JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - Equality in the Church (James 2:1-13) 5-11-25

JAMES: PRACTICAL FAITH - Equality in the Church (James 2:1-13) 5-11-25

INTRODUCTION

Persevere to maturity

True religion

James 2:1-13 NIV

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 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,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (

James‬ ‭2‬:‭1-13‬ NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  NO FAVORITISM

Rick Warren said that there are at least five areas where we as believers can be tempted to discriminate:

We can discriminate on the basis of appearance.

We can discriminate on the basis of ancestry.

We can discriminate on the basis of age.

We can discriminate on the basis of achievement.

We can discriminate on the basis of affluence. 

David Jeremiah, Turning Toward Integrity, 2013.

James 2:1 NIV

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”

‭‭ James‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Rich v. Poor

B.  Our response

James 2:2-4 NIV

“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 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,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

‭‭ James‬ ‭2‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

1.  Preference

2.  Discrimination

3.   Judgment

C.  The blessing of the poor

James 2:5-6a

“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor.”

‭‭ James‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬-‭6a‭ NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

1.  God has chosen them.

2.  Poor in the eyes of the world but rich in faith

3.  Inherit the Kingdom he promised those who love him

D.  The curse of the rich

James 2:6b-7 NIV

“Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭6b‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

1.  They exploit others.

2.  They drag others into court.

3.  Blaspheming the noble name of him to who you belong.

II.  THE ROYAL LAW

"The law of love will keep us from doing a great many things which mere impulse would often do, and will make us very careful of every word and action."

Anonymous

James 2:8 NIV

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  "Love your neighbor as yourself."

1.  Love your neighbor

2.  Love yourself

B.  Favoritism shows you are a law breaker.

James 2:9 NIV

“But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.”

‭‭ James‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Erma Bombeck

She writes: "Every mother has a favorite child. She cannot help it. She is only human. I have mine--the child for whom I feel a special closeness, with whom I share a love that no one else could possibly understand. My favorite child is the one who was too sick to eat ice cream at his birthday party -- who had measles at Christmas -- who wore leg braces to bed because he toed in -- who had a fever in the middle of the night, the asthma attack, the child in my arms at the emergency ward.

My favorite child spent Christmas alone away from the family, was stranded after the game with a gas tank on E, lost the money for his class ring.

My favorite child is the one who messed up the piano recital, misspelled committee in a spelling bee, ran the wrong way with the football, and had his bike stolen because he was careless.

My favorite child is the one I punished for lying, grounded for insensitivity to other people’s feelings, and informed he was a royal pain to the entire family.

My favorite child slammed doors in frustration, cried when she didn’t think I saw her, withdrew and said she could not talk to me.

My favorite child always needed a haircut, had hair that wouldn’t curl, had no date for Saturday night, and a car that cost $600 to fix. My favorite child was selfish, immature, bad-tempered and self-centered. He was vulnerable, lonely, unsure of what he was doing in this world--and quite wonderful.

All mothers have their favorite child. It is always the same one: the one who needs you at the moment. Who needs you for whatever reason--to cling to, to shout at, to hurt, to hug, to flatter, to reverse charges to, to unload on--but mostly just to be there."

Erma Bombeck

III.  THE LAWS

A.  The Law

There is a story about a student at Cambridge University in England who entered the classroom on exam day and asked the proctor to bring him cakes and ale. The proctor refused, expressing astonishment at the young student’s audacity. At this point the student read from the four-hundred-year-old Laws of Cambridge, which were written in Latin and still somewhat in effect.

The passage read by the student said, "Gentlemen sitting for examinations may request and require Cakes and Ale." The proctor was forced to comply. Pepsi and hamburgers were judged the modern equivalent, so the necessary accommodations were made for the student. After all, the law was on his side.

Three weeks later the student was summoned to the office of Academic Affairs to face disciplinary action and was assessed a fine of five pounds (about $7.50, the cost of the meal). He was not fined for demanding cakes and ale, but for blatantly disregarding another obscure Cambridge law: he had failed to wear a sword to the examination.

Larry Turner, Sermon Central, June 5, 2016.

James 2:10-11 NIV

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

1.  Stumbling at any one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

2.  Lawbreaker regardless of the law broken

B.  The Law that gives freedom

James 2:12-13 NIV

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

‭‭ James‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

1.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.

2.  Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.

CONCLUSION

Equality in the Church begins by following the Royal Law.  The Law demonstrates imperfection.  The Royal Law brings freedom.

Dave Stone wrote in "If Jesus Lived in My Neighborhood" about his uncle Greg, who is a quadriplegic. A few years ago, Uncle Greg was able to attend a special-needs camp at Country Lake Christian Retreat in southern Indiana. A man named John was assigned to be with Uncle Greg for four solid days. For four days, twenty-four hours a day, John did everything for Uncle Greg. He fed him every bite. He gave him every drink. He bathed him and helped him with all his personal needs. He slept on a mattress on a concrete floor beside Uncle Greg’s bed. He took Uncle Greg out on the lake in a floatation device, and Uncle Greg swam for the first time in his life.

At the end of the week the campers all gathered before returning to their homes. Each was asked, "What was your favorite part of the week?" Almost unanimously they said "Swimming." When it was Uncle Greg’s turn to talk about his favorite part of the week, he simply pointed to John and said, "You!"

Paul Decker, "Our Time, Our Turn, Our All", 1/11/2009.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.