Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION:

Believers are responsible for helping restore straying sinners to the truth.

James 5:19-20 “19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

we need see it is the church’s responsibility to restoring each other to gospel truth.

Notice first James’ use of “anyone.”+

James 5:19“19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,

We are all vulnerable to straying.

Anyone is vulnerable to wandering from gospel truth.

Nobody in here is immune to wandering away from the truth.

And if you think that you are immune, you’re in a very dangerous place.

Take heed, lest you fall.

we’re all vulnerable to wandering away from the truth of the gospel.

This is why Paul’s counsel in Galatians 6:1 is so important for us to remember when we’re in a situation of restoring someone caught in sin:

Galatians 6:1 “1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

We’re all vulnerable to stray,

and that should not only keep us humbly crying out to the Lord;

that should also shape how much you see your need for each other to keep you on the right path.

Each one of us is called to restore the straying.

Secondly notice that anyone can act to bring the wanderer back:

James 5:19“19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone [or “anyone,” same word] brings him back,“

In other words, restoring the wayward person is not restricted to the elders, or to the ministry leaders I Timothy 5:19-20 “19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.

20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”

Restoring a wayward person doesn’t begin with you coming to tell the elders what’s going on,

it begins with you going to the wayward person.

Of course we’ll gladly walk alongside you and pray for you, if you need counsel and assistance.

But restoring the wayward person is for all the church’s members, not just a select few.

f you’re not the wayward person, I hope you’re the one chasing after the wayward person.

Anyone who loves Jesus and who loves the gospel truth entrusted to the church can and should act if they see a brother or sister wandering from gospel truth.

Gospel truth corrects only insofar as we speak it to each other.

The Devil's goal is to redirect you away from the Truth

The Church's job is to redirect you back to the Truth

That task is often about as pleasant as trying to help a wounded dog—you’re probably going to get bit no matter how gently you try to help.

When you’re successful, it’s a moment of great joy,

as when a search and rescue team announces,

“We have found him and he is alive and well.”

Yes!

But even the hope of success doesn’t make the task any easier.

So what does it mean to restore a wayward believer.

James 5:19 “19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back,”

Recognize spiritual strays

This warning is rather pointed, so let's make sure we understand it properly.

They are fellow believers.

First and foremost, we must recognize that James is writing to believers.

He calls his readers ''my brothers'' (adelphos).

This endearing term is used nineteen times in James.

In case there is any question as to the meaning of this word, in three of his usages,

Clearly, James is speaking to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

This is also confirmed by the phrase ''any among you.''

The spiritual stray under consideration, identified as ''among you,'' is among the ''brethren'' to whom James has just referred in 5:13-14.

In these verses, no one questions the identity of the one who is suffering, cheerful, or healed.

It is a believer.

This is also the case in 5:19a.

They have wandered from God.

The word ''strays'' (planao) means, ''to wander away'' and is often used of straying sheep.

Jesus uses this term in Matt 18:12 of a sheep that has wandered off and must be recovered by the shepherd.

Like sheep, believers are prone to wander.

Even though we have a sinless Shepherd who loves us, protects us, and has sacrificed Himself for us (John 10:1-30),

we still wander away from the abundant life He promises (John 10:11).

The verb planao was also used of planets.

As the ancients watched and mapped the night sky, they saw that certain ''stars'' did not follow a regular orbit.

They called them ''the wanderers.''

We know these today as our solar system's planets.

Here, a believer who was in proper orbit around the Son of God strays out of his appointed place in the heavens.

Such a one was reflecting the light of the Son, but a black hole of trial or temptation sucked him out of orbit.

The great hymn, ''Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,'' states it well: '

'Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;

prone to leave the God I love.''

This sobering reality is true for all of us.

Illustration: The Sun always shines

The Sun is a light 24 hours a day, seven days a week... all year long.

All decade long... all century long.

In fact, since God created the sun, it has always been a bright light.

But even though the sun consistently shines, here on the earth it still gets dark.

The reason is because the earth turns.

The earth experiences darkness because it spins on its axis.

Therefore the side that faces the sun gets light and the side that is facing away doesn't.

If there's darkness in your life, it's not because God, (the Father of Lights) is turning... it's because you are turning.

You will experience darkness if you turn your back on God!

He is the Father of Lights and in Him there is no shadow.

There is no darkness.

He's faithful and consistent.

Just like the sun, He is always shining... that's why we must face him and pursue him and never turn our backs on him.

But when a brother or sister finds themselves in darkness... it's our job as the body of Christ...

it's our job as the Church to pray for them and be proactive in retrieving them.

They are morally compromised

Here, straying from ''the truth'' (cf.

3:14) concerns moral compromise, not doctrinal defection.

This is evident from the content of the entire letter.

James repeatedly exhorts his readers to live godly lives, and at times even rebukes them for practicing evil (e.g.,

sinful speech, disobedience, unconcern for others, quarrelling, favoritism, unspiritual wisdom, boasting, oppression of the poor, inappropriate swearing, prayer without faith, etc.).

Yet, he nowhere expresses concern for their theological orthodoxy.

It is also likely that many of James' readers were attempting to evade the suffering and persecution that accompanied following Christ (1:2-4; 2:6-7; 5:4-6, 7-11).

James says, ''Your beliefs are not necessarily your problem; but your behavior is what you must watch out for.''

Indeed, we are all capable of straying.

So what should be done with a straying saint?

They need turned around.

James expects his readers to confront those who wander from the truth and attempt to restore them to fellowship.

The verb ''turns him back'' (epistrepho) means to turn about, turn towards.

The idea is to return to a point or area where one has been before.