Bulletins - Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church (Enola, PA)

Review
Turn to Job 2.
Last week we watched as a lawyer asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus, instead of answering the question, began to tell the story of the Good Samaritan.
The priest’s response: “I’ll avoid the situation”
The Levite’s response: “there’s nothing that I can do.”
The Samaritan’s response: “I will do what I can.”
Finally, Jesus responded with a question of His own: “who was the true neighbor?”
Especially with your church family, it’s not about “who is my neighbor”. It’s about “how can I be neighborly?”
Introduction
Read Job 2:11-13
During the Revolutionary War, one of George Washington’s most brilliant generals was none other than Benedict Arnold. He played a decisive role in the victory at Saratoga, one of the most important battles of the war. Soldiers admired him. Washington trusted him. In fact, if Arnold had died of his wounds sustained at Saratoga, he probably would have been remembered as one of America’s military heroes.
But that’s not how you remember him, is it? Bitterness, pride, financial troubles, and divided loyalties led him to secretly plot to surrender the fort at West Point to the British.
Today we don’t remember Benedict Arnold for his role at Saratoga; we remember him for how he betrayed his country.
In similar fashion, we don’t remember Job’s friends for how they started, but for how they ended so poorly.
Tonight we’re not going focus on their failures. We’re going to learn from what they actually did right before they started talking.
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Their comfort was intentional - Job 2:11
Job was a rich man who suffered horrible calamities in chapters one and two. In what may have been a matter of minutes, he lost his wealth, his children, and even his distraught wife turned against him. His health would soon follow in terrible decline as he was struck by disease.
Proverbs 19:4 KJV 1900
Wealth maketh many friends; But the poor is separated from his neighbour.
This was proven true for Job. Job 1:3 describes him as the “greatest of all the men of the east.” There’s no doubt that he had friends when he was wealthy, but when he suffered loss, most of his friends were nowhere to be found. To their credit, three friends showed up. They came to comfort him when no one else did. And before they opened their mouths, they did a lot of good. It all began when they made an appointment together to come and comfort Job.
Most good things don’t happen to us by accident. What I mean is that usually we have to be intentional if we want to do something good for someone else. And usually someone was intentional about it if they do something good to us.
When I was an assistant pastor, my wife and I would lead our teen group every Christmas to sing Christmas carols at our shut ins. You know, it would have been pretty neat if the teens just got together on their own to do that, but that’s not usually how it works. We scheduled a teen activity on a Saturday evening where we would take the church van and stop at our shut in’s homes and sing for them. We did it because we were intentional about it.
Application: Church family, in order to be a comfort to someone, it usually requires that you be intentional about it.
Look for opportunities to comfort to others.
Go to church with a mindset to comfort others.
Whenever you step outside your front door, go intending to be a help to those you meet throughout your day. You just might be used of the Lord to comfort someone when you least expect it.
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They mourned for their friend - Job 2:12
Read Job 2:12
Job’s three friends got together, saddled up the horses, and set a course for his land. I can imagine that when they crested the hill, where they expected to see herds of cattle, they saw barrenness. Where they expected to see flocks, they saw scorched earth and burnt carcasses. Where they expected to see houses, they saw destruction. Job was sitting in the midst of it, but they didn’t even recognize him, he was so marred by disease and fatigue.
And you know what? They hurt for him. To echo last week’s point, they let their heart be moved. They mourned for their friend.
True friends hurt when their friends are hurting. There’s many examples of this in the Bible:
Psalm 35:13–14 KJV 1900
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; And my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
David said this even about his enemies and he lived it when Saul and Jonathan died in battle.
John 11:19 KJV 1900
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
Hebrews 13:3 KJV 1900
3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Application: we may never experience the exact pain that someone else does, but you must hurt when you see your neighbor hurting.
Romans 12:15 KJV 1900
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
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They provided their presence - Job 2:13
Read Job 2:13
Sometimes, showing up is the most powerful thing a person can do.
A few years ago I was at a real discouraging point in my life. It was a situation that made me get tunnel vision. All I could see or think about was the circumstances that I was going through. I was fighting to do right with everything that I had, but I was still discouraged and struggling to think right.
You know what helped me? One evening a friend called me from the other side of the country and encouraged me that the situation wouldn’t last forever, but to keep trusting the Lord. He didn’t say anything earth shattering, but he showed up when I needed it, and that phone call made all the difference in the world.
There’s a time where people need to be left alone, but there’s also time when people need our presence, they just don’t know how to put that to words.
The fact is, Job needed his friends. He needed someone to just come and sit with him. His three friends did that for seven days.
Application: Sometimes your brother or sister in Christ just needs your presence. Be aware. Be sensitive to their needs. Don’t overstay your welcome. But don’t avoid people because you don’t know what to do or you don’t know what to say. Just being there with them and walking with them through the process of grief can be such a powerful thing. Don’t discount the power of your presence.
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They refrained from speaking until it was appropriate - Job 2:13
Read Job 2:13
This is a hard one because I’ll be the first to admit, it’s not always clear when to speak or what to say. These guys, to their credit, understood that.
They waited seven days.
They quietly mourned with Job seven days.
They didn’t say a word for seven days.
I’m not saying we have to follow their pattern, but I am saying let’s follow the principle.
They saw that Job’s grief was very great, so they simply refrained from speaking until he spoke.
When someone’s pain is exceedingly great, it’s probably not time to speak. It’s time to listen.
Proverbs 25:11 KJV 1900
11 A word fitly spoken Is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
“Pastor Tim, how can I know when it’s time to speak? What do I say?”
Application: you must be led by the Spirit!
The Spirit of God will lead you, if you trust Him to do it.
Application: Scripture and prayer are the two most powerful things you can share with a hurting person. Be prepared with both.
Conclusion
We all know that Job’s three friends would make some mistakes hereafter. But let’s not miss the good that they did before they started speaking. Follow their example when your neighbor is suffering.

Review

Introduction

Conclusion