Sermon Tone Analysis
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*James 5:12-20*
*Welcome*
*Introduction of newcomers*
*Warm up:*
*Prayer*
*The Lesson*
* *
!
I. Introduction
!! A. In general, what your goal for coming to Sunday School?
!!! 1.
To learn more about the Bible?
!!! 2. Because we’re commanded to by God?
!!! 3. Because the fellowship or teaching is good?
!!! 4. Because my ride goes to Sunday School?
!! B. All of these are well and fine, but are these good answers?
!! C. Talking to my wife about my reasons for teaching:
!!! 1. God’s call to serve
!!! 2. Because I like to teach and it is satisfying to be useful (as opposed to engineering)
!!!!! (1) But, again, are these good answers?
!! D. What is the purpose of this exercise we call Sunday School?
!! E. Key issue: Realizing that S.S. really is not necessarily the things mentioned before, however good they are, but S.S. really is the discovery of our character in light of God’s character.
!!! 1.
What is Christian character?
!!! 2. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it is: “The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.”
!!! 3.
So what is that to us? Applied to Christians, it is those things that set us apart from non-Christians
!!! 4. As it applies to S.S., that means that what we do here is not:
!!!! a) To be able to understand theology, or
!!!! b) To fulfill obligations that we feel are placed on us by God or other men~/women,
!!!! c) Nor is it because the teachers are cool.
!!! 5. We (teachers included) are here to build on our relationship with Jesus; to understand the characteristics of God as spoken through the Bible.
!!! 6. Understanding God’s attributes will result in changes in our lives as we discover how the Lord speaks to us.
!! F. How does James fit in?
!! G. James fulfills that question, “What should I (the reader) be doing or can do that indicates a growing relationship with God?”
That is, what are the fruits, the signs of those who are walking with God?
!
II.
Prelude
!! A. From last week, James addresses these questions in three areas (as I see them):
!!! 1. How the rich act (counter example)
!!! 2. Waiting patiently for the Lord’s will
!!! 3. Endurance through trials, unjust treatment so as not to incur judgment.
!! B. This week is simply a continuation of James’ commands about behavior.
James is teaching us (the reader) about Christian Character.
It may not be couched in those terms, but it is essentially what is happening.
!! C. When I say character,
!!! 1.
I speak not of that quality where we can withstand the wrongs of life, (although that is part of it) -- this is the Calvin and Hobbes type of character, y’know, “Do it, it builds character”.
!!! 2. I don’t speak of character as those who have a particular personality or some inner strength, (although they may be a part of it for some)
!! D. When I say character, I speak about Christian Character: the behavior or qualities that set us apart from others because God has made Himself known to us.
!! E. It is this through God’s continuing revelation of Himself to us that cause these qualities in us.
!! F. So now, what can this week’s passage say about character?
!
III.
Christian Character Means Being Trustworthy
!! A. What is trustworthy?
!!! 1. Warranting trust; reliable; dependable; responsible
!!! 2. Ask yourself right now, are you trustworthy?
!! B. What the passage tells us about keeping our word
!!! 1. Do not swear by heaven or earth or any other oath
!!! 2. Simply let your yes be “yes” and your no be “no”
!!! 3. => Let all that you say be truthful
!!!! a) You keep your word
!!!! b) You do not deceive
!!!! c) You are forthright in speaking
!!! 4. James is addressing an issue that Jesus spoke of that of speaking truthfully.
!!!! a) Oaths are taken to get somebody to believe in what you had said.
It is a statement made about the truthfulness of something said dependent on the value of what you swear by.
!!!! b) Jesus, in Mt. 23:16-22 spoke against those who had set up a system of oaths, whereby there were “less serious” oaths and “really serious oaths”.
!!!! c) Jesus, in Mt. 5:33-37 simply states, as James reiterates, to let your word be your truth.
No shading, no gray truth, no half-yeses.
!!! 5. In all things , you should conduct yourself in such a manner so that (as one person states) your word is your bond.
That is, in whatever you say you will do, do.
In whatever you say you will not do, don’t.
Our words and our truthfulness should be consistent with our actions to the point where they will not be questioned.
!! C. Illustration
!!! 1.
If I were to tell you right now that I will not attend a single baseball game, nor purchase anything related to baseball for this year because of my personal convictions, what do you expect from me?
!!! 2. Now, what if I had told you that such thing and, say, two to three months from now, I got free tickets from a friend to go see the Dodgers and I went.
How would you perceive me then?
!! D. What this means to our character
!!! 1. God desires us to be truthful, no lying.
!!! 2. Sometimes this means pain.
!
IV. Christian Character Means Praying
!! A. What the passage teaches about prayer
!! B. When are we to pray?
!!! 1. Pray during suffering
!!!! a) This means pray when we are encountering struggles, pains, sorrows.
!!!! b) Remember in James 1, he tells us to endure through trials; when we cannot understand those trials, we are to ask for wisdom from God.
!!!! c) It is natural for us to pray during hardship
!!!! d) It is probable that we will undergo hardship for the rest of our lives (it don’t get any easier, folks)
!!!! e) What does prayer accomplish?
!!! 2. Praise for blessings
!!!! a) We are to pray when things go well (cheerful)
!!!! b) This means to give our praise to God to thank Him for our current good state.
Remember: all good things are from God
!!!! c) What does prayer accomplish?
!!!!! (1) Humility: understanding and perspective (James 1:17)
!!!!! (2) Giving honor to God as it is due to Him
!!! 3. Prayer for others who are suffering
!!!! a) We are commanded to intercede for others when we see them suffer.
!!!! b) What does prayer accomplish?
!!!!! (1) Much: the prayer of a righteous man availeth much
!!!!! (2) These accomplishments may come in several flavors:
!!!!!! (a) God’s deliverance from our afflictions
!!!!!! (b) Changed attitudes
!!!!! (3) We have to realize that just because we pray for something, it may be out of God’s will
!!!!! (4) ex: lottery, car, s~/t sinful
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