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Sep 30, 2018

Everyday faith acts justly on the basis of mercy

Everyday faith acts justly on the basis of mercy

Passage: James 2:1-13

Speaker: Patrick Lafferty

Series: Everyday Faith: A study in the book of James

Our cultural moment of people huddling in tribes of like-mindedness reconfirms our enduring nature: we prefer being with those who are like us. That in itself isn’t a problem--at least until we end up giving preference to those who we want to like us, or to privilege us. And often that leads to prejudice toward those unlike us. Such is one troubling feature of our nature James is decrying. Everyday faith’s response to that nature is to call us to an indiscriminate love.

Order of Worship

Pre-Service Text: Galatians 3:28
Call To Worship: Psalm 82:1-4, 8
Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 21:13; Leviticus 19:15
New Testament Reading: Matthew 19:16-30
Sermon Title: Everyday faith acts justly on the basis of mercy
Central Text: James 2:1-13
Benediction: 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Post-Service Text: James 2:13

09.30.18 Sermon Slides

Illustration

Dr. Seuss - Stars Upon Thars

Readings & Scripture

Pre-Service Text: Galatians 3:28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Call To Worship: Psalm 82:1-4, 8
LEADER: 1 God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:

ALL: 2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked?
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!

Old Testament Reading: from Proverbs and Leviticus
Proverbs 21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor; will himself call out and not be answered.

Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

New Testament Reading: Matthew 19:16-30
16 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Central Text: James 2:1-13
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 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, 3 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,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 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? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Benediction: 2 Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. Amen.

Post-Service Text: James 2:13
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Related Scripture

Leviticus 19:15
Deuteronomy 1:17
*Psalm 82:1-4 → call to Worship?
*Proverbs 21:13
*Isaiah 58:6-12
*Jeremiah 22:16
Matthew 5:7, 17-20
Matthew 19:16-30
Luke 1:46-55
John 7:24, 8:30-36
Romans 2:6-11, 3:21-26
*Galatians 3:28
Galatians 5:1-15
Revelation 3:15-22

Discussion Questions & Applications:

  • How would you describe the people you find the most joy in being with? Why?
  • Why would the kind of discrimination to which these believers are tempted be at odds with what God has done in Jesus?
  • The partiality--the preferential treatment--plaguing these churches involved discrimination on the basis of material means. By what other measures are we tempted to practice partiality? What all is motivating that? What does our practice of discrimination in that sense indicate about us?
  • Why would a refusal to discriminate against someone different from them mark a person as someone who has an “everyday faith” in Jesus?
  • How do you begin to leave behind the prejudice warned against here?

Quotes

  • Being where Jesus is means being in the company of people whose company Jesus seeks and keeps. Jesus choose the company of the excluded, the disreputable, the wretched, the self-hating, the poor, the diseased; so that is where you are going to find yourself. Rowan Williams
  • People come because they want to lose weight or gain muscle strength, but they stay for the community. It’s really the relationships that keep them coming back. Casper Ter Kuile
  • We are never free till we become servants of God. . . .They shall not serve him for nothing. Jonathan Edwards
  • There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit - immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”
  • Whoever, therefore, thinks that he understands the divine Scriptures or any part of them in such a way that it [i.e., his interpretation] does not build the double love of God and of our neighbor does not understand [the Scriptures] at all.  Augustine, “On Christian Teaching”
  • It's you I like,
    It's not the things you wear,
    It's not the way you do your hair--
    But it's you I like.

    The way you are right now,
    The way down deep inside you--
    Not the things that hide you,
    Not your toys--
    They're just beside you.

    But it's you I like--
    Every part of you,
    Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
    Whether old or new.

    I hope that you'll remember
    Even when you're feeling blue
    That it's you I like,
    It's you yourself,
    It's you, it's you I like.  Mr. Rogers

  • Luke 1:53-55
    53 he has filled the hungry with good things, 

    and the rich he has sent away empty.

    54 He has helped his servant Israel, 

    in remembrance of his mercy,

    55 as he spoke to our fathers, 

    to Abraham and to his offspring forever


  • Luke 4:16-19
    he Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

    He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

    and recovering of sight to the blind,

    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

    19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 


Sermons/resources:

Songs

  • Shot in the dark: “Let Mercy Lead” by Rich Mullins
  • “He Has Shown Thee”?

Related Media

InView Media Album 9.30.18