The Church Matters

Daryl Davis was 10 years old in 1968. He was living in Boston with his family. As a Cub Scout, his troop joined other scouting groups on a march to commemorate the famous ride of Paul Revere. It sounded similar to the scouts hiking from New Salem to Springfield to remember Abraham Lincoln. Davis, the only Black Scout participating carried one of the flags. Suddenly, he was pelted by rocks and other flying objects from the spectators and even some children. In his naievete, he thought there were people who didn’t like the Cub Scouts. His scout leaders shielded him from the attack.

Later that night, as his parents doctored up his wounds they explained to their 10 year old about racism. Davis writes about the experience, “It was very hard, at the age of ten, to understand why some people who didn’t even know me would inflict pain upon me for no other reason than the color of my skin” (Klan-Destine Relationships by Daryl Davis, p. 4-5). I’m thankful for my friend, Tom Steele, who ministers in Iowa City for sharing the story of Daryl Davis and Tom’s sermon on this topic.

Our core verse for this week is Acts 17.26.

Acts 17:26 NIV

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

Dominant Thought: When we pursue God’s heart for the nations, He resolves our differences.

In Acts 17, Paul meets with the intellectual elite in Athens, Greece. He cross over to European soil to bless the nations with the good news of Jesus.

From one man, Adam came all that nations. The word for nation or nations occurs over 700 times in the Bible. Sometimes it is a specific nation or place, but most of the time it is a people group or a culture. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s plan has been to bless the nations.

From one man, God set up the times and places for all people to live. Almighty God rules over both history and geography.

He picked an old man, Abram in a place called Haran in Genesis 12 and told him to move to a place that God would show him. God will bless Abram and all the peoples on earth would be blessed through him.

God picked a prophet named Isaiah who lived near Jerusalem, around 700 years before Jesus. God inspired this prophet to write down what is Isaiah 49.6.

Isaiah 49:6 (NIV)

he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

Times and places. Jesus came to his disciples on a mountain and gave him these final words in Matthew 28.

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you go through the book of Acts, you see the gospel expanding from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and the ends of the earth.

In Acts 10, we meet another person in real time and place. It’s the first century. The place is Caesarea by the Mediterranean Sea. The man is a Roman centurion named Cornelius. The gospel is reaching the nations when Cornelius experiences the grace of God. The Apostle Peter comes to Cornelius’ house and replies to this man’s faith and the dreams from God in Acts 10.34.

Acts 10:34 NIV

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism

A few chapters later, in another time and place event. There is a big church council meeting in Jerusalem. The question before them is this: What do we do with the people from the nations who want to be followers of Jesus? What do we do with people who act differently than us, talk differently, look differently than us? Must them become Jews to become Christians.

The summary statement from that meeting is found in Acts 15.19.

Acts 15:19 NIV

“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Do you remember Daryl Davis’s question as a ten year old boy? With band-aids and Mecuro-Chrome on his body to care for his wounds, he asked, “How can they hate me when they don’t even know me?”

That sent him on a life long journey to find the roots of racism. He became a grammy award winning pianist. He was playing one night and a white man loved his music so much that he treated him to a drink. The white man said that was the first time I’ve heard a black man play the piano like you did. He went on to say, this is the first time, I’ve sat down to a table with a black. They had a nice conversation. Then the white man revealed that he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Davis was excited about this opportunity. He said, “I’m researching the roots of racism. I’d like to meet with your regional leader.” Under the condition of remaining anonymous, the man gave Daryl Davis the contact information to Roger Kelly, Grand Dragon or an Imperial Wizard with the KKK. Davis, a black man, and Kelly, a leader in the KKK formed a relationship on respect of each others’ differing opinions that eventually grew into a friendship. Davis would attend Klan rallies. Over the course of time, through listening and common friendship and hospitality, Roger Kelly left the Klan and gave Davis his robe.

Davis has used this method of friendship, listening and respect to win many friends. Now he has a closet full of robes, hoods, and swastika flags from friends who have left those organizations. He has met with about 200 people who have left the KKK who have surrendered their robes and hoods. Davis has kept 46 robes. (https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-daryl-davis-in-orlando-converting-kkk-20180924-story.html).

What a great visual of a change of mind or conversion, surrendering a robe that was marked by hatred to embrace the way of peace and respect.

Nicholas Kristof wrote an article featuring Daryl Davis’ story (June 26, 2021, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/opinion/racism-politics-daryl-davis.html), titled, “How can you hate me when you don’t even know me.” He closes the article with these words, “At a time when America is so polarized and political space is so toxic, we, of course, have to stand up for what we think is right. But it may also help to sit down with those we believe are wrong.”

Did you know that was the method of Jesus? Jesus was accused throughout His ministry for sitting down and eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.

Jesus has given His church a model of how to resolve differences with people. He sat down and ate and drank with the outcasts of society. He spent time with those who were Jews, Romans, and of mixed race. Ask the Samaritan woman how she felt when Jesus asked her for a drink of water.

Jesus pursues the nations and welcomes them into the new heaven and new earth. Check out this picture describing who is around the throne of God in the last book of the Bible, Revelation 7.9-10.

Revelation 7:9–10 NIV

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Mark Moore writes in Core 52 (p. 273), “Anyone irritated by multiculturalism will be miserable in heaven.”

The cool thing about Jesus is that He is able to resolve the differences that our sinful pride and prejudices create. The good news is that Christ came to reconcile all the nations to God and to one another. He brings them into His church.

My friends, the church, the one people of God can welcome those of all races and cultures because God has created all peoples in His image.

So, how are we going to pursue God’s heart for the nations? I want to encourage you to share a meal with someone from a different culture. I am so thankful for the nations that have stepped into our home: Native Americans, Indonesians, Jamaicans, Japanese, and French people have been in our home. Some of you may even feel inspired to host an international student in your home next school year. Others may want to reach out to University of Illinois at Springfield or Illinois College in Jacksonville to see if there are international students who need a meal this Thanksgiving. It is a little difficult for a student to fly back to Pakistan over Thanksgiving weekend.

So, how are we going to pursue God’s heart for the nations? I want to encourage you to invite someone from a different culture into your home. I am so thankful for the nations that have stepped into our home: Native Americans, Indonesians, Jamaicans, Japanese, and French people have been in our home. Some of you may even feel inspired to host an international student in your home next school year. Others may want to reach out to University of Illinois at Springfield or Illinois College in Jacksonville to see if there are international students who need a meal this Thanksgiving. It is a little difficult for a student to fly back to Pakistan over Thanksgiving weekend.

If nothing else, look over our missions display in the lobby and choose a people group and pray for them.

Berlin Christian Church, I want to commend you for your heart for the nations. Many have come to our schools and neighborhoods or work places.

Remember we are all created in God’s image and when we pursue His heart for the nations, He resolves our differences.

In 2020, I had the opportunity to visit our mission partners in Indonesia, home to the largest population of Muslims in the world. We arrived as Ramadan was ending, the Muslim month of daytime fasting. While we were there, a neighbor to our mission partners invited us to join them in their home as the broke their fast. He was the treasurer of the local Mosque. He invited three Americans along with their Indonesia neighbors into his home for a meal. We sat down on the floor and enjoyed a special meal with new friends. One of the reasons, we received that invitation was the relationship the Christians had cultivated with their Muslim neighbors. The Christians were always introducing the Muslims to us as “neighbor.” “This is my neighbor.” “I want you to meet my neighbor.” Later, our missionary friend, Gi, told us, “We call the Muslims our neighbors because it is alot easier to win your neighbor to Jesus than your enemy.”

God placed us in Indonesia, a certain place, at a certain time for a special meal with some new friends. God placed a man named Andrew Scott in Island Grove back in 1824 to raise a family and start a church, now Berlin Christian Church. God brought lean lanky leader from Illinois to Washington D.C. in 1861 to abolish slavery. Time and Place. God has placed you in your neighborhood for a set purpose. When we pursue God’s heart for the nations, He resolves our differences. God’s heart for the nations is best lived out in the church because the church still matters.

NOTES:

In the 12 apostles, we see vivid examples of diversity: fishermen, Roman tax collector, and a Zealot who was willing to overthrow the Romans, men from the north and one from the south. If Jesus chose that diverse crowd to be his closest disciples, shouldn’t we be willing to reach out to those who are different than us.

Daryl Davis, “Why I, as a black man, attend KKK rallies.” TEDxNapervill, November 2017. Over 12 million views. He has a book Klan-destine Relationships.

At a time when America is so polarized and political space is so toxic, we, of course, have to stand up for what we think is right. But it may also help to sit down with those we believe are wrong.

“If I can sit down and talk to K.K.K. members and neo-Nazis and get them to give me their robes and hoods and swastika flags and all that kind of crazy stuff,” Davis said, “there’s no reason why somebody can’t sit down at a dinner table and talk to their family member.”

(https://www.ted.com/talks/daryl_davis_why_i_as_a_black_man_attend_kkk_rallies?language=en

NOTES:

In 1968, at the age of 10, Daryl was in a parade to commemorate the ride of Paul Revere as a member of the cub scouts. He marched with the American flag when he began to be hit with bottles and soda cans.

Davis is a musician.

Question: How can you hate me when you don’t even know me?

Roger Kelly, imperial wizard, national leader of KKK

ignorance breeds fear…Fear if left unchecked breeds hatred…left unchecked breeds destruction

Key is to respect someone enough to listen to him. Kelly left the KKK and gave him his robe. “Take the time to sit down and talk with your adversaries. You’ll learn something; they’ll learn something. When two enemies are talking, they’re not fighting-they’re talking. It’s when the talking ceases that the ground becomes fertile for violence. So, keep the conversation going.”

Acts 17:26 NIV

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.

History and Geography

Wilberforce/Britain

Lincoln/America

Madella-Desmund Tutu/South Africa

Related Media

Related Sermons