“Have Mercy on everyone so that God will have mercy on you”

1. “Have Mercy on everyone so that God will have mercy on you” Vietnamese Saddleback Church Young Adult Group Sunday May 5th, 2013

2. What is Favoritism? Who we care about Who we lift up Who we admire Who we talk to Who we have mercy on

3. Definition of Favoritism? Definition: The practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.

4. These days, it’s hard to stay unpolluted from the world… It’s hard to stay pure It’s hard to think the way God thinks It’s hard to see the world as God sees it It’s hard to act and live the way God wants us to live One of the ways we’ve been polluted is the way we “view people”

10. James 2-4Favoritism Forbidden 2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.

11. James 2-4Favoritism Forbidden 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?

12. Favoritism is translated as “respector of persons” Don’t be a “respector of persons” Don’t assume that one person is more important and another

13. The bible says: “As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism” • As a believer, you know that: • God is on a higher level than all people • In God’s view, there are not “levels of people” on earth • There’s God and there is people • There shouldn’t be any distinction among humans

14. Isaiah 2:20 Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem? Humans are dependent on their breaths. If they stop breathing, they die. If they are the same as you, why should you believe that another person is better than you? Example

15. We cannot change our society, but we can change our church. • In society, there is: • Special treatment for some • Rejection for some • At church, that’s not okay. • People come to be cared about • Famous person comes to church should not be treated like they are in society. • Rejected person comes to church should not be treated like they are in society. • We’re supposed to only respect God and then we just love people all the same.

17. Imagine… Would you be distracted if a celebrity sat next to you? Why? Now what if God appeared on stage? Would the celebrity still be your focus? No. Because you have in your sights the glorious Lord Jesus Christ (That’s the problem = sometimes we forget about our Lord Jesus Christ)

18. “In life, be a giver instead of a consumer” • Consumer = • It’s always about what can I get? • Will this better me? • What if I kiss up to this person?

19. The bible says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” If we truly are believers and get all that we need from God then we can start showing love and mercy on others… There shouldn’t be any classes between people… (High School)

20. Continuing in James, the Bible says: “If anything show preference to the poor” 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

21. 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? (James 5-6)

22. Even the poor are God’s children • God specifically chose and gave life to the poor because He loved them • It is usually the poor that are crazy about God • Ex) Peru – Happiness, rich in faith • Happy with nothing, God is everything

23. But we lift up the rich and famous people • What if Tom Cruise walks into the building • We lift up the rich, we become speechless • Never mind the fact that he rejects everything we’ve learned • But still let’s lift him up because he’s Tom Cruise • Let’s do the same thing here as the rest of the world does, instead of caring about his salvation…

24. For one day, wouldn’t you just want to see people how God does? Just for one day, God, let me see what you value God looks into this room, how does he view us Who does he look at and say, “Wow, there’s a person after my heart. There’s a person that’s pure. There’s a person that I would lift up.” I’m willing to bet that it’s different than the way we view people.

25. James 8-13 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

26. James 8-13 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

27. James 8-13 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

28. This is important… Here’s motivation to not show favoritism • God says one day you will be judged • How do you want to be judged? • Based on your work? • Or do you want to be shown mercy? • Why do we show mercy to others? • Because God has shown mercy on us and we believe that one day He again will show mercy on us.

29. Heaven • God will ask you: • Did you Honor your Mother and Father • Thou shall not bear false witness • Thou shall not covet • Most likely we’ve all made mistakes, so wouldn’t you want mercy? • “I know I offended you… but you sent your son…and he was punished for my sins…

30. Okay, you understand that. But let’s look at your life, did you show mercy to others? Because people who understand the mercy of God, they in turn go out and share mercy to others James is saying…the one’s who get it. The ones that are truly fulfilled by God, they don’t walk around wanting stuff from others. They walk around with the Lord as their Shepherd.

31. They are so fulfilled by God that… They don’t show up to church thinking what can I get from them? They should be so happy, so overwhelmed, so content that they don’t do that That’s how the people in the world walk around…what can I get?

32. Is that how church is perceived? Church just wants my money Church just wants my time Church just wants my talents Church just wants me NO!

33. A church should be… Just a group of people Filled with LOVE <3 So overfilled with LOVE that we don’t need anything from others We just want to love and give to you the God that we have been so blessed with

34. Is that you? Did you walk in saying, “Wow, I have just been so blessed with things in my life. I have been so blessed with God in my life. My life is so amazing. How can I just give this morning?”

35. That’s what we need to pray about this morning… God, I want to be that person God, I don’t want to show favoritism to others God, I am so fulfilled by you that I just want to spend my life showing mercy to others so that when I come before you, you can see that I did live a life of mercy Giving to others who didn’t deserve it, that’s what God did.