Diabolical - Agenda # 5 - Perpetuate Prejudice, Part 2

With out a doubt.

Prejudice is one of the most diabolical things that is ever happened on the face of the earth, and whether it's racial, whether it's sexual wethers with ethnicity, whether it's with how people dress, whether social, economic, when we are prejudice, it brings forth death. You how to break out of power, prejudice, stay with me. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry during the daily Bible teaching in just a minute triple wrap up a series diabolical agenda for planet Earth, including you, through church teaching enacts Satan's most effective tactics to sideline God's provision in relation apathy, isolation or dead religion was time to be exposed to several ways. Satan uses projects on this program. Triple walk through six powerful principles, God's people can use to break down the walls of vision before we get started.

If you missed any part of the series, you can catch up any time@livingontheedge.org or by downloading the chipping government both that if you have a Bible going out to acts chapter 10 and let's join Chip for part two of this message. Let me give you the six principles that I learned personally and I hope will be helpful for you.

Principal number one from verses one through eight. God is working in places and among people. We assume he doesn't okay he's working in places and among people. If you have asked Peter, do you think God is speaking to some of those Roman soldiers that are pressing your people. He said no way practice. Assume God is speaking to everyone everywhere wants to use you when God was breaking my prejudice in my time in Santa Cruz.

I mean it was. If it is a different place.

Let's let's just be very honest about this, and there's a guy on the front row and he had very very long dreadlocks down to about here.

He had had a bath in either the weeks or many months. I could smell them almost from here.

He had a poncho multicolor poncho multicolored turbine hat various markings and he looks scary and is on the front row and on preaching. I'm thinking and I mean this guy. He's not like passive he's going and thinking I wonder what's going on here and just every time I made eye contact and so you and I get them with the message and just enough income under you know it's not like I have a conscious prejudice is just like the weird guy on the front row okay and so I get done soon as I get done I come down and talk to people in this guide beats everybody there like this.

I've only got through security and he puts his arms around me and he hugs me goes all that word from God so fed my soul, so to be here and as I'm smelling him and one later.

Dan and I became good friends. I learned Dan was purposefully on the street didn't have to be there. Later I learned: Dan Dan hitman I started doing some personal Bible study with Dan and Dan had a ministry to treat people nice and I want to walk across the country and he did and he got to Utah and people were asking questions he couldn't answer and we emailed back and forth. He said you know I think I need some Bible training so he came back with the Bible school Dress in the same way living on the streets the same way found a girl out there that had the same vision they got married and became missionaries… You dare believe that some of the weirdest people that are different from you that God is working assume he's working in everyone everywhere all the time and he wants to use you principal number two. Prayer is a prerequisite to seeing others differently than our cultural bias out of verses 9 to 16 good Jews prayed in the morning they prayed at night. There was a three hour prayer meeting as well, but Peter was just hungry, and his son to go on the roof and he's talking with God. Unless your mind gets renewed and unless you're talking with God and being open and honest. He can't reveal things to you so you stay stuck in your little box of your group in your background, you have years I have mine. Everyone has there's prayer is a prerequisite to seeing others different than our cultural bias because Peter met with God. He could hear God and God prepared all that stuff about the sheet in the animals you all I get it. Don't call anything unclean that God calls fewer and so here's the practice. Ask God to let you see others the way he does. Never forget Lord, would you help me see that guy in the John Deere hat that when I walk in to the wagon wheel one restaurant at the time in rural Texas but the country music blaring and this guy whispering about this loud preacher boy that's over their country Bible church made me go and leave. And I begin to pray God, would you help me see him the way you see, trying hard to see him that way doesn't work so what I found is Romans 12 to so don't be conformed to this world but be transformed how by trying hard working hard, but to say don't be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Why so that you can prove or test or experience what God's will is the good acceptable will of God, and so on this card. It's very, very old.

I wrote it many many many years ago and reviewed it, probably hundreds or thousands of times and I just wrote accepting others, removing prejudice, I'd like to view others.

In light of their eternity and need instead of by their outward appearance, possessions, status, or abilities and that I wrote first Samuel 16 seven God sees not as man sees for man looks on the outward appearance, but God was waste the heart, I want to look people through the lens of eternity. Are they heaven bound or held down, look at through the lens of need. You know what that guy with the John Deere hat. The two lesbians in the corner they have need.

They have insecurities they have struggles they've been through pain, how would Jesus look at them.

What would he want you have to agree with people politics, their religion, their sexual orientation. You have to grip but you can love them so Jesus did. So I got so much trouble.

The early church got a lot of trouble for not getting enough trouble when you start loving people very different than us, and so I just begin to read the card over and over and asking God just I can't do that certain prejudices are ingrained in my mind for years so I ask God to answer that prayer. Three walls of prejudice often come down a few bricks of the time from verses 17 to 23. Peter didn't go from this diehard prejudice Jew with Gentiles, you know, first of all was like you know I'm kind of far away from from home base here in Jerusalem. Same with the scanner ceremony on claimant's little baby step and then pretty soon Cornelius guys, he let them in the house when he traveled with him.

He did a lot of baby steps that were absolutely forbidden and I I can only think that he did.

He knew, you know like with it.

I love one translation says it says when he crossed the threshold when he went inside that Gentile house. It was like oh baby, there's no turning back. I have just violated everything I have been taught all my life. I'm in the house of the dog. You know what, that's my opinion. That is my prejudice know I'm in the house of a God-fearing man that the spirit of God is wooing and drawing and actually send an angel and God cares about them. So I need to care about them and I need to put away my stuff in my prejudice and my background show what anybody else thinks, and I need to love him and share the love of Christ, and he did and you're here today because he did fellow Gentile and so here's the practice. The practices take small steps this week to connect with someone much different than you and you would just take some baby. Let's start taking some bricks off the wall. Okay so for me it was like II decided because I got irritated me so much. I walked in and I said can I sit down, you know, there's like four or five guys drinking coffee every morning. John Deere hat.

The whole site. Can I sit down and they look me look you preacher boy, that's what they call me did not like that and I said hey tell little bit about what were like where you get the stats room unit so you have a ranch or something will yeah become.

I just started asking questions. I just John here was a lawnmower come from the city. I don't know anything and I remember in Santa Cruz. When I would find situations that were just so appalling to me.

You know their protesting our church and you know were bashing them and so I called the mayor and said would you like to have lunch with Mayor Sanders keep coming. He graduated from Berkeley in he thinks they're too far right super ultra ultra out there guy. We had a two hour lunch. He came thinking, okay, I'm going to meet with this Bible thumping anti-intellectual ticket because that's what I think all Christians are and I think here I am the super you know guy thinks alternative data and we had a two hour lunch. Here's what to tell you to think number one I like was almost disappointing. And you know, Sue. I respected him. When I when I listen carefully to his intellectual presuppositions about how he viewed the world what he did made sense. At least he was consistent with his vision and values and doing something. What we both agreed on as we want to help the poor, and so I left that with our churches can help the poor and he would help us help before we both kind of went away smiling on you know what we totally disagree on almost everything with regard to worldview, but I think I just met a Christian that is not stupid, anti-intellectual, bigoted, Bible thumping jerk. You seem like a real person and I came away the same way and we begin to see God open some doors. Why not like to tell you that in the middle of lunch, he bowed, prayed the prayer is in the kingdom, but I took a few bricks off and I didn't let in circles and more. I let people talk about him the same way. Hey, I know that guy not disagree with and he's really a nice guy and he's really trying to do some good sleep you take steps you take baby steps for obedience to God often alienates us from our group and is the price tag to take the good news across cultures. Verses 23 to 33.

Peter violated hundreds of years of tradition and he gets flack for it. If you do what God wants you to do some fellow Christians and is that why you hang out with them you to make Christians feel uncomfortable. Here's the practice choose to please God, not man choose to please God, not man. I remember a crossroads. We in the small rural town. There's a lot of prejudice in two things happen. Number one I started bringing black kids and Hispanic kids to church and I was called in downtown to a meeting of some leaders. Not all the leaders just two or three very powerful, very wealthy were part start church and they basically said you know what this is not really the kind of church were looking for and you need to keep your focus over here and you words not really equipped and I mean they used all the sophisticated ways to say, look, we don't want black kids and Hispanic is come to church and not if you've ever been around a crossroads and I felt like something your Galatians, like memorizing Scripture was very helpful in Galatians 110 came to my mind with apostle Paul said, if I please people can't be a bondservant of Christ.

I remember looking at them and send you know guys I know you brought me here and you have a picture of a church.

But Jesus has a picture of a church and as long as on the pastor say what this is what I'm going to do because I'm thinking his vision is probably way more important years and maybe if that's not what you want to do and see. I think I tell every pastor you have your resignation, written down somewhere in an envelope keeping your top desk drawer and if you not willing to be fired to never be willing to stand up for what's right and saw member to say an opinion or something. It's amazing the power of the gospel breaks through some of the same guys.

Three years later when we remodeled the black high school that we bought and remodeled and begin to partner with the black church across the street. Those guys I watch them in a shop helping small black kids learn about Christ and learn a trade.

It just takes one person like you and your work at your neighborhood at your health club to break the barrier and when you do.

God opens doors but you can have the please, please, people member the second time for us was the Barbie in Abydos. It was in a band and it was a through three or 4 acres and was the black high school and had just disrepair but it was really inexpensive to buy remodeling. We had you known those big church meetings, the kind that are good were people stand up and argue with one another and that we can do the walk section of town and you know they'll break the windows and on and on and on and it was again one of those moments of truth. We never had any vandalism. But was someone else.you can wait as a pastor what's can happen here. I member, a young woman stood up and said if the love of Christ can't transcend race in this town that we have no business being here. I think it's God's choice spot for us, not when you do that you know that two or three people that have a lot of money or get a folder arms on out and you have to lovingly say don't let that door hit you too hard on the rear and on the way out because you can't tell people use politics, power, intimidation, and manipulation to keep you from doing what's right and by the way, when you do what's right, there's a price that's not Hollywood, it doesn't mean hope everything goes great. I member we got as a result of some of those moves we got where if God didn't show up with some money on a certain date a certain time were done and guess what. On that day at a certain day on that certain time, exactly what we need to came in to choose to please God.

Practice number five is the good news of the gospel is for all people of all backgrounds in all places. That's Peter's sermon verses 34 to 43, Peter said wait when we preach the gospel. Pentecost occurred and he included the Jews. I didn't get done with my message the exact same thing happened to the Gentiles and Peter got new eyes. All the sudden all those Old Testament passages that he was skipping over about the nations and the blessing of Abraham and what God wanted to do for all people of all time. All the sudden they started the pop see you read your Bible and I read my Bible through a lens try this read your Bible for 30 days and just start looking for the poor the poor the poor the poor the poor the poor and see what the Bible says about the poor versus how you think about the poor, read the Psalms read the Proverbs and just look for the word poor, and you realize what God really is even think they're all bombs hidden for gall to see if they work harder. Is that true in some cases for sure that some of the Scripture says, the practice here share the difference Jesus had made in your life with someone this week. Okay, we have to get out of.

I'm trying to be a good person and I come to church and find what God wants me to do.

Jesus is the answer to the world's needs and when we share what Jesus has done and you have to share all the four laws you have to become a flaming evangelist with the Bible. This big in front of your desk or your cubicle or put up stickers everywhere.

What you need to do is incarnate the life of Jesus and begin in normal ways where just in the passing in a conversation and even maybe even a work situation and you were so afraid of offending people get more afraid of them never hearing and do it when suddenly you little statements like oh well, I can't imagine what you're going through. You know I went through divorce apart from Jesus on how to be here today. Your sons in ICU. Would you mind if I prayed to the Lord Jesus with let's get out of just this God means anything in our day. I pray for thy God you know can be anybody share Jesus and just shared in normal chronic ways break the barriers and do it was someone different. I have a new friend who where I play, will pickup basketball names Junior and Junior's guy and so here he had a number of tattoos and that I notice he had some new ones that went up like this. Although it was neck and then curled around his cheeks as it woke Junior you got some new ones are good. Yeah man, they're really not civil what give a little background seek.

I can tell you. 10 years ago, I saw that it will you know and then later you know like three weeks. I said I do not come about things like this. It hurt it hurts so instead of why you do a letter that looks weirder so so what's it mean to you from what you ever wondered why people do that when Chaska judging so so what's going on will then he came back later.

He has a shaved head and has now this is sort of the hook across the goes down like this in the tattoos all around. If I saw Junior on the street meant I'd be terrified. I get a tell you, Junior is one of the nicest guys I know and Junior is my friend. Thank you so kind. He runs the rec center and so he said you know Chip, it's fun, having around and he figured out what I did. I just in little ways.

You know I season I got so I can't play today but I need to get worked out on preaching a big message about Jesus as we can. He knows when coming in so he says so he he says give me your phone number so when the rec center is close. Sometimes I open it up so couple weeks ago I get this text want to play ball from Junior you not an on an over juniors that spiritually but little by little by little by little.

If someone doesn't cross a barrier that's different love Junior how would he ever know, and I know flaming evangelist as far as the first for five months. He knew I was here some old white guy trying to play ball. Still seriously you know anywhere is a lot of braces and overtime. We became friends who in your world is different from you this week. This week, take a baby step, pull a breakdown. Finally, number six, God refuses to allow himself or his ways to be put in a box versus 44 through 46. Acts chapter 10 is not a blueprint for the spiritual life.

It's historical. It's a historical picture have how God includes people it's the picture of how this revolution of Jesus change the world's own acts to they speak in tongues because it's an external view of the spirit has come upon the Jews.

In acts eight.

It doesn't say tongues with, there's an outward manifestation. It probably is.

The Samaritans get in but notice that that happens at the time. Here it happens later here now the Gentiles it happen simultaneously. This is in the pics you are teaching about some second blessing.

This is a picture of acts to a Canon later in 19 we have a group that were traveling somewhere and I even heard of the Holy Spirit.

There is no formula in the book of acts how people and when they believe, and sometimes are baptized before sometimes are baptized afterwards. Here's what we do, we unconsciously assume inside Christendom. The way God works with us is how we can work with everyone to give some real prejudice in the church. We got one group over here and we'll like it is how you were trained. It's God's word.

It's principles we don't want to get too emotional as people raise their hands and danced around. They make me nervous and then I that one guy said he had a vision from God or did this prompting from God and you know what there's principles we don't want that experiential emotionalism were to be men and women of the word in this group is over here going though. I love you Lord I love you Lord I had a vision last night. These people don't get the spirit there just you know the frozen chosen. All they just work principles are just trying to work it out. They don't get the prejudiced need to love people that are different.

Could it be that the spirit of God wants to take the word of God with a group of people outside boxes and boundaries inside clear Scripture and say let's change the world instead of judge one another. Why we have all these denominations is basically the arrogance and pride. Our way is better.

Everyone else is out to lunch. Here's the practice refuse to assume that God will work in others the same way he's worked in you cannot just ask you to please go on a journey and answer these questions.

First question is pretty easy. I think you can answer why were all prejudiced to scuttle my my my prayer for you and me is that our number goes down, you've got a number not got one is just that it goes down like you to think about how credit prejudice is really negatively affected other people use some company look at it out there.

It kinda helps you realize how diabolical it is and then third what you these six principles which which one as I was going through it.

There's a little sort of a loving dagger that said you need to listen to this. Put a star by that one and then who or what group of people you find yourself judging just as I kinda threw stuff around is it an ethnic issue. Is it a wealth issue. Is it a background issue is people from different parts of the world issue. Is it a work issue is in and the I don't know. I've got it you've got it than what if you number five could let the walls down what you started praying for a specific person trying to understand him, ask questions shared a meal. Maybe if appropriate, ask him to forgive you. And finally just about close with this can you imagine could you please can you imagine what God would do and what would happen if they enter generational.

That means young people admire old people instead of they don't know anything and old people would look at young people set and there was too loud and trying to do this and would mentor them instead intergenerational inter racial inter gender inter political were Jesus would be the center and we would so move beyond our prejudiced and love each other here. What would God do what would cut. It's not some big thing that some important person in an enlisted soldier in a blue-collar fisherman change the answer. Break down the walls. Some will join us here is talk more about the message you chose to just a quick reminder you've been listening to his series diabolical.

Satan's agenda for planet Earth, including you. Many Christians are naïve to sickness teams and head into their day-to-day lives, unprepared and unprotected, but in reality Satan does his best work in subtle ways and unassuming attraction little doubt here a little cynicism there or a calendar loaded down with religious activity.

These are dangerous and defective floors and were all vulnerable because were all targets of Satan's agenda chip chart for this series is to open your eyes to the doubles truly diabolical plots both confrontational and unseen as you listen to the series.

We hope you feel properly equipped to defend yourself and your family for all the information and resources for diabolical including chip special cards on spiritual warfare visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 83336003 trips can be back in just a second to talk more about these cards that have been such a helpful resource for so many people were just a quick reminder. You'll find them@livingontheedge.org app listeners tap special offers I'll be right back in just a minute to give you some very specific application about today's teaching but if you're concerned about our nation and our world and the strife in the chaos and the violence in and near you're just really uptight about. So what's really going on and you hear may be other Christians or you watch the news and you hear the strong statements and social media postings, here's what I want you to know James chapter 3 says the wisdom that is from the enemy is chaotic, it's demonic.

It's divisive.

It brings this order so when you see those things. That's not flesh and blood people are not the enemy. It's demonic forces that are causing that level of chaos and disorder Satan and demonic forces are energizing these things seem to be very careful not to attack the people, but attacked the cause and if you don't know how to discern what's from the enemy and what's just natural. You will be deeply stuck about how to respond in some tough situations right now. These spiritual warfare cards will give a clear perspective of what spiritual warfare is how to respond and what you need to do once you recognize this isn't just a person's bad attitude.

There's demonic power behind this effect.

Let me give you a quick description of these cards.

These cards are very systematic. They will help you understand the basic principles of spiritual warfare when you're in spiritual warfare. One of the promises in the Bible about spiritual warfare, how to understand the tactics of the strategies of the enemy, what protection God has given you and actually how to put on the armor of God, and then when necessary out loud how to engage the enemy and when these cards I think it be great for people in your world that you love that you want to help and were living in a world that's getting crazier and crazier. But here's the promise greater is he that is in us that he that's in the world. That's a great reminder chip. Thanks. If you're looking for spiritual victory in your life. Let me encourage you to order this resource you spiritual warfare cards will equip you to defend yourself against Satan's attacks with the power of God's word.

So whether these cards are for you or a gift to encourage someone else. I hope you pick up a sitter to while supplies last. To order chips, spiritual warfare cards just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or call AAA 83336003 app listeners tap special offers on the chipping remap as we wrap up today's teaching I covered a lot of material and this is I mean a bull's-eye issue. This is such a critical issue in our world and our country and especially in the church and so I want to review the six principles about how we break the power of prejudice want you to just listen and think to yourself, which one of these Lord do you want me to act on and then I cannot encourage you strongly enough. Download the notes there absolutely free and then send this series, I mean the MP3s are free send this series to friends and family and let's not let Satan win okay are you ready principle number one God is working in places among people where we assume he doesn't.

Here's the practice.

Assume that God is speaking to everyone everywhere and wants to use you principle number two. Prayer is the prerequisite to seeing others differently from our cultural bias.

Here's the practice. Ask God to let you see others the way he sees them.

Principle number three walls of prejudice often come down a few bricks at a time. Here's the practice. Take a small step this week to connect with someone much different than yourself principle number four obedience to God often alienates us from our group and is the price tag to take the good news across cultures practice choose to please God, not men. Principle number five the good news of the gospel is for all people of all backgrounds in all places the practice shared the difference Jesus is made in your life with one person this week and finally principle number six. God refuses to allow himself or his ways to be put into a box practice refused to assume that God will work in others the same way he's worked in your life.

In other words, he might do it very, very differently. You know what Satan is diabolical. But God is all-powerful, so let's fight the good fight, you'll find the message notes trip just mentioned a couple places go to LivingontheEdge.org and click the broadcasts tab app listeners tap fill in notes just before we close.

I want to thank those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support. If you found today's program helpful but haven't yet supported us. There's never been a better time because every gift we received between now and July 6 will be matched dollar for dollar to send a donation. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or give us a call at triple late. 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 and let me thank you in advance for your generosity will until next time, this is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge