The Sin of Partiality
Notes
Transcript
Order of Service
Order of Service
Welcome
Welcome
Prayer
Prayer
Hymn - LORD, I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH (314)
Hymn - LORD, I LIFT YOUR NAME ON HIGH (314)
Notices
Notices
Prayer Meeting - 7:30pm
Friday 7pm - Online
Sunday Morning 11am & 6pm
Tithes & Offerings - £
Main Prayer
Main Prayer
Hymn - WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS (614)
Hymn - WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS (614)
Reading
Reading
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 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, 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,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 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? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 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. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Sermon
Sermon
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
My Brothers - believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ
Reference - God’s Glory filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:35)
Those who know the Saviours Glory
Show no Partiality
Favouritism
Discrimination
Stop being dazzled by earthly riches
Physical Attrictiveness
Clothing
Wealth
Position
To do so contradicts your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ
And distracts from His Gospel and the Glory of the Lord
We should seek Jesus’ Glory and Honour
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, 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,”
James in prior verses speaks of
hearing and doing the Word
visit ophans and windows in their afflication
Man with expensive jewelry and fine clothes
Poor man in shabby clothing
Both enter the church
Attention is paid to the rich man
The poor man is dispised, and treated poorly
have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
James places four (4) rhetorical questions to the believer
Distinctions & Judgement
Justice - lady with blind fold and scales
Evil thoughts
discrimination is opposite of “love your neighbour as yourself”
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?
Does not God make us heirs of his kingdom?
Clothes us in his righteousness
Gives us His riches
Directs His love to the poor and needy
God does not view man’s material possessions
God demands Faith, and looks for the confidence and assurance man places in Him
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.
But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
When you insult/dishonor the poor, you insult/dishonor Jesus
Protector and gardian of the poor
You no longer champion the cause of Christ
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
return...
But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
Are the rich not oppressing/exploiting you?
How do you think they became rich?
Do they not drag you into court?
Do they not want what is yours?
Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Do they not blaspheme against Jesus by whom you were called?
You are honouring that which should not be honoured
You are avoiding confronting their sins
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Don’t deceive yourself
Royal Law - God’s commandments
If you obey the command “love your neighour as yourself”, excellent
If you show partiality you are breaking this commandment.
John expounds this principal...
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 love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
God is impartial and so we must also be
You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. And the case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.’
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 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.
A failure in one point is guilt of all of the Law
Pride in keeping one law yet failing in another - you have broken the law
The laws do not stand alone, but in unity
Commandments give us the boundaries of God’s protective laws and within them we have perfect freedom
A fish lives in water and is constrained by the waters, yet has freedom
Jesus taught the the law remains
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Put action and speach together
Christians, ought to look at their lives from the perspective of being Judged
Look ahead to the day of judgment
Do you words and actions tesify for or against you?
“The law of freedom”
Not a list of rules and regulations
But a living expression of “perfect love” that flows from God to man, man to God and fellow man
Christians do not fear the law of God whilst he stays within is boundaries
Christians thus enjoy complete freedom
But when thee Christian crosses one of these boundaries he becomes a slave to sin and loses his freedom
Anyone who has not been merciful
servant who was forgiven his debt, demanded from his debtors (Matt 18:21-35)
Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
Next Sunday....
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Hymn -
Hymn -
Q&A
Q&A
Hymn -
Hymn -
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Doxology
Doxology