Social Restoration - Phase 1: Social Distinction, Part 2

Let's face it, we all treat some people as more valuable than others, and we all tend to look down on people that we really disagree with, right?

I mean, it's natural. But do 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. Let's explore this together today. Stay with me. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram, helping Christians live like Christians. I'm Dave Drewy, and in this program, we continue our series, Social Restoration. You know, it's hard not to see differences in people.

That's just a fact. As Christians, though, Jesus challenges us to look so far beyond those differences that the only thing we see is people in desperate need of His love, because that's the way He sees them. Now, Chip's son, Ryan, began this message on our previous program, so today he brings us part two of his talk, Social Distinction. Chip will be with us after the teaching to add his thoughts, so be sure not to miss that.

Okay, if you have a Bible handy, open it now to James chapter two, and let's join Ryan Ingram. Favoritism plays out when I treat certain people as more valuable than other people, when I treat wealthy people as more valuable, when I treat beautiful people, when I treat influencers, when I treat those in 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 or partiality, it's treating people as more valuable than others. It's also looking down on those with whom you disagree. And finally, it's overlooking those who make you feel uncomfortable. It's 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 kids and I were picking up Chipotle to go, and so we get Chipotle, and as we're pulling out and pulling onto the road, there's a homeless, a young homeless man. And I've got to be honest.

Let me just tell you my heart. I looked at him, and I was like, I'm pretty sure he's a meth addict. I don't agree with why he's there. What did I do?

Prejudged him. And my son says, Dad, can we give him some of our food? And I got to be honest. I'm a little bit germaphobic, and it's like, well, we have tacos, and you can't really give tacos one taco, and then we'd have to touch them.

And I didn't explain all this. This is what I'm thinking. And I'm like, no, I don't think so. And he's like, Dad, can I just give him one of my tacos? Well, you see, tacos don't transport well, and this is not how it goes. And then the light turns green, and he's still asking, Dad, why can't we give him? 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 big ol' burrito, and let's drop it off. He's like, thanks, Dad.

I'm like, no, thank you, because you led 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 it's not just an act, but how do I make this a habit? It's like the person that comes over that is a little awkward, maybe, or that you go, they're an EGR. That's extra grace required person, where you're like, Oh, my gosh. And you go, no, no.

How can I love them? How can I engage and not just go, it would be easier? You're right, it would be easier. And are there times where you just hang with your friends? Absolutely.

I'm not saying that you don't do that, but where we wouldn't be a clique-oriented, but we would lean to the fringes, and we say, no, no. Every single person's valuable, and we're not going to look down upon those we disagree. We're going to learn how to lovingly disagree and treat one another with honor and respect, and we're going to engage in those uncomfortable places to love those that Jesus loves. And so James then shifts the conversation from talking about, well, what is favoritism?

What does it look like? And he wants us to get this. Why he starts with like this, this is a big deal. And he says, well, why is this such a big deal? He's going to give us three reasons. Reason number one, first, it is an affront to the very heart of God.

It's an affront to the character of God. He begins it this way. He says, listen, pay attention.

Don't miss us. And again, my dear brothers, we're family. We're the family of God. So especially in the family of God, 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 to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?

You're going to notice in these three reasons, he's just simply unpacking the Sermon on the Mount and what Jesus had taught. That's Matthew chapter five, verse three. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who recognize they're spiritually bankrupt. Blessed are those who recognize that whether I'm physically or spiritually bankrupt, I actually know that I need God.

And so therefore my faith is only can be found in God, not in what I have. He says, man, Jesus came and hung out with all the wrong type of people. Jesus loved and served and welcomed many, the marginalized, the mistreated, the disadvantaged, the exploited. And he goes on to say, but you have dishonored the poor, those who Jesus honored. It's a violation and an affront to the heart of God.

Every person made in the imago day. See, when I treat a poor person or any person poorly, it's exactly opposite of how God would treat them. Let me 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 the evil of racism. And at the same time, we have to not perpetuate the same evil in return. That's why I was so grateful for Tony Dungy's response to this.

He's 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 prejudging every police officer we see. What started out as peaceful protests have 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 we're angry. Today, we are a divided country. We're divided racially, politically, and socioeconomically. And Satan is laughing at us because that is exactly what he wants. Dysfunction, mistrust, and hatred help 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 judgmental, 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 taking a stand and 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. We are fighting against Satan and his kingdom of spiritual darkness. In the words of the Apostle Paul, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with God. This is so well said and I hope that we take that to heart. The first reason this is a big deal, it is an affront to the heart of God. The second reason is the law of love demands consistency. He goes on to talk about the royal law of God that is found in the scriptures, love your neighbor as yourself.

And if we do that, then you are doing well. Then he says, but if you show favoritism, you sin. It harms and breaks the royal law of loving your neighbor as yourself.

And you are convicted by the law. See, the royal law, it is royal for a couple of reasons. It is royal because it is the law of God. It is the law of the kingdom of heaven and it is the law upon which all other laws fall under.

Like do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not lie. It is all based on love. It is just like loving you means I am 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 do and say, well, I do this love and I don't do this and I feel good.

And as long as I am not doing this, then it is okay. And James is saying, no, 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 of these things to obey.

By the way, this is a command. You must not show favoritism. We must not show favoritism. Follower of Jesus, it is not optional.

It is not optional. It is not like, well, I don't like that one. I don't care.

Are you a follower of Jesus? This is what we are 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 don't talk about this probably near enough. But even followers of Jesus will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give account for all we have done. It has nothing to do with whether you are saved or not, but it has everything to do with how we actually experience eternity. And the Apostle Paul would say, and some will escape through the fire just barely. And what's of gold and precious metals will remain and what's made of wood, hay and straw will be burned up.

What's worthless. And see, when we speak and act, we talk as if we're 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? 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. Where we'd say, no, no, no. I'm not the judge. I'm not the jury.

God is. And so, how do we experience social restoration? Social restoration begins when followers of Jesus embrace there are no social distinctions. Well, what do I do with this? How do we move forward? I think the first step is in embracing and owning that we all play favoritism. Remember, James said, stop playing favorites.

It's already happening. We're 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 of me. It requires me to speak up for those who don't have a voice. It requires me to stoop down and tenderly care for those that are hurting. It requires of me 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'll keep the royal law of God. Jesus. Jesus lived this out so well.

And in John chapter 4, we get this picture. It's 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, judgmentalism, and a divide. And there in that moment, the woman was a Samaritan, which if you understand that, there was a racial and religious divide, animosity between Jews and Samaritans.

I don't have time to get into that. She was a woman. There was a divide between men and women and value system between men and women. And in fact, a rabbi would never speak in public to a woman he didn't know like that.

Ever. And then there was the moral divide. This woman was an immoral woman, had five husbands. And she was living with a man that wasn't her husband. And Jesus at the well asked the question.

I love his beginning. He wasn't like, hey, I have something for you. He asked something of her. Would you give me a drink? I see so much value in you. Not only will I speak to you, I'll 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 Henri Nouwen had said it as he commented on this and his experience of working with people in the 90s who were suffering from the AIDS pandemic at that time. And as a priest and had all these different thoughts about and judgments about where they were coming from, he said this in prayer. God, help me to see others not as my enemies or as ungodly, but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your living water, which alone quenches the deepest thirst.

God, help me to see others not as my enemies or ungodly, as thirsty people. They just need Jesus. They need Jesus.

We need Jesus. Philip Yancey in his book, Vanishing Grace, said this, our confused society badly needs a community of contrast, a counter-cultural of ordinary pilgrims who insist on living a different way. Social restoration begins when followers of Jesus embrace there is no social distinction.

May you ask, may I ask, may we be a people to ask and lean in, what does love require of me? You're listening to Living on the Edge and Chip's with us to talk about the message you just heard. But in case you jumped in late, our guest 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?

Well, these messages from Ryan Ingram bring a lot of clarity to that question. He looks at our current circumstances with a gospel vision of community and provides biblical solutions. For a 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 livingontheedge.org.

For additional information, just give us a call at 888-333-6003. Well, Chip, before you get to your application, would you tell the folks what you're sharing with me? One of the great joys of my life is the letters, emails, Facebook messages that I get from people literally all around the country and all around the world. And they tell me these amazing stories of how Living on the Edge has been a tool used by God to change their life. Maybe you're one of those people that have really been impacted by the ministry.

I mean, I hear from people from every age, profession, background, every person imaginable. And what I hear is this same constant drumbeat of, God spoke to me, I took a step of faith, now God's using me. And what I want you to know is that that's the heart of our ministry. We want to put teaching and tools and small group materials and downloadable things that we actually give away to help people not just live like Christians, but be ambassadors and agents of change and grace in their homes, their schools, and their workplaces.

And if you're one of those people that God has impacted you and actually you're impacting others because of Living on the Edge, I have a very specific request. Would you consider becoming a monthly financial partner? And of course it helps us practically, no doubt about it.

It would really help us to know that X amount of dollars are coming in from a monthly partner. But literally, even more than that, it's about a group of people saying, we want to be a part of this mission to make a difference in the crazy world that we're living in. We want to make an impact and we want to make an impact with you all. God's spoken to us.

God's changed us. We want to help you help others. And so here's my request today. Would you pray and just simply say, Lord, if this is part of your desire for me to partner with Living on the Edge on a monthly basis, will you show me and then show me what that looks like and how much? And what I will say is whatever amount that is, it's perfect, whatever God shows you.

But what I long to see is people who partner that are on the team, a part of the family, and we make a difference together each and every day. Thank you in advance for doing whatever God shows you to do. Well, if you're already a financial partner, thank you. With your help, Living on the Edge is ministering to more people than ever before. And if you're benefiting from CHIPS teaching but haven't yet taken that step, now would be a great time to join the team. To become a monthly partner, donate online at livingontheedge.org, tap donate on the app, or give us a call at 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003. Your partnership is greatly appreciated. Well, now with a final thought, here's Chip. As we close today's program, I love the quote Ryan gave us by Philip Yancey. He said, Our confused society badly needs a community of contrast, a counterculture of ordinary pilgrims who insist on living a different way. Now, I think we got the ordinary part down, but I think it's the counterculture. 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, walk in a way and live in such a way that we fit together, that we understand. That on some things that are minor, we agree 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 we're passionately walking together. You see, social restoration begins when followers of Jesus embrace.

Listen carefully. There is no social distinction. We refuse to treat, to judge, or to evaluate people differently based on their race, their socioeconomic status, their politics, their ethnicity, their social skills, their popularity, how they happen 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 kinds 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, and 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 agree 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 as Democrats and Republicans. We can do as 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 has been able to provide encouragement, teaching, and personal discipleship resources to more people than ever before. So thank you to those who support us with your prayers. God is doing amazing things. Well until next time, and for all of us here, this is Dave Druey saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.