Sermon Tone Analysis

Right Theology Matters

Introduction:

Theology is how we understand God.

Should correct theology matter to us?

I doubt anyone here would argue against this.

Well consider with me an example of how bad theology can spread like a wildfire in spring if not kept in check.

Bethel Church in Redding CA has worship music that a high percentage of churches throughout North America use in their services.

Many are quite captivating and emotionally charged.

Yet the theology in many of their songs and their teaching through their School of the Supernatural abandons Scripture as the leaders talk more about God being bigger than a book.

Or you can’t put God in a box.

Adhering to a theology in that experience trumps what the bible says.

Yet Jesus says in “Sanctify them (disciples) in the truth, your word is truth.”

God says we grow under the authority of Scripture.

Bethel says they have a better way.

A little research into Bethel and you will wonder how in the world they are so popular in evangelical churches.

Truth is that many churches have abandoned biblical orthodoxy for the sake of emotional worship and talks instead of the heralding of God’s good news.

Solid biblical hymns and songs are replaced by feel good songs about Jesus as your homey instead of your Lord and King who is also your Friend.

Preaching of God’s word is replaced by motivational speeches and feel good stories because the exposing of the word is simply not gonna fill the pews anymore.

I want to make the case that right theology matters greatly and is vital to the health of the church and its witness in the world.

Two weeks ago we were introduced to Job’s friends when they came to Job to offer comfort and share in his grief by being silent in the city dump for 7 days with him.

That was the best thing they did.

For today we are going to look at the theology of these 3 friends as well as Job’s and also ours.

Whose theology is going to be correct?

As we now continue with our series in Job, we have seen how Job has been destroyed as the target of Satan.

The devil has accused God that he has to buy humans off in order for them to worship him.

God puts Job’s name forward as one who worships because he loves God whether he has much or nothing, who understands salvation is from God alone.

The accuser pushes back and God allows Satan to make a ruin of his faithful servant Job.

Through the loss of possessions, family and now his health, he sits in the city dump in ashes scraping the sores with broken pottery.

Word comes to his 3 friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.

They make the pilgrimage to come and comfort him.

For seven days and nights they grieve for their friend in silence as they think at any moment he will

This opens the door for the friends to now speak.

As we will see, the best thing they could have done was remain silent.

However, they come at Job in three waves of dialogue with Job.

Each wave more condemning of Job than the previous.

A spiral into darker waters like the plug pulled in a sink into the sewer.

Job is in the middle of lament and speaks out of his pain and this breaking out by Job opens the door for the friends to now speak.

As we will see, the best thing they could have done was remain silent.

However, they come at Job in three waves of dialogue with Job.

Each wave more condemning of Job than the previous.

A spiral into darker waters like the plug pulled in a sink into the sewer.

The problem with these friends is that their theology is bad.

They say truthful things about God but misuse the truths in a twisted view of man centred wisdom.

Theology is the study of God.

So if the understanding of God is in error, the convictions that determine our decisions are also going to be wrong.

For example, if someone’s view of God is that he is a genie in a bottle granting all the desires of their heart, they will use their prayer time to just ask for what they want.

They will give God a try.

When things don’t work out, they give up on God and walk away because it just didn’t work for them.

Their theology was filled with error.

Make sense?

For today we are going to look at the theology of the friends as well as Job’s and ours.

Whose theology is going to be correct?

Point #1 - Did the Three Stooges have it right?

Now what needs to be brought again to the forefront of our minds is that this book opens with making one thing very clear.

Job is a blameless and upright man.

Who feared God and turned away from evil.

A man of God that was more righteous than anyone on the earth according to the Judge of the universe.

The suffering that Job endured was not due to some hidden sin or rebellious heart towards God.

The seven day silence is broken by Job’s plea to God for death.

This now opens the door for Eliphaz in chapter 4&5 to give his reply that he has seen that those who plow iniquity will reap trouble.

You plant barley, you will reap it in the fall.

So in “knowing” this as fact, he is very simplistic in his thinking.

He goes on to say that since injustice is always judged by the Almighty, repent of your sin that you refuse to acknowledge and accept the discipline of God (5:17).

Don’t despise it but accept it from the Lord’s hand.

He will wound but he will heal as well.

If you turn from your sin, God will restore your wealth to you and your offspring will be many.

Hear, and know it for your good.

(5:27)”

That sounds legit right?

There is truth in what he says.

The author of Hebrews in chapter 12 agrees with this in that God our Father disciplines those he loves.

However, this was not the case for Job.

This was bad theology in thinking that because there is pain, this is because you are sinning.

Have you ever felt that you keep repenting of sins that might not even be there so that trouble will be removed from you? God does chasten his children for correcting sinful behaviour, but just because we are going through trials does not necassarily mean it is because of sin.

Bildad then regurgitates the same narrative that the trouble Job is receiving is because of his sin.

In chapter 8 he tells Job to repent from his stubborn rebellion.

He lacks any compassion for Job’s sorry state that he is in.

(3) Does God pervert justice or pervert the right?

A rhetorical question that demands we say “no”.

Then he drops a hammer on this bruised soul by stating (4) that if your children have sinned he has delivered them into the justice they deserved.

Job has just recently buried 10 children and in mourning them his so called friend dumps this on him?

Truly Job has reason to call these friends miserable comforters.

Bildad says true things about God that he is perfect in justice, and in his own reasoning he uses simplistic understanding like everything is black and white.

Giving no consideration that there are mysterious things that are not made known to us as humans.

See how this can be hurtful to someone in grief rather than helpful?

It is often easy for us to pass judgement until it is ourselves in the state of asking why a transmission blows when the account is dry or a child or grandchild suddenly gets seizures and then our worldview comes crumbling down.

Zophar also comes down hard on Job every time he replies with innocence.

In chapter 11 Zophar assaults Job by telling him that his babbling replies of being pure and clean before God should make him ashamed of himself.

If God would open his lips to you Job, he would speak wisdom and let you know that you deserve far more punishment than you deserve.

That is the case for everyone.

God is wisdom, you are not wise Job.

What do you know?

Can you find the limit of the Almighty?

Is your wisdom higher than the heavens?

God’s wisdom is longer than the earth and broader than the sea (9).

He knows worthless men and will consider their iniquity.

A stupid man will get understanding when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man! (12).

For Job not give him a smack truly is patience.

He goes on to say that if you will only pour out your heart to God and put your sin away and let no injustice dwell in your tents God will surely lift up your face and restore you.

Your misery will pass away and it will be brighter than the noonday sun.

But the wicked (20) will fail and there will be no escape for them.