Welcome to our Morning Worship Service Opening Prayer

Welcome to our Morning Worship Service.

Opening Prayer

The Sermon

Part 2: Trusting God when he is silent James 1: 12 Sunday May 23, 2021

TRIALS &TRIBULATIONS Dictionary. com defines "trials and tribulations" as "Tests of one's patience or endurance" e. g. She went through all the trials and tribulations of being admitted to law school

Job 1: 20 -22 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. " 22 In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Test of endurance In subsequent chapters, human nature came into play. Job obviously felt abandoned, deserted and forgotten by God at some point during his trials

Trusting God when he is silent • Faithful Christians can and will also be put to test and there is the tendency for our human nature or flesh to come into play in our darkest moments. • It feels even worse when we pray, and it seems that the prayers do not go beyond our mouth. • How then can we endure when God is silent to our prayers when we need God the most?

What to do when God is silent

Examine and reexamine yourself q Job knew what sin could cause and began to examine his ways. q Job 13: 23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. 24 Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy?

Effect of Sin q Job 1: 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. " Thus Job did regularly.

Effect of Sin q. Isaiah 59: 1 -2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. q. We must also examine some of our choices that might not necessarily be sinful but could get us into trouble. This is to ensure you're not the cause of the trial e. g. financial, health, marital, academic etc.

mind your tongue q Trials has the tendency of breaking a Christian. Job’s spirit was broken at some point q Job 17: 1 My spirit is broken, My days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

Mind your tongue q. The pain got to Job to the extent that he began to curse the day he was born and said a lot of unpleasant things. q. Job 3: 1 -7 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. 2 And Job spoke, and said: 3 "May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, 'A male child is conceived. ' 4 May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it, Nor the light shine upon it. 5 May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May the blackness of the day terrify it. 6 As for that night, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months. 7 Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it!

Mind your tongue q. We must be very careful of our words and don't fall into the temptation of accusing God for our trials like Job did, especially when we pray and God seem to be silent to our prayers. q. Job 30: 16 -22: "And now my soul is poured out because of my plight; The days of affliction take hold of me. 17 My bones are pierced in me at night, And my gnawing pains take no rest. 18 By great force my garment is disfigured; It binds me about as the collar of my coat. 19 He has cast me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. 20 "I cry out to You, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You regard me. 21 But You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You oppose me. 22 You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride on it; You spoil my success.

Mind your tongue q. God chastised Job and asked him some tough questions when he was overwhelmed by his trials and the hurtful words from his friends. God reminded Job of the mighty works he had done q. Job 38: 1 -5 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?

Mind your tongue q. It took God to remind Job who he really is before he realized his errors. Job immediately repented q Job 42: 1 -6 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 3 You asked, 'Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge? ' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, 'I will question you, and you shall answer Me. ' 5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes. "

remind god of his promises q God’s word is his bond (A bond in finance is documentary obligation to pay a sum or to perform a contract). q He has made several promises not to leave nor forsake us, Deuteronomy 31: 6 -8, Joshua 1: 5, 1 Corinthians 10: 13.

Remind God of his promises q. Psalms 119: 49 -50 Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. q. Psalm 13: 1 -5 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

Remind God of his promises q. This doesn't mean God suffers from memory loss; however, such reminders serve to remind us as well, especially in our darkest moments q. While God will never forget nor abandon us, at times we will feel forgotten. q. It’s not that God is distant; we sometimes He feels distant. It’s not that God is preoccupied; it’s just that our struggles make us feel like we’re bearing our burden alone. q. The good thing is that we have full permission to voice our frustration honestly and remind him of his promises.

Remind yourself of God’s goodness and thank him q Job knew the goodness of God in his life (Job 1: 2 -3, 2: 10). q We need to constantly remind ourselves of the previous mighty works God had done and the promises God has kept i. e. the answered prayers.

Remind yourself of God’s goodness and thank him q. Psalms 34: 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! q 1 Chronicles 16: 34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. q 1 Thessalonians 5: 16 -18 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Request for prayers from others We must not underestimate the power of prayers, regardless of how tough or hopeless the situation might seem.

Request for prayers from others q. James 5: 13 -16 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Request for prayers from others q. Romans 8: 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. q. Romans 15: 30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me

Resolve never to give up on God Regardless of the situation, we must not give up on God. Winners don't quit and quitters don't win. Prophet Jeremiah has some strong warnings for us;

Resolve never to give up on God q. Jeremiah 15: 6 You have forsaken Me, " says the Lord, "You have gone backward. Therefore I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you; I am weary of relenting! q. Jeremiah 17: 5 Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord.

Resolve never to give up on God q Never forsake God and look for help from a fellow man or other being q Jeremiah 17: 13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. "Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.

Resolve never to give up on God q When we forsake God all because he seems to be silent in our trials, we can be assured that he will leave us too. q Judges 10: 13 -14 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress. "

Resolve never to give up on God q. Romans 8: 35 -39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. " 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus

I'll Never Forsake My Lord 540 _ _ _ Hymn: Mrs. Damon C. Snoddy (1935) Tune: NEVER FORSAKE • Lloyd O. Sanderson (1935) © 1935, renewal 1963 Gospel Advocate Co.

Ill. Never. Forsake. My. Lord_st 1_a Vs 1 © 2014 Sumphonia Productions, LLC

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Ill. Never. Forsake. My. Lord_cho_a Chorus © 2014 Sumphonia Productions, LLC

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Ill. Never. Forsake. My. Lord_cho_a Chorus © 2014 Sumphonia Productions, LLC

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Our Savior Bore his cross Christ our perfect example had his cross and bore it to the end. We are also encouraged to carry our cross and follow him even when he is silent to our cries and plea.

Our Savior Bore his cross q. Luke 9: 23 -25 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it

Job’s losses were restored q. Job 42: 10 -13 And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. 12 Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. 13 He also had seven sons and three daughters.

Our Savior Bore his cross q. James 1: 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him

Does God know & listens to you? Hear Romans 10: 17 Believe Mark 16: 16 Repent Acts 2: 38 Confess Romans 10: 9 Baptism Mark 16: 16 Live Righteously Philipians 4: 8 -9

Lord’s Supper Introduction.

26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body. ” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drinkfrom it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom. ” Matthew 26: 26 -29

1 Corinthians 16: 1 -2 NKJV [1] Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: [2] On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.