Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Am I saved?
That’s a question a number of people have asked me over the course of my lifetime.
I have a standard number of questions I ask them and specific verses I use to give them assurance.
But after reading the book of James, I have realized that I need to ask them one more question.
Can you see how your faith in Jesus has made a difference in how you live?
If you were an atheist rather than Christian, would we notice a difference in your life?
That’s what is at the heart of what we are going to talk about tonight - if your “faith” doesn’t affect your life - you don’t have a saving faith.
Now, I understand that faith is an extremely personal thing - got it.
And I know we say that a person’s salvation is between them and the Lord.
But I also know, that we are to look at Christians as our brothers and sisters, and that’s got to make you think.
For those of you with student athletes or band members or an actor.
If you are in the drama team booster meeting and someone you have no clue who they are walks in and says, “my kid is the theatre group and I want to volunteer,” what would you do?
Open arms, “Great - here you go, we want you to be the costumer and help them in the dressing rooms!”
Would you?
Not if you had half a brain.
You would want evidence.
Why is being a Christian any different?
Shouldn’t we see evidence that you have faith?
If you have a faith that no one can see, do you have faith?
Faith that has no impact on a person’s life is not a saving faith.
“Well Pastor Randy, you can’t say that.”
I’m not - God’s word does.
Our text today is James 2:14-26.
Take your Bibles and open them to James chapter 2.
Hear the Word of the Lord.
Faith you can’t see is dead and it won’t save you.
James 2:14 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?”
Notice what James says here, “…if someone says he has faith...”
A lot of people say a lot of things, don’t they?
Take Barbecue for instance.
How many places have you seen that has “The best barbecue in the South?”
Or the best fried chicken?
Or the best - whatever.
Words are cheap and easy to say.
Notice James doesn’t say“…if someone has faith,” but that “someone says he has faith...”
Now the objection I keep hearing in my mind is this, “Brother Pastor, you know we aren’t supposed to judge anyone.”
And you know what, just because we don’t have time to talk about what that verse means - Judge not, that you be not judged - I’ll play long.
Let’s not judge anyone else.
Let’s not be a fruit inspector of any one else’s fruit.
Instead, let’s do this:
Today, let’s examine ourselves.
Do we have a saving faith?
Does our faith have works that seals our faith as real?
You see, if we trust in Jesus, we’ll want to be like Jesus.
Jesus did good works, so will we.
Not to prove that we are good - not to try to be good.
But because we are good - we are righteous.
We’ve been cleansed by Jesus blood, made right with God.
We are free to do our best to be like Jesus.
And in our striving to be like him, we will do good works naturally.
They are simply going to come out of us.
So, when you look at your faith, what do you see?
For many people, faith is simply a wishful thought.
If I believe it hard enough and long enough, it will happen.
You may have heard the saying, “If you believe it, you can achieve it.”
Do you know what, that’s a lie straight from the pits of hell and it smells like smoke.
Let me give you one example.
American Idol.
There are people auditioning for that show that have no business singing in front of an audience.
In fact, they could be arrested for cruelty to animals for singing to their cats.
But they believe they can be the next American Idol.
Faith is not wishful thinking.
Faith isn’t a wish that I can have whatever earthly thing I want.
Faith isn’t wishing - faith is living.
James asks, “Can that faith [that has no works] save him?”
He’s implying, “No, it can’t.”
Then he gives us this example.
James 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”
So here’s the deal, someone comes to your door - only it’s not someone - it is a brother or a sister.
A fellow Christian - you see them every week at church.
You say hello to them.
Shake their hands.
Ask them about their mama and them.
You pray with them.
Study in Sunday School together.
Eat together at pot luck dinners.
You cry when someone dies.
You pray when someone is sick.
James is referring to one of those folks - someone you know - not a stranger on the street, but someone who you know is a brother or a sister.
And this person you know comes to your door poorly clothed.
That word means practically naked.
It doesn’t simply mean they aren’t dressed for the occasion or dressed for the elements.
They are wearing rags that barely cover them.
And they are lacking in daily food.
They have nothing to eat and have had nothing to eat today, or yesterday, or the day before.
“And one of you says to them, “go...”
I’ve got to stop her because this word slapped me.
You’ve heard people says before, “Go in peace.”
I think I’ve said that at the close of a worship service or two.
It carries a good meaning.
That’s not this go.
This go say, “Move along.”
“You knocked at my door - move along to someone else’s.”
James 2:16 “and one of you says to them, “[move along] in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”
It’s not that you don’t have something to give to them.
You don’t want to be bothered.
That’s crushing.
That guy - who claims the name of Christ - who has been blessed by the Lord with means to help - gives them a blessing and a cold shoulder.
“What good is that?”
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