Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Scattered Seed, a Catholic resource containing articles, published one called: She Did Not Try

This article said:

It was in Chicago years ago.

A terrible fire had raged.

[A] theater burned.

Many were trampled to death as a maddened crowd fought for the exit.

One of those who got out was a young lady.

She was borne along in the stampede, passing over many who had fallen.

When on her way home she was nervous and agitated.

To such an extent was this evidenced that a fellow traveler at length spoke to her desiring to be of help if it were possible.

The story of the disaster and of her escape from the terrible fire was told.

"Certainly you ought to feel thankful that you escaped such a frightful death."

"Yes!

I know I ought to be thankful, but oh, I didn't save anyone!"

"Yes! dear, but you were perfectly excusable in acting for yourself under such intense excitement."

"Yes! but I didn't even try to help anyone."

A bitter lament.

Probably the girl could not have aided any if she had tried, But she had not tried.

This was her source of sorrow.

She lived on, but with regret sourced in self-preservation.

Are we seeking to [aide] souls?

The perishing are about us on every side.

Shall we be satisfied with being saved ourselves and not care for those around us!—

James has something to say about those in the church who refuse to think of the welfare of others:

Perhaps the most shocking thing about this verse is that he is talking to Believers in the early church.

James is showing strong emotion here!

The church seems hopelessly divided and certainly James could be feeling some of this discouragement!

What would be sadder—especially for a Pastor--than such a divided Church!

The church is to be united in love for God and love for one another.

The church is to be united around the truth of God.

The church is to be united in worship and service.

But instead of perfect harmony, James finds:

We are supposed to believe that we are absolutely incapable of doing anything to help ourselves, and that we are saved because God had mercy on us and sent his Son to die in our stead and his Holy Spirit to regenerate our dead hearts.

We are supposed to love the persons of the triune God above everything else.

We are supposed to have a passion for the worship of God and the service of God.

We are supposed to believe that we are to do all we can to advance the cause of God.

We are supposed to believe that we are to do all we can to influence our children to love and serve God.

We are supposed to believe that we are to do all we can to influence our friends and neighbours for Christ.

But as we survey modern-day Christianity, we are compelled to admit that many of those who profess to be believers do not appear to be in agreement.

We are supposed to believe these things, but many do not give any evidence of doing so.

The sad fact is that many church members appear to be working against the very things they are supposed to value and prize.

Why is this the case?

I suggest that much of the reason lies in ‘the “ness” mess’.

We can find this phenomenon in the verses of our text.

As James looked at his readers, he could see three things that were holding them back.

We see the same things in our churches.

Roger Ellsworth

I. Quintessential Quarrels (v.1-2)

James calls them out on their ‘quarrels’ (ongoing hostility) and ‘fights’ (brief outbursts of bitterness) among them.

james

Yes, even this too, as horrible as it may sound, is prevalent in many churches today, and even might be going on right now in a very small measure, here at Grace.

If left unchecked this kind of behavior could define Grace Baptist Church rendering us useless for YHWH & to the community.

This is very wrong and should not be!

h!

James calls them out on their ‘quarrels’ (ongoing hostility) and ‘fights’ among them.

The former suggests ; the latter suggests brief outbursts of antagonism.

But here was a divided church!

James could see ‘wars’ and ‘fights’ among them.

The former suggests ongoing hostility; the latter suggests brief outbursts of antagonism.

Roger Ellsworth rightly points out:

We are supposed to believe that we are absolutely incapable of doing anything to help ourselves, and that we are saved because God had mercy on us and sent his Son to die in our stead and his Holy Spirit to regenerate our dead hearts.

We are supposed to love the persons of the triune God above everything else.

We are supposed to have a passion for the worship of God and the service of God.

We are supposed to believe that we are to do all we can to advance the cause of God.

We are supposed to believe that we are to do all we can to influence our children to love and serve God.

We are supposed to believe that we are to do all we can to influence our friends and neighbours for Christ.

But as we survey modern-day Christianity, we are compelled to admit that many of those who profess to be believers do not appear to be in agreement.

We are supposed to believe these things, but many do not give any evidence of doing so.

The sad fact is that many church members appear to be working against the very things they are supposed to value and prize.

If Ellsworth is right, we have no reason to sabotage each other.

What was the source of these quarrels that James saw?

It was selfishness!

I want things my way!

The people were going to church for the wrong reason—not to help the church and advance the Gospel, but to help themselves.

Each wanted to be known as somebody—even to be known as prestigious teachers.

Each was seeking his or her own good instead of the good of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

And what's really sad is it still goes on to today.

People come to church in order to help themselves rather than to be a help.

What was the source of these quarrels that James saw?

It was selfishness!

The people were going to church for the wrong reason—not to help the church and advance the Gospel, but to help themselves.

Each wanted to be known as somebody—even to be known as prestigious teachers.

Each was seeking his or her own good instead of the good of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

And what's really sad is it still goes on to today.

People come to church in order to help themselves rather than to be a help.

In the second part of verse 1, James wisely points to a two-layered interpretation, just like the one sustained throughout 3:1–12.

Just as there are mixed within each of us as individuals motives and emotions wholesome and unwholesome, so within the Christian community there is a wide variety of impulses.

James says their disputes come from the desires (hedone) within them.

The rabbis believed that the impulses, the yeṣarim, had their seats in various organs or “members” of the human body; therefore, the members of the body were “at war” with one another—pulled one way by conscience, then another way by the evil desire.5

This image is not unknown elsewhere in the New Testament.

First Peter 2:11 speaks of “sinful desires,” which “war against your soul.”

In Romans 7:22–23 Paul speaks of the two “laws” within him: “For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war … and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (cf.

also Gal. 5:17).

David P. Nystrom says here:

In the second part of verse 1, James wisely points to a two-layered interpretation, just like the one sustained throughout 3:1–12.

[…] James says their disputes come from the desires within them.

The rabbis believed that the impulses had their seats in various organs or “members” of the human body; therefore, the members of the body were “at war” with one another—pulled one way by conscience, then another way by the evil desire.

This is familiar to us because Nystrom is confirmed in other passages in the New Testament.

speaks of “sinful desires,” which “war against your soul.”