Sermon Tone Analysis

Were going to continue teaching on the *book of James* so let’s pick up right were left off last time.

*I) *Let’s start with *James 2:15-18*.

*A) **In verse 17* *James says*, *“Faith without works is dead.”*

*1) **Some have taken this verse to mean* *that there has to be a corresponding action to our faith*.

*a) **For example* *if someone comes forward at the end of service* *to have me pray for their back*, *we’ve taught* *which is scriptural*, *to do something that you couldn’t do before*, *like bending over*.

*b) **We should put action to our faith*.

*If you believe the Word of God* *then* you need to *act like you believe it*.

*2) **But that’s not what this verse is saying*.

*a) **James is saying* *that* *if we have faith in* the Lord *Jesus* Christ *then we’ll do something for Him*.

*b) **If Jesus is your Master*, *Lord*, and *Saviour*, *then you’ll do good works for Him*.

*(i) **Those good works might be* *having a ministry of feeding the poor*, *working in the Church*, *street witnessing* *or* *something like that*.

*3) *In *(verse 18)* *James continues on that same thought*.

*a) **To understand what James is saying* in this verse *you have to understand the tone that it is written in*.

*b) **James says it like this*, *“You have faith, I have works*: *show me your faith without works* *and I will show you by faith with works.”*

*(i) **When James says, “Show me your faith without works,”* *his unsaid response to that statement is* *“You can’t.”*

*B) *Let’s go on reading with *James 2:19-20*.

*1) **In* *(verse 19)* *James continues to respond to someone* *who thinks that they have faith* *but don’t have works*.

*a) **He says in* *(verse 19)* *“You believe in God, that’s great, but even the Devil believes in God.”*

*(i) *And *what he’s saying is that how does your faith and believing in God* *and* *the Lord Jesus* Christ *make you any different than the Devil* *without your works for God*.

*2) **In* *(verse 20)* *James goes back to his original statement*, *“Faith without works is dead.”*

*C) **James 2:21-24*.

*1) **If you read* *(verse 21)* *just by itself*, *it makes it sound like Abraham was justified or saved by his works alone*, *and that’s not true*.

*2) **In* *(Verse 22)* *James reveals how faith and works* *work together to make a person complete* *or* *not lacking*.

*D) **James 2:25*.

*1) **The same is true for Rahab* *she was justified because of her faith and for works.*

*a) **Now I know that this verse doesn’t say anything about Rahab’s faith*.

*b) *But *(Hebrews 11:31)* *says, “By faith harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she received the spies with peace.”*

*(i) **Rahab was justified by her faith and works*.

*2) **James 2:26*.

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*a) **James conclusion* *on the subject is very clear*.

*Faith without works is dead*.

*II) **Starting in chapter 3* *James begins to discuss the tongue* *or the words we say*.

*He briefly mentioned that back in* *(James 1:26)*, *but now he goes into it in much more depth*.

*A) **James 3:1*.

*1) **Starting off here in* *(verse 1)* *James is apparently dealing with those who were over zealous to teach*.

*a) **Many times people want to be looked upon as someone who is a higher rank in the Lord*.

*And they get the notion that someone who has a pulpit ministry is a higher rank*.

*b) **This is not really the case*.

*We need to respect the pulpit gifts* *and esteem them highly*.

*But if you’re doing what the Lord has told you to do*, *then the rewards are the same*.

*(i) **We’re one in Christ*.

*2) **So James instructs the saints* *not to jump right in and be a teacher of the Word* *because* *those who teach the Word have a great responsibility* *and* *they will be judged more strictly*.

*B) **James 3:2*.

*1) **Nothing seems to trip a believer* *more than a dangling tongue*.

*a) **James goes on to say that* *if we can control our tongue*, *we are perfect or truly mature* *and complete* *because then we are able to control our entire body*.

*C) **James 3:3-5*.

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*1) **In these Vs*.

*James continues talking about our tongue* *and* *the words we speak*, *but one thing that stands out to me in these Vs*.

*is how the tongue* *can change the entire direction of your life*.

*a) **The Bible tells us* *in* *(Proverbs 18:21)* that *“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”*

*b) **In* *(Matthew 13)* *it tells us that words are seeds*.

*(i) **In* *(Galatians 6:7)* *it says*, *“For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.”*

*(ii) **If you sow evil things* *or* *if you speak out evil* *or* *negative things* *that very thing you spoke out* *is what you’re going to receive.*

*D) **James 3:6*.

*1) **The tongue unless controlled is a very deadly thing*.

*a) **The tongue*, *being one of the smallest parts to our body*, *can defile are entire being*.

*2) **In the middle of this verse* *James says, “The tongue setteth on fire the course of nature.”*

*a) **The Word* *“COURSE”* in this verse *would be better-translated* *“WHEEL.”*

*b) **James adds that the source of the uncontrolled tongue is Hell itself*.

*3) **As that uncontrolled tongue* *begins to spit out its fiery poison* *it begins to revolve on that* *it’ll gaining momentum* *unless it is made to stop*.

*a) **You probably have been in the conversation* before *where a fellow employee says a negative Word* *about working conditions or management* *when all of a sudden* *everybody starts complaining*, *it’s like a wheel gaining momentum* *getting faster and faster*.

*III) **You might not be able to stop other people from talking* *about your work* *or* about *Church* *but you don’t have to be a part of it*.

*A) **Our words are seeds* *and* *we’re going to reap a whatever it is that we sow*.

*1) **As we already found out* that *there is death and life in the power of the tongue*.

*2) **Turn with me to one last scripture*.

*3) **Deuteronomy 30:19*.

*a) **Choose life* *and speak the Word* of God *over your situation*, *over our Church*, *over your spouse*, *and* *over your job* *so you and your seed may live* *and have the abundant life*.

W. O. L. C. C. Thursday, April 09, 1998