Sermon Tone Analysis
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Good Morning!
It is good to see all of you and worship with you this morning.
Last week we began looking at verses five through thirteen in James chapter two, but God had more to say than we had time.
So we will continue on picking up at verse eight this morning.
We ended with the question about how we treat others.
Do we show favoritism to the wealthy people in our lives?
I shared with you my tendency to do just that when it comes to how I prioritize my customers at work.
If you think about it from the world's standards, it makes sense to do so.
However, if my goal as a follower of Christ is to let God’s love flow through me, I must let God determine who and how I prioritize.
One of the things we should all begin to see happen in our lives as we are growing in our faith is that we think and operate differently from the world.
Not for the sake of just being different, but because Christ in us is changing how we see things.
As we grow in True Faith, our goals and desires change.
Those changes in who we are and how we operate reveal Jesus to the world.
The apostle Paul is a great example of this work.
Grew up and was trained in religion.
Followed what he was taught to the point of persecuting anyone who believed otherwise.
Then… He saw Jesus for who he really was, the promised Messiah.
Everything about Paul changed after encountering Jesus and growing in his understanding.
Not only did he reinterpret his previous beliefs on this new information, but he put his life on the line for the sake of Christ.
Look what he says to the church in Colosse.
We may go study that letter in the future, but for today I want you to understand that Paul’s life work was to help people understand the grace and mercy we have received and live accordingly.
Nothing was more important than sharing that message, and the cost was irrelevant to him.
This is God’s goal for us as well.
To know, by experience, the goodness of Jesus and letting that change our lives.
We are to be a refreshing balm in a world that is suffering from disinformation about who God is.
James addresses our tendency to be an irritant rather than a balm by perpetuating lies about who God is through how we treat others.
Let’s continue by looking at verses eight through eleven.
Do you see who James is addressing here?
It’s not those who don’t know God.
He is talking to the church and us.
If we are showing favoritism, we are living in sin.
Look at it again.
He is addressing those of us who are choosing to be sanctified.
He is saying that our goal is sanctification, which is wonderful, BUT if you are purposefully showing favoritism to the rich, you might as well break all the law.
We cannot turn a blind eye to some sin!
James is referring to Jesus’s conversation with the rich young ruler.
I want you to hear what James and Jesus are saying.
The problem or sin isn’t in being wealthy.
The problem is in what we do with our wealth and whether we trust in it or Jesus.
Jesus goes on to say that it is incredibly difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom.
Wealth creates a false sense of security, and we put our trust in it rather than in Jesus.
We become so accustomed to that security blanket that it is nearly impossible to let go of it.
Circling back to what James is teaching, if we show favoritism to the rich, we create a false image of God and lead people to desire and trust in wealth rather than in Jesus.
Money is a big sticky spot in our culture.
We get consumed by the desire to be comfortable according to our culture.
It becomes the main driver in the decisions that we make.
It doesn’t matter if it is our own wealth or the wealth of others; if we put special attention to it we are falsely representing God.
James is pushing back against that ideology because Jesus also pushed back against it.
So, what do we do with all this?
James is warning us against showing favoritism to the rich because, in doing so, we paint a false picture of God.
What does James want us to do?
How do you and I push back against a culture that places so much emphasis on wealth?
The Law of Freedom is the two greatest commandments, Love God and Love your neighbor as yourself.
This should be our daily driver, not a pursuit of security through wealth.
What is God’s goal in redeeming us?
He wants to restore us to the relationship we were created to have with Him.
One that is open, where we can walk and talk with Him.
A relationship in which we never feel guilt, shame, or anything even remotely negative.
Does that sound like the kind of relationship that would be offensive or decisive in any way?
No, of course not.
Why is it then that people are turned off by the church or by mentioning God?
People distance themselves from both because what they have learned from their experiences is the opposite of what God wants them to learn.
That isn’t God’s fault.
The fault lies at the feet of those who claim to know God but don’t.
What we know to be true is that if we Love God, Love others, we will experience true freedom.
Love God, Love others and be free.
We have experienced this in our own lives as our faith has grown.
The clearest example of this in scripture is found in Acts.
This is the freedom and Joy that Jesus and James are talking about.
These believers' lives were focused on God and one another.
How did they get to that point?
How were their lives changed so radically?
They were filled with the Holy Spirit and made their relationship with God and one another the main priorities in their lives.
They were intentional about Loving God and Others and experienced freedom in return.
We don’t need to worry about if we will have enough.
As we saw at the beginning of this message, Jesus said that all He has is ours.
We can experience freedom as we learn to trust God just like the early church did.
James says that we are to speak and act as those who are judged by the law of freedom.
In other words, live in the freedom that you have been given!
What does that look like?
The world would say having enough money and power to do what you want is freedom.
Look at how Jesus describes it in Matthew 7.7-12
Jesus redefines what it means to be wealthy and free.
When we were created, God gave us all that was needed to enjoy life.
The same is still true today.
Our salvation is adoption into the family of God and co-heirs with Christ.
By God’s standards, all that we need will be freely given to us as we abide in Christ.
Knowing all God has done for us causes us to love Him more and more.
What is the next thing that Jesus said we are to do?
Love our neighbors as ourselves.
The most loving thing we can do for our neighbors is to share that knowledge and wealth.
We must ask ourselves, “what does James mean in the first part of verse thirteen?”
“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy.”
We have heard something like this before.
13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor
will himself also call out and not be answered.f
Or what about the parable of the unforgiving servant?
Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone, and Jesus responded with a parable of the King who forgave the debts of three men, but one does not extend that same mercy to his debtor.
Look at the king's response.
God’s gracious acceptance of us does not end our obligation to obey him; it sets it on a new footing.
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