The Book of James – Part 5:
Brotherly Love
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
The
Apostle James, brother of Jesus, and leader of the Jerusalem council, writes to
us, and the Twelve Tribes in the Book of James, a warning of what will happen
to those who love with favoritism, which is a sin.
James
poses the question for you in today’s verses...
Do
you love others unconditionally?
LAST WEEKS SERMON
Part 1 - Faith and Wisdom
Part 2 - Poverty and Riches
Part 3 - Endurance
Part 4 - Christian Living
Part 5 - Brotherly Love
SCRIPTURE READING
James
2:1-12
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious
Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 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. 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,” 4
have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil
thoughts?
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 those who love him? 6 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? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the
noble name of him to whom you belong?
8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as
yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you
sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever
keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking
all of it. 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.
12
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives
freedom, 13 because judgment
without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy
triumphs over judgment.
I.
JUDGES WITH EVIL
THOUGHTS
a.
Not having the
Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ
i.
James makes it plain to the reader, that this behavior
is not following the pattern that Jesus
Christ gives to His followers.
ii.
We are called to live a life of conduct which is
mirroring the Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
1.
Jesus did not show favoritism while on earth!
a. Tax collectors
b. Sinners
c. Prostitutes
d. Sick
e. Lepers
f. Centurions
2.
When given the opportunity, the Apostles shared the
very same message of Hope they gave to the poor, with Kings, leaders and
teachers of the Law.
a. They did not reserve
Hope and Salvation for those THEY felt deserved it.
b. They offered the
very same Hope and Salvation to ALL!
b.
Picking and
choosing whom to love...the beginning of clicks
i.
Social status in a church is despicable, and detestable
to the Lord.
1.
God has called us to be ONE Body of Christ!
ii.
When we show favor...we begin clicks
1.
When we begin clicks, we begin division in the body
2.
When we begin division in the body...we weaken it!
3.
When we weaken the body, the church falls apart
c.
Addressing the rich
while ignoring the poor
i.
James tells the readers exactly what they are doing
wrong.
d.
Prejudice proclaims
a terrible attitude and a terrible spirit
i.
This is not the Love of others the scripture teaches.
ii.
This behavior is just another example of selfishness
and self-centeredness.
iii.
It does not have to be favoritism over wealth either...it
can be over personality, looks, power, fame, possessions, position, title, prestige,
and on, and on
e.
God is no respecter
of persons...and neither are true followers of Christ
i.
This is not a “new” thing...God has told His people
from the beginning not to behave in this manner!
1.
Leviticus 19:15 “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt
not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness
shalt thou judge thy neighbour.” ... treat them the same!
2.
Deuteronomy 1:17 “Ye
shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear
the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for
the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto
me, and I will hear it.”
3.
2 Chronicles 19:7 “Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you;
take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.”
a.
bribing leaders...a no, no
b.
Man who wanted his
will done in the Church
i.
Upset with church, threatened to hold back his tithe
ii.
At the time he believed he was one of the biggest
contributors to the church, therefore, felt as if he had a claim or stake in
its operation. He imagined his money
purchased authority.
1.
Elders are the spiritual leaders of the church, and
obey God and His Word alone...not man nor money.
2.
Jesus tells us in Mark 12, a rich man gave a small
percentage from his wealth, a widow gave 100% from her poverty...it was the
woman’s two pennies which was the greater gift to God.
a.
The rich man’s drop
in his bucket was nothing compared to the widows giving of the entire bucket!
3.
I told him to keep his tithe; God does not want it
anyway. He was giving for the wrong reason and with the impure intent.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
“6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously.
7 Each of you
should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
We cannot bribe true spiritual leaders, the
church, nor God into doing OUR WILL.
We cannot look at the rich with more favor
than the poor! God sees us ALL as equal!
Galatians 3:27-29
27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile,
neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s
seed, and heirs according to the promise.
4.
Acts 10:34 “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I
perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”
5. Romans 2:11; Ephesians
6:9; Colossians 3:25
6. 1 Peter 1:16-18 “...Be
ye holy; for I am holy.
17And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's
work, pass the time of your life here on earth in fear (respectful acknowledgment
and understanding of a coming judgment on you by God):
18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by
tradition from your fathers;”
II.
BREAKING THE LAW MAKES
YOU A LAWBREAKER
a.
vs 8 Show favor to everyone, whether rich or
poor
b.
vs 9 Favoritism to one class = sin
i.
Love your brother, love your neighbor, love your enemy
ii.
I Corinthians 13 What is love?
1.
Not feelings or emotions, but ACTIONS (I
Corinthians 13)
2.
How you treat others, that is love...
c.
vs 10-11 If you break one law, you are a law
breaker
III.
JUDGMENT WITHOUT
MERCY
a.
vs 12 Again, James says...Be doers of the Word,
and what the Word says!
b.
God shall have judgment without mercy for those
who have shown no mercy...Jesus teaches of this very situation.
i.
Richman and Lazarus
1. Luke 16:19-26 “19 “There was a rich man who was dressed
in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his
gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and
longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and
licked his sores.
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels
carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23
In Sheol, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with
Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have
pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my
tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your
lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but
now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”
In
life, the rich man was only concerned with his riches. This selfishness breeds apathy, and
the rich man never showed mercy to Lazarus, whom he had to pass each day to
leave and enter his home.
c.
vs 13 “Mercy
triumphs over judgment.”
d.
This presents the fact that one who shows mercy in this
life will have nothing to fear at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
CONCLUSION
If
we show favoritism among other believers, this is not truly loving others, and
God calls this behavior a sin. The
scripture says when we do this, we become “judges with evil thoughts”, and we
are not behaving as God wants us to.
Breaking
even one law makes us breakers of the law, and in danger of judgment if we do
not repent.
When
we pick and choose whom to love and show favoritism to, we not only become
judges with evil thoughts, but this is the beginning of clicks and social
castes, which divide the Body of Christ, and weaken the church, sometimes unto
death.
If
you are in this sin, confess it to the Lord and repent, so that you may be
forgiven. Then go and show mercy to
others...go and sin no more.
Can
you answer James’ question properly today?
Do
you show favor to all...or reserve your best for those you feel are more
worthy?
Next
week we will look at what the Book of James says about Faith and Works.
Want to learn more about
Salvation and Getting Saved?
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