Sunday Service - Panta ta Ethne
Well last week I said I was going to sort of continue the series on verses in context and focus on a single verse but I have reneged on that commitment and I will do that next Sunday and preach on prayer and give us a verse that kind of carry with us, but given everything that's gone on in the past couple of weeks in our culture. I wanted to preach a different sermon this morning. I want to talk about the purpose of God all throughout scripture. The purpose of God is to reconcile all the ethnicities to him through Christ. I want to share this morning that sometimes even in the Christian Community. There's the assumption that somehow God affirms racism. I've had I've heard preachers talk about it after Christian share while doesn't the Old Testament doesn't God tell the Israelites not to marry other races and all of those passage. When you see God commanding the Israelites not to marry with another Nation it is because of the religious practices of those other nations. It is never because of race. There is not a case that can be made in Scripture that God somehow affirms racism. And I suspect most of you know that and believe that but I just want to get I want to equip you to feel confident about the good convictions you already carry in your heart that Christianity and scripture never affirms racism by any stretch of the imagination and it is a sad day in our nation and a shame upon our nation that there are those who practice racism and claim to be Christians. And absolutely with Clarity and without hesitation as Christians, we have to condemn racism. There is no merit for it. There is no basis for it. And there is certainly no biblical justification for racism. What so ever. You can talk to me. I'll show you those passages. There's just biblically no case to be made to say well doesn't the Old Testament. I've always heard that kind of has this vague justification for taking cultural beliefs that we were raised with and I was raised with him, too. I'm Appalachian to the core taking those sort of cultural beliefs in st. Paul. I think maybe there biblical are there. Okay, it's the same reasoning that men used to say. Well my grandpappy and my Pappy taught me that the woman's job is to be servant to the man. And they observe these kind of cultural truths and dunking in the water and baptize him and call him Christian and they're simply unbiblical. To the core and need to be rejected by the church and by Christians without hesitation. As a matter of fact not only description or never support in any way racism. It commands us to go in the opposite direction of racism's when you look at scripture. The purpose of God is to reconcile all the ethnicities to him through the work of Christ on the cross. In the original in the Greek of the Old Testament that said to this phrase occurs again and again about God's heart for all the ethnicities. It's Ponte and Thailand, ethne and Ponte in the in the Greek means all until that's the phrase all and Tommy jeans the NF name. Means ethics or nations or peoples are groups of people's it's absolutely clear when this phrase occurs in the scriptures that it refers to the full variety of different nationalities of different ethnicities of different races. There's no debate about that. You can't go in tweak the language and say well maybe this means something else this phrase Ponte taught ethni is always a reference to all people. All ethnicities All Nations all cultures and you see this phrase throughout scripture when you trace it through the Bible. You see that it lies at the heart of God's purpose. In the beginning in Genesis when God comes to Abraham the Lord had said to Abram go from your country your people and your father's household to a land. I will show you so he's leaving his people.
They ever occur to you. Abram could have said no. My people are the right people. There's a good people. I'm just going to stay here. Don't ask me to leave my nation. I love my nation. I love my people where the good people are God's people First thing God says to Abram is your leaving. Your ties to your people to your family go to the land. I'll show you I'll make you into a great nation. I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you. I will curse and All Peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. Guess what that phrase is Ponte F name all the nations all the ethnicities. All the peoples of the Earth are to be blessed through Abraham Israel sinned in the eyes of God and profit after Prophet came and condemned is real when they fall asleep. So it's us we're special Israel is better than every other nation is really better than everyone else. It's because of who we are Israel's profit after Prophet came and said no, I called you to be a light unto all nations not the set yourself up as the only nation as the special people or the only people whom God loved the only people who is got God is redeeming in from the beginning. That's exactly what he told Abraham that he was going to trade him into a nation that would bless all peoples on the face of the earth. When you look in the Psalms the song that says praise the Lord all you Nations extol him all you peoples that spawned a tot airplane all the ethnicities all the people for great is his love toward who tortoise all the people all the nations all the ethnicities this idea that the psalmist was sinkhole. Well God loves us Israelites or we read it today until God loves the church. He loves us Christian somehow more than he does others. That's a mishandling of scripture that's adding to or taking away from scripture, which is commanded not to be done and it's often done.
Praise the Lord all you Nations extol him. All you people's for great is his love toward us and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord the song that says Jesus words. Core passage the Great Commission. Then Jesus came to them and said all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me how much Authority has been given to Jesus. How much how much? Can I overturn that Authority by finding some verse in the Old Testament saying well if he didn't understand this correctly if I jammed is Daniel passage in Revelations, then I can look at his real and turn it this way. And can I overturn his authority know how much Authority is given to Jesus Authority on heaven and on Earth? AutoZone, Hammond Think about what you say.
He has been given the full authority of God the father when he speaks in this passage.
all authority
over scripture itself
He's the word of God. What he says In this passage trumps anything I can come up with even if I'm using scripture to come up with it, right? If I use scripture to Karthik Jesus who's wrong? Me me.
If you're saying that you should with enthusiasm if Robbie uses scripture to Connor did Jesus than Robbie is wrong. Often preachers will teach things that don't match what Jesus taught and lived at the Wynn this passage. Jesus came to them and said all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me therefore go and make disciples of all Nations baptizing in the name of Father Son and the Holy Spirit guess what phrase that is there and all nations Ponte F name all the peoples all the ethnicities all of the nation's there is no one excluded God is the creator of all of humanity. Amen. Anyone who suggests that that humans evolved somehow ABS separate from God were quick to say no. No. No God is the Creator God is the creator. Absolutely I affirm that completely God is greater. He's the creator of all life all life. Every human being God is their father.
Easter create or so of God is the father of all than everyone is my brother or sister.
You understand that logic? Now they may be my lost brother or sister like in Luke 15. They may be a prodigal brother or sister whom I need to preach the gospel to whom I need to love to know what God the father is like but they are nonetheless my brother or sister. Amen.
So what do you think about your brothers or sisters? What would you do for your brothers or sisters? Especially if they're lost?
Would you love them no matter what the cost? Would you love them even if the culture Temple you can't love them while they're still in the blank? Tennessee volunteer fans, you can't love them.
I think they're Irish, you know, you can't have them at your dinner table. I mean pick a category any of the stupid. Categories from Hell itself that we use as humans to divide and categorize people and somehow think of them as less. Somehow out when we're in. Somehow The Chosen are not the chosen. When were The Chosen?
Therefore go and make disciples of all Nations Pontotoc. I think baptizing them down the father son. Holy Spirit in teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you and surely I Am With You Always to the very end of the age when you look in Acts from Peter. He says then you are are speaking to the Jewish leaders of the prophets and the Covenant God made with your father's he said to Abraham through your Offspring All Peoples of the earth will be blessed Ponte telephony again, all the nations. All the people here is Peter saying to that to the leaders the Jewish leaders who still want to say will have nothing to do with this Jesus who went and french fries with gentiles. Non-jews different races than us.
Peter's pleading with them this Jesus. Perform Miracles and healed those who were sick and was clearly from God and you crucified him. And you're missing it completely. He says this was the promise made to Abram. You've misunderstood the Old Testament. You've misunderstood the promise if you think somehow Israel was justified in saying where the elect where the special we're better than everyone else. God loves us more. His purpose is to save and redeem us to hell with everybody else. That's not only unbiblical. But it's the opposite of the actual gospel where God said to Abraham now. Look Abram. I'm going to turn you into a nation so that at all nations All Peoples Ponte taught ethics can be blessed through you the purpose of blessing Israel was so that God blessings could extend to Ponte. Do you see the logic of that and there are say the purpose of blessing Christians the purpose of blessing the church got the purpose and blessing us killing us reconciling us for giving us restoring us is sold at his glory could go throughout the whole earth tilted his goodness could be shared so that we can be a light in this world. That is so that we can be sought for those who are lost. We should be the epicenter in our culture of love and Reconciliation and the fact that some Christian voice is copper claiming in the name of God that racism is okay is insane and I'm difficult and heretical and we need to stand against it with absolute Clarity. Even if it doesn't fit our politics.
repent
the church is throwing away our Witness.
For the sake of a kingdom current government a nation that will not last. Human governments are not Eternal anybody want to name a human government. That's a turtle. What's a turtle the kingdom of God the gospel God's message his desire to reconcile. We're not citizens of this world scripture tells us in Peter of this world. And sometimes we hold our citizenship more tightly than we hold our Christianity. And we're willing.
Say things and do things that contradict the very heart of God and somehow say well, this is okay for Christians. This is what Christianity teaches. And go throughout the New Testament after Peter. He continues his when God raised up his servants. He sent them first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your Wicked Ways. That's Peter preaching to Israel their Wicked Ways of thinking clearly in terms of their ethnicity purely in terms of their Nation. And graciously God sent Jesus to Israel and Peter did Israel and the prophets to call them dirt challenge them to repent.
Paul says it this way in a fusions. Here's the mystery. And we know Paul Ellsworth says look, I'm a card-carrying Jew. I am a die-hard you I'ma Hebrew among Hebrews. I'm a Pharisee. I was raised in all of it. I get it where the best where the cream-of-the-crop God chose us and now Jesus came and changed it all and showed us that we misunderstood. And now what was kind of a mystery has now been revealed. Here's the mystery because of the good news. That's Jesus Christ Death Around. The resurrection God's promises are for non-jews as well. As for Jews today many translation uses the word Gentiles that's a reference to race and ethnicity and nationality.
Somehow Israel and many followers of God had believe that his promises were just to them and Jesus came and said did you hear the prophets don't you know, my father's heart here. It is for God so loved the world.
That he gave his only son. I must have to love someone to give your only child. Up for them. Whoever would believe this amazing good news this mystery revealed that God's love extends to all. to all without qualifier or condition Doesn't matter what spot on the face of the Earth you were born? It doesn't matter what nation you're from. It doesn't matter how tall you are doesn't matter how much you weigh doesn't matter how much money you have in the bank.
You realize the radicalness of the Gospel that Jesus came said here's the truth about God is not a tribal God is not a national God like all the other gods. He's not born in one region or one nation where that's the only group that gets saved Christianity is for the world Ponte at 9 for every ethnicity every person. God came and gave his life in the form of Christ on the cross. So we can know that truth and believe that truth with confidence because it's all throughout scripture. Here's the mystery because of the good news God's promises are for non-jews as well. As for Jews. Both groups are part of one body. They share in the promise it belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus. Think about the radical list of what Paul is saying when we accept the gospel when we belong to Jesus Christ than anyone who belongs to Christ is part of the body or part of right? So any brother or sister in Christ from any part of the globe, whether it's Iran or China or Africa if they belong to Christ, they're part of the body of Christ. They're part of the body that were part of our brother and sister in the deepest sense of the way. How could we dare to say well?
Clearly God we know that God doesn't like Yankees. I mean, how can any Yankees get into the Kingdom of Heaven? We're not going to let you know I'm not going to sit down at a table somebody from Connecticut. You know, we get these insane I did that somehow we think we can cause cultural lies at the adversary slipped into a culture and taught us. Maybe from the time we're being bounced on someone's knee these false ideas that we can categorize people based on where they're from will their color of their skin. Or any other category out of the Sun in scripture teaches. I'm only does it not teach that it teaches the exact opposite that what God is doing from Genesis to Revelation. What he is doing is he is reconciling people to himself through Jesus Christ all people to himself and so the Brotherhood of humanity inside of Christ is the irrefutable will of God.
But I would Embrace and accept anyone regardless of their skin color or their ethnicity or where they're from. Because of what God has done through Christ for me. That I would take his eyes on how I see the world that I would take his heart on how I treat others, even if it means letting go of some of the views of my president or some of the views of my nation or some of the views name a category the previous president any of the last 50 presidents. I'm not picking on one in particular I'm saying we cannot choose. culture or family teaching or government Over got those things won't last they will be The Fad for the day and they will disappear. What will last is that which is eternal? Teaching of God. The truth of God is challenge for us to follow his heart. And reaching out to others you can see it again and John's riding. Revelation 21:24 the nation's Pontotoc name will walk by slide speaking of that great city of God one day and the kings of the earth will bring their Splendor Intuit Kings plural Nations Pontotoc ethnic all the peoples. Guess what?
I was guilty of this is anybody. Evan will not look a thing like this Gathering we have here this morning.
You look around.
Knowledge mentally the awkward truth that we are not diverse. in our gathering
heaven will be diverse.
And God wants us. To be diverse now. And we can't slip into some sort of token political correctness. Will you run out and try to be the first in some sort of artificial way if if if I'm honest with you turn the sermon off her mom and sister stalking, okay. The reason we're probably not diverse is because we're probably not diverse in our own lives. that sound if I could convince the 20 people that I spend the most time with in any given week who don't come to Helendale to come to Helendale. It probably would not increase the diversity.
So the challenges in this early corporately because you just can't do it. And in those terms you can't put out a banner or sign or somehow say our church wants to be more diverse the challenges on the church as in you and I the body of Christ. How do we live Our Lives who are our friends who eats at our dinner table Paul says in Ephesians 5:16 to make the most of every opportunity and so as it is possible and natural to who we are we need to have eyes that see all peoples that embraced them as friends that that serve them and allow them to serve us that minister of them and allow them to minister to us and it's very easy and not with evil heart is very easy just with busy lives and just a thin layer of awkwardness to just cut a Groove in your life where you hang out with the same people and you're not part of some conspiracy. You're not doing it because you've got evil intentions in your heart you're doing it cuz I don't have just cut this groove. This is comfortable in this is The challenge is to open our eyes and ask yourself. Are we in a Groove do we only fellowship and hang out with people who dominantly or just like us basically the same income the same education level is Heritage and background. And if we do our their opportunities that we're just we just don't have eyes open to that. We just don't realize we're not seeing I said you can't force it. But part of the witness of the church in the world. Is to be a body that is not plagued with the same sins of the world with the same struggles of the world. Part of the witness of the church is to be a body that loves without boundaries that doesn't cluster by category. And it's really easy to suddenly be like the world around us. Like I said not with evil intentions in her heart just was kind of unexampled and intentions in our heart but part of the power of the church grew the church in the first century was suddenly Jews were eating with gentiles. That was a powerful witness now hear this it didn't start out of the powerful witness. It was part of what got Jesus crucified. And there will be some who will not like what I've said this morning and they will work against me for saying what I said and if you start being diverse in your life, they will be some who will confront you and say what are you doing? I saw you can
it'll be like Jesus. When that one of the criticisms that he constantly got what are you doing eating dinner and lunch with non-jews? What what do you again again? Again? That was the criticism that fell upon him, but that grew into part of the power and the testimony of the early church. It acts 2 when when when the first sermon is frites they said hey, we're hearing this and all the different languages are named in Acts chapter 2 all the variety right there in that one said they were Howard hearing this this he's preaching in his language, but it's it's hurting my ears in my language and there's probably eight or 10 different languages here. It was part of the miracle of Pentecost of the holy spirit's present present revealing the heart of God to reconcile all the ethnicities to him all the people groups everyone on the face of the Earth Ponte, F main his heart's desire and it's easy for America or Canada or France or England eating Asian to just get focused on its own people on its own Nation on its own after this is a well. We'll just focus there and it's easier just to kind of blinders and not see more widely if you're Christian and one of those nations in the challenges, They have eyes that are open more widely to what God is doing in the world. Relation 2126 the glory and honor of the nation's contact with name will be brought into this. Great City. revelation 22 1 and 2 then the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life as clear as Crystal flowing from the Throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great Street of the city on each side of the river stood the Tree of Life bearing 12 cross the fruit yielding its food every month and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of who Pontotoc Health name all the nations God's Vision God's dream is global. That the gospel would reach and call every person on the face of the Earth to follow him. And guess what? You don't have to be a certain nationality to follow God. Did you know that did you know that you don't have to be German to follow God may be in Germany there might be churches that somehow put up the German flag and love Germany so much. They create the illusion that to be a good Christian means to be a good German until firm everything the German government said it might even happened in France. There might be churches in France to put them the French flag up and everyone salutes the French flag every Sunday during worship, or maybe just once a year doing Special France Independence Day Celebrations. Everyone is told in church to stand and salute to the French flag.
That's not Christianity. That's not a gospel. You can be very upset with the French government for any number of reasons and still follow Jesus, right?
And there is a depending on the ebb and flow of politics in North America that there might be seasons in which you love everything or government's doing and love everything the president's doing and there might be season 2 what you don't is that a fair statement does your love Evan flow sometimes for our nation at least his policies in the things that get decided instead of the Sundays when you said that's awesome. And the other day is when you got to pull your hair out when you're watching the TV listen to the news. It Ebbs and flows. The thing that our hearts should really go to first and foremost above everything is the kingdom of God and his ways and his heart. Leaves on the tree are for the healing of Pontotoc name the Nations the reconciliation of all people to him and to each other is the Fulfillment of God's Eternal purpose as I'm reconciled to God part of that package is reconciliation to others every other brother and sister on the face the Earth because God loves them.
So when God says hey, Robbie, despite all your sins and their many Robbie. You accept forgiveness and come into my family. Yes Lord. That's awesome.
You'd forgive me. And that your mercies are new every morning.
What can I say? What can I do that? You would do that for me Lord? Well among other things Robbie. I want you to love the people that I love.
Who's that Lord? everyone
I'm leaving Dallas Cowboy fan sword.
Pick on you David. I'm sorry.
We have a million reasons to somehow categorize people and distinguish people, right? The funny games is one thing. but God says I got you in. And let me give you a look. These are your brothers and sisters that I've also invited in and they come from every tribe every tongue Every Nation. So now they're your brothers and sisters, right if I'm your father if this is the body of Christ. Then I welcome to all those who hear the good news and receive it reconciliation of people to him and do each other is the Fulfillment of God's Eternal purpose Ephesians 5:1 and I land on this the worship team can come forward for our closing song says follow God's example, therefore as dearly loved children. Now, here's a little tip of the hat to our previous series about context if you see therefore, what do you say to yourself? What's the therefore therefore? He's referring to something? He's just said so you can't just isolate that verse like a fortune cookie and say well I'll just pull that out and following God's example means whatever I want it to mean and so I'll just insert that blank with whatever answers I want. No, you have to look at the verses that came right before what Paul is saying and look at the verses that come right before this. He says get rid of all bitterness rage and anger brawling and slander along with every form of malice.
I don't like it. Sometimes when I read scripture says what it means cuz I'm like damn that's just like straight to the heart that there's no justification. If I've been forgiven in Christ. If I've been shown Grace and Reconciliation, then God expects me to be an example of that to others.
First continues it says be kind and compassionate to one another forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you and then the verse we mentioned follow God's example, therefore as dearly loved children. So God invites me into his gracious Kingdom shows me forgiveness reconciles me to him in an amazing thing.
We are. Looked don't let the adversary convince you of things that are untrue and make you think they're true. The things of this world are not Eternal. The things of God are Eternal. Sometimes we think in terms of 12 is his physical. This is more real. This is what I have to live at live with what you have to live with for. All eternity is your relationship with God is how you handled the Eternal things how you responded to the gospel itself. Those are the things that are eternal. The way I treat brothers and sisters who are lost to God the Father the way I treat brothers and sisters who heard the gospel and been found those things are Eternal my retirement account. Guess what? It's not my home is not a turn on. My politics are not eternal. My relationships are Eternal Liberty. Mathis said his father guess which we had a few months back said his father on his deathbed reminded him of something. You told him over and over during his lifetime Dean focus on the eternal. and the only thing that the turtle people
so my relationships not only with my immediate family how well I'm loving them and serving them but my neighbor. Both my neighbor who knows God who may be very different for me. Do I do I show them the love of God? What about my neighbor who doesn't know God. What about the neighbor? Who hates me? Because I do know God, what about the person who hates Christian Lee? What about the person who hates my beliefs and wants to call me names.
Do I step into the stream of this world fighting where I return Tit for Tat? Where I say? Oh, yeah, you think you've got power I'm going to gather my group and will show you power will teach you that you can Do we slip into that because if we do and I don't mean this offensively. You're the whole sentence we're fools. Because the truth is God offers us the power that will change the world. And we're fools when we set that down and pick up something that will not work. Do you understand why I would use that word that we're being foolish when we do that. God says trust me has God been changing the world for a number of centuries now might know something about how you can change the world. What He commands us to love instead of hate to turn the other cheek instead of insisting on retaliation to pray for those who persecute us for forget to forgive our very enemies to all regardless of what our own instincts might tell us our own upbringing might tell us or the culture or sometimes even our own church friends might tell us He's not only telling us to do it because he commands it. And that's enough but he's telling us to do it because he knows how the human heart Works. He knows how the universe works. And that's the way the world will be redeemed and saved is to sacrificial love. Is there an example in history of the world being redeemed and receive safe through sacrificial love? Could Jesus have said to those who were crucifying him? I'll show you power. I'll show you how to get things done scripture even tells us he could have called down a legion of angels. What was going on and yet?
God knew and Christ obeyed, even when he himself was struggling with it in the garden father. Is there anyway this cup can pass Christ obeyed and implemented sacrificial love look the church ought to be the epicenter of reconciliation and by church, I mean you and me.
We ought to be people to mothers, and say you know what? Let's go talk to Robbie and LeAnn. They can help us with our marriage there such kind and gracious people in and forgiving people they'll help us work through this from start to finish when there's conflict or problems. Like we've seen in our nation the past couple of weeks sadly. It's not the case with the church how to be the first place. That models reconciliation are so diverse that the culture saying do us how do you do it? You guys are all so different from one another. How do you get along so well and love each other and make sacrifices and and accomplish common goals? As we place God's heart above our own above. Everything and we follow his example, we make the most of every opportunity. We follow his example, we're not only being faithful and obedient to God for not allowing him to change every heart into his heart. We're helping redeem in save the world because that's his plan to do it through sacrificial love. To do it through those who trust him above all. To let go of the temptation to do it through force or to do it in anger and Trust the father. And I it might even mean sacrifice for the church in the coming decades.
We be we be foolish to let go of the Eternal for the temporary.
Get rid of a few years of hardship at the loss of Eternity. We might even be tempted to cancel our children to not follow Christianity so Faithfully. Not even fear for them so much that we don't want them to get you don't to get completely commit. You can't get them. I can't you just on the sidelines. And may we know in our hearts that we don't want them to hold on to the temporary and let go of the Eternal?
God using us to build a kingdom. Citizenship. That is eternal.
We know how good God the father is. We know that in our own hearts and in our own life and he wants us to plead to to sacrifice to love others into the kingdom. He wants us to help Ponte telephony all the peoples on the face of the Earth. Come to know what a good father. He is come to know his grace let go of the things that burden them let go of the anger that's in their heart Lego the temptation to balance its in their hearts. He wants us to reconcile all people to him and to one another And it starts with us continuing to remind yourself of that truth that he's our good father. During the song if you have a decision to make I'll be in the back come and pray with me. They'll be folks both in the front and the back available for prayer for anything that's on your heart. Let's remind yourself of God's goodness and worship him this morning, please stand.