Sermon Tone Analysis

Then Job spoke again:

2 “My complaint today is still a bitter one,

and I try hard not to groan aloud.

3 If only I knew where to find God,

I would go to his court.

4 I would lay out my case

and present my arguments.

5 Then I would listen to his reply

and understand what he says to me.

6 Would he use his great power to argue with me?

No, he would give me a fair hearing.

7 Honest people can reason with him,

so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.

8 I go east, but he is not there.

I go west, but I cannot find him.

9 I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.

I look to the south, but he is concealed.

Tyndale House Publishers.

(2013).

Holy Bible: New Living Translation ().

Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

16 God has made me sick at heart;

the Almighty has terrified me.

17 Darkness is all around me;

thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

Tyndale House Publishers.

(2013).

Holy Bible: New Living Translation ().

Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

I have been acquainted with several people who struggle with mental health issues like depression and anxiety and several other issues.

These people all struggle not only with the issue of mental illness itself but with the stigma that is associated with it especially as it relates to the church.

Unfortunately in the church there is an underlying idea that if you are a follower of Jesus you will never face mental challenges.

Job has gone through a ton of stuff and the result in this passage is that he is in fact in despair.

Several passages highlight others who are have struggled with depression or anxiety…even Jesus in the Garden was struggling as He was facing death on a cross.

He did not lose his divinity He didn’t hide it…”Can’t you stay awake for an hour in prayer with me?!”

Yet we cover it up…we hide in shame and use platitudes when what we really need is the help of those we worship with.

When people ask about how we are doing we say ok…We put on a smile when what we really want to do is scream to the world we are in need.

We tell ourself we are just having a bad day…except we have been having a bad day for weeks, months and maybe even years.

We push through think happy thoughts and try to hope that things will get better…We hide it from the people that should be the ones we can count on…not wanting to be a burden and hoping on hope that things will get better on there own.

I have a friend that when ever I ask them how they are doing the answers.

To blessed to be depressed or stressed…which implies that if someone is depressed or stressed they are not blessed….

I am all for positive thinking but there are times when we must be able to tell each other the truth.

I am all for positive thinking but there are times when we must be able to tell each other the truth.

I wonder how many people suffer in silence because they are afraid of how those they worship with will think about them?

I know that even in a crowd this size that people struggle in silence they have embraced a lie from the enemy that if you are truly a Christian then you should never deal with these types of problems…after all if you are blessed you can’t be depressed….

We need not be afraid of these issues because as tough as it is there is still hope for those that struggle with mental illness of some sort....

Which includes everyone of us at one time of our life or another…the degree may not be as much as some but we all struggle.

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe.

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.