james series sermon notes wk 3 sun aug 26 2012

7/31/2019 James Series Sermon Notes Wk 3 Sun Aug 26 2012

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SermonNotesWk 3 // TheSinofPartiality // Jms 2:1-13

Date: SundayAug 26. 2012Text: James 2:1-13Title: TheSinofPartiality - TheRealityofGod, revealedinhow wetreateachother. // Week 3 of7OUTLINE:

A) TheDeityofChrist - James 2:1-4B) TheGraceofGod - James 2:5-7C) TheWordofGod - James 2:8-11D) TheJudgementofGod - James 2:8-11

INTRODUCTION:

NotonlyarematureChristianspatientintesting ( James 1 ), buttheyalso

practicethetruth. ThisisthethemeofJames 2. Immaturepeopletalkabout

theirbeliefs, butthematurebelieverslivetheirfaith. HearingGod'sWordcan

neverbeasubstitutefordoingGod'sWord.

Everybelieverhassomestatementoffaithorpersonalexpressionofwhathe

orshebelieves. HereatCrossCentralourMissionStatementis:

" WeareacommunityofbelieversthatseektoglorifyGod, throughlives

transformedbythegospelofJesusChrist, throughthepowerofTheHoly

Spirit."

Thefourwordsweusetodescribeourcorevaluesare - "Believe, Belong,

Become, Beyond."

Missionstatementsandcorevaluesaregoodandimportant, buttheyareno

substitutefordoingGod'swill. IhavebeentoChristianconferenceswherewe

haveheardamazingpreaching, andthenbecometerriblyangrybecausethe

parkingwastoofull.

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3/8

JameswantedtohelpuspracticeGod'sWord, sohegaveusasimpletest.

Hesenttwovisitorstoachurchservice, arichmanandapoorman; andhe

watchedtoseehowtheyweretreated. THEWAYWEBEHAVETOWARDPEOPLE

INDICATESWHATWEREALLYBELIEVEABOUTGOD! Becausewecannever

separatehumanrelationshipfromdivinefellowship ( 1 John 4:20 ).

Inourteachingthismorning, JamesexaminesfourbasicChristiandoctrinesin

thelightofthewaywetreatotherpeople.

THEREALITYOFGOD, REVEALEDINHOWWETREAT

EACHOTHER:

1. TheDeityofChrist (James 2:1-4)My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, theLord of glory. 2For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into yourassembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attentionto the one who wears the fine clothing and say, You sit here in a good place, whileyou say to the poor man, You stand over there, or, Sit down at my feet,4 have younot then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Jewishpeopleinthatdaycovetedrecognitionandhonour, andviedwithone

anotherforpraise. OurLordsparablesinLuke 14:7-14 dealwiththeproblem,andalsoHiswordstothePhariseeinMatthew 23.

Theproblemisstillwithustoday, andtoooftenwecangetcaughtupinthe

competitionofperformanceanddefiningourworthandtheworthofothersby

how successful ourprogramsareandhowfinanciallywellofweare.

ManyofthebelieversJameswaswritingtoweretryingtograbspiritualoces,

andJameshadtogivethemfairwarning ( James 3:1 ).

TwothingsweneedtorecognizeaboutJesus:

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4/8

a) Hewasnotswayedbyappearances -EventhosethatquestionedJesushad

toadmitthatHedidnotcareaboutothersopinions ( Matt 22:16 ). Hewasnever

distractedbyexternals, butwasalwayscaptivatedbypeoplesheartcondition.

Hewasnotimpressedwithrichesorsocialstatus. Thepoorwidowwhogave

herlastcoppercoinwasgreaterinHiseyesthantherichPhariseewho

boastfullygavealargeamountoutofhisabundance. Jesussawthepotentialin

thelivesofsinners. InSimonHesawarock. InMatthew, thepublican, Hesawa

faithfuldisciplewhowouldonedaywriteoneofthefourgospels. ThediscipleswereamazedtoseeJesustalkingwiththesinfulwomanatthewellinSamaria,

butJesussawinheraninstrumentforreapingamightyharvest.

b) Hewasdespisedandrejected -ThiswasprophesiedinIsaiah 53:1-3. He

had noformormajestythatweshouldlookathim... DuringHisministryHe

hadnohome. Hegrewupinthedespised cityofNazareth, inahomethat

probablyknewthefeelingofpoverty. HadweseenHimonearth, wewould

haveseennothingphysicallyormateriallythatwouldattractustoHim.

YetHeistheverygloryofGod. ThereligiousexpertsinChristsdayjudged

Himbytheirhumanstandards, andtheyrejectedHim. Hecamefromthewrong

cityandhadnotgraduatedfromtherightBibleCollege. Hedidnothavethe

ocialapprovalofthepeopleinpower. HehadlittleworldlywealthandHis

followerswerearag-tagbunchofamateurswhichincludedexprostitutesand

publicans. YethewastheverygloryofGod! NowonderJesuswarnedthe

religiousleaderstostopjudgingbymereappearances ( John 7:24 ).

HowdowepracticethedeityofChristinourhumanrelationships?Wedo

thisbyseeingpeoplethroughtheeyesofChrist. IfapersonisaChristian, we

canacceptthembecauseChristlivesinthem. IfapersonisnotaChristian, we

acceptthembecauseChristdiedandroseagainforthem. ItisChristwhoisthe

linkbetweenusandothers.

ThebasisforourrelationshipwithothersisthepersonandworkofJesus

Christ. Anyotherbasisisnotgoingtowork. Furthermore, Godcanuseeventhe

mostunlikelypersontobringglorytoHisname. HeusedPeterandZaccheusandJohnMark, andHecanusethatpoormanwhomwemightreject.

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2. TheGraceofGod (James 2:5-7)5Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the worldto be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who lovehim? 6But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppressyou, and the ones who drag you into court? 7Are they not the ones who blasphemethe honorable name by which you were called?

TheemphasishereisonGodschoosing, andthisinvolvesthegraceofGod. If

salvationwereonthebasisofmerit, itwouldnotbebygrace. Gracerequires

GodssovereignchoiceofthosewhocannotearnandwhodonotdeserveHis

salvation ( Eph 1:4-7; 2:8-10 ). Godsavesuscompletelyonthebasisofthework

ofChristonthecrossandnotbecauseofanything thatweareorhave.

Godignoresnationaldiferences ( Acts 10:34 ) andHeignoressocialdiferences

( Eph 6:9 ).

InJames 2:6-7, theapostlegivesasternrebuke: Whenyoudespisethepoor

man, youarebehavingliketheunsavedrichpeople. Inthatday, itwaseasyto

exploitthepoor, influencedecisionsatcourt, andmakethemselvesricher.

Unfortunately, wehavethesamesinsbeingcommittedinourpresentday; and

thesesinsaretotallycontradictorytothegospelofJesus. OurLORDwasthe

victimofinjusticeperpetratedbythecorruptwealthyeliteoftheday.

ThedoctrineofGodsgrace, ifwereallybelieveit, forcesustorelatetopeople

onthebasisofGodsplanandnotonthebasisofhumanmeritorsocialstatus.

Achurchseparatedby classstructure isnotachurchthatmagnifiesthegrace

ofGod. WhenHedied, JesusbrokedownthewallthatseparatedJewsand

Gentiles ( Eph 2:11-22 ). ButinHisbirthandlife, Jesusbrokedownthewalls

betweenrichandpoor, youngandold, educatedanduneducated. Itiswrong

forustobuildthosewallsagain; wecannotrebuildthemifwebelieveinthe

graceofGod.

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6/8

3. TheWordofGod (James 2:8-11)8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love yourneighboras yourself, you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you arecommitting sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keepsthe whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he whosaid, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. If you do not commitadultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

JamesreachedbackintotheOldTestamentforoneofGodslaws, ...butyoushallloveyourneighbourasyourself... ( Lev 19:18 ). InHisparableoftheGood

Samaritan, Jesustoldusthatourneigbourisanyonewhoneedsourhelp ( Luke

10:25-37 ). Itisnotamatterofgeography, butopportunity. Theimportant

questionisnot whoismyneighbour? but towhomcanIbeaneighbour?

ChristianlovedoesnotmeanthatImustlikeapersonandagreewithhimon

everything. Imaynotlikehisvocabularyorhishabits, andImaynotagreewith

everythingtheysay. ChristianlovemeanstreatingothersthewayGodhas

treatedme.Itisanactofthewill, notanemotionthatItrytomanufacture.

ThemotiveistoglorifyGod.

ThemeansisthepoweroftheSpiritwithin ( ButthefruitoftheSpiritislove...

Gal 5:22 ).

Christianlovedoesnotleavethepersonwhereitfindsthem. Lovehelpsthe

poormanmoveoutofpoverty; love directstherichmantomakebetteruseof

hisGodgivenresources. Lovealwaysbuildsup ( 1 Cor 8:1 ).

WeonlybelieveasmuchoftheBibleaswepractice. Ifwefailtoobeythemost

importantword - Loveyourneighbourasyouloveyourself - thenwewillnot

doanygoodwiththelessermattersoftheWord. Itwasaglaringfaultinthe

Phariseesthattheywerecarefulabouttheminormattersandcarelessabout

thefundamentals ( Matt 23:23 ). TheybroketheveryLawtheythoughttheywere

defending!

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4. TheJudgementofGod (James 2:12-13)12So speak and so actas those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphsover judgment.

Nomatterwhatdenominationweare, everyorthodoxstatementoffaithends

withastatementaboutthereturnofJesusChristandthefinaljudgment. Not

allChristiansagreeastothedetailsofthesefutureevents, butthecertaintyof

themnonedenies. Norwouldanydenytheimportanceofafinaljudgment.

BothJesus ( John 5:24 ) andPaul ( Rom 8:1 ) assuredusthatChristianbelievers

willneverbejudgedfortheirsins; butourworkswillbejudgedandrewarded

( Rom 14:10-13, 2 Cor 5:9-10 ).

Ourwordswillbejudged.NotethewordsspokentothetwovisitorsinJames

2:3. Whatwesaytopeople, andhowwesayit, willcomebeforeGod. Evenour

carelesswordswillbejudged ( Matt 12:36 ). Thewordswespeakareanoverflow

ofwhatisinourheart, sowhenGodjudgesourwords, Heisexaminingtheheart ( Matt 12:34-37 ). JesusemphasizedcautionwhenspeakinginsomeofHis

warningsinthesermonontheMount ( Matt 5:21-26, Matt 5:33-37, Matt 7:1-5, Matt7:21-23 ).

Ourworkswillbejudged.Colossians 3:22-25 givesusadditionalinsightinto

this. Itistruethatwhenwehonestlyrepent, Godisfaithfultorememberour

sinsagainstusnomore ( Jer 31:34, Heb 10:17 ). Butoursinsafectourcharacter

andworks. Wecannotsinlightlyandservefaithfully. Godforgivesoursins

whenwehumblyconfessthemtoHim, buttherearealwaysconsequencestoouractionsthatwemustfaceandaccept.

Ourattitudeswillbejudged ( James 2:13 ).Jamescontrastedtwoattitudes:

showingmercytoothers, andrefusingtoshowmercy. Ifwehavebeenmerciful

toothers, Godcanbemercifultowardsus. However, wemustnottwistthis

truthintoalie. Itdoesnotmeanweearnmercybyshowingmercy, becauseitis

impossibletoearnmercy. Ifitisearned, itisnotmercy! Nordoesitmeanthat

wearetobe softonsin andneveraddressitinthelifeofothers.

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MercyandjusticebothcomefromGod, sotheyarenotcompetitors. WhereGod

findsrepentanceandfaith, Heisabletoshowmercy. Wherehefindsrebellion

andunbelief, Hemustadministerjustice.Itistheheartofthesinnerthat

determinesthetreatmenthegets.

Weshallbejudged undertheLawofliberty. WhydoesJamesusethistitlefor

GodsLaw? Firstly, whenweobeyGodsLaw, itfreesusfromsinandenables

ustowalkinliberty ( Psalm 119:45 ). Secondly, lawpreparesusforliberty. Achildmustbeunderrulesandregulationsbecauseheisnotmatureenoughto

handlethedecisionsanddemandsoflife. Heisgivenoutwarddisciplineso

thathemightdevelopinwarddiscipline, andonedaybefreeofrules. Gods

WordisabletochangeourheartsandgiveusthedesiretodoGodswill, so

thatweobeyfrominwardcompulsionandnotoutwardconstraint.

Conclusion:

Thereisoneobviousmessagetothissection: ourbeliefsshouldcontrolour

behaviour. IfwereallybelievethatJesusistheSonofGod, andthatGodis

gracious, HisWordistrue, andonedayHewilljudgeus, thenourconductwill

revealourconvictions. Beforeweattackthosewhohavediferentdoctrinesto

us, wemustbesurethatwepracticethedoctrineswedefend. Jonahhad

wonderfultheology, buthehatedpeopleandwasangrywithGod ( Jonah 4 ).

Oneofthetestsoftherealityofourfaithishowwetreatotherpeople. Canwe

passthetest?

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james series sermon notes wk 3 sun aug 26 2012

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