Social Restoration - Phase 1: Social Distinction, Part 2

Let's face it we all treat some people is more valuable than others and we all tend to look down on people that we really disagree with right it is natural to you realize it's a really really big deal to God. When we do those things and those things are at the very heart of the biggest problems we have today is explored together today stay with thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edge features the Bible to helping Christians live what Christians in this program we continue our series, social restoration was hard not to see differences in people back as Christians, though Jesus challenges us to look so far beyond those differences. The only thing we see just as well because that's the way he sees them. Now Chip son Ryan began this message in our previous program. So today brings us part two of his talk social distinctions will be with us after the teaching to add his thoughts, so be sure not to miss that.

If you have a Bible handy opening out of James chapter 2. Let's join Ryan Ingram favoritism plays out when I treat certain people as more valuable than other people.

When I treat wealthy people is more valuable when I treat beautiful people.

When I treat influencers when I treat those important position as more valuable than other people. It looks like when I look down on those with whom I disagree. When we look down on people. We often lash out at them.

See prejudice or favoritism. Partiality is treating people as more valuable than others is also looking down on those with whom you disagree and finally it's overlooking those who make you feel uncomfortable is when we overlook the people around us that make us feel uncomfortable. The people that come to my mind is the homeless population. Frankly, I remember my my kids and I were picking up chipotle to go and so you get chipotle and as were pulling out and point onto the road.

There's a homeless young homeless man and I gotta be honest, let me just tell you my heart. I looked at him is like pretty I'm pretty sure he's a mathematic II don't agree with why he's there's what I do prejudge them in my my son says that, can we give him some of our food and I I gotta be honest. Am a little bit German phobic and was like well we have tacos and can't really give tacos one taco and then we have to touch him. I did explain all this. This is what I'm thinking right now. I don't think so dad can I just give them one of my tacos well you see tacos don't transport well and this is not how it goes in the light turns green and he's still asking dad, why can't we give him out and I realized my son gets it and I don't and I said son let's turn around and let's go buy him a bagel burrito and let's drop it off site.

Thanks dad now. Thank you. As you lead the way.

Not me. See favoritism or partiality is overlooking those who make you feel uncomfortable and it's such that I find in my heart that is not just an act, but how do I make this habit is like the person that comes over that is a little awkward maybe or that you go there and AGR that's extra grace required person where like my gosh and go now. How can I love them.

How can I engage in, and not just go it would be easier you write it would be easier and are there times where you just hang with friends, absolutely.

I'm not saying that you don't do that but but where we wouldn't be a click oriented but we would lean to the fringes. Every single person's valuable and were not gonna look down upon those we disagree were going to learn how to lovingly disagree and treat one another with honor and respect and were going to engage in those uncomfortable places to love those that Jesus and so James then shifts the conversation from talking about what is favoritism what is it look like and he wants us to get this what why he starts with like this is this is a big deal and he says all why is this such a big deal he's going to give us three reasons. Reason number one. First is an affront to the very heart of God as an affront to the character of God.

He begins it this way.

He says listen, pay attention. Don't miss this and get my dear brothers family. Families God's especially in the family, this shouldn't be happening and sisters has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and their hair at the kingdom he promised those who love him noticing these three reasons he's just simply unpacking the sermon on the mount and what Jesus had taught this. Matthew chapter 5 verse three listed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who recognize their spiritually bankrupt.

Blessed are those who recognize that that whether I'm physically or spiritually bankrupt by.

I actually know that I need God. And so therefore my faith is only can be found in God, not in what I have since man Jesus came and hung out with all the wrong type of people.

Jesus loved and served and welcomed many the marginalized and mistreated the disadvantaged, the exploited and he goes.

He goes on to say, but you have dishonored the poor. Those who Jesus honored.

It's a violation and affront to the heart of God. Every person made in the Amado day see when I treat a poor person or any person poorly it's exactly opposite of how God would treat say that again when I treat a poor person or any person poorly it's exactly opposite of how God treats them brothers and sisters, we have to be a people who courageously confront evil of racism and we can at the same time we have to not perpetuate the same evil and return.

That's why was so grateful for 20 done.

Jesus response to this is a football coach or was a championship football coach amazing Christian man. He said this justice needs to be served but in seeking justice. We can't fall into step of prejudice prejudging every police officer. We see what started out as peaceful protests has devolved into arson and looting and should never have happened either.

Yes there should be protests, but we do not have license to perform criminal acts because were angry today. We are a divided country were divided racially, politically, and social social economically and Satan is laughing at us because that is exactly what he wants, dysfunction, mistrust and hatred helps his kingdom flourish. Well, what is the answer. Then he asked, I believe it is to start with. Those of us who claim to be Christians. We have to come to the forefront and demonstrate the qualities of the one we claim to follow Jesus Christ. We can't be silent as Dr. King said so many years ago. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, but we can't go forward with judge mental bitter spirits.

We need to be proactive, but do it in the spirit of trying to help make things better, and it can't be just the African-American churches. So listen up, it has to be all churches taken a stand saying we are going to be on the forefront of meaningful dialogue and meaningful change. We have to be willing to speak the truth in love, but we have to recognize that we are not fighting against other people were fighting to get Satan and his kingdom of spiritual darkness in the words of the apostle Paul. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. This so well said. I hope that we take that hard.

The first reason this is a big deal. It's an affront to the heart of God. The second reason is the law of love demands consistency EE goes on to talk about the royal law of God that's found in the Scriptures. Love your neighbor as yourself.

And if we do that bigger you're doing well but is then he says, but if you show favoritism, you sent it harms and breaks the royal law of loving your neighbor as yourself.

He says you and your convicted by the law see that the royal law trail for a couple reasons royal because it is the law of God is the law of the kingdom of heaven, and is the law upon which all other walls fall under.

I do not murder. Do not commit adultery, do not lie. It's all based on love. It's just like lovingly means I'm not going to do these things loving my neighbor, and what we do is we pick and choose which kind of love. We want to ask you and say why I do this clause. I'll do this.

I feel good as long as I am not doing this in this O'Kane and James is saying no you you can't pick and choose love must be consistent across the board. You can't pick and choose your neighbor love must be consistent. You can't pick and choose what what of these things to obey the way this is a command, you must not show favoritism.

We must not show favoritism follower of Jesus is not optional, is not optional, so I called up. I don't like that one.

I don't care are you a follower of Jesus. This is what were called to do the law of love demands consistency and reason number three you are not the judge and jury. God is he goes on to say, speak and act as those who will be judged. We'll talk about this. Probably near enough that even followers of Jesus will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and give account for all will done.

It has nothing to do with whether you're saved or not, but has everything to do with with how we actually experience eternity in the apostle Paul was six and some will escape through the fire just barely. And what's of gold and precious metals will remain in what's made of wood, hay and straw will be burned up. What's worthless and see when we speak and act we we talk as if were the judge not as if we one day will be judged by what we say and what we do and how we live. God is the judge may I not judge other people's motives met. May I not speak angrily or somehow assume that I know best. I don't know that person's world. I don't know that person's reason or would say I'm not the judge, I'm not the jury goddess and so how do we experience social restoration social restoration begins when followers of Jesus embrace. There are no social distinction. What I do with this.

How do we move forward.

I think the first step is in embracing and owning that we all play favoritism member James that stop playing favorites is already happening were all in this every single one of us and own our own side of this. And then we have to ask this question before you speak before you act before I speak before I act we have to ask this question, what does love require of me see. Love requires a lot of things to me it requires me to speak up for those who don't have a voice and requires me to stoop down and tenderly care for those that are hurting.

It requires of me to stick to assume the most generous explanation for someone's behavior. What does love require of me before I ever speak and act in doing so you keep the royal law of God.

Jesus. Jesus live this out so well and in John chapter 4 we get this picture is the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman and if you understand the context there were so many things in that moment that created division judge mentalism and a divide and end there. In that moment. The woman was a Samaritan which he understand that there is a racial and religious divide animosity between Jews and Samaritans. I don't have time to get into that.

She was a woman there. There was a divide between men and women and value system between men and women. In fact, a rabbi would never speak in public to a woman he didn't know like that ever.

And then there there was the moral divide.

This woman was in more woman had five husbands, and she was living with a man that wasn't her husband and Jesus at the well ask the question.

I love his beginning. He was like a I have something for you. He asked something of her.

Would you give me a drink. I see so much value not only white in you. Not only will I speak to you on invite you to give me something I need and they begin this wonderful dialogue in which Jesus then explains and she experiences the healing grace of God I like how Henry now and has said it is commented on this in his experience of working with people in the 90s who went words suffering from the AIDS pandemic. At that time, and as a priest and had all these different thoughts about and judgments about where they're coming from heat. He said this prayer God help me to see others not as my enemies or is ungodly, but rather as thirsty people and give me the courage and compassion to offer your living water, which alone quenches the deepest thirst. Help me to see others not as my enemies or ungodly S thirsty people just need Jesus. They need Jesus.

We need Jesus. Philip Yancey in his book finishing grace said this our confused society badly needs a community of contrast, countercultural ordinary pilgrims who insist on living that different way. Social restoration begins when followers of Jesus, grace. There is no social distinction made you ask. May I ask, may we be a people lean in what love listening to the with us to talk about the message adjuster, but in case you jumped in late August. Teacher today was Ryan Ingram with his message social distinction social restoration is complicated, even with the best of intentions, well-meaning people get themselves into trouble. So how do we make a difference and bring light not heat leaves messages from Ryan Ingram bring a lot of clarity to the question. He looks at our current circumstances with the gospel vision of community, and provides biblical solutions for limited time, resources for social restoration are discounted and the MP3s are always free to order your copy or to send it to a friend visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for additional information.

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He said our confused society badly needs a community of contrast it countercultural ordinary pilgrims who insist on living a different way and I think we got the ordinary part down, but I think it's the counter culture. This idea that we need different kinds of people that come together that aren't all the same that don't have all the same values that have cultural backgrounds and skin colors, and political views that aren't all homogenous. In fact, they're quite different and yet we under the Lord Jesus Christ walking away and live in such a way that we fit together that we understand that on some things that are minor.

We agreed to disagree but on all the majors of how you treat people and how you love people and the calling of the gospel is that worry passionately walking together. You see, social restoration begins when followers of Jesus embrace. Listen carefully. There is no social distinction. We refused to treat to judge or to evaluate people differently based on their race, their socioeconomic status, their politics, their ethnicity, their social skills. The popularity how they happened to look, I mean in the body of Christ. The magnet of the early church. In fact, one great historian said the early church was the only organization on the face of the earth that did not practice social distinction you could walk into a little house church in the first century, and there might be someone out of the Emperor's household, but the elder in the church might be a slave there would be people that are poor and people that are rich people that were black, white, Asian.

All kind of backgrounds as the early church spread all around the world and it was a magnet. It told people. There's a place that you can belong there's a place where you can be loved just for who you are. There's a lot of unrest, a lot of division and a lot of difficulty in our world and I do think we have the greatest opportunity, possibly in our lifetime to share the love of Christ to model unity to refuse on secondary issues as important as they may be politically or philosophically, or what we really adamantly think about the best plans or wisdom should happen in America but there's something far more important.

And that's how we treat one another. That's how we love one another and that we as followers of Jesus aren't pitted against one another on secondary issues, but we walk in unity and agreed to make a difference to help the poor to care for the widow to do things in foster care to help orphans find homes to feed the hungry, these are things that Jesus called us to do that we can do is Democrats and Republicans we can do is black-and-white and Asian and Hispanic. There is so much we can do that we agree on. Let's be the group that doesn't practice social distinction just before we close, would you stop for a minute and pray for Living on the Edge we've never seen a greater need for God's truth to go out than right now and by God's grace Living on the Edge is been able to provide encouragement, teaching, and personal discipleship resources to more people than ever before.

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Until next time, and for all of us are really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge