Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

, 42:10-11

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Haddon W. Robinson once said that, “No sermon is ready for preaching, not ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as a crystal.”

That said, I want to tell you what this sermon is really about and that is this.

If you’re going to surround yourself with people, make sure they have your best interests at heart.

Lately, the Lord has been dealing with me regarding authenticity.

It appears that we live in a world in which people are no longer real.

They are no longer all in, they’re no longer there when they should be.

They’re everywhere but where they need to be and are now expendible.

They no longer add substance to your life leaving you in a conundrum because you want to hold on to these people who mean you no good and God is trying to show you their true identity.

While it is true that we are relational and everybody needs somebody, it is disheartening to me that people are no longer genuine and no matter how loving, or how giving you, or how available you are, when you need someone no one is there for you, but gather like buzzards when you fall.

Is there anybody in this place that can testify that you’ve dealt with some things and felt all by yourself!

Come on don’t leave me out here by myself in the introduction.

You’re steady trying to hold on to what God has released, only to experience the same disappointments time and time again.

George Santayana, said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

In that Psalm, David complains about his distress and the trouble he was in, and the lack of friends, and begs God to just make it end; he wanted relief.

It is in that Psalm that David records these words, he says, “Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair.

I waited for sympathy, but there was none; for comforters, but found no one.”

(V.20) Let’s us know that just like when a snake sheds its skin, it’s still a snake; some folk may change their outfit, but they’re character is still ugly.

Is there anybody in this place that can testify that you’ve dealt with some things and felt all by yourself!

Come on don’t leave me out here by myself in the introduction.

Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

This message may not shout you, but it’ll free you if you just be real about it!

Today’s text is a morbid, yet sobering reminder that not everyone who comes, comes to comfort!

Some folk come to be nosey, some folk come to gossip, and others to condemn!

Here we have the latter of the three the condemners!

And it is here beloveds that we find by way of the text, a man by the name of Job!

A man whose very name in Hebrew means "persecuted, hated" or to be an enemy, but it also means "he who returns."

We’ll get there later.

The Book of Job is one of the books in the Hebrew  Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible.

It is, perhaps, the oldest book in the Bible.

Anonymous in authorship, most theologians to accept Moses as it’s author due to the fact that the writer refers to and directly quotes several psalms and, though its very nature is depressing, it is actually the first poetic book in the Old Testament and considered one of the wisdom books and gives us a glimpse of the soteriological nature of God concerning His people and His ability to restore.

As we open today’s text, the Holy Ghost would have it that we remember that not everyone who comes, comes to comfort!

Some folk come to be nosey, some folk come to gossip, and others to condemn!

It is here my dear brothers and sisters that we find by way of the text, a man by the name of Job!

The Book of Job is one of the books in the Hebrew  Ketuvim ("Writings") section of the Hebrew Bible.

Even though its very nature is depressing, it is actually the first poetic book in the Old Testament and considered one of the wisdom books of the Bible.

We are looking here at the latter of the three options I previously proposed!

Let me remind you that Job has just had the hardest experience of ALL of our lives!

He’s lost his children, he’s lost his livestock, he’s lost his farm, all of his money is gone, his wife thinks he’s crazy told him to curse God and die ... yet we find him solemn and refusing to turn his back on God!

When the story begins, Job has seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, making him one of the greatest men in the East.

He is so esteemed, the prophet Ezekiel mentions him along with Noah and Daniel.

Let me remind you that Job has just had the hardest experience of ALL of our lives!

He’s lost his children, his livestock, his farm, his money’s gone, his wife thinks he’s crazy and told him to curse God and die ... yet we find him suffering in silence and refusing to turn his back on God!

He doesn’t know what happened, he doesn’t know that there was a meeting about him that he wasn’t even invited to!

All he knows is that surely God must be angry at him, yet he hasn’t even committed any sin that would warrant such a punishment.

Let me shed a little light in the subject here, you see everyone likes to read the book of Job from the standpoint of weeks, months, and years, but can you tell you that all of this happened to Job in a matter of ONE DAY!

He doesn’t know what happened, he’s unaware there was a meeting about him that he wasn’t invited to!

All he knows is that surely God must be angry at him, but he hasn’t sinned.

There’s an eerie bit of irony in the narrative, due to the fact that God is so close and yet He’s so far away.

Let me shed a little light on the subject here, you see everyone likes to read the book of Job from the standpoint of weeks, months, and years, but can I tell you that the majority of Job’s calamity happened in a matter of ONE DAY!  His attack spanned about two days, but we don’t know how long it lasted.

On the second day, his body was afflicted with boils.

How do we know, it’s right here in the text for you.

The Bible declares in chapter one and again in chapter two, “Now there was a day” meaning, in just a few hours time, Job lost his oxen, his servants, his sheep, his camels, his children, and his body was hideously scarred... everything … except his faith.

You gave up on it, but God gave it backAll he knows is that surely God must be angry at him, yet he hasn’t even committed any sin that would warrant such a punishment.

Let me shed a little light in the subject here, you see everyone likes to read the book of Job from the standpoint of weeks, months, and years, but can you tell you that all of this happened to Job in a matter of ONE DAY!  

Look at your neighbor really quickly and tell them.

And you thought you were having a bad day! 

Look at your neighbor really quickly and tell them.

And you thought you were having a bad day!

We are listening in on what would appear to be the very pinnacle of Job’s complaint, but it really isn’t.

Mind you, he’s spoken out before, but now there’s a different connotation to his complaint.

You see, he’s up against some harsh criticism and now, Job is on the offense!

You have to remember that being a believer doesn’t give folks a license to treat you any way they want.

The dilemma is how do you treat folk that don’t care how they treat you?

How can you be good to people that want to destroy you?

Uh huh, we like to pray for the patience of Job, but not many of us can pass the test of Job?

Transition: But wait, there’s more.

Tell your neighbor don’t throw away that plate just yet.

There’s still some meat on that bone!

You’ve got to be cognizant of the fact beloveds that …

I. Everybody That Comes Ain’t Coming To Help

As we delve into today’s text, we find that Job has a few friends who came to see about him.

As we delve into today’s text, we find that Job has a few close friends who came to see about him.

Y’all didn’t catch that ... I said close friends.

That means that all hurtful things don’t come from strange tongues!

Y’all didn’t catch that ... I said friends.

That means that all hurtful things don’t come from strange tongues!

Uh huh some of those tongues know your business and have deep ties to you.

And it’s those deep cuts that do the most damage!

Uh huh some of those tongues know your business and your deep secrets.

Deep cuts do the most damage!

It is interesting to me as we gander at this passage of Scripture, that his friends only showed up after they heard about what happened.

It is interesting to me as we gander at this didactic portrait of Scripture, that his friends only showed up after they heard about what happened.

Oh come on and go with me.

You know how people can be!

Just nosey for no reason.

You didn’t hear a a word from them while you were dangling on the edge, but after pookie and Ron Ron make a phone call or send a text here they come!

And they didn’t come with good news.

They didn’t get come with a positive outlook.

You didn’t hear a word from them while you were dangling on the edge, but soon as they get a call or text, here they come!

And they don’t come with good news or a positive outlook.

Where were you when I needed you?

Where were you when I needed you?

Where were you when I was crying my eyes out asking the Lord God Why me?

Where were you when I was crying my eyes out asking the Lord God why me?

Where were you when I was making plans to kill myself because surely life would be better off without me in it.

Where were you when I was making plans to kill myself becuase surely life would be better off without me in it.

Where were you when the love of my life left me?