident when he was working and he had to receive various benefits and they barely made it and He had been an alcoholic for a long time. He's trying to get his life straight and all of that and But what he would do is he take his little pickup truck and he would drive down in front of Houses and this was back in the 50s and that just wasn't heard of at that time And and he would dig through the trash and he'd find something that he could fix and they would fix it up And he would take it and he'd try and sell it so he could make a few dollars to take care of his family and my uncle Had gone into the trash at somebody's house and had found a bicycle And what he had done is he had painted it by hand red and white and and it was so rusty that you could see the Rust that he didn't even sand it down I mean I and it was a mess and so I remember walking out and I remember looking at that bike And I thought this is not a Schwinn and I was really mad and I said it's a piece of junk And I ran into my room and my dad came in and my uncle Louis was so hurt and injured by what I said My dad told me he said you know that man that man He worked for you He loves you David and he gave you the best that he can give you and you go out there and you tell him Thank you I'll never forget that lesson and I I went out and I did thank my uncle But it wasn't sincere until later on I was riding that bike and some kids began to make fun of me for having a messed up bike And kids were like that as we know and and I remember yelling at him This is a bike given to me by my uncle who loves me and I've never forgotten that but the Lord years later Said you know what you were you were in the trash and Jesus came by and his little pickup like your uncle Louis did and he pulled you out of the trash and he took you and he fixed you and Your uncle Louis Treated that bike that piece of junk bike and Put love into it and gave it to you and Jesus Took you out of the trash And he's gonna use you as a gift to other people And I've never forgotten that and where you come from. I don't know where you come from. I Don't know what you've gone through But I always know this Jesus Christ pulled you out of the trash Jesus put you on your feet. He cleaned you up and no you're not filled with rust and all the stuff that I had on my bike No, he made you brand new you're better than you because you are a new creation in Christ Jesus That's what you are and God loves you and God has transformed you and God isn't giving up on you and God is with you Never forget that that's the God that we serve a God who loves us working with us and Father we thank you for the work that your Holy Spirit has done in us We thank you Lord Because in fact we are nothing you are everything But Lord you took upon yourself human flesh You dwelt amongst us and you ended up giving up that life for us so that we would have life in you And so Lord we're grateful We thank you for for forgiving us our sins as we have asked the whole Lord forgive us our sins and you said yes, I do and You've cleansed us by the blood of Christ. You've made us brand new better than you and Lord We just want to worship and serve you all the days of our life and one day see you face to face But until that moment Lord, I pray that we would Never forget what you have done for us. We love you Jesus And even as our eyes are closed our heads are bowed and even for those of you who are watching online right now You know, perhaps you need to get right with the Lord today, maybe you Are in need of being cleaned up Made new Your sins forgiven washed Maybe you've backs little perhaps you've never even opened your heart to Christ But you need them and you know it and you're just tired of being tired And if you need to get right with God right now before we close There's anybody here That needs prayer to get right with him when you raise your hand and let me pray for you right where you're at Well, you see these hands Lord, I ask in Jesus name that you would reach down right now and touch each person whose hand is raised to you and Lord in Jesus name that you would wash and cleanse And Father let them know how forgiven they really are every sin is cleansed by the blood of Christ Fill them now with your Holy Spirit as they open to you Lord fill them and from this point on use them For those who are watching online who are praying right now saying God be merciful show your mercy upon them to Have your way in us for Lord You are in the business of making all things new and I pray that you're doing that work right now In every heart that's open to you we we receive from you and we bless you Lord and we thank you and Praise you you can put your hands down and Jesus, please keep moving in us in your name. Amen