Meadows Church
Welcome to Meadows - in person AND online!
We believe that God is with us in both the times of peace and the times of uncertainty. As you learn to navigate these days, we are here along side of you. Thank you for joining us virtually today!
Propel: to drive, push, or cause to move
in a particular direction
James 1:26-27 NIV
James 2:1-13 NIV
1. Religion that does not redeem the soul is worthless.
- “their religion is worthless” James 1:26
- Rock-solid convictions at Lystra (Acts 14:15)
- Man-made religion verses Heaven-sent religion (The 5-H test)
++ Theological evaluation: HEAVEN AND HELL; what does it reveal about God and eternity?
++ Practical evaluation: HELP; what does it do to improve the lives of others and connect them to God’s goodness and faithfulness?
++ Moral evaluation: HOLINESS; what does it do to transform the attitudes, behaviors and world view of its practitioners?
++ Relational evaluation: HUMILITY; how does it affect how others are perceived and treated?
- The glory of God-ordained religion (Titus 2:11-14)
3. Religion that does not confront and transform prejudice is powerless.
- “have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2: 4
- Prejudice defined: Prejudice is a predisposed conviction about someone devaluing them from their God-given status.
- The prejudiced perspective
- A question of conviction (Matthew 9:4)
“There was a time when Christian faith was central to culture. In our lifetime, we have seen religion become peripheral, a personal opinion we are told to keep to ourselves. Now, many in our culture view biblical morality as dangerous to society. We are accused of being bigoted and discriminatory. Legal challenges to religious liberty are mounting. Yet as I’ve shared before, the further our society moves from biblical truth, the more people will hunger for biblical truth.”
- Dr. Jim Denison
3. Religion that does not offer grace and deliverance is hopeless.
- “Mercy triumphs over judgment” James 2:13b
- The royal law (James 2:8-10)
- The internal look that conquers prejudice (Matthew 7:3-5)
- The path of mercy leads to the place of grace (Hebrews 4:16)
4. Following Jesus is the only way to present and eternal freedom.
- The exclusivity of Christ (Acts 4:12)
- The unconditional promise of Christ (Matthew 11:28-30)
Are you practicing a “worthless” form of Christianity or a Christ-exalting form of Christianity?
Benediction Blessing
May your walk with Christ be far more
than empty and worthless religious habits.
May your walk with Christ uproot and overturn
every prejudice in your life and every practice of godless discrimination.
May your walk with Christ help you see and respond
to the intrinsic worth of every soul.
May your walk with Christ bring you
freedom from all the pollutants of this world.
And may your walk with Christ cause you
to ever delight in the mercies of God extended to you
and through you to others.
Amen and Amen.