When Life Falls Together

When Life Falls Together

Theme: Confession and Restoration

Objectives:

• Know: Job was humbled when he came to understand the magnitude of God. God accepted Job's confession and restored him.
• Think: Understand that those who find God's restoration have an obligation to help others find it as well.
• Do: Confess to God when you find yourself off track.

Scripture: Job 42:1-17

A1 Outline

• Job's confession (Job 42:1-6)
• God's words to Job 3 friends (Job 42:7-9)
• God's blessing to Job (Job 42:10-17)

A2 Questions and notes

• Know it all
• Did Job's 3 friends think they had the answers to Job's problem?
• Do you know anyone like that? Have we ever been like that?
• When did you or I realize we were wrong?
• How do we admit we are wrong?
• What did Job do?
• What do we learn?
• What does Job acknowledge in Job 42:2?
• The word for repent in Job 42:6 can mean comfort or repent depending on the context. Since Job is abhorring himself and sorry for being wrong, repent is most reasonable. It does not seem reasonable that Job would comfort himself in dust and ashes.
• Is it OK to ask God for understanding during times of trials and difficulties? Yes!
• How did Job misunderstand what God was doing?
• What did Job's 3 friends assume about Job? (That he had sinned).
• At what point did Job's restoration begin? (When he repented and asked for forgiveness).
• Forgiveness
• What is it? (Not wanting or carrying out punishment for a personal offense. When we forgive, it is to release any want of punishment or hurt to another and let God dealt with the offender. When God forgives, it is more like a pardon (Psalm 130:4). The offense and its penalty has been paid in full).
• Why do we need it? (There is punishment involved--no forgiveness, then no pardon, just punishment. Compare Exodus 34:7, Psalm 78:38).
• Why do we need to forgive others? (1. So we can be forgiven by God (Matthew 6:14, Mark 11:25, Ephesians 4:32). 2. So the other person can repent and be forgiven by God (Revelation 2:21). 3. For the release of our hate and emotions regarding the offender. Compare Romans 12:14-21).
• How do we forgive others? (1. Telling the person. 2. Telling God. 3. It may have to be done many times, because of our emotions and hurt. God WILL deal with the offender. We pray they will repent and ask forgiveness). For more info see here.
• Repentance
• What is it? (An 180 degree turn around for our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. If we think that we have not sinned, then repentance is acknowledging our sins. See 2 Corinthians 7:10, Luke 15:11-32. For examples see Matthew 21:29, Psalm 51.
• No repentance, no forgiveness. See Acts 3:19, 2 Peter 3:9, Revelation 9:20-21.
• What did Job have to do to be forgiven? (Job 42:9-10). What did his friends have to do? Job 42:7-8).
• How did God bless Job? Is this the only way that God blesses; do all become rich, etc.?
• Was satan successful in what he desired?