COME…TOGETHER!
Galatians 3.28
S: Unity
C: Racism
Th: Come…Together
Pr: Let’s stop just talking about racism; let’s do something about it…
LIVE OUT THE UNITY WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN!
Type: Inductive
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Change your attitude
• Be more than friendly; be friends.
• “Find a foxhole” and mobilize for ministry
Version: ESV
RMBC 04 November 07 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Personal
I know that it’s not pretty, but I find myself looking more and more like my dad.
Now, he thinks that I am looking better all the time, but I am not so sure that he has the right perspective on the matter.
Dad has always liked to line up the Decker noses as he puts it.
He thinks that they are distinguished.
I think they just cover a lot of space that could be used for other purposes.
Dad also thinks it’s funny that I have become bald sooner than he did.
I actually fail to see the humor in that.
Well, I do admit it.
There are some striking resemblances between me and my father.
Listen for a moment in Galatians 3 as Paul says that we should have a striking resemblance of Jesus.
He says…
(26) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (27) for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
When people see us, they are to see a striking resemblance, they are to see Christ.
And we are to be clothed in Christ.
So much so, that when we are seen, Christ is seen.
The context of this comes from Roman culture.
For when the Roman child came of age, he took off the garments of a child and put on the toga of the adult citizen.
In the same way, when we believe, the garments of the old life – its habits, its addictions, its attitudes – are removed.
And they are replaced with new garments that are observed in a new attitude, new love and and new desire to serve Him.
The old is gone; the new has come.
The old clothes are gone; the new ones are put on.
And now, we are true children of God that everyone can see.
When we come to verse 28, Paul makes a powerful point about the nature of those that belong to the kingdom of God.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(NIV)
Paul was dealing with a significant problem in the church in Galatia.
There has been a group of people that had infiltrated the churches he had started – a group called the Judaizers.
The Judaizers believed in Jesus, but they believed God’s acceptance was restricted to those who were already Jews or who would join Judaism by following the works of the law.
You know what Paul said to that?
Hogwash!
No way!
Not true!
Paul’s point here in this verse is that all human distinctions are done away with in Christ.
The gospel is not for the select.
Rather, it is for all.
There can be no doubt that when Paul wrote this verse had in mind the typical prayer of a rabbi at the beginning of everyday.
For a typical rabbi would pray:
“Blessed be God that he did not make me a Gentile; blessed be God that he did not make me ignorant or a slave; blessed be God that he did not make me a woman.”
See how Paul has refuted the rabbis’ three points…
Cultural divisions are to have no part in the church.
Paul set himself against anything that demanded a cultural or national conversion to Judaism to become a Christian.
No one had to become a Jew to become a Christian.
The gospel was for everyone.
It was available to the Jew or the Gentile (who was everybody that was not Jewish).
Neither one has superiority over the other.
That division was gone.
Also…
One’s social status was irrelevant to acceptance in the church.
Though Paul never seems to deliberately condemn slavery, he begins the fight here.
Interestingly, in the Roman world, it is estimated that thirty-three per cent of the population may have been slaves.
Some believe that many of the early church leaders would have been slaves.
This means that some of the owners would have been put in the position that they were to submit to the people they owned in the context of the church.
Paul makes the point strongly here…whatever social divisions apply in the culture, they do not within the church.
The slave and the free were equals in the church.
Then also…
The concept of the inferiority of women and practice of sexual prejudice were to be eliminated from the church.
In this culture, women were considered inferior.
They were talked about in rude and condescending ways.
According to Jewish law, they could not receive instruction about the Torah.
They also were not considered to be reliable witnesses in court.
Simply, they were to tend to their children, and that’s it.
But Paul follows Jesus’ lead and puts aside that kind of thought when he places men and women on equal status when it comes to salvation.
Paul is saying that differences in race, socio-economic status and gender are not valid indicators of one’s spiritual standing before God.
While we all are not identical, we are equal.
We are equal at the level ground of the cross.
COMMUNION:
We are equal at the level ground of the cross.
And so we come to this table because we are testifying that grace has brought us here.
We come because God is active in our life, filling us with grace, continually favoring us with His blessing.
And we come together, because we share this grace together.
We are in relationship with one another as members of God’s family.
We are united together because of the work of Jesus.
Those of us that know Jesus are invited to share in the elements of the table.
If you are a member of the body of Christ, please join us.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
[Explain our practice…]
Being led in prayer by _______________________, let us take a moment and thank Him for favoring us with his mercy, love and kindness.
(Prayer)
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
____________________ will now come and lead us in prayer.
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
ILL Personal
I have two favorite African-American preachers…
Tony Evans and…
Bishop Dwight Brown!
And then E. V. Hill coming in a distant third…
Thank you my dear brother for giving us what we need to hear from God’s Word today.
Now, let me do the best that I can to talk about the implications of what you have spoken about, and what we have started to practice at the communion table.
Follow these names for a moment…
• Abraham Lincoln
• Booker T. Washington
• George Washington Carver
• Jackie Robinson
• Nat King Cole
• Rosa Parks
• Malcolm X
• Martin Luther King Jr
• Louis Farrakhan
• Thurgood Marshall
• Lyndon Johnson
• Jesse Jackson
• Shirley Chisolm
• Andrew Young
• George Wallace
• Arthur Ashe
• Clarence Thomas
• Al Sharpton
• Bill Cosby
• Oprah Winfrey
• Billy Graham
• O J Simpson
• John Perkins
• Spencer Perkins
• Howard Jones
• Rodney King
• E. V. Hill
• T. D. Jakes
• Tony Evans
• Reggie White
• Collin Powell
• Condoleezza Rice
These are all people that in one way or another have had some influence, positive or negative, some of it, depending on your opinion, on the civil rights movement.
Not all race issues that appear to be race issues are race issues, are they?
ILL Heir (H)
There was a little boy named Eric who had been adopted from South Korea by an American family. When he was 5, his family was having lunch at a restaurant, and Eric made conversation with a boy at the next table.
At one point the boy asked Eric, “Why don’t you look like your mom?”
“’Cause she’s a girl,” he replied.
But race is a real issue in our country, is it not?
We would have to have our head stuck in the sand if we did not see it.
And listen to the bywords that have occurred in our history to show how it encompasses our country and culture…
• Segregation
• Plessey v Ferguson
• Ku Klux Klan
• Prejudice
• Separate, But Equal
• Civil Rights
• Integration
• Ebonics
• Apartheid
• Interracial Marriage
• Brown v Board of Education
• Discrimination
• Classism
• Affirmative Action
• Reverse Racism
• Diversity
• Injustice
• White Supremacy
• Howard Beach
• Church Arson
ILL Racism (S)
A few years ago now, on the show PrimeTime, Diane Sawyer was interviewing Billy Graham and asked him this question:
“If you could wave your hand and make one problem go away, what would it be?”
His answer:
“Racial division and strife.”
What a powerful answer that was!
And though I am sure that Billy Graham has certain regrets that he did not do enough in this area, he did not give in to the separation of his own southern culture.
He did not give in because he was convinced that…
1. Racism is heresy.
It is a lesson that we, and the whole world for that matter, are still learning.
But we are to get it right, for if there was anything that Pentecost was to teach us in Acts 2, it was that God was more than interested in uniting people all over the world.
He was giving us a mission!
He was telling us that all were equal in His sight and that we were to unite people of all nations and races under the good news about Jesus
This is what Paul was trying to get across to the church in Galatia:
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(NIV)
This is also why when Martin Luther King Jr. gave the famous “I have a dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial that it rang so true.
ILL Equality (S)
MLK Jr:
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
His speech was deeply rooted in the truth of Scripture.
But how do we get there?
Now, you may disagree with me on this one, but please hear me out before you make up your mind.
The government cannot do it.
It can help, but it cannot do it.
I think we have seen it…
For forced segregation has not worked.
And in turn, forced integration has not worked.
Along with a host of other programs…
The reason they ultimately don’t work is that the remedy is distinctly Christian.
And until the church gets that, it will never fully happen.
You see…
2. I believe that we can celebrate our unity and our diversity at the same time.
Let me ask you another question…
Do you know why God made a rainbow of colors, that even extended to the skin of man?
Because He wanted to…
This is God’s design.
So just as God works a rainbow to be a beautiful thing, I believe God looks in our midst right now and smiles, and says, “If only more of my children weren’t doing more of this!”
I believe that the world is longing for a vision that is prepared to celebrate both our unity and diversity.
• A vision able to replace apprehension with appreciation.
• A vision that is more inspired than imposed.
• A vision that is more personal than political.
• A vision more redemptive than rhetorical.
But I think that those of us who come from a European descent…
3. I believe that we must confront the pain of our past.
We must acknowledge the heritage given to us by our ancestors, and that heritage has caused deep wounds to those of African descent.
Bought, shipped, and sold to produce profits.
Beaten, murdered, raped for the pleasure of those privileged by their European descent.
Families pulled apart so that no bonds would be known but those of slave and owner.
It is a legacy that is still proving tragic in the experience of America today.
People of European descent have not trusted those of African descent.
Those of African descent distrust those of European descent.
But we can bring healing.
How?
By being clothed with the new life…and following the call of Jesus.
As Chris Rice has said…
“The call of Jesus to confess, to forgive, to repent and do justice, and to begin anew with one another – not just once, but over and over again — is the foundation for a lifestyle of reconciliation.” [Rice]
Next…
4. I believe that we must renew our heritage and restore dignity and honor.
Our founders believed in equality, but they did not fully apply the truth.
We must be determined to live it.
We are not identical, but we are equal.
And humbly, we all stand at the level ground of the cross.
CHALLENGE:
So, as needed lets…
5. Change the attitude!
If we know that our attitude is not what it should be, then take steps to change it.
It can happen because it is a matter of the will.
If you feel that you are not living with an attitude of equality and brotherhood to those of another race, fall in line with what both Christ and Paul have communicated.
There is no superiority and there is no inferiority, because we all have the same need – the cross.
Now, I want to share with you a burden that both Bishop Brown and I share.
We know that we, as church families, have a lot to learn from one another.
We have learned some.
We have enjoyed the fellowship that we have had from time to time.
We want to challenge us – both of our churches – to take our relationship a step further than where it is.
The next step is done by being a friend.
6. Be a friend!
Let’s be more than friendly.
Let’s be friends.
Do you understand the difference?
We are friendly, but I believe that God is calling for more out of us.
We need to get to know each other – our names – our families – we need to get inside of each other’s homes!
This means that we will have to go out of our way.
But if we are to fulfill a goal of racial unity that will positively impact the Buffalo area for the cause of Christ, we will need to go past convenience.
We have to be friends!
Finally…
7. Find a foxhole!
ILL Racism (S)
A Vietnam veteran once said…
“When it came to wartime, I wasn’t black. They weren’t white. We were soldiers. We depended on each other to survive.”
We need to realize we are in spiritual warfare, and therefore we need to have our guns pointing in the same direction.
So, it is time for us to be mobilized for ministry.
Let’s do ministry together.
Not because it will give Randall a good name.
Not because it will give Mt. Ararat a good name.
Let’s do ministry together because God already has a good name!
And it is worth telling about!
BENEDICTION:
Announcements…
Reception downstairs
EAMCS
What is next for us?
If God has burdened you to participate to take our relationship further than where we have gone so far, speak to your leadership.
Call the office or speak to one of your elders or pastors, and I might suggest a team form of three or so people from each church strategize and determine how we can become closer in love of God, our love for one another, and reaching a community that needs Jesus!
Prayer…
RESOURCES:
Sermon Central
Bailey, Brad Reckoning with Racial Division
Decker, Paul A Striking Family Resemblence
Gillespie-Mobley, Rick Who Is Really Number One?
Morgan, Phil One in Christ Jesus
Sources:
Banks, Melvin, Cheryl J. Sanders, William Pannel, Brenda Salter McNeil, and Spencer Perkins. "What Black Christians Want White Christians to Know." World Vision, February-March 1996, 12-17.
Cose, Ellis. "Twelve Steps toward Racial Harmony." Newsweek, November 25 1996, 54-55.
Evans, Tony. "Can We Really Get Along?" New Man, July/August 1996, 40-43.
Jackson, Neta. "Friendly, but Not Friends." Eternity, April 1983, 26-29.
Kehrein, Glen. "Breaking Down Walls." Focus on the Family, December 1994, 12-13.
Rice, Chris. "By This Men Will Know." Discipleship Journal1995, 74-78.
