Untitled Sermon (2)

SERMON NOTES FOR TENNY

AUGUST 15, 2021

1. “Beware Prejudice”

2. James 2:1 - My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

3. James 2:2 - For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in,

4. James 2:3 - and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”

5. James 2:4 - have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

6. James 2:5 - Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

7. James 2:6 - But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

8. James 2:7 - Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

9. James 2:8 - If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

10. James 2:9 - But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the Law as violators.

11. James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole Law, yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all.

12. James 2:11 - For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do murder, you have become a violator of the Law.

13. James 2:12 - So speak, and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.

14. James 2:13 - For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

15. The Bible Denounces Prejudice

16. The Bible Calls Prejudice Evil

17. The Bible Gives An Alternative – Justice and Mercy

18. Illustration of Justice

19. Acts 6:1 - Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

20. Acts 6:2 - So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.

21. Acts 6:3 - Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

22. Acts 6:4 - But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

23. Acts 6:5 - The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

24. Acts 6:6 - And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

25. Acts 6:7 - The word of God kept spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

26. Illustration of Mercy

27. Luke 10:25 - And behold, a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

28. Luke 10:26 - And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”

29. Luke 10:27 - And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

30. Luke 10:28 - And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

31. Luke 10:29 - But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

32. Luke 10:30 - Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he encountered robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead.

33. Luke 10:31 - And by coincidence a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

34. Luke 10:32 - Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

35. Luke 10:33 - But a Samaritan who was on a journey came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,

36. Luke 10:34 - and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

37. Luke 10:35 - On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you.’

38. Luke 10:36 - Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?”

39. Luke 10:37 - And he said, “The one who showed compassion to him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

40. Rather than being prejudiced…

41. Micah 6:8 - He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

42. Do Justice

43. Be Merciful

44. Walk Humbly