Sermon Tone Analysis

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Tones
Emotion
Anger
Disgust
Fear
Joy
Sadness
Language
Analytical
Confident
Tentative
Social Tendencies
Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Emotional Range
Anger
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When life hands you a lemon, how do you handle it?
It has been said that the most positive thing to do is to make lemonade.
Introduction
When life hands you a lemon, how do you handle it?
It has been said that the most positive thing to do is to make lemonade.
Why must people look at the negative side of things, when testing comes their way?
Why do we tend to complain when we feel that we are not being given a fair deal?
Why is it necessary to buy into the logic that if things are not going smoothly, then there must be some unconfessed sin in our lives?
I believe that James would think to the contrary.
In fact, James, 1:2-12, would suggest to us that testing of Christians should result in leading us to maturity in Christ.
There are four areas that will help us to look properly at life and what tests we may encounter as we look at .
They are:
1.
Consider the Joy
2. Contemplate Why
3. Consent to God
4. Call on God
Consider The Joy -
James 1
We can become what we think.
There are some individuals who walk around fulfilling their own prophecies about life.
They expect the very worst and seem to only see the dark side of life.
You can guess what happens.
The very worst seems to take place in their lives.
It is as if they have almost brought a curse upon themselves.
actually, they tend to live in such a way that it is almost impossible for the bad not to happen.
For the Christian, we do not have to expect the worst to happen.
Sometimes it does happen though.
Just because we try to think positively, does not guarantee good to happen.
Christians live in a sinful, fallen world, along with the rest of humanity.
In , , and , we are told to expect trials.
We cannot expect the Christian life to be easy.
, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.”
, when Paul and Barnabbas were in Antioch, encouraging the believers to remain true to their faith, they stated, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
Something else we need to be aware of when Considering the Joy, is the fact that no two trials are alike.
My wife enjoys doing needlework, stitchery, crewel, whatever names that are given to making pictures out of thread.
When we works on a project, the back of the cloth has all sorts of threads which seem to make no difference to my eye as to the result of the picture.
Everything looks askew.
Even for one who is crocheting or knitting an afghan, there are often a variety of yarns.
On their own individual merits, they do not seem to have much potential.
But with each item, the final product is a thing of beauty.
The same is true in our testing.
The final product is a beautiful work for His glory.
But we need to understand that only God sees the finished product during the difficult process.
When we face life’s trials, we must look at them from God’s perspective of what He wants to do in our lives.
If our value system is on comforts, material goods, living for the present, then trials will only make us bitter.
But if our value system is on character, spiritual worth, living for the future, then trials will make us better.
Warren Wiersbe states, “to end with joy, begin with joy.”
As we consider the joy, we often need to contemplate why.
This is a question similar to what Job was asking.
It helps us to understand more clearly why we need to consider the joy.
Contemplate Why -
James
We need to be reminded that faith is always being tested.
Abraham was tested in order to increase his faith; as well as strengthen ours in the 21st century.
We also need to understand that there is a very distinct difference between testing and tempting.
Satan is busy trying to tempt the Christian.
Satan’s purpose in tempting is to bring out the worst in us.
God on the other hand, is testing our faith.
God does not ever tempt us to sin.
God tests in order to bring out the best in our lives.
The testing of our faith shows where we truly place our trust.
It is also impossible to note that testing works for us, not against us.
states it quite eloquently.
“These (trials) have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
There is an approval from God of the preciousness of our faith.
is a precious verse that many of us have appreciated so many time.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Things do not work for our God.
But the Bible tells us that in all circumstances, God is at work to better us; to those who call upon the name of Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
gives us a proper perspective.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
It does not matter how intense the trials may seem now; they are considered light and momentary in view of eternity.
As we contemplate why, we not only see that testing works for us in our faith, but trials help us in the maturity process.
spell this out for us.
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us.”
God wants to develop in us the ability to keep going for Him, even when life is extremely difficult.
Patience is never just passively accepting the circumstances.
It is a courageous perseverance; a stick-to-it-iveness that faces trials head-on.
Satan can defeat us if we are ignorant about God and His purposes for our lives.
However, Satan cannot defeat us if we contemplate why and what God is planning to do through these testings and trials.
You and I need to know our Bible and understand the purposes of God.
But simply considering the joy and contemplating why is often not enough.
There is a further step that is essential if testing is going to truly benefit us.
Consent to God - ,
,
In v.4, we see that God needs our cooperation to bring us to maturity.
Our characters must be shaped and built before we can truly be used for service.
God cannot use somebody who is unwilling to allow Him to completely remake us according to His desires.
Too many Christians want to be “doing” something on our own.
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