COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 30 AUGUST 2026 – PASTOR DENIS LYLE
JOB CHAPTER 1
I want to deal with the question why? Or why suffering? Job is the oldest book in the bible. He lived during the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Outside of our Lord no man suffered like Job.
The sound was deafening. Although no one was near enough to hear it, ultimately it echoed around the world. None of the passengers in the DC-4 ever knew what happened—they died instantly. That was 15th February 1947, when the Avianca Airline flight bound for Quito, Ecuador, crashed into the 4,267 metre high peak of El Tablazo not far from Bogota, then dropped—a flaming mass of metal—into a ravine far below.
One of the victims was a young New Yorker named Glenn Chambers, who had planned to begin a ministry with the “Voice of the Andes.”
Before leaving the Miami airport earlier that day, Chambers had written a note to his mother on a piece of paper he picked up in the terminal. The paper was a piece of an advertisement with the single word “WHY?” sprawled across the centre. In a hurry and preoccupied, he scribbled his note around that word, folded it, and stuffed it into an envelope addressed to his mother.
The note arrived after the news of his death. When his mother received it, there, staring up at her was that haunting question: WHY?
Mrs Chambers stopped asking Why? when she saw the Who? behind the scene.
All other sounds are muffled when we claim His absolute sovereignty. Even the deafening sound of a crashing DC-4.
There is no question so tremendous as why. Why would God allow tragedy to come to his children? Why should the innocent child be physically and mentally handicapped?
Early on the morning of 28th March, Mr. James McMullan was ambushed by four terrorists as he was driving his lorry to work. The attack took place about three and a half miles to the north-east of Toomebridge in County Antrim. Mr. McMullan drove through the ambush but was chased by the men who fired at him from their car. Although the lorry was hit a number of times and Mr. McMullan was cut by flying glass, he was able to escape into a neighbour's house. The gunmen then switched their attack to the home of Mr. McMullan's parents in Crosskeys. They fired indiscriminately into the house, killing Mrs. Hester McMullan
Why did that happen? Why do the righteous suffer? Where is God when tragedy strikes? How can he allow human suffering? Does God care? Is the Lord worthy of our worship in the difficult times? These are difficult questions.
“Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upwards.” Job 5 verse 7
No-one is exempt from wrestling with the problem of suffering. Suffering for Christ may come from 4 directions –
Through the hand of the Lord. Hebrews 12 verse 6 “he whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.” This kind of suffering is not a denial of the Father’s love. It is evidence of the Father’s love.
It may come through the hands of the world. Peter wrote about “suffering for righteousness sake.” (1 Peter 3 verse 14) “In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” (John 16 verse 33)
It may come through our own hands. The Lord himself said “if thy hand offend thee cut it off.” (Matthew 5 verse 30) Self-imposed discipline.
It may come through Satan. Were Job’s sufferings and trials not the activity of the devil?
Job lived in North Arabia, South East of the Dead Sea. He didn’t suffer because he did nothing wrong. He suffered in spite of doing right. He was a man upright who feared God. He had a great faith. He had a great family. Verse 2 tells us he was the greatest of all men of old. He was esteemed. He was held in great favour. He ministered to the poor continually. One day he went from hero to helpless. He lost everything. Job learned first hand what it is when life is not fair. No-one except our Lord suffered like Job. We learn from him lessons that will help us stand in life. To realise that life is not always fair. 3 words I want to use this morning to direct your thoughts to – trouble, test and triumph.
Trouble
I want you to see first of all the trouble. What God did to Job. Chapter 2 verse 13. In one day he lost his fortune and then he lost his family. The people he loved. Things he loved. He lost his fitness. He lost his friends. “My kinsmen have failed me.” He went from sunshine to rain. From joy to pain. From blessing to brokenness. From happiness to heartache. Before we can investigate the how of it we must recognise it was activated by Satan. In chapter 1 verse 8 we learn something interesting things of the devil. Satan doesn’t have the presence of God. He is not omnipresent. He doesn’t have the perception of God. God knew Job’s heart but Satan didn’t. Only God knows your heart. In verse 9 we see the power of God. How did Satan know God put a hedge around Job? He was protected by the Lord. As a Christian believer the devil and demons in hell can attack you but not without the permission of the Lord. In the midst of that Satan asked God a question – verse 9 “doth Job fear God for nought?” What was he was saying? Satan’s accusation was no-one is good without reason. God saved Job. You have blessed him financially, materially, physically, agriculturally, domestically. Take away everything then see if he will serve you. Is the Lord to be worshipped today because of who he is or because of the things he gives? Even if he doesn’t bless us materially and spiritually and practically? I have to ask myself – if the Lord did not bless me would I still be as excited as worshipping the Lord, serving the Saviour, seeking the lost? Do you serve the Lord because you want him to bless you? Would you serve him if there was nothing in it for you?
A mother was exasperated with her 5 year old boy. He gave her trouble all afternoon. She asked if he couldn’t be good to which the boy replied “I would be good if you gave me 5 dollars.” The mother responded “why can’t you be good for nothing like your dad.”
The reason Satan attacked Job was to prove he was good for nothing. He was only serving God because of what he could get from God. He has to worship you because of what you have done in his life. Job’s troubles were activated by Satan. They were allowed by a sovereign Father. God allowed Satan to attack Job’s possessions, then his person. “Behold he is in your hand save his life.” Ultimately it was God who allowed bad things to happen to good people. Severe chastening was allowed to make him better. Fundamental reason to silence the accusations of Satan. He would honour God even though he had lost everything sovereignty of God. Not promised them in this book. This is a book about God. God controls Satan’s power. He will do as he pleased without consulting his critics. He did it for our good and his glory. Where is God when tragedy strikes? He is on the throne working out his purpose for his glory and our good. The righteous suffer because God chooses them to suffer. Beyond it all the Lord’s glories are evident. In chapter 2 verse 10 evil can be translated as adversity. Job’s God was not some heavenly Christmas Santa Claus dropping little gifts from heaven hoping to make us happy. What brings glory to himself. God afflicted the comfortable. Not so much interested in our happiness but more interested in his holiness. Though he lost a lot, thought his soul was crushed in through that experience he gained more. He became stronger, a more mature believer. Are there not times we just to have to rest on the faithfulness of God? Knowing it is too wise to make mistakes. One of the greatest hymnwriters was William Cowper. He suffered tremendously in his life. In 1744 he composed the great hymn
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform:
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
2
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
The trouble – what God did to Job.
Secondly, the test
What God did in Job. Every trial and trouble is a test. He knoweth the way I take. Every trial, tribulation, trouble that comes into your life will you continue to trust me? Obey me? “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. “ ( 1 Peter 1 verse 7) The faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. Unless faith is put to the test it can never be shared. What you call faith is it really faith? It is only by testing that we can determine the character of our faith. Job’s faith was tested in 2 ways. First by his friends – chapter 2 verse 11. Times of adversity bring out people who want to be your friends. These friends came to sympathise but actually stayed to scrutinize and stayed to sermonise. We know what your problem is – there is sin in your life. They believed in a health and wealth gospel. That theology taught suffering is a result of sin. If you are not rich it is because you are not right. If you are a child of God you will suffer. David suffered. He committed sin with Bathsheba and carried it around for 12 months. Psalm 51 David suffered spiritually, emotionally, physically. If you are bound to sin you are bound to suffer. Every suffering is not always caused by sin. The Lord never sinned yet he suffered more than anyone else in history. Job caused it. He was right with God. He wasn’t a sinner but sanctified man. You suffer because of sin in your life, transgression in your life. Although the Lord does discipline us through affliction it is never our business to tell that person that sort of reasoning, that is God’s business.
A preacher in the west of America came home from holiday. An elder picked him up at the airport. “Well how are things at home” he asked. “Terrible” came the reply. “A tornado came through the town, it wiped out my house.” The pastor responded “I am not surprised I have been warning you about the way you have been living.” “Ah but it also destroyed your house too.” The pastor responded “did you know the ways of the Lord are past finding out?”
Job’s faith was tested by his frustrations. Have you sinned? Why what have I done? You will find the question time and time again – “why” in the book of Job. God never answered his question. Frustrated by God’s silence. “I will speak to the almighty, reason with God.” God was talking to Job. He does not need to explain for anything he does. When we hurt deeply we do not need an explanation from God but a revelation of God. The Lord could have told all that would have happened. I want to know. I will take care of you. You will get double of all you have. Job was written to help us understand. We don’t always have to understand. There are some things that are going to happen in our lives we will never understand this side of glory. We don’t have to understand what he is doing. You can trust him to do always that which is right. He did not need his family, flocks, fortune. He already had those. What God wanted was his faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. You will never know what real faith is until you have nothing else. Real faith is believing God may hear you and praise him anyway. If you only praise and worship when things are good your praise is not worth anything to him. 3 men were cast into the fiery furnace – “our God is able to deliver us but if not. “ Have you faith prepared to worship and serve God even when things don’t turn out the way they should? Job had God to help him when he said “thou he slay me yet I will trust in him.
Triumph
What God did for Job through this trial. God did some things for Job that he wouldn’t otherwise have done. He learned things he wouldn’t have learned. For 37 chapters God is silent throughout. God is silent and then he begins to give Job reason. He reminds Job of his presence. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Job I created everything. I can do all things in and through it. Reminded him of his pre-eminence and his person. “I know that thou canst do anything.” God can do what he likes. When God finishes talking with Job, he said “I have heard what you have said, wherefore I repent in dust and ashes. “ He was an imperfect man. He has no right to question the motives and method of God. Just because doesn’t mean I am less God. Created, controlled, conducts it all and completes it all. Then God renewed his fellowship. God accepts Job. Marked by righteousness. God restored Job to the joy of his salvation. He rebuked his friends. People cannot fight silence. The greatest way to handle criticism is not to handle it at all. Let God handle it. He restored his fellowship. He restored his fortune. Chapter 42 The Lord gave twice as much as he had before. God often digs out the wells of sorrow that sends wells, eventually whether here on earth or up in glory. All will end well for the child of God.
I may never know the reason why but when I cannot trace God’s hand I can trace God’s heart.
Treasure Island was written by Rober Louis Stevenson. His father was chief engineer and inspected lighthouses up and down England. Often he would take his boy out. One day they went out into the water and encountered a storm. They fought a storm for 24 hours with no food. During the storm the father made his way to the deck of the ship. Only one man was on the deck, the captain. He had taken a rope and tied it to the mast in case he would be swept overboard. He took a look at the captain of the ship. The son asked him “are we going to drown?” The father replied “no. “ “Why not? “ “Because I looked into the face of the captain and everything is fine. “ Job did that in the face of his suffering and he knew God knew what he was doing.
