Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

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You have all received a piece of paper…here’s what I want you to do with that piece of paper:

“Write down a time in your life where you experienced suffering.”

And please take this seriously…don’t write something stupid “like that time i didn’t study for my test and then failed it and my parents grounded me and the suffering is real”…not what I’m going for....but write a time where you really experienced some suffering…because we all have.

After you’ve written something down…take a minute to think about how that period of suffering affected you long term, okay?

Like, we know when we were in that period of suffering, it was horrible, right?

But long term, after the fact....are there things you can see now that you couldn’t see then?

Big picture…are things clearer?

Like the game we just played…when you’re up close and personal with it…it’s hard to see sometimes right?

Are there good things that have come out of your suffering?

Are there bad things that have come out of your suffering?

Alright…hold onto that piece of paper

We’ve been on a journey the past few weeks, haven’t we?

We’ve talked about:

God’s Good World and how He created everything to be good

We’ve looked in depth at how he created us, His good people

We then honed in on the big ol sin problem that we created for ourselves and how God always had a plan

We looked at Noah, and saw a vivid and clear picture of God’s grace on offer to us

And then last week…we talked about God’s authority…by looking at the tower of Babel and seeing mankind’s intent to glorify themselves and God flexing His authority and BAM, confusing them.

Well this week we’re continuing in our chronological study by looking at the life of Job

Hold up, what?

That’s right my strivers and strivettes, chronologically it is believed that the story of Job takes place somewhere around where we are in the story of the Bible

And even though Job is found much later in the Bible....it happened and went down where we are in the story of the Bible

So turn to Job with me:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deut, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, JOB

Alright…so we have Job, a man described as blameless and upright, a man whom God had offered grace to, a man who therefore feared God and turned away from evil.

So this guy was a good dude.

He loved God and He served God with his life

Job’s faith in God had matured and grown his character meaning…his life was evidence of his faith…not his stuff, not earthly blessings, but how he conducted himself

Job = awesome

However, as we read, Satan showed up…and this is the first time we’ve seen Satan back in the picture specifically since the garden

But don’t think Satan only was present in the garden and then gone from the story…no no no

The text tells us that Satan was roaming around the earth, going to and fro, walking up and down

tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Satan tempts people to sin (Luke 22:3-4)

Satan makes people sick and diseased (Acts 10:38)

Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Satan takes people captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26)

Satan kills ()

Satan’s real, and Satan has some power…but notice what happens in the verses 6-12 (read them):

God and Satan have a little dialogue happening and Satan says this:

“Job only worships you, Job only fears you, Job only obeys your commands because of all the earthly blessings you’ve given to him!”

“Look at his house, that house is amazing God…and look to the left of his house…look at all those cattle, man he’s got it going on!

To the right of his house, look at all those sheep, man he’s making bank off of those sheep!

MTV Cribs should do his house next!

What about those camels.

Man those camels are top of the line.

They ride so smooth....”

“And what about his perfect family!

God, they’re all healthy, they’re all good looking, they’re all really successful, his wife is a 10 out of 10”

“God, why wouldn’t he worship you?

You’ve given him the dream life…the life everyone else would do anything to have…of course he’s going to worship you!!!!”

Caveat: Do you see what Satan is doing?

He’s tying Job’s faith to being rooted in earthly possessions.

That’s some dangerous theology, and it’s theology that is prevalent in our world today, among some churches today, and among some famous pastors.

God’s blessings, while they may be and sometimes are earthly, are not only ever that, okay?

The greatest blessing we have is our salvation through Jesus Christ, and that alone is reason enough for us to worship Him!

But notice God’s response to Satan:

Verse 12, “12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand.

Only against him do not stretch out your hand.”

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”

God authorized Satan to act against Job, not against him physically (although that does come), but against all of his blessings

And there it is…notice, Satan has some power, but only what is given to him by God, and only for a brief period.

God is in complete control, and God allowed Satan to inflict Job.

Question: Does it encourage you to know Satan cannot do anything apart from God’s divine permission?

Why or why not?

So in verses 13-19, here is what happened, in a Pastor Derek recap:

Job’s kids were having a party at his oldest son’s house and Job, who wasn’t with them, received a message that all of their oxen and donkeys were stolen and the servants who were watching them were killed

Not cool, right?

Income and food was gone

Then another servant came and said, Guys, fire fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and there is nothing left

You with me?

This is a terrible day.

More income is gone, his kid’s inheritance is dwindling

Another servant knocks on the door, and Job at this point is mortified because their entire lives have been turned upside down, their livelihood has been taken away, they won’t be able to pay for anything anymore, their houses will be foreclosed on, what are they going to do!!!!

And the servant says that the Chaldeans made a raid on all of their camels, killed the servants and there is nothing left!

Nothing left!

As he was still speaking, yet one more servant shows up, and Job can’t handle much more…he barely has any of his perfect life left, except his kids.....oh no, surely this servant won’t be delivering bad news about his kids!

But sure enough…Job, they were at your oldest son’s house eating and drinking, and a tornado came, and it slammed smack dab into the middle of the house, and the house fell in on all of them, and they have all died!

Oof…not a great day am I right?

You all wrote down suffering on your paper....and your suffering is real and it hurts, but I bet none of us have had a day like Job had have we?!?!

What was Job’s response to all of this?

100% mourning and pain and crying and confusion and all the same feelings we get when we go through suffering

He rose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground

He was in pain

But don’t stop reading…bc he did something else:

He worshiped.

It was pain and suffering and hurt…but it led him to worship!

What an amazing response by Job right?

That’s a response right there!

Verse 21, “ 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return.

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

See, Job understood that all of life and good gifts and blessings and everything that he had was a gift from God.

And he believed and rightfully so that The Lord gives and the Lord can take away

And that He should be praised regardless of our earthly circumstances!

And that his joy wasn’t rooted in those things, but in the one who gives those things

Talk about a response that is not very typical, right?

What about you?

When something goes wrong, what is your immediate reaction?