Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Racism at its heart is idolatry.

A. Skin color does not determine value.

Illus: We are constantly looking around us for ways that we can determine value, specially in measuring ourselves as greater than others.

Sometimes we looks at others and use morality as a way of determining that we are “better”

Other times we use social status as a way of determining our “superiority”

Throughout the history of the world man has used race as a way of determining our value over others.

We we talk about race we quickly want to single out the sin to people in the KKK, or who people who use racially derogatory terms, but racism goes far deeper than the visible fruit we see on the surface.

Racism is seen when we are quick to look at another person with suspicion where you might give your grace to someone who looks more like you.

Racism is when you unknowingly listen more closely to the opinion of one color of skin over another.

Racism is looking at a young black or Arab man and rushing to fear in a way you would never do with a white kid.

Racism is looking at a segment of people and judging them by the worst that you see and hear.

Racism is using humor to mock others or listening and laughing when racist jokes are told.

Racism is openly mocking the way a person looks online when you have a differing political opinion.

Racism at it’s heart is a direct affront to God… because every person on this earth is created in His image and made in His likeness.

When you insult, and allow the sin of racism to hold sway in your heart, you are critisizing the creator and allowing you own skin color to devalue the intrinsic value our creator has given every man.

Illus: More than that, Jesus died for every person of every nation and every race.

Racism is anti gospel and anti christian.

B. We use skin color to worship the idol of our own self worship.

Illus: This is a moment where we need to differentiate between the fruit and the roots.

The fruit is racism, the roots are the idolatry of self.

Our idolatry in racism worships ourselves over worshiping God.

It takes the goodness that God has created us differently all over the world to display God’s creativity in creation and perverts it to say that some of God’s creation in good and some it not.

It screams I deserve more value because you have made an idol in your own image.

When we view people as God views them, created in His image and valued by him, we love and value them as God does.

II.

Your ego works against God.

A. God uses the humble and empowers the weak.

Illus: Aaron and Miriam wanted to be important, they used race to get to that end.

They abandoned the very thing that gave them value, the God who created them.

Moses on the other hand understood who he was in his own skin.

Nothing.

He understood that his value, importance, and usefulness was found in God.

Moses’ inability to speak when God appeared to him forever defined who He was.

He understood his complete and utter dependence on God.

Over and over scripture teaches that God seeks humble men and empowers them, yet we feel our works, race, self righteousness give us value.

This is not a single incident… look at how God picked His king for Israel...

(when samuel was looking for a king, he looked for the wrong things)

B. God looks deeper than the color of your skin, he looks into the depths of your heart.

Illus: When God looks at us, he not only sees our outward actions, he also sees our motives and our thoughts.

Our God knows every lustful thought where we devalue women who are created in his image.

Our God knows every racist thought where we devalue our fellow man who is created in his image.

Our God knows every hateful though where we commit murder with our minds.

Our God knows every gossipy thought where we use our self righteousness to tear down our brother.

Our God is calling a people who will be faithful in all of His house, not only in their actions, but also with their minds.

Look to peter who struggled in understanding that it was not his Jewish skin that made him special, but his redeemed heart that mattered.

(peter still struggled even after salvation)

III.

What truly makes you unclean?

A. Aaron and Miriam believed one’s skin made them unclean.

It is your heart, not your skin that makes you unclean.

Illus: Today needs to be a day of repentance.

Perhaps today God is convicting you of jokes you have told, or joke you have laughed at.

Perhaps God is convicting you of posts you have shared.

Perhaps God is convicting you of the very thoughts that have gone through your mind.

Today is a day to repent.

Faith is more than just claiming forgiveness, it is also trusting that God’s way is better than your way.

Faith today is believing that God created every man, woman and child in His image, that he died on the cross for every man, that he loves every man… and that you will allow him to transform your heart to love others as he has loved you.