Sermon for March 26th, 2017

Job 40:1-8

1 And the Lord said to Job:
2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
    Anyone who argues with God must respond.”
3 Then Job answered the Lord:
4 “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
    I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
    twice, but will proceed no further.”
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
7 “Gird up your loins like a man;
    I will question you, and you declare to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
    Will you condemn me that you may be justified?

Job 42:1-6

1 Then Job answered the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
    I will question you, and you declare to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
    and repent in dust and ashes.”                                          

Job's Prayer of Repentance

Larry the painter would often water down his paint to make it go further. One day, the church in Larry's neighborhood decided they were in need of a new paint job for the exterior of the church. They put out a request for bids, and Larry, being the low bidder, got the job. As always, he thinned down his paint with turpentine in order to keep his costs low.

Larry had almost finished the job, and was up on some scaffolding, when he heard a horrendous clap of thunder, and the sky opened up and the rain began to pour down. The thinned-out paint washed right off the church walls. Just then, a strong gust of wind blew Larry right off the scaffolding and landed him in the church courtyard, at the foot of the cross, in a puddle of thinned out, worthless paint.

Larry knew that this was a warning from the Almighty, so he got on his knees and cried: "Oh God! Forgive me! What should do?"

And from the thunder spoke a mighty voice: "REPAINT! REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE!"