Sermon Tone Analysis

I -

W -

TRANSITION: What I experienced is something we all experience a little bit every day.

Neurosciences have a word for this kind of discomfort.

Cognitive Dissonance.

There is a lot more to this idea than we will talk about today.

Scientists believe it is responsible for some of the most illogical things people do!

But for our purposes I am going to simplify it.

Its what happens when two conflicting beliefs or behaviors are charging down the tracks at each other.

Its much easier to see in others than in ourselves.

I want to be healthy but I want the donut

I need to pay my credit cards off BUT That new truck/tv/boat/xbox

You smoke a pack of cigaretts a day BUT Refuse to use Fabreeze b/c of the “cancer causing chemicals

ect.

When your brain notices this kind of conflict it does everything it can (consciously and subconsiously to prevent a TRAINWRECK.

Minimize the importance of one of the Beliefs or Behaviors Or minimize/ignore the conflict

“one donut wont make or break my diet”

Rationalize, Justify, or explain away the difference

“its ok for me to eat this donut because the diet has been going great and I deserve a reward.”

“This is a one time thing, I’ll never do it again

Change and Belief or Behavior - the most difficult and painful option

“Forget being healthy!”OR “I better put the donut back.”

Resolution

you breathe a sigh of relief and the discomfort goes away.

We have a pretty impressive way of handling this feeling but clearly it doesn’t usually lead us in good directions.

It may alieviate pain in the short term but it can cause tremendous long term harm.

We can all think of that person whose life is a trainwreck because of the way the rationalize and excuse terrible life choices.

G -

James is trying to kindle Cognitive Dissonance in his audiance

To show that the beliefs and actions of his readers are in conflict.

(they have resolved it, James wants to UNresolve it.)

He polishes the mirrior, so when they read this letter they SEE themselves + they see that what they THINK (belief, faith, ect.) and what the DO (actions, deeds, works) Are in direct conflict

2 trains barreling down the same track.

James is trying to bring them BACK into a state of Cognitive Dissonance.

(Review last 2 weeks with this in mind - walk through it)

Walk through

[James is polishing that mirror, he is heightening the cognitive dissonance - raising the contradiction - he is not trting to crush them with his harsh rhetoric, but he is trying to make the DISSONANCE CLEAR] {point out zeal progression}

End with.

v.9 Mourn Wail Weep.

James wants them to SEE and FEEL how wrong this is.

He wants them to sit in the Dissonance for a moment

We want to resolve it right away but wait.

See it, feel it, without explaining things away.

Feel the pain of the dissonance.

But James Doesnt leave them and scripture when we look in that mirrior doesnt leave us with HOPELESSNESS.

James gives them an answer, the right way to resolve the Dissonance.

Dont deny, dont minimize, dont despair.

v. 10 “Humble yourselves and he will lift you up.

Stop pretending to be preftect and acknowledge the problem, the disconnect.

The way you words and your beliefs are in conflict.

Admit it and ask God to work on you, to change you.

Even PAUL expreience this gulf between what he believed and how he acted.

Romans 7:21-25

21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Dont deny, dont minimise admit it and let God humble you.

That is James’ message for them, and I belive it is the bibles message for us.

Admit, confess, be humble before God and he will lift you up.

If you do that he wont leave you there for the trainwreck.

he will lift you up.

Y-

Transition: So James has polished up the mirror for us.

And the question is will we have the strength to look at our flaws and our failures?

As you look into that mirrior today.

As you look into that mirrior today.

Is there a pattern of behavior that you know is wrong, but you keep doing it?A way of looking at the world that hurts you and others, but you cant shake it?Is there a value you hold that is at odds with what God wants for you?

If you are seeing those things this morning, my guess is that every part of you is pushing you to resolve the conflict.

To make another excuse for that behavior, to justify that way of looking at the world, or to do some mental gymastics to keep holding that value.

Your mind is telling you if you just ignore it or justify it that feeling will go away.

But if you listen to James, that isnt what God wants for you.He wants to set you free from that behavior, worldview, and misplaced value that is holding your captive.

Humble yourself before the lord and he will lift you up.Humble yourself enough to admit if only to God the wrongness, the way that sin is destroying you and others.

And be willing to accept the free grace he offeres.And you will find freedom on the otherside.

Is there a pattern of behavior that you know is wrong, but you keep doing it?

A way of looking at the world that hurts you and others, but you cant shake it?

Is there a value you hold that is at odds with what God wants for you?

If you are seeing those things this morning, my guess is that every part of you is pushing you to resolve the conflict.

To make another excuse for that behavior, to justify that way of looking at the world, or to do some mental gymastics to keep holding that value.

Your mind is telling you if you just ignore it or justify it that feeling will go away.

But if you listen to James, that isnt what God wants for you.

He wants to set you free from that behavior, worldview, and misplaced value that is holding your captive.

Humble yourself before the lord and he will lift you up.Humble yourself enough to admit if only to God the wrongness, the way that sin is destroying you and others.

And be willing to accept the free grace he offeres.

And you will find freedom on the other-side.

W

James doesn’t speak in this harsh way because he is cruel.

His aim and the aim of scripture isn’t to make us feel bad.

We don’t look into this mirror to make ourselves feel bad.

He is arguing, cajoling, reasoning, pleading with his audience, as God pleads with us, for their and our own benefit.

Because on the other side of humility.

On the otherside of painful cognaitive dissonance.

ON the otherside of confession, on the ohterside of the death of the old self.

On the other side is resurrection.

We resist crossing the river because it looks cold, dangerous, and painful (and it is.)

But redemption, restoration, real growth is right on the otherside.

New Life is on the otherside.

Resurrection is on the ohterside

Eternal life is on the other-side.

But you will never be able to cross on your own.

You need to humble yourself enough to admit the problem, and accept the help of a GOd who is ZEALOUS for you.