A
Place Where Anyone Can
Fit In
James
2:1-9
June
8, 2008
Dr.
Hoyt Noel
Introduction:
Let
us pray the Lord’s
Prayer together
Our
Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in
heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And
forgive us our
trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass
against us. And lead us
not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil: For
thine is the kingdom, and
the power, and the glory,
for ever. Amen.
There
is a part of that prayer
that I wonder if we ever
really notice.
The
part that says Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be
done on earth as it is in
heaven? I wonder if we
really mean that? Do we
really want His kingdom
and His will on earth
(that is, in our lives
and in our church) as it
is in heaven?
Let’s look at one
aspect of God’s will
as it is in heaven. Rev
7:9-10 9 After these
things I looked, and
behold, a great multitude
which no one could count,
from every nation and all
tribes and peoples and
tongues, standing before
the throne and before the
Lamb, clothed in white
robes, and palm branches
were in their hands; 10
and they cry out with a
loud voice, saying,
"Salvation to our
God who sits on the
throne, and to the
Lamb."
The
apostle John saw in his
vision of heaven, a place
where every nation
(ethnic group), and all
tribes and peoples and
tongues were worshipping
around the throne of God.
What John saw is “A
Place Where Anyone Can
Fit In”
If
we pray His Kingdom Come
and His will be done on
earth as it is in heaven,
do we really want our
church to be a Place
where anyone can fit in?
Regardless of who they
are or their station in
life?
Is
our Church a place where
anyone can fit in?
Let’s look at James
2:1-9 and see what God’s
word has to say about
what our church should
handle this subject.
"My
brothers, show no
partiality as you hold
the faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory. For if a man
wearing a gold ring and
fine clothing comes into
your assembly, and a poor
man in shabby clothing
also comes in, and if you
pay attention to the one
who wears the fine
clothing and say,
"You sit here in a
good place," while
you say to the poor man,
"You stand over
there," or,
"Sit down at my
feet," have you not
then made distinctions
among yourselves and
become judges with evil
thoughts? Listen, my
beloved brothers, has not
God chosen those who are
poor in the world to be
rich in faith and heirs
of the kingdom, which he
has promised to those who
love him? But you have
dishonored the poor man.
Are not the rich the ones
who oppress you, and the
ones who drag you into
court? Are they not the
ones who blaspheme the
honorable name by which
you were called? If you
really fulfill the royal
law according to the
Scripture, "You
shall love your neighbor
as yourself," you
are doing well. But if
you show partiality, you
are committing sin and
are convicted by the law
as transgressors."
(James 2:1-9 ESV)
1.
In verses 1-4: The
Command: Be Inclusive.
a.
Faith and favoritism don’t
mix. It starts as a heart
attitude and bleeds over
into our actions. The way
we look at and treat
people.
In
his autobiography,
Mahatma Gandhi wrote that
during his student days
he read the Gospels
seriously and considered
converting to
Christianity. He believed
that in the teachings of
Jesus he could find the
solution to the caste
system that was dividing
the people of India. So
one Sunday he decided to
attend services at a
nearby church and talk to
the minister about
becoming a Christian.
When he entered the
sanctuary, however, the
usher refused to give him
a seat and suggested that
he o worship with his own
people. Gandhi left the
church and never
returned, “If
Christians have caste
differences also, “
he said, “I might as
well remain a Hindu.”
That usher’s
prejudice not only
betrayed Jesus but also
turned a person away from
trusting Him as Savior.
b.
Everyone has celebrity
status with God. Everyone
who comes into this
church should be welcomed
equally. No one is to
receive better treatment
because of their economic
or social status. The
real sin in the church
today is not primarily
racism but
classification. We get
all gooey inside when
some famous celebrity
gets saved but don’t
give it a thought when a
homeless alcoholic comes
to Christ.
c.
When we show partiality
we are displaying the
evil motives of our
heart. God is the only
judge over who and who
does not come into His
kingdom.
2.
In verses 4-7: The
Conditions: Who belongs
in God’s kingdom?
a.
Those who are rich in
faith.
b.
Those who love Him.
c.
Our favoritism and
prejudice make absolutely
no sense.
3.
The Character: What are
God’s people like?
a.
They fulfill the Royal
Law. They love others.
i.
It shows in everything
they do and say. It
bleeds over into every
area of their life.
ii.
They are known as a
people who love.
iii.
They will deny themselves
to show others love.
iv.
They are kind. They have
a welcoming spirit.
v.
They will serve you and
not demand that you serve
them.
vi.
They are the kind of
people who will cut their
neighbor’s grass
without asking.
vii.
They are the kind of
people who will not only
welcome a street person;
they will help that
person get off the
street.
viii.
They are not known for
fighting for their rights
but for giving up their
rights.
ix.
They would rather be
called a fool and suffer
humiliation than deny the
Christ who gives them the
power to love others.
b.
They treat Prejudice and
Favoritism for what it
is: Sin.
Listen
to this story and tell me
if it sounds familiar: On
a dangerous sea coast
where ship wrecks often
occur there was once a
crude little lifesaving
station. The building was
just a hut, and there was
only one boat, but the
few devoted members kept
a constant watch over the
sea, and with no thought
for themselves they went
out, day or night,
tirelessly searching for
the lost. Many lives were
saved by this wonderful
little station, so that
it became famous. Some of
those who were saved, and
various others in
surrounding areas, wanted
to become associated with
the station and give of
their time and money and
effort for the support of
its work. New boats were
bought and new crews were
trained. The little
lifesaving station grew.
Some
of the new members of the
lifesaving station were
unhappy that the building
was so crude and so
poorly equipped. They
felt that a more
comfortable place should
be provided as the first
refuge of those saved
from the sea. So they
replaced the emergency
cots with beds and put
better furniture in an
enlarged building. Now
the lifesaving station
became a popular
gathering place for its
members, and they
redecorated it
beautifully and furnished
it exquisitely, because
they used it as a sort of
club. Less of the members
were now interested in
going to sea on
lifesaving missions, so
they hired lifeboat crews
to do this work. The
lifesaving motif still
prevailed in the club
decoration, and there was
a liturgical lifesaving
boat in the room where
initiation took place.
About this time, a large
ship was wrecked off the
coast, and the hired
crews brought in boats
loaded with cold, wet,
and half drowned people.
They were dirty and sick
and some had black skin
and some had yellow skin.
The beautiful new club
was considerably messed
up. So the property
committee immediately had
a shower house built
outside the club where
the victims of shipwrecks
could be cleaned up
before coming inside.
At
the next meeting, there
was a split in club
membership. Most of the
members wanted to stop
the club’s
lifesaving activities as
they were thought to be
unpleasant and a
hindrance to the normal
life of the club. Some
members insisted on
lifesaving, as their
primary purpose, and
pointed out that they
were still called a
lifesaving station. But
they were finally voted
down and told that if
they wanted to save the
lives of all various
kinds of people who were
shipwrecked in those
waters, they could begin
their own lifesaving
station down the coast.
They did.
As
the years went by, the
new station experienced
the same change that had
occurred in the old. It
evolved into a club, and
yet another lifesaving
station was founded.
History continued to
repeat itself, and if you
visit that coast today,
you will find a number of
exclusive clubs along
that shore. Shipwrecks
are still frequent in
those waters, but most of
the people drown!
Let’s
pray.
Heavenly
Father, thank you for the
word. Thank you for
allowing me to be the
first to hear, and using
me to share it with
others. Let us all be
faithful, not just
hearers of the word, but
doers also. Let us be
quick to share this faith
with others, feeding a
hungry generation, hungry
for a word from YOU.
Lord, as we go through
this invitation, prick
our hearts, infect us
with Your Holy Spirit,
and give us all a hunger
deep within to reach the
lost souls, for we know
You desire that none be
lost, that all may come
to repentance. Give us
strength for the task
ahead, forgive our sins,
and let us forgive
others. Let us show
forth-Christian love to
one another. In the name
of Jesus I pray, Amen.
