Sermon Tone Analysis

Backround:

Good evening so glad each one you could make it tonight.

Well we are going to continue with our study through the book of Job.

This is not a fan favorite, it seems in our day there is so much bad going on in the world that people have developed a way of trying to stay positive.

which is why I believe that many false teachers are gaining such traction.

In a world full of negativity, positive words can be a nice breath of air for people who are struggling.

There seems to be only one problem with this approach, positive thinking without the living word of God inside of you will only fade when tragedy comes.

Suffering is a very real and productive time in the life of a christian.

There would be so many things I would not have understood had I not gone through some of the things I have been through in my life and there are still things I will go through in the future that I know will be far greater than the things I have already experienced.

But I can truly say from my life that I have learned more about God in the difficulties of this life than I ever have at a seminary.

Pain and suffering though we don’t understand the reason at the time.

though it may feel as though we cannot breathe from the stress and strain of grief God has a greater purpose in mind.

Both for His glory and our good He works ALL THINGS together to those who love Him and are the called according to His purposes.

No many will have severe circumstances in their life and ask a very reasonable question:

“how can this tragic event possibly be for good?”

This is a common question when losing a loved one.

Because we don’t know the future and the overarching plan of God, we don't know how God may be using those instances to cultivate deeper Spiritual maturity, or prevent a tragedy down the road.

For example:

I remember the day we left our home in Monticello Florida.

My mother woke me up and she told me we were going to live with my grandparents for a little while.

We got into our little white Honda station wagon that was fully loaded with our things, and I had a feeling we would be staying for a lot longer than just a little while but I didn’t say anything.

It wasn't long after that that I realized my Dad wasn’t coming with us.

bad events ensued and it all ended with me and my father not speaking for over 3 1/2 years.

I became an angry, rebellious teenager, who didn’t care about anyone but myself.

At the time when I desperately needed a father in my life you could have told me that God was going to use that and turn it around for good and I would told them all about the pain and the questions I had as to how that possibly could happen.

They could have said it and I think someone did.

But the bitterness was too great for me to listen.

Fast forward 20 years and I am a pastor who is able to relate to divorce and the struggles that come with it.

I try as hard as I can to be a good father and husband to my family.

I cant tell you the number of times adults have spoke with me and asked since I was so young how I could relate so well with where they were in their struggle.

I know now it is all because of getting into that station wagon and leaving going through that pain watching two people going through divorce I can see failures on both sides and I am able to help those in need better for God’s glory.

Pain produces maturity

I’m sure when Job found out that his children found out that he had lost everything he cared about, it broke him into pieces.

Job lost:

his financial well being (livestock, oxen,)

His help (servants)

ALL OF HIS CHILDREN!!

It’s one thing to look back like I did twenty years ago and know God worked all things together for good but its quite another to endure much suffering like Job did and yet not curse or doubt God.

We see a couple of things he did do.

HE GRIEVED:

Job 1:20

He grieved but worshipped at the same time!!

I amazed at that confidence in God that took, to remember at a moment like that to ascribe God glory!

Yet the Bible records:

The Return of a defeated foe

Job 2:

Notice this is the return of an aggrivated enemy, He comes back before God knowing full well that God had given him permission to strike Job, and yet even with his best attempt he could not cause the faith of Job to be shaken.

“NOTHING UPSETS SATAN WORSE, THAN WHEN YOU DON’T REACT THE WAY HE THINKS YOU WILL”

He had come before God knowing that Job was an upright man, but he felt as though Job’s confidence was a result of God’s hand of blessing on his life.

He thought that if he ruined all of things closest to Job, that Job would curse God, but Job remained upright in his trust of the Lord.

Now Satan returns.

Isn’t it nice to know that before Satan can do ANYTHING to us he has to ask God if its ok first?

I find something really funny here.

God has a sense of humor...

As soon as Satan and his minions appear look at what God says to Satan.

You can hear the sarcasm in his voice can’t you?

I mean God is basically saying lol you tried and you failed hahaha

Notice the outrage in the reply of satan he is one aggrivated dude!

Job 4-5

Satan says: sure you wont let me take his life!

But if you let me touch his flesh he will surely fail you!

Job 2:

Attack #2- Job’s Health

Job 2:7

Notice the eager attack of the enemy when the Bible indicates that Satan couldn’t wait to pour out misery to Job’s body.

Job is smitten with a horrible disease that covers his entire body.

There has been much inconclusive speculation as to the identity of his complaint.

The word šĕḥîn is general.

Tradition favours either leprosy (Lev.

13) or elephantiasis, for these exotic diseases had a fascination for Europeans who had never seen them.

The simple story does not indulge in the exaggerated fantasies loved by tales and legends.

The lack of detail prevents clinical diagnosis.

In assessing the symptoms described by Job in the dialogue, we must remember the poetic medium.

The brief data point to boils, ulcers, or one of the numerous diseases of the skin.

This had to be terrible because of the sate we find Job in in the very next verse.

Job’s heart is now broken, he is in deep grief and pain.

But now he wakes up to find his body in tremendous pain.

A pain so great that breaking a clay pot and scraping the boils away from the flesh was the only thing that brought some relief.

I mean to go that extreme it had to be pretty intense!

Here we find Job shaved head, sitting in ashes, tears streaming down his face, taking pottery and cutting his own skin.

This had to be a terrible sight to see.

Im sure Job was exhausted from all the grief and pain.

but here he sits.... when he is met with the third attack.

Attack #3- An Ungodly Wife

As if thing couldn’t get any more worse on this poor man, his wife shows up and she is not responding so well.

Her response could have been made out of a lack of confidence she had in God as a result of her pain.

Nevertheless the vitriol language she uses when she addresses this man doesn’t seem as though she had a belief in the Lord at all.

I mean the all out anger and hatred that filled these words as Job sat there in his state was extreme.

Now we cannot say for sure that Job’s wife did not believe in God, more than likely she was grief stricken and angry with God herself.

Which one can understand given the situation she was in.

However she spoke as an unbeliever when she spoke this way and Job let her know, even in thier grief Job still took his role as the spiritual leader of the household by responding in a godly way to here comments.

Job 2:

As we come to a close we notice the entrance of some new characters in this story.

Job’s three friends which even though they responded correctly in the beginning became a source of pain for Job later on.

But for now let’s take a look at their Godly love for their friend.

Jobs loving friends

Job

this is the heart of someone who follows closely with the Lord.

They see someone hurting and they respond, it doesnt matter the situation, when trouble comes upon a friend it is our responsibility to let them know they are not alone.

A preacher once said, as ambassadors for Christ we have a divine responsibility to be there when someone is going through pain and tragedy.