Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Our problem in life are almost always people problems.
Do you agree?
Sure.
If we could live without other people, we could live without problems.
To live above with people we love, that will be glory.
To live below with people we know, that’s another story.
Life would be great if we just did not have to deal with people.
Right.
But we do have to deal with people.
You have to deal with people in your family,
in your community,
and yes even in your church.
And not all the people you deal with are going to agree with you,
respect you,
or even like you.
We are in the same boat.
And sometimes it feels like that boat is sinking.
We all want to know how to deal with people.
So, since dealing with people is unavoidable,
unless you go out an live in the woods by yourself,
would be nice to have a few guidelines for how to deal with people?
James is writing to Christians spread out all over the world.
He knows that many of them are poor,
but they have to rub shoulders with other people every day.
So,
as their pastor,
he writes and gives them three Decisions to help them in dealing with people.
Three decisions you and I can make.
Don't be a Snob
James 2:1 (NIV84)
1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.
He's talking about prejudice, partiality, favoritism.
The New English Bible calls it "snobbery".
Don't be a snob.
A snob is somebody whose nose turns up when their eyes look down, somebody who always thinks they're better than everybody else.
The Greek word for favoritism is a compound word that means "to receive" and "to face".
It literally means "to receive somebody's face" -- to receive somebody at face value, on the basis of how they look, superficial judgement.
James says, “Don't do that.
Don't accept people just on superficial judgements.”
This morning, in order to deal with favoritism, we need to look at some common areas of discrimination.
Ancestry or judging people because of their race.
Diana Saltz
-- We judge people according to their race, their nationality, their ethnic background.
I heard about a black man who went to a church in the south and was trying to get in.
It was full of bigots and they wouldn't let him in.
He went to the pastor and told him.
The pastor said, "You just need to pray about it."
About three weeks later the pastor saw him and asked, "Did you talk to the Lord about it?"
The man said, "Yes, and God said, `Don't worry, I've been trying to get in that church 20 years and I still can't get in.'
Achievement -- Our society gushes over winners and forgets the losers.
One minute you're a hero and the next minute you're a zero.
Success and status are keywords
Appearance -- We discriminate often because of appearance.
Beauty is everything in our world.
If you're a cute kid you've got it made.
If you're plain, tough luck!
We have beauty contest for children, really, what are we teaching them?
Affluence -- the most common distinction.
We judge people by their wealth -- whether they're rich or poor -- their economic status.
What attitude do you have toward people who make more money than you do?
What attitude do you have toward people who make less money than you do?
James 2:2–3 (NIV84)
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.
3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,”
Favoritism is unchristian.
If you want to be like Jesus you can't play favorites.
"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism."
Faith and favoritism are incompatible -- we're a family.
This word "favoritism" is used only four times in the Bible.
Every other time it's referring to God and it says, “God does not play favorites.”
Romans 2:11 "God does not show favoritism"
Jesus treated everybody with dignity.
Peter had to learn this lesson before he went to Cornelius.
God loves everybody.
If there is one place in the world where there shouldn't be any kind of discrimination it ought to be the church.
There is discrimination everywhere else in the world.
But there ought to be one place no matter who you are or what your background is that you're welcome.
THERE ARE TWO great commandments upon which, we are told by Jesus, "hang all the law and the prophets": "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:37–40).
Favoritism is marked by a lack of real love.
The world that James lived in was filled with all kinds of prejudice.
There was deep hatred between Jews and Samaritans.
The Jews saw themselves as pure descendants of Abraham, while the Samaritans were a mixed race produced when Jews from the northern kingdom intermarried with other peoples after Israel’s exile.
Favoritism is marked by self-centered pride.
Some people hate a group of people because of a difference in belief or culture.
Prejudice grows out of personal pride—considering oneself better than others.
God will harshly judge those who are prejudiced or whose pride causes them to look down on others.
Favoritism also robs your of relationships.
When you decide someone is of no value just because of who their are, or their skin color, or anything else, you are the loser.
If everyone with blue on would stand.
If I said, I will not talk to, or relate with people who wear blue, look at all the people I would rob myself of.
I would not have their company, their insights, their friendships.
You rob yourself in the same way when you are prejudice against someone because of their age, race or even if they are gay or straight.
Job 34:19 (TNIV)
19 who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?
Even Jesus enemies knew he did not show favoritism.
Matthew 22:16 (NET)
16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.
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