sermon: Do You See God Working in You?


Kim Myers
Given 29-Apr-17; Sermon #1376B; 41 minutes

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I would like to ask all of us, young and old, a question: Do you see God working in your life? Do you really see God working in your life? I did not ask you if you believe in God, or if you think that there really is a God, or if you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, or whether Christ is your Savior and soon-coming King. I asked none of that. The question was, do you see God working day to day in your life? Do you see God working personally in your life all of the time?

The problem for us is that if you do not see God working with you, you will not believe what He says. You will make bad choices in your life, and you will take liberties with His laws—the Sabbath, deleavening your home, with tithing, and with every other law and commandment of God. It is vital to our conversion to see God working in our lives each and every day.

Now, if Job would not have seen God working in his life, he would not have been able to endure the events God allowed to happen to him. This man endured an unimaginable number of trials that most of us would have failed at, plain and simple. We would have given up and thrown in the towel.

Turn to Job 1.

Job 1:2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.

So Job had a big family. He also loved his family because he prayed for them every day.

Job 1:3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

He had a large family, many servants, and much wealth. He was the “Bill Gates” of the ancient East. Think about that. That alone would be a trial.

Now, think about what God allowed to happen to him.

First, the Sabeans took all his oxen and asses, and killed a number of his servants. I am sure Job knew and loved his servants, because he worked with them all the time.

Think about this tragedy. This alone was a great trial. No more oxen—all stolen. A large part of his wealth—gone. And some of his servants and the people he loved—killed. But then it gets worse, does it not?

The second thing that happened was lightning killed his sheep, and more of his servants. That was another great tragedy with more death involved; two major tragedies back-to-back. Still, it gets worse.

The third thing that happened was that the Chaldeans came and stole all his camels and killed more of his servants. Death is always a problem to us. Think of all the people that have already died here in this story; I have no idea how many servants, but a very great number.

You would think that by now, Job would have lost faith in God; would have cursed God and left the faith; would have turned away from God, and prayer and Bible study; and would have gone back into the world and the ways of the world. That is what people do, do they not? That is what they do when they lose faith in God, when they cannot see God working in their lives.

The reason Job did not [lose faith] was because Job saw God working in his life from the time that he was young. And because Job could see God working in his life it gave him the faith and ability to endure his trials.

How many times have you seen brethren throw in the towel when a severe trial comes their way? It just messes them all up. We have all seen it. If all this was not enough for Job, I do not know what would be. But it still gets worse, does it not? It gets much worse. It gets as bad as it can get. It becomes the worst tragedy, the worst trial, a complete heart-wrenching disaster that would make most people mad at God. But Job could see God working in his life, so he could endure this trial.

The fourth thing God allowed Job to endure is the death of all of his children—all 10 of them. Not one or two, but every single child. I cannot personally imagine the death of one child, let alone all of them at once. That would be a major trial! Death is always a trial. But Job could see God working in his life. God works with us in good times, and through very severe trials and bad times. Remember that! He is always working in our lives. He is working with you and me, young and old—you too—every day all day long. But do you and I see Him? That is the question. We have to be able to see God in our lives as He works with us. We have to look for Him as we live our lives to have the faith Job had.

After all this happened to Job—the death of his 10 kids, the death of his servants, and the loss of his wealth—do you remember what Job’s response was because He could see God in his life?

Job 1:21-22 And said, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” [What an attitude! What faith! What vision!] In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrong.

Again, what faith! What understanding! What love he had for God even after all he had gone through.

Now, I do not think that any of us have ever endured a trial like this—to this magnitude. But there was yet more for Job to endure. Job then lost his health. He was covered in boils from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head.

Have you ever had a boil? I have only had one in my life, and I thank God for that. And that was when I was 13 years old. One boil, alone, is bad stuff, I can tell you. I can still remember the pain unto this day. It was on my right side, right where your haunches stick out. I can remember bumping it on everything, and thinking that I was going to die! And when you are 13, you kind of do not care if you are going to die because of all the pain. I only had one boil. Job was covered in them! Can you imagine?

Can you imagine what Job was enduring? All his kids were dead, almost all his servants were dead, most all of his wealth was gone. Now he had to endure tremendous, unbearable physical pain on top of all that mental pain he was enduring. Yet through all these tragedies, Job stayed faithful because he could see God working in his life.

But it still gets even worse! Job’s wife, who could not see God working in her life, turned on him, and God. She said, “Why do you still have morals and character, an uncompromising appearance to God, His laws, and His way of life? Why Job, why? Curse God for all He has allowed to happen to us; curse Him and die already! You are a pus-y mess with boils all over your body. We lost our children; we lost our servants; we lost our wealth, and our livelihood. And now look at you! You have lost your health. You have to sit on ashes because of the pain.” She was saying there is no God.

Again, do you remember what Job’s response was?

Job 2:10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Do you know why Job kept the faith? Because He could see God in his life. Job knew God, and he could see God.

But it still gets worse.

Job’s friends—probably his last hope—unjustly accuse him of sinning. Now it seems, everybody had turned against Job—his wife and his friends. But, because Job could see God working in his life, he could say:

Job 2:17 “Although no violence is in my hands, and my prayer is pure.”

Job is saying here that the charges against him are groundless; He is saying he is not a hypocrite. He could see God working in his life in good times and bad.

Do you know how it works? Do you really know how it works? Here is how it works. The more you pray, and the more you study, the more you see God working in your life. Because you pray and study every day, you can recognize God working in your life. The more you see God working in your life, the more you want to pray and study. The more you pray and study, the more you want to please God in your life, and keep His laws and commandments; and the more you do your part, the more you will recognize God working in your life. It is a circle! It goes around and around. We have to be able to see God working in our lives in the good times, and in the very difficult, bad, and trying times.

Now, I am going to use myself and my family as an example as how we have seen God working in our lives in good times and bad. I do not want you to think that my family is great or special, or that I am bragging because we have seen God working in our lives. I am not. I am using our example because we have lived them. We know. God is working in our lives, and we know that.

We can all tell each other stories about how God has worked with us, and we should too. We should share those with each other. He is working with all of us, even you young people too—each and every one of you. He is working in your lives. We have to be able to recognize God and what He is doing with us in good and bad. If He is not working with you, then why are you here? That is the question.

Why are you listening to an old, fat, ugly guy that is nothing more than a blue collar worker? Why do you keep the Sabbath? Why do you jeopardize your job every year to go to the Feast? Why do you deleaven your home, car, boat, trailer, and garage every year? Why do you tithe? Not just 10%, but 20, and occasionally 30%? That is crazy, brethren! To give that much money away is crazy! My accountant told me I was crazy for doing it. He told me to toss in 20 to 40 bucks a week and call it good!

See? That is crazy thinking. Ask anyone who has not been called. Why do you wash someone’s stinky feet each year? Why do that? You do all this and much more because God is working in your life. What we do proves it. You are here today, are you not? More proof that God is working with you! He has worked a great miracle in your mind.

Now, think about the apostle Paul and his life, and all the bad times and troubles he went through. Do you know why Paul was able to do and accomplish what he did? He was able to do all he did because he could always see God in his life.

Now you say, “Yeah, that was easy because God talked to Paul on the road to Damascus.” And you are right. God has never talked to me. God talked to Paul to get his attention, because Paul was persecuting God's people, and because God had a very difficult job for him to do that would end in Paul’s death. So, God made sure Paul could see Him. Paul had a much shorter time to work with than you and I do. Most of us have had a whole lifetime.

He is working with you and me. We must be aware of the work that He is doing with us. Paul was just as human as you and me. He got down and discouraged, but because he could see God, he could always move forward. That is what we have to do.

Paul understood the circle: The more you see God in your life, the more you want to please Him. And the more you pray and study, the more you see God working in your life. It is a circle.

Turn to II Corinthians 1.

II Corinthians 1:8 (Amplified) For we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about the affliction and oppressing distress which befell us [in the province of] Asia, how we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself].

Paul was discouraged. He was human. Paul was weighed down and felt like he had been crushed so much so that he despaired even of life itself. He thought he was going to lose his life. But Paul could see God working in his life, which gave him the faith to move forward.

II Corinthians 1:9-10 (Amplified) Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the [very] sentence of death, but that was to keep us from trusting in and depending on ourselves instead of God Who raises the dead. [For it is He] Who rescued and saved us from such a perilous death, and He will still rescue and save us; in and on Him we have set our hope (our joyful and confident expectation) that He will again deliver us [from danger and destruction and draw us to Himself].

Paul is saying that they were sure that they were going to be killed. Look at how God has worked in our life! He saved and rescued us. Paul could see God working in his life, so he shared it with the brethren to help them see God working in their lives. Paul said it gives you confidence, it gives you faith, and it makes you want to do what is right and good when you have the presence of mind to see God working in your life.

II Corinthians 1:11 (Amplified) While you also cooperate by your prayers for us [helping and laboring together with us].

Here is the circle I am talking about: We pray and study, and we see God working in our lives, and with others. That helps us to want to pray and study more. The more we do that, the more we see God working in our lives. It is a perfect circle.

II Corinthians 1:11 (Amplified) Thus [the lips of] many persons God [turned toward God will eventually] give thanks on our behalf for the grace (the blessing of deliverance) granted us at the request of the many who have prayed.

Paul is talking about the circle. We pray, and then we see God working in our lives and in others. And the circle continues on.

Let me tell you about Debbie’s death and how I and my family could see God working with us through a bad time.

Debbie’s foot and part of her leg had turned black. I mean very black. So, I took her to the hospital. And they ran a whole series of tests on her like they always do, and the doctors told us that she had gangrene in her foot and leg because of poor circulation due to her diabetes. The doctors wanted to amputate her leg at the knee. He also told us that usually the other leg would eventually do the same and will also need to be amputated. He said that this usually happens in about a year to 18 months because of the poor circulation in both her legs.

They told us this on a Friday afternoon. Debbie said no to all of this and decided to quit dialysis and to just go home. We took her home on Sabbath afternoon. The doctor said that she would suffer and be in a lot of pain, and she would be throwing up, as her body would try to get rid of the poisons from not having dialysis. The hospital gave us a huge bag of morphine, and anti-vomiting drugs, and other assorted things.

So we went home, and for the next two days Debbie ate and drank all the things that she was unable to eat and drink while on dialysis. Michele asked her what she wanted to eat, and Debbie replied with, “A big Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.” So, Michele made her that turkey dinner, and Debbie ate and drank all she wanted for the next two days. Debbie was up from 8 until 11 or 12 at night, which she could not do before that. She talked and laughed and ate and drank. A number of people from the other local churches of God came and visited her. On two occasions, J. B. said, “Look at how good mom is doing. I think she made the wrong choice.” But, she did not. She made the right choice.

Debbie was just completely worn out. She was very frail, and I do not think she would have lived through the amputation. All of our kids and grandkids were there, and my sister and her husband too. Michele, Nicole, and Melissa sat down in front of Debbie so she could divvy up her jewelry; she gave my sister the jewelry she received from my mother.

So, for two full days, she had no pain at all, she ate and drank what she wanted. When you are a dialysis patient, you are limited to 3 cups of liquid per day, because with non-functioning kidneys, you do not urinate. The dialysis removes the liquid and waste from your body.

You also are on a very strict diet because if you take too much potassium, it will stop your heart. [The kidneys regulate your sodium/potassium ratios.] So that means you cannot eat potatoes, beans, cantaloupe, and so many other fruits and vegetables.

Debbie did not need any of the pain meds that she was prescribed. She had two great days, she felt good and was pain free, and she ate all she wanted. Remember, she still had gangrene, and yet she had no pain.

On this Sunday and Monday, she was like a new person. On Tuesday morning, when we got up, she said she wanted to just stay in bed, “I’m tired today.” She went into a deep sleep, like a coma. She just laid in bed very peaceful. The grandkids would go back and forth into her room to hold her hand and rub her arm. The rest of us did the same thing. J. B. went in and laid on the bed with her for a while. Debbie died very peacefully that day after two very good days.

I do not know if you could see God in all this, but we could.

By contrast, let me tell you how it usually goes when you go off dialysis. You usually die. A friend of ours who also did dialysis with her decided to quit dialysis treatment because she had other health problems too. It took her six weeks to die. She was in major pain for six weeks. Debbie did not. Debbie and I visited her twice during this time. This woman had three children who could not stay with her every day, because they had to go to work. Six weeks is a very long time to take off work. This created problems for the family, as they felt guilty. They were afraid that their mom would die while they were at work. They had a hard time functioning at work, because they wanted to be at home with mom. They called home all day long, and got very little done at work, and as soon as work was over, they drove home to see mom.

Now, I ran into her husband after her death, and he told me his whole family was completely wiped out by the time she died. He said it was an emotional roller coaster, and very difficult to watch, and endure.

My family experienced none of that. My children only missed two days of work; Debbie had no pain; and died very peacefully.

This dialysis friend of ours needed all kinds of morphine and other drugs just to get through what she had to endure before her death.

God is with us, all of us, all the time—good times and bad. Death is a bad time, but God was there. We have to be smart enough to see God in our lives as He works with us. We have to understand the circle.

Let me tell you about a good time, when Debbie and I could see God working with us in answered prayer, because He works with us in good times and bad times.

J. B. and his wife Joann, Debbie, and I all went to Hot August Nights in Reno, NV. We used to go there every year when Debbie was well. Now, Hot August Nights, for those of you who do not know, is a huge 5 day hot-rod gathering. The whole city of Reno, and all the hotels are full of hot rods. They include having a big car swap meet at the fairgrounds. There is also a big hot rod auction in a huge building that goes on for five days. They auction off about 1,000 hot rods there every year.

Well, that year, I told Debbie that I was going to get a bid pass, so I could bid on a car. Well, to get a bid pass, you have to show the auction house that you have the means to pay for the car. So you either have to have a letter from your banker, or you have to apply for a credit card there for so much money, or you can bring cash, and show it to them. Well, I got a letter that year from my banker saying I was good for so much money, so I got the bid pass. But I had no intention of buying a hot rod for myself. I was not in the market for a car. I wanted a bid pass to maybe buy a car that I could get a super good deal on and turn it around and sell for a profit.

Hot August Nights starts on a Wednesday (think about this) and it goes through Sunday. It is a five-day event. So, we would do stuff on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and we would go to services with United Church of God on Sabbath, and Sunday, we would leave for home around noontime.

When we got up on that Wednesday morning, I said my prayers, and I said just a few other words, “If there would be a hot rod that I would like, and one I could buy for the right price that would also be a good investment, I would like to have it.” That was all I said, and then I forgot about it. So we went to the auction that morning, and as we walked around looking at the cars, I spotted a 1956 Dodge I fell in love with. The crazy thing was that this car was going to be auctioned off that very morning.

Now, if you are going to “steal” a car [meaning, being in a better positioned opportunity to bid and win on a car in an auction], you can only do that on Wednesday or Sunday, because Thursday, Friday, or Saturday are so full of buyers and dealers you will not be able to “steal” a car. Indeed, it is very crowded on Friday and Saturday.

Wednesday morning the crowd is very small, and they auctioned off this particular car at 11 a.m. when very few people were there. There were only 3 people bidding on the car from the get-go. Debbie, J.B., Joann, and I all sat towards to back of the auction area. After a few bids, one dropped out of the bidding. Now there were only two bidding on this car. After several more bids, it slowed down, and the auctioneer had to work at getting bids. So then, I jumped in with a bid. The other two guys turned around and looked at me wondering who is this guy? Where did he come from?

Now, when you bid, a person from the auction house comes and stands with you, and he tries to keep you bidding. They say things like, “Don’t let this car get away, it’s a good one,” and similar stuff. They do not want you to stop.

After a few more bids, one of them dropped out. And after a few more bids again, I slowed my bids way down to the point where the auctioneer was ready to drop the hammer. And after a few more bids like that, I told the guy from the auction house I was no longer going up $500, I would now only go up $250. He accepted that. And after a few more bids, the last guy stopped bidding.

After I bought the car, the last bidder I was bidding against, came over to me, “What do you know about that car that I don’t?” I said, “Nothing. I’ve never seen that car before this morning.” He said, “You got a good deal on that car. You stole it.” I had scared him in the way that I bid, and he thought there was something wrong with the car. This guy really wanted the car, but he was scared that there was something wrong with it, so he dropped out.

Two weeks after we got home with it, we were offered twice what we paid for it. A man who had his crews in there wanted to buy the car, and found me, and offered me over twice what we paid for it. Since then, I could been offered quite a bit more than that.

So, one little insignificant prayer that I said to God, He answered to the nth degree. Think about it. It is a car I really liked, a car I bought for a good price, and it is a good investment if I sell it. So, God works with us in good times and bad.

Now, I do not want you to think, especially you young people, that God answers all our prayers exactly as we want them, and especially the gimme-type prayers like the one I just mentioned. I rarely pray something like that, like most of you rarely do too. That morning, I just kind of mentioned that in prayer, and if it worked out—great! And if it did not, that was fine too. It was not going to change my life.

We have to remember one thing when it comes to this circle: the more we pray and study, the more we see God working with us. The more we see God working with us, the more we want to please Him, and live by His laws and commandments. The one thing we have to remember is that God is working out a two-part plan.

The one part is all encompassing. It deals with all of mankind. The other part of God's plan is dealing directly with us—His called-out ones—His firstfruits, which all of us are.

So, our prayers—that part of the circle—has to fit within His plans. Turn to I John.

I John 5:14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

His plans are His will.

Gimme plans or gimme prayers usually are not part of His will, even though He blesses us sometimes on a gimme prayer.

When we see God clearly working in our lives, it makes us believe God.

What does God want from us? He wants from us what we want from our children. It is not difficult. Do we not want our children to obey us? That is what God wants from us. Obedience. That is the key to all of this.

Turn to Genesis 26.

Genesis 26:3-5 “Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham your father; And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed [Why did God promise this to Isaac?]; because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

That is what God wants from us. Abraham was obedient. How obedient are we? Just what we want from our children, the very same things, is what God wants from us.

But we do not do what He says. We justify why we do not do what He says. And justification makes us feel good. That is the problem. And it is rampant in the church of God. Brethren are not doing what God says in His Bible, and they justify it. People talk to me all the time. It makes you feel good, even when there is no good in it. We deceive ourselves into thinking what we are doing is okay with God, because our hearts are desperately wicked, and we do not even know it.

Turn to Deuteronomy 14 for an example of some of the things that the brethren are not obeying God in.

Deuteronomy 14:26 “And you shall spend that money for your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you, and your household.”

This is talking about proper use for second tithe and the Feast of Tabernacles. We all know that.

Do you know how many people in God's church have told me that they do not keep second tithe anymore? There are many. They go to the Feast of Tabernacles on a credit card because they cannot see God working in their lives. They do not believe God in keeping second tithe. They tell me, “What’s the difference? I went to the Feast. I went on my credit card.”

It is the same with keeping the Sabbath day holy; deleavening our homes; with child-rearing and spanking; the same with being unequally yoked. We are to the point now within the greater churches of God that if we hear anything that we think is negative, or we do not agree with in a sermon or sermonette, we leave that group to a different one that makes us feel good. And we justify why we do it. We do all of this, and much more, because we cannot see God working in our lives. We do not have the endurance of Job.

Do you know how many people this year that did not go room by room and drawer by drawer when they deleavened their homes? A number of people have said that to me. And that number grows each and every year. Why? Because, they do not believe the Word of God, because they cannot see God working in their lives. When you can see God working in your life, you want to please Him. You want to live by every word of God. But you have to live within the circle.

Turn to Exodus 13.

Exodus 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all thy quarters.

We can all understand that. My six-year-old granddaughter can understand that. But people do not deleaven their homes anymore, and are more than happy to tell me so. All your quarters means just what it says, all of your home—all of your rooms, your bathrooms, closets, drawers, and even your vehicles. But, people say, “The Israelites didn’t have all those things.” Well, yes, they did not have them. But we justify why we do not do what we should.

This justification makes us feel good because we do not see God working in our lives. We do not believe what He says, because we cannot see Him. Do you know why so many of God's people cannot see God working in their lives?

Turn to Hebrews 12.

Hebrews 12:14 (Living New Testament) Try to stay above all quarrels, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord.

This verse says that if you are not holy, or at least striving to become Christ-like through Bible study and prayer, you cannot see God. I know this verse is speaking in the future, but it does still apply. If you are not trying to live a clean and holy life right now, you will not be able to see God working in your life. That is how it works. You will not see Him.

When we trample all over the Sabbath, or justify why we did not deleaven our homes properly, justify why we do not believe in third tithe, justify why we do not save second tithe, when we cheat the brethren, when we dislike or will not have anything to do with certain people within the same church group we go with, when we take advantage of each other, when we get drunk, when we fight with one another, when we gossip, when we fail to keep all of God's holy days and Feast of Tabernacles correctly, and when we stop striving to love all of God's people, we cannot see God working in our lives. You cannot see Him unless you are striving to become like Him.

We become like the world. Blind to God, even though God said all of mankind, especially us, should be able to see God, in just the creation alone.

Turn to Romans 1.

Romans 1:20 (Living New Testament) Since earliest times men have seen the earth and sky and all that God has made, and have known of His existence and great eternal power. So they will have no excuse when they stand before God at Judgment Day.

When we live outside of the circle, we cannot see God. And because we cannot see God, we make very poor choices in our lives that come back to haunt us, and really make our lives miserable. Turn to John 20.

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Brethren, none of have seen Christ, but we can see God working in our lives if we are smart enough to look for Him. It all starts and grows with the circle—we pray and study. The more we pray and study, the more we see God working in our lives. The more we see God working in our lives, the more we believe God, and His Word, the Bible. It leads to the desire to please Him, and keep all of His laws, His judgments, His holy days, and His commandments to the best of our ability. And we are blessed because of it. It is a circle.

God is working in all our lives. We have to be smart enough to recognize Him as He works with us. Do not think that God is not working with you. If He was not, you would not be here. You are here! That is the proof!

The more we recognize Him as He works with us, the more we become like Job. Brethren, this is a warning! You and I are going to need some of the faith and endurance that Job had as the end of the age approaches, because things are going to get tougher.

So look for God as He looks for you in the good times, and the bad times.

KM/rwu/drm

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