WEBVTT
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This program is made
possible by the giving
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of the God called partners of Renner Ministries.
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Get ready for a teaching
that feeds your spirit
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and your mind where the
word is the anchor in
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uncertain times.
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And doctrine doesn't bend to culture.
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We keep it simple,
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but dive deep revealing a
truth that strengthens us,
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a love that emboldens,
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and a mission that touches the world.
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Let's join Rick Renner.
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Welcome to today's program.
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My name is Rick Renner
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and I'm glad you've let
me come into your space.
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And today I'm here with Denise.
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Denise, welcome to the program.
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Thank you, Rick. I'm just delighted to be on this program.
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Well, you look beautiful.
Well, thank you, honey.
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And yesterday we began
talking about different kinds
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of prejudice that exist in the world.
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And we began by talking
about that when we were kids,
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there was a lot of prejudice
toward black people.
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And wow, it was just foul
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and praise God, that's getting
better and better and better.
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But there's all kinds of prejudice.
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It's not just based on skin color.
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There's socioeconomic prejudice, there's voice prejudice,
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there's weight prejudice, there's married,
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unmarried prejudice.
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There is so many different
kinds of prejudice.
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And you know, Denise, just
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before we did yesterday's
program, I was on the phone
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with my friend Joseph Z,
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and I was reading to him the
long, long list I put together
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of the various kinds of prejudice.
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And he just burst out laughing
because it is so ridiculous.
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But the truth is there's
all kinds of prejudice.
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And today we're gonna go to James 2,
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and we're going to see that in the early church,
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especially in Jerusalem,
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there wasn't prejudice based
on skin color or nationality,
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but there was a prejudice between the rich
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and those that were poor in the church.
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There was kind of a prejudice between these two groups
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and it is evil and it is foul.
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And James says, we need to cut it out;
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but hey, we're offering you the series,
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which is called, Prejudiced - Me?
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Nobody thinks they're prejudiced,
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but when you really take a deeper look,
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there are issues we all
need to correct in our life,
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and most of us have some form of prejudice
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that needs to be put away.
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The subtitle says, Overcoming Prejudice in the Church
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and in your Life.
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And it comes with a study guide.
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And right now we're also offering you my daily devotionals,
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which are called, Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. I
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and Vol. II.
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If you need a daily devotional
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to help you read the Bible every day,
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this is the one you've
been looking forward.
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Denise. They're wonderful, aren't they?
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They're wonderful,
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But we wanna pray with people.
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And Denise, when we say
we pray with people,
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we really mean we pray with people.
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And if you've got a prayer need, we want to know about it.
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We believe that's an important
part of our ministry.
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So if you'll just call
the number on the screen
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or send us an email the
moment we hear from you,
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we are going to begin to pray.
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We believe there's a testimony
with your name on it waiting
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for you.
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So call us or send us an email.
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But before we get into today's teaching,
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I wanna share two testimonies.
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Five years ago, one woman
was diagnosed with cancer
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and her aunt told her that she
needed to watch Rick Renner.
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She shared that Pastor Rick's teaching was
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powerful and anointed.
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So she started to watch
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and has only missed three programs since.
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She said she's learned so
much from what Rick teaches.
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She kept watching
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and she went through all
her medical treatments
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and said she was never sick
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and never experienced
any side effects from the
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cancer treatments.
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She noticed that she was
getting better as a whole.
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Then the doctor recently told
her that she is cancer free.
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She's so thankful for her aunt
telling her to watch Rick.
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What we really believe that
when you take the teaching
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of the word of God into you,
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it basically makes everything better.
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And the word of God has healing power
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and what a great testimony.
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But Denise, I have one more. Are you ready?
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I'm ready.
Here it is.
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One woman wrote to say, I was so surprised
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to recently answer the phone,
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and a lady from Renner Ministries was on the line.
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Wow. They called me and I didn't call them.
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I'm so thankful that someone cares.
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I never get phone calls and no one visits.
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It's just as if I'm left alone.
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Thank you for making me feel
better. Someone does care.
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God bless you.
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Well, God does care for you,
and we care for you too.
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And again, if you have a
prayer need, we're waiting
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to hear from you right now.
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But Denise, today we're gonna return
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to our subject called, Prejudiced - Me?
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And we're going to examine in James 2, beginning in
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verse 1, what James said about judging people
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by their external appearance.
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So Denise, open your Bible.
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We always use the Bible in this program.
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And today I'm gonna be
reading from the RIV
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and I'm specifically going to
be reading from the footnotes.
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And while the footnotes are really powerful,
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but we're going to begin in James 2:1,
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where the Bible says in the King James version,
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My brethren have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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the Lord of glory with respect of persons.
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What does that mean - with respect of persons?
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Well, here's the RIV.
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The RIV says, My dearest brothers
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and comrades whom I cherish
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and treasure; you must not be a respecter of persons.
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That is you must not have hold
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and possess the faith of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
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the Lord of glory
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and at the same time, judge others
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or base your acceptance of them by
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what you see in their external appearance.
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And footnote No.232 says; The words,
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judge others or base your acceptance of them by
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what you see in their external
appearance are interpreted
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from a Greek word literally meaning - looking at one's face
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or looking at one's external appearance.
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It's a compound of two words; the word prosopon,
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which means, peering directly into the face of another
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and the Greek word, lambano, which often means
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to take or to receive.
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But when you put the two words together,
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it means you're taking or
you're receiving your opinion
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of somebody by what you see in their face
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or by their external appearance.
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And my friends, you're not
supposed to judge other people
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by their external appearance.
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I told you yesterday
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that in 1 Samuel 16:7,
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God himself says, he does
not look on the outward man,
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but he looks on the heart.
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But so many times we judge
people by their outward man.
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And when we come to James 2:
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2, we find that those
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who were wealthier in the church
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of Jerusalem had something
against those that were poor
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and were judging them.
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And when we come to James 2:2,
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James says, For if there come unto your assembly, a man
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with a gold ring in goodly apparel,
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and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment.
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Now that's what the King James version says.
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But the RIV really pulls all the nuances into
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this interpretation.
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Listen to what the RIV says of James 2:2; For if
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as it will surely happen from time to time.
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And when you read footnote No.233, it says the words if
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as it will surely happen from time to time
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or a translation of a form of the word ei,
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a conditional participle, which assumes that what follows is
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or probably will be the case.
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So from time to time this happens.
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And that's why the RIV translates it - For if
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as it will surely happen from time to time,
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there come a man into your congregation
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with a fabulously designed
expansive gold ring.
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And footnote No.235 says this - listen to this.
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The words, a fabulously designed,
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expensive gold ring are an interpretation of a Greek word,
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which is derived from the word chrusos.
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And another word the word chrusos pictures the highest grade
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and most expensive form of gold.
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And the second word refers to a fabulous ring
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that is highly decorated.
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And as a compound, it pictures
a highly decorated gold ring
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of great, great value.
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And now this man comes
walking into the congregation
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and people begin to notice his ring.
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Well, the truth is you probably do the same. When a woman
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comes in and she's dazzling in diamonds,
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you probably notice that.
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And now James says, there comes a man in your congregation
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with a fabulously designed expensive gold ring
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and is dressed in obviously expensive, plush,
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sumptuous clothes.
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Footnote 236 says; the words - obviously expensive, plush,
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sumptuous clothes are an interpretation of two Greek words.
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The first describes clothing, garments,
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or investment that are bright
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and gorgeous, magnificent, splendid
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and shining or sumptuous.
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And here it refers to clothing
that is obviously expensive
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and belongs to someone
with financial means.
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We would say this is
somebody who comes to church,
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they're flashing their jewelry
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and they're wearing really
high designer level clothes.
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And wow, you notice it.
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And James says, and then
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there also comes into your congregation,
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an impoverished man dressed in dirty, grimy
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and offensively stinking clothes.
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But when James says, and then - footnote 237 says,
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the word then, is a translation of, de, which is intended
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to make a dramatic comparison.
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And that's what James is doing.
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So first comes this individual
flashing his jewelry
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and his expensive clothes,
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and then dramatically
clear to the other side
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of the spectrum there comes
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and also to your congregation
an impoverished man.
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And footnote 239 says, the words - impoverished man -
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are an interpretation of ptochos, depicting one who crotches
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or cowers like a beggar, probably out of embarrassment
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for the way that he looks.
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No one wants to be poor.
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It depicts abject poverty,
thus one who is beggarly,
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deeply destitute, lacking in
earthly resources or poor,
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or one who is a popper.
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This word that James
uses in this verse refers
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to total impoverishment or an appalling
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and horrifying level of poverty.
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This word describes a person so destitute
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that he is deprived of the
bears essentials for living.
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And in fact, this word would
normally picture a homeless
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person or someone who has to
scrounge to find enough food
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to eat: a person
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society would consider down and out, financially ruined
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and poverty stricken.
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In addition to experiencing material
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and financial lacks, such people also suffered
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as social outcasts, which
added to their misery.
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So now a man of that status
comes into the church
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and the Bible says he's
dressed in dirty, grimy
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and offensively stinking clothes.
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And footnote 240 says - the words dirty,
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grimy, and offensively
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stinking clothes, are an interpretation of the word, rhupara
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which is a word that depicts that which is filthy, dirty,
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grimy, or rank
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and as a phrase, it portrays filthy, dirty,
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grimy rank clothes
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or one who dresses as if he lives in squalor
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and carries the idea of a
person dressed in dirty grimy
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and offensively stinking clothes.
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So now they're in church,
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a man walks in flashing a ring wearing designer clothes,
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and then clear to the other spectrum, a man walks in
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that is really impoverished.
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He's just fighting to get along in life.
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He's not dressed so well.
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And verse 3 says, in the King James Version,
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and you have respect unto him
that we're at the gay clothing
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and saying to him, sit
thou here in a good place,
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and then say to the poor, stand thou there
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or sit here under my footstool.
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My friends, this is evil.
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And the RIV interprets it like this;
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And if in fact you're so enamored by the sight of the one
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who is attire with pricey clothes,
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that you shift your attention, focus
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and gaze favorably on him
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and tell him, you sit here
in the best seat in a place
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of honor and respect.
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But then you tell the beggarly
man who's considered a social
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outcast, you stand over
there in a place that's out
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of the way, less visible
and less honorable.
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Or you say to him, find a seat under my footstool
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or in a place more
fitting for those like you
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that are socially less desirable, judging them
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by their external appearance.
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And my friends, I want
to tell you something,
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you can't always judge
a book by its cover.
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Sometimes those that you think
are social outcasts might be
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the richest people in the house.
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One day, Denise and I attended
an art auction in Moscow, not
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to buy, just to watch.
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And a man came in
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and sat at the other end of the row that we were sitting in.
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And I looked at him, he looked so ranked,
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he looked like an outcast.
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And I thought, what in the
world is that man doing here?
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Everybody else was fabulously dressed,
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showing off their wealth.
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Denise and I were just
there to watch the affair.
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And that man who was dressed so poorly
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00:14:29.500 --> 00:14:32.470
spent more money than
anybody in the place.
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When he began to bid on a
painting, I was stunned.
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He paid a million dollars
for a little tiny painting,
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00:14:40.180 --> 00:14:44.590
and by looking at him, I would
not have known he had a dime
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to his name.
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I had judged him by his
external appearance.
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My friends, it's wrong.
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00:14:52.250 --> 00:14:53.810
It's simply wrong.
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In fact, it is so wrong
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that in James 2:4, James goes on
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to say in The King James Version,
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Are you not then partial in yourselves
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and it become judges of evil thoughts?
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00:15:08.300 --> 00:15:13.040
Wow. But here's the RIV. The RIV of James 2:4 says,
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by making such distinctions between people, don't you see
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that you've allowed yourselves to become critics
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00:15:21.590 --> 00:15:23.720
and judges with evil thinking
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00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:27.590
and conclusions that are spiritually dangerous
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00:15:27.590 --> 00:15:32.150
to your spirit and mind? Separating people in your mind
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00:15:32.150 --> 00:15:34.940
and treating them differently according to what you deemed
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00:15:34.940 --> 00:15:36.830
to be their social class
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and financial standing, is wicked.
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00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:44.990
That is a literal interpretation of James 2:
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00:15:44.990 --> 00:15:46.580
4.
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00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:51.320
And in fact, when James says,
by making such distinctions,
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footnote No.252 says,
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00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:56.780
The word, distinction, is an interpretation of a form
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00:15:56.780 --> 00:15:59.030
of the word, diakrino, a compound
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00:15:59.030 --> 00:16:01.670
of the preposition, dia and the word, krino.
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00:16:01.670 --> 00:16:03.170
The word dia means through
330
00:16:03.170 --> 00:16:06.620
and depicts something that
is done very thoroughly.
331
00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:08.870
The word, krino, pictures a verdict
332
00:16:08.870 --> 00:16:13.250
or final sentence pronounced
as a result of a court trial.
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00:16:13.250 --> 00:16:15.710
After all the evidence is presented
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00:16:15.710 --> 00:16:18.110
and the judge examines all the facts,
335
00:16:18.110 --> 00:16:20.780
a final verdict is issued and a judge
336
00:16:20.780 --> 00:16:23.780
hands down a final sentence in a court of law.
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00:16:23.780 --> 00:16:27.830
But the compound used here, pictures one
338
00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:29.150
who has wrangled back
339
00:16:29.150 --> 00:16:32.630
and forth with the evidence
he has seen with his eyes.
340
00:16:32.630 --> 00:16:34.460
And after weighing all
the evidence, he comes
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00:16:34.460 --> 00:16:37.550
to a conclusion and
passes a final judgment.
342
00:16:37.550 --> 00:16:41.060
Thus, James was addressing believers
343
00:16:41.060 --> 00:16:44.390
who have inwardly wrangled
about how to deal with people
344
00:16:44.390 --> 00:16:47.090
of different classes and social statuses.
345
00:16:47.090 --> 00:16:50.000
And rather than treat them
equally in the sight of God,
346
00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.240
they wrongfully made a
distinction in their treatment
347
00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:56.510
of people based on their
physical appearance
348
00:16:56.510 --> 00:16:59.210
or their financial status.
349
00:16:59.210 --> 00:17:02.330
And James says, it is evil.
350
00:17:02.330 --> 00:17:03.830
And in fact,
351
00:17:03.830 --> 00:17:07.760
footnote 255 says, The words, evil
352
00:17:07.760 --> 00:17:10.850
and spiritually dangerous
to your spirit and mind,
353
00:17:10.850 --> 00:17:13.370
and the word, wicked are interpreted from the form
354
00:17:13.370 --> 00:17:15.590
of the word, poneros.
355
00:17:15.590 --> 00:17:17.990
Ay,yi,yi, listen to this. This word depicts
356
00:17:17.990 --> 00:17:20.360
that which is malicious or malignant.
357
00:17:20.360 --> 00:17:23.150
And in the New Testament, the word poneros pictures,
358
00:17:23.150 --> 00:17:25.760
whatever is foul, hostile, vicious,
359
00:17:25.760 --> 00:17:29.150
and vile: it includes not only that which is dangerous
360
00:17:29.150 --> 00:17:30.530
to the physical body,
361
00:17:30.530 --> 00:17:34.010
but also that which is dangerous to the spirit and the mind.
362
00:17:34.010 --> 00:17:37.160
It is an act or attitude that is wicked, unholy
363
00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:40.100
and impure in the sight of God.
364
00:17:40.100 --> 00:17:43.880
The word ponros is often used in the New Testament in
365
00:17:43.880 --> 00:17:46.970
connection with the activity of demon spirits.
366
00:17:46.970 --> 00:17:50.880
And it lets us know that wrongly judging people is devilish
367
00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:55.380
behavior and completely unacceptable among God's people.
368
00:17:55.380 --> 00:17:58.590
And this exhorts each of us to keep in mind
369
00:17:58.590 --> 00:18:00.900
that when we're born again and enter God's family
370
00:18:00.900 --> 00:18:04.980
and kingdom, no one is to be judged by skin color,
371
00:18:04.980 --> 00:18:07.380
nationality, financial worth,
372
00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:09.510
or any other superficial factor.
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00:18:09.510 --> 00:18:12.180
In fact, the apostle Paul wrote similarly
374
00:18:12.180 --> 00:18:15.360
to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 5:16
375
00:18:15.360 --> 00:18:19.500
and said, Henceforth, we know no man after the flesh
376
00:18:19.500 --> 00:18:24.300
because he says in verse 17, they've become new creatures.
377
00:18:25.380 --> 00:18:28.590
Wow! Honey, I think this text is amazing.
378
00:18:29.430 --> 00:18:30.750
It is amazing.
379
00:18:30.750 --> 00:18:35.190
And it really reveals
the heart, the the flesh,
380
00:18:36.600 --> 00:18:37.980
our heart
381
00:18:37.980 --> 00:18:42.980
that's not believing like God.
382
00:18:43.050 --> 00:18:44.400
I mean God's love.
383
00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:47.340
If God was prejudiced,
I wouldn't have made,
384
00:18:47.340 --> 00:18:48.660
I wouldn't have made it
385
00:18:48.660 --> 00:18:50.310
'cause I've got lots of things he could be
386
00:18:50.310 --> 00:18:51.390
prejudiced against.
387
00:18:51.390 --> 00:18:53.490
And think about it, Denise,
rather than be prejudiced
388
00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:55.080
against the impoverished person, we had
389
00:18:55.080 --> 00:18:56.490
to give him the best seat in the house.
390
00:18:56.490 --> 00:18:58.800
This is the man who needs
to hear the good news.
391
00:18:58.800 --> 00:18:59.850
This is the man who needs
392
00:18:59.850 --> 00:19:01.470
to know the gospel is for the poor.
393
00:19:01.470 --> 00:19:05.340
The gospel is an economic game changer.
394
00:19:05.340 --> 00:19:07.200
So rather than push them over to the side
395
00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:10.380
because of how they look,
we need to say, Hey guys,
396
00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:11.820
you need a front seat in the house.
397
00:19:11.820 --> 00:19:14.550
You really need to hear the message.
398
00:19:14.550 --> 00:19:16.650
That's what we ought to do.
399
00:19:16.650 --> 00:19:21.510
But my friends, the gospel
is never prejudiced, never.
400
00:19:21.510 --> 00:19:25.950
Jesus is colorblind. He
is nationality blind.
401
00:19:25.950 --> 00:19:28.290
Jesus is class blind.
402
00:19:28.290 --> 00:19:32.670
Jesus just sees people for whom he died.
403
00:19:32.670 --> 00:19:37.560
And remember, 1 Samuel 16 says, God does not look
404
00:19:37.560 --> 00:19:42.560
after the outward man, but
he looks after the heart.
405
00:19:42.990 --> 00:19:46.350
And if we're gonna be like
God, we need to learn not
406
00:19:46.350 --> 00:19:49.080
to judge people by their exterior,
407
00:19:49.080 --> 00:19:51.150
but to look at their heart.
408
00:19:51.150 --> 00:19:53.130
We need to look at their heart
409
00:19:53.130 --> 00:19:56.880
and realize the gospel
is needed by everybody,
410
00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:00.210
and the gospel can make everybody better.
411
00:20:00.210 --> 00:20:02.340
This has been good, Denise - Very good.
412
00:20:02.340 --> 00:20:03.810
But we've got more to say
413
00:20:03.810 --> 00:20:05.460
so we'll be back in just a moment.
414
00:20:13.560 --> 00:20:15.810
Someone has asked the question, Hey,
415
00:20:15.810 --> 00:20:19.380
I struggle in my relationship
with someone that hurt me.
416
00:20:19.380 --> 00:20:22.020
Does that mean I haven't forgiven them?
417
00:20:22.020 --> 00:20:25.710
Well, not necessarily, but sometimes you've got to forgive
418
00:20:25.710 --> 00:20:26.940
and forgive and forgive
419
00:20:26.940 --> 00:20:30.540
until finally you walk yourself into forgiveness.
420
00:20:30.540 --> 00:20:35.520
Jesus said this in Luke 17:3; take heed
421
00:20:35.520 --> 00:20:38.070
therefore to yourself if your brother
422
00:20:38.070 --> 00:20:39.840
trespassed against you.
423
00:20:39.840 --> 00:20:42.300
And that word trespass means to violate.
424
00:20:42.300 --> 00:20:46.200
If you feel somebody has
violated you, rebuke him
425
00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:47.890
or talk to him it.
426
00:20:47.890 --> 00:20:50.770
And if he repents, forgive him.
427
00:20:50.770 --> 00:20:53.680
And the word forgive is the Greek word, aphiemi,
428
00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:55.480
which means let it go.
429
00:20:55.480 --> 00:20:58.960
And sometimes my friends, you've gotta let it go, let it go
430
00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:02.350
and let it go until finally you are freed from it.
431
00:21:02.350 --> 00:21:06.190
So no, it doesn't necessarily
mean that you haven't forgive,
432
00:21:06.190 --> 00:21:08.290
but you may be still in the process
433
00:21:08.290 --> 00:21:10.510
of reaching full freedom yourself.
434
00:21:10.510 --> 00:21:12.790
So you just keep forgiving.
435
00:21:13.750 --> 00:21:16.030
We are to be imitators of Christ.
436
00:21:16.030 --> 00:21:18.730
Following closely in his footsteps,
437
00:21:18.730 --> 00:21:20.560
Jesus walked in unconditional
438
00:21:20.560 --> 00:21:23.920
and unbiased love for others as believers,
439
00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:25.660
we should do the same.
440
00:21:25.660 --> 00:21:28.570
Joined by his wife Denise
Rick Renner addresses the
441
00:21:28.570 --> 00:21:31.420
hindrance of prejudiced
heart can bring to the church
442
00:21:31.420 --> 00:21:34.420
and why it has no place
in the body of Christ.
443
00:21:34.420 --> 00:21:37.690
The Lord has crafted each and
every one of us in his image.
444
00:21:37.690 --> 00:21:40.990
In this 5-part series, Prejudiced-Me? Rick
445
00:21:40.990 --> 00:21:44.230
and Denise, cover what it means to be prejudiced, the cause
446
00:21:44.230 --> 00:21:47.080
and effect of prejudice
in scripture, our oneness
447
00:21:47.080 --> 00:21:50.080
with the Lord as believers,
how to change the posture
448
00:21:50.080 --> 00:21:52.030
of your heart - available in digital
449
00:21:52.030 --> 00:21:55.060
or physical formats, starting at just $11.
450
00:21:55.060 --> 00:21:57.880
Overcome the negative connotations you may have placed on
451
00:21:57.880 --> 00:22:01.330
others and lead a life of love pleasing to the Lord.
452
00:22:01.330 --> 00:22:03.220
In addition to this teaching series,
453
00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:05.800
we are also offering you the guided devotionals,
454
00:22:05.800 --> 00:22:07.840
Sparkling Gems I and II.
455
00:22:07.840 --> 00:22:11.080
Rick Renner offers a masterful
blend of personal memories,
456
00:22:11.080 --> 00:22:13.120
intriguing historical perspective,
457
00:22:13.120 --> 00:22:16.240
and valuable insights into
the believer's role in this
458
00:22:16.240 --> 00:22:19.780
present hour. With more than 1000 in-depth Greek word
459
00:22:19.780 --> 00:22:24.250
studies crafted into 365
daily devotions that are sure
460
00:22:24.250 --> 00:22:27.130
to inspire and provoke you to
plunge deeper into your own
461
00:22:27.130 --> 00:22:29.860
search for more hidden treasures from God's Word.
462
00:22:29.860 --> 00:22:33.790
Order Sparkling Gems I and II for just $45 each.
463
00:22:33.790 --> 00:22:37.150
Don't miss this special offer of the bundle, Prejudiced-Me?
464
00:22:37.150 --> 00:22:39.310
and Sparkling Gems I and II.
465
00:22:39.310 --> 00:22:41.200
Call the number on your screen now
466
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:43.360
or go to renner.org to order.
467
00:22:43.360 --> 00:22:45.010
Call or go online now.
468
00:22:49.630 --> 00:22:52.630
Hey friends, this is Rick
Renner, and guess where I am.
469
00:22:52.630 --> 00:22:56.650
I'm seated in the foyer of the
Tulsa Ministry headquarters,
470
00:22:56.650 --> 00:22:58.330
and I love this foyer.
471
00:22:58.330 --> 00:23:00.730
First of all, when you come
in here immediately you
472
00:23:00.730 --> 00:23:02.290
feel excellence.
473
00:23:02.290 --> 00:23:03.550
We wanted it to be beautiful,
474
00:23:03.550 --> 00:23:05.200
but we didn't spend a
lot of money to do it
475
00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.260
because we're very careful with the funds that we receive.
476
00:23:08.260 --> 00:23:10.840
But the reason I love this foyer is
477
00:23:10.840 --> 00:23:13.120
because of what's on the walls
478
00:23:13.120 --> 00:23:15.160
and on the wall behind the camera
479
00:23:15.160 --> 00:23:18.400
and right over here, there are big displays of letters
480
00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:22.240
which we received from Russian viewers in the early years
481
00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:25.180
when we were getting so much mail,
482
00:23:25.180 --> 00:23:28.360
we stopped counting the mail by the pieces
483
00:23:28.360 --> 00:23:31.360
and started counting the mail by the tons.
484
00:23:31.360 --> 00:23:35.140
I am not exaggerating when
I tell you that we received
485
00:23:35.140 --> 00:23:39.100
between 80 and 100 tons
486
00:23:39.100 --> 00:23:43.030
of mail from people that
were reaching out to us,
487
00:23:43.030 --> 00:23:45.235
and we answered every single letter.
488
00:23:45.235 --> 00:23:46.880
And you know, to answer
every letter, you gotta pay
489
00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:49.820
for stationary, you
gotta pay for envelopes,
490
00:23:49.820 --> 00:23:50.900
you gotta pay for stamps.
491
00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:53.330
People don't think about
what it costs to answer
492
00:23:53.330 --> 00:23:54.710
that kind of mail.
493
00:23:54.710 --> 00:23:57.170
But my friends, it was a
massive amount of money just
494
00:23:57.170 --> 00:23:58.670
to respond to that mail.
495
00:23:58.670 --> 00:24:01.640
But we did it because of our partners.
496
00:24:01.640 --> 00:24:03.710
And now from this facility,
497
00:24:03.710 --> 00:24:05.600
we've taken ministry to the next level.
498
00:24:05.600 --> 00:24:08.210
We're not just reaching
Russia, we're reaching
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00:24:08.210 --> 00:24:12.500
around the planet with television and all kinds of media.
500
00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:15.950
And this office in
Tulsa responds to people
501
00:24:15.950 --> 00:24:19.250
that are reaching out to
us from around the world.
502
00:24:19.250 --> 00:24:21.530
And because we have this
facility, we're able
503
00:24:21.530 --> 00:24:25.100
to do this professionally and excellently.
504
00:24:25.100 --> 00:24:27.830
And I want to say thank you for helping us
505
00:24:27.830 --> 00:24:29.900
to purchase this facility.
506
00:24:29.900 --> 00:24:32.030
And if you're not already a
member of our giving team,
507
00:24:32.030 --> 00:24:34.460
please pray about being a part
508
00:24:34.460 --> 00:24:36.530
of the Ministry Expansion Project.
509
00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:42.530
I wanna say thanks for being
with me and Denise today.
510
00:24:42.530 --> 00:24:44.240
Denise, it's been so
good to have you here.
511
00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:46.820
Thank you. Rick.
Isn't the Bible wonderful?
512
00:24:46.820 --> 00:24:49.550
I love the Bible.
It's so pure and clear.
513
00:24:49.550 --> 00:24:51.800
And what a privilege
that we can sit here
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and share the word of God
with our wonderful friends.
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And we want you to get this series,
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00:24:55.970 --> 00:24:58.910
which is called, Prejudice - Me?
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00:24:58.910 --> 00:25:01.580
Overcoming Prejudice in the Church and in your Life.
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00:25:01.580 --> 00:25:02.870
It comes with a study guide.
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00:25:02.870 --> 00:25:03.920
And we also want you
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00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:07.700
to order my daily devotionals
called Sparkling Gems from the
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00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:09.920
Greek Vol.I or Vol.II.
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00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:12.110
It doesn't matter which
one you begin with,
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but these will really
walk you into scripture
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00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:16.520
and help you understand the Bible better.
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00:25:16.520 --> 00:25:19.730
But you can order all these
things by going online
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00:25:19.730 --> 00:25:21.500
or by giving us a call.
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00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:24.650
I'm gonna tell you again,
we wanna pray for you.
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We really want to pray for you.
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So ring the number on the
screen or send us an email.
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00:25:31.010 --> 00:25:34.790
And the moment we hear from
you, we are really going
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to begin to release our faith for Jesus
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to do whatever needs to be done.
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And my friends, Jesus will do it. Amen.
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But hey, we want to
pray for you right now.
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So put your hand on your
heart and let's pray.
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Father, we thank you that
just like your colorblind,
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your nationality blind, you are class blind, Lord,
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00:25:57.500 --> 00:25:59.960
you just see people and love people for being people.
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00:25:59.960 --> 00:26:02.330
Help us Lord, to be like you, not
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to look on the outward appearance, but to look on the heart.
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And if there's any area of our life that even has a tinge
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of prejudice, we ask that you would reveal it to us,
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and give us the power to repent and to change.
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And we ask you this in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen.
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Well, we're gonna be back
tomorrow, me and Denise.
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Don't miss it. It's gonna be good.
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00:26:28.490 --> 00:26:32.240
But until then, please remember Ecclesiastes 8:
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00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:35.810
4 says, "Where the word of a king is,
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00:26:35.810 --> 00:26:37.670
there is power."
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00:26:46.650 --> 00:26:48.570
Perhaps I have to do another test.
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00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:52.500
The only thing to do is to wait.
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00:26:55.560 --> 00:26:59.460
I wish things have gone another way. I want to be healthy.
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00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:05.730
If there is no one to
support you, don't give up.
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00:27:05.730 --> 00:27:08.880
Just contact us, choosing
your available way.
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00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:10.650
We're waiting for your call, willing
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00:27:10.650 --> 00:27:11.760
to give you prayer support.
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00:27:20.640 --> 00:27:23.550
If two of you shall agree on
earth as touching anything
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00:27:23.550 --> 00:27:26.670
that they shall ask, it
shall be done for them
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00:27:26.670 --> 00:27:28.590
of my Father, which is in heaven.
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00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:32.130
If you've never received
Jesus as your Savior
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00:27:32.130 --> 00:27:36.510
and Lord, now is the time for
you to experience a new life
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00:27:36.510 --> 00:27:38.700
Jesus has to give you.
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00:27:38.700 --> 00:27:42.750
Pray this prayer with me right now; Lord,
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I repent of my sin and receive you as my Savior
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00:27:46.770 --> 00:27:49.740
and Lord. Wash away my sin
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and make me completely new.
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00:27:52.740 --> 00:27:56.550
I thank you that my sin is removed
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00:27:56.550 --> 00:28:01.550
and Satan no longer has any
right to lay claim on me.
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I faithfully promise that
I will serve you as my Lord
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for the rest of my life.
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00:28:08.610 --> 00:28:09.610
Amen.
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00:28:10.800 --> 00:28:13.020
Thank you for joining Rick Renner today.
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00:28:13.020 --> 00:28:15.180
For more information
about Renner Ministries
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00:28:15.180 --> 00:28:18.090
and product resources, visit renner.org.
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00:28:23.760 --> 00:28:26.280
This program was made
possible by the giving
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00:28:26.280 --> 00:28:29.250
of the God called Partners
of Renner Ministries.