The New Normal
Job 23:8-10

The Bid Idea:
Unsolvable problems and pain does not mean God is absent, unconcerned, angry with you. God can appear absent and silent and be very active in our lives.

Introduction:
Let me explain the series.

1.Over the next few weeks, we are going to answer the question: What do you do when there’s nothing you can do?

2. What do you do when there’s no way forward and no good way out?

3. There are problems and pains for which there are seemingly no solutions-where there are questions, but no answers. It is what it is, and it looks like that’s just the way it’s going to be. Physically, Relationally, Financially, Professionally, academically….etc.

4. Maybe you have some options, but no good ones: so you feel like you may need to run, abandon, quit, give up, give in, drink, be resentful, angry and etc.. Then you compare yourself to others and think: Why me or Everyone else seems to have the family, relationship, job, health, or opportunity you were suppose to have.

5. There are four things we are tempted to conclude when we face problems.

• I’ll never be happy again or it will never end.
• Nothing good can come from this.
• There’s no point in continuing.
• God could have prevent or intervened and didn’t.

All people face problems, but believers face attacks from Satan and a fallen world. However, God is sovereign and in control during these times and without God’s permission Satan cannot attack. This truth is illustrated from the story of Job, the character from our text today. Job was tested for months and lost family, healthy, possessions and etc… Job got weary but he hung in there and was blessed more after than before he was attacked.

Everyone can relate to a story like this because we have all faced pain in life.

In Job 1:8 Satan is invited to attack Job under God’s sovereign supervision.

This may shock, surprise or even confuse some of you. Why would God invite Satan to attack Job? I thought God didn't want anything bad to happen to us??

He doesn't and the fact that He has made a way for everyone to be saved and have final redemption from Satan and the results of a fallen world, prove it. However, because we live in a world where sin abides and mankind needs Revelation of God for Salvation. God’s path to bring Revelation to the world is Jesus, The Bible, and the Church. The Church must GO and GROW for such revelation to come. God allows attacks on the church to GROW her.

Illustration: Paul a New Testament Character in the Bible. As apart of Paul’s testimony, he was told that he would be shown how many things he would suffer for Christ sake, Acts 9:16. Paul would later be stoned, shipwreck, poor, naked, hungry and more for Christ’s sake.

Listen to what Paul says: NLT 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

People believe a survivors story.
People believe a survivors story that demonstrates gratitude and redemption. It gives hope!

God’s path for people to see beyond you so they can see Him may be; STRUGGLES.

When God allows attacks in your life and their is truly nothing you can do, remember this:

Satan’s test on you are aways limited to God provisions for you. 1:9-12

Job teaches us that there can be a season of a new normal. Job also teaches us how to deal with our real feelings of God’s absence in these times. This brings us back to our text for today.

The text today is illustrating that Job was looking for God but his discernment of God was off. Was it the pain, lack of faith, lack of closeness to God or all of the above.

If you live long enough as a believer you will eventually have one of these seasons when God seems absent. Is he? The answer is a resounding no! Job was actively looking for God but could not find Him.

Job perception was real, but it was off. Job shows us the danger of our perception at times so we wouldn't trust in perception but in God. One of the greatest dangers for us in our season of a new normal is we try to make sense of it all when it doesn't make sense. One of the reasons it may not make sense to us is because God’s ways are higher than our ways and our perception of things without the influence of Christ is typical way off base.

Therefore, let me give you some quick tips that Job reveals from this season of His life.

1. When your hurting and in a struggle, don’t trust your senses, trust your Savior. How you feel and perceive about something is not all their is to your story or situation. God is much bigger and greater than your situation. Your Pain today can be someone else answer or comfort tomorrow. We have to remember our perception of things is limited and skewed. Limited because we are finite and God is infinite and all knowing. Skewed because we have a sinful body that is being transformed.

Jesus on the flip side is perfect and worthy of your trust. If Jesus is big enough for your eternity, He is big enough for your earthly problems.

2. When you cant find God, remember He is present and active, it’s His promise to you!

- God promises He will not abandon you. Hebrews 13:5
- God promises that He will always work good in your life. Romans 8:28

3. Expect to be better when it is all over. Job said that He would come forth as gold. He is using it as a metaphor to imply that God will grow him through his season of a new normal. He will be better because God will take the impurities and expose them so He can then remove them in His life and grow Him.

Look at your neighbor and say: God is making a better You. Therefore, don’t get bitter, Hebrews 12:15, get better! Your mess will become your Miracle for your transformation. Your pain is your gain, God promise this. Your feeling may tell you a different story but the real story is told by scripture and not by yourself.

Some of your most difficult days are actually your best days for Spiritual Growth. We need to get to the place where we think more about when instead of why. This is what Job did. He focused on when He comes forth what he will be like.

God’s plan is to make a better you through your bitter times by using them to make your more like Jesus. The more you become like Jesus the better you are in every way.

So for the next few weeks I want to focus on the following:

• I can be happy and hurt.
• Something good can come from this.
• There is a purpose for the pain.

If you feel empty, abandoned, alone, these are natural feelings you are having. This is your honest-real perception of your current situation but it’s not the whole story. You see today, God sees everyday and His promises over each one of those days.

My prayer is we can get to the place where we will be able to say: It’s not just what I can do for Him, it’s what I can ENDURE for Him as well. Jesus endured the cross for you and didn't quit, will you endure and remember WHEN and not just WHY.

Conclusion:
I know this heavy.
Some of us will need this someday, others today.
In times like this we are reminded that God has the whole world-our world, in his hands.
I believe firmly today that God is either using struggles to draw you to Jesus to be Saved or further Sanctified. Which one is he doing in your life today?

Saved: Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-10
Sanctified: Come and ask for prayer. God uses His children in our life to bless us and support us and refresh us in times like this, Romans 15:30-32.

Home Study Guide
The New Normal: Job 23:8-10

Big Idea: Unsolvable problems and pain does not mean God is absent, unconcerned, angry with you. God can appear absent and silent and be very active in our lives.

Study Questions:

These questions can be used as an extended study during the week to allow the
principles you have learned to become apart of your lifestyle.

1. What impacted you the most from this week's message? Encourage you? Challenged You?

2. Are you currently battling in hard times in your life? Give some examples.

3. Do you feel that your faith has weakened or grown from your hardships?

4. If you were Job, how do you think you would feel about what you were facing?

Going Deeper: These are some companion verses that help have a Biblical view of hardships from God’s point of view.

Proverbs 24:10 “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small”

Psalm 18:2-3 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my believer, my god, my rock, in whole I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 50:15 “and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, you
shall glorify me.”

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