james series sermon notes wk 3 sun aug 26 2012
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7/31/2019 James Series Sermon Notes Wk 3 Sun Aug 26 2012
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SermonNotesWk 3 // TheSinofPartiality // Jms 2:1-13
Date: SundayAug 26. 2012Text: James 2:1-13Title: TheSinofPartiality - TheRealityofGod, revealedinhow wetreateachother. // Week 3 of7OUTLINE:
A) TheDeityofChrist - James 2:1-4B) TheGraceofGod - James 2:5-7C) TheWordofGod - James 2:8-11D) TheJudgementofGod - James 2:8-11
INTRODUCTION:
NotonlyarematureChristianspatientintesting ( James 1 ), buttheyalso
practicethetruth. ThisisthethemeofJames 2. Immaturepeopletalkabout
theirbeliefs, butthematurebelieverslivetheirfaith. HearingGod'sWordcan
neverbeasubstitutefordoingGod'sWord.
Everybelieverhassomestatementoffaithorpersonalexpressionofwhathe
orshebelieves. HereatCrossCentralourMissionStatementis:
" WeareacommunityofbelieversthatseektoglorifyGod, throughlives
transformedbythegospelofJesusChrist, throughthepowerofTheHoly
Spirit."
Thefourwordsweusetodescribeourcorevaluesare - "Believe, Belong,
Become, Beyond."
Missionstatementsandcorevaluesaregoodandimportant, buttheyareno
substitutefordoingGod'swill. IhavebeentoChristianconferenceswherewe
haveheardamazingpreaching, andthenbecometerriblyangrybecausethe
parkingwastoofull.
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JameswantedtohelpuspracticeGod'sWord, sohegaveusasimpletest.
Hesenttwovisitorstoachurchservice, arichmanandapoorman; andhe
watchedtoseehowtheyweretreated. THEWAYWEBEHAVETOWARDPEOPLE
INDICATESWHATWEREALLYBELIEVEABOUTGOD! Becausewecannever
separatehumanrelationshipfromdivinefellowship ( 1 John 4:20 ).
Inourteachingthismorning, JamesexaminesfourbasicChristiandoctrinesin
thelightofthewaywetreatotherpeople.
THEREALITYOFGOD, REVEALEDINHOWWETREAT
EACHOTHER:
1. TheDeityofChrist (James 2:1-4)My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, theLord of glory. 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into yourassembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attentionto the one who wears the fine clothing and say, You sit here in a good place, whileyou say to the poor man, You stand over there, or, Sit down at my feet,4 have younot then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Jewishpeopleinthatdaycovetedrecognitionandhonour, andviedwithone
anotherforpraise. OurLordsparablesinLuke 14:7-14 dealwiththeproblem,andalsoHiswordstothePhariseeinMatthew 23.
Theproblemisstillwithustoday, andtoooftenwecangetcaughtupinthe
competitionofperformanceanddefiningourworthandtheworthofothersby
how successful ourprogramsareandhowfinanciallywellofweare.
ManyofthebelieversJameswaswritingtoweretryingtograbspiritualoces,
andJameshadtogivethemfairwarning ( James 3:1 ).
TwothingsweneedtorecognizeaboutJesus:
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SermonNotesWk 3 // TheSinofPartiality // Jms 2:1-13
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a) Hewasnotswayedbyappearances -EventhosethatquestionedJesushad
toadmitthatHedidnotcareaboutothersopinions ( Matt 22:16 ). Hewasnever
distractedbyexternals, butwasalwayscaptivatedbypeoplesheartcondition.
Hewasnotimpressedwithrichesorsocialstatus. Thepoorwidowwhogave
herlastcoppercoinwasgreaterinHiseyesthantherichPhariseewho
boastfullygavealargeamountoutofhisabundance. Jesussawthepotentialin
thelivesofsinners. InSimonHesawarock. InMatthew, thepublican, Hesawa
faithfuldisciplewhowouldonedaywriteoneofthefourgospels. ThediscipleswereamazedtoseeJesustalkingwiththesinfulwomanatthewellinSamaria,
butJesussawinheraninstrumentforreapingamightyharvest.
b) Hewasdespisedandrejected -ThiswasprophesiedinIsaiah 53:1-3. He
had noformormajestythatweshouldlookathim... DuringHisministryHe
hadnohome. Hegrewupinthedespised cityofNazareth, inahomethat
probablyknewthefeelingofpoverty. HadweseenHimonearth, wewould
haveseennothingphysicallyormateriallythatwouldattractustoHim.
YetHeistheverygloryofGod. ThereligiousexpertsinChristsdayjudged
Himbytheirhumanstandards, andtheyrejectedHim. Hecamefromthewrong
cityandhadnotgraduatedfromtherightBibleCollege. Hedidnothavethe
ocialapprovalofthepeopleinpower. HehadlittleworldlywealthandHis
followerswerearag-tagbunchofamateurswhichincludedexprostitutesand
publicans. YethewastheverygloryofGod! NowonderJesuswarnedthe
religiousleaderstostopjudgingbymereappearances ( John 7:24 ).
HowdowepracticethedeityofChristinourhumanrelationships?Wedo
thisbyseeingpeoplethroughtheeyesofChrist. IfapersonisaChristian, we
canacceptthembecauseChristlivesinthem. IfapersonisnotaChristian, we
acceptthembecauseChristdiedandroseagainforthem. ItisChristwhoisthe
linkbetweenusandothers.
ThebasisforourrelationshipwithothersisthepersonandworkofJesus
Christ. Anyotherbasisisnotgoingtowork. Furthermore, Godcanuseeventhe
mostunlikelypersontobringglorytoHisname. HeusedPeterandZaccheusandJohnMark, andHecanusethatpoormanwhomwemightreject.
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2. TheGraceofGod (James 2:5-7)5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the worldto be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who lovehim? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppressyou, and the ones who drag you into court? 7Are they not the ones who blasphemethe honorable name by which you were called?
TheemphasishereisonGodschoosing, andthisinvolvesthegraceofGod. If
salvationwereonthebasisofmerit, itwouldnotbebygrace. Gracerequires
GodssovereignchoiceofthosewhocannotearnandwhodonotdeserveHis
salvation ( Eph 1:4-7; 2:8-10 ). Godsavesuscompletelyonthebasisofthework
ofChristonthecrossandnotbecauseofanything thatweareorhave.
Godignoresnationaldiferences ( Acts 10:34 ) andHeignoressocialdiferences
( Eph 6:9 ).
InJames 2:6-7, theapostlegivesasternrebuke: Whenyoudespisethepoor
man, youarebehavingliketheunsavedrichpeople. Inthatday, itwaseasyto
exploitthepoor, influencedecisionsatcourt, andmakethemselvesricher.
Unfortunately, wehavethesamesinsbeingcommittedinourpresentday; and
thesesinsaretotallycontradictorytothegospelofJesus. OurLORDwasthe
victimofinjusticeperpetratedbythecorruptwealthyeliteoftheday.
ThedoctrineofGodsgrace, ifwereallybelieveit, forcesustorelatetopeople
onthebasisofGodsplanandnotonthebasisofhumanmeritorsocialstatus.
Achurchseparatedby classstructure isnotachurchthatmagnifiesthegrace
ofGod. WhenHedied, JesusbrokedownthewallthatseparatedJewsand
Gentiles ( Eph 2:11-22 ). ButinHisbirthandlife, Jesusbrokedownthewalls
betweenrichandpoor, youngandold, educatedanduneducated. Itiswrong
forustobuildthosewallsagain; wecannotrebuildthemifwebelieveinthe
graceofGod.
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3. TheWordofGod (James 2:8-11)8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love yourneighboras yourself, you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you arecommitting sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keepsthe whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he whosaid, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. If you do not commitadultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
JamesreachedbackintotheOldTestamentforoneofGodslaws, ...butyoushallloveyourneighbourasyourself... ( Lev 19:18 ). InHisparableoftheGood
Samaritan, Jesustoldusthatourneigbourisanyonewhoneedsourhelp ( Luke
10:25-37 ). Itisnotamatterofgeography, butopportunity. Theimportant
questionisnot whoismyneighbour? but towhomcanIbeaneighbour?
ChristianlovedoesnotmeanthatImustlikeapersonandagreewithhimon
everything. Imaynotlikehisvocabularyorhishabits, andImaynotagreewith
everythingtheysay. ChristianlovemeanstreatingothersthewayGodhas
treatedme.Itisanactofthewill, notanemotionthatItrytomanufacture.
ThemotiveistoglorifyGod.
ThemeansisthepoweroftheSpiritwithin ( ButthefruitoftheSpiritislove...
Gal 5:22 ).
Christianlovedoesnotleavethepersonwhereitfindsthem. Lovehelpsthe
poormanmoveoutofpoverty; love directstherichmantomakebetteruseof
hisGodgivenresources. Lovealwaysbuildsup ( 1 Cor 8:1 ).
WeonlybelieveasmuchoftheBibleaswepractice. Ifwefailtoobeythemost
importantword - Loveyourneighbourasyouloveyourself - thenwewillnot
doanygoodwiththelessermattersoftheWord. Itwasaglaringfaultinthe
Phariseesthattheywerecarefulabouttheminormattersandcarelessabout
thefundamentals ( Matt 23:23 ). TheybroketheveryLawtheythoughttheywere
defending!
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4. TheJudgementofGod (James 2:12-13)12So speak and so actas those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphsover judgment.
Nomatterwhatdenominationweare, everyorthodoxstatementoffaithends
withastatementaboutthereturnofJesusChristandthefinaljudgment. Not
allChristiansagreeastothedetailsofthesefutureevents, butthecertaintyof
themnonedenies. Norwouldanydenytheimportanceofafinaljudgment.
BothJesus ( John 5:24 ) andPaul ( Rom 8:1 ) assuredusthatChristianbelievers
willneverbejudgedfortheirsins; butourworkswillbejudgedandrewarded
( Rom 14:10-13, 2 Cor 5:9-10 ).
Ourwordswillbejudged.NotethewordsspokentothetwovisitorsinJames
2:3. Whatwesaytopeople, andhowwesayit, willcomebeforeGod. Evenour
carelesswordswillbejudged ( Matt 12:36 ). Thewordswespeakareanoverflow
ofwhatisinourheart, sowhenGodjudgesourwords, Heisexaminingtheheart ( Matt 12:34-37 ). JesusemphasizedcautionwhenspeakinginsomeofHis
warningsinthesermonontheMount ( Matt 5:21-26, Matt 5:33-37, Matt 7:1-5, Matt7:21-23 ).
Ourworkswillbejudged.Colossians 3:22-25 givesusadditionalinsightinto
this. Itistruethatwhenwehonestlyrepent, Godisfaithfultorememberour
sinsagainstusnomore ( Jer 31:34, Heb 10:17 ). Butoursinsafectourcharacter
andworks. Wecannotsinlightlyandservefaithfully. Godforgivesoursins
whenwehumblyconfessthemtoHim, buttherearealwaysconsequencestoouractionsthatwemustfaceandaccept.
Ourattitudeswillbejudged ( James 2:13 ).Jamescontrastedtwoattitudes:
showingmercytoothers, andrefusingtoshowmercy. Ifwehavebeenmerciful
toothers, Godcanbemercifultowardsus. However, wemustnottwistthis
truthintoalie. Itdoesnotmeanweearnmercybyshowingmercy, becauseitis
impossibletoearnmercy. Ifitisearned, itisnotmercy! Nordoesitmeanthat
wearetobe softonsin andneveraddressitinthelifeofothers.
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MercyandjusticebothcomefromGod, sotheyarenotcompetitors. WhereGod
findsrepentanceandfaith, Heisabletoshowmercy. Wherehefindsrebellion
andunbelief, Hemustadministerjustice.Itistheheartofthesinnerthat
determinesthetreatmenthegets.
Weshallbejudged undertheLawofliberty. WhydoesJamesusethistitlefor
GodsLaw? Firstly, whenweobeyGodsLaw, itfreesusfromsinandenables
ustowalkinliberty ( Psalm 119:45 ). Secondly, lawpreparesusforliberty. Achildmustbeunderrulesandregulationsbecauseheisnotmatureenoughto
handlethedecisionsanddemandsoflife. Heisgivenoutwarddisciplineso
thathemightdevelopinwarddiscipline, andonedaybefreeofrules. Gods
WordisabletochangeourheartsandgiveusthedesiretodoGodswill, so
thatweobeyfrominwardcompulsionandnotoutwardconstraint.
Conclusion:
Thereisoneobviousmessagetothissection: ourbeliefsshouldcontrolour
behaviour. IfwereallybelievethatJesusistheSonofGod, andthatGodis
gracious, HisWordistrue, andonedayHewilljudgeus, thenourconductwill
revealourconvictions. Beforeweattackthosewhohavediferentdoctrinesto
us, wemustbesurethatwepracticethedoctrineswedefend. Jonahhad
wonderfultheology, buthehatedpeopleandwasangrywithGod ( Jonah 4 ).
Oneofthetestsoftherealityofourfaithishowwetreatotherpeople. Canwe
passthetest?
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