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“Remember Who You are and What Christ Accomplished for the Glory of God”

Part 2

Sunday, September 7^th, 2008

Summarize my message from last week…

We are commanded here to remember!

Remember that you were hopeless!

Remember that you were ONLY saved by the grace of God and that it was not of yourself!

Remember that you were separated from Christ.

Remember that you were alienated.

Remember that you were at best a stranger to any hope or promise of God.

Remember when you were with out God!

>>>REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE UTTERLY WITH OUT HOPE<<<

I have four ways that we can try to better remember the grace of God earned through Christ…

1. Pray for God to soften your heart. Ask for Him to make you tender to His leading and obedient when you sense Him leading. Ask God to move you emotionally and spiritually.

2. Ponder your plight as you read the scriptures. Read about the doom that would have captivated you had it not been for the crazy grace of God!

3. Look around at the condition of the world. Notice the

a. Physical misery…diseases*

b. Psychological misery…depression*

c. Moral misery…criminals, murderers*

4. Use your imagination. Try to imagine scenarios when you are without hope.

I believe that God gave us prayer, scripture, the misery of the world and our imaginations so that we could remember our condition apart from Christ.

> > > R e a d L u k e 1 5 < < <

P R A Y

Read: Ephesians 2:13-22

Question: Why should Christ be worshipped supremely?

Answer: Because of who He is and what He accomplished.

Because of Adam’s sin, we are created already haters of God, separated from God with their being no way to approach Him, much less love Him apart from the grace of God given to those whom God saves. Christ life, death and resurrection is what made grace possible.

We are all created as prodigals (Luke 15) yet even worse because we do not even know our way home!

What he accomplished…in short…verse 13!!!!

Vs…14-16 The hate between Jew and Gentile was deep. Jews viewed Gentiles as unclean scavenger dogs. Gentiles despised Jews, viewing them as only religious hypocrites. The Jewish ritual laws, especially that of clean and unclean food, made it nearly impossible for a Gentile to eat at the same table as a Jew. The big reason a Gentile wanted to befriend a Jew was for money. The Jews were at this time known for their wealth and the lending of that wealth.

This division is what Paul was writing about when he mentioned the “dividing wall of hostility” or the “middle wall of partition”. Paul chose this phrase with care. In the temple at Jerusalem there was a stone post that was about 4 ½ feet high that warned the Gentiles that if they passed, they would be killed. They could enter the court of the Gentiles but the Jews fanatically defended their temple courts.

This was a bitter rivalry…Paul was almost killed because of the rumor of taking a Gentile into the private courts. (Acts 21:28-31)

This physical wall of separation was not destroyed until the temple itself was destroyed some years later.

Paul used that physical barrier as a picture of the great hostility between the Jew and the Gentile. Paul believed that Christ’s work destroyed any barrier between the Gentile and the Jew, enabling the common ground of the Jew and Gentile. The cross swept away the obstacles that were created by the Jewish rituals and laws. This barrier is now abolished.

The church is the body of Christ. In this body all believers are common members. There is no division between black or white, rich or poor. All believers are equal…there is a new bond that Christ established. The church is seen as one body…the Bride of Christ.

Vs…17 The Jews were close to God and the Gentiles were separated from God…BOTH were equally lost. They were at war not only with each other but with God as well (Romans 3:23). The arrogant older brother was just as separated as the prodigal who left. One was physically separated, yet both were still lost and in need of reconciliation. They both displayed pride, self-will and rebellion; they both had the same inner need of forgiveness and grace.

You see, the Gospel reduces all people the same level…all must repent to God and have faith in Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospel teaches that all people who do not trust in Christ are equally lost…the distant Gentile and the nearby Jew.

Vs…18 The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit unite to bring us back to God and give us access to the Father. The Jews of the OT had rituals, sacrifices and all to be accepted by God but they still had no access. They could not go into the Holy of Holies. Only the High Priest had that kind of access and then once a year, under the most rigid of conditions, after the most complex precautions and for the briefest of moments, he could enter into the Holy of Holies.

You see when the Lord Jesus Christ “through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God” (Hebrews 9:14), God reached down and tore the temple veil…rendering Judaism obsolete and at the same time opened up the way for all believers—Jews and Gentiles alike—to enter into His presence. All distance is gone.

Remember Who You are and What Christ Accomplished for the Glory of God

Part 1

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Pray

Summarize Cam-Cam’s message last week…”Dead, Alive, How Christ did it and we couldn’t.”

Read: Ephesians 2:11-22

The only hope the Gentiles had of connecting with God was to become Jewish Proselytes.

Proselytes were Gentiles who had converted to Judaism, were bound to all the doctrines and precepts of the Jewish economy, and was considered a member of the Jewish people, though they were clearly NOT a Jew. Only the Jewish leaders could validate that a particular Gentile could be a Jew. They were to be circumcised and immersed in a mikvah (a ritual bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion into Judaism.)

Gentiles were natural-born aliens and had no part in the great covenants of promise that were given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David. THEY WERE CUT OFF…WITH OUT EVEN THE HOPE OF GOD.

BUT NOW…

Because of Christ work on the earth, especially that of the cross, they (the Gentiles) no longer needed to belong to the commonwealth of the Israel; they could have a direct relationship with God themselves!!!

WOW!

A few questions that I will build on…

· Why do we not care that others are lost?

· Why do we not sing with passion from the heart?

· Why is salvation looked at more like a rainy day than a glorious day on the beach with friends?

I will tell you why…IT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE DEAD.

We are commanded here to remember!

Remember that you were hopeless!

Remember that you were ONLY saved by the grace of God and that it was not of yourself!

Remember that you were separated from Christ.

Remember that you were alienated.

Remember that you were at best a stranger to any hope or promise of God.

Remember when you were with out God!

>>>REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE UTTERLY WITH OUT HOPE<<<

John Piper says…”You can’t cleave to Christ with white-hot devotion if you don’t
remember what your plight (dilemma/predicament) would be with
out Him.”

To give a very limited example of this is to compare this to me traveling over seas…I had forgotten how good I had it in the USA!

· No ice

· No air-conditioning

· No heat

· No good food

· No nice roads

· No clean homes/cars

· No carpet

· No green grass

· No recreational equipment that worked properly (flattened soccer ball)

· No trustworthy government

When I entered the USA I cried. I remembered how good it really is to live here. I kissed the solid concrete of the runway! For a few weeks I was grateful for this stuff but then it wore off. I pray that we never forget or allow the truth of the Gospel to wear off…We must remember!

I have four ways that we can try to better remember the grace of God earned through Christ…

1. Pray for God to soften your heart. Ask for Him to make you tender to His leading and obedient when you sense Him leading. Ask God to move you emotionally and spiritually.

2. Ponder your plight as you read the scriptures. Read about the doom that would have captivated you had it not been for the crazy grace of God!

3. Look around at the condition of the world. Notice the

a. Physical misery…diseases*

b. Psychological misery…depression*

c. Moral misery…criminals, murderers*

*Not all of the people who are dealing with these things are lost…DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ME…What I want you to see is that all of that wrapped up together is your destiny apart from the grace of God! Look at those things…there, apart from grace is where you are to be.

4. Use your imagination. Try to imagine scenarios when you are without hope.

· For me it was yesterday…almost drowning.

· Remember when you were shopping with your mom/dad and then suddenly they were GONE! I was 8 years old. The store seemed so huge!

You must remember what you would be apart from Christ. If you truly remembered

· you wouldn’t care what others thought about you

· you would sing to the tops of your lungs, amazing GRACE!

I believe that God gave us prayer, scripture, the misery of the world and our imaginations so that we could remember our condition apart from Christ.

Pray…

Nothing I can could ever move another’s soul…only you can do that Father. So move us!!! Cause us to remember or realize that the greatest thing in life is to be saved.

BE Ready!!!

James 5:7-8

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READ…Little Red Riding Hood!

PRAY

Preparing or planning is something that is not too high on your or my generations value chart. We would rather just  “play it by ear” or just “take it as it comes.” This is contrary to what God wants us to do in regards to our spiritual life. He wants us to be so ready. Ready for His return and even ready for when trials and temptations come.

READ: James 5:1-6

Be patient (or waiting), therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient.

Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

We are to be patient…we are to wait for God’s deliverance.

–Much like a farmer waits for rain so that he will be able to take advantage of the fruit and vegetables that he has planted.

–Much like a boy or girl waiting for the phone call from their crush.

—–it is NOT like, “Durn…I forgot you were gonna call…my B…Oh, you wanted to go do something?…I’m sorry, I have already got plans.”

—–it is more like this, “Hey!…I was waiting for you to call…Plans?…Tonight?…Not anymore!!!”mebeli

Establish or “ready” your heart…prepare your heart for when Christ shows up.

             LUKE 12:13-21…”fool”=Hell fire…(no accident that Christ used this term) Don’t place your significance in having a ton of stuff and “rich” materialistic crap with your lattes…RATHER, find your significance in Chrsit and in Chrsit alone…God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in him…not your junk!

            1PETER 5:8…Be sober-minded, be watchful (wide awake, attentive, alert).

                        The same word used in James is used here…interesting.

Everyday we lounge around at the table of temptation as if it is nothing more than a picnic…at the same time, the wolf is waiting to prey on us.

In football, being lower is a huge advantage. Generally, the lower, the stronger and more firm the foundation. Being ready and established for the snap of the ball is a lot.

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Two-Timing Christ

James 4:4-10

PRAY

Fact: We like for people to be nice to us, even if it means them lying.

            For Example:

·         How does this look?

o        Lying Answer: Awesome!

o        Honest Answer: Horrible.

·         Does this make me look fat?

o        Lying Answer: Noooooooooo!

o        Honest Answer: Nope. Your fat does.

·         Do you see yourself with me forever?

o        Lying Answer: Absolutely!

o        Honest Answer: Heck no…I just enjoy all the free popcorn, movies and food!.

Tonight we will be looking at the words of James, a brother of Jesus, while he is brutally honest. Another words, he tells it like it is regardless of how the church crowd felt about it.

READ: James 4:4-10

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Adulterous people…playing on the same illustration as John in Revelation…RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE…if you have moved on past your relationship with Christ being the most paramount relationship/friendship that you have, you are an adulterer…you are a married person having sex and intimacy with someone other than your spouse!…”Adulterous people!” James was writing to a group of Christians that were two-timing Christ. They were cheating on Jesus. They were “adulterers.”

When I think about this concept, I remember back to when it was February of 1998…I tried dating three girls on one certain Valentine Day…did it last? NOPE…did any of them last? NOPE!

Friendship with the world – Contract, lifelong friends, members together

Enmity – Deep-seated hatred

Synonyms: hostility, antagonism, animosity, hatred, rivalry, opposition, resentment, competition.     Enmity is hatred such as might be felt for an enemy…it is a wartime term: the wartime enmity of the    two nations.

We think that we can play on both teams…YOU CAN’T!!!…You must LOVE the one and HATE the other or LOVE the other and HATE the one.

You can’t be light and in agreement with the dark…it is impossible…they are in opposition to one another.

Matthew 10:22 says…”You will be hated by all for my name’s sake”-Christ

Many of us wonder why it seems so difficult to live life and to be a Christian…many of us are hypocrites and try to cover that up and THAT is why it is difficult.

PREACH…

Once you realize that you are in “agreement” with the world…that you are “two-timing” Christ:

1.      Submit to God…to place or rank under…another military-type of word…you submit to the authority…you stop resisting Christ and obey.

 2.      Resist the devil…realize that it is the wicked schemes of the darkness to get you back involved in deep friendship with the world…in order to (John 10:10) steal you, kill you and to destroy you.

You see…before, we were submitting to satan and his plans and resisting God and His plans…NOW we are told to invert those…We are to submit to God and resist the evil one.

3.   Draw near to God…You make an effort towards God and He promises to meet you there…BETTER than half way!

(Draw Near – To study this further, read 2Chronicles 15:2, Zechariah 1:3, Malachi 3:7 and Hebrews 7:19)

4.      Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts…this asks for the adulterer to confess, to seek forgiveness and to repent…This implies JUSTIFICATION…being made clean…

When someone “washes their hands of” something, this means that they are declaring their unwillingness to take responsibility for it or share complicity in it. Matthew 27:24 gives an account of Pontius Pilate washing his hands of the decision to crucify Jesus: “So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”

 5.      Realize how ugly your sin is…(be wretched, morn and weep)

6.      Stop playing games and get real!…your laughter to mourning/joy to gloom

Basically if you humble yourself and look to God for help, HE WILL EXALT YOU…ACCEPT you, FORGIVE you and RESTORE you!!!

Now I would like for you find a place up front here and ponder the words that you have heard…

I have just begun writing my first book…this is very exciting for me. You can’t really write well of something if you are not first passionate about it. There are several things of which I am passionate about, one being a Christ-Follower, one being a good father and husband and the other is student ministry. Having just completed my twelfth year of student ministry work I have a great deal of material to draw from. The aspect that I will be writing from is that of reflection. I will be sharing the good times and bad times in my twelve years of student ministry. Of course I have had some good times in my profession, but more than those I can remember the plethora of the bad times; the times I had to learn youth ministry and life in youth ministry the HARD WAY. I cannot speak as one who has conquered campuses for Christ or translated the Word into different languages, but I can speak honestly of where I have made stupid decisions and where I have failed in the ministry. Maybe if my words could help shine a light on a hole in the ground, that would help someone not step in it…that would be great.  Anyways, I am excited to begin this journey of writing my first book and hopefully you will hear about it soon…Jroe

Overcommitment and Fatigue:
A Deadly Sin

Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
—Isaiah 40:31 RSV

We live in a culture which has often fooled us into believing that more is better and busyness is a virtue. Far too many people in our world are spiritually, emotionally, and physically bankrupt because they are overcommitted and fatigued. Vince Lombardi said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” The comedian Flip Wilson summed it up best for many of us when he said, “If I had my entire life to live over again, I doubt if I’d have the strength.”

I don’t believe that God wants us to be one step from a nervous breakdown, always on the edge of exhaustion. What’s the answer? There are no easy formulas for success, but there are two suggestions that I want you to think about today.

1. Cut back and do less.
If this means making less money, cutting back on your social obligations, or even taking a night off from church activities, then do whatever it takes to not be so overcommitted and fatigued. A friend of mine once told me, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy.”

2. Rest.
Rest should be a nonnegotiable time in everyone’s life. Even God rested! Exodus 31:17 says, “In six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed” (RSV). When we rest we get a proper perspective on our life. When we rest we can reflect on what has taken place in our life during the week. Does your life have control of you, or do you have control of your life? Rest and reflection will help you answer that important question.

GOING DEEPER:
1. What does it mean to “wait for the Lord,” as written in Isaiah 40:31. What does this verse tell us is the result of waiting for the Lord?

2. Today take an evaluation of your fatigue and over commitment level. If you are spiritually, emotionally, or physically bankrupt, then it is time to cut back, do less, and rest. What is the next day you have scheduled to relax?

FURTHER READING:
Luke 18:1, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Psalm 103:5, 2 Corinthians 4:1, Hebrews 12:1-3

This was taken from by Jim Burns

The Tongue

James 3:1-12

PRAY

I missed you guys so much!

READ: James 3:1-12

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness (take this calling seriously!). We all stumble (sin) in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body (if you can control your tongue, then you MUST be perfect!). If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining (contaminating) the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life (all the things under your influence), and set on fire by hell (lit., Gehenna, the trash dump outside Jerusalem that constantly burned). For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being (only God) can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Truth for tonight…We as Christ-Follower’s MUST be very careful with our words. 

Words are very powerful…words can:
–encourage the depressed…”I am William Wallace” – Braveheart
–provoke the careless
–stir men and women to noble action…”I have a dream” – Martin Luther King
–give expression to the deeper human emotions…”I love you”…”Kiss me”…”pull my finger”

James compares the tongue to
—a bit that controls a horse (if we can control their mouths we can obtain their obedience)
—a rudder that directs the course of a large ship
—an out of control fire (spreads quickly)
—and deadly poison (devastating effects)

Do you consider your tongue to be THAT evil?  Is the tongue really that bad?

YES!
But not just the tongue…today we can communicate in more ways than they could in 1^st century Israel…today we can text, email and blog…the principles must transcend to all lines of communication…even body language.

Scenario…Your parents wake you up for school.  You are NOT ready to wake up.  You say “five more minutes please.”  After five minutes, they try waking you again…this time you say, “ok…thanks for loving me enough to make sure I am awake for class.  You are the best!”

Scenario…The cool guy at school breaks up with you for the cool cheerleader, making you look cheap and worthless to everyone else at school…When you pass her in the hall at school the next day you say, “Hey Sara, I hope you and Brian have a great friendship.  He is a good guy and you deserve someone that will treat you good.  He is that guy.  I will pray for you guys and I hope things work out well.”

Scenario…As you are returning your tray at lunch you run into the new kid at school who is poorer and definitely not as cool as you, making you drop your tray and spill stuff all over yourself.  You get up from the floor and say, “Oh, I am sorry.  Are you ok?  I know this will come out in the wash.  So how do you like it here?”

These aren’t the words we would use.  We would be more apt to get mad and say things that we will regret one day or be judged for one day.  You see, words hurt.  The old adage, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me” was for the optimist, not the realist. 

The truth is that we hurt our friends, parents and teachers more than we will ever know.  There are all sorts of things that I have said that I wish I could take back….i.e., 15 year old birthday party, my dad was in India and my mom took me on a picnic.  —Yesterday with Jill!

CONCLUSION:
How is it that sweet words and sour words come out of your mouth?

How is it that animals can be tamed but we can’t tame our mouth?

How is it that we bless and curse with our mouth?

How is it that you have an orange tree that bears apples?

How is it that you have salt water and fresh water coming out of the same faucet? (Caesar’s Head)

…don’t you realize that “out of the mouth the heart speaks”?  If we say that we are a Christ-Follower we must not only talk like it SOME of the time but ALL of the time.  If we lie, gossip, make fun of, talk down to people and then come in here and sing praises to Jesus Christ, something is WRONG!  James says that THIS OUGHT NOT TO BE.  Please think about this.  Wrestle with this.  What is it that separates us from those who have yet to meet Jesus Christ?  It should be our actions and reactions.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

You may say…I can’t help but talk the way I do and say the things I say…

You are RIGHT…You CAN’T control it…that’s why Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, died, rose again and then ascended…went back up to heaven…SO WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!  We want to count HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, His perfection as our own.

Here lately, it has been crazy around my world!  There has been great football games on TV, decent basketball games (I’m a Clemson fan), challenging books to read, awesome time spent with other youth pastors, fabulous worship services, and great leadership meetings at our church. 

I guess other than Clemson not showing up to play against the SEC’s Auburn Tigers in the Chik-Fil-A Bowl game in Atlanta (that was a terrible game, for Clemson anyways), my bowl memory this year must be the Georgia Bulldogs crushing Hawaii!  This was great!  I was so glad that Georgia proved that Hawaii had no place playing in a bowl game.  How refreshing that was! Anyways…

I have read and received several great books as of late, with Christmas and all.  I love to receive books as gifts or gift cards to book stores.  As of late (last eleven months) I have really begun to read like never before!  Not like the New York bestsellers or Blue Like Jazz or Velvet Elvis, but deeper books (books with FOOTNOTES!…books by dead guys!!!) that do not talk about what we believe God meant but books that actually focus on what God did say.  For my favorites, scroll down and check them out.  I love books on theology, on the cross of Christ, on the Church’s duties in this post-modern era we live and serve in and also, I love reading biographies and autobiographies of great leaders and true Christians.  Just last week I bought Here I Stand, a biography on Martin Luther for only $1 at a used bookstore!  I love to shop at used bookstores because they are so affordable!  You get more words for your dollars at those places!  Anyways…

I spent some good time with a fellow youth pastor this week.  We ate breakfast, shared frustrations, opened the Scripture and prayed together.  We looked at the great leadership chapter in Exodus 18.  Jethro (recommended name for your next boy!…Actually this was Moses father-in-law) warns Moses of getting burnt out as he labors alone.  Moses was doing great things, but he was flying solo!  Jethro encouraged him to look for qualified men to take care of the busy, hands-on, smaller issues facing the children of Israel and save the preaching, praying and larger vision decisions for himself.  Check it out for yourself.  Read it in the English Standard Bible (my favorite).  Anyways…

…Til then…Loving Christ and looking for His return, Jroe

Playing Favorites

James 2:1-9

PRAY

What do you think of when you hear the term, “favoritism?”

READ: James 2:1-9

“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.”

Summary:  Basically, two people come to West Cabarrus Church.  One is poor and the other is rich.  One is dressed in overhauls and actually smells bad and the other is dressed nice, in business-casual clothing.  One wear a key chain ring for their wedding band; while the other has large rings on at least three of his fingers.  One gets a taxi to drive him to Church or at best he drives his 1974 AMC, 6-cylinder Gremlin; while the other shows up in his SUV the size of a small Asian home.  One is greeted by a half-hearted “Hey.”; while the other is warmly greeted and introduced to all the “important” people of WCC.  One is shown the rest room in hopes of him staying there; while the other is shown around in order to impress him of our beautiful facility.  One is then taken out side; while the other is taken out to Olive Garden.

THIS HUMOROUS example is all too true.  We do this everyday.  When the new kid comes to your school, you treat some different than others…all based on their clothes and personality.

James says that if we claim to know and worship Jesus Christ, who came to earth to suffer and to die for all sorts and conditions of people, and we show favoritism towards others, that we are living a life of contradiction.  To act this way is to act in such a way that it is a perversion of Christianity.  This behavior is entirely inconsistent in one who professes to know, worship and live for Jesus Christ.

 I believe that it is because of such prejudice and arrogance that the American Christians are viewed as they are…Hypocrites.  James himself agrees that you cannot live this way and call yourself a true follower of Jesus Christ.

 What kills me is that this is happening RIGHT NOW! 

Right now we have those who are private-schooled thinking they are better than those who are public schooled or home schooled; those who are home-schooled thinking they are better than those who are public or privately educated.

Right now we have those who are fortunate enough to drive their own vehicle, feeling so good about themselves that they look down towards those who can’t afford a car yet.

Right now we have those who are white, hating those who are Indian, Hispanic or whatever.

Right now we have those who can wear name brand clothing, whatever that means now, not associating with those who can’t afford anything other than Wal-mart, Target or Goodwill clothing.

             Right now we have those who are athletic that makes fun of those who are gifted more in book-knowledge and in the arts. 

This arrogance and pride is a stench to the nostrils of the Creator who sees no difference in those He has created.  This devalues and degrades those who are created in the image of God.  The only difference God can see in His human creations is the distinction between those who have been redeemed and those who are Hell-bound without Him.  I PRAY THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO SEE AS GOD SEES!

We as Americans are professional at putting people in predetermined, stratified catagories, ranking them by their looks, their clothes, their race, their social status, their personality, their intelligence, their wealth and power, by the kind of car they drive, and by the type of house and neighborhood they live in.

   This is learned from others around us.

BUT, all these things are non-issues with God!

    These things are of no significance or meaning whatsoever!

You see, God shows no favoritism.  In Acts 10:34, it reads that “God shows no partiality.”  Romans 2:11, it reads, “For there is no partiality with God.”  Proverbs 24:23 reads, “Partiality is not good.” 

Besides…all through Scripture, there are more references to the benefits of being poor and not culturally “normal” and very few references to the benefits of being wealthy.  This is not because God has limited His choice to the poor, but that as a matter of history, they have been His first choice.

 
BOTTOM LINE:  The problems with this behavior are that it is arrogant, hypocritical and judgmental.  Christ had to suffer and die, not for that man to get a shower and become wealthy, but to forgive you of your arrogance, hypocrisy and judgmental lifestyle. 

APPLICATION:          Write down some of your prejudices.

                        Set a goal to address those prejudices.

                        Commit these issues to prayer, asking Him to help you change. 

                         Make new friends that look nothing like you, that are different in some way from you.

                        Pray for the unreached in America and around the world.
                             (6,000+ ethno-linguistic people groups)

                        May 2008 be the year that you train yourself to view all as the same…
…in Need of Jesus.

Listed below are my favorite 50 books.  These books have helped in shaping and molding me mentally and spiritually to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ, a better parent and a better leader.  Please do not think that I have grasped all that are in these texts or even come close to”arriving” at my spiritual apex.  To think that is true is very arrogant and very wrong.  These are this years top 50 books on my list that I would recommend for anyone to ask as a gift for Christmas.  I do this every year for my students and challenge them to get at least one of these for Christmas.  Anyways…please feel free to let me know what books YOU would recommend that are not list below.  Love you all, Jroe

By the way, these are not listed in any particular order…Please do not try to be pseudo-spiritual and tell me that I left the Bible of the list…the books on this list do not compare to such a Holy, Perfect Treasure as the Bible.  Enjoy…

Tortured for Christ
by Richard Wurmbrand

Basic Christianity
by John R.W. Stott

The Cross of Christ
by John R.W. Stott

Knowing God
by J.I. Packer

The Case for Christ
by Lee Strobel

The Cost of Discipleship
by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Mere Christianity
by C.S. Lewis

Evidence that Demands a Verdict
by Josh McDowell

Systematic Theology
by Wayne Grudem

Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper

Don’t Waste your Life
by John Piper

A Hunger for God
by John Piper

Ordering Your Private World
by Gordon Macdonald

Spiritual Leadership
by J. Oswald Sanders

The Normal Christian Life
by Watchman Nee

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
by Donald Whitney

Humility
by Andrew Murray

Foxe’s Book of Christian Martyrs
by John Foxe

The Illustrated Guide to World Religions
by Dean Halverson

God, Marriage, and Family
by Andreas Kostenberger

Quiet Talks on Prayer
by S.D. Gordon

Holiness
by J.C. Ryle

Lectures to My Students
by Martin Luther

Creating an Intimate Marriage
by Jim Burns

Communicating for a Change
by Andy Stanley

Absolute Surrender
by Andrew Murray

The Confessions of St. Augustine
by Saint Augustine of Hippo

The Cross-Centered Life
by C.J. Mahaney

Confessions of a Reformission Rev.
by Mark Driscoll

The Radical Reformission
by Mark Driscoll

Shepherding a Child’s Heart
by Tedd Tripp

Recovering Biblical Manhood and
Womanhood
by John Piper & Wayne Grudem

Youth Culture 101
by Walt Mueller

Hurt
by Chap Clark

True Spirituality
by Francis Schaeffer

From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya
by Ruth Tucker

A Long Obedience
by Eugene Peterson

Margin
by Richard Swenson

The Story of Christianity,
Volumes I & II
by Justo Gonzalez

The Religious History of America
by Edwin Gaustad & Leigh Schmidt

Boundaries
by Henry Cloud & John Townsend

Pensees
by Blaise Pascal

The Gagging of God
by D.A. Carson

Christian Apologetics
by Cornelius Van Til

Institutes of the Christian Religion
by John Calvin

Orthodoxy
by G.K. Chesterton

The Imitation of Christ
by Thomas a’ Kempis

Jesus Among Other God’s
Ravi Zacharias

Chosen But Free
by Norman Geisler

Respectable Sins
by Jerry Bridges