Welcome to a new edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am happy that you have chosen to read the blog today. I hope that everyone is doing very well.
This week has been really something with the weather where I live. It has rained and rained. Thankfully, my house didn't have any problems. I want to thank the Lord for this, and I would like to thank you for your prayers on my behalf.
I have not been able to find a job that pays anywhere close to what I am making right now. I have decided to stay where I am for the time being. I want to try to save up now and be able to have money for ministry work. If I am able to find a full-time ministry job, I would take it even if it paid a lot less. Please continue to pray for me in regard to this matter.
As you go to prayer this week, please pray for those who are being affected by the hurricane in Florida. Also, continue to pray of those affected by the earthquake in Italy and those affected by the flooding in Louisiana. Continue to pray for an end to the Zika virus outbreak.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray that the people of Taiwan and Lebanon will hear the message of the love of Jesus. Let us continue to pray for peace especially in Syria.
As you know, we have been studying two different series of messages during the course of this Summer. One week we have studied the Ten Commandments, and then the next week we have had a sermon about lessons from the animals.
In today's message, we are going to finish the lessons from the animals series for the time being. I actually have a few more sermons that I could preach on that series, but I have decided to save those for a later time.
Today, my focus is not going to be on what an animal God brought into my life taught me. Instead, I want to focus on the majesty and the power of the Almighty God who made all the animals that live on this earth.
The book of Job is one of the most interesting and hard to understand books in the entire Bible. It raises some deep moral and theological questions. I'm not going to go over all that Job has to say in the message today. I just want to focus a little bit on the end of the book and what God had to say.
Throughout the book of Job, Job's friends have been trying to give Job an explanation as to why all of the bad things have fallen upon him. After each of these friends has a speech, Job will respond with his defense of himself. This pattern goes on for most of the book of Job.
Finally, beginning in Job 38, God has heard enough from everyone. God is tired of hearing all of the false ideas of Job's friends, and God has tired even of listening to Job. God speaks out of a whirlwind, and what the Lord says is awesome. I urge you to read Job 38 through 42 to know what the Lord said.
The Lord is not pleased that Job is questioning the way that He has decided to do things. He asks Job a series of questions designed to show how great the Lord Himself is and how small Job is and all of humanity for that matter.
The Lord tells about all of the might of His great power in bringing about the creation of the entire universe. The Lord is the one who reins in the chaos of the cosmos. He is the creator and the one who sustains all life. The Lord God has laid out the plan for the entire universe. He made all of the galaxies, stars and planets. He is awesome in majesty and power.
The Lord will then go on to explain how that He is powerful because He had made all of the wonderful animals that fill the world. The Lord made the herds of animals that roam the planet. He made the ostrich that walks upon the land and the hawk that soars through the sky.
One particular passage in Job 39:19-25 I like especially because it tells of the majesty of the horse that God made. It tells about the courage of the horse and how the horse laughs at fear in the midst of the battle.
God goes on to explain to Job that He as the God of the universe designed the great Leviathan and the Behemoth. We don't know for sure what these creatures are, but the way in which the Lord describes them they are wondrous to behold.
The Lord God is the one who made all of the animals on the earth. He did not make them for humans or to please humans. The Lord made them to please Himself and to show His great power and His capability for design and artistic expression. Everything that exists belongs to the Lord, and we should respect what the Lord has made.
I hope that when you look at the created wonders all around you that you will stop and consider the splendor and majesty of the great Creator.
I hope that you will want to preserve and protect all that the Lord has made and designed.
So much damage has been done to this planet. Our rivers and waterways are polluted and so are our skies. What a shame. As believers in the Lord Jesus, let us be at the forefront of making this world a better place. Let us be at the forefront of preserving and protecting what God has made.
There are many animals species that are now endangered or threatened. Tigers are rapidly dwindling in the wild. I just heard a report yesterday about how the number of elephants in Africa have declined by one-third in the last few years due to poaching. Let us as Christians work to see an end to such things.
The God of all creation is full of power and great glory. What is truly amazing is that this great God has chosen to have a relationship with sinful humans. In spite of our rebellion against Him, God sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ into this world to be the propitiation for our sins. All those who turn to Jesus in repentance and faith can have a relationship with the God of all creation. One day we will be with Him for all of eternity.
Next week, we will continue with our series in the Ten Commandments, and we will continue each week until that series in finished. I will have to post the verses on Tuesday this week as the library is closed for the Labor Day holiday. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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