Sermon Tone Analysis

I read a story the other day about a man who was late for church…

As he snuck in the back of the sanctuary, he asked one of the men standing there: “Is the sermon done yet?”

The man responded: “The sermon has been preached, but it has not yet been done.”

The sermon isn’t done when it has been preached, but when it is put into practice!

(What a statement!

One of the biggest challenges in the Church is the gulf between the message preached and it being practiced in the life of the believer!)

Charles Spurgeon once asked: “To what purpose do I stand here so often, and pour out my soul before you…?

I am an unhappy sower, if all the handfuls of seed which I scatter must needs fall upon unbroken soil, to be devoured of birds, and never take root.”

Every pastor I know can empathize with Spurgeon’s concern here… and so does James…

Our preaching — our message — our faith — is worthless if it is not put into practice!

A.W. Tozer laments: “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun… It is the glaring disparity between theology and practice among professing Christians.

So wide is the gulf that separates theory from practice in the church that an inquiring stranger who chances upon both would scarcely dream that there was any relation between them.”

He goes on:

“An intelligent observer of our human scene who heard the Sunday morning sermon and later watched the Sunday afternoon conduct of those who had heard it would conclude that he has been examining two distinct and contrary religions… It appears that too many Christians want to enjoy the thrill of FEELING right, but are not willing to endure the inconvenience of BEING right.”

OUCH!!!!

That’s harsh!

I want to be optimistic and say that we aren’t like that in the Church today… BUT… in reality we are!

Far too often we are just hearers rather than doers of the word.

Too many people today want to hear “well-worded” and “well-spoken” sermons… they want to be “lifted up” and made to “feel” good, but not expected to do anything.

There are far too many people — both pastors and lay people — who would rather talk about theology than Practice theology.

But… That is not what God wants!!!

I said before: James is the most practical book in the Bible.

James confronts these people… He confronts us… and says: “You cannot be this way!

You cannot simply hear the Word and do nothing with it… That kind of FAITH is worthless!”

A Faith that Works is not about “head knowledge”… it is not about appearances… or popularity… it is about PRACTICE!

James tells us to

James 1:22 (NRSV)

22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

and then in verse 26 he says:

James doesn’t say “This is the way you SHOULD live.”

As if there is a choice…

He boldly confronts us and says: “Be DOERS of the Word”, and to “Bridle our tongues.”

In other words, “If you are not living in this way… then your religion is… WORTHLESS!!!!”

Look at verse 26:

Did you hear that last part?

(we often miss it)

James tells us to “keep ourselves UNSTAINED by the world.”

Twice in this passage, James warns us against self-deception…

— we tend to set up our ideas about the Christian life… to make little gods out of them… that allow us to live comfortably in our own wills, all the while convincing ourselves that we are living according to God’s will…

Let me tell you:

satan loves for us to profess our faith while not putting it into practice.

— satan doesn’t care if you are religious, or if you read the Bible, or even if you have a ton of it memorized… he only cares whether you PRACTICE it or not!

(Truth) satan will not try to get you to not profess faith, only to not PRACTICE it… (and worse, he’ll make you feel good about it!)

But… God is not happy with that…

God desires a “religion” — a Faith — that changes lives!

James could have substituted a lot of things for “controlling his tongue” here…

— lust

— hatred

— hostility

True Religion makes a Difference!

A Faith that Works is heart felt and life changing.

William Barclay — “James does well to remind us that that which is heard in the Holy Place must be lived in the market place — or there is no point in hearing at all.”

In verse 19 and in verse 22, James tells us to “be quick to listen” and then to “do what it says”…

He is referring to the idea of “shema”.... “Shema” means “to hear”… to truly understand…

This is the statement of faith that is supposed to push Jewish believers into action…

James is telling them — us — “if one hears, but doesn’t act on it, then he doesn’t really hear at all.”

Faith matters… James is concerned with True Faith!

He is concerned with a Faith that is concerned with both HEARS the Word of God AND PUTS IT INTO PRACTICE!

— Faith is not merely hearing and believing — it is ACTING on what we believe.

James is saying: “A Faith that Works is Faith in ACTION…”

And that is characterized by three things: Godly Language, Godly Love, and Godly Lifestyle.

Let’s break those down.

Godly Language.

In verse 26, he adds:

I can’t think of a more practical test than this one.

Are we able to listen?

Do we know when to hold our tongue?

Can we control our temper?

Let me tell you… being known for a sharp tongue and a quick temper does not make us an effective influence for Christ.

There was a young man who once approached Socrates to ask him to teach him the gift of great oratory…

The man — in an attempt to impress — made his request with an incessant stream of words…

Finally, Socrates put his hand over the young man’s mouth and said, “Young man, I shall have to charge you double!”

The man asked him “why?”

Socrates said, “I will have to teach you two sciences — how to hold your tongue, and then how to use it wisely.”

Religion that makes a difference is characterized by GODLY LANGUAGE.

2. Godly Love.

Authentic Faith is relationship oriented.

Christianity is not a “success” plan or system… It is a way of life!

Scripture reveals that everything boils down to two commands: Love God and Love your neighbor.

False religion attempts to pile up good works in order to win acceptance…

But, true religion — true faith — accepts God’s gracious love and passes it on to others.

True Faith looks in the mirror — It notes who we are - not compared to others, but compared to God… and it recognizes the GRACE that He has given to us.

God’s love is far more than a love that says “Because you love me, I love you back.”

It is not about a “return on the investment,” or a “you have to earn it” thing…

God’s Love is freely given… not a response…

God’s love is a love for those who are down trodden and in distress — a love for the vulnerable and weak — a love for the unlovable — Church that’s us!!!

God’s Love is a love for us!

When we don’t deserve it!

We are told to Love our neighbors… and to Love our brothers and sisters…

But… Who is our neighbor?

Who is our brother and sister?

They are the same… they are those whom God loves!

If we are going to have a Faith that makes a difference, the we must have hearts that beat and break for the things that burden the heart of God.

As long as there are widows and orphans in the world… as long as there are homeless and poor people… as long as there are victims of abuse, crime, and illness… then we, Christians, are called to do something about it.

Why?

Because God cares!

Our Faith makes no difference unless it is characterized by GODLY LOVE.

And Godly Love looks out for the needs of others.

3. GODLY LIFESTYLE.

and in