Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.12UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.08UNLIKELY
Fear
0.11UNLIKELY
Joy
0.59LIKELY
Sadness
0.2UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.79LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.64LIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.93LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.86LIKELY
Extraversion
0.1UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.68LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.54LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
INTRODUCTION
So far we have considered verses 1 and 2 of James 4. You may recall that this chapter has three paragraphs.
This evening we will be halfway through the first which consists of verses 1-6.
Look again at verse 3 with me.
Let’s dive right in as we consider its grammatical construction.
GRAMMAR STUDY
Just like verse 2, this verse contains several verbs.
One of theses is used twice in this verse.
It is the verb “ye ask.”
Both are translated from the same Greek word “aiteo.”
It is also the same word as in verse 2 which we spent some time considering last Sunday evening.
This word emphasizes a petition made from one who is lesser in position than the one to whom the petition is made.
In this case, it is men asking something from God.
The second verb is the word “receive.”
It simply means to receive or to take into one’s possession.
The thing received may or may not necessarily be favorable.
In our verse, nothing is received even though it was requested.
The last verb is “consume.”
In the Greek, it is the word “dapanao.”
It means to expend or spend with the idea of squandering it away.
We have only one noun.
It is the word “lusts.”
Remember there are two Greek words for “lusts.”
One simply means “pleasure.”
The other suggests an intense passion for something whether good or bad.
Our word here is the one for “pleasures” suggesting a gratification of sinful or fleshly desires.
There are two adverbs.
They are the words “not” and “amiss.”
The latter word is one of particular importance to this verse.
There are two main Greek words that the English translators translated “amiss.”
The first is the word “atopos.”
It has the meaning of something out of place denoting that which is unbecoming or not befitting.
It is used only three times in the New Testament [once as amiss, once as harm, and once as unreasonable].
Luke 23:41 (KJV 1900)
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Acts 28:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
2 Thessalonians 3:2 (KJV 1900)
2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
However, that is not the word used in our text.
The word in our text is actually a more common Greek word that is often used for the word “evil.”
It is the word “kakos.”
The English translators translated in a myriad of ways depending on context.
They translated it using words like “evil, diseased; sick” and, in our case, “amiss.”
Here are few examples of its use in other verses.
John 18:23 (KJV 1900)
23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
Matthew 14:35 (KJV 1900)
35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
Matthew 9:12 (KJV 1900)
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
Essentially, the word “kakos” stands for whatever is evil in character or base.
The idea of being evil in character or base is the essence then of the word “amiss” in our text.
Something we will spend more time considering in just a few moments.
There are no adjectives in this verse.
However, we do find three different conjunctions.
They are word “and,” “because,” and “that.”
Let’s get into the spiritual application of this verse.
SPIRITUAL APPLICATION
What is the Holy Spirit talking about?
He is continuing His teaching concerning our lusts and its implications.
What is the Holy Spirit saying about our lust?
Remember that in verse 1 the Holy Spirit identified our lusts as the core issue of all wars and fightings both within and without.
Verse 2 elaborated upon that by showing how our lusts can escalate into all kinds of sinful actions when not held in check.
Now, we move to verse 3 which continues the thought that ended verse 2.
Verse 2 concluded that we have not because we simply do not ask.
In other words, there are some things that God desires to grant us if we would just ask.
For instance, God desires to meet our basic needs.
He promised He would if we simply put Him first and then go to Him each day asking for His blessing.
Unfortunately, we do not even ask Him for the most basic things in life.
We simply take them for grant it.
Additionally, we take what is a basic need and turn it into sinful lusts.
Last week, I used the illustration of food.
Food is a basic need.
Without it, we would grow weak, become sick, and die.
However, for many of us, we allowed our basic need for food turn into a sinful action, gluttony.
Any lusts can then become an avenue for additional sins.
We desire so much that we will do anything to get it.
However, for a believer, that is not what God expects of us.
Instead, we are submit ourselves to Him by making Him first in our lives.
When we do, then His Spirit is able to help us curb our lusts aka our desire for pleasure.
Additionally, we are to rely on Him to provide our basic needs.
Asking for Him to provide our “daily bread” is important part of Him doing so.
Again, our problem is stems back to our unwillingness to simply trust God.
Instead, we tend to rely upon ourselves which leads to falling for temptations of fleshly lusts.
THE IMPROPER WAY TO ASK OF GOD - WE ASK FOR OWN GLORY!
Now, in verse 3, God gives us the flip side of that coin.
On one side is our unwillingness to simply ask and other is our willingness to ask.
However, in asking, we ask “amiss.”
Remember the word “amiss” carries the connotation of being evil in character or base.
Thus the idea is that when we do pray our asking for certain things stems from evil intent.
The Holy Spirit follows by accurately identifying our problem.
We often ask so that we may “consume it upon our lusts.”
Again, if we refer back to our grammar study, we noted the word “consume” means expend by squandering it away.
The reality is that we often ask for things so that we might be selfishly gratify our own desires.
That is the complete opposite of Matthew 6:33
It goes against everything that God has instructed in His Word.
The only thing that should be first in our lives is Him and His desires, not ours.
Anytime we make a request of God we must be sure that it is a request that seeks His glory and not for our own pleasure.
Anything short of that is to ask “amiss.”
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9