Don’t Show Favoritism Series

INTRO.- ILL.- Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944).

Coca-Cola was sold in bottles for the first time on March 12, 1894. Cans of Coke first appeared in 1955.

Which do you like best: Coke or Pepsi? I read that as far as the actual product of Coke versus Pepsi cola that Coke has always out-sold Pepsi.

ILL.- The Model T Ford, brought out in 1908, had sales of 10,607 the first year. In four years, sales jumped to 168,304, and in four more, to 730,041. In 1919, Ford bought out the minority stockholders for nearly $106 million. They had invested $33,100.

During Model T’s lifetime, 1908-1927, production added up to 15,458,781 cars—more than the total for all other cars for those years. It has been called the “most widely-used vehicle in human history.”

Which automobile company do you prefer: GM or Ford?

ILL.- Remember actor Tom Selleck when he played in the TV series, “Magnum P.I.” (1980-88)? That was a good show and series.

Which actor do you like best: Brad Pitt or Tom Selleck? I suspect that might depend on a person’s age. I like them both but prefer Tom Selleck.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all tend to show favoritism in life. Of course, some of our favoritism is a matter of choosing what is right over what is wrong in life. And that’s not bad! We must make judgments about the world with the Word and take our stand on the Word!

However, when it comes to showing favoritism among people in our daily relationships, that’s not good. We tend to do that, but it’s not right. We should treat all alike, but we don’t.

PROP.- God tells us why we are not to show favoritism in this world.

1- God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith

2- God has given the royal law to be observed

3- God has determined mercy to be triumphant

I. GOD HAS CHOSEN THE POOR TO BE RICH IN FAITH

2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Suppose a man comes into your meeting. I wish more people would come into our meetings, that is, the Lord’s Day worship! (rich, poor and otherwise!)

We all need to do what we can to get more people into the church with the idea of helping them come to know Christ and grow in faith.

How do we get them? I still believe that we are the key. Buildings and programs are not the key. They may help but people are the real key. Jesus called His people to reach people.

We don’t have a right to keep Jesus to ourselves. If we truly believe that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no man comes to the Father except through Him, THEN WE NEED TO SPREAD THAT GOOD NEWS! How do we do it? Any way we can.

ILL.- Preacher Dwight L. Moody was once criticized for his evangelistic methods to which he replied, “I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it.” Any method is better than no method and NO METHOD is what most people have.

What’s your method? Mine is to talk to people every chance I get about the Lord and the church. When the door is open we must through it and speak for the Lord. We must speak. We must pray. We must ask. We must invite. We must live the faith and the power to talk will come.

2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Do we ever get both rich and poor people in our churches? Sure we do and how we treat them shows a lot about our faith. And since God loves all men and wants all men to be saved, this should tell us something. Now it’s true that we might cater to some people more than others, or hit it off with some more than others, but we do our best to treat them all alike.