Sermon Tone Analysis

Open your Bibles to James 1:17. 

•We are in week two of our three-week Advent series celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

•This morning we are going to consider the generosity of our good God.

I had a dear sister in this congregation tell me that having an Advent series is doing her heart good this year.

•And that’s because she is prone to take her eyes off of Christ and be consumed with how hectic things can get with planning, gift buying, organizing, and all the other things that come with a national holiday that has so much emphasis in our culture.

•So, my prayer is that this short series reminds us of what is important: Jesus Christ.

•May our eyes be ever fixed on Him. 

•And not only at Christmastime, but every day of our lives, that we might praise and worship God with hearts of gratitude.

Now, it’s customary among Christians to give gifts during this time of year.

•Why is that?

The time of year that the birth of Christ is on our minds is the same time that we give gifts.

•Why?

•Among other reasons, it’s partially to do with the fact that we are celebrating the great gift-giving God. 

•We’re celebrating that Jesus Christ has come.

That He was given by the Father, by His grace, as a gift to sinners who will receive Him. 

It’s not a stretch to say that, at Christmas, we are celebrating the generosity of God toward sinners.

•And so, I thought it fitting to preach a sermon about our good, gift-giving God.

The text before us reminds us that everything good that we have comes from God.

•And He gives us good gifts because He is unchangeably good.

•And since all we have is from God, it comes to us as a gift.

It’s all by grace because we deserve nothing.

•Brothers and sisters, our God is kind and generous toward us.

Now, James 1:17 comes to us in a context where certain Christians were being tempted to accuse God of tempting them to sin. 

•And James is dealing with that in the passage where we find v17.

And in that verse James makes a statement about God’s goodness that refutes the idea that God would tempt anyone to sin. 

•And in making that statement in v17, James gives us a broad and universal declaration that all good gifts come from God. 

•And so, I want to focus on that broad truth this morning.

And try to do so somewhat in light of our Advent celebration.

In this sermon, I simply want to remind us all of what God has given us.

•I want to set before us the goodness and generosity of God.

I want to remind each of us of the character of God. 

•And I want to, by way of reminder, tell you what all God has given you.

ESPECIALLY if you are a Christian.

•And if you’re hear and you’re not a believer, I want to tell you what God offers you in Jesus Christ if you will only repent and believe on Him.

I have hopes for this sermon:

•My prayer is that this sermon will stoke our affection for God, increase our gratitude for all that He has done for us, and cause us to worship Jesus Christ for the true Gift that He is.

•May God bless us this morning as we turn to His Word.

If you would, and are able, please stand with me now for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. 

James 1:17

[17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

(PRAY)

Our Heavenly Father, 

We thank for you another opportunity to gather and worship you.

And for another opportunity to humble ourselves before your Word.

Your Word is truth.

It is precious to us.

It reminds us of all that we are so prone to forget.

It sees through us.

It reveals us to ourselves.

And it shows us your kindness toward us.

Most of all, your kindness to give us your Son, Jesus Christ.

And so we ask this morning that you would quiet our minds from all that would distract us from hearing your voice.

Open our hearts to receive your Word, see your goodness, be encouraged, and to value Christ as the Gift that He is.

Have mercy on us this morning.

And glorify yourself in us as you change us by your Word and Spirit.

We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.

Amen.

1.)

Did you know that you have, in the ultimate sense, earned literally nothing good that you possess?

•I’m not saying that you didn’t work, or that you didn’t plan, or that you weren’t wise, or that you didn’t put forth any effort.

•I’m not trying to take that away from you at all.

No doubt, you put in some effort for much of what you have.

•But in the MOST ULTIMATE SENSE, you’ve not earned anything that you have.

•That’s what James is declaring to each of us in this passage.

Everything is a gift from God. 

•As James says, “EVERY good gift and EVERY perfect gift…”

•It’s being emphasized here.

It’s almost grammatically redundant.

•If it is good, it is a gift from God to you.

EVERYTHING good is a gift.

We know that good things don’t simply exist necessarily, don’t we?

•They must have a source.

•And James tells us that the source of all good, the source of every good and perfect gift is “the Father of lights.”

•James is referring to God here.

He is the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars.

The Father of lights.

The Creator of all things.

•So all that is good has been made, instituted, formed, designed, and given by God. 

•All pleasure, everything that is delightful finds its origin in Him in one way or another.

Now, I want to be clear, man corrupts and and abuses and sins often with these good gifts.

•But the goodness of anything, the delightfulness of anything, even the ability to delight and profit or feel any good is FROM GOD. 

•The drunkard abuses the good gift of wine.

The fornicator abuses the good gift of intimacy.

•But the gifts themselves, considered in themselves, are still good gifts.

They’ve just been abused by the wicked.

•So, again, all that is good is from God.

And the wickedness of men does not change the goodness of the gift itself.

And this text establishes clearly that everything that you have has been GIVEN to you.

•This is reasonable, isn’t it?

•Where did you get the good thing from?

•It didn’t come from you.

That much is clear.

What you have, the good thing is NOT YOU.

And so, it came from OUTSIDE of you.

•Therefore, it must have been GIVEN in some sense.

•And, obviously, this thought is biblical, for James speaks of “good GIFTS.”

And gifts, by definition, must be GIVEN.

•The Apostle Paul tells us “For who sees anything different in you?

What do you have that you did not receive?

If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

(1 Corinthians 4:7)