1 to 13, and Pete is going to come and read for us this morning.
Okay, so if we've got the church Bible, it's on page 1213.
So it's James chapter 2, verse 1 to 13.
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 comes in filthy old clothes, also comes in.
If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say,
here is a good seat for you, but say to the poor man,
you can 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 dishonoured 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 neighbour 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.
Thank you, Pete.
So let's keep our Bibles open at James chapter 2 and we're going to pray.
Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
Father, give us your Holy Spirit, we pray,
so that we listen carefully to your word,
so that we submit to its authority,
that we accept it,
but also so that we may do what your word commands.
For we know that this is not only good for us,
it is good for each other,
and it is good for the world in which we live.
So, Father, help us now, we pray.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, what's your favourite in a box of chocolates?
And don't tell me you don't like chocolates.
Strawberry cream,
Turkish delight,
velvet fudge.
Well, last Sunday,
after I'd come home,
I was over at my brother's,
and there were a few others there,
and we opened up a box of milk tray after dinner.
Well, by the time the box came round to me,
all that was left
were the ones that nobody really likes,
hazelnut whirl,
coffee cup.
Well, I broke the golden rule,
the one my mother always told me I mustn't do,
and went straight for the second layer.
Salted caramel,
my favourite.
Now, just as we all have our favourite chocolates,
we also have our favourite people, don't we?
We choose and pick the people we like,
while we ignore and discard the ones we don't.
Look at verse 1 of chapter 2.
My brothers and sisters,
believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ
must not show favouritism.
If we're believers,
if we're claiming to follow Jesus,
there must not be a hint of favouritism.
Look back with me to chapter 1, verse 21,
where James commands us.
He says,
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth
and the evil that is so prevalent,
and humbly accept the word planted in you
which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word
and so deceive yourselves.
Do what it says.
Now, the evidence that we accept the word,
listen to the word,
and do what the word says
is not showing favouritism.
If I am a Christian,
I will not have favourites.
I will treat each and every person
without prejudice or discrimination.
You see, the sad reality is
we all show favouritism.
Look at verse 2.
Suppose a man comes into your meeting,
to your gathering on a Sunday morning
wearing a gold ring and fine clothes.
He's got all the bling and the latest fashion.
And a poor man in filthy old clothes
also comes in
and he's got a half-drunk Heineken can
stuck in his pocket.
If you show special attention
to the man wearing fine clothes
and say,
Oh, please, sit with me.
But say to the poor man,
You stand there
or there's a chair at the back.
Why don't you just sit there
and keep quiet?
Have you not discriminated among yourselves
and become judges with evil thoughts?
Or suppose a sporting celebrity family
comes in and visits one Sunday morning,
just like one of the Munster players did
a few years ago, you may remember.
Well, they were the star attraction,
the focus of attention.
We were like bees round a honeypot,
wanting to talk to them.
Now suppose a family
from the travelling community arrives.
Well, it's all a bit noisy
and a bit disruptive.
There's no rushing over to chat.
Instead, there seems to be
a collective sigh of relief
when they leave the building.
We ignore the family
from the travelling community,
but rush straight
to the celebrity family.
Well, of course,
we don't have to wait
for travellers or celebrities
to arrive to expose our favouritism.
We do it all the time.
Just think about how we operate
on a Sunday morning
as we come in the door
or as we take our seats.
We choose who we sit beside,
making sure it's somebody
that we can relate to.
We decide who we talk to over coffee,
being careful to avoid
the one that we find
particularly awkward.
We pick who we invite to our homes,
calculating who's more fun
and who will be more acceptable
to our neighbours
if they should see them coming.
Verse 4.
Have you not discriminated
among yourselves
and become judges
with evil thoughts?
It's quite pointed, isn't it?
When we show favouritism,
we are making judgments
on each other.
We're saying,
this person
is more valuable
than that person
and the visitor
who walked in,
well, they're more important
than the other visitor.
It's called discrimination.
Sometimes it's called racism.
James,
through God's word,
tells us
it is evil.
Verse 4.
And it's lurking
in the hearts
of each one of us.
This one,
not that one.
I like them,
but I don't particularly
like them.
He's strange,
but she's a lot of fun.
They're Irish.
They're not.
Well, I know them,
but I can't stand them.
Every Sunday,
as we walk
through the doors,
perhaps subconsciously,
we choose,
decide,
and pick.
We show favouritism.
We become judges
with evil thoughts.
Like the box of chocolates,
we pick who we like
and discard the ones
we don't.
Verse 1.
Look at verse 1 again.
My brothers and sisters,
believers in our glorious
Lord Jesus Christ
must not show favouritism.
Now James goes on
very helpfully
to give us three reasons
why we should not
show favouritism.
Here's the first one.
God chooses
the humble poor.
God chooses
the humble poor.
Look at verse 5.
Listen,
my 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?
You see,
when it comes to
choosing people,
the world does so
on the basis of
categories like
wealth,
success,
looks,
your education.
If you've got
a well-paid job,
if you look beautiful,
you look fit,
you've got a good figure,
if you're popular
among friends,
well then you're
the person
who's chosen every time.
You're selected.
You are somebody.
In the eyes of the world,
you're deserving.
You've made it.
You're everyone's favourite.
But that's not how God
and the gospel works.
Do you see what it says
in verse 5?
God has chosen
those who are poor
in the eyes of the world
to be rich
in faith.
God chooses
the nobodies,
the losers,
those who have nothing
and are nothing,
the rejected
and the disregarded.
The Apostle Paul
helpfully
shows us
the same thing
if you keep
your finger
in James chapter 2
and go back
to 1 Corinthians
chapter 1.
1 Corinthians chapter 1.
If somebody's got
a page number there,
they could call it out
and I can help you along.
1 Corinthians chapter 1.
Are we all there?
So here Paul
is reminding
the church
in Corinth
just how God
has worked
amongst the people.
Look what it says,
chapter 1,
verse 26.
Brothers and sisters,
think of what you were
when you were called.
Not many of you
were wise
by human standards.
Not many were
influential.
Not many were
of noble birth.
But God
chose
the foolish
things of the world
to shame the wise.
God chose
the weak
things of the world
to shame the strong.
God chose
the lowly
things of this world
and the despised
things
and the things
that are not
to nullify
the things that are
so that no one
may boast
before him.
It's quite clear,
isn't it?
Let's go back
to James chapter 2.
The foolish,
the weak,
the lowly,
the despised,
they are the ones
that God chooses.
Jesus.
When I was in Ghana
just last week,
we travelled up
to the northern region
of the country,
heading up towards
the edge of the Sahara.
It was very,
very hot.
And there we went
into a small village
that was way out
into the country.
It was about
an hour's drive
from the town
that we were staying in.
We arrived in the village,
no electricity,
no running water,
nothing to offer,
no employment.
But yet,
in that small
little village,
there was a thriving
church of about
60 people
crammed into
a small
little building.
They don't have work.
Every one of them
was living off
the land.
in the eyes
of the world,
this bunch of people
were materially
poor
nobodies.
Weak,
lowly,
despised.
But in the eyes
of God,
spiritually rich
in faith,
inheritors
of the kingdom
of God,
it's like
they had received
the equivalent
of the spiritual
Euro millions.
God chooses,
verse 5,
those who are
poor in the eyes
of the world
to be rich
in faith.
Nothing
in their hands
of material
worth,
but inheritors
of the kingdom
of God,
the new heavens
and the new
world.
Riches beyond
our imagination.
Now,
we might get
confused as we
read this section
in James
and think
that God
is showing
favoritism
to the poor.
That God
chooses the poor
over the rich.
But I don't
think God
loves poor
people more
than he loves
rich people,
or that God
ignores rich
people more
than poor
people.
I think
the point
that James
is driving
at is this,
that we all
need to learn
from the poor.
In fact,
we need to
become like
the humble
poor.
You see,
the materially
poor have
nothing.
They are
dependent on
outside help.
They need
people to
give what
they don't
have.
And that
becomes a
model,
it becomes
an example
of how
we should
all come
to God
spiritually.
We come
as hopeless
and helpless,
dependent
and completely
reliant upon
God's grace
that we have
nothing in our
hands to bring
before him.
We have
nothing to
bring before
God.
So when
someone comes
into the
church gathering
and I
think that
I'm above
that person,
God is
saying to
me,
Johnny,
do not
ignore them.
In fact,
Johnny,
I want you
to learn
from them.
Johnny,
I want you
to become
like them.
I want you
to become
like the
humble
poor,
because they
know what
it is to
come with
nothing and
to receive
God's
free gift
of grace.
Look at
verse 6.
But you
have
dishonoured
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?
It's so
telling,
isn't it?
written 2,000
years ago,
but we
still operate
on the
same level.
All through
the week,
we give
our attention
to those
we deem
to be
successful
and wealthy
in the
hope that
somehow
they will
notice us
and maybe
they'll give
us that
little bit
of promotion
or we'll
get an
extra rise
in our
salary or
somehow
we'll become
part of
the in
crowd,
the in
group,
and we
look up
to the
successful
in the
hope that
they will
kind of
pull us
up.
Well,
the irony
is that
those who
we look
up to
don't
actually
help you.
They use
you and
abuse you
to get
to where
they want
to get.
While
those we
look down
upon who
think they
can give
us nothing,
they are
the ones
who can
help us
because they
are the
ones who
can teach
us.
James is
so clear,
don't
ignore
the poor,
the
nobodies
and the
losers,
those who
are considered
of no
value in
the world's
eyes.
James is
saying,
listen to
them,
learn from
them,
I want
you to
become
like them.
spiritual
poverty
coming with
empty hands
so that we
receive the
riches of
God's
grace.
The other
reason,
the second
reason why
we should
not show
favouritism
is because
God commands
the church
to love.
Look at
verse 8.
If you
really keep
the royal
law found
in scripture,
love your
neighbour as
yourself,
you are
doing right.
But if you
show favouritism,
you sin and
are convicted
by the law
as law
breakers.
On one
occasion,
in the
Gospels we
read this,
one of the
religious leaders
came up to
Jesus in a
discussion and
asked him,
of all the
commandments that
are in the
scriptures,
which one is
the most
important?
Do you
remember what
Jesus said?
Love the
Lord your
God with
all your
heart,
with all
your soul,
with all
your mind,
and with
all your
strength.
And the
second is
this,
love your
neighbour as
yourself.
And Jesus
says there
is no
greater
commandment
than these.
You see,
for Jesus,
loving God
and loving
your neighbour
as yourself
was a
summary of
all of
God's
law.
In fact,
of all the
laws that
were in
the scriptures,
the one that
Jesus quoted
and talked
about the
one the
most is
here in
verse 8.
It's what
James calls
the royal
law.
It's the
king's
command,
his command
to his
subjects,
to those
who follow
him.
Christian,
love your
neighbour as
yourself.
And,
well,
it's quite
simple.
If we
obey God's
command,
if we
do love
our neighbour,
well then,
there won't
be favouritism,
there won't
be discrimination,
there won't
be prejudice,
there won't
be racism.
When there
is love,
and when
love grows
and flourishes
within God's
people,
then favouritism
dies.
It
disappears.
And that's
not a problem
in the church,
is it?
Because we
all love our
neighbour,
don't we?
Don't we?
Don't we love
our neighbour,
as God has
said?
Well,
behind my
points here,
I like to
think that I
love my
neighbour.
I take
pride that I
love people
in the
church,
and when
a visitor
comes,
I seek
to show
love.
But remember
where this
love command
first came.
You might
have a note
at the bottom
of your
Bible there,
it says
Leviticus
19,
verse 18.
That's where
the love,
love your neighbour
as yourself,
first was
written.
It was
given to
God's
people Israel
just after
they were
rescued from
Egypt,
and were
on their
way into
entering the
promised land.
And God
says to
them,
love your
neighbour as
yourself.
In other
words,
they were
to love
the nations
that were
going to be
around them.
They were
to love
those who
were not
like them,
those who
spoke a
different
language and
ate
different kinds
of foods.
They were
to love
their enemies,
those who
had wronged
them and
attacked
them.
They were
to love
the rejected,
the outsider,
the wanderer,
those who
didn't have
a place to
live.
Love them.
Now,
I don't
have a
problem
loving those
who are
like me,
because there
is only one
like me,
and that's
me.
It's easy
to love
me,
isn't it?
It's easy
to love
people who
are like
me,
people of
my culture,
my class,
my background.
The problem
comes for
me when
other people
are not
like me,
and that's
everybody else,
really.
Verse 9,
knows
him.
He tend
to be
are not
I can take pride that I give attention and take time with 90% of the people in the church.
You can feel pleased with yourself that you spend 90% of the time with every visitor that comes in
and you say hello to them and welcome them.
But you know what?
If you or I exclude one person out of discrimination because their skin colour is different to mine,
or if I exclude one person out of prejudice because, well, they're not as educated as me and they look a little bit awkward,
I am as guilty as if I have not loved anybody.
That's what James is saying.
Verse 11.
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.
That's like a man being arrested for murdering his wife and then standing up before the judge and claim,
well, I'm actually innocent of murder because, well, I didn't have an affair.
Maybe you should let me off.
It's ridiculous.
Fail at one point of the law and you are guilty.
You are under the law and you will be judged by it.
Fail at one point of the law.
And I think it's wonderful as we shared tea and coffee together,
the conversations, the chat with one another, welcoming,
extending mercy and grace, being conduits of God's love to one another.
Favoritism dies as love grows.
It's wonderful to see.
It's wonderful to be part of a church family where we love our neighbour as ourself.
So James is quite clear and it's really hard hitting, isn't it?
No favoritism because God chooses the humble poor.
No favoritism because God commands the church to love.
And then his third reason, no favoritism because God acts in mercy towards us.
Look at verse 12 as he brings things to a conclusion.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.
There's two things about the law, two sides to the law.
There's the law that brings freedom.
If we follow God's law and do what it says, well then it helps us thrive.
It helps us to become the kind of people God has called us to be.
If we follow God's law, it's good for us.
It's best and right for us.
It creates the right kind of environment in which we live and flourish.
It brings freedom for how we should live.
But then there's the other side of the law.
Not only does the law bring freedom if we follow it,
the law is also the basis on which we will be judged.
Do you see what it says in verse 12?
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law.
Now, I hope I don't need to remind us all again
that the problem as we've gone through this section in James is,
well, we don't obey God's law.
Rather than love our neighbor, we often show favoritism.
We pick and choose those who we like and reject and ignore those we don't like.
We need God's mercy.
Where we fail to love as we should, we need God's mercy.
Look at verse 13.
Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Now, here's the logic of verse 13.
Follow along with me.
If we've received mercy from God,
we will now show mercy to others.
If we've experienced the mercy of God who does not judge us as we deserve,
then we will be merciful to others and not become judges with evil thoughts.
I want us to get that.
I'm going to say that last line again.
If we've experienced the mercy of God who does not judge us as we deserve,
then we will be merciful to others
and not become judges with evil thoughts.
You see, at the heart of the gospel is God's mercy.
Mercy is his unconditional grace and compassion.
It's the opposite of favoritism.
Rather than show prejudice, God shows grace.
Rather than discrimination, God has compassion.
Let me show you how God has mercy upon us.
First, he became poor.
Look at the beginning of verse 5 of chapter 2.
Verse 5.
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 to those who love him?
You see, for us to become spiritually rich,
Christ first had to become spiritually poor.
Look at the quote on the screen from 2 Corinthians.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,
so that you, through his poverty, might become rich.
Christ was rich, perfect in righteousness and purity,
yet he became poor, taking on our impurity,
and in its place giving us his riches, his purity.
Christ takes on our spiritual poverty
so that we might receive his spiritual riches.
Now that is mercy.
That is mercy triumphing over judgment.
That is the grace and compassion of God
towards discriminating, prejudiced people like you and me.
That is mercy.
But not only has he become poor.
He has loved us.
Look at verse 8.
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,
love your neighbour as yourself,
you are doing right.
Christ was the only one who came into this world
and as a man kept the royal law.
He was the only one who loved the neighbour as himself,
perfectly.
And this is how we know of his love.
Look at the screen again.
Here is a quote from 1 John 3.16.
This is how we know what love is.
Christ laid down his life for us.
Christ was treated as a lawbreaker for you and for me.
When Christ was nailed to the cross,
he was treated as a favourite-picking,
discriminating,
prejudiced,
unmerciful sinner,
racist,
for us.
He was treated as a lawbreaker.
And in place of the lawbreaking,
what was credited to our account
was his perfect law-keeping.
So that we might be welcomed in.
So that we would never be pushed out,
but become part of his family.
That is mercy.
That is mercy triumphing over judgment.
That is the grace and compassion of God
towards people like us,
who,
and let's admit it,
judge with evil thoughts.
Verse 13.
Because judgment without mercy
will be shown to anyone
who has not been merciful.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
You see,
the evidence,
the evidence that we have received
and experienced God's mercy in our life
is that we are now merciful to others.
Instead of showing favouritism,
we now show unconditional grace and compassion.
As our lives are filled afresh
with the mercy of God,
as we bow before him in worship
for all that we have received,
so mercy,
grace and compassion
will bubble up and overflow
and we will be conduits
of God's mercy towards one another.
And we will point people to
the most merciful Saviour,
Jesus Christ.
I want to leave us with two questions.
just in the quietness
to think about these two things.
If you've got the notes
that were handed out,
the two questions are there.
And here's the first question.
Have I experienced
God's mercy?
Do I know what it is
to come with absolute spiritual poverty,
not claiming anything,
empty hands,
and just come to him and say,
Lord, fill me with your mercy.
I have nothing to bring,
nothing to claim.
I need your mercy.
Have you experienced
the depth of God's mercy
in your life?
The second question is this.
Who do I need to show mercy to
this week?
Is there somebody
I'm avoiding at work?
Is there somebody
who I just don't talk to
on a Sunday?
Where am I
showing favouritism?
Lord, help me to show mercy
and compassion
and grace.
Let's pray together.
And as we pray,
let's answer
those two questions.
The end