Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro:

A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence.

He said, "Yeah, my wife and I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such."

His neighbor commented, "Really.

What was the name of the speaker?"

The man answered, "Ah, ah, what's the name of that flower that smells so good and has thorns?"

"You mean a rose?"

"Yeah, that's it."

He called over his shoulder, "Rose, what was the name of that speaker we heard yesterday?"

We humans often have a hard time remembering things.

My memory has gotten so bad I figure that within a few years I should be able to hide my own Easter eggs.

The Lord knows how short our memories are, so throughout the Bible we find Him reminding us of things again and again, and even doing things to help us remember.

There are rainbows, books, and stacked stones to name some.

Jesus used parables and items around Him in those parables, to help people remember what He taught; but in the whole Bible there is no reminder more important or significant than the one He established the night before His crucifixion.

It is Communion, the Lord's Supper.

Jesus says, "Do this in remembrance of Me."

The whole meal is a reminder of Him, and the two elements of the meal remind us about Him.

Transition:

But before we get into celebrating communion together, let’s see what James says that we shouldn’t forget:

James now brings to attention several issues here, but four general categories emerge.

(1) We are often guilty of worldly speech, whether it is an outburst of anger or premeditated gossip.

(2) More and more, it seems, we are sure that we have been wronged and assume the posture of righteous anger, confident that God is on our side.

(3) Our culture exposes us to moral filth, a situation that requires careful introspection.

(4) We cannot forget the image we see when we look into the mirror of God’s Word.

So let’s now look closer in this passage

“quick to hear, slow to speak” This is a proverbial saying:

(cf.

Prov.

10:19; 13:3; 16:32; 29:20).

Verses 22–25 relate to this first imperative phrase.

Indeed when you diagram that Greek sentences, it becomes clear that James is saying the way we are doers of the word and not hearers by being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

James’ expression be “quick to hear” is his way of exhorting us to active listening.

We are not simply to refrain from speaking; we are to be ready and willing to listen.

This “quick” listening is obviously to be done with discernment.

We are to check what we hear with God’s word.

If we don’t listen both carefully and quickly, we are liable to be led into all kinds of false teaching and error.

Quick to hear and slow to speak should really be understood as two sides of the same coin.

Slowness in speech doesn’t refer to my preaching!

It rather means speaking with humility and patience, not with a quick reply or nonstop rambling.

how many times have you, maybe during an argument, cut somebody off as they were trying to explain something thinking that you knew what they were going to say next, and it turning out that where you thought that they were going with the conversation was completely wrong?

Constant talking can keep you from being able to hear.

Wisdom, here, is not always having something to say; but rather it is listening carefully, considering prayerfully, and speaking gently.

When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to others that we know our ideas are much more important than theirs.

James says here to reverse this process.

When people talk to you, do they feel open and safe enough to believe that their viewpoints and ideas have value to you?

“slow to anger”

Anger in this context refers either to Persecutions, trials, or temptations .

We should also be slow to get angry.

Anger closes our minds to God’s truth.

Anger pushes us to too much fast talking and not enough quick listening!

Anger in of itself is not necessarily a sin (lest Jesus be accused of sin in the cleansing of the Temple or His harsh words to the Pharisees), but it is a God-given emotion easily used by Satan.

When injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because others are being hurt.

But we should not become angry when we fail to win an argument, or when we feel offended or neglected.

Selfish anger never helps anybody (see Ecclesiastes 7:9; Matthew 5:21–26; Ephesians 4:26).

Angry Christians distort the message that our God is trying to communicate to others through them—anger is not fitting for the believer unless it is Godly anger—an anger toward unrighteousness and sin.

Anger is a stench to others that halts relationships, destroys intimacy, and is worthy of judgement (cf.

Matt.

5:22):

Anger that results in thoughtless, uncontrolled temper and leads to rash, hurtful words can never make things right in God’s sight.

Our anger toward others does not create within us a life that can withstand God’s scrutiny.

Why not?

Because expressed anger tends to be uncontrollable.

Anger is inconsistent with Jesus’ command to love our enemies and not hate our brothers (Matthew 5:21–26).

Illustration:

Just this last week I had the privilege to pray publically at an event at the Caring House.

There, I prayed before abused women & before our Lord.

I asked God publically to keep them from bitterness and to give them the courage to pray for their offenders.

Why? because Jesus tells us to!

Anger usurps YHWH’s role as judge.

In fact, we can be sure our anger is wrong when it keeps us from living as God wants us to live.

“put away all filthiness” This is an AORIST PARTICIPLE in the Greek that is functioning almost as an IMPERATIVE.

This phrase emphasizes our volitional choice and responsibility as believers.

The removal of filthiness usually referred to clothing and is often used as a biblical metaphor for spiritual characteristics.

Its primary usage was “dirty,” as in dirty clothing as with Ephesians 4:

Dirty clothing is also an OT metaphor which is often used for “sin” (Zech.

3:4).

“Vulgarity” is another possible usage of the Greek word, which would then refer to a believer’s speech and is highly likely as well considering the context.

For us today, James, under the Holy Spirit’s moving, is saying: “Stop Cursing!” Bad words are bad words!

then James continues:

“...and rampant wickedness” Other translations say:

NASB “all that remains of wickedness”

NKJV “overflow of wickedness”

NRSV “rank growth of wickedness”

TEV “all wicked conduct”

NJB “remnants of evil”

This “rampant” term is used in the NT of “that which is left over” or an “abundance of” something.

Here, in context it seems to mean “abundant evil,” which would relate it to James’ continuing emphasis on the spoken word.

James is emphasizing and repeating: “Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives.”

Why should we do this?

Progress in our spiritual lives cannot occur unless we see sin for what it is, quit justifying it, and reject it immediately—no questions, just do it!

James’ words here have us getting rid of our bad habits and sin just like stripping off gross clothes.

“…and receive with meekness”

This Greek term mean “gentleness,” “humility,” and “consideration.”

It is the opposite of the harsh, selfish attitudes and actions just spoken of in the start of v. 21.

God’s word, the gospel of Jesus Christ, must be received or Christianity is meaningless to you.

This receiving is both initial repentance, faith unto salvation, and continuing repentance, faith unto godliness and Christlikeness.

The hearing of faith must issue in a life of faith through sanctification.

Three metaphors are used to illustrate the “word”: a seed (this verse); a mirror (v.

23); and a law (v.

25).

“the implanted word” This is the metaphor of planting a seed.

The text could imply that everyone already has the implanted word which they must receive by faith.

This could then be referring to the original creation of humanity, as then could v. 18.

If so it would refer to God’s image in us (cf.