Well, good evening, everyone. It's a real joy to be with you again tonight, and once again to look into this wonderful book of Job, and from some of the things that you've been sharing with me, God has been rekindling your interest in the book of Job, and I'm so thankful for that. That makes it worthwhile. I'd like to ask, if you would, to turn in your Bibles to Job the twenty-ninth chapter, and we're going to... read that whole chapter tonight before our message. Job chapter twenty nine. Moreover, Job continued his parable and said, Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me, when his lamp shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness, as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tent. when the Almighty was with me, when my children were about me, when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil. When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street, the young men saw me and hid themselves, and the age it arose and stood up. The princes refrained from talking and laid their hand on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me. When the eye saw me, it gave witness to me, because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was like a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was eye to the lame. I was a father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not I searched out. And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the prey out of his teeth. Then said I, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand. My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch. My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand. Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel. After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them. And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain. I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my countenance they cast not down. I chose out their way and sat chief and dwelt like a king in the army, like one that comforted mourners. And then we note that the next chapter begins with the word, but. And we're not going to read it, but that's just right there. One word tells us that things have changed for Job. Let's look to the Lord. Our Father, again, we come to thee expectantly, and we thank thee, our Father, that we come to one who has the word infinite. And Lord, we are not infinite. We're very finite and we feel it keenly. And we thank thee that in thy word we find the expression of an infinite God, an infinite mind. And Lord, help us in our frailty and our weakness tonight as we study thy word. We pray that thou meet our needs, whatever they are, and help us to be good students who not only will learn, but will obey. We ask it for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Last night we were considering the subject of comfort, and we took some time in this large middle section of the book of Job, and we want to finish that up God willing tonight. We were seeing the so-called comfort of Job's three friends. And tonight we want to take a brief look at Job's final words of defense in his case. We also want to consider this man, Elihu, this younger man, who appears for a brief time at the end. And then at the end of the message, I'd like to speak to you for a few moments on a subject that has just thrilled my soul, and I call it Job's growing faith. And so our little subject for spiritual maturity tonight is like this. A mature Christian has a growing faith. And I hope no matter what your age is here tonight, that you have a growing faith. I hope no one feels that they've come to the place where they can say, I have arrived. The Apostle Paul said that he hadn't arrived. And we don't ever want to come to a place where we feel we know it all and have all the answers. And we need to be growing people. And one area in which we want to always be growing in our life and our walk with God is our faith. Oh, to have a growing faith. So let's look, first of all, at Job's final defense. The passage we're going to spend some time in tonight is twelve chapters, six chapters about Job's final words, and six chapters about this man Elihu. So I'll ask, if you will, turn to Job chapter twenty-six. And we'll just notice three things, even though there are so many profitable things that Job has to say as he comes to the conclusion, you can tell he's getting exasperated. And I've tried to condense it all down into just three simple things to remember. The first one is that Job maintains his righteousness. He has said all along that he is righteous. He has done what is right. And we see him here hanging steadfastly onto that. Notice, please, chapter twenty seven and verse three. He says, all the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils. My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justify you. Till I die, I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go. My heart shall not reproach me as long as I live. Now you couldn't want a more strong statement than that. Job is absolutely convinced he is not wrong. He is righteous before God. He's going to go to his grave and he's going to hold fast on to his integrity. That brings us to a problem because we have said that God is trying to increase and enlarge Job. And what really is the problem here with Job? You know, I have to be very careful as I speak about Job's problem. I feel he's a greater man than I could ever be. And you have to be very careful when you speak about a much greater person's problem. But I feel that in fairness to studying the book, we have to be honest with what we read and what we see. And I think there is something that God would have us notice. And that is there is a certain pride of innocence in Job's words. He not only feels that he's righteous and innocent, but he kind of takes pride in it. That chapter we read together, chapter twenty-nine is a classic example of the word I. You know, over forty times in that chapter, Job uses the word I. And one man pointed out, in fact, it was a very beloved writer, C.H. McIntosh, he said, that reminds us of Romans chapter seven you remember the good that I would I don't do and that which I should do that which I well I've got it mixed up here but what I want to do I don't do and what I don't want to do that I do and all through Romans seven he says I I I but then he has this coming he says but in that place that is Romans seven I is a wretched man but here he is a most important influential personage admired and almost worshipped by his fellows. And we need to notice that. Because I believe that sometimes that's the point at which God would be working in our lives. A little too much self, a little too much I in there. And I've made a copy of the little booklet from which I was just reading. And there was a part in here. that I want to read to you. I copied it off, and I'm just going to read a couple paragraphs to you because CHM is always excellent, and he says something in here that I think is a real blessing to my heart, and I want to share it with you. He says this, These are seasonable words for all of us. One special want at the present moment is brokenness of spirit. Nine-tenths of our trouble and difficulty may be traced to this want. It is marvelous how we get on from day to day in the family, in the assembly, in the world, and in our practical life when self is subdued and mortified. A thousand things which else would prove more than a match for our hearts are esteemed as nothing when our souls are in a truly contrite state. We are unable to bear reproach and insult. We overlook slights and affronts. To trample upon our whims and prejudices. To yield to others where weighty principle is not involved. To be ready to every good work. to exhibit a genial large-heartedness in our dealings and an elasticity in all our moral movements which so greatly tend to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. But then he tells us the way it so often is. I read on, How often, alas, it is otherwise with us. We exhibit a stiff, unyielding temper. We stand up for our rights. We maintain our interests. We look after our own things. We contend for our own notions. All this proves very clearly that self is not habitually measured and judged in the presence of God. Now one more little paragraph because we need to know what his solution for this problem is. And he says this, but we repeat and with emphasis, God will have broken material. He loves us too well to leave us in hardness and unsubduedness And hence it is that he sees fit to pass us through all sorts of exercises in order to bring us into a condition of soul in which he can use us for his own glory. The will must be broken. Self-confidence, self-complacency, self-importance must be cut up by the roots. God will make use of the scenes and circumstances through which we have to pass, the people with whom we are associated in daily life, to discipline the heart, and subdue the will. I just really appreciated that because I think it says so much of what we've been seeing here in the book of Job that there's a sense in which God wants to take and stretch us and make us bigger people for him. There's also a sense that he wants to break us and make us smaller people so that he'll be the one that is seen to be truly great. So Job maintains his own righteousness and that's very clear. And then secondly, Job cries out for an answer. Now turn, if you would, to chapter thirty-one. This is still in this section. But I want to call your attention just to one verse. This theme that we're going to read has been repeated through the book, but I think it's perhaps stated here as strongly as anywhere in the book. Chapter thirty-one and verse thirty-five. Now just try to get the flavor of what Job is saying here. This is not just a comment. This is a cry of anguish. In fact, whenever you read anything in Job that starts with the word O, O-H, it's well to take special note. O, this is a cry. O, that one would hear me. Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me and that my adversary had written a book. Now, Job is not simply asking that he might hear something from God. We have to understand that. His three friends have over and over and over again, and we proved it last night, said, Job is wicked. And Job has over and over again said, I am not. And there's only one who can settle that, and that's the Almighty. And Job comes to the end of his speech, because this is very near the end of his speech, and he says, Oh, if only the Almighty would hear me, what was he really crying out for? Boy, he's crying out for God. but he wanted a verdict of innocent. That's what he wanted. He wanted a verdict. Now that in itself is not sinful unless, of course, it becomes a challenge of God. And we don't want to charge Job with that. But you know, as you read what Job had to say, sometimes it almost sounds like Job is a little bit becoming the judge and he's calling God as a witness to bear witness that he's innocent. We have to be very, very careful that we always keep the right relationship to God. God is the Almighty, and we are not. If you've ever heard anyone make the statement, God has to do this or that. My friend, God doesn't have to do anything. And we need to go before him with a great reverence. And, well, here was Job, and he was crying out for a verdict. Oh, that God would come and give me the verdict that I want, innocent. And then the third thing I want you to notice is in chapter thirty-one and verse forty. Let fissils grow instead of wheat, and weeds instead of barley, the words of Job are ended. Now, I like to paraphrase that last sentence, and it goes like this. I've had it. Job comes to the end of all he has to say, and he comes thoroughly frustrated and exasperated. This conversation is going nowhere. There's no comfort. He's not convincing them, and they're not convincing him. And Job says, the words of Job are ended. I've had it. You won't get me to speak again. It's surprising, you know, Job does speak again, but it takes the Lord himself to do it. He doesn't answer anyone else after this. Not until God speaks to him. Well, beginning of verse chapter thirty-two through chapter thirty-seven, we have a young man introduced whose name is Elihu. And he also is a comforter. In fact, he's been sitting by and he's been listening to what's going on. And now he speaks. And he also gives us six long chapters. It's interesting. You know, he pauses in the middle. He says, Job, if you'd like to say anything, go right ahead. Silence. Job, in effect, says, not a word. I've had it. And so this man takes right off and he goes on again. Well, what are we going to make of Elihu? I did a very, very brief job last night on Job's three friends, and I'm afraid for sake of time tonight we're going to have to do a very brief job on poor Elihu. But I do want to summarize it, and I'll ask you if you would just to look at a few verses with me. It's surprising how people who write books view Elihu. I've read quite a number of books to see what their thoughts were, and it's surprising. Some say this is nothing but a rude, brash young man. And some are somewhere in the middle here, and some see that he's an appearance in the Old Testament of the Lord Jesus himself, a theophany. And you'd be surprised how many see something really amazingly great in Elihu. Now, you may be here tonight and take that view, so I better be careful what I say. But I'm kind of somewhere in the middle. I don't see Elihu as a brash, rude young man, but I don't see him as the Lord either. And... I'd like to share with you a couple of conclusions about this man, Elihu, and then we really want to get on into the exciting part of our study tonight, the growing faith of Job. Just four things. First of all, this man is certainly more courteous to Job than the other three. You can't help but see that he's more respectful of Job's age and suffering, and we have to give him credit for that. Also, there's no question about it. He seems to be on a higher spiritual plane than than Job's three friends. Now, that wouldn't take a great deal, but he does seem to have more spiritual discernment and insight. If you look at chapter thirty-two and verse two, at the end of that verse, you'll notice that he says, against Job was his wrath kindled because he justified himself rather than God. Now, that's reasonable. The young man perceived that Job was justifying himself more than God and saying, I want to show you my innocence. And that made him angry. And we can understand that. And then in verse three, his wrath was kindled against Job's three friends because they had found no answer and they still condemned Job. In other words, instead of leading Job to condemn himself, they condemned him, even though they couldn't answer him. And Elihu was upset about that. And I think he had good discernment there. And then go over to chapter thirty-three, if you would. And verse six and seven, now here he makes quite a statement. He says to Job, behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead. I also am formed out of the clay. Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee. You know what he was really saying there? He's saying, Job, this person that you've longed for all through your discourses here, well, I'm the one. Now, I'm made of clay like you, so I won't scare you, and I can put my hand on you, but I also am in very close relationship to God, and I can put my hand on him, and I'm kind of a mediator. Well, I don't know. Chapter thirty-three and verse twenty-nine, let's look at that. I think this is where Elihu kind of shines above everything else. He says, Lo, all these things worketh God twice, yea, thrice with man to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. Again and again, Elihu seems to stress this idea that Job is not suffering because he is wicked, as the friend said. Job is suffering because he's in a learning experience. Now you have to give Elihu some credit for spiritual discernment there. I mean, at least he said more than just that Job was wicked. He said that too, unfortunately. So I think we have to say, secondly, that he was on a little bit higher plane than the three friends. Thirdly, chapter thirty-four and thirty-five, we're not going to look at anything there, but he spells out the blessing that the chastening of God can bring. He says, when God chastens people, it can be a real blessing if you will be exercised by it, Job. But then in chapter thirty-six, he says, and the reason why Job is still suffering is because he isn't submitting to God's chastening. And, well, let's look at a couple verses there. Chapter thirty-six, beginning at verse ten. He opened us also their ear to discipline and command us that they return from iniquity. If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasure. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge. Go down to verse seventeen. Now he turns and he speaks to Job. But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked. Judgment and justice take hold on thee. Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke. then a great ransom shall not deliver thee. Now let's summarize all this that this man Elihu has said. He said, I perceive that the friends aren't right in just condemning Job. Job is in a learning experience from God. And then he goes on and he says, and if you will profit by God's chastening in your life, you can really be blessed and actually come back from the trouble. But then he turns to Job and he says, now Job, the reason why you're still suffering is because you're not being You're not being exercised by God's discipline. Therefore, I guess you are still wicked somehow, and he kind of lets us down at the end. Well, thankfully, Job doesn't answer him. Job keeps his mouth shut. He's not going to be goaded into talking any more discourses. So this man doesn't really satisfy either, and he doesn't really give Job the answers that Job needs in his suffering. Now that's been quite a hurried look at this last twelve chapters in the book, but it does open the way for us tomorrow night, God willing to turn to a very exciting part of the book of Job. In chapter thirty-eight, God begins to speak. And if you've ever read this section, you've been surprised, as I was, as to what God says to Job. And we're going to have a good time as we look at that tomorrow night. But tonight we want to go back into the main body of the book and we want to look at something to encourage our own hearts as Christians. And this has to do with our growing faith. Let me ask a question. What in your mind is faith? Well, if you answer that faith is a response to God's revelation, you're right. You know, we have people in the world today that have the idea that if you want something, You just believe it hard enough, and eventually you can make God change his mind and make it happen. Now that is not biblical faith. And if you want a fine example of biblical faith, you just look sometime in Hebrews chapter eleven. I like verse seven where we read about Noah. By faith Noah being warned of God. See, there's the revelation. God said something to Noah. Noah didn't just say, well, I think tonight's a nice day to build a boat. I think I'll build a boat. God said, what's that, Noah? Well, that's a boat. What's it for? Well, for a flood. Oh, well, I'll have to send a flood then so you don't waste your boat. See, that isn't faith. God spoke to Noah and he said, no, I am going to send a flood. You need to build a boat. And Noah went out and obeyed. Now that was faith. He responded to God's revelation. But the writer of Hebrews also tells us that faith is the evidence of things not seen. And there are things that are not seen in the natural world that God begins to bring to light to the spiritual eyes of His people. And it's a growing conviction. And some of you I know have passed through experiences in your life and your walk with God where He has dealt with you so plainly and so clearly and manifested His love and His guidance to you so clearly that you could say almost that you feel like he's right there before you. And faith is providing you evidence of what you can't see with your eyes. Remember what it said of Moses? He endured as seeing him who was invisible? What a scripture. Moses endured because he could see the one that you can't see. What's that mean? He saw by faith what he couldn't see with his eyes. We need to observe that there is a change taking place in Job. And that to me is one of the highlights of the book of Job, to go through the book and to see that Job is growing in his faith. And God is pleased to reveal some great thoughts to his people for all time through this man. I was sharing with a brother before the meeting and as I said to him I'll say to you I don't want to utter any heresy here tonight but and perhaps this may be a little bit of an overstatement but I wonder as I read what we're going to look at in the book of Job if God doesn't want us as Christians to listen carefully to some of the things that we say when we suffer because I'm beginning to think and I see this sometime in my own life when I suffer I'm beginning to think that it is at those times in our life that we are closer and more sensitive to the things of God and we say things and we discern things in the spiritual realm that maybe we're just a little bit too dense and too callous to discern in the normal everyday life that we have. And I know some of the most, you could almost say, inspiring thoughts. And wonderful, wonderful hymns even have been written by people who are suffering. It just seemed that God was so real to them. And God was becoming real to Job here. Does God become real to you in your trials? Does it drive you closer to Him so that you know Him better and you're in closer contact? Some people have even said one of the good things about suffering. is the closeness I feel to God. When prosperity returns, I feel like that there's a distance. Have you ever felt that way? Well, I want to ask, if you would, turn back to the beginning of Job, chapter nine, and we're going to trace Job's growing faith. And what I have tried to do for the sake of our time and to really make this As pointed as possible, I have tried to select only six passages in the book of Job. Only six to show that Job is progressing in what he sees by faith. And God is pleased to preserve these things for the encouragement of his people of all time. And I think if you put the six of them together, you have a story, a beautiful story that comes out of it. So let's begin in Job chapter nine and let's look at these six things. First of all, we want to read verse two. Job said, I know that it is so of a truth, but how should a man be just before God? If he will contend with him, that is if man will contend with God, he cannot answer him one in a thousand times. Here's the great question. Job begins with, how can a man be just before God? Well, that's a question we want to face. That's a question that all humanity needs to face. How can a man be just before a holy God? And Job states it right here. Wonderful. He puts his finger on the great question. How can sinful man be just before a holy God? Here it is. That's his question. Now let's go to chapter nine and verse thirty-two. We move a little step in this next portion. Chapter nine and verse thirty two. Job says, For he is not a man as I am, but I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any days man or mediator between us, that he may lay his hand on both of us. You see what Job is saying? I see that there is not only a need for man to be just before God, but I perceive there's got to be some kind of a mediator, somebody who could put his hand on God, And somebody who could put his hand on, man, a go-between. What discernment. I was hearing about, I don't know who told it, somebody on the radio, but the mother was tucking her little child into bed one night, and the child said, Mommy, I'm scared as she turned out the light. The mom said, well, don't worry, the Lord Jesus is here with you. And the child said, but I wanted somebody with skin on. And can't you just feel for the child? We know what they meant. There's that need for somebody that they could really identify, somebody who has flesh and blood. And Job said, I've got to have a mediator. There's got to be somebody who understands God, but there's got to be somebody who understands me. Have you ever felt that way? Sure you have. Number three, let's go to chapter thirteen. Chapter thirteen and verse fifteen. Job says, Though he slay me, yet will I trust him. But I will defend mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation. For a hypocrite shall not come before him. I like that line in verse sixteen. He also shall be my salvation. I think Job is recognizing here that if there's going to be a mediator, if there's going to be a solution to the problem, God has got to provide it because he can't. And that represents just another step in the progress of Job's growing faith. Even if he slays me, I'm going to trust him. God has got to be my salvation because I'm realizing I can't save myself. Thank God for every one of us who've come to the place where we've realized that. What a step that Job utters here. Let's go to chapter fourteen. By the way, you didn't hear anything like this from the three friends, did you? Nothing like this from the three friends. No, sir. Chapter fourteen. And verse fourteen. Somebody says to Job, well, Job, what difference does it make anyway? You're in such a bad condition. If you're going to die, it's going to be the end. Chapter fourteen and verse fourteen, Job raises another question. He says, if a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come. Oh. If a man die, shall he live again? Yes. Yet another insight from this suffering man. There's more to it than just this life. There is a day coming after the grave. So it does matter then. How wonderful. Let's go on one more. Chapter nineteen. This brings us to what we might almost call the apex of Job's insight in the book. Tremendous passage, Job nineteen beginning at verse twenty three. Here he begins with O again. A great cry. O that my words were now written. O that they were printed in a book. That they were engraved with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine I shall behold, and not another, though my heart be consumed within me. Oh, isn't that great? Isn't that great? What is Job saying here in this little passage? Well, first of all, he's saying... I know that the one who is going to provide my salvation, I call him my Redeemer, I know that he lives. I know it. Secondly, he says, he's going to settle the things that aren't right in this life at the end of time. Now, I'm condensing it down, but that's what he's implying here. God is going to settle the things that are not right at the end. And thirdly, he says, and I'm going to be present. Even though I die, I will be back again in some kind of body that is like this one, and I'll stand there and I'll be part of it. Oh, that's the resurrection, isn't it? Why, praise God. And he also says, I wish this message could be written in a book. He said, no, even better. I wish it could be put in the rock in lead. God gave him something better than the rock in lead, didn't he? Put in the Word of God. What other books are around from Job's day? Not one. But the Word of God is here. Job got his wish. God required that. Put that in the Word of God. I know that my Redeemer liveth. You ever wonder where that hymn came from? Right here. We're not done yet. We have one more. Chapter twenty three. Chapter twenty three and verse three. Oh, here we are again, another oh. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat. I would set my cause before him and fill my mouth with arguments. Look at verse eight. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him. On the left hand, where he does work, but I cannot behold him. He hideth himself on the right hand, but I cannot see him. Now verse ten. But he knoweth the way that I take. When he hath tested me, I shall come forth as gold. What a step of faith. What a magnificent statement of confidence in God's work in Job's life. When God gets finished with me, I will come forth as gold. My, if we had the faith to be able to say those words, what a difference it would make, beloved, wouldn't it? Also look at verse fourteen. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me, Job says, this was part of God's plan for my life. And God is performing what he had already long ago appointed for me. You feel that way? Well, it's time to draw a few conclusions from all of this, isn't it? I want to read you a couple of quotes, thinkers. People who wrestled with this passage. One said this, We are meant to learn the lesson that there are some things about human suffering which God cannot possibly explain to us without destroying the very purpose which they are designed to fulfill. Let me read that again. Listen to it. We are meant to learn the lesson that there are some things about human suffering which God cannot possibly explain to us. without destroying the very purpose which they are meant to fulfill. The great writer Baxter says the scriptures are as wise in their reservations as they are in their revelations. What do trials do in your life? Make you more dependent on God or make you bitter? Do you say God is purging out the dross? Or do you say God is destroying me? Makes a big difference. What we think God is doing. And what's the difference? Faith, isn't it? And Job believed that God was following a divine plan in his life. And he says, when it's through, I'll be gold. Well, I don't know about you, but I don't feel like God could ever make gold out of me. And yet God could do it. God could do it. What does he want to see in us? A growing faith. That's what he wants to see. A faith that is willing to trust him a little more each day. Now, I know that our time is gone, but I want to take just a couple of minutes and read a letter to you. And with that, we'll close. I want to tell you about this letter. It just came to me a couple of weeks ago. The newest assembly that God has been pleased to start up in our area is up north of Hartford. And there's a young man who comes from a very wealthy home. I suppose he's in his early twenties. And he's a tall, handsome young man. And somehow God touched his life. I don't believe anyone shared the gospel with him. He just was reading the Bible and God has touched his heart. And I believe he became a truly born again Christian. But anyway, he was raised in a Roman Catholic home. It's all he's ever known. And in response to his new, growing, awakening love for the Lord, he decided that he must go and become a priest. That's all he knew. And someone told him about the new assembly and he started to come out to him. It was just, you know, an interesting new thing, somebody making a church. And he started to get interested. He told me about his exercise that he wanted to go and be a priest and And I've long ago learned that you say to somebody like that, oh, that's awful, and you never see him again. If it is awful, then God's got to be the one to tell him that. But I tried to give him some encouragement and spiritual things. And after I'd known him a couple of months, he wrote me this letter. And I read it to you because it's the example, or an example to me, of a person with a growing faith. You could just see him grow as he writes. Dear Jack, been thinking about you, thought I'd drop you a line. Here we're starting a church. I hope I can make it. Looks like the Manchester Assembly is going to take some root. Recently I have been reading, besides the Bible, the Confessions of St. Augustine. The testimony he tells of his mother's constant prayer for his salvation, parenthesis, he was quite a sinner. And how her constant tears were a petition to the Lord is an inspiring tale. And if you moms have children far away from God, you might want to read that because even though it has some very different views than the things that we believe, it's a great story of a mother's prayers for a son. But then he says this, What struck me is how much we can all help each other by simply praying for each other. I think of late that I am in close communion with the Lord. Please pray for me to grow even closer as I pray for you, as I pray and have prayed for you. I thought of this today while cutting the grass, how Paul condemned the moralist. Do you see it like this? If I am truly close and have a real relationship with God, I will realize my sin is great and that I am a man and hence unclean before God in all his glorious perfection. Imagine that language. in all his glorious perfection. Even if I feel God is working in my life and bettering me, that is only all the more reason I should see the vastness of our separation. So how, knowing this, can I recoil in disgust at the sin of my brother, who is right next to me, and who can tell which one of us is nearer to God in perfection, which raisin is most like the pearl? I know that in no wise can I stand before God without first being cleansed by the Lamb. And then the last paragraph. Jesus spoke of the newly forgiven slave who turned and demanded payment from his friend, then threw him into jail when he couldn't pay. Pray for me, Jack, that I might replace my moral convictions, which become rhetorical when I have true love for God, with love for my brethren, saved or not. I love you. Isn't that a nice letter? No, I know he's not going to go on and become a priest. Well, that's already been settled before I came down here. I don't know what he's going to do, but he wants to serve God. But there's somebody with a growing faith. And I want to tell you, that's not limited to young people. The reason I know it is because I know some of you. You have a growing faith. Wonderful. Wonderful. May that be true of every one of us. Wherever you are tonight, take a step for God this week. Let's pray. Father, we come to thee giving thanks for all thy goodness and kindness to us. Lord, we study the life of a man like Job. And we think that perhaps he could come forth like gold. But, oh, Lord, how could we? Forgive us for that thought and help us to remember that God is the Almighty and can do anything. Help us to give thee the praise and glory of which thou art worthy as thou dost work, O Lord, with us each day. Lord, forgive us for any time when we have decided not to grow anymore. May we as mature believers have a growing faith in thee. We ask it for the Lord Jesus' sake and for his glory. Amen.