Sermon Tone Analysis

When It All Falls Apart

INTRODUCTION

1 THE SCENE IN HEAVEN, vv.

6-12

2 THE OUTWORKING ON EARTH, vv.

13-19

3 THE RESPONSE OF FAITH, vv.

20-22

When It All Falls Apart

The book of Job begins in the world as it ought to be - by our standards.

It is a world where the nice guys finish first, where you do what’s right, you honor God - and He blesses you with health, with wealth, with a great family … and you live a life that Disney would be happy with: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay My, oh, my, what a wonderful day Plenty of sunshine headin' my way.

That’s the world Job lives in when we are introduced to him in the first 5 verses of this book.

Job is one of the most righteous people in all of the Bible, outside of Jesus Christ Himself - nobody is described like he is: blameless and upright; fearing God and turning away from evil.”

He is the greatest of all the people of the east … and we say, “Amen.

So it should be”.

But if you know anything at all about this book - you know that things don’t stay that way.

Job is about to suffer.

And in that suffering - he is so relevant to us here today, isn’t he?

We all know what it is to suffer.

Some of you are there right now.

Something is going on in your life, or you are living in the aftermath of some great trouble - - and, inevitably, the questions come:

“Why Me?

Why This?

Why now?

Why so much pain?”

And as these questions get asked, what happens is that we are asking questions of God - and who He is, and what He has or hasn’t promised

That’s the world Job lives in when we are introduced to him in the first 5 verses of this book.

… we put God on trial.

And maybe for some of you here today … God has been tried and the answers you have received haven’t been enough for you.

And you are ready to chuck your faith – or maybe you can’t accept the Christian message because of your questions.

If that’s you, I want to tell you that this book is for you.

God isn’t hiding from your questions.

This is His inspired Word – and out of 66 books that make up the Scriptures … He has given us this one to deal with the questions of what seems to be innocent suffering.

Last week’s passage set the stage for the action.

Today the action begins.

It is a story in three parts and we will look at each part, in its turn.

1 THE SCENE IN HEAVEN, vv.

6-12

In verse 6, there is a sudden change in the scene of the story.

The curtain that separates the busy, harried world that we live in down here, from the heavens where God Himself lives.

And, in an instant, we are transported from Job’s mansion in the happy city of Uz, to the control room of the entire universe … and we are brought into a scene, where the angels dutifully present themselves before the sovereign God of the universe, to report on their activities.

The narrator tells us that among the angels, is a particular personality of note: Satan is here.

(Literally it is ‘THE Satan’ - this is not a personal name, it is a title.

The Hebrew word, ‘satan’ means ‘adversary’.

Over time, the definite article - ‘the’ would get dropped and Satan becomes a proper name in the later parts of the Bible.

But never forget that his name describes what he does).

If you’ve watched the courtroom dramas on tv or movie screen, you know that the adversary - the accuser is the one who brings charges.

And that’s exactly what Satan does here.

Verse 7, the LORD asks Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answers, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’

Verse 8, “And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” ...

Satan responds with a sinister snarl: Verse 9, “Does Job fear God for no reason?

Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?

You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

(11) BUT STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

Job is one of the most righteous people in all of the Bible, outside of Jesus Christ Himself - nobody is described like he is: blameless and upright; fearing God and turning away from evil.”

He is the greatest of all the people of the east … and we say, “Amen.

So it should be”.

But if you know anything at all about this book - you know that things don’t stay that way.

Job is about to suffer.

Oh don’t miss the gravity of the accusation here - - Job has been so concerned that his kids may slip up, in a time of party and celebration -and curse God in the secrecy of their hearts … so concerned about that that he drags them all over to his house on the morning after their parties so that he can sacrifice for them and set them apart to the Lord again.

Now Satan is saying - “Job doesn’t love you at all!

The only reason he serves you is because he knows the way to the easy life.

It is self-serving not worship that motivates this man

… Job doesn’t serve you for Your sake ....

He serves you because you have filled his barns, his bank account and his bedrooms with healthy kids.

Job is USING YOU.

This is a question that the book sets out to answer.

It’s a question that we all need to answer: “Why do I serve God?

Why am I a Christian - who comes to a worship service to sing His praise and why do I try to honor Him in my day to day living?”

Am I really a worshiper of God?

Or is He my Divine Candy dispenser?

I put in my change … my obedience ... my worship – I pray, I go to church, I help the needy, I turn from sin - - and out of the God-machine comes health and wealth and all kinds of blessing – CANDY!

Do I love the gifts God gives me … or do I truly love the God of the gifts?

There is no more important question to answer.

Satan says, ‘In fact, if the gravy train stopped running … if you took away the blessings … not only would Job STOP serving you - - - he would CURSE YOU TO YOUR FACE.”

The LORD responds, in v. 12, “‘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.”

“Do your worst to everything he has,” God says to Satan.

“But you can’t touch him.”

So many questions aren’t answered for us.

What is Satan doing parading before the holy God?

Why is God engaging the enemy of all that He is - all that is … why is God engaging him in conversation?

So many things we don’t understand here.

But there are some things that the narrator does want us to CLEARLY understand in our text.

He wants to be sure that we get this: THAT YOU HAVE AN ADVERSARY - There is a Satan alive and well on planet earth.

He is not the cute cartoon figure with the pointed tail, horns and the pitchfork in his hand - someone to laugh at and ignore.

He doesn’t only hate God - he hates you, for the very reason that God LOVES you.

And every temptation he brings to you - to lead you into sin … he will pass it off like this: “Here is your freedom - throw off God’s chains and do this … here is fun, here is fulfillment - - this website, this song, this movie .... this substance, this activity with your girl or boy friend .... THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT.

And the book of Job pleads with us: “THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU WANT! THE ENEMY WANTS YOU DESTROYED!

So don’t laugh!

Don’t play around … RUN.

And you better be equipped with the whole armor of God!” The helmet of salvation and the Breastplate of Righteousness … and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

There is no other way to stand against Satan’s hatred and insidious attacks on your joy.

Get this truth!

Also get this: SATAN DOES NOT HAVE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY - He must report to God.

He is NOT in full control.

Even when he is allowed to do what he does - he is put on a leash - a chain.

He is able to bark and growl and bite - - but ONLY as far as God allows him to - that far and not a nanometer further.

Now, that raises some other questions, I understand that.

We have to deal with those, as well.

But for right now - don’t miss the comfort that this truth should bring.

There is no dualism in this universe.

Up in the heavens - in the control room of the universe - there is no battle to take the wheel.