A Kingdom Vision Notes Week 3
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Thoughts:
Thoughts:
The Topic: Racial Reconciliation in our Culture
The Problem: Idolatry
Power, Comfort, Control…etc.
The Play:
Blame Game (It’s them) AND False Dichotomy (not Either/or but Both/and)
Solution: It’s ME and THEM. But ME First.
Then let’s talk.
Ownership before ostracizing
Support:
Isaiah 6:5, Matt 7:1-9
The Path:
God’s Glory in Righteousness and Grace
Acknowledgment of SIN — Grace changes
Jesus Christ is the WAY FORWARD
How? only he absolutely humbles us yet empowers us.
The Practice: Repentance and Healing
Next Series
The Results:
Here I am. Send me
No qualifications, conditions or qualms.
Bold Humility. Humble Confidence
‘for the sake of another’
Which will talk about next week: For the City, Nations and Generations.
Notes
Notes
The Context of Racism
Racism is rooted in idolatry
Experiencing the grace of God leaves no room for racism: Send me. Here I am. No conditions.
The Gospel was always to the Nations
Abraham — blessing to all families
Various places in Isaiah — A Light to the Nations
Racism is not a cultural issue it’s a Kingdom Issue
Not only, are we all from one race — Adam / Noah
But in Christ now, we have all been made one race:
In Christ
All tribes, tongues, nations
Isaiah 40-55
Isaiah 40-55
This is a new section aimed at those in exile.
The New Bible Commentary 40:1–48:22 Night Far Spent in Babylon
Whatever our view of the relation of chs. 40–48 to their great prelude in 1–39 (see the Introduction), we emerge in 40:1 in a different world from Hezekiah’s, immersed in the situation foretold in 39:5–8, which he was so thankful to escape.
The ESV Study Bible Key Themes
7. The only hope of the world is bound up in one man—
the promised Davidic king (Isa 4:2; 7:14; 9:2–7; 11:1–10),
the servant of the Lord (Isa 42:1–9; 49:1–13; 50:4–9; 52:13–53:12),
the anointed preacher of the gospel (Isa 61:1–3), and the lone victor over all evil (63:1–6).
6 he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
On Isa 6:3
On Isa 6:3
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 6: his glory. This is a technical term for God’s manifest presence with his covenant people. It was seen in the cloud in the wilderness (Ex. 16:7, 10); it moved in to “fill” the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34–35) and then the temple (1 Kings 8:11), where the worshipers could “see” it (Ex. 29:43; Ps. 26:8; 63:2). Several passages look forward to the day when the Lord’s glory would fill the earth, i.e., the whole world will become a sanctuary (Num. 14:21; Ps. 72:19; Hab. 2:14; cf. Isa. 11:9); and the ESV footnote suggests that the seraphic cry shares this anticipation. Other texts in Isaiah also look forward to the revealing of the Lord’s glory to the world (11:10; 35:2; 40:5; 58:8; 59:19; 60:1–2; 66:18). John 1:14 asserts that this glory was present in Jesus.
Having a Kingdom Vision of Racial Reconciliation
Having a Kingdom Vision of Racial Reconciliation
What is the problem in our culture with Racism?
Racism is just a manifestation of a deeper sin problem: Idolatry.
Whether it be comfort, control, power, pride, etc.
Both / And NOT Either/ Or
Both / And NOT Either/ Or
The problem is we are all blaming the other person, or someone out there, or culture at large, or individuals
The problem ultimately isn’t out there … it is in here and out there
What if everyone, had the sudden awareness of his own sin that Isaiah had standing before the only true and righteous being in the whole universe?
What if everyone realized...
I am unclean, I am sinful, I am lost
And so are everyone else that is around me.
Why did Isaiah realize this?
because he saw the one true King.
The problem is both IN HERE and OUT THERE
But what does Jesus tell us to do?
Deal with your own stuff for sure, BEFORE you go correcting everyone else.
This is the path to Humility
The problem is:
It’s all IN HERE, or IT’s all OUT THERE
NO, It’s BOTH
It’s like marriage, the marital union of two sinners (two selfish people) doesn’t make for less sin (problems) it makes for more
The same is true in our society.
What we are seeing is large scale SIN
both in here and out there.
Jesus tells us to deal with BOTH, but he tells us where to START
So what if we appraoched this problem not as: EITHER / OR but BOTH / AND
This is where I think so much more strife and division is created uneccessarily.
As proverbs says “where words are not lacking niether is sin”
Proverbs 10:18–21 CSB
18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19 When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is prudent.
20 The tongue of the righteous is pure silver; the heart of the wicked is of little value.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense
Matthew 7:1–6 CSB1 “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. 6 Don’t give what is holy to dogs or toss your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, turn, and tear you to pieces.
What opens Isaiah’s eyes?
What opens Isaiah’s eyes?
— God’s Righteousness and God’s Mercy (grace)
It utterly transforms him to say “Here I am. Send me”
no qualifications, conditions, or qualms
This is a new heart. It’s what a Kingdom Vision is all About.
The Problem is ME and YOU
The solution: God’s Holiness and Grace — in short: Jesus Christ.
Then…we will see what this looks like:
Isaiah 42:1–9 CSB
1 “This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations.
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Matthew 12:18–21
But also, through his resurrection and subsequent return from heaven, demonstrating his conquest of death, he will bring victory and justice for all the peoples of the world (12:21), which will entail salvation for those who acknowledge his lordship and condemnation for those who do not.
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Matthew 12:18–21
Matthew has evidently latched onto Isa 42:1–4 because it serves so remarkably to illustrate the nature of Jesus’ ministry in Israel. Jesus is the unobtrusive servant of the Lord. God’s Spirit rests upon him. He does not wrangle or quarrel or continue useless strife. He seeks to avoid self-advertisement and to quiet the enthusiasm that his healings inevitably create. He has compassion upon all, especially upon the ‘bruised reed’ or ‘smouldering wick’. And he brings salvation to the Gentiles.” Beaton (2005) sees the twin themes of salvation and judgment highlighted were characteristic of Matthew’s use of Isaiah more generally.
2 He will not cry out or shout or make his voice heard in the streets.
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Matthew 12:18–21
will come in humility, neither fighting to get his way nor resisting his opposition, but gently and quietly carrying out his mission
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Chosen Servant Will Establish Justice on Earth (42:1–4)
The general idea is that in the midst of the difficulty in establishing justice he will not give up or “cry out” (ṣāʿaq) in frustration and exasperation just because the responsibility is difficult. Instead, he will be guided by patient endurance, humility, and steadfastness in the face of opposition.
3 He will not break a bruised reed, and he will not put out a smoldering wick; he will faithfully bring justice.
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Chosen Servant Will Establish Justice on Earth (42:1–4)
these two objects are symbolic of anybody who is broken, abused, worthless, and about to be discarded (cf. 43:17; 61:3). A bruised or crushed reed may not be of much value to some people, but the servant will not destroy the lowly and weak people that others might reject as useless. This attitude of not destroying oppressed and suffering people reveals the compassionate and true servant perspective of this individual
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Chosen Servant Will Establish Justice on Earth (42:1–4)
This verse demonstrates that God’s tender care for the weak and oppressed (1:17; 40:11) will be exemplified in the servant’s behavior.
4 He will not grow weak or be discouraged until he has established justice on earth. The coasts and islands will wait for his instruction.”
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Chosen Servant Will Establish Justice on Earth (42:1–4)
The use of these verbs implies that the servant will suffer in ways that are somewhat similar to the suffering of those he was trying to help in v. 3; thus, in some ways he will identify with them and partake in their struggles.
5 This is what God, the Lord, says— who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it—
6 “I am the Lord. I have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will hold you by your hand. I will watch over you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, 7 in order to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those sitting in darkness from the prison house.
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Servant Will Be a Covenant and Light (42:5–9)
In this text the concept of the servant is connected to that same light and associated with the salvific light that comes from the Divine Light. This light brings blessing, divine guidance, and salvation.
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Servant Will Be a Covenant and Light (42:5–9)
but in this setting the phrase seems to be reminiscent of the promise that “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3).
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Servant Will Be a Covenant and Light (42:5–9)
Therefore, the best approach is to interpret these phrases as metaphors of God’s deliverance of people from the prison of spiritual darkness (blindness) and ignorance (9:2; 42:19–20; 43:8; 44:18–19) through the work of the servant.
12 Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
23 that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
3 I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.
6 he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says to one who is despised, to one abhorred by people, to a servant of rulers: “Kings will see, princes will stand up, and they will all bow down because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel—and he has chosen you.” 8 This is what the Lord says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances, 9 saying to the prisoners, “Come out,” and to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.” They will feed along the pathways, and their pastures will be on all the barren heights.
8 I am the Lord. That is my name, and I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.
9 The past events have indeed happened. Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur.”
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Servant Will Be a Covenant and Light (42:5–9)
He can open the eyes of the blind to experience the reality of his power by transforming the hearts and minds of all people through the revelation and accomplishment of his words and through the work of his servant.
The New American Commentary: Isaiah 40–66 God’s Servant Will Be a Covenant and Light (42:5–9)
The ultimate purpose is for these enlightened people to glorify God, for now they know for certain that he alone has the power to accomplish what he has foretold
Under our Skin Quotes
Under our Skin Quotes
Both/And Section
Both/And Section
This problem of black and white in our world is not a black-and-white issue.
It’s complex. It’s not about winning an argument. It’s usually not about either/or—“this person should have done this” or “that person should have done that.”
It’s about both/and.
Michael Brown — Ferguson
Michael Brown — Ferguson
Around noon on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, a white police officer, Darren Wilson, shot an eighteen-year-old black man, Michael Brown. We know that Brown was unarmed. We also know that, minutes earlier, he had stolen cigarillos from a nearby convenience store. We know that Wilson spotted Brown walking with a friend in the middle of the street. Wilson drove his cruiser in front of the two, and there was an altercation through the window of the car.
Two shots were fired. One apparently hit Brown in the hand. Brown and his friend took off running. The friend hid behind a car. Wilson got out of his car and pursued Brown. From that point on, reports of the incident conflict with each other. Some say that Brown stopped, turned around, raised his arms, and was shot by Wilson anyway. Others say that Brown never raised his hands, suggesting that Brown’s turning to face Wilson was a threatening move. Wilson fired his gun twelve times. At least six bullets hit Brown, and the last bullet was likely the one that killed him.
In the legal proceedings later, there were anomalies regarding evidence, including the chain of custody of Wilson’s gun and the state of Michael Brown’s body, which lay at the scene for four hours. The shooting sparked unrest, protests, and violence in Ferguson.
On November 24, 2014, the St. Louis County grand jury decided not to indict Darren Wilson, citing lack of evidence and suggesting that eyewitnesses supporting Wilson were more credible than those supporting Brown. The grand jury announcement sparked more unrest in Ferguson, more violence, more protests. And it started anew the national conversation about race and racism.
As I write this account of these events, I struggle to tell it based on facts and not opinions. I realize that, at every turn in this sequence of events, there’s a pro–Michael Brown version of what went down and a pro–Darren Wilson version.
I don’t assume that all blacks see it one way and all whites see it the other way, but we know that it splits substantially along those lines. We’re all biased, aren’t we?
So much is based on long-developed and deep-seated racial attitudes—some of which we didn’t even realize we had. I understand that somebody reading this is likely to argue with whatever I suggest about the events of this tragedy. Truth is, I really don’t know what happened, other than what’s been reported. I wasn’t there. And even if I had been there, my own version of the events would have been based on what little part of the scene I actually could see, and it might have been twisted by my own biases and by the fact that I didn’t have all the information and didn’t see everything.
But I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe in both/and.
But I’ll tell you what I believe. I believe in both/and.
I believe that it should be possible for blacks and whites to live together peaceably in the same small town. And I believe that any town that is two-thirds black and has a police force that is 94 percent white is more likely to have a race problem that erupts in violence.
I believe that it must be very difficult for white cops to maintain order in a predominantly black town without legitimate police work being perceived as racially motivated. And I believe it’s likely that sometimes police work is racially motivated and biased. Both can be true.
I believe that white people look at law enforcement and assume it is good, based on their experiences and interactions with the police. And I believe that black people look at law enforcement and assume—based on patterns and history and experience—that someone is out to get them. I believe both are true.
I believe that Michael Brown committed a theft and ran away from Darren Wilson. And I believe that if a white man had committed the same theft and acted in the same way, he’d probably still be alive today.
I believe we are still segregated. And I believe that if we were less segregated, some people would be less likely to run and others less likely to shoot.
I don’t say these things in order to straddle the line or avoid the controversy. I truly believe that often there is a both/and view of events that reflects the complexity of the issue.
That’s why the problem of black and white in our world is not a black-and-white issue. Both/and captures the anger and agony of Ferguson.
But this story is not just about Ferguson. It’s about America. It’s about you and me. You see, there’s one more thing I believe. Though I may not know everything that went down on the streets of Ferguson that day, I know one thing for certain: No one here is innocent.
The town is guilty—and the cops are guilty. Darren Wilson is guilty—and Michael Brown is guilty. And you and I are both guilty.
We all have malice deep down. We all harbor wrong attitudes toward others. At its core, the issue is not about race. It’s about the human heart.
We can talk forever about desegregation; about what cops are justified in doing or not; about what a young black man should have done or not done; about what a town should do or not do on the front lines of a tragedy. But for all the talking heads, all the online chatter and media churning, this will happen again. It already has.
Nothing will change . . . unless . . . Unless God changes our hearts and minds. God, hear our prayer . . . (14)
Page 59
Page 59
But nothing riles me more about the media circus than all the talking heads propped up on what are said to be TV news shows—self-important commentators intentionally paired off in heated, loud, fierce debate. I don’t care whose side you’re on—those canned shouting matches do not shed light on anything. They are not news. And they only deepen people’s entrenchment in the positions they already have. These contrived TV debates are far more about winning an argument than about getting at the truth. (59)
Here’s what’s really bad about those shows: They reduce every issue or event to a debate. And this approach spills out of the TV studios and into our lives. We become all about “taking a side” and arguing it fiercely. We then look for facts to fit our assumptions. And we learn to distrust everything that doesn’t fit our version of reality. And all of this simply divides us. Truth is often more complex than we want it to be. And it’s easier to paint ourselves as white or black, either/or, rather than both/and. Could it be that Michael Brown both did something wrong and did not deserve to be shot six times? Could it be that Darren Wilson both was just doing his job and responded inappropriately to a perceived threat? (59)
Page 100
Page 100
This is currently the national debate, with pundits from the left and the right arguing about what is true. Conservatives point to one set of statistics, proving there is no racism; liberals use a different set of numbers to say that racism is obviously rampant. And once again we have talking heads in a shouting match, each trying to win by force of volume, each wanting to convince us that what they believe is true. (100)