James 2:1-12

Ace made varsity.. prove his worth

Ace video

Nervous about going to varsity..

Faith in Action

We ended last week with a tug of war between worthless worship and pure worship the next few week we are getting on the field and putting our faith into action.

James 2:1-13 (ESV)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as 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 triumphs over judgment.

The Royal Law

Be impartial. Treating all rivals equally being fair and just.

What bonds you to other people?

Their worth? Values? Politics?

In order to be impartial.. Realize

We need to be on par with Christ

James 2:1 (ESV)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

Partiality.. favoritism respect for someone. Receive by face (first impressions)

Your faith should match that of Christs.

You should always exude His Glory

James asks how can you have faith in Jesus and have prejudices?

Galatians 3:28

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

We are called to be on par with Christ

Jesus dream team

If you were about to go pick your dream pastoral team.

Jim/ Shelly pic

Jesus on the other hand did not go to synagogue school and look for new recruits or to the huge synagogue on the corner instead he grabbed

Fisher man.. matthew 4:18.. Simon Peter, Andrew

Tax collector Matthew 9:9 Matthew

One was rebelling against the Jewiish faith, Simon

Some were tradesmen

Jesus was def not partial…

Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  47"And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

In order to be impartial..

Do not Judge

James 2:2-4 (ESV)

2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

When I first started preaching with sneakers.. a lot of people would tell me it was not appropriate..

Now there is a whole Instagram feed called

preachers with sneakers..

We have judged people in this world of much more serious things

Financial status, Power status, skin color, vaccinations, masks how they fit into our culture

Get to know their story..

Luke 19:5-10 (ESV)

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

In order to be on par with Jesus we have to spend time with people.. especially those unlike us..those who do not agree with us.. We are so quick to judge the sin before we get to know the sinner.

Jesus knows the sinner and still sits with them.. even when everyone else condemns him for it.

In order to be impartial.

Understand God chooses his people not you

James 2:5-7 (ESV)

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

Does Wealth equal Worth?

For the love of the game.. fictional story of a man who loves baseball and is at the end of his career of 19 years.. his last game that he ever plays he pitches a perfect game.. no one scores, no errors and no one gets on base… a huge achievement in baseball but at the end of the game he realized it was worthless.. the world and all of sports cheered him.. but he realized he had sacrifice people, friends and love and it was worthless

What an incredibly humbling moment

Jesus teaches..

John 15:16 (ESV)

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Humble vs Pride

It seems to me that God chooses the broken and those who have been or are humble

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 (ESV)

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[a] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

In order impartial.

Love the royal way

James 2;8(ESV)

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

Contrast to prejudice

Matthew 7:12 (ESV)

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

How do you want to be treated? How do you want to be loved?

Some of us have heard of the five languages

My top two are physical touch and gifts..

So my birthday is coming up

Camaro pic

Matthew. Separated the goats and sheep..

Jesus story about those getting into the kingom of God

“Come good servants for when I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me a drink, when I was a stranger you welcomed me. You clothed me when I was naked, cared for me when I was sick and visited me when I was in prison.”

Matthew 25:40 (ESV)

40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

In order to be impartial.

Understand, You Aren’t all that

James 9-11 (ESV)

9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Romans 6:23 (ESV)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Hebrews 3:13 (ESV)

13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

In order to be impartial

Show Mercy

James 2:12-13 (ESV)

12 So speak and so act as 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 triumphs over judgment

Jv game 60-0

Matthew 5:7 (ESV)

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

The Greek word that is translated as “mercy” in Matthew 5:7 is eleoo. This verb occurs 28 times in the New Testament and means “to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need.”[1] But the meaning is stronger than the words reveal. The Greek scholar Spicq states that mercy . . .

. . . refers to a “feeling,” namely, the feeling of one who is moved by the sight of another’s suffering and in a way shares in it . . .

Isaiah 53:6 (ESV)

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;     we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him     the iniquity of us all.

Mercy is compassion its our faith in action

1 John 4:20-21 (ESV)

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother

Show us, show us Your glory Show us, show us Your

power Show us Show us Your glory Lord