Series: Momma Says… (James)[#2]
DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
James 1:9-11; 2:1-13
Introduction:
[Items needed: A big target on a bulletin board (have a picture of Jesus underneath the target); a table with several darts on it; a blank piece of paper in the bulletin; and extra pencils in the pew.]
I would like everyone to draw a picture of someone that you dislike or someone who has made you angry on your piece of paper, (no names please). Once you do that I would like you to come up front and we will put the picture on the board and you can throw a dart at it.
[After a couple of minutes has went by, send everyone else back to their seats. While they are going back to their seats began to remove the target from the wall.]
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
“You can’t judge a book by its cover”. You don’t what’s inside a person by what they look like. Many people make their decision about a person based upon…
The Cover
Here is some of the “covers” people use:
1.Appearance. Beauty is everything in our world. If you’re cute, you’ve go it made. If you’re plain, tough! We judge people on their appearance- how they look and how they dress.
2.Ancestry. We judge people according to their race, their nationality, and their ethnic background.
3.Age. You’re too young or too old.
4.Achievement. Our society loves winners and forgets the losers. Success and status are key words.
5.Affluence. We judge people by their wealth and their economic status. What attitude do you have toward people who make more money than you do? What attitude do you have toward people who make less money than you do?
James 1:9-11 (NLT)
“Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.”
The Picture
James gives us a picture of what favoritism looks like in a church.
James 2:2-4 (NLT)
“For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?”
Favoritism is…
1.Inconsistent with God’s character.
James 2:1 (NLT)
“My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim that you have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people more than others?”
If you want to be like Jesus you can’t play favorites. God loves everybody. If there is one place in the world where there shouldn’t be any kind of discrimination, it should be the church. There is discrimination everywhere in the world; but there ought to be one place no matter who you are or what your background is that you’re welcome.
2.Inconsistent with God’s methods.
James 2:5 (NLT)
Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the kingdom God promised to those who love him?
Favoritism is unreasonable. It doesn’t make sense. James says that God has chosen the poor. He’s not saying that it’s good to be poor and bad to be rich. He’s not saying that only the poor will be saved. Everybody in this room is rich compared to the majority of the world; but it doesn’t make a bit of difference to God. Aren’t you glad God doesn’t check your wallet before He saves you? Aren’t you glad your salvation isn’t based on your savings account?
3.Inconsistent with people’s actions.
James 2:6-7 (NLT)
“And yet, you insult the poor man! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?”
James was writing during a time when the poor would be charged excessive interest for even the basic necessities of life. It was the upper class that were persecuting the Christians. James says, “Why are you worried about impressing them. They’re certainly not worried about impressing you”.
These same people that they were trying to impress were making fun of their faith in Jesus Christ; but they let it slide. Why would they do that? Because favoritism ignores the sin in order to benefit from it either on a material level or just to be socially acceptable.
4.Inconsistent with Scripture.
James 2:8-11 (NLT)
“Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery.”
James repeats God’s standard from Scripture; “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
1 John 4:20 (NLT)
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen?”
How I relate to you proves how much I love God. Few of us know how to love unconditionally. In verse 9, James says that it’s not the type of sin that designates a sinner. It’s going against any commandment of God. How many laws do you have to break to be a lawbreaker? One. How many crimes do you have to commit to become a criminal? One.
The Content
James ends this section by telling us how to see the true person and avoid this trap of judging a book by its cover.
James 2:12-13 (NLT)
“So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God’s mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.”
1.Let the Bible be your standard.
2.Let love be your law.
3.Let mercy be your message.
Conclusion:
How do we have a church that is growing- a church that people want to come back to? We are a church that loves people. It’s love that reaches people. You don’t argue people into Heaven. You love them into heaven.
How do you love them into heaven?
1.Accept people. We cannot become a church full of spiritual snobs. You know, notice the splinter in their eye while you have a log in yours. We are not to love sin, but we are to love the sinner.
2.Appreciate people.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than you. Each of you should look not only to your own interest but also the interest of others.”
3.Affirm people. Give people a lift whenever you can. When people stumble, don’t criticize, sympathize. Be an encourager not a complainer. You can encourage people just by smiling at them. You only have one chance to make a first impression. Give a welcome handshake, a smile.
What is God saying in James? The church that accepts, appreciates and affirms people is the church that God blesses. Absolutely nothing can stop the church that’s filled with love. It doesn’t happen by accident. It requires an all out effort by each of us. Everybody needs to contribute to the atmosphere of the church.
Let me ask you a tough question. “Would people come back to this church because of you?” Together we need to make a commitment that this church will receive people unconditionally. We don’t expect people to act like believers until they are believers. I want our church to have a reputation for love. Nothing can stop a loving church. Maybe you’re a guest or this is your first time. You are as welcome as a charter member. It doesn’t matter what you wear or your economic status or whether you’ve been married once, never married, or married ten times. It doesn’t matter whether you disagree with me in the interpretation of the second coming. You are welcome here. It doesn’t matter what color of race you are. Jesus Christ breaks down all barriers. We are all equal in God’s eyes. God wants you to know Him.
(As with most of my sermons, many of the ideas and thoughts come from numerous sermons I have heard and read. In this particular sermons the beginning section on types of covers comes from Rick Warren.)
