Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome everyone.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Welcome everyone.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

We’re continuing our study of the letter of James.

If you have your bible, paper or digital, go ahead and turn to James chapter 2. Otherwise the verses will be on the screen to follow along with.

Quick recap on chapter 1.

The half-brother of Jesus is writing a letter to Jewish believers that have been scattered from Israel during heavy persecution against the church from the Romans and Jewish religious leaders.

James challenges his readers to conceder the trials of life as an opportunity to produce perseverance in those who patiently endure testing.

He gives a warning to not be a double-minded person with divided loyalty.

And riches and achievements will soon fade.

Never say that “God is tempting me.”

God is never tempted to do evil and will never tempt one to evil.

Temptation is from our own desires.

But God has chosen to give birth to us through his true Word and believers have become God’s prized possession.

Next, James transitions to the topic of listening and speech.

Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Don’t just listen to the word of God but actually do what it says.

Don’t fool yourself by thinking you’re right with God if you don’t control your tongue.

(We saved that to study later in the letter)

James ends chapter 1 of his letter to the 12 Tribes scattered abroad with a pure definition of what it means to be right in the sight of God; to care for the neediest members of society and to refuse the influence of the world system on our values, beliefs, and morals.

Up until now, James has been setting general principles in place.

In chapter 2, he starts working out the details in a practical manner.

Caring for the needy is on of the marks of true faith and James digs deeper into this though throughout chapter 2.

Please follow along in

(NLT)

How can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ is you favor some people over other?

Favoritism

How can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ is you favor some people over other?

James is asking a rhetorical question setting up the scenario he’s about to share.

This is much more of a statement then a question because the obvious answers, “you can’t.”

He’s basically saying, “do not practice your faith in Jesus with an attitude of favoritism.”

Discrimination against people, know matter what the reason, is inconsistent with the life and teaching of Jesus.

“favoritism” is to “receive the face.”

It’s interesting that the literal meaning of “favoritism” is to “receive the face.”

Favoritism is rooted in making judgments about others based on external appearance.

Since God looks at the heart rather then the outward appearance of a person, shouldn’t we imitate him in this respect?

Jesus’ reversal of this idea comes to mind.

(NLT)

27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees.

Hypocrites!

For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.

The religious leaders seemed to have it all together on the outside.

They fit the part.

They looked religious.

They knew the lingo.

They go through the motions, looking as though God was pleased with them, all the while, the were spiritually dead on the inside with all sorts of impurity.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover”

We’ve all heard it and have probably said it from time to time.

We are not to make decisions about people on any external factor.

This is guided by evil motives.

(NLT)

17 “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords.

He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.

18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice.

He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.

And

(NLT)

15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful.

Always judge people fairly.

Let’s read James’ hypothetical scenario starting in verse 2.

(NLT)

2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.

3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Distinctions

Okay, if two people are first time guests at our church service, who gets preferential treatment?

The one who looks like they might have something to offer?

That’s human nature.

It’s easy to do.

But James is saying no.

We must not behave like that, believers.

We need to have adopt God’s divine perspective of people.

James’ scenario seems to connect the rich person to an asset, someone that can offer material gain.

And he connects the poor person to a liability, someone who will become a possible financial burden.

This aut not be so.

Do not neglect or ignore those in need!

This is not disconnected from James thought in 1:27.

We are to care for those in need and not let the world corrupt us.

This can happen if we show favoritism to the rich.

I believe James is saying, Do not neglect or ignore those in need!

(ESV)

31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them.

33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

(NLT)

the Kingdom

5 Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters.

Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith?

Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?

Let’s talk about the Kingdom for a moment.

The Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of Christ are all interchangeable.

In the gospel according to Matthew, Matthew usually writes Kingdom of Heaven instead of kingdom of God because his intended primary readers were Jewish.

He used the word heaven as an euphemism for God because many Jews would not dare utter the name of God out loud for fear of using God’s name in vain.

Thus, he substituted Kingdom of God for kingdom of heaven.

What is a kingdom?

A kingdom is a realm.