E Pluribus Unum

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: ON FEBRUARY 26, 2015 A PICTURE OF A BLACK AND BLUE DRESS WAS POSTED TO THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE TUMBLR. HOWEVER, THOUSANDS OF VIEWERS DID NOT SEE THE DRESS AS BLACK AND BLUE BUT AS GOLD AND WHITE. IN THE FIRST WEEK MORE THAN 10 MILLION TWEETS ADDRESSED THE STARKLY DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE SAME IMAGE. A GREAT DIVIDE HAD BEEN CREATED. IT’S AMAZING HOW WE CAN ALL LOOK AT THE SAME THING AND YET DRAW DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT CONCLUSIONS.

APPLICATION: AT NO POINT IS THIS MORE TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNMENT. IT’S AMAZING HOW MUCH THIS IS TRUE WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR GOVERNMENT. SOME LOOK AT GOVERNMENT AND SAY IT NEEDS TO BE BIG. WHILE OTHERS LOOK AT THIS SAME GOVERNMENT AND SAY, NO IT NEEDS TO BE SMALL. MANY LOOK AT THE VOTING PROCESS AND FOR THEM IT ALL COMES DOWN TO PROTECTING LIFE IN THE WOMB. OTHERS SAY IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PROTECT AND PROSPER THE MARGINALIZED OUTSIDE OF THE WOMB. MANY SAY NO, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ECONOMY SILLY.

GRANDFATHER AND UNCLE HOWARD ILLUSTRATION. WORK IN THERE HOW UNCLE HOWARD WANTED ME TO TAKE OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS…NO, I’M DEAD SERIOUS.

APPLICATION: SINCE THOSE EPIC DEBATES AT MY GRANDFATHERS TABLE THE POLITICAL DIVISION AND POLARIZATION HAS ONLY INCREASED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS: According to a recent Pew Study, “The average gap between the views of Republicans and Democrats on fundamental issues increased from 15 to 36 percentage points between 1994 and 1997”- Pew Study, 2017. Ed Stetzer concludes, “Sadly Christians of varying religious traditions, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds have often followed their non-Christian friends deep into these political divisions. Thus, even as the country slowly entrenches itself along political, cultural, and economic lines, profession Christians are often on the front lines of these divisions,” Ed Stetzer, Christians in an Age of Outrage, page 14. ACCORDING TO STETZER, CHRISTIANS ARE NOT JUST GETTING SWEPT UP IN THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL DIVIDE, WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT DIVIDE. I BELIEVE GOD AND THE WRITER OF OUR TEXT ARE WEEPING OVER THIS.

AN URGENT PLEA: PAUL OPENS UP OUR TEXT BY SAYING THAT HE URGES US TO WALK IN UNITY. THE GREEK WORD FOR URGE IS PARAKALEO WHICH MEANS TO CALL TO THE SIDE. IT’S PAUL DOING THIS (DO THE COME HERE GESTURE). HE’S DOING TO US WHAT PARENTS DO TO DISTRACTED CHILDREN WHEN THEY REALLY WANT TO GET THEIR ATTENTION. IT’S AS IF PAUL IS SAYING I KNOW YOU’RE ABOUT TO GO TO THE VOTING BOOTH AND YOU MAYBE DISTRACTED BY THE POLITICAL PROCESS. COME HERE. I KNOW YOU’RE REALLY FOCUSED ON ALL THE RACIAL TRAUMA THAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY. COME HERE. I KNOW THAT RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA POST BY ANOTHER CHRISTIAN REALLY UPSET YOU. COME HERE. PAUL IS MAKING AN URGENT PLEA FOR UNITY.

IN OUR TEXT PAUL IS GOING TO TELL US THREE THINGS ABOUT UNITY:

UNITY IS NOT UNIFORMITY

UNITY WITH CHRISTIANS DEMANDS UNITY WITH CHRIST

(AND HOW TO) UNLEASH UNITY

UNITY IS NOT UNIFORMITY- EPHESIANS 4:1-2

EXPLANATION: THE FIRST THING PAUL POINTS OUT TO US IS THAT UNITY IS NOT UNIFORMITY. IN OTHER WORDS, UNITY IS NOT GETTING EVERYONE TO ACT THE SAME ON EVERYTHING. THAT’S UNIFORMITY, NOT UNITY. WE KNOW THIS IN TWO WAYS. FIRST, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE WORDS PAUL USES IN HOW WE ARE TO RELATE TO ONE ANOTHER: HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, PATIENCE AND BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER. THESE WORDS MORE THAN SUGGESTS NOT JUST SIN, BUT ALSO A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHERE THERE IS A DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT PAUL IS NOT DEMANDING UNIFORMITY BUT UNITY BASED ON THE AUDIENCE HE IS WRITING. PAUL WALKS INTO EPHESUS IN ACTS 19 AND HE DOES HIS USUAL. GOES TO SYNAGOGUE. THEN GOES TO WHERE THE GENTILES ARE. CONVERTS FROM EACH. DOESN’T START TWO CHURCHES BUT ONE CHURCH, AND CALLS THEM TO WORK OUT HORIZONTALLY WHAT GOD THROUGH CHRIST BY FAITH HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED FOR THEM VERTICALLY, WHICH IS RECONCILIATION. EPHESIANS WAS A MULTIETHNIC CHURCH MADE UP OF JEW AND GENTILE. NOW HE WRITES THEM. EPHESIANS CAN BE DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS. THE FIRST THREE CHAPTER HAVE TO DO WITH ALL THAT GOD HAS ACCOMPLISHED FOR US BY GRACE THROUGH CHRIST. ADOPTED. THE WALL OF HOSTILITY TORN DOWN. SO NOW WE CAN WORSHIP BECAUSE OF CHRIST. THEN IN CHAPTER 4-6 HE TALKS ABOUT HOW THIS GRACE IS TO FUEL US. AND IN CHAPTER 4 IT’S TO FUEL UNITY. HOW WE ARE TO ACT AFTER THE WORSHIP SERVICE. paul is clear, even though we are different ethnically and how we view the world, we are on the same team, jesus christ.

ILLUSTRATION: 42 THE MOVIE. JACKIE ROBINSON FIRST BLACK. PEE WEE REESE FROM THE SOUTH. PLAYING IN CINCINATTI. BOOING AND ALL KINDS OF RACIAL INSULTS. RIGHT BEFORE THE GAME STANDING OUT ON THE INFIELD HE DRAPES HIS HAND OVER JACKIE’S SHOULDER FOR THE WHOLE STANDS TO SEE- BLACK AND WHITE IN THE 40S NO LESS. AND HE’S COMMUNICATING EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE FROM THE WEST AND I’M FROM THE SOUTH, EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE BLACK AND I’M WHITE. WE ARE THE SAME TEAM. WE WON’T GIVE INTO THE CULTURE. PEE WEE REFUSED TO LET LESSER THINGS BECOME GREATER THINGS.

APPLICATION: M.E. CHURCH IS A MESS, A BEAUTIFUL MESS. ETHNIC DIVERSITY BREEDS THEOLOGICAL DIVERSITY- TONGUES…CESSATIONIST, OPEN/CAUTIOUS, PENTECOSTAL, HAVE NO IDEA. SAME TEAM. BREEDS POLITICAL DIVERSITY. SOME OF YOU LOVE TRUMP. OTHERS OF YOU ARE NEVER TRUMPERS. OTHERS OF YOU WILL HOLD YOUR NOSE GOING TO THE VOTING BOOTH VOTING FOR PARTY OVER CANDIDATE. SAME TEAM. LET’S REFUSE TO BE SWEPT UP BY THE CULTURE. SAME TEAM. TEAM JESUS. MAY WHAT UNITES US- JESUS- OVERRIDE THE FORCES TRYING TO DIVIDE US!

UNITY WITH CHRISTIANS DEMANDS UNION WITH CHRIST- EPHESIANS 4:4-6

EXPLANATION: STEEP IN TEA. YEH, BUT HOW DOES BEING ON TEAM JESUS PRACTICALLY FLESH ITSELF OUT WHEN IT COMES TO UNITY. LOOK AT VERSES 4-6. TO THIS ME DIVERSE CHURCH HE REMINDS THEM OF THE UNION THEY HAVE WITH CHRIST. LOOK AT ALL THE ONE’S:

ONE BODY

ONE SPIRIT

ONE HOPE

ONE LORD

ONE FAITH

ONE BAPTISM

POINT: HE IS SAYING THAT UNITY WITH CHRISTIANS DEMANDS UNION WITH CHRIST. IF WE AND GOD ARE OFF, WE WILL BE OFF WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS. DISUNITY WITH CHRIST MANIFESTS ITSELF WITH DISUNITY WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS.

GALATIANS 5:16-26…WORKS OF THE FLESH. WHEN I’M IN CONTROL AND NOT IN UNION WITH CHRIST, OVER HALF THE LIST (8) IS RELATIONAL DYSFUNCTION. PAUL WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT SIN IS NEVER JUST PERSONAL, IT IS PROFOUNDLY SOCIAL. ADAM AND EVE HID FROM GOD AND EACH OTHER.

ILLUSTRATION: KORIE AND I IN THE MORNING CRABBY WITH EACH OTHER. HAVE YOU HAD YOUR TIME WITH GOD. YOUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE OFTEN TIMES, NOT EVERY TIME, A MANIFESTATION OF YOUR WALK WITH CHRIST.

FOR PAUL, UNION WITH CHRIST WAS EVERYTHING. IN FACT, IF YOU READ HIS LETTERS HE USES THE PHRASE “IN CHRIST” OVER 160 TIMES. HE IS CONSTANTLY REMINDING US OF OUR UNION WITH CHRIST, THAT WE ARE IN CHRIST! WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE UNION WITH CHRIST BRINGS ABOUT UNITY WITH CHRISTIANS. GET UNION WITH CHRIST WRONG, YOU WILL INEVITABLY MISS OUT ON UNITY WITH CHRISTIANS. TWO ILLUSTRATIONS TO CEMENT THIS.

ILLUSTRATION 1- ALPHABET SONG. KIDS WE KNOW THIS SONG RIGHT. HERE’S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO RIGHT NOW. SING THE SONG WHILE LEAVING OUT THE LETTER A. I’LL GIVE YOU TIME. CAN’T DO IT, RIGHT. OR ITS REALLY AWKWARD, RIGHT. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE TRY TO DO LIVE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS WITHOUT JESUS FIRST. DOESN’T QUITE WORK.

ILLUSTRATION 2- RICHARD PRYOR WAS MARRIED SEVEN TIMES. DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH WOMEN. NO UNITY. ALL GOES BACK TO A DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS FATHER. PRYOR TEACHES US THAT WHEN WE AND OUR FATHER AREN’T RIGHT WE WON’T BE RIGHT WITH OTHERS. HITS A LITTLE CLOSE TO HOME FOR SOME OF US I KNOW. BUT YOU HAVE A HEAVENLY FATHER WHO LOVES YOU AS YOU ARE AND NOT AS YOU SHOULD BE.

APPLICATION: OKAY, BUT WHAT DOES UNION WITH CHRIST LOOK LIKE? STEEP IN TEA PHILIPPIANS 2:12-13. SOME IT’S A ROW BOAT WHERE THEY ARE DOING ALL THE WORK, READING AND PRAYING. THAT’S NOT QUITE IT.ALL THEIR EFFORT, AND NO DIVINE PARTICIPATION. OTHERS THEY’VE PUT THE OAR DOWN AND AREN’T DOING ANYTHING, THEY’RE DRIFTING. NOT IT. UNION WITH CHRIST IS MORE LIKE A SAIL BOAT WHERE WE DO CERTAIN THINGS LIKE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE, BUT WE ARE DEPENDENT ON A FORCE OUTSIDE OF US, THE WIND OF THE SPIRIT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO UNION WITH CHRIST THROUGH THE MEANS OF GRACE AND THE WIND OF THE SPIRIT THEN WE HAVE UNION AND UNITY. BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? LET’S GO HOME WITH A TON OF VITAMIN A.

UNLEASHING UNITY- EPHESIANS 4:2

EXPLANATION: PAUL SHOWS US HOW TO UNLEASH UNITY, NOT UNIFORMITY, AT THE SUMMIT CHURCH. HE SAYS, YES UNION WITH CHRIST IS NECESSARY, AND WHERE THAT TRULY HAPPENS YOU WILL SEE THESE FOUR THINGS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY.

HUMILITY: THE WORD MEANS TO BE LOW MINDED. IT MEANS THE ESTEEMING OF OURSELVES AS SMALL. IT IS TO HAVE THE CORRECT ESTIMATE OF OURSELVES. NO IT’S NOT THE LACK OF SELF ESTEEM WHICH LEADS TO A LACK OF COURAGE AND FAITH. BUT IT IS HOW WE SEE OURSELVES IN LIGHT OF A HOLY GOD. CS LEWIS IN MERE CHRISTIANITY SAYS THAT THE FOUNTAINHEAD OF ALL VICE IS PRIDE. I WOULD THEN SAY THAT THE FOUNTAINHEAD TO ALL VIRTUE IS HUMILITY. BUT THIS IS SO HARD, BECAUSE WE ARE NATURALLY PRIDEFUL ARROGANT PEOPLE.

MESSI/RENALDO ILLUSTRATION. THEY WERE BEING INTERVIEWED AND RENALDO SAID THAT GOD SENT HIM HERE TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. WHEN MESSI HEARD THIS HE RESPONDED BY SAYING, I DO NOT RECALL SENDING YOU HERE. PRIDE.

SEEN IN JESUS. PHILIPPIANS 2. LET’S NOT FORGET THE PASSAGE IS ABOUT UNITY, AND HE USES THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST AS AN EXAMPLE TO SAY THAT HUMILITY EQUALS HARMONY.

CS LEWIS ON HUMILITY:

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.

Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.

If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. FROM MERE CHRISTIANITY.

APPLICATION. SO HOW DOES THIS WORK ITSELF OUT IN POLITICS? SO IMPORTANT AS WE PREPARE FOR THE ELECTION.

PLATT QUESTIONS:

Questions About Opposing Parties

In order to be objective that you might steward your rights well, I would encourage you to ask the following questions about the opposing party’s stances:

Are there any concepts of biblical justice that might motivate the political party I oppose? [even if their way of handling the issues are different]Does that political party show any concern for vulnerable individuals and groups?Does that political party demonstrate any desire for fair creation or implementation of laws?Do any that political party’s candidates show evidence of decency, morality, or order?How is that political party trying to promote good and prevent evil?

Questions About Your Own Party

In order to be objective that you might steward your rights well, I would encourage you to ask the following questions about your party’s stances:

Are there any concepts of injustice that might be motivating my political party?Does the political party I support show any lack of concern for any vulnerable individuals and groups?Does the political party I support demonstrate any lack of focus on fair creation or implementation of laws?Do any political candidates in the party I support show a lack of decency, morality, or order?How is my political party failing to promote good and prevent evil?

GENTLENESS: THE WORD MEANS POWER UNDER CONTROL. IT’S RELATED TO HUMILITY IN THAT HUMILITY IS THE INWARD ESSENCE, WHILE GENTLENESS IS THE OUTWARD EXPRESSION. IN OTHER WORDS, GENTLENESS IS WHAT HUMILITY LOOKS LIKE IN PUBLIC. ABRASIVENESS IS WHAT PRIDE LOOKS LIKE IN PUBLIC. GENTLENESS IS A RELATIONAL TERM BEST SEEN IN HOW YOU TREAT OTHERS YOU DISAGREE WITH. GENTLENESS HONORS THE HUMANITY OF THE PERSON ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE. OKAY, SO WE DISAGREE ON WHO WE WILL VOTE FOR. WE DISAGREE ON WHAT WE THINK THE ISSUES ARE. OKAY. GENTLENESS FUNDAMENTALLY SAYS, YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ISSUE.

PATIENCE. A COMPOUND WORD MEANING LONG TOWARDS ANGER. IT MEANS THIS PERSON IS GETTING ON MY NERVES. PATIENCE IN A PEOPLE CONTEXT PRESUPPOSES CONFLICT. THEY’RE DOING SOMETHING I JUST DON’T LIKE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO CONFLICT THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE, SHARKS AND TURTLES. SHARKS SEE THE CONFLICT AND GO FOR BLOOD. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS, LET’S DEAL WITH THIS RIGHT NOW. TURTLES SEE THE CONFLICT AND WITHDRAW AND HIDE. I SEE THIS A LOT WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS OF RACE. SOMETHING RACIALLY TRAUMATIC HAPPENS AND ONE SIDE JUST GOES IN. AND THERE’S A PLACE FOR RIGHTEOUS ANGER, AND WE SHOULD HAVE IT. THE PROBLEM BECOMES WHEN WE GET SO LOCKED IN ON THE ISSUE THAT WE END UP BITING AND DEVOURING PEOPLE. ON THE OTHER SIDE ARE TURTLES. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHEN THESE EVENTS HAPPEN AND THEY SEE THE SHARKS OUT THEY JUST QUIETLY LOOK FOR THE EXITS AND SAY I’M OUT. I DON’T THINK EITHER RESPONSE IS WHAT PAUL HAS IN MIND. HE WANTS US TO BE PATIENT WITH ONE ANOTHER. DON’T DEVOUR EACH OTHER AND DON’T BE SO QUICK TO TAKE YOUR BALL AND GO HOME. BE PATIENT.

BEARING WITH. THIS PHRASE MEANS TO ENDURE SOMETHING UNPLEASANT OR DIFFICULT. THIS STRIKES AT THE HEART OF OUR CONSUMERISTIC CULTURE. MANY OF US CHOOSE RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE WE SAY THIS PERSON IS SO EASY. THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, RIGHT, AND WE SEE THINGS IN THEM WE DON’T LIKE, AND WE CUT THAT PERSON OFF, HEADING FOR THE EXITS, WHILE MAKING THEM THINK EVERYTHING IS GOOD. SOCIOLOGIST KORIE EDWARDS SAYS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE HOMOGENOUS CHURCH IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERYONE PRETTY MUCH SEES IT THE SAME, YOUR BIASES AND PREFERENCES ARE NEVER CHALLENGED, AND YOUR GROWTH IS STUNTED. INSTEAD, WHAT YOU NEED IS TO HAVE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE WHO SEE IT REALLY DIFFERENTLY, TO BEAR WITH THEM, AND IN THE PROCESS WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN YOUR OWN LIFE IS GROWTH.

GOSPEL CONCLUSION: BUT NOTICE HE DOESN’T JUST SAY BEARING WITH, BUT IN LOVE. AGAPE. AGAPE LOVE IS A SUPERNATURAL, SACRIFICIAL LOVE THAT SAYS I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU. IT’S THE KIND OF LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR US. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD SO LOVED YOU AND I THAT HE SENT HIS ONLY SON. ROMANS 5:8 SAYS THAT GOD DEMONSTRATED HIS LOVE TOWARDS US IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR US. SEE THE SACRIFICE. WHAT’S MORE, IS WE SEE IN JESUS ALL OF THESE ATTRIBUTES. HE WAS HUMBLE, SO HUMBLE THAT HE LAID DOWN HIS RIGHTS AND GOT ON A CROSS FOR US. HE IS GENTLE WITH US, THAT’S WHY HE IS DESCRIBED AS THE LAMB. HE DOESN’T TREAT US AS WE DESERVE BUT GENTLY GIVES US GRACE AND MERCY. AND OH HOW HE’S PATIENT WITH US. CAN I GET A WITNESS. AND WITH ALL OF OUR SINS HE IS CONSTANTLY BEARING WITH US.