Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

So I’d like to open today with a little mental exercise.

I’m gonna say a phrase, and I’d like you to think of some words that come to mind.

Some adjectives or descriptors.

You don’t have to answer out load, just in your head or if you’d like, you can share your thoughts with someone next to you.

Ok you ready?…

“Job’s three friends”

When I say this phrase, what descriptors or adjectives come to mind?

What mental images do you have?

When I asked this of some folks this past week, these are some of the responses I got… “arrogant, worldly, scoffers, assuming, short-sighted, proud”.

Needless to say, I did not receive many platitudes concerning Job’s 3 friends.

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are 3 names that would likely not be found on many Christmas card lists.

So when I began to prepare for this message, I had a difficult time seeing how this passage fit into the book of Job.

It just didn’t seem to make sense that in 42 chapters filled with extreme suffering and great lament, that there could be the slightest hint of a positive theme in these three verses.

On top of that, there was just no way that Job’s friends could be credited with any good considering what they’re about to pull for 28 chapters.

This passage just seemed so out of place.

But I knew that God had to have put it here for a reason.

It’s not as if God just snuck this text in after the fact because He thought His editors might cut it before it went to print.

God does not waste words.

Scripture tells us that His word does not return void and Jesus tells us that we shall live by every word from the mouth of God.

So I kept asking God, “Why is it here and what are You trying to say to Your people?”.

As I meditated on this text more, it became apparent to me that Pat’s title The Ministry of Presence was on target, and I believe that what God is trying to show us here is that Godly comfort begins with a Godly heart.

Godly comfort begins with a Godly heart.

While it’s true that Job’s friends don’t finish well, I believe that you will see today that initially, their hearts were in the right place.

And I believe most of us will be able to relate.

Most of us have been there.

We hear the distressing news of some tragic event or situation in the life of a loved one.

A car crash that’s claimed the life of a friend’s family member.

An unfavorable diagnosis from a doctor.

A loved one losing a job, left to wonder how they’re gonna support their family.

A friend or family member going through a divorce.

I don’t know about you but the first thing that typically comes to my mind in these types of situations is, “What do I say?” Another might be “What can I do?”

Now while those thoughts and questions themselves aren’t necessarily bad, and in fact could be good, I think what’s more important is what lies beneath.

What is the intent?

And what I believe God is trying to show us in this text today is that before anything else, we should first ask the question, “Where is my heart?”

“What am I doing this for?”

More importantly, “Who am I doing this for?”

Today, I want to show you three attributes of a Godly heart that we see in the text.

The three attributes are commitment, compassion and companionship.

And then I want to talk about some complications that we’re almost certain to encounter in our endeavors to comfort those who are suffering.

Three Attributes of a Godly Heart

Commitment

The first attribute of a Godly heart I’d like to talk about is commitment.

For those of you who know him, this is what my friend Dennis Lommen might refer to as “being intentional”.

On our call last week when Pastor Pat, Pastor Michael and I reviewed my outline, Pastor Michael pointed out that in verse 11 Job’s friends heard, and they came.

They’re made aware of their friend’s plight, they’re compelled to do something, so they make an appointment together and they set off on their journey to go to their friend.

While there’s some debate as to the exact locations of Job’s homeland and those of his friends, most commentaries seem to agree that Job’s friends came from a great distance to see him.

One commentary I found estimates the distance to be about 100 miles.

Now 100 miles may not sound like a great distance to us today, but it’s not like Zophar can just jump in the truck and pick up Eliphaz and Bildad on the way to Job’s.

No, we’re talking about strapping on the sandals and hoofing it to Uz.

To give you a bit of perspective of the journey they faced, 100 miles would be the equivalent of walking from here to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which according to my iPhone would take 1 day and 15 hours without stopping for food, rest or bathroom breaks.

So Job’s friends would have to walk for days, if not weeks to see Job, leaving their families and livelihoods behind.

As far as we can tell, they have no idea what they could possibly offer Job in his great suffering, they just know that they need to be at their friend’s side.

We are extremely blessed at FCBC to have brothers and sisters whose lives reflect this level of commitment consistently.

There are likely many here who have gotten a call or a visit from Pastor/Elder Doug Chamberlain.

If you’ve been here before but don’t recognize Doug’s name, rest assured that there’s a good chance he knows yours.

Doug makes it a point to remember the name of everyone he meets at FCBC, and there’s a good chance that God is hearing your name from the lips of Doug in prayer.

When we first started attending FCBC there was a SURV project which involved a house renovation, and there were Doug and his bride Sue, sacrificing themselves day and night, weekdays and weekends, so that a family would have a place to call home.

When I had a procedure done to treat my AFib a few years ago, Doug made it a point to stop by that evening and see how I was doing, on his way home from caring for other members.

Ray and Linda Wible… When I was in the O.R. during that procedure, Ray was there in the waiting room praying with my wife Alyssa.

If any of you are friends with Linda on Facebook, you’ve probably seen pictures of her, adorned with tiara and tutu, giving her time with the goal of glorifying God in support of a sister in Christ.

A few years ago, we went to Concord Hospital to visit an FCBC member who was going through an extreme trial.

When we arrived, we found out that there were so many visitors that they had to move us.

Faith Community Bible Church was given their own waiting room.

I know I’m leaving out countless examples.

There is no shortage of committed believers at FCBC.

Do you have any idea what a blessing it is as an elder to see this level of commitment in the flock?

Christ’s work in you and through you is on display for the world to see.

His light shines for all to see and they know that you are His disciples by your love for one another.

Another way we see Job’s friends’ commitment is in their staying.

This isn’t a quick Pop In to Say Hi visit.

They aren’t looking to check off a box so they can get on to more important things.

Job’s friends show that they are here for him and that they’re here for the long haul.

One would have to think that at some point over the course of the next seven days of silent solidarity, that Job felt at least some level of comfort in this.

When it comes to commitment, there is no greater example than Christ.

Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 John 4:8 tells us “God is love” and 1 Cor 13:8 assures us that “love never ends”.

His love is demonstrated in part by His commitment and I believe that commitment can be seen in the initial actions of Job’s friends.

A second attribute of a Godly heart that I think we see in this passage is compassion.

Compassion

I think it’s evident that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar’s hearts are in the right place.

Verse 11 seems pretty clear on this.

“They made an appointment together to come… to show him sympathy and to comfort him.”

They come to love on him.

We just talked about how they’ve committed themselves to going to see Job and now we see purpose.

A purpose that I argue is pure, not motivated by anything other than a desire to let their friend know that they love him.

I’m also inclined to believe that their actions when they arrive on the scene provide further evidence of their heart condition.

We read in verse 12 that when Job’s friends see Job’s condition, they raise their voices and weep.

Job’s friends are so moved by Job’s condition, that the mere sight of him moves them to audible wailing.

They then tear their robes, sprinkle dust on their heads and sit in silence for seven days and seven nights- a ritual seen elsewhere in Scripture in the most dire of circumstances.

Joseph mourned his father for seven days when Jacob died.

Joshua tore his clothes and fell to his face when God punished Israel by allowing them to suffer defeat at the hands of Ai.

The poet in Lamentations 2:10 writes how the elders sat on the ground in silence, throwing dust on their heads after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians.

Job’s situation is so extreme in the eyes of his friends, that they resort to actions associated with God turning His face from His people, the destruction of His people’s homeland, and death.

In fact, one commentator even goes so far as to say that their actions suggest that Job’s friends essentially see Job as just that… dead.

It goes without saying that Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are overcome with compassion for their friend.

Their response clearly shows this.

If you’ve read my testimony you know that I was unsaved when I started attending FCBC back in 2017.

Needless to say, I didn’t really know what the Bible said because I didn’t actually read it.