Sermon Tone Analysis

Worship in the Ashes

Worship in the Ashes

The question that started this whole book and driven every chapter since:

We will be wrapping up our series on Job - next week.

I said last time that we had one more week to go.

That was because we only had one chapter left in the book and in this series, we’ve done as many as 6 chapters in one week - so one chapter in one week - that’s child’s play.

“No problem!”

I should have known better.

In a book that has been building and building for 41 chapters, there’s no way we can we can flip a quick-sermon switch and finish in one session.

The question that started this whole book and driven every chapter since:

“Does Job worship God for nothing?”

The question that started this whole book and driven every chapter since:

42:1-6 …is where the answer to the question comes.

Remember back to the very beginning - we are introduced to this man of faith named Job .....

“Does Job worship God for nothing?”

Then we are introduced to Satan - the devil … God’s arch-enemy … parades before God.

God points out his faithful servant Job - blameless and upright - fears God and shuns evil.

Look at Job.

You can almost God’s pride in this man busting through the words.

42:1-6 …is where the answer to the question comes.

Satan isn’t buying it.

“Does Job love you .... does he worship you FOR NOTHING?” “Look at the man … look at everything You’ve given him … he’s the greatest man - the wealthiest person in his part of the world.

He has the perfect family - 10 children.

Good children who love each other … everything the guy touches turns to gold.”

Why wouldn’t he worship you?!

Remember back to the very beginning - we are introduced to this man of faith named Job .....

look at everything You’ve given him … he’s the blest

Then we are introduced to Satan - the devil … God’s arch-enemy … parades before God.

God points out his faithful servant Job - blameless and upright - fears God and shuns evil.

Look at Job.

You can almost God’s pride in this man busting through the words.

.... Job doesn’t love you - he knows that he has a good business arrangement: he will worship you, serve you - keep his nose clean .... and you will give him everything that he wants.”

Satan isn’t buying it.

“Does Job love you .... does he worship you FOR NOTHING?” “Look at the man … look at everything You’ve given him … he’s the greatest man - the wealthiest person in his part of the world.

He has the perfect family - 10 children.

Good children who love each other … everything the guy touches turns to gold.”

Why wouldn’t he worship you?!

.... Job doesn’t love you - he knows that he has a good business arrangement: he will worship you, serve you - keep his nose clean .... and you will give him everything that he wants.”

That’s not love … that’s self-preservation .... that’s knowing how to play the game ....”

Strikes at the heart of whether God is to be worshiped and loved … because if Satan is right - then God isn’t a God you worship -- He’s not a God you love … He is a God you pay off.

A God you make deals with.

That’s not love … that’s self-preservation .... that’s knowing how to play the game ....” It strikes at the heart of whether God is to be worshiped and loved … because if Satan is right - then God isn’t a Being you worship -- He’s not a God you love … He is a God you pay off.

A God you make deals with.

If that’s the God you have .... how can you possibly say that you love Him?

If that’s the God you have .... how can you possibly say that you love Him?

You don’t worship a God like that - you WORK Him.

You don’t worship a God like that - you WORK Him.

Some of us grew up in homes where there was a parent who dominated the mood of the house … strong personality … temper.

You quickly learn how to keep peace … what you should say, what you should NOT say … and how to behave.

Some of us grew up in homes where there was a parent who dominated the mood of the house … strong personality … temper.

You quickly learn how to keep peace … what you should say, what you should NOT say … and how to behave.

You learn how to play the game … you learn how to WORK your parent.

Not in an evil way - no, it’s all about survival.

You learn how to play the game … you learn how to WORK your parent.

Not in an evil way - no, it’s all about survival.

You do the right things and you get the results you need – the peace, the safety.

So again, let me ask you - - Why did you come to worship this morning?

Did you come because ....... things are going well for you - and you want to keep this good groove going for you?

Did you come because things aren’t going well for you - and you’re hoping that God will notice that you took the time and made the effort to come to worship … so maybe He will be impressed enough to fix what’s hurting in your life?

If you are here for either of these reasons - then you are saying that Satan is right.

“God is not worth worshiping for WHO He is - not worth TRUSTING … He’s a Divine Vending machine - and you put in your deposits and wait for your treats to fall from the rack into the tray below.

THAT’S the issue that has driven this book.

And that’s what Job needs to discover once and for all.

_______________________________________________________

1 JOB GRADUATES UNIVERSITY

The first thing I want you to see here, is that Job is getting schooled by God Himself.

Job is in the university of wisdom.

Every single Christian is at some stage of education, when it comes to wisdom - understanding God’s working in this world.

So again, let me ask you - - Why did you come to worship this morning?

Did you come because ....... well, things are going pretty good for you, right now - and you want to keep this happy place going for you?

We all start in elementary school.

What do I mean by elementary school?

Well, that’s when you pick up the Bible and you read , - “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.”

goes on - verse 9, “Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine ...”.

The emphasis of the whole book of Proverbs and many of the Psalms is that if you follow God, you honor God, you worship and obey the God of the universe - things will go well with you - - you will save yourself from all kinds of suffering .... and your barns will be filled.”

Did you come because things aren’t going well for you - and you’re hoping that God will notice that you took the time and made the effort to come to worship … so maybe He will be impressed enough to fix what’s hurting in your life?

If you are here for either of these reasons - then you are saying that Satan is right.

“God is not worth worshiping for WHO He is - not worth TRUSTING … He’s a Divine Vending machine - and you put in your deposits and wait for your treats to fall from the rack into the tray below.

The world around us doesn’t get that.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” - for them - fearing God is foolish … it’s a needless prison.

We get it: “Follow the LORD and you will have long life and you will lend to the poor.

You won’t be like the wicked - who are chaff that the wind picks up and blows away - no, you will be that tree, planted by streams of water that bears its fruit in season, as puts it.

THAT’S the issue that has driven this book.

And that’s what Job needs to discover once and for all.

Job gets that.

Job’s friends get that - - But that’s as far as they get.

_______________________________________________________

So when Job starts to suffer - when his world falls apart and he has lost everything and is suffering more than most of us can even imagine … Then Eliphaz, Zophar and Bildad pull out their textbook from elementary school and say, “Well, here’s the problem, Job - - -You’ve sinned.

You must have sinned, because God rewards righteousness and punishes sin.

Period.

No exceptions.

You are suffering - you MUST have sinned.”

1 JOB AT UNIVERSITY

There is no other explanation for your pain.

So let’s dig in.

The first thing I want you to see here, is that Job is getting schooled by God Himself.

It’s the struggle we all face at various times in our lives today: The pain comes - I know how far from perfect I am.

I am Paul, in - “Oh wicked man that I am … the good that I want to do, I don’t do - and the very thing I hate - THAT’S what I find myself doing ...”.

Oh how the devil loves to come and rub my nose in the filth of my failures and sins and say: “This pain is your fault - God is punishing you.

Always.

Without exception.