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JOB 23.3
JOHN 14:9

"THE QUEST FOR GOD"

Intro: Eliphaz has made his final speech shorter and blunt. Describes kind
       of sins that  might produce this calamity. Attributes them to Job.
       Advises "acquaint now  thyself with God and be at peace."

I. "OH THAT I KNEW WHERE I MIGHT FIND HIM. "
        A. This was the cry of a man with underlying convictions about
           God.
                1. He was conscious of the fact and presence of God.
                2. He was convinced of the justice of God.
                3. He knew God was working.
                4. He felt if he could just find God all would be well.
                        a. "He would put strength in me."
                        b. "He would grant understanding."
        B. Job tells of his quest for God. vs 8-9.
                1. On earthly level he searched in every direction.
        C. This is the abiding consciousness for those who seek God on
           the earthly plane.
                1. Their search may be the result of tribulation or
                   sorrow or pressure.
                2. It may be an intellectual quest for riddle of the
                   universe.
                3. Man cannot make contact with God by any action that
                   is earth-bound.
                        a. Those who tell us they find God in nature,
                           thus no need to gather for worship.
                                1. They see evidences of God in nature.
                                2. Cannot be found in such a way as to
                                   satisfy deepest needs of life.
        D. This cry "Oh" is a revelation of the necessity of some
           special revelation of God to man.
                1. Zophar earlier spake of difficulty of purely
                   intellectual quest "Canst thou by searching find out
                   God?"
                2. Convinced by the universe of His power Convinced
                   by nature of His wisdom & beauty. "Oh that I knew
                   where I might find Him"
                3. The fundamental need of each life.
                4. Have you not cried this in hour of trial?

Il. THE ANSWER OF JESUS TO JOB.
        "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."
        A. Centuries had run their course, a group of men like us on the
           human level gathered in an upper room. One in the midst of them
           similar yet different for in Him all that is eternal came into
           visibility. Philip one of the purely human asked a similar
           question to Job's,  "Lord show us the Father and it sufficeth
           us."  "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."
        B. How did Philip see Christ?
                1. One of the first of the disciples "Come follow me."
                2. Multitudes were thronging Christ, they were now hungry,
                   Jesus said to Phillip "whence are we to buy bread."
                3. Certain Greeks came to Philip and said "we would see
                   Jesus."
                        When Jesus told of them, Philip heard his answer
                        "The hour is come, when the son of man is to be
                        glorified, verily. verily, I say unto you except
                        a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die it
                        abideth alone, but if it dies, it bears much
                        fruit."  The Lord was facing the cross yet through
                        it he saw the triumph.
                4. In upper room Jesus gird Himself with a towel.
        C. In all these things God was seen - seeking men-meeting the
           hunger of the crowd moving toward cross that men might be
           redeemed taking place of slave to serve men who believed in
           Him.
        D. When you see Jesus you see God.
                1. Eyes aflame words hot against hypocrisy. That is God.
                2. Same eyes filled with tears Lazarus-Jerusalem.
                        Would you know God, would you discover Him? Then
                        come to Jesus Christ. "We beheld His glory as of
                        the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
                        and truth."