My Favorite Church Member
#7 in the Book of James Series
By Pastor Jim May
All of us have favorites. We have our favorite ice cream, our favorite food, our favorite hobby and even our favorite brand of automobiles. Favoritism is everywhere; in the job place, proven by the statement: “It’s not what you know, but who you know, that really matters when you look for a job.” In our own children there is often favoritism. “Johnny, why can’t you be like your brother Joe?” Favoritism often devolves into nepotism (family) and cronyism (friends) in organizations and businesses, and it is really hard to break into the inner circle when this is taking place.
God knew of our potential for playing favorites and so he included a prime example of favoritism in the Bible so that through this example we could learn that favoritism can be the cause of a lot of suffering and pain that could last for a lifetime.
Genesis 37:3-4, "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him."
The favoritism that Jacob showed caused hatred, envy and strife within his own family, and it eventually led to over 20 years of pain before God brought them to the place where all of the hurt feelings could be healed.
How about in your own life, or your own family? Has favoritism ever been an issue? Whether it is true or just perceived as favoritism, we often find families at odds with one another over how children or grandchildren are treated. If you do something for one, then you better do it for all, or someone is going to get their feelings hurt. That’s just the way it is.
If there was one place in the world that we could expect no one to show favoritism, it’s the church, right? Wrong – I hate to admit it, but favoritism often finds its way into the church too. I hope that we do not show favoritism to anyone above the rest of you, but even making that statement itself proves that its possible.
Favoritism in the church isn’t hard to find because we all have certain people that we relate to more than others. Some people are easier to talk to. You can joke around with them and they don’t get angry. Some people are more helpful than others, and we naturally tend draw closer to those who are hard workers. We are all different people, with different personalities, but with one single purpose. While we are pursuing that purpose of preaching the gospel and building a church, we will always tend to get closer to people who think like we do and who have an agreeable personality. After all, nobody likes to hang out with negative people and people who grate on your nerves. That statement alone creates the groundwork for favoritism.
Favoritism in the church is dangerous, it’s harmful and it can have dire eternal consequences if it isn’t removed from our midst. There are some people who may be hurt and never enter the church again. Our favoritism can cause them to lose their very soul.
In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that during his days as a student he read the Gospels from the Christian Bible seriously and had considered converting to Christianity. He believed that in the teachings of Jesus he could find the solution to the caste system that was dividing the people of India. One Sunday he decided to attend services at a nearby church and talk to the minister about becoming a Christian. When he entered the sanctuary, however, the usher refused to give him a seat and suggested that he go back and worship with his own people of the Hindu faith.
Mahatma Gandhi left the church that morning, disappointed and disillusioned at what he had experienced. He finally concluded that Christianity was not a religion that he could agree with because Christians were not truly peaceful people. He decided never to return to a Christian church again. "If Christians have caste differences and play favoritism, he said, "Then I might as well remain a Hindu."
Acts 10:34, "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" We must never forget that. God looks at all men the same, rich or poor, powerful or ordinary – it’s all the same with God.
Peter Cartwright, a 19th century circuit-riding Methodist preacher, was an uncompromising man when it came to his preaching. One Sunday morning when he was getting ready to preach, he was told that General Andrew Jackson was in the congregation. He was warned not to say anything out of line lest Jackson would be offended.
When Cartwright stood to preach, he said, "I understand that Andrew Jackson is here. I have been requested to be careful in my remarks, so in order to preach as I am called to do, I must make this statement before I begin the sermon. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn’t repent."
The congregation was shocked and wondered how the General would respond. After service, General Jackson shook hands with Peter Cartwright and said, "Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world."
One of the greatest problems that we have in the church is that we often find ourselves judging others at first sight. We don’t give them a chance. We look at their dress, and we form our opinions. We see what they drive, or where they live and we immediately place them in a position either above or below ourselves. God doesn’t care what you drive or where you live as long as you drive yourself to serve him, and allow Jesus to live in your heart. God isn’t impressed with what we have. He is only impression with who we are in Him.
Bill had a wild hairdo; wore a tie dyed T-shirt with holes in it with faded blue jeans and no shoes or socks on his feet. No matter what the weather; rain, sleet or snow, Bill was always barefoot. This was all he had in his wardrobe, so he was always dressed the same and looked the same no matter where he went.
Bill lived in the Hippie Generation and after he started college he found Jesus at a rally and became what was once referred to as a “Jesus Freak”. Across the street from the college campus was a church. Bill noticed that all of the people who went in were well-dressed, middle-class people. The people of that church had wanted to develop a ministry to the college students, and had asked God to open the door for them to reach out to the students, but they were not sure how to go about it.
One day, Bill decided to worship there. He walked into the church with his normal attire, complete with wild hair, tie dyed T-shirt, blue jeans and bare feet. The church was completely packed, and the service had already begun. Bill started down the aisle trying to find a place to sit. As he passed each row of pews, the crowd became more silent. No one said anything but Bill could feel their eyes looking at him and it made him feel uneasy. “Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all”, he thought. “But I’m here now, and I might as well go all the way.”
As Bill moved closer and closer to the pulpit, he realized that there were no empty seats. So, when he reached the front row, he just moved over a little to the side and sat down on the carpeted floor close to the steps of the platform. No one attending the church had ever seen anything like this before and they just stood there in shock. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
As soon as Bill sat down a deacon began slowly making his way down the aisle from the back of the sanctuary. The deacon of this church had been there for a long time but he had never encountered this kind of gross disrespect for the church before. He was in his eighties, with silver-gray hair, a three-piece suit and a pocket watch with a gold chain on the front of his suit. He was a godly man -- very elegantly dressed, dignified and refined. He walked with a cane and, as he neared the boy, the church members thought, "I wonder if the deacon is going to throw the hippie out? How can you expect us to allow this kid to just sit on the floor or disrupt our service like that?"
It took a long time for the old man to reach the boy. The church was utterly silent except for the clicking of his cane. You couldn’t even hear anyone breathing. All eyes were on the deacon.
But what they saw next was a greater surprise than seeing Bill come down the aisle. As they watched they saw the elderly man drop his cane on the floor. Then, with great difficulty, he sat down on the floor next to Bill and worshipped with him. Everyone in the congregation choked up with emotion.
When the minister finally regained his composure, he told the people, "What I am about to preach, you will never remember, but what you’ve just seen, you will never forget."
James 2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.
James is talking here to the church, all of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord. We give glory to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. But though we may all be saved, we are not all on the same level both spiritually, mentally and physically. We are all different. We worship differently and we often see things differently. But regardless of all of those differences, we are all alike in the eyes of God. To God, though we may be different, he treats us all the same. And that’s the way we are supposed to treat one another.
When you think of how our nation was founded and our Declaration of Independence, a nation was born on the idea of complete equality. This is what it says; “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Yes, we are all created equal in the sight of God. At least that’s the idea. But is that true in America? Is there equal rights for all men? The idea is right but the reality is that there is no true equality in our court system, or in any other part of our society. We have lost the meaning of equality in our land.
In the eyes of God we are all equal but in the eyes of man there is no equality at all. In God’s eyes, wealth, popularity and power mean nothing at all, but wealth, popularity and power create vast divisions within our society and favoritism rules in the hearts of men.
James 2:2-4,”For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”
James is referring to the meeting place where we all come together to worship. In some ways he is also referring to the courts of the Jews where every man was supposed to have an equal representation under the Jewish Law. No one was to have an advantage, or a disadvantage, when they appeared before the judge.
Under Roman occupation, when someone had a gold ring on his finger, it was a symbol of dignity and wealth above the common man. Roman Senators and high ranking military or government officials were the only ones allowed to wear a golden ring. This was sign of their office and gave them great privilege as they traveled throughout the land. A golden ring meant that someone of rank had arrived so give him special treatment.
Another sign of wealth was “gay clothing” – bright, shining and glittering robes with silver and gold threads woven throughout, or silver tassels. This wasn’t what the common man wore. Even today we often look at people of privilege who were Armani suits or Rolex watches and we know that they are expecting special treatment most of the time.
Let me assure you that my J. C. Penny suit and my Timex watch won’t qualify for anything special.
Not only was their clothing rich in its appearance but it was clean. They could only remain clean in the dusty, sandy land because they were carried about on litters or in enclosed carriages, where everybody else had to walk or ride on dusty roads. Clean clothing was often a sign of wealth and position.
When we see someone drive up in a new Rolls Royce, they gain more attention than someone who drives up in an old Corvette. It’s a natural part of us to be drawn to those things when they are around.
But what happens when someone drives up in a rusty old Chevrolet, walks in without taking a bath, wearing dirty and torn clothes and having a little body odor? Everyone just ignores them or maybe gives them a slight bow of their head.
James says that this is called favoritism and it should never be found in the House of God. But it’s not just there, because if we show favoritism every where else, how can we keep it out of the church? It’s going to be a natural thing for it to happen.
In the courts of Israel, those coming before the judge as defendants must be dressed the same so that no favoritism can occur. This is how their law reads:
"two adversaries appearing before the court must not appear in different clothing. if one of them is clothed "with precious garments", and the other is clothed with "vile raiment", then the judge must say to the honourable person, either clothe him as thou art, while thou contendest with him, or be clothed as he is, that ye may be alike, or on an equal foot.’’
Now we all know that money talks. If the courts were equal, this would not be true, but we all know that a rich man can often get off free from all charges while a man who has no money, and can’t hire a lawyer, or has one appointed by the courts, stands little chance of walking away free.
It’s wrong in for this to happen in the justice system of our nation, and it’s even worse when it happens in the House of God.
No one is to have the upper hand here because of wealth, position, power, dress or any other thing. The only way that any of us should be even considered as above or over anyone else is if the Holy Spirit has elevated us to that place through obedience and service.
Leadership isn’t awarded in the church; it is earned through faithful service and dedication. If you want to be a leader, then learn to be a faithful follower. Leadership cannot be taken by force, but it must be earned through respect and trust. That kind of leadership is what God can use. The congregation needs a leader who is a servant, not a boss to Lord over them.
In fact, many churches have been destroyed because the preacher decided to be the boss instead of the servant to his congregation. Leadership in the church is very different from that of the world. In the world, most of the time leadership is taken by force or by knowing someone. In the church it is only earned by service to the people and to God.
James then talks about where people are invited, or allowed to sit in the church. Again this goes back to favoritism and is covered in the Jewish Law.
When two defendants appeared before the Jewish court the law stated that, "one shall not sit, and another stand, but both shall stand; but if the sanhedrim, or court, please to let them sit, they sit; but one does not sit above, and the other below; but one by the side of the other.’’
Jewish Law allowed for no opportunities for favoritism. It was all a level playing field with no one having the advantage except what they could prove in their case.
We are God’s Chosen People and the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:2, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?"
Does this mean that we are going to sit with Jesus and judge sinners at the Great White Throne Judgment? No, that’s not it at all. There is a time, during the Millennial Reign of Christ when Christians will rule and reign with Him and we shall judge the nations as they come before those who are placed as governors, judges and rulers over those people who are not part of that raptured church that comes back with Jesus. Natural people, unregenerated and unsaved, will live on into that 1000 year reign and there will be a need for righteous courts. That’s where we shall judge the nations.
So learn to judge righteously right now and prepare for that great day. And we learn to judge righteously right here in the House of God when we learn to not show partiality or favoritism toward anyone who walks in that door.
We may recognize positions, or offices, within the church that are ordained by God as part of the helps ministry, but we must never put any man above another, for we are all equal.
James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
James emphasizes the important of obeying this command. We should always rememeber that God is the one doing the choosing of his saints, not us. It is God who lifts up and God who takes down. It’s his kingdom, not ours. He is God; and we are his servants and his children. Let him make the choices.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29, "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence."
Favoritism puts glory upon one man while debasing another. That’s not God’s way.
The Kingdom of God is filled with people without position or power, because they are the ones who will hear and respond to the call of God. Let’s never forget that.
Let us also remember that each of us, regardless of our station in life, if we are Born Again by the Spirit and washed in the Blood of Christ are all equal heirs (joint-heirs) with Christ. We all have the same inheritance – eternal life, heaven and eternal joy. There may be differences of rewards in Heaven based upon our works on this earth, but we will all enjoy the same eternal glory with Jesus and your reward will be greater than you could ever imagine.
James 2:6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?
James says that we don’t give any attention to those who need it the most, but we lavish our attention on those who we think are rich and powerful because we think that they will give us something.
Has anyone ever been rewarded by a rich man? Most of them won’t give anything to anybody because all they care about is their own little world. They have little pity for anyone else and they think that everyone should make their own way.
Think about it this way: If a rich man starts giving away his wealth, there is no end of those who are needy, and he soon won’t be a rich man any longer. They recognize this and they don’t give much away.
Not only that, but they are constantly looking for new ways to get richer, even if it is at the expense of those who are already poor.
James 2:7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? Most rich men have no time for God because they are self-sufficient and don’t need anything. They won’t go to church because that’s for losers. Their God is their money and they only serve that. Yet they will take the name of the Lord in vain at every opportunity to make themselves look bigger than God.
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
The royal law is the law of love to men, without distinction of rich and poor, high and low, bond and free; and is so called, because it is the law of the King of kings as set down in the 10 Commandments, written by God himself. Love is God’s royal law; love for God first and your neighbor as yourself.
James 2:9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
When we show favoritism we are violating that royal law. The love of God makes no distinction from one man to another, and if we have the Love of God within us, then we will not show favoritism either.
