[0:00] Well, take your Bibles if you would and turn with me to the book of Job chapter 1. Before we get started, we have our missionaries, quite a few of our missionaries. They travel a lot, but they're able to be here today.
[0:11] So would you guys stand up real quick and introduce yourselves so the people will know you. Missionaries, go. All right. All right.
[0:26] Now, take your Bibles. We're glad to have them here. I hope you are glad to get to see them and know them. If you don't come to our church on Sunday mornings, you might not see them very often. So we are very glad they're here. In your Bibles, Job chapter 1.
[0:37] You know, we're reading and studying the book of Job. And we've gone through, we've actually gone ahead of this. So we're backtracking just a little bit. The book of Job sets up to let us know what a man Job was.
[0:49] Because the real issue in the book of Job is how in the world do you deal with all the mess that happens in your life? And did Job suffer because he did wrong?
[0:59] Or do sometimes you suffer when you don't do wrong? But here's a snippet of his life just in two or three verses here. Job was a great dad.
[1:10] Job was a great dad. And I want you to look at that with me, if you would. And I want you to consider this as we go home. He's a great dad. We ought to be godly parents. Look, if you would, at Job chapter 1 and verse 1.
[1:22] Job chapter 1 and verse 1. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And he was perfect and upright. One that feared God and eschewed or hated evil.
[1:35] First thing. When we start this book off, we start with his character. We start with who he is in the inside of his heart. And we start dealing with dads.
[1:45] That's where we start. We start with who we are. What we are way down deep inside. So I would like you to look at with me, if you would, at these words. If you got your Bible open in Job chapter 1, look at these words.
[1:58] He said, whose name was Job and he was perfect. I want you to underline that word perfect. That word perfect is an old word. And what it means is a man of integrity.
[2:09] A person who was whole and complete. In other words, when you saw Job, you saw a man who had it together. When you saw Job, you saw a man that had it together.
[2:21] He lived a life of integrity. He was not one man at work on Monday, another man on Saturday night, a different man on Sunday morning. Job was a man of integrity.
[2:32] He was a complete person. And before I go on, I need you to understand that it's impossible for you to be complete if you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior. You were made by an almighty, perfect God.
[2:46] And he made you and you are not whole and you are not complete without what he did on the cross of Calvary. Here's what the Bible says about you can't be perfect. You can't be complete.
[2:58] You can't be integral. You can't be all together unless you know this. You messed up. You and I have sinned against the holy God. We have failed God.
[3:09] Our sin has separated us from God. We're separated from our maker. We're not in a position to know God and to have a relationship with God. And that's what's going to make me the complete and whole person.
[3:21] That sin separated me. The Bible's clear. Every human being has sinned. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous. No, not one. The Bible's clear. We've sinned and we're away from God.
[3:33] And then the Bible's clear that that sin and that separation means I'm going to die. I'm losing. The Bible says the wages of sin is death.
[3:44] I don't know if you know this, but the way death got in the earth, it was never God's original intention for us to die. He built a garden for us to live in forever in a perfect environment. But instead of that, man chose to rebel against God.
[3:57] And because of that, he was separated from God and death came about. God never wanted us to die. But he said your sin is what brought death. But in the Bible, it's very clear.
[4:08] We don't only die one time. We don't only die physically, but we die a second death. The Bible explains what that is. It's being cast into the lake of fire.
[4:20] It is, in other words, spending eternity in torment in a place that you would commonly call hell. That's what it is. So here, look at this. This guy's a great dad.
[4:30] We'll look at that in just a minute. And he's complete, but you can't be complete without Jesus. Do you know what God did? God looked at you and said, you messed up. You're a long ways off.
[4:41] You're not who you ought to be. You can't ever live up to your potential because you're messed up. But I will come to you. I will show you my love and I will give you salvation.
[4:53] The Bible says in Romans 5, 8, but God commended. God proved. God showed his love toward us. And that while we were still doing wrong, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
[5:06] He showed his love. When Jesus died on the cross, he wasn't dying as a weak man. He wasn't dying as a loser. He wasn't dying as a beat up man. He was dying on purpose because God loves you and wanted you saved.
[5:19] And so he goes to the cross and dies and is buried and rises again, comes to life and is living and seated at the right hand of the father. He was seen on this earth by over 500 witnesses at one time.
[5:32] He is God. He is alive. He is the savior. He's the one that changes lives. And then he said to you, it's a free gift for you. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God, the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[5:47] So here you have in a story, look at your Bible, Job chapter 1 and verse 1. He's perfect. Well, you know you're not. You know you fall away short. But today you can have your sins forgiven. Today you can get to a place where you're complete and whole.
[6:00] Where you can fill up that empty spot in your heart that says there's something missing. And there is something missing. But what's missing is you don't know Jesus as your savior. And you can know him and you can be saved.
[6:12] To be complete, you need to understand your life purpose. And that's only found in knowing God. He is your purpose. You need, you know, somewhere along the way, you kind of got the idea that you're like it.
[6:26] You know, you've achieved it. You're like the top of the evolutionary ladder. You're like somebody. But the truth is you're just a created being. And you're just somebody who needs a God.
[6:36] Who gives life purpose. We are not just evolved animals living here building nests and having babies and get to have a day called Father's Day. We are made by God.
[6:48] And we ought to want to know God. And you can know him today. You can be healthy. And it can happen only when the sin that contaminates your life is taken out. Second thing, I want you to look in the verse if you would.
[7:01] In Job chapter 1 and verse 1, he was a perfect man. Second thing it says in the verse, he's upright. How are you going to be a good dad if you're not fixed? How are you going to be a good dad if you're not right?
[7:13] How are you going to be a good dad if you've got holes in your life? How are you going to be a good dad if you're missing integrity? Most people in the world have father issues. You know why they have father issues? Because dad didn't know Jesus.
[7:24] You know why they have dad issues? Because dad didn't know he was a sinner and needed to be saved. So Job is a man who was perfect. He had gotten things right with God. But then he was upright.
[7:35] So the perfect is like this way. Between me and God, things are right. And then upright is things are right this way. So Job not only knew he knew God, but it began to affect his life.
[7:47] He was an upright man. He did right. That's beautiful, amen? He not only was right, but he did right. By the way, can I just throw you in some things right out of the book of Job about Job?
[7:58] How about this one? He was upright. He practiced sexual purity. Look, if you would, at Job chapter 31 and verse 1. You got your Bible open. I hope you do. Open it up. Job chapter 31 and verse 1.
[8:10] He's an upright man. He's not only right with God, but he practices right out where he lives. And here's what it says in Job chapter 31 and verse 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes.
[8:22] Why then should I think upon a maid? He said, I am going to be careful what I look at. I'm going to be careful who I look at. I'm going to be careful what I think about.
[8:33] This guy's upright. Not only, and by the way, boy, that'll help a dad be a good dad. That'll help a kid have respect to his dad. That'll help a kid know my dad's not getting a divorce. My dad's not got a lover.
[8:44] My dad's not messing around on my mother. That'll be a good thing. Can I get an amen right there? Quit acting like a bunch of dead people. Are you there? Amen. Look at it. He's upright. He is practicing sexual purity. Look in Job chapter 31 verse 5.
[8:56] Same chapter. He walked honestly and upright. It says, if I have walked with vanity or if my feet has hasted to deceit. You know what he said? I'm an honest man.
[9:08] I'm an honest man. I don't do stuff that has no value. That's vanity. I don't live just for my ego. There's a greater purpose to my life and people that know me know that to be true. And just let me tell you, I'm honest.
[9:19] I'm honest where I work. I'm honest in what I do. I don't practice lying and cheating. That's not who I am. That's how you can be a good dad. You'll be a good dad because you're right with God. You'll be a good dad because it starts to affect everything around you.
[9:33] By the way, he treated people that worked for him right. Look at Job chapter 31 and verse 13. It says, if I did despise the cause of my manservant or my maidservant when they contended with me.
[9:44] Now, you don't have to wait until I get back over to this passage to teach it to you. But you know what he's saying? He said, by the way, people that work for me know I pay attention. I don't abuse the people that work for me. I'm not a user.
[9:54] I'm not a take advantage person. If they have a complaint, if they need to talk to me, they can. Because you see, I'm right with God. And being right with God affects how I handle all this out here. Years ago, Betty and I now will be married 46 years in August.
[10:11] And we had several children. I've told you this story before. But we had four children back then. I don't know how many. We had two or three kids. And I was in the basement. I'm moving a deep freezer. Betty's helping me.
[10:22] And she pulls the deep freezer. They're already laughing because she knows the story. She pulls the deep freezer. I fall and hit my chin on the deep freezer. Because I'm pushing. And my feet go out from under me. And I hit the deep freezer. And when I come up, she's going, are you okay?
[10:34] Are you okay? And you're okay. And I'm just saying, like, I mean, I'm seeing stars. Amen. I am the most patriotic I've ever been. And I am seeing stars. And she keeps yelling. And I said, hush. And she keeps asking.
[10:45] And I said, hush. And she says, I can't believe it. I just care about you. And you're telling me to hush. And I built this wall in my basement. This is why the church never lets me do construction.
[10:57] And I built this wall all across the basement. And she went through that door and slammed it. And when she did, I went like this and hit the door and the whole wall fell. And we got upstairs. My kids were in the bedroom praying that we wouldn't get a divorce.
[11:11] You see, if you want to be a good dad, right up this way, right out this way. He was perfect. And he was upright. The next thing you see, the third thing it says about him, look at it.
[11:24] In Job chapter 1 and verse 1, it says, there was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And that man was perfect and upright. And he was one that feared God. You need to underline that.
[11:35] He feared God. I won't take the time to show you all this. But in Job chapter 1 and verse 8, God knew he feared him. In other words, in heaven, the God of heaven said this.
[11:47] Have you considered my servant Job? He fears me. That's pretty good when God knows you and knows what you're doing. And could I just say to you real quickly, God does know you.
[11:59] You know, you might have me fooled. And you might have your wife fooled. And your husband fooled. And your children fooled. And the people you work with. But God does know exactly where you are and who you are.
[12:10] God knows. Amen. And God said he fears God. God. The second person that said he fears God in the same passage is the devil. The devil said, yeah, I know he fears God. I mean, the devil's like, I can't mess with that guy too much.
[12:23] Every time I get close to him, he's like, I fear God. The devil's like, he can't do much with him. He had to get special permission to whoop up on him. That's what the whole book's about. Remember? But I want to show you something. You know what fearing God means? Listen, he feared God.
[12:34] You know what that means? He really believed there was a God. Do you? He really believed there was a God. He believed that you answered to God. Has it ever crossed your mind that you are going to face God in judgment?
[12:53] You can't do, you can't live like you live. You live like there's no God. You live like there's no reconciling things. You live like there's no calling to an account.
[13:04] There's a day coming when you'll be judged. Job was perfect this way. Job was upright, but in his heart, the devil knew it and God knew it. He really knew God.
[13:16] You know, April the 15th, that's a bad day. Anybody that makes a little bit of money knows what that day is. Nobody has to discuss that. We know. And by the way, my accountant made a mistake several years ago.
[13:30] And I asked him, I said, is everything right? He said, it's right. Well, when I got a letter from the IRS that said that it was a mistake, I called him. He said, that's not a mistake. Don't you worry about the thing. When they froze my bank account, I called him. I said, I think you made a mistake.
[13:43] And somehow he said, yeah, well, you're going to have to pay me for fixing that mistake. I'm like, I don't really get that. But anyway, do you understand the whole situation here? You fear the government more than you fear the God of heaven.
[13:55] You're like, I better be, I better make sure I do my taxes more than you know there's a God. You want to be a good dad. You got to know God. It's going to affect the way you live, but you got to really believe you do answer to God.
[14:06] He was a God-fearing man. No, he was a God-fearing man. Look at the verse in Job chapter 1 and verse 1. He said, he was a perfect man, an upright man, and feared God, and he hated evil.
[14:18] He eschewed evil. In his integrity, he hate the very thought of being unfaithful to his wife. Look at this. Write this verse down in the margin there somewhere.
[14:28] Job 31.9. If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor's door, and he goes on. But you know what Job said?
[14:40] I'm right with God. I'm living right out here. I really am concerned about what God thinks, and I'll just be blunt honest with you. I'm scared death be unloyal, unfaithful to my wife.
[14:52] In fact, it's in the passage when we get there, as you keep coming to church, he basically says, if I have, I want a curse on me, because I am faithful to my wife. He hated evil. You know, you really can't love God and love evil.
[15:05] You really can't like right and love wrong, too. You can't like light and love dark. And old Job was a good dad. It starts with his character. He hated evil. He even hated the thought of making money his God.
[15:19] In Job chapter 31 and verse 24, he said, If I have made gold my hope, if I have said to the fine gold, you are my confidence, if I have rejoiced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much, and he goes on to say, curses on me, because I don't hope in my goal.
[15:36] I don't hope in my money. I don't hope in my company. I don't hope in the stock market. I don't hope in my retirement. I hope in God. So it all starts in the story of Job. He's a great dad.
[15:46] You'll see that as we get into this passage. It starts with who he is, his character. As a parent, we live out what our children should be. As a parent, we live out what our children should be.
[15:59] You need to know they're going to do more watching than listening. Have you ever noticed how kids don't seem to hear? Have you ever noticed how they see everything you do?
[16:12] Have you ever wanted to kill them because they were acting like you? Has it ever embarrassed you because when you looked at your kid, you were like, I can't believe he did it. And your wife goes, it's what you do.
[16:23] That really makes you mad. I was the pastor, the missionary in Adequipa. And one of the teachers talked to me about my son and said, your son's using some inappropriate language.
[16:38] I said, Spanish, by the way. How do we know inappropriate Spanish? And I said, really? She said, well, pastor, the real bad thing is he says he hears you say it. And so we'd like to ask you to quit.
[16:49] I was like, now, wait a minute. I'm the pastor here. Isn't that the way it is? I would have told my son, don't you use that language. He just said, I know, dad, but you do. You see, they watch you. They watch you.
[17:01] That's how they're learning. They become what we are more than what we say. Second thing I want you to look at about Job as a dad. First thing was his character, who he is. Second thing, he continually prays for his children.
[17:12] Look at Job chapter 1 and verse 5. He continually prays for his kids. This is what the Bible said. And it was so when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all.
[17:28] For Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Now, underline, and thus did Job continually. It's really not clear in the passage how many parties they're having.
[17:41] There were seven sons, and was it seven birthdays a year, or was it like a whole week of parties or what it is? Whatever it was, here's what we know about Job. Job always said, I need to pray for my kids.
[17:55] I need to pray they don't mess up. I need to pray that while they're having fun. And this party they're having is really like a banquet. It's like a big meal and lots of food and lots of drink. And everybody's just having a good old time.
[18:08] But Job's like, hmm, I really need to pray for my kids. I really need to pray for my kids. I don't want my kids to mess up. I'm going to go talk to God, and I'm going to pray for my kids.
[18:19] And if you read this passage of Scripture, it says, when the feasting was gone about, when they'd done feasting, Job sent and sanctified them. He prayed for them. He got along with God and said, God, work in my children's life.
[18:30] God, he rose up early in the morning. Look at the verse. He offered burnt offerings for his kids. He did it according to a number of them. He said, I don't know. Maybe they sinned in their heart.
[18:41] God, I've raised them right as best I could. I've taught them what to do. But I don't know if they're messing up. I need you to work in their lives. He continually prayed for his kids.
[18:53] You know what your first prayer ought to be as a dad, by the way? Their salvation. Man, you ought not let a day pass that you are saying, oh, God, save my children. God, I want them to know you.
[19:05] I want them to know the forgiveness of sins. As much as I've tried to show you that as a dad, you got to know Jesus, your kids got to know Jesus. You want to hear a wild one? We're going to funerals one day. You're either coming to mine or I'm going to yours.
[19:17] We're either going to our kids or our kids are coming to ours. And there is life after death. It ain't over. Hey, when you think it's over, when they put the body in the ground or when they cremate the body or whatever they do, it's not over.
[19:30] Because the second that person dies, they leave here and they go somewhere. You ought to pray that your kids will know Jesus. It ought to always be on your heart. Man, I don't want them to die and face God with sin in their lives.
[19:43] I don't want them to face God with sin in their lives. Continually pray for them. You ought to pray that your kids would hunger for God like Job did. Job hungered for God.
[19:54] And Job didn't say, if you read the verse here, he didn't say, I hope they didn't do anything wrong. You need to underline it in the verse right at the last part. Did you see it in your Bible? In their hearts.
[20:04] Underline that. In their hearts. He wasn't saying they might have been committing adultery over there. I know what he said. He said, I don't want even in their hearts where nobody sees what they're doing, I don't want them doing wrong.
[20:16] God, please work in my kids' lives. And it's important. It's important. It's important. He prayed for them. Continue to pray that they'll fear sin and hate evil. Pray that they will keep their hearts clean.
[20:30] Pray that they will seek God in holiness rather than the world. I know that the world and sin and the devil would love to destroy my kids. I need to pray continually for my kids.
[20:41] Third thing I want you to look at. All parents should challenge their children to love and serve God. Every parent ought to challenge his kids to love and serve God. Now, that's not clear in the passage.
[20:53] I'll just be blunt and honest with you. What we have here is Job is a dad. His kids are going to their banquets. And when they go to their banquets and have all that, we got Job going over here and praying for them.
[21:04] And we know from the Bible that Job is a perfect man and an upright man. A man that fears God and a man that hates evil. And here's what I'm going to say. I don't think you want to pray for your kids until you've given them an example to follow.
[21:17] You see, I don't think he could say, now God, you know I taught them right. God, you know I've tried my best. So God, please help my kids do right in their hearts. I think it started with a challenge to them.
[21:28] So here comes a clear verse I want you to look up if you haven't already got it memorized. Look at Genesis chapter 18 and verse 19. Genesis chapter 18 and verse 19. The Bible says, I know him.
[21:38] He's talking about Abraham. That he will command his children and his household after him. And they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment.
[21:50] I just want you to underline this. He will command, if you've got your Bible open, he will command his children after him. See, that's the challenge. The challenge is, I don't want my kids to serve God more than I do.
[22:04] I want to serve God so my kids can do what I do. I don't want my kids to be better Christians than me. I want to be the kind of Christian my kids can say, I want to be like my dad. Watching one of my preacher friends on Facebook yesterday.
[22:18] And he was talking about how his dad this and how his dad that. The first time he rode a bicycle, the first time he rode a motorcycle. He said in the thing, he said, I wrecked on my bicycle. So my dad went and bought me a mini bike. I'm not sure that was the smartest move in that part.
[22:31] But it's all those memories. You know what the memory you want your kids to have? Your testimony. Your loving God. Look in the verse. Right here, underline it.
[22:42] Command after him. You know what I got to do? You know what I got to do? I got to love God. I got to know my sins are forgiven.
[22:53] I got to know I'm going to go to heaven. Because I really can't even fix my wonderful wife of 46 years. I can't fix her. The only person I can really work on is me. I can't change my children.
[23:05] But I can work on my relationship with God. Can I get an amen there? And then you can turn to your kids and say, you follow God too. You follow God too. See, challenge them.
[23:16] I think when they went to that party, I think that implied in his passages at that party, oh, we know dad's praying for us. He did it continually. I mean, it ain't like they didn't know.
[23:27] He did it continually. I can only imagine. Hey, pass me the Diet Coke. Don't be fighting with me. You know dad's praying. We don't get mad and fight and have bad hearts.
[23:38] You know dad's doing it. He always does it. As soon as we get through this party, dad's going to go pray. I think before that they knew dad said, do right. Know God. Live for God.
[23:49] I think he challenged them. Did they know he prayed for them continually? Pretty hard to do something continually and they not figure it out. Did they see how concerned he was about them? Did his example speak strongly to them?
[24:02] Did his actions and attitudes speak loudly? Can I remind you, whether you like this or not, your kids are going to be a chip off the old block.
[24:22] My kid's a bum. Came off the bum log. My kid won't work. I mean, what did we learn that? My kid's an arrogant, proud guy.
[24:34] I wonder where he learned that. Chip off the old block. You mad yet? Next thing I want you to say is, every parent should feel conflicted about the spiritual life of their children.
[24:47] I'm going to say this to you from the bottom of my heart. You worry me because you believe your kids too much. Somehow you tend to think your kids aren't sinners. Everybody else's are. But you're a parent and you're like, well, my kid would never do that.
[25:05] That kid's a demon. Thank God my kid's not like that. Huh? Years ago in Arequipa, this pastor had a child and their name was Grace.
[25:17] Grace screamed and cried and we all hated to be around them because she was one crying brat. And all the young men I worked with, they said, hey, you named her wrong.
[25:32] Grace nothing. Disgrace. She's a disgrace. Grace. And I used to say, I'm going to remind you of that when you have kids. Huh?
[25:43] You know, you ought to be conflicted. Look at the story here. He said, they just got through having a party. Oh, I need to get up there and pray. I hope to God they didn't sin in their heart.
[25:55] He didn't go, yeah, you ought to worry about my kids. He didn't do that. He said, I might have taught them and I might pray for them. I'm not lowering my guard. I'm not giving up.
[26:07] I'm not quitting. I'm not backing off. He was conflicted in his heart. He prayed for them. What if they sinned? What if they cursed God even in their hearts?
[26:19] He didn't believe everything he saw or heard. He knew they could deceive him. This is another story. I shouldn't tell you something about my children, but this is true. I'm a sucker.
[26:31] I mean, if you wrote the word sucker right there, it would be an honest statement. So my kids would be doing something wrong. And I would be like, I think there's something not quite right with these kids. And Betty would say, they're wicked.
[26:42] They're wicked. They're doing this. And I'd say, well, not back off. Not so much. We'd call them in. And I'd say, son, I'm concerned.
[26:53] And he'd say, dad, I appreciate your concern. And he would come at me with such, he would say, you don't have to worry, dad. Or sometimes he would even go like this. Dad, maybe I've been tempted, but I have victory.
[27:06] And I'd say, well, you're going to do right. He'd go, I'm doing right. They'd leave the room. I'd tell him, I'd say, well, honey, I know we was worried, but I think they're doing pretty good. Betty'd be like, they're lying to you.
[27:18] Sucker. Maybe you ought to be conflicted. Too late for me. I'm trying to help you. The problem is knowing more than just what they want you to think.
[27:37] Next thing I want you to write down is a good parent will coach their children in how to serve God. Again, this is one I don't see clearly in this passage, but it's definitely a Bible thing.
[27:48] And so I want you to just think about it with me. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 4, For fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and the admonition. That's coaching.
[28:00] Teach them to know God and walk with God and warn them about the consequences when they don't. We need to challenge with our lives, but we need to coach with our training. You know, I need to live in such a way that my kids are like, Daddy loves God.
[28:13] But I do need to talk to them. I don't know what's wrong with us. But somehow, we're like the preachers always preach. Y'all listen to the preacher. I ain't never going to say that word to you, but let the preacher preach to you.
[28:24] No, Dad, you're supposed to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. When's the last time you had a family altar? When's the last time you set your children down and said, This is what the Word of God says, buddy.
[28:38] You're to bring them up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. You are their spiritual leaders. You are their pastor. Dad, this is a heavy load. Are you teaching them?
[28:54] Are you giving them the right example? Are you coming to church with them, showing them to come to church? Are you reading the Bible and them seeing that? Are you teaching them how to have a right attitude about God and the things of God? What example are you showing?
[29:07] You want to be a good, godly parent. Next, Job chapter 1 and verse 1, if you would. You should cherish God and they should know that about you.
[29:19] You should be so in love with God and your kids can pick it up. This whole book of Job is about a man who loved God and had really bad stuff happen to him and how he didn't quit loving God.
[29:36] Look at Job 1.1. There was a man in the land of us whose name was Job and that man was all those things we've already talked about. You know, it's very obvious Job loves God.
[29:50] I'm not talking about what you say to him. I'm talking about when they come in the bedroom and catch you praying. I'm talking about when you're relaxing and they catch you with a Bible open.
[30:02] I'm talking about they know that when you had an opportunity to get away with sin, they saw you love God more than you did your sin. I'm talking about they see in you.
[30:15] I just think it's funny. Job 1.1 comes right before he talks about his father and those kids must have known. I think those kids had to be going around going, yeah, we're Job's kids. Oh, you don't know about Job.
[30:27] He's perfect. He's upright. He fears God and he hates evil. Inside that, he prays for us every time we get together to have a hamburger. We have a Fourth of July party and daddy's going to the temple, finding a place to pray.
[30:41] That's our dad. Do you suppose your children know that about you? You do know your children are going to grow up to love what you love, right?
[30:55] Whatever it is you love, that's what they're going to love. Some of you are sports fan for a team that hasn't won in the last millennia. And if I said, why are you like that team?
[31:08] My daddy liked them. Bless God. Whatever daddy liked, that's what I like. Daddy didn't love God and neither do I. Daddy used to mess around with a little porn and so do I.
[31:23] Daddy wasn't faithful to church and neither am I. Daddy didn't read his Bible and neither do I. I'm just like my dad. Your love and attitude are contagious.
[31:36] What is your testimony before your children? It's funeral time. Your kids get the call in the middle of the night. Dad just died.
[31:47] The ambulance or the hearse is here to pick up his body. What are they going to know? What are they going to know? Are they going to know you love God? Last thing.
[31:59] Your greatest concern ought to be their spiritual condition. The biggest thing on your mind. Your greatest concern is their spiritual condition. That's why Job is praying continually.
[32:12] Job's like. You do understand. Job's got money out the wazoo. I mean the guy's loaded. He's the richest man in the east. He's not the richest man in Alpharetta.
[32:23] He's the richest man in the United States of America. Yeah. That's what it's saying in the passage. But Job isn't over going. Man I hope they spend their allowance right. Man I wonder if I've said enough for their college.
[32:37] Job's like. How's their walk with God? How's their walk with God? How's their walk with God? Do my kids know Jesus? Do my kids have the forgiveness of sins?
[32:47] If they died. Are they right? Are they seeking God? That's what the passage of scripture is about. So pray for your children every day. Pray for them all the time. Pray they'll get saved.
[33:00] I need to visit that again. If you're here and you don't know Jesus. You are going to die and go to hell. There is no second chance.
[33:10] You don't get to a place called purgatory. And get prayed out of there. Nobody can get baptized to get you out of there. Nobody can do anything. You must make a decision. I have sinned against the holy God.
[33:22] And I need to be saved. And it's on you baby. Don't try to blame it on God. It's up to you to trust God. Pray that your kids will grow in holiness.
[33:34] Pray they'll seek God and make wise decisions. Build an environment that will motivate your children to love and serve God. Your biggest concern.
[33:45] I've seen people all over the world living in huts and hardly having anything to eat. But they're going to hell when they die. I've seen people in America living in the fanciest houses going to hell when they die.
[33:57] I mean what is really more important? I lived in a million dollar house before I burned forever. That's not important. So I want you to make some decisions as a parent this morning.
[34:09] Stop missing church. Stop missing church. Kids, I don't miss work.
[34:21] But God can take a second for a seat. Take time for prayer and Bible study. Set some standards, some rules in your home to avoid sin.
[34:32] Maybe control some electronics. Watch who their friends are. Whatever it is. Remember you're an example. You are the example.
[34:45] I hate to say this, but they're going to turn out so much like us. So let them say you deal with life while you trust God. Because your parents are going to die and they're going to watch how you handle that.
[34:59] And financial trouble is going to come your way and they're going to watch that. And prosperity is going to come your way and they're going to watch that. And opportunities of sin are going to come your way and they're going to watch that. I work with young people almost every day of my life.
[35:15] And we often discuss their parents. Did your parents teach you about Jesus? Were your parents godly? How's their walk with the Lord? And I often think many parents will be embarrassed to hear what I hear.
[35:32] But today's the day for us to say, I'm going to be a godly parent. I'm going to be a godly parent. But you can't be a godly parent if you haven't trusted Jesus. It all starts with being saved.
[35:44] It all starts with you realizing you failed a holy God. You have sinned against him. And honestly, the Bible says you are condemned already. You're on your way to hell.
[35:55] But Jesus loves you and died for you. I want to help you. In just a second, there will be some counselors here at the front. We'll take the Bible and answer your questions. I need you to know he wants you to be saved, every one of you.
[36:07] You say, you don't know me. I don't have to know you. He loves everybody. For God so loved the world. And God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He loves you. You can be saved.
[36:18] You can have new life. You can have that hole plugged in your heart. You can have your sins taken care of. The guilt can be gone. And a new life can be yours through Jesus Christ. I invite you to that today. You can have a new life.