Prejudice, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ at no segregated time in America during church service at Formosa. My brother and sister price cannot be bought in the social construct. There's no place for that joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us how God's word meets our work. Now the next.

The Greeks of prejudice against anybody but if you're not Greek you're no good Greeks gave us a word from back then we still use today. They gave us the word barbarian okay and the Greeks you will barbarian assess everybody was, not Greek speaks like this bar bar bar bar bar bar bar bar. That's the way they speak and are all barbarians were Greeks, so you take the prejudicial Greeks and you take a super prejudicial Jews. And guess what they will find himself in church. Here we are now in church using that's not the only problem. The church of Jesus Christ has Masters in it and slaves now there's some prejudice going on here. Masters and slaves. Slaves and masters. You see, and that's what Paul was trying to address. So he says the Greeks. He said the circumcision calls you uncircumcised, he said notice so there's things about you that are true. One your separate from Christ to your excluded from Israel the chosen people, three strangers of the covenant promise, for you have no hope in five without God in the world. Paul sets the record straight for that. And so what were talking about is to completely completely lost group of people in our world prejudices become a little more narrow, especially over the last six months.

Americans are notoriously prejudice based on race. That's how Americans it's them and asked different races that should never be the case for any believer in Jesus Christ. But there's nothing new about it. I want to hold your place or go with me to Numbers chapter 12 Numbers chapter 12. If this wasn't so sad. This is kind of funny but it said Numbers 12, verse one.

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, Miriam and Aaron, his brother and sister now. By the way they both didn't speak works post feminine. Miriam did all the speaking. This is typical women and men marry and get all the speaking and Aaron just or not passivity of men TV is not the way but I want to see something here it says. Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married three and married a Cushite woman would know when you read that, you just read it and say oh it's another right there sites all over the Old Testament to some other woman may go do your homework on this Moses first wife was support she was in the land of Midian when he was tending sheep, others years, it seems obvious by now that supports died and Moses has married a Cushite woman now what that mean what means this. She's Nubian that won't help you much that she's Nubian, but this might she's from northern Kenya or southern Ethiopia. She's black hot, she's black, she's an African Moses narrator hi, yes, now you say will. Who is she really more than likely sites were put in slavery just like Jews were so I'm sure she's a fellow slave in Egypt. I also believe clearly that she would have become a Jew converted to Judaism. While in Egypt and left when when the Jews left Egypt and the Exodus. She left with a and Moses narrator. Now here's what makes this shows you how insidious prejudice is what what happens and they said, has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses.

Has he not spoken to us as well. And the Lord heard. What does that have to do with the Cushite. Nothing, absolutely nothing, 0C Miriam was upset that Moses she had great power for a woman. She was one of the big three with Erin Moses and herself and she's a prophetess, but Moses got all the ink Moses like number one everybody respected Moses Sheena like that.

Nothing about this. Her grievance is why is this concerning Moses that has the Lord only spoken to him, then why is verse one evening there because it says they spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he married as he made a quick that shows you how prejudice is God look, I have a grievance against Moses and the me tell you something. He married a black woman while what is that prejudice all the way back in numbers, prejudice, skin is not like ours had nothing to do with what was said prejudice is right in the heart of every falling human being terrible.

Now let's go back to Ephesians for a moment.

You see when we get back.

Ephesians the prejudice that Paul was talking about is different but very similar to the kind of prejudice we have in our country. This is Jew and Gentile. The prejudice, but an American of all the prejudice we have. There's been one of his how that is more than anything and that it's the prejudice between Blacks and whites that's been prejudice and we justify because we say what's okay for me to be prejudice because we are up different races right when my favorite preachers in the whole world is Bodie Baucom tremendous preacher is black, great preacher and I'm indebted to him for what he has said about this. He got this section may talk about it and he said, first of all let me tell you something when you fill out an application and it says race right be accurate. Human. That's what you are your human and are only humans is no rate that's ethnocentricity that has nothing to do with it at all.

You see race in our country is a social construct, not biblical at all. It's a social construct it's arbitrary. We made it. That's a completely different race while Bodie goes on, he says, look, if you look at the genetic materials of all human beings, whether there Indian in the upper Amazon or Eskimos in the Arctic Circle from Africa or Asia or Europe and America. The genetic material of all human beings is 99.8% exactly the same as only one race because we all come in the same parents. There's only one race of people, but we've bought into the social construct kind of thing and ends up being so damaging to us. From that point of view goes on and says look, he said I'm a black man, and it say in your white man and the difference between you and me is I have more melon and then you God gave you less melon and gave me more notebook. Don't be jealous, don't get all wound up in the why did God give you more than me, but he gave me more melon in the new. That's the difference between us. That's how we think is void. When you start reading how we justify things when you read when you read some of the books and sermons from the 1830s, 40s and 50s in the deep South by people who would claim to be evangelical Christians ended up justifying the prejudice and her hatred in the slavery by saying things like, we are human beings and blocks are not. And so when not enslaving human being for distance learning about birth want that comes from the word of nothing like that comes in the word of God at all, but justified our prejudice and made us prejudice when it comes to things like that goes on then in verse 13 there's another great but but now in Christ Jesus you who were formally far off have been brought nearby the blood of Christ, he just told him five ways the Gentiles were lost, Lisa. But now it's all different because of Christ.

You're not far off you been brought right into the family of God, not because of venting you did because what Jesus Christ is done for he himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. There's only one people know all the work was done by Jesus Christ not by anybody else. I love Paul's allusion. He said you broke down. He said the barrier of the dividing wall. If you went to the temple grounds. They had a court of the Gentiles and a wall in the court of the Jews and if a Gentile was found in the court of the Jews. It was a capital offense to be executed. There's a wall also is not anymore. There's no wall between Gentiles and Jews are all worn down. Jesus Christ brought that wall down.

He said by abolishing in his flesh the enmity which is the law of commandments. He said contained in ordinances so that in himself he might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace.

Peace with God.

Peace with each other. Reconciliation. Christ not only reconciled me to God. He reconciled me to all other people. I been reconciled through Christ, so view.

He said that's what Jesus Christ is done and he said, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross. He said by it. Having put to death the enmity.

There's no enmity between Jews and Gentiles. There's no M enmity between slaves and masters. There's no enmity between Blacks and whites. There's no enmity between the rich and the poor. There's no enmity there was only the body of Christ. There is no enmity. He said he was on a cortical testimony said and he came in he preached peace to you who were far away the Gentiles, and peace to those who were near that's the Jews, for through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the father while so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household. So I know who I was dead my trespass and sins. And I know who I am now a member of God's household. I'm a citizen of heaven with every other person who through faith accepted Christ and there is absolutely no place for any prejudice in my life whatsoever or yours. Things have gotten better in the church in the last 20 years. Hopefully this you won't set it back if you go back 25 years in the church back to 1900 all the way to just around the year 2000, the most segregated time in America was during church services. While in a terrible excellent most segregated.

I don't not worshiping Jesus with them.

My brother and sister in Christ, I mean come on, we bought into the social construct. There's no place for that.

That's what Paul is trying to get across to them. Verse 20 says, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into the holy temple of the Lord in whom he said you also are being built together. He said into a dwelling of God in a spirit there's only one people.

God those saved by grace. There is no one else in what is trying to tell them is you can't live with this prejudice between Jews and Gentiles or Jews and Greeks and I'm telling you we can be with the prejudice either. Christ broke on that barrier. No barrier between us.

I think one thing I been really thankful for him when I became pastor of this church and is pretty consistent with how I see things I never pray for the church to grow. I figure you establish the depth of the church and let God establish the width of the church that's that's the way I like it but I did pray for one thing, that we would be an integrated church getting ever pray for and I think that we are and I hope that continues.

Because that's what the body of Christ should look like there should never be this segregated idea based on our own prejudices and I don't mean just us us prejudice. I mean all sides of this become prejudice is our human nature to be such a thing. And there's absolutely no place for me now to Galatians 3, a few pages to your left. Galatians chapter 3 verse 26 and let God speak 326 great statement for us today, for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Notice all that means everyone was put their faith in Christ Jesus, the son of God. That's the only group we identify with.

He says for all of you who were baptized in the Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female. You are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendents and heirs of the promise. That's all there is. There's no artificial arbitrary group that you could put outside of this, everybody was put their faith in Christ our brothers and sisters in Christ and that's the only group that exist and it doesn't even matter is not only a matter of social standing or or whether you're black or white.

One of the ways we segregated sure prejudice often is if there are people out there that sin in a way different than the way we sent that item prejudice against them like cool unity they work more lost in your all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and God there is none righteous, no not one. Who are you to say that there's no place in that for us is a delusion on our part.

In fact, turn the Hebrew coming Galatians 6 for a moment, one verse, verse three. This is some the remember for if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself while when anyone thinks he is something, when in fact he is nothing, he's just deceiving himself by going to the Bible says so many things regarding prejudice for Samuel 16. Seven the Lord said to Samuel, don't be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I rejected him. God does not view things the way people do people look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart that's all we should look not plan outward appearance. Acts 1726 from one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth determining their set times and fixed limits of places that they would live to work will come from one man went up our ancestries, Romans 211. There is absolutely no partiality with God. And why should there be any with us. James chapter 2 verse one my brothers and sisters do not show prejudice.

If you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ is commandment you shall prejudice to anybody. First Timothy 521 Paul said to Timothy before God in Christ Jesus and the elect angels. I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind. There's no room for and at the end of the book of Revelation. I love these. Revelation 7 verse nine after these things I looked, and there was an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, every tribe, every people and every language, standing before the throne of the Lamb. Dressed in long white robes, with palm branches in their hands every every every Revelation 14 six then I saw another angel flying directly overhead and he had an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live in the earth to every nation, every tribe, every language and every people.

The Bible says is only two kinds of people in the world saved us us saved who've experienced the grace of God and the lost need the grace of God in their lives.

That's the way God sees the world is that the way you see the news days ahead, ask God to expose the prejudice in your own heart and repent of it put behind the spring father.

I'm very aware of the fact that prejudice is so natural for us. We exercise on so many levels. The countless we show prejudice against other people or people groups from our group.

It's natural that is not right. It's not the way a believer should see anyone. We need to see our brothers and sisters in Christ for what they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need to see the loss for what they are people who need the grace of God in their lives.

They are not our enemy. They are victims of the enemy and father by showing that kind of concern for them is the greatest hope we have the gospel of Jesus Christ impacting their lives so that they can join the family of God. Father, help us deal with the prejudice of glory for our good pastoral giver. If you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember the good a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program is no hat Fellowship in the Word.

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