Sermon Tone Analysis

Who is responsible?

This is an important question we must continually answer.

Responsibility is a tremendously important concept we are lacking in our world.

To sin is human.

To blame the divine, or someone else, is even more human.

The world of the first century was filled with fatalistic blaming of the gods for everything.

If something bad happened it had to be “Zeus” or one of the others fault.

Homer in the Odyssey states, “It is incredible how easily human beings blame the gods and believe us to be the source of their troubles, when it is their own wickedness and stupidity that brings upon them sorrows more severe than any which Destiny would assign.”

We need to re-gain personal responsibility.

Our world will not manufacture this for us, we must create it.

James a lot to say about personal responsibility in our text.

Are we ready to hear it.

The Bad—the nature of humans is not “good”.

We are not by nature “good” and “pure” human beings.

We are capable of great evil.

I mean great evil.

Humans naturally create, sustain and endorse sin.

This is what James is saying.

Sin is something inside us.

It isn’t outside that comes as an attack.

It isn’t “the devil made me do it” nor is it “God caused this to happen...”

The answer is not self-help, self-awareness, or even self-reflection.

I am not against any of those things but we cannot analyze nor counselor ourselves out of the cycle of sin and shame enough to stop our nature.

Sin may start with a subtle “lie”.

It is just enough of a “lure” and trick to get us wondering, questioning, hoping, and wishing something to be true which leads down to sin and death.

The Good—God gives gifts.

This is the good news of Scripture.

God by his nature and character is good.

This is why he is the standard.

Jesus said, be perfect as God is perfect.

The Good—God gives gifts.

He is faithful to provide.

Notice the gifts of God.

Count your blessings and name them one-by-one.

Interesting enough some research is coming out about how to hardwire happiness in our heads.

God has given birth to us—we are the firstfruits among nature.

By His grace and truth we have been given new life, a new birth, not by the “normal” birthing process but by the Spirit.

This is what Jesus was saying in John 3 to Nicodemus.

The Unchanged—God does not have a shadow.

God is the father of all lights, creator of all.

He does not shift nor move like our solar system.

He has no shadow, meaning nothing shines beyond him.

No wonder in the future city there is no sun or moon.

The goal—to have Christ formed in us.

Our goal as believers is not to focus on our destination—heaven, but on how much we are being formed into being like Christ.