Untitled Sermon (2)

Session 4: The Dividing Wall of Hostility

SESSION GOALS

Every session has a point—what each participant should walk away from the discussion knowing, feeling, and doing.

Main Idea: The underlying cause of the hostility in our society is sin, so the gospel must be the solution to confronting racial hostility in the church.

Head Change: To know that all Christians belong to the household of God regardless of their ethnicity.

Heart Change: To feel compassion for past and present racial grievances against minorities in this country, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Life Change: To practice oneness with other ethnicities through our daily habits and by showing hospitality to those who are different from us.

OPEN

When have you forgotten where you’ve placed something—maybe dirty laundry, food, or, if you have kids, a dirty diaper—only to find it later because of the smell? What was your reaction when you found it?

Nobody intends to forget their laundry or diaper on purpose, but the horrible stench waiting on you when you find smelly socks from weeks ago can make you regret ever losing them in the first place.

Often the conversation about race and the gospel gets neglected like dirty laundry in many churches and the issues end up getting worse the more they go unaddressed. When Christians talk about race and reconciliation, they sometimes have a picture of holding hands in harmony with people who look different from them. However, this picture overlooks the difficult conversations about reconciliation that are needed to go beyond the surface and reckon with theSession 4: The Dividing Wall of Hostility

SESSION GOALS

Every session has a point—what each participant should walk away from the discussion knowing, feeling, and doing.

Main Idea: The underlying cause of the hostility in our society is sin, so the gospel must be the solution to confronting racial hostility in the church.

Head Change: To know that all Christians belong to the household of God regardless of their ethnicity.

Heart Change: To feel compassion for past and present racial grievances against minorities in this country, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Life Change: To practice oneness with other ethnicities through our daily habits and by showing hospitality to those who are different from us.

OPEN

When have you forgotten where you’ve placed something—maybe dirty laundry, food, or, if you have kids, a dirty diaper—only to find it later because of the smell? What was your reaction when you found it?

Nobody intends to forget their laundry or diaper on purpose, but the horrible stench waiting on you when you find smelly socks from weeks ago can make you regret ever losing them in the first place.

Often the conversation about race and the gospel gets neglected like dirty laundry in many churches and the issues end up getting worse the more they go unaddressed. When Christians talk about race and reconciliation, they sometimes have a picture of holding hands in harmony with people who look different from them. However, this picture overlooks the difficult conversations about reconciliation that are needed to go beyond the surface and reckon with the hostility that racism has caused. Like forgotten dirty laundry, the picture of racial harmony Christians hope for isn’t achieved by wishing racial problems away or ignoring them but requires dealing with stories and experiences related to racism and injustice directly.

In this session, Bryan and Matt talk about the hard conversations around racial reconciliation that will require us to get uncomfortable.

VIEW

Before viewing the session, here are a few important things to look for in Bryan and Matt’s teaching. As you watch, pay attention to how he answers the following questions.

Why should Christians have hard, honest dialogues about race and justice?

What does the gospel teach us about compassion?

What does it look like to be more hospitable to all people?

Watch Session 4: The Dividing Wall of Hostility (20 minutes).

REVIEW

Bryan and Matt opened this session by saying that having conversations about race and social injustice often involve a lot of emotions, which can make them even more difficult to have. When have you had hard conversations surrounding race? In what ways can conversations about race and injustice be easier to have among Christians, even if there are strong emotions involved?

Matt and Bryan brought up stories of police-related deaths and physical altercations and how many churches are seeking ways to respond. They both affirmed how important police officers are to public safety and that, in no way, are all police officers corrupt. But they also acknowledged the lack of trust many minority communities have toward the police. Although not every Black American has had a negative encounter with the police, in what ways can you understand how American history would influence an African American parent like Bryan needing to teach his son about what to do when encountering the police?

If you did not have conversations growing up about how to interact with the police, what’s your reaction to Bryan’s story? In what ways can you empathize with his experience?

Matt and Bryan said we filter our lives through the lens of our upbringing along with a host of societal factors, including race. What are some potential blind spots you might have concerning social issues (like police brutality) because of your upbringing?

In what ways can Christians share common ground about social issues, even if we have different experiences and disagreement about some aspects of the issue?

Matt shared examples of how White and minority Christians can end up carrying biases within them that at times can communicate that minorities are less than or that being White is the standard of being human, American, and Christian. When have you encountered any of the cultural biases that Matt mentioned? In what ways do you think that these biases have contributed to the hostility that is present within discussions about race and injustice?

Why do think cultural biases can be so harmful to Christian African Americans and other minorities trying to live in racial harmony with White Christians?

In what ways can you grow in showing solidarity with the frustrations and hurts of those who have had traumatic experiences related to race and injustice?

What can Christians do to make sure that cultural blind spots that dehumanize and contribute to racial hostility are uprooted from our church communities?

Although many Christians mean well when they describe themselves as “colorblind,” ascribing to colorblindness can be harmful if it is used as an attempt to dismiss the beauty of ethnic differences. The Bible affirms the ethnic identity of all people as something to celebrate rather than an obstacle to overcome. In what ways can the celebration of ethnic diversity help dispel hostility surrounding conversations about race in the church?

How can the gospel encourage us to both resist making an idol out of ethnicity and encourage us to move closer towards each other despite our ethnic backgrounds?

BIBLE EXPLORATION

Read Ephesians 2:11–18.

Matt said because of sin, we are prone to hostility and the environments we are born in nurture the hostility within us. The good news is that Christ has already made a way for us to deal with the hostility caused by sin and a way to unify us.

In Ephesians 2:14–15, Paul says that Christ himself is our peace because of the cross he bore and the blood he shed to make us all one. What does Paul mean by saying Christ created in himself “one new in place of the two?”

According to Ephesians 2, how has Christ made the unity between Jews and Gentiles possible? In what ways should Christ’s work on the cross motivate to combat ethnic divisions today?

In verses 11–12, Paul encourages the Gentile believers to remember their past when they were without God. Through Christ, they now have been brought into the family of God. The passage goes on to confront the historical tension between Jews and Gentiles, who now have been made into one people because of Jesus himself. Why is it significant that the peace between Jews and Gentiles in the church was dependent on Jesus rather than their own efforts?

In what ways can the reminder that Jesus is our peace help us as we work on racial hostility within the church today?

What are some practical steps we can take to not lose sight of our oneness as we talk about race and justice?

In Ephesians 2:15–16, Paul says that Jesus tore down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles by his death on the cross. In what ways can the power of the cross depicted in Ephesians 2 help unify us despite any past or present racial hostility?

Matt stated that all followers of Jesus are members of the same household of God. In what ways can we organize our church communities so that someone of any ethnicity would feel like they are welcome among us?

At the end of the session, Matt encouraged us to evaluate how our lives can be examples of the oneness that Christ has accomplished for us on the cross. He pointed out that our dinner tables may be evidence that we aren’t as reconciled as we should be to people who are of different ethnicities. What are some practical steps you can take to display oneness in your daily life and among your church community? How could diversity be displayed at your dinner table?

LAST WORD

Reconciliation should be a value for all Christians because the foundation of our faith depends on God reconciling us to himself and other people through Jesus. Bryan and Matt modeled the type of hard conversations that must continue so that our churches can experience God’s plan for ethnic harmony in the world.

Jesus had to go through the gruesome cross to make reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles possible. As we follow in his footsteps, Christians should never settle for segregated lifestyles. Instead, we should pursue life together regardless of ethnicity.

DEEPER WALK

Read: Reflect on what Christ has done to reconcile ethnic hostility by reading Ephesians 2:11–18 this week.

Pray: Pray for God to bring healing to the racial hostility in our country and within our churches.

Evaluate: Evaluate the hostility towards the topic race that you may have in your own heart. Seek out people in your community to process some of your questions and feelings about race and injustice.

Listen: Take the time to listen to the frustrations of minority brothers and sisters in Christ and how they have experienced racial issues within the church. hostility that racism has caused. Like forgotten dirty laundry, the picture of racial harmony Christians hope for isn’t achieved by wishing racial problems away or ignoring them but requires dealing with stories and experiences related to racism and injustice directly.

In this session, Bryan and Matt talk about the hard conversations around racial reconciliation that will require us to get uncomfortable.

VIEW

Before viewing the session, here are a few important things to look for in Bryan and Matt’s teaching. As you watch, pay attention to how he answers the following questions.

Why should Christians have hard, honest dialogues about race and justice?

What does the gospel teach us about compassion?

What does it look like to be more hospitable to all people?

Watch Session 4: The Dividing Wall of Hostility (20 minutes).

REVIEW

Bryan and Matt opened this session by saying that having conversations about race and social injustice often involve a lot of emotions, which can make them even more difficult to have. When have you had hard conversations surrounding race? In what ways can conversations about race and injustice be easier to have among Christians, even if there are strong emotions involved?

Matt and Bryan brought up stories of police-related deaths and physical altercations and how many churches are seeking ways to respond. They both affirmed how important police officers are to public safety and that, in no way, are all police officers corrupt. But they also acknowledged the lack of trust many minority communities have toward the police. Although not every Black American has had a negative encounter with the police, in what ways can you understand how American history would influence an African American parent like Bryan needing to teach his son about what to do when encountering the police?

If you did not have conversations growing up about how to interact with the police, what’s your reaction to Bryan’s story? In what ways can you empathize with his experience?

Matt and Bryan said we filter our lives through the lens of our upbringing along with a host of societal factors, including race. What are some potential blind spots you might have concerning social issues (like police brutality) because of your upbringing?

In what ways can Christians share common ground about social issues, even if we have different experiences and disagreement about some aspects of the issue?

Matt shared examples of how White and minority Christians can end up carrying biases within them that at times can communicate that minorities are less than or that being White is the standard of being human, American, and Christian. When have you encountered any of the cultural biases that Matt mentioned? In what ways do you think that these biases have contributed to the hostility that is present within discussions about race and injustice?

Why do think cultural biases can be so harmful to Christian African Americans and other minorities trying to live in racial harmony with White Christians?

In what ways can you grow in showing solidarity with the frustrations and hurts of those who have had traumatic experiences related to race and injustice?

What can Christians do to make sure that cultural blind spots that dehumanize and contribute to racial hostility are uprooted from our church communities?

Although many Christians mean well when they describe themselves as “colorblind,” ascribing to colorblindness can be harmful if it is used as an attempt to dismiss the beauty of ethnic differences. The Bible affirms the ethnic identity of all people as something to celebrate rather than an obstacle to overcome. In what ways can the celebration of ethnic diversity help dispel hostility surrounding conversations about race in the church?

How can the gospel encourage us to both resist making an idol out of ethnicity and encourage us to move closer towards each other despite our ethnic backgrounds?

BIBLE EXPLORATION

Read Ephesians 2:11–18.

Matt said because of sin, we are prone to hostility and the environments we are born in nurture the hostility within us. The good news is that Christ has already made a way for us to deal with the hostility caused by sin and a way to unify us.

In Ephesians 2:14–15, Paul says that Christ himself is our peace because of the cross he bore and the blood he shed to make us all one. What does Paul mean by saying Christ created in himself “one new in place of the two?”

According to Ephesians 2, how has Christ made the unity between Jews and Gentiles possible? In what ways should Christ’s work on the cross motivate to combat ethnic divisions today?

In verses 11–12, Paul encourages the Gentile believers to remember their past when they were without God. Through Christ, they now have been brought into the family of God. The passage goes on to confront the historical tension between Jews and Gentiles, who now have been made into one people because of Jesus himself. Why is it significant that the peace between Jews and Gentiles in the church was dependent on Jesus rather than their own efforts?

In what ways can the reminder that Jesus is our peace help us as we work on racial hostility within the church today?

What are some practical steps we can take to not lose sight of our oneness as we talk about race and justice?

In Ephesians 2:15–16, Paul says that Jesus tore down the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles by his death on the cross. In what ways can the power of the cross depicted in Ephesians 2 help unify us despite any past or present racial hostility?

Matt stated that all followers of Jesus are members of the same household of God. In what ways can we organize our church communities so that someone of any ethnicity would feel like they are welcome among us?

At the end of the session, Matt encouraged us to evaluate how our lives can be examples of the oneness that Christ has accomplished for us on the cross. He pointed out that our dinner tables may be evidence that we aren’t as reconciled as we should be to people who are of different ethnicities. What are some practical steps you can take to display oneness in your daily life and among your church community? How could diversity be displayed at your dinner table?

LAST WORD

Reconciliation should be a value for all Christians because the foundation of our faith depends on God reconciling us to himself and other people through Jesus. Bryan and Matt modeled the type of hard conversations that must continue so that our churches can experience God’s plan for ethnic harmony in the world.

Jesus had to go through the gruesome cross to make reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles possible. As we follow in his footsteps, Christians should never settle for segregated lifestyles. Instead, we should pursue life together regardless of ethnicity.

DEEPER WALK

Read: Reflect on what Christ has done to reconcile ethnic hostility by reading Ephesians 2:11–18 this week.

Pray: Pray for God to bring healing to the racial hostility in our country and within our churches.

Evaluate: Evaluate the hostility towards the topic race that you may have in your own heart. Seek out people in your community to process some of your questions and feelings about race and injustice.

Listen: Take the time to listen to the frustrations of minority brothers and sisters in Christ and how they have experienced racial issues within the church.