Sermon Tone Analysis

Demonic ambitions 14-16

Pure

Wisdom from above

Peaceable

Gentle

Open To Reason

Full of Mercy

Impartial

Sincere - lacking pretense

Demonic ambitions 14-16

selfish ambitions = demonic ambitions

To allow jealousy and selfish ambition to rule our thoughts is to allow a devilish agenda to dominate our lives

To allow jealousy and selfish ambition to rule our thoughts is to give in to cleverly disguised demonic influences

1942 - Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

“It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.

If this fails, you must fall back on a subtler misdirection of his intention.

Whenever they are attending to the Enemy Himself we are defeated, but there are ways of preventing them from doing so.

The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him towards themselves”

This is why, as in life, we cannot allow individual selfish whims to reign in the Sunday meeting of God’s Church.

We are here to corporately worship, that is to join with others in pleasing God, not self.

Disorder & every vile practice

In the worship service:

1 cor 14:

1 cor 14:

In life:

This is the pitiful description of Israel at the end of the book of Judges, a record of consistent failure and warfare.

This is NOT a prescription for right Kingdom living.

Let us pray God aides us in fighting against a jealous and self-important spirit in our own hearts and church.

There is a wisdom from above that is not selfish.

Wisdom from above - 17-18

Pure

We are so broken in our mind and emotions, that wisdom that is pure must necessarily be given directly from God

Solomon, Peter’s revelation from the Father rather than from flesh and blood

Peaceable

Sometimes conflict is necessary in our lives, in our churches, that error and offense be confronted.

There is grace and scripture to guide us through those times.

One who is known to seek conflict is one NOT seeking or displaying godly, pure wisdom.

Those, however who are consistently seeking in as much as they can with regards to righteousness to be peaceful with all, they are showing a clear picture of Christ

The sense of peace and unity we have experienced these past 5 years, not without disagreement & not without opportunity to clash, should be viewed as both extraordinary gift of God and as evidence of a general orientation toward the wisdom from above, and it is my sincere hope, prayer, and intent that we press further into this aim and continue in this way.

Gentle

Those who truly have felt the gentle touch of Jesus, have lovingly been held in the Father’s arms in our moments of deepest distress and fear and failure ought to seek to emulate that

Open To Reason

April 18, 1521 - Martin Luther

"Unless I am convicted by scripture and plain reason - I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God.

I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.

God help me.

Amen."

We ought to be the most open people, if we are living by the Word of God, why would we ever be defensive?

Do we not think that God is able to defend Himself?

Full of Mercy - he with no sin may cast the first stone

Impartial - I pray we always are given the eyes of Christ

Sincere - lacking pretense

They don’t look like church people

in that they didn’t look like they were trying to impress anybody; they just loved each other and wanted to be at church

She said she wished we were going to our church with you in the morning.

The church here doesn’t have the love of MJ

a harvest of righteousness

God grant that we may continue to seek after and display that wisdom from above, and so visibly show Christ to our loved ones and the world around us.

You don’t ask - 4:1-2

Jesus on murder and quarreling:

Note that James here pictures people focusing on substance, and on those with that substance; on gaining by means of violence.

Prayer is the opposite of this.

No one says a prayer, sings a hymn, then robs a bank

No one says a prayer, sings a hymn, then robs a bank

Chris Rice - Prone To Wander Lyrics

On the surface not a ripple

Undercurrent wages war

Quiet in the sanctuary

Sin is crouching at my door

(CHORUS)

How can I be so prone to wander

So prone to leave You

So prone to die

And how can You be so full of mercy

You race to meet me and bring be back to life

I wake to find my soul in fragments

Given to a thousand loves

But only One will have no rival

Hangs to heal me, spills His blood

Curse-reversing Day of Jesus

When You finally seize my soul

Freedom from myself will be

The sweetest rest I've ever known

Read more: Chris Rice - Prone To Wander Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Faithful prayer is going to HIm who knows our needs and believing that He provides apart or in spite of our efforts

You ask wrong - 4:3-7

James 4:3

James 4

1 john

God is jealous over you

Clear the Stage by Jimmy Needham

Anything I put before my God is an idol

Anything I want with all my heart is an idol

Anything I can't stop thinking of, is an idol

Anything that I give all my love, is an idol

The Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot

We are a beautiful let down

Painfully uncool

The church of the dropouts

The losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools