Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Reading Romans 6:1-14

Welcome

Good Morning and thank you for being here this morning.

If you are new with us today, I am glad you are here today.

If you have any questions please find me after church or fill out a connection card with your contact information and I would love to get in contact with you.

We have a couple of announcements today.

We have a short meeting today after church.

I would ask all members to stick around.

It will be here in the sanctuary.

Announcements

Small groups start up the second week of October

Operation Christmas Child

Prayers

God’s Direction for the Church

Praise for people taking steps of faith

Steve and Karen’s Niece - is ill in Ecuador

Clara Barker - Hip Surgery Recovery

The Lost People in our lives.

Let us Pray

Introduction

We are in the book of James this morning and we will be continuing at verse 1:19.

Feel free to turn there as we review what James has taught so far.

James has been presenting different tests or situations that Christians were dealing with in his time and we have seen that they are situations that happen to all of us today.

So far we have gone through the test of trials and last week we wrapped up the second test and that is the test of temptation.

James is presenting these situations to the church to reveal the proper response of a Christian to the experiences of life.

The responses of the Christian are different than that of the unbeliever.

Such as considering trials joy, as a believer knows that through trial we are sanctified and matured.

As we looked last week, that the believer looks at temptation differently.

James was very clear that temptation starts inside each of us as a desire or want.

When that desire or want grows to the point that we want it more than we want what God wants for us then we are lead into sin by our own selfish desires.

Today we will look at the believers proper response to the Word of God.

Stand with me as we read.

James 1:19–27 (CSB)

19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.

21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror.

24 For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.

25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself.

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James is building off of verse 18

James 1:18 (CSB)

18 By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Because we are born by the word of truth so that we would be a kind of his firstfruits.

The Word of God should not be taken lightly.

Scripture speaks of the high place it should sit in our lives.

Peter reaffirms that we are born again through the word of God.

1 Peter 1:23

23 because you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.

The word of God is living and active in the life of the believer.

Hebrews 4:12 (CSB)

12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.

It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

It is the living word that penetrates to the very core of the believer and is used to grow and correct the believer and sanctify him or her in Christ likeness.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (CSB)

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

John 17:17 (CSB)

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

As we look at the scriptures and see how vital it is to the life of a disciple of Christ.

We must come to the conclusion that without it be growing in our relationship with God and others.

It corrects, encourages, saves, sanctifies, builds up, rebukes, and so much more.

It is so important to what a believer does and is but the believer must receive the Word of God intentionally and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit it is foolishness to an unbeliever.

1 Corinthians 2:12 (CSB)

12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

Even with the Holy Spirit, a person must prepare and cultivate a life and heart that is fertile to receive the word so that it produces abundance of righteousness in a life.

Matthew 13:18–23 (CSB)

18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.

This is the one sown along the path.

20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

21 But he has no root and is short-lived.

When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.

22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

This is going to be the focus of James today.

He will reveal what fertile ground looks like in our lives.

He is going to challenge us to be hearers and doers of the Word.

This week we will at the Hearing part and next week we will look at the doing part.

A Wise Attitude

James 1:19 (CSB)

19 My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

In the context of this chapter, this verse speaks of the interaction of the believer with the Scriptures.

A true believer will read scripture and will desire to bring their life under the teaching and guidance of the word.

It should not be like pulling teeth to read a truth in scripture and submit to it.

Though it may be hard to break the habits that a believer has in the sins of a persons life, it is the desire to want to and strive to repent of that sin and to be free from it that is key.

There should be a spiritual desire to be in the word.

The Psalms show this type of desire

Psalm 1:1–2 (CSB)

1 How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.

Psalm 119:1 (CSB)

1 How happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk according to the Lord’s instruction!

Psalm 119:10–14 (CSB)

10 I have sought you with all my heart; don’t let me wander from your commands.

11 I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.

12 Lord, may you be blessed; teach me your statutes.

13 With my lips I proclaim all the judgments from your mouth.

14 I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees as much as in all riches.