Amen, so I'm gonna preach just a quick series on Sunday nights on the principles of partiality the principles of partiality
Just a few sermons here. Maybe just two maybe three. I'm not quite sure yet, but it's the subject
I want to cover this subject of partiality. It's used in the Bible, you know being partial but also
More commonly you would use the see the phrase being a respecter of persons
And let me just start out here with some basic just definition
Of course the word principle simply means a fundamental truth
So what we're talking about the principles of principality or excuse me the principles of partiality
We're talking about just these fundamental truths
Just the basic truths of what it means to be partial or to be impartial
What it means to be a respecter of persons or what it means to not be a respecter of persons
We're just looking at the principles the fundamental truths about this topic
And of course if you're not familiar with that term partiality that all that means is me having an unfair bias
In favor of one thing or person compared with another a term you might use
Today would be favoritism. So to be partial is to show favoritism towards someone or something
Also, the opposite would help us understand what it means to be impartial
Meaning you would treat all rivals or people who are disputing equally, you know, if you're an impartial judge
You're not taking sides with somebody you're simply looking at the situation
You're considering all points of view in the case of the judges in the Bible the Levites
They would also consider of course God's Word and then based upon their judgment and decision
They would make an impartial judgment or decision. They would use all of that to be impartial. They wouldn't be partial. Okay
Now if you would keep something there in Malachi, but go over to 1st Timothy chapter number 5 1st
Timothy chapter number 5 and you know, this is certainly a topic being partial or impartial that
You know is going to apply to everybody but it's something that's especially important for those
Who are running any kind of an organization like say? Oh, I don't know a church
So it's definitely something that's very important for a leader a pastor a preacher
To to understand this idea that you cannot be partial with people
Okay, it says there in 1st Timothy chapter number 5 verse 21. I charge thee before God
Now whenever you get a charge when everyone tells you to do something
Obviously, it's always important but it's especially noteworthy when they're saying I'm charging you before God. He's saying Timothy
This isn't just something I want you to do. This is something that God cares about
This is something that God puts a premium on
This is something that you're being charged before God even and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels
that thou observe these things meaning all the things that came prior to that and
Obviously you could and you know apply that to all of Scripture that all of these things are to be observed and done
What without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality?
So he's telling Timothy when you're running the church when you're making decisions when you're making judgments within the church
All those things have to be done without partiality without what preferring one before another and I believe he's probably referring to that
one there meaning people saying you can't prefer one person above another when it comes to
Running the house of God, you know and and setting things in order in the house of God
Okay, and again, that's a charge that's given to the preacher to the pastor
You know in the sight of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in the elect angels
So obviously this is something that's very important to anybody who's in that leadership position
But these are principles that are going to apply to anybody really and if at the very least it will help you maybe
Understand sometimes the decisions that are made inside of a church, you know
Sometimes people will scratch their head and wonder why was this or that decision made? Why is it seem like you know?
The pastor is saying this or that, you know, why are they doing what they're doing?
Okay, and hopefully everything they're doing is being done out of being impartial and not being done out of partiality and really tonight
all we're gonna look at is what happens when you are partial the products of
partiality the products of partiality what happens when somebody is partial in judgment what
Takes place what transpires what are the results of that? Okay, and the Bible makes it pretty clear that it's nothing good
Okay, several bad things can happen and it can get into a church
It can infest a church and it can affect people in a church when they see partiality being doled out
Okay, go back to Malachi chapter number two back back to Malachi chapter number two
So we're just looking at the principle the principles of partiality
The first thing we're looking at is the product of Prince. Yeah of partiality. What does it produce?
What does it bring forth? What is the fruit that being partial will bear in a church in an organization in a person's life?
Obviously, I'm gonna brought probably be applying this more specifically to a local church. Okay
but first of all
what we could see in Malachi is that it causes others to stumble and
Really the the points that follow are an example of that stumbling
Okay
So when somebody is partial it causes other people to stumble in several different ways
All the subsequent points that I'm going to cover here tonight that are the products of
partiality really stem from the fact that they are being caused to stumble in the first place if that makes sense
Hopefully that big long sentence all made was comprehensible by you out there
I don't know if it made any sense or not
But here's the thing if we are partial we're going to cause other people to stumble in several different ways
Okay, so this is important that we understand
You know
Where that rather it's it's important that we're careful that we're impartial in judgment and the way we conduct ourselves and do things
Again, look at Malachi chapter number two
It says in verse one and now oh you priest this commandment is for you
If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my name say the Lord of hosts
I will even send a curse upon you and I will not and I will curse and your blessing
Yeah, I have cursed them already because you do not lay it to heart
Behold I will corrupt your seed and spread dung upon your faces
Now that's a shocking verse if you've never read it that God is going to spread dung upon their faces
Even the dung of your solemn feasts and one shall take you away with it
And you shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you that my covenant might be with Levi say at the Lord of hosts
My covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them
To him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name
The law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lips
He walked with me in peace and equity and did not turn and did turn many away from iniquity
So you can see that God's pretty upset here in Malachi when he's saying look
I'm gonna spread the dung of your solemn feasts upon your face, and I'm going to curse your blessing you mark it down
God's upset. So we have to ask ourselves. Why is the Lord so angry?
We know that God is long-suffering that he is slow to anger
So when you see the Lord in a passage like this getting so upset we should probably step back and ask ourselves
What is it that is making God so angry and we'll see here
That's the way the priests have been conducting themselves
It says there in verse 7 for the lip priests lips should keep knowledge
and they should seek the law at his mouth meaning the priest of somebody that you should be able to come to and
Gain knowledge. It's somebody you should be able to come to when you are seeking a law when you're seeking judgment
We're seeking discretion, you know
You should be able to go to those that are speaking on behalf of God and expect to get that
Why first at the end of verse 7 for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. That's a pretty big responsibility
Look at verse 8
But ye are departed out of the way you have caused many to stumble at the law
So they have done the complete opposite of what is should be expected of them
They should be those that can that others can go to for knowledge then for understanding and all of that
But because of the way they've been conducting themselves
They are actually causing people to stumble at the law
People are coming to seek at the law at the mouth of the priest and rather than getting
The knowledge and the wisdom the sermon that they need they're actually being told things that are causing them to stumble
Verse 9 therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people
According as ye have not kept my ways
But have been partial in the law so you can see what the big sin is here
What is causing the people to stumble what is making God so angry and upset is the fact that the priests have not kept
God's ways they have decided to do things their own way
They've decided to do things the way they feel best and what they think is appropriate
And they have what been partial in the law meaning they have been they have shown preference in the law
And when we see with partiality what one of the products is is the fact that it causes other people to stumble through what a lack
of consistency a lack of consistency there needs to be
consistency when it comes to
Leadership and things like that look at again at verse 8 they stumble at the law verse 9
They have been partial in a law when people are not consistent other people stumble, okay?
The priest you know it was his job if you would go to Deuteronomy chapter number one
One of the jobs of the priest was not just the keeping of the tabernacle or later the temple
It wasn't just the sacrifices and things like that and everything that went along with the worship in the temple
But it was also to apply the law they were there to
Instruct out of the Word of God they were there to teach out of the Word of God
They were there to guide and lead people in God's Word out of the law and the priest they were to apply the law
What without partiality God is very specific about this and says look when you teach and preach my word?
You are to do it without partiality when you make judgment when you have discernment when you make decisions when you
However you conduct yourself in the service of God it must be done without partiality
Because here's the thing when we have partiality when we start to just blur the lines of what's acceptable and
We're no one's really sure what exactly the rules are
Those lines become very blurred then they're very easy to cross aren't they?
When you have a real clear distinct line between this is acceptable, and this is not it's you know when it's just bright yellow
It's just flashing you're good on this side. You're bad on that side. You're over on this side
Everything's good you over on that side. Everything's bad right when you have a nice clear line like that
It's it's easy to know where you stand
But when that line gets smeared when it gets blurred when it's not really clear where it starts and where it ends or it's kind
of broad
Then it's kind of hard to know where exactly you're standing am I am I doing good am I am I doing right look?
We need to have real clear lines
Defined for us of what's acceptable, and what is not and this is especially important in the house of God
And quite honestly this is something that I've been thinking about lately and in regards to this church
And this is something that over the next several weeks even months really
I'm really gonna try to shore some shore some things up in the church
Because I feel like in some departments. We've really allowed some of these lines to be blurred
I don't and really that's my fault more than anybody's you know obviously
I'm the leader here that all falls upon my shoulders, but I'm kind of just easing us into that. I want us to understand
Where I'm coming from in the coming weeks with some of the decisions of that. I'll be making in in
in the church and
You know I don't want people to take things personally. I don't want things people to feel like they're being attacked I
Have to conduct myself in the house of God without
Partiality if I don't do that other people are going to stumble people aren't going to know where the line is
Things are going to be confusing people are gonna not be sure what's appropriate. What is what is appropriate
They won't know and whose fault is that? It's well we see here and now a guy. It's the priests fault
Obviously the people were wicked they weren't doing the right things
But you know they're going to the priests for the law and they're being partial and causing them to stumble look
I don't want that on my head
So these this series is really just us kind of slowly wading into those waters
We need to have some clear lines of what's acceptable
And what is not because I don't want see the people end up on the wrong line the wrong side of that line
Even if it's unintentionally, okay?
Standards must be expressed clearly in the house of God they have to be expressed clearly you know I my I think
The shortcoming that I've had is this I kind of assumed everybody's going to get it or gets it
Or will get it and what I'm finding is that you know people aren't getting it
I mean, I don't have to say it
Okay, so that's kind of a preview point for part two standards have to be expressed clearly, okay?
I'm just making the point tonight when standards aren't expressed clearly when things are just done partially when things aren't done with
You know impartiality we really don't know where we stand
We really don't know was it it you know is it for him
It's this rule, but for them. It's that rule, but we have to have one rule for everybody, okay?
Otherwise we're being partial
I'll be I'll be preaching more about you know these specifics in March
And I would really encourage everybody you know and I'm preaching this to the to the the evening crowd because really your evening crowd is
Usually you know your core crowd
They're the people that are going to be there your midweek
that's they're kind of the the smaller crowd, but they're the crowd that kind of makes up the backbone of the church and
You know the obviously the theme this year is seek to excel. You know we're trying to do better as a church
We're trying to improve we're trying to grow we're trying to do more for the Lord
And I want to preach a sermon series in March called March forward where we're going to start talking about standards and service
We're going to start talking about
Opportunities to advance you know in serving in the house of God, and we're going to lay down some real clear lines on
What is expected for those that are going to be in service in this church?
Okay, so that you know look forward to that, and maybe I won't see you in all March, but you know it's coming
Tonight though. We're just covering over. What are the products of being?
Partial what's the word of the products of partiality when somebody is impartial in their judgment when they don't draw clear lines
What are some of the things that happen well first of all it causes others to stumble and?
Secondly because that part of that stumbling is the fact that evil thoughts begin to arise
People begin to get evil thoughts not necessarily vindictive thoughts not maybe even necessarily mean thoughts
But just thoughts that they shouldn't have they start to feel certain things that just should not be there
You're there in Deuteronomy chapter number one. I have you go there Deuteronomy chapter number one you want to bookmark Deuteronomy
We're going to turn to a couple other passages there
The priests you see they failed at this in Malachi out of fear out of fear
It says in Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 17 you shall not respect persons in judgment
But you shall hear the small as well as the great
He's saying don't let the poor person come to come to you before judge and in judgment and dismiss them without hearing their cause
Just because they don't have money
Just because they don't have the reputation somebody else has I mean wouldn't that be a great thing to see in our low in our
Justice system you know the person who stays that as jail is the guy who just has the most money
You know people who are actually guilty they just can't buy their way if they can afford a lawyer
You know God's law is look you don't respect people in judgment, but you shall hear the small as well as the great
Notice this you shall not be afraid of the faces excuse me the frayed of the face of man
This is something that he's commanding to the priests is something
He's telling to people who are in judgment people who have to make decisions
And he's telling him look don't respect anybody don't be partial you know don't be a respecter of persons
But also don't be afraid of the face of man. You say why would you have to tell somebody that?
Why would you have to tell a leader that?
Because let me just clue you in on something about being in leadership okay when you're overseeing an organization like a church
Upsetting people it's not fun
It's not fun
I don't like upsetting people and
I say things and I'm gonna make decisions that are probably going to upset people if you've come here long enough
I've probably preached something or said something that's upset you. I've probably made a decision
Maybe maybe not I don't know that might have upset you
And what I don't ever want anyone to get is this idea that somehow I'm enjoying that
You know my tendency is to not upset people. I don't like upsetting people
You know it's not fun
And here's the thing when you start to preach things and you start to draw lines in the sand when you start to make real
Clear distinctions about what's acceptable, and what's not people are going to get upset, and you know what they're gonna start making faces
They make faces. I mean I said nobody said you shall not be afraid of the face of man
You know they hear somebody says
You'd be shocked
They start to get that glare
When you get on their sin, they just they get that blank glare, and they just kind of stare at you
And you know and you say well, what does that got to do with anything well
You know if I were afraid of that if I didn't like that awkwardness if I didn't like how that made me feel you know
If I didn't if I was afraid of the face of man
You know that I just wouldn't preach that
Then I would just say well
You know I'm never gonna preach or say anything that's gonna upset anybody ever in this church if I was afraid of man
You know that's why he has to command that to the to the priest
That's why he has to tell these people that are making decisions. Don't be afraid of the face of man
Don't be afraid of them upset them if you need to upset them because what you don't want to be is partial in judgment
Because if you're partial in judgment all you're going to do is blur the line
And then people are gonna end up on the wrong side of the line
And they're gonna suffer and then God's gonna hold you accountable preacher. That's exactly how it goes
I'm setting people isn't fun, and it's certainly not easy. I'll assure you that but I'll tell you this much. It's necessary
Sometimes you just have to you know tip the apple cart over to get people in line
If you would go over to keep something in Deuteronomy
Go over to James chapter 2 he told Ezekiel behold
I have made thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead strong against their foreheads as an adamant harder than flint
I have made thy forehead fear them not neither be dismayed at their looks though. They be a rebellious house
You say hey, don't be afraid of their faces in fact. I'll just you know you say you know what you're Ezekiel
Just go ahead and make that same face right back
You know sometimes people will come to me and say hey you look kind of grumpy
And and I try and I always try to come in and smile things
but sometimes you know people do things in this church that upset me and
it's hard for me to just
Because I'm mad
You know and it's hard to just you know fake a smile through being upset at the way things things that people are doing in the
church things that they're not doing
You know I had somebody say that this morning, and I you know he said you look grumpy
And I just thought well, I got a lot of I told him I got a lot of my mind
I didn't say oh, sorry. Sorry whoops
You know sometimes if you look at my face, and I'm upset. It's because I'm upset
Okay, and it's because of the things that you know people are doing or not doing. It's frustrating and
Here's the thing if people get upset they should consider
That the judgment is God's you know it says they're already turned away from Deuteronomy
He said you shall not be afraid of their face the face of man for the judgment is God's
Saying don't back off. Don't hold back. Don't be impartial. Don't draw that line the judgment is God's
So as long as what I'm teaching and preaching is coming out of this book if the lines that I'm drawing are biblical
Go ahead and get upset
Because the judgment is God's I'd rather make you upset than get God upset at me
I'd rather have this whole church mad at me than have God mad at me
Where to have you go James chapter 2
Because here's the thing you know if I fail to pronounce the judgment
If I and he says in 2nd Chronicles chapter 19
I'll just read this is where now wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you and take heed and do it
For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God or respect of persons nor taking of gifts
He's saying let the fear of God be upon you and do it
Here's the thing if I fail to pronounce judgment if I don't draw these lines
Then that's not going to negate guilt on anybody else's part
If I fail to get up and preach the word of God and say thus saith the Lord that does not absolve you from guilt
You understand?
You can't say well. I didn't know the preacher never said that never made that distinction
He was you know he never made a real clear line in the sand about what the Bible he never preached that
That doesn't absolve you from guilt
It's still a sin
If I never got up and said hey, you know what being a you know fornication is a sin
Does that just give you a pass to go commit fornication?
Well preacher never said that
You never read it in the Bible
Well, I've never read the Bible
I don't know what it says about this or that the other thing that still doesn't take the guilt away
You're still guilty before God
The difference is the reason why I got to get up and preach it is because
You know I don't want to be included in that guilt
Me failing to pronounce the judgment of God does not
Absolve the guilty it doesn't negate the guilt okay. All it does is it just broadens the guilt if you follow what I'm saying here
It just says now not just are the ignorant guilty, but now also the one who failed to warn them is guilty
You know that it broadens the guilt. It doesn't negate it if that makes sense
Look at James chapter 2 we're gonna be in James again later
I know you're already in Deuteronomy, but keep a bookmark in James and Deuteronomy
We'll be right back to Deuteronomy in a minute
It says in James chapter 2 verse 1 my brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of glory with
respect of persons for if they're come unto you or assembly a man with a gold ring and goodly apparel and they're come also in
in also a poor man in vile raiment and you have respect to him that we're at the gay clothing and saying to him sit out
Here in my in a good place and say to the poor stand you thou there or sit here under my footstool
Are you not then partial in yourselves?
saying look if you start playing favorites with people you're partial and
Notice there and become judges of evil thoughts
That was the original point when a person become when we are partial what it produces in our lives
What it causes what it brings forth is it causes people to stumble and it brings forth evil thoughts
And you know, I thought you know, I've kind of mulled over that last part races and you become judges of evil thoughts
Well, you know is he saying that you're judging evil thoughts like you're passing judgment on what the evil thoughts that are being
Thought or is he saying that your judgment is evil
That you are become judges of evil thoughts the discernment that you're doling out the decisions that you're making are
Evil I
Think it's the latter. I think when we are partial in ourselves, we start to become evil judges
We have evil thoughts we start to make the wrong decisions
In our lives. This is what partiality brings forth in your life
When people are partial towards other people when they're partial when they have respective persons
What they start to do is play favorites and this brings forth, you know, they become judges of evil thoughts
Another way this can manifest itself if you would go to Deuteronomy 16 Deuteronomy 16 again
Keep something in James is that they start to treat other people in a certain way for advantage
If I start playing favorites, then I'm going to start treating people differently than I would treat other people, right?
That's what it means to be partial. That was part one of the definitions one of the definitions of being partial is you know,
you know a common phrase you would use to express that partiality is
playing favorites
Showing favoritism to people you can't be like that in the house of God. You can't do that in the church
You can't play favorites with people
Okay
You certainly can't do it when you're judging, you know in matters of even the civil or criminal law
But you know this all applies also in the house of God the Bible warns us of people in Jude chapter 1
It's the only one that there are going to be certain men who what have men's persons and admiration because of advantage
You know, some people are gonna treat other people differently because they think they will be advantaged for having done. So
you know if I if I hold back and I treat somebody differently than I might treat somebody else because I
Want to gain something from having done so I know I'm being a little vague
This is just a principle if I do that if I say hey
I'm gonna treat so-and-so differently than I would somebody else because I hope to gain something from that
That's a wicked thing that's partiality that's a lack of impartiality
That's respect of persons and you can't have that the priest was told very clearly to be impartial
Look at Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 19
Again, you count in that same vein where we read earlier thou shalt not rest judgment
I mean you're not going to twist it. You're not going to change it
You're gonna look at what the judgment is and you say this is what it says
We can't change it because that rest doesn't mean like rest. It's W
Rest like wrestling meaning twisting you're not going to twist it. You're not going to change it
You're not gonna rest judgment thou shalt not respect persons neither
take a gift for a gift of blind the eyes of the wise and
Pervert the words of the righteous. They obviously the gift there is talking about like a bribe or something and doesn't this go on today?
This goes on in the halls of Congress all the time. Hey, if you pass that bill, you know
There's a little something extra for you. This is why you know congressmen and others could go in
You know and earn a six-figure salary, you know and then walk out, you know million millionaires billionaires
It's because they're on the take
How else do you explain it? It's because of insider training all these type of things
So having respect of persons but notice he says he shall have respect of persons neither take a gift
So there's these two different things here
You know having respect of persons isn't just necessarily allowing yourself to be bought off to be bribed to take a gift
You obviously, you know monetary gain is less applicable in church. It's not you know
No one here has ever tried to bribe me. You know, I've never tried to
One you're all too broke, right?
There's no money to be made here trust me I didn't get into the ministry for the for the riches of the Baptist faith
Trust me. It's not there
And I don't want it and I don't care about it
But so obviously that wouldn't really apply here the idea of taking a gift
Okay, but what would apply in a church is this respect of persons, you know, meaning that you're going to
Treat people more favorably than you might others in certain situations
And this is something that we have to be on guard on about okay, and really I'm more myself than anybody
But I'm preaching this maybe so that you'll begin to understand so you'll understand some of the things that
I'm going to be preaching. Okay, some of the things I am going to be teaching. Okay, is that you know
There's this danger with having respect of persons
There's a danger really when you get too familiar with people and this is something that I've this is something I've
Known about for a long time. I've kind of had a different opinion about that
There's different philosophies out there about how a preacher a pastor a deacon should interact with with
You know the flock with the with the church and how what level of familiarity they should allow to be there and for a long
Time, you know, I've kind of been on the side of hey, you know, just I don't want to have the mystique
You know, this is something they teach in Bible colleges, you know, the preacher has to have the mystique
He's got to be kind of distant. He's got to kind of you know, not be on that
Common ground necessarily why because what happens when that in and I found this to be true
Is that when you do that when you do kind of just let your guard down to let your hair down a little bit too
Much around church people is you lose respect
You lose respect. Look I believe everybody in this church appreciates me
But I'll tell you I'll be perfectly honest. I feel like the the lack of respect has kind of gone down
And again, I blame myself more than anybody because of the fact that I haven't really held this standard
Okay, that was kind of the philosophy that I had, you know, it's just hey, I'm just another one of the guys
But here's the thing
You know, there needs to be a certain level of respect for the preacher. It has to be there
You know, you got to have it if it's not there then you know, what's who's gonna how are you gonna?
Why would you respect the decisions that I make why would you respect you know?
Anything that I want to do in the church, you know, if you want people to follow you obviously you have to respect them
So honestly, I've kind of changed my mind about that and I've kind of seen that come to the light at least in my instance
I'm not saying this is true
You know every pastor has to get on this side of that philosophy, but I could tell you in my in my case
Particularly, this is something that I've changed my mind on
That you know for me. I think that that has to be there
There is a danger and being overly familiar or chummy with people is they start to lose a little respect for you
so this is one of the you know fruits of
and again that that is an evil thought when you think about it if we're gonna sit there and and and
Because there are no clear lines being drawn because there's this impartiality in the church
You know then
And and I'm gonna be a little less respectful towards the preacher
That's an evil thought
You know, that's that's that ought not be that way. Okay. This is what partiality leads to these are the evil thoughts
It's the products of people being partial. Okay?
Another one is hypocrisy. Okay hypocrisy go to James chapter number three James chapter number three
James chapter number three it says in verse 13 who was a wise man and dude with knowledge among you
Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom
but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against this truth the
Wisdom to send if not from above but it's earthly sensual devilish for we're envying and strife is there's confusion and every evil work
But the wisdom that is first is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easy to be entreated
full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without
Hypocrisy and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace
So notice there what follows partiality at the end of verse 17?
He says it's partiality without partiality and without hypocrisy
Because here's the problem when a person becomes partial when they start showing favoritism
What can happen is that can be perceived as hypocrisy either one because it is or two just because that's the way it's perceived
When we start to show preferences for people we start to bend the rules and we start to make exceptions
You know, if you if you become inconsistent people will look at that and say that's hypocrisy
And what I've also learned in the ministry is that people it seems like when it comes to the pastor sometimes not everybody
But some people it seems like they're looking for hypocrisy
They're looking for the smallest little grain of hypocrisy so they can throw it in your face
And that's you know, that's something that is the fruit of people being partial now whose fault is that?
I think everyone shares the some of the blame there, don't they?
But really it falls upon the person who started out by what being impartial or being partial
By the person who did not draw clear lines
And I'll be honest, you know in the beginning of this church. That's something I didn't do
I did not draw very clear lines in this church about what is acceptable what is not
And you know and again let the hair down let the guard down got too friendly got too chummy and it feels like you know
Maybe that was a it's definitely was a mistake
But you know that could be perceived as hypocrisy if now I go forward and jerk the wheel and say hey
We're gonna change things. We're gonna do things differently
People could say well, wait a minute. That's not the way it's always been
Well, you know what you could call that hypocrisy if you want
But when something's wrong, it makes sense to fix it, doesn't it?
When something's broke you might as well get out the tools and get dirty and fix it
You
Know hypocrisy is something that is observed by other people either if it's there genuinely or even if it's just perceived and what it
Ends up doing is it ends up in bittering people?
Towards who they deem a hypocrite
And and this really is the problem with you know making exceptions is
the fact that when you become partial when you make exceptions when you show favorability and
People take it the wrong way or people other people perceive that as hypocrisy it embitters them towards that person. I
Mean that's kind of what you see there in that passage verse 16 of James where we were in James 3
For we're envying and strife is there's confusion and every evil work verse 14
But if you have bitter envying and strife these things all go together the bittery and the bitter envying the strife
All of this goes with part, you know partiality hypocrisy it's all kind of tied together
And here's the thing I really kind of want to just get a point get across before I make my last point is that
And I really want people to think about this. I want everyone to really think about this
When you decide to do someone you want me to allow you to do something
When you want to do something in the church when you want to just just do anything
Whatever it is
Whatever you decide you're going to do whatever behavior you're going to have inside this church
You have to consider the fact that if I allowed you to do it. I have to allow everybody else to do it
If I say it's okay for you to do it, then it means it's okay for everybody to do it. Okay, and
You know, I really want you to think about that because and if you think about that
You know every time you go to do something or make a decision or the way you're going to conduct yourself here
If you think that it might actually change some of the things that you do
you might have you might ask yourself you might consider and say, you know, maybe I shouldn't do that not necessarily because what I'm doing is
bad or necessarily even because it's
Sinful or anything like that, but maybe it's just because if I do this that means everybody else gets to
Because if I'm going to be an impartial judge if I'm going to be somebody who judges without
partiality if I'm not going to be a respecter of persons
I can't let just one person do something and then not let anybody else do it
That would be partiality, wouldn't it? And what's that going to lead to?
It's going to lead to people calling me a hypocrite. It's going to lead to a lack of respect. It's going to lead to bitterness
It's going to lead to envy. It's going to lead to strife. It's going to lead to evil thoughts
And it could be over even something just the smallest simplest things, you know
I let a lot of things go that just I I just bother me and I just wish people wouldn't do I
just let them do it and
And it's been a mistake
Because
It just builds up and it builds up and it builds up and here's the thing, you know
We're gonna start dealing with some things as a church
and I'm gonna start dealing it from the pulpit because of the fact that you know, I'd rather just get scattergun everybody with this
Because it's gonna be a lot easier. It's gonna be and as awkward as this is it has been of a sermon
It's gonna be a lot more awkward if I have to come to every single individual and start dealing with things
Which I'm not beyond doing if that's what it comes down to
The lastly what's the last thing that what are one of the fruits of
Partiality, what are the products of it hatred hatred?
People can get to a point in a church where they hate the leadership. I've seen it
I've seen people join churches and
Over time begin to hate the person in leadership
It's amazing to me now go to Genesis chapter 37
Not only do they you know, they hate that person but they also begin to hate the people that are shown preference
This is why you can't have partiality in a church. You can't have favoritism
It'll it'll breed hatred in people's hearts towards the person towards the leadership
That's a being partial in judgment and towards those that are being shown favor
Look at Genesis 37 verse 3 now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children
Think about that
You ever have your kids come to you and say who's your favorite
Anyone ever done that had that happen? I have
Here's the secret you tell them all about your favorite
You just go to each one and say you're my favorite and then you go to that that's what my dad did to us I
Remember telling my older sister dad said I'm his favorite. He said he told me the same thing
Alright, that's actually not what you do. Okay. I was joking
But isn't that crazy that that the Bible is telling us that it's just it's clear as day that Israel loved Joseph more than all his
children
And it was obvious even to his own brethren. I mean they're despising him
It says because he was the son of his old age and he made him a coat of many colors and when his brethren saw
That their father loved him more than all his brethren. They said well good for Joseph. I
Mean, he's a good guy. Maybe we should improve
Maybe we shouldn't be the way we are obviously we find out some things about their brothers
Maybe there was a good reason why I love Joseph more than the other ones
But it was that is that the attitude that they had is that what human nature does
When it sees people being shown favoritism when it shows people being shown partiality when there's respect to persons involved
Does everybody else around that go? Oh well good for them
Oh great, yeah, that's great. No, what happens is is they start to hate that person
It says and they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him
They couldn't even speak nice to him. They couldn't even say anything nice. They were that embittered
They were to the point that they had hatred for their own brother because of the favoritism that was shown
That's all that was the Bible says that that that they hated him over
What else did Joseph do? What did he do?
How did he wrong his brothers?
What sin what sin did he commit against them? How did he offend them? He did nothing
The only thing he was guilty of was that his father loved him more than them. That's it
He couldn't help that and they and he ended up being hated for that
This is why it's so important. You can't be partial in a church
Because it'll actually begin to breed bitter
Envying and strife even the point where people begin to hate other people
Over the favoritism that's being shown for those showing preference and for those being shown preference
And you say, you know, how else can you apply this and how can I apply this in my life?
Well, how about this, you know, this is something you see often is that parents who get saved later in life already have kids
Maybe they have older children
And then all of a sudden mom and dad develop some new standards. They learn some things that they don't even know how to do
They see how they've been doing things wrong and then they change
Standards, there's they make some changes in their home
They adopt new standards
Well, sometimes what happens is the children of that family will look at that parent or parents and say you're a hypocrite
That's not what's going on there
Don't confuse change with inconsistency
You know people changing is not necessarily mean they're not changing
They're not changing
You know people changing is not necessarily mean they're inconsistent
When people change things, you know, if they're changing things for the better, that's a good thing
This happens in homes
You know parents have kids that have grown up a certain way and they say hey, we're saved now
We're in church. We're learning the bible. We're going to do things different. Oh, you're a hypocrite
That's not the case and that's not an excuse
You know policies change the way people live change
They can change in a family they can change in an organization they can change in church
So you have to understand this when it comes to
Decision making inside the church that decisions have to be made considering what is best for the whole what's best for everybody?
And what's best for everybody is that those decisions be made without partiality
That they be made without preferring one before another they do that there's no respective persons
and hopefully, you know, I've made that clear as to why because
What it produces is not good when it's there what it produces is
Uh, you know all these things that we just looked at hatred
bitterness
anger
resentment
Uh, you know hypocrisy it can all the things that I covered
And basically it causes other people to stumble
It doesn't draw a clear line
We need to have to clear have these clear lines and have them defined
I know maybe maybe this I was trying to kind of ease into it. Maybe I kind of shoved you in tonight. I don't know
but you know
There's going to be some things and hopefully, you know
You'll stay on board with with the coming series in the next over the next few weeks
And understand where i'm coming from. Okay, let's go ahead and pray