Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Fear
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Analytical
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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A woman had returned home from an evening of church services when she was startled by an intruder robbing her house of its valuables.
She yelled "Stop!
Acts 2:38!" (Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.)
The burglar stopped in his tracks.
The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.
As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: "Why did you just stand there?
All the old lady did was yell a scripture at you."
"Scripture?!" replied the burglar.
"She said she had an Axe and Two 38's."
Historical/Cultural Context -
The book of James was written by the half-brother of Jesus.
The Son of Joseph and Mary.
Written in the early 40s.
He wrote to primarily Jews who were Christians, as at this time it was so early in the spread of Christianity that it had not been widely adopted by non-jews, also known as Gentiles.
James encouraged his readers to live consistent Christian lives in the midst of persecution for their faith in Christ.
Biblical Text -
-[Prayer]-
Life Principle - Conflicts And Entanglement In The World Will Stop Us From Experiencing God.
The Answer Is Repentance.
Life Point - Conflicts Stop Us From Experiencing God
Exegetical -
James 4:1-2 BSB
1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you?
Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? 2 You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it.
You quarrel and fight.
You do not have, because you do not ask.
Homiletical -
Have you ever put thought into where conflicts come in churches?
It is over desires, but much more than that.
It is about passions.
Passion in our life is fantastic, so long as the passion has eternal value.
Passion for prayer, worship; passion for our spouse, passion for serving others.
These things are not only good, but desirable.
James here isn’t talking about these.
He is talking about our passions for pleasure.
Our passion to have our own way.
Our passion in our selfishness.
You would be surprised how passionate some people can be over small things.
I have seen arguments over sprinkler heads, doors, carpets and everything in-between.
I have also seen neighbors feud over things.
Many times this ends in physical altercations.
I listened to a Dateline podcast a while back about two neighbors who had to share a driveway and neither of them wanted to give up control of a 10ft by 8ft easement for access.
So one neighbor, in this highly influential neighborhood, as things escalated he ended up shooting the other neighbor and his wife, Killing them both.
He now resides in prison.
It all comes down to two things.
1) Their craving over this insignificant piece of land (and)
2) Their passion, not only for the land but to get one over on the next guy.
Not once did either of these gentlemen just let it go.
They had to be right.
It all comes down to our sin nature, our desires, our pleasures and to get what is ours.
This continues the thoughts about selfishness that we saw before.
It is about what “I” want, what will make “me” happy.
Many arguments come down to stubbornness, pride, arrogance and passion.
Married couples know this well.
How about your fight over how the tooth paste is handled?
He squeezes it from the bottom.
You just want him to remember the cap afterward.
One solution happy couples use: buy two tubes.
How about reading directions for putting things together?
I know that when I buy prefab furniture, how to put it together.
I don’t need instructions.
That is, until it doesn’t quite look right and my wife says, “I told you to read the directions.”
Now the rest of our main text here says, we do not have, because we do not ask.
Many times people in these situations forget about one little thing.
To ask God.
You see when we are walking in the flesh, the last thing we are going to do is ask God.
Why?
Because if we ask God for it, we immediately sense that in our current state of being, that is our mind, will, and emotions, we are unlikely to receive it from God, because our hearts are not right.
Illustration -
A little girl was being selfish to her brothers.
Her Dad sat her down and gave her a big lecture about being selfish.
When he was done, the little girl said; "Daddy, I don't even have a shell fish!
Life Point - Loving The Things Of This World Stop Us From Experiencing God
Exegetical -
Homiletical -
3 And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.
When someone asks God with wrong motives then they should not expect to receive the thing they asked for, that is, getting it from God.
Why?
Because you would end up squandering it on yourself; Your desires, Your Passions.
Not God’s Desires, His Passions.
So much evil and greed has been done in the name of Church.
I have even seen where in bigger churches, contracts don’t go to the mid-range builder with a good reputation but to the “good ole boy” network.
I know of a 2.1 million dollar building that was supposed to be 2 stories with a gym and a running track on the upstairs portion with multiple meeting rooms of all different sizes around the outside.
Well, the contract went to the “good ole boy” network and ended up spending twice what it was worth and they only got the first level.
The work, by the way, wasn’t great either.
So what happened?
Well this guy, for all looks, looked saved, and besides he was a “good ole boy” surely he wouldn’t spend more than necessary?
Surely he would do the church a solid?
Well, that ain’t what happened.
Many times it will look like someone asked for something and God came through.
You know, that BMW or fur coat?
How do you know it was God?
Maybe you didn’t see the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes.
Maybe you didn’t see the credit that was extended that they can’t pay.
This doesn’t come from God, this comes from man’s selfishness.
Man’s house of cards that can come tumbling down in an instant.
Don’t give God credit for your selfishness.
There are two things we do as humans that are wrong in this area.
1) We don’t give God credit for His goodness in our lives in providing for us.
2) We give God credit for something He didn’t do.
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