DCFC Online 21st March - Ps Lynda Hammond - PEOPLE ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM…

PEOPLE ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM…                                                   21^ST March. 2021

 

Introduction…

Pastor Chris Petersen story…. “Children are a great leveller”

 

James 2:1-9   “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others?

² For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewellery, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. ³ 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, ⁴ doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

⁵ 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 he promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you dishonour the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? ⁷ Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble nameyou bear?

⁸ Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” ⁹ But if you favour some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.” (NLT)

1. Image Bearers – Why is it so wrong to favour one over the other in this manner? Because each one of us is an image bearer of God.  Because God has placed immeasurable value on each and every one of us as His image bearer and as people whom He came to redeem.  God has put a price on everyone’s head – it’s the life of His Son.  So who are we to devalue one over another?
2. Jesus example – Jesus over and over demonstrated the value of all people. He had time for the seeking pharisee Nicodemus, the despised tax collector, Matthew. The demon possessed Mary, for the widows, the women, the children, the lepper and the loner in the graveyard.  Even His enemies acknowledged that He didn’t show partiality.

(Matthew 22:16) “They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites”.  (NLT)

If He put the value of time, interest and understanding on each of these, can we do any less?

3. We are kingdom people.

Luke 6:20-21, “²⁰ Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.”

This passage shows us the kind of people kingdom people are This is so shockingly counter cultural to us, but shows us how we should truly treat all people..  Its deeply challenging, and we need to see if the picture we have of ourselves fits this one.

4. Because of Who Jesus is. James 2:1 , “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favour some people over others?” 

How does our faith in Jesus Christ play out in this scenario?  Because we should look at other people through the eyes of Christ.  If they are believers, then we honour the presence of His Spirit in them.  If they are not believers, we honour the truth that Christ died for them. 

 

Jesus Himself, was misunderstood and rejected.  He didn’t fit the mould.  He was despised and rejected.

(Isaiah 53:1-4) “Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows^[a] that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!”

 

If they could miss the Treasure that was Jesus because He didn’t ‘present well’, we can certainly miss the treasure that is in people we may not think ‘present well’.  Let’s not make that same mistake.

Interestingly, when Jesus looks at people, He looks at their future, not their past.  But we tend to judge people according what we see.  Perhaps we should do what Jesus does, and imagine the future of these people.  The woman at the well was an unlikely candidate for a philosophical and spiritual discussion with Jesus, but even though He knew her situation, He also knew her future! He’s honouring engagement with her changed her future, and that of her community!

I want to wrap up with a true and very personal story.  Mum & Dad.