No Place for Partiality
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
A) Archimedes / Hiero Non-destructive Gold Laurel Wreath Test
1) God’s tests are similarly designed… reveal the truth of our faith; meant to grown us, not destroy us.
2) How Grow? Seek God’s wisdom. Meek (quick to hear / slow to speak [interesting allusion to Moses] Who am I? I will be with you.) and not Angry.
3) Doers
(+1:27) introduce continues tests, focusing on DOING… the fruits of faithfully seeking God.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:27
Gold standard (for a Jew)
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Deut 10:17-
partial = "to lift up the face on a person"
Children of God bear the image of God. [see above]
[testing our fidelity to the image]
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
James 1:27
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
In society:
- We tend to judge people on the basis of external appearance and stereotype groupings.
- We are impressed by riches and professional success and social standing.
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?
James 2
Presents as a progression:
character trait: Partiality (takes no bribe…[ looking for advantage, benefit])…
making distinctions.... (noticing differences)
judging… (evaluating)
harboring evil thoughts. (assigning worth to people).
1 Sam
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
[Describes alternate reality… the reality of God; truth of God.]
describes specific traits of wealth that are opposed to God.
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?
James 2:
[poor in the world: those whose hope is in the promises of God; the blood of Christ.]
describes specific traits of wealth that are opposed to God.
Lincoln: "God must love the common people because He made so many of them."
"in the society which James inhabited the rich oppressed the poor. They dragged them to the law courts. No doubt this was for debt. At the bottom end of the social scale men were so poor that they could hardly live, and moneylenders were plentiful and extortion was reality; In the ancient world there was a custom of summary arrest. If a creditor met a debtor on the street, he could seize him by the neck of his robe, and literally drag him to the law courts. That is what the rich did to the poor. They had no sympathy; all they wanted was the last farthing. It is not riches that James is condemning. It is the conduct of riches without sympathy."
Revisits Sermon on the Mount, to define again “love thy neighbor.” Check your heart. Your motives. Fruit follows.
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.
James 2:8
They didn’t really fulfill the law.
Matthew
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5
Reminding them that the kingdom of heaven is “upside down” and of the Heart; not of the Flesh. Not checklist-based; but fruit-based.
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
Col
by faith; response of faith. Transformation of the mind.
By God’s wisdom.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Col 2:
We are alive in Christ.
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.
James 2:1
perfect law / law of liberty
law of christ
"The religious experts in Christ's day judged Him by their human standards, and they rejected Him. He came from the wrong city, Nazareth of Galilee. He was not a graduate of their accepted schools. He did not have the official approval of the people in power. He had no wealth. His followers were a nondescript mob and included publicans and sinners. Yet He was the very glory of God! No wonder Jesus warned the religious leaders, 'Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment' (, NIV)."
and so:
"But the Church must be the one place where all distinctions are wiped out. There can be no distinctions of rank and place and prestige, when men meet in the presence of the God who is the King of glory. There can be no distinctions of merit and worth, when men meet in the presence of the supreme holiness of God. In the presence of that glory all earthly distinctions are less than the dust, and all earthly righteousness are as filthy rags. In the presence of God all men are one."
Conclusion: - People are all the same; some good, some bad … etc.
"The religious experts in Christ's day judged Him by their human standards, and they rejected Him. He came from the wrong city, Nazareth of Galilee. He was not a graduate of their accepted schools. He did not have the official approval of the people in power. He had no wealth. His followers were a nondescript mob and included publicans and sinners. Yet He was the very glory of God! No wonder Jesus warned the religious leaders, 'Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment' (, NIV)."
- Don’t rush to partial judgment;
- Are we marked by kindness and mercy towards all?
- Our heart must be open to each person God brings into our lives;
- Goal: how can I minister appropriately to that person?