Stop Being Snobs

1
Stop Being Snobs

• James 21-13

(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)
2
James 21-13
(Page 1025 in pew Bibles)

• My brothers, hold your faith in our glorious
  Lord Jesus Christ without showing favoritism.
  
• For suppose a man comes into your meeting
  wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, and
  a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in.

3

• If you look with favor on the man wearing the
  fine clothes so that you say, Sit here in a good
  place, and yet you say to the poor man, Stand
  over there, or, Sit here on the floor by my
  footstool,
• havent you discriminated among yourselves and
  become judges with evil thoughts?

4

• Listen, my dear brothers Didnt God choose the
  poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs
  of the kingdom that He has promised to those who
  love Him?
• Yet you dishonored that poor man. Dont the rich
  oppress you and drag you into the courts?

5

• Dont they blaspheme the noble name that you
  bear?
  
• If you really carry out the royal law prescribed
  in Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you
  are doing well.

6

• But if you show favoritism, you commit sin and
  are convicted by the law as transgressors.
  
• For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in
  one point, is guilty of breaking it all.
  
• For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also
  said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit
  adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.

7

• Speak and act as those who will be judged by the
  law of freedom.
  
• For judgment is without mercy to the one who
  hasnt shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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Stop Being Snobs

• James 21-13

9
Favoritism

• Vs. 1 My brothers, hold your faith in our
  glorious Lord Jesus Christ without showing
  favoritism.
  
• KJV Respect of persons
• Literally, To receive the front or
  To accept the outward appearance

10
Discrimination

• Vs. 4 Havent you discriminated among
  yourselves?
  
• Literally, To make distinctions
• To make distinctions among people based on false
  or superficial criteria

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An Example

• Vs. 2-3 For suppose a man comes into your
  meeting wearing a gold ring, dressed in fine
  clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes
  also comes in. If you look with favor on the man
  wearing the fine clothes so that you say, Sit
  here in a good place, and yet you say to the
  poor man, Stand over there, or, Sit here on
  the floor by my footstool

Lst
12
Other Examples of Favoritism

• Cliques Friends who enjoy each other, but who
  never notice new people and include them
  
• Treating people who didnt grow up in Tallassee
  in a different way
  
• Girls who date only guys with nice cars
• Football players picking on band members
• Hiring the more attractive person over the more
  qualified person
  
• Making much over talented personalities and not
  even noticing the faithful work quietly done
  behind the scenes by others at church
  
• Racism Devaluing people on the basis of their
  skin instead of valuing their character

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Five Reasons to Stop Being Snobs

• James 21-13

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It is inconsistent with the
Nature of Christ
1

• Vs. 1, Wuest My brethren, stop holding your
  faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of the
  glory, in connection with an act showing
  partiality
• Christ is every attribute of the invisible God
  expressed visibly, tangibly, audibly
  
• If the Lord of Glory descended to show love to
  weaker people, what about us?
  
• In the presence of Glory like that, who would
  demean others?

.
15
It is Illogical to Judge Others
When You Will be Judged
2

• Vs. 4 Havent you discriminated among
  yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Lst
16
Judges with Evil Thoughts

• Thinking there is a way to differentiate the
  relative value of people
  
• Thinking you are the person to set those values
• Thinking human value could be based on
  superficial things like clothes, possessions, and
  pedigree
  
• Thinking a person, created in the image of God,
  can be of lesser value
  
• Thinking there is a way to keep score where you
  can win and be a somebody.

17
It is Illogical to Judge Others
When You Will be Judged
2

• Vs. 12-13 Speak and act as those who will be
  judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is
  without mercy to the one who hasnt shown mercy.
  Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• Mark 1125 And whenever you stand praying, if
  you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so
  that your Father in heaven will also forgive you
  your wrongdoing.

.
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It is Incompatible with the
Sovereign Choice of God
3

• Vs. 5 Listen, my dear brothers Didnt God
  choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith
  and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to
  those who love Him?

Xref
19
1st Corinthians 126-29
3

• Brothers, consider your calling not many are
  wise from a human perspective, not many powerful,
  not many of noble birth.
  
• Instead, God has chosen the worlds foolish
  things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the
  worlds weak things to shame the strong.
  
• God has chosen the worlds insignificant and
  despised thingsthe things viewed as nothingso
  He might bring to nothing the things that are
  viewed as something,
• so that no one can boast in His presence.

.
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It is Irrational to Honor
Those Who Dishonor You
4

• Vs. 6-7 Yet you dishonored that poor man. Dont
  the rich oppress you and drag you into the
  courts? Dont they blaspheme the noble name that
  you bear?

Lst
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Are They Worthy of Your Honor?

• The player whose jersey you wear
• The actors you consider hunks or babes
• The people from whom you learn the sayings and
  mannerisms you use
  
• The musicians whose music you buy and to which
  you listen
  
• If these people are openly critical of your
  Christian faith, why do you honor them?
  
• If their work/art is opposed to the most
  important part of your life, why are you helping
  to make them rich?

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It is Irreconcilable with
Christian Obedience
5

• Vs. 8-11 If you really carry out the royal law
  prescribed in Scripture, Love your neighbor as
  yourself, you are doing well. But if you show
  favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by
  the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the
  entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of
  breaking it all.

. .
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Stop Being Snobs

• James 21-13