Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Introduction
Prayer
I.
The Reading
A reading from James 4:4-10, reading from the English Standard Version translation of the Bible.
This is God’s Word:
[ Scripture Reading ~2 min ]
Say Amen
If you accept this word for what it really is, the word of God and not the word of men, would you say with faith, “Amen”?
(1 Thess 2:13 ; 1 Cor 14:16)
Amen.
II.
The Exhortation | (4-6)
The book of James is a letter, addressed to “the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1).
James is writing to Jewish Christians who have been scattered abroad as a result of persecution (PNTC).
We know this because he begins his letter with encouraging words:
James is a letter written for Christians in conflict.
At least fifteen times, James directly addresses those he’s writing as “my brothers.”
James 1:2 (ESV)
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
James 1:16 (ESV)
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
James 3:1 (ESV)
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
James 5:7 (ESV)
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.
“My brothers…my sisters...”
This is familial language used of men and women who are members together of the same family, fellow believers in Christ (LN), sharing a common Father, who is God.
But in Chapter 4, James uses a different address for his brothers.
It’s so shocking, that we are tempted to think James has changed his audience, that he’s now talking to someone else — but he’s not.
James is still speaking to his beloved brothers, but he does not call them brothers here.
James is speaking now, as a faithful friend who is willing to wound by speaking the truth they need to hear.
When the truth is spoken in love, brothers and sisters, it can wound.
It can hurt.
But nevertheless, it is the truth that will set us free (Jn 8.32).
James draws attention to the seriousness of sin and summons his brothers to repent.
He uses language familiar to their ancestors, ancient Israel, and calls them what they are:
You adulterous people!
(4:4)
You sinners... (4:8)
You double-minded…(4:8)
This is not a warning for what the brothers might become, if they are not careful.
Neither is this a recalling of what the brothers once had been, once upon a time.
This is a rebuke of what they presently are.
They are an adulterous people!
What is adultery?
Adultery is when a married person enters into an intimate, sexual relationship with a person outside of that marriage - with a person that is not his or her spouse.
Adultery is marital unfaithfulness.
Literally, James calls his brothers adulteresses.
Being the Church, the bride of Christ, married to Christ, they have entered into intimate relationships outside the bonds of their covenant union with their Lord.
This is not adultery of a fleshly nature.
It is spiritual adultery.
Look at verse 5:
This is spiritual adultery.
It is spiritual conflict.
And God sees it and God will not stand idly by as His bride goes off after others.
God will do something about it.
God will bring about spiritual conflict — against Him!
This is a spiritual conflict that is avoidable.
Some spiritual conflict cannot be avoided, but other spiritual conflict must be avoided.
We see this with Job, who was a blameless and upright man, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
Job did what was right - yet God sovereignly arranged and allowed for Job to experience spiritual conflict.
Job could not avoid it, for he wasn’t part of the conversation.
We see this with Jesus in the wilderness.
The Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested by the devil.
The Spirit moved Jesus and empowered Jesus for spiritual conflict that was to him, unavoidable.
But with the woman and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, God had given the man and the woman dominion over all the earth and over every creeping thing (Gen 1.26).
They could have cast the serpent out of the Garden and avoided further conflict but instead they listened to the voice of the Devil and let him keep his place in the Garden.
They allowed sin to creep in.
James is speaking about a kind of spiritual conflict that is avoidable, and must be avoided.
The kind of conflict that is caused by human sin.
4.4
These brothers are married to Christ but also flirt with the world.
To them, Christ isn’t enough.
They want Christ and also another.
They want to enjoy the benefits of both relationships (REC).
And God will not allow this!
The Church is not an open relationship competing with other alliances, other allegiances, other associations.
Membership with Christ through His Church is exclusive, and is not shared with other affections.
God will not share His bride with another.
God will not accept part of us; He demands all of us.
A covenant relationship with God does not allow, even for friendship with the world!
We must let other associations go.
James looks at his brothers, and they are stained from the world.
They are not pure.
The world is visible all over them.
They show partiality when they gather together, favoring the rich man over the poor.
They have made distinctions among themselves and become judges with evil thoughts (James 2:1-4).
They curse people who are made in the likeness of God with their tongue, which is a restless evil.
Their words are full of deadly poison (James 3:8-9).
Their hearts have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in them.
They boast and are false to the truth.
They promote an earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom through disorder and every vile practice (James 3:14-16).
They let their passions war within themselves so that they quarrel and fight.
Their desires lead to murder and they covet (James 4:1-3).
They are stained by sin.
Having aligned themselves with the world, they become enemies of God, and God has become enemies of them (TNTC).
God is holy.
God’s Church is holy.
We have to decide by faith:
Is God alone enough for us?
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