Race

Intro:

May 25th 2020, Minneapolis - Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd for nearly 9 minutes as he shouted “I can’t breathe” until he finally died on the scene. This was recorded and shared to social media and instantly went viral across the world

Immediately following george floyds death, protests and riots broke out all across the united states first burning down the Minneapolis police station

Nearly every major city in America was home to riots, destruction of property and looting

New videos of white officers shooting African American citizens surfaced nearly every week sparking and reviving riots

NFL players kneel

The Black Lives Matter movement makes tremendous strides of growth and popularity

Black Screens filled the feed of IG

Statues have been removed

Laws have been changed

Police defunded

Aunt Jemima is done away with

The Washington Redskins are gone

Joe Biden was elected

Derek Chauvin was found guilty

And the whole time most of you were all not allowed to attend school in person, leaving you plenty of time to witness this all take place on social media

We are 1 year and a half away from the catalyst event for it all and yet the effects are still here

White Privilege, Critical Race Theory, White Supremacy, are all words we are familiar with and they are words that spark an immediate reaction.

But now that the riots are over and the news cycle has returned to somewhat of normalcy we have all formed our opinions, our positions and chosen a side.

But this issue is not over, its not irrelevant it IS non optional you will again talk about it, you will be confronted with it

Public Schools are introducing critical race theory into their curriculum in subtle ways

Almost EVERY university Christian or non christian, public or private has adopted this agenda. You will write papers on this, you will engage in discussions on this. Not just papers you can fake but personal reflections and even commands to deconstruct everything you believe and reconstruct it on the basis of your race

Churches have shifted their focus to be oriented towards fixing the problem of racism.

Once trusted church leaders, who preached sermons you have probably heard and wrote books you may have read have allowed the issue of race to become such a centra piece of their ministry they have maligned the gospel.

Many churches have switched from preaching the pure Gospel of Christ to a works based gospel that states you must believe in Jesus and combat racism in order to be a christian.

The point is RACE is the most divisive issue in America and the church and you must know how to approach it biblically.

My hope and goal is not to address every issue, not to answer every question but to provide you with just a foundation and framework from scripture that allows you to know the essentials when engaging in this topic

Before you bend the knee and apologize for your privilege or demand others to do so OR before you disregard the conversation and say systemic racism doesn't exist. SIMPLY be informed and submissive to scripture and allow the Bible to determine your position

Need: BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER

Racism isn’t just a societal issue out there BUT is in here, your heart

YOUR HEART. What do you call someone who make racial jokes or stereotypes people on their skin color or makes judgments purely on skin color?? A RACIST

Therefore just like someone who lies is a LIAR, someone who steals is a theif, someone with predjudice towards skin color is a racist. Are you getting it? Everyone here tonight EVERYONE is racist.

When you get cut off and feel justified when you see that the drivers nationality is exactly what you expected

Or when you attribute athletic ability purely to skin color

When you make a joke or laugh at a joke thats racially motivated

When you view yourself or someone better, nicer, safer based on skin color

YOU have just been racist. Easier to point it out in society than it is to point it out in ourselves isn’t it? But you must confess - racism isn’t far off from you, it is in you.

We need scripture to help us understand not just how to approach the issue but how to attack the personal sin inside us.

Prop: The 2 main TOOLS we must use when approaching the topic of RACE in our society - TRUTH & LOVE

Truth

We must use, speak and stand on the truth when it comes to this sensitive topic of Race.

There is only 1 race - the race of Adam - Human Race

Race = each of the major divisions of living creatures OR a group of people descended from a common ancestor

Gen 1:27-28 “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

Society makes up race Let me further prove it to you

ILLUS: Lets take a look at some Race’s - African American, African = Continent and America = nationality so theoretically its not your melanin level that makes you african american its your ancestral continent and current nationality. UNLESS of course your Egyptian - they apparently don’t make the cut even though they’re from africa, many Moroccans don’t make it either. It makes no sense

what about hispanic? again, thats in refernece to a location - but if you have white skin, blue eyes and dirty blonde hair… apparently you don’t make the cut (ICON)

So the TRUTH is race is a societal construct that isn’t found in the bible, ethnicities and nations and people groups can be found... but not race, only the human race that sprung from adam

One of the main similarities or characteristics in this human race is not skin color, hair color, body type or language, but it is sin

Rom 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

You know the biological difference between a black person and white person is almost non existent

Research says “individual races are thought to have a relatively uniform genetic identity.”

But do you know what we all cary in our DNA, what we are sure to inherit and will definitely pass on? Sin - its in our hearts, our minds, our bones, our DNA we carry the curse.

Which means darwinism and evolution GOT IT WRONG - there is no superior race we all are sinful by nature and that doesn’t just mean we will make mistakes in this life it means we will pay for them in the next one

James 5:9 the Judge is standing right at the door.”

2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

So we cannot look at others with prejudice, we cannot assume we are better than others because of our skin color, our socio-economical status, our christian lineage, our intelligence, our athleticism, our looks BECAUSE we all come from the same origin and on our own we will all go to the same eternity. Judgement. Where every mouth will be shut, and every sin will be punished.

So any prejudice or racism is illogically saying “I am better” thats called pride.

The truth is racism is rooted in pride and it dies when we remember our common father Adam and our common trait Sin.

Love

We will get nowhere in our fight against our own sin and even approaching a society of sin if we lack love and although cliche it is true that racism cannot breathe where love exist.

ILLUS: Peace between enemies never comes easy right? Peace can be lost over silly things and its still requires time effort, humility and ultimately a love for the other person and even then sometimes it is still impossible. But whats amazing is that Jesus was the offended one, yet he initiated and accomplished peace between us and God but also between us and man.

Eph 2:11-16 “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”

God didn’t make racial divisions He made covenantal division. The split was whether you held the promises God gave to Isreal or You didn’t. This is a much LARGER MUCH more real division or difference.

Jews knew it to thats why at the temple where God dwelt, and man could access Him and worship Him, the Jews put the gentiles WAY back, as far away from the Holy of Holies as possible. It was called the court of the gentiles.

That was a real discrimination based on a real division not a superficial one like race.

BUT just like In eph 2 we get the bad news of sin and the light of “But God” in eph 2 we get the bad news of covenental division and the “BUT now in Christ Jesus”

Jesus Christ is the great reconciler, the mediator, the prince of peace. He stepped down from heaven, lived a perfect life and was led like a lamb to his slaughter on the cross where he bled and died to take away our sins. He saw that our race wasn’t too dark or too light its was too dead in sin. We had a debt much larger than the US national debt we each carried an infant one that only an infinite God could pay with his life.

Jesus did that for you so that you can be reconciled to your previous enemy God - many of you hear need to confess your sin and repent. Many of you need to let go of the sin your hanging onto and hiding.

But the gospel doesn’t stop their, eph 2 continues and tells us that Jesus not only reconciled us to God BUT reconciles us to eachother! Whats the point? If the cross of Christ is powerful enough to eliminate a REAL GOD designed division how much more can the gospel eliminate a man made superficial one.

Sinners saved by grace do not discriminate we have been given a different perspective, an eternal one. Stop seeing color and start seeing souls.

John 15:12 ““This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

Mark 12:31 ““The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

Matt 5:44 ““But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”

When we not only remember the example of Christ BUT personally know Him and recognize that we were his enemies and he loved us enough to die for us, racism, partiality, favoritism dies in our hearts.

Applications

Repent and believe in the gospel - the pure gospel that is recieved by grace through faith REQUIRING no works, no social justice and reject anyone who preaches something different

Remember, study and be convinced of the truth- that Racism is a sin that God absolutley hates and will punish, that we all are of the race of Adam and are made in God’s image But also we all have sinned and no one is better than another. 1 Timothy 1:15 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

Love others and pursue relationships - bear others burdens, pray for others, be friends with people regardless of appearance because Christ commands us too

Think Before You speak - In order to use the tools of truth and love we must think before we speak or post or opinions online, in class or around friends. Your post will not end racism, it will not change peoples minds. Your words are meaningful and as a believer represent Christ SO you better think and evaluate your own heart and how what you say will affect others negatively or positively for the gospel

Evaluate who/ how often you are listening to and allowing to influence you - non Christian BUT conservative media

Now take questions you have and talk to small group leaders or parents but Approach this issue with the two most important tools Truth and Love.