1166. My Journey to Grace Relations

Welcome to The Daily Platform, our program features sermons from chapel services at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina today on The Daily Platform were continuing a series called grace relations. Today's message will be preached by Dr. Charles Ware who serves at the college of biblical studies in Indianapolis, Indiana. BJ you president Dr. Steve Pettit will introduce him as we planned this semester, we began to work around the theme of refresh. I knew that I probably really important that we have a week that we focus on the concept of race and grace together and how does that work especially in the world were living in today.

We are so honored this morning to have with us. Speaking today and tomorrow chapel Dr. Charles Ware Dr. Ware is the Executive Director of grace relations that is located in Indianapolis Indiana. Before that, he served as the president of Crossroads Bible college. He is been a church planter and served up in the Midwest is the founder of grace relations network.

He speaks in venues and serves as a consultant on racial reconciliation and leadership is ministry is received well by audiences from various ethnic groups. He has authored or co-authored and edited several books. One of them is the book where he co-authored with Dr. Ken ham one race and one blood he speaks for the BJ you press in various locations around the country, so we are so delighted to have him here today to speak and please give him a warm welcome as he comes to speak at Bob Jones University well thank you. Indeed, it is a to be here with you and appreciate that kind introduction. I am here today and I'm going to be sharing with you. My journey to grace relations title bit about my story. I I I am what I am by the grace of God I am excited that I've been saying I tell people I'm nothing but a servant of God have been redeemed by the death, burial and resurrection of the son of God dwelt by the spirit of God guided by the word of God laboring with the people of God to advance the kingdom of God for the glory of God. That's why I'm here today that's my journey. Praise God. I want to talk about life just a little bit. Dr. Pettit gave an introduction of her, but I do want to pray for her and 2010. She had a stroke. It left her reading it by third grade level. She's a woman who loves the Bible teach Bible studies and things like that. You can't really study anymore and that but even more pressing upon our family right now about two years ago she was diagnosed with a very rare brain disease and she'll get up in the morning sometimes and not know how to how to make a cup of tea or how to put toast in the toaster and then so will we are just seeing what God's going to do, how is going to leave but we are together as long as God would have us to serve him in the best way that we can you all aware of the facts and stats out the technically odd countries changing this this size survey said by 2050 minorities will be a majority. Ken Davis, who's with me to graduate from Bob Jones University's Landon was with me he some missiology so to speak speaks of our times is not by 2042 now at that about Ron. I don't get too hung up in the stats I just want to be what Jesus will be right now. Okay, grace relations, I like to talk grace test benefit to the people of God because grace is an acronym that stands for God's reconciliation at Christ expense. I'm not here trying to reconcile with you. If you are born again, have been reconciled with you. My job is according to Ephesians 4 is and what worthy of that and to live that out.

I want to talk to you as believers in Jesus Christ we have something the world does not have the world is not born again by the spirit of God. The world is not indwelt by the Spirit of God. The world is not submitted to the word of God. The world is not united as one family, but we are, therefore we do not take our marching orders from the world we show them something that they can't produce and what I'm talking about assignment one just be cursing the darkness I want to be creating communities of life. I want to see communities of grace. Where God is saved as united as admitted hearts together and we are living together for his glory.

That's what grace relations is all about what week this college of biblical studies where grace relations is a ministry of it.

Our president is Dr. William Brock blocker visionary great man I mission statement is that because biblical studies exist to glorify God by educating and equipping multi-picnic Christian leaders to impact the world for Christ not follow the world but impact the world for Christ. We try to live out our mission statement opposite shows that we are 45% African-American, 29% Latino, 17% white and the rest of the acne groups.

What we try to live out the message that God is given us.

I have a thing called a dream, but I won't know that this this morning with you but I will tell you what a map it was a what you seek to do to grace relations what what are you trying to accomplish what I'm trying to accomplish is the things you see a pin number one is discipleship. I believe that you and as Christians.

The number one thing we should be pursuing is the love God with our whole heart, soul and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves.

If we get that down to relationships will come together pretty good. But when we are immature and when we are when we are not reaching that goal that God wants us to love him and love our neighbor. Then we don't bring about the relationship that God wants to see done for the glory of God. Second thing I'm trying to do is edification. This is so many people, especially those of you delighted you call yourself white, with so many of you are so parallax you can see I don't know what is it like I like what I don't. I don't know what is. I don't want you just sit down doing that's the devil's work. He confuses you, paralyzes you. God didn't give you the spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind and what I'm trying to do is encourage us as Christian to have SMS conversations and unite together to preach the gospel to people who are going to help you and I God's people. We are one group we are one race and I'm trying to encourage us. Let's get together, let's work together to stop these conversations of them and us in a thousand, us and us conversation to be what God wants us to do the second. The third thing I'm trying to do is manifestation.

Jesus said by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, and that you have love one for another. That's my sermon for tomorrow call me love, me love that's what I want to be known for the character, me love you have marketing tools that even I wanted to integrate his marketing to do not say world is when they see people from different acne groups come together because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and somehow we love one another get along with one another and unite together to take them word of God into our society. That's what I'm trying to do, then it makes thing I'm trying to do is depopulate hail less eventually ventilation.

I don't care what you black/white of polkadot. I don't care what he educated and uneducated suburban or urban. I don't care what he rich or poor. If you die without Christ you will spend eternity in hell and there is that there's a virus it will all around the world: that is killing people well adjacent the greatest virus that is the killing people is a virus of sin. It has a percent death rate and you have the Q's name is Jesus Christ. And we need to get out there. The government is not going to preach Christ.

Secular schools not done preach Christ you will and the people who have that message and we walk in the midst of a people were dying and going to hell and will login and because in the darkness. Instead of giving them the light. The last thing I want to do is I will not glorify God in everything I do I want to glorify him, as you question you you you Bible believers in and you agree when I say you know the gospel is the answer we need to preach the gospel you are going to agree with that Jesus is the answer I will answer question. If Jesus is the answer why is a church so segregated you and trying to tell the world we got the answer but but they're looking to us to figure out why support church so segregated surveys been done to passes and more reluctant to speak about race these days there weren't 2016. Another survey a lot of lot of past, especially those like you says there's no race problem. I like what Dr. Tony Evans had to say that it is my contention that the fundamental cause of racial problems in America lies squarely with the church's failure to come to grips with this issue not notice from a biblical perspective, and that's what I'm concerned about sound doctrine, sound doctrine, second Timothy chapter 4 talks about preaching the word preached a what what a society is gone astray when you preach the word that end about adopting the goal. Dr. it is love, not here's here's what I want to challenge you with issue in this gout I want I want just as you discretion. As a Christian do we dare do we.

There to dream that the church can move beyond the division of race relations to the unitive grace relations… Whereat now I'm time at church on time. My born-again believers can talk about those of us who by grace have been united as one can't do we dare to dream that God is big enough, the gospel is powerful enough not to save us and take us from Caltech heaven, but to bring us in relationship one, that's what I want to challenge you and I will journey real quickly here why the question is so important to me March 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. success has been assassinated.

Racial riots and protests going on across our country places have been burned down. Relationships of man Vietnam wars going on. It was in March 1968. The two white men came to my house on a Monday night.

They asked me to question if you die tonight, we would use will you spend eternity. I looked him square in her eyes and I said of God is just go to Hill.

They said have you ever heard that you, they were shocked visit every hurting tonight going to heaven.

I had heard that actually from one of the young men that was that was there that night he with his father Thomas Sunday school class when I was in seventh grade. He talking first John chapter 5. These things ever written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you might know that you have eternal life. I listened to that message. I rejected that message I sent nobody can know that they're going to heaven until they die and God would judge her good against your benefit. Good outweigh the bad. You going to heaven if the bad outweigh the good. Going to help actually change my life as 1/7 grade some things I thought was sent to get rid of other things.

It was too good to get rid of that said, on those.

But my senior year in high school I decided being good and make me happy. So I've sent and broke my own my own stand. So when answer that question. I was ready.

They said if we can assure you from the word of God. Would you believe, well, yeah, I switched the sugar from work, probably so they came in my living room and open the Bible to me. Romans 323 for all of sin and come short of the glory.I had no problems with that at that particular time because I knew I was a sinner I knew had come short of the glory of God. And I love what the Bible says all of sin, black/white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated on educated urban, suburban, it doesn't really matter all sinned and come short of the glory of God. I didn't hog with it. Then they show me but the but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, and that captured my attention that captured my attention and then they said Romans 58 but God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us now and that really caught my attention because I played three varsity sports as a senior I lettered in three varsity sport. I applied to three colleges. I was accepted at three colleges I was scholarship the three colleges I was that I was the president of the student Council, but all of these things that I once thought would bring me happiness and meaning left me empty, and I often wondered whether people would love me just because of me. I can remember once walking across the gym floor. There was nothing going on gym class a just and display smell, musty, and I looked up and into the rafters and I said if we were having again. This place would be packed out people away screaming and yelling and shouting and some of them recall in my name, but then I asked the question what if I never could jump.

What if I never can play ball with. They love me anyway if I will if I wasn't present a student Council. How many people want to be my friends now would still want to be my friend.

I don't know the real answer to that but I came to the conclusion that most people want to be around me because what I can do. But here was and he was a God who loves me even when I was a sinner and nothing to offer him. He loved and equipment.

Romans 10 is – a profession that mouth the Lord Jesus in our heart that God is raising. – If they say in my living room one so much that I don't want to go to Hill, but because I want real life.

I want real peace and I believed on the Lord Jesus Christ at night and God miraculously saved me that my life turned 180°. I was the first person a black person to be baptized in that church. My mother said what you look like a flammable milk. I told mom I'm just a drop of chocolate give Miller time off label them all but say the word of God.

I just wanted the word of God place they were given a word about what I thought of witnessing to the people in my high school daughter could change my life that he's a radical change my life that God chose me to pray about where God wanted me to go to college. Well I 53 state schools.

I had my way, paid three state schools and picked out one school because my best friend was unsafe and I was going to go to college together room. Try leaving the price, and this guy wanted me for about Bible college, I thought about that. I prayed about.

I told my pray about every bond that God is Bible college really know what scholarship is.

My way is paid to secular university I'm I got I got I got scholarship take the school I was going to pay my room aboard my tuition and given money to spend on the weekend as a God where you want to go this secular colleges a few thousand people. This Bible college was $200, but he won't go as God's word in my heart and in and capture my heart more more dictating becoming more more clear to me he wanted me to go to that Bible college and I remember getting on my knees and Fran and I was almost crying and I said to God, you sure you and Robert Mills but I'll go. I went down and it was one of the American lady that was there.

She graduated after year left me there all along with the food you make.

I was on demigod I'm Fran. I'm trying to get the word of God there teaching the word of God to teach me this inspired us and Eric. It got take it literally and in context and I'm here stuff I never heard my life before God is transforming my life when I got saved and start reaching out some of my friends. One of them was an extremely good ballplayer. He was on the on the graduate to me and we go to these youth camps and all these so-called white girls live acutely come running around and causes that ball. The director of the camp pulled him aside and said you should be sitting next these white girls he came to me said was this all by cement I'll know anything about ISA when I hear from four girls were here for Jesus.

Just follow these well. He had said he was going to come to Bible college at me where I went. When he graduated.

But that summer before was the calm black power advocates got a hole in they told him Christianity was a white man's religion he reflected on this ideal. And once it makes the white girl so so so he decided I'm not going Bible because I'm going to secular universe and when play professional ball he got in the college less than a month, broke his foot can play ball dropped out. Went to the city got involved with some woman beater up wind up in prison. Friend of mine called me and told me and said them. Listen, he's in prison they don't let them out.

You need to come up and talk to them. You listen you weddings throughout as well and have a car size that can drive around.

I wrote him a letter I don't know if he ever got it. He got out of college, he got only got out of jail he got an argument with a woman that got a pistol was there was shot and he was kill that broke my heart my thoughts before then was interracial marriage of the Bible says is wrong is wrong. I don't care I will obey God. I didn't like Jesse Jackson. I didn't like Al Sharpton. I didn't even like Martin Luther King Jr. I was cursing all that darkness because I had Jesus death of this young man caused me to do something. I decided to study the Bible on the subject of interracial marriage.

I study the Bible and the sub generation med I came to conclusion Bob them everything wrong with that is not interracial marriage is interfaith marriage and God God.

God help me see that that this this book is nine prejudices people.after the paper I wrote in college called prejudice and the people of God, confuse me, Lord. What's going on.

I've given up my identity with so-called black people.

I have a dentist find myself with so-called Christians, many of whom are around auto light a few and they're telling me that I'm all right to be there but I gotta stick with my own. Sharon and I we got involvements on the church and inner city of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

When we say that God is bringing us together for marriage. It was some students from the college that got us involved in that church then asked me to be pastor so we are involved in.

That is going to get married. She was a year behind me. I graduated before she did.

We waited for her to graduate in.

We got married just before our marriage. Administration of the school call all the white students that was members in our church and said to them if Charles Sharon get married you got to choose between the college and the church to the students credit. They met together and they said would God ordained the local church.

He did not ordain a college. This is our local church will not move to which the college said everybody who is a member of the church can remain a member but nobody knew can become a member. Sharon Jeremiah Merritt. I applied to seminary twice and was rejected. That was got me very confused. I remember that particular time.

I broke down in prayer before God and I said to God, I don't understand this. I don't know what's going on. I said them that you're saying then I can't deny you. I gotta follow you. I wonder what you want me to do what I want to go to a black church of white people had air races and privilege. If you can't trust them and keep my mouth shut, should go to why church and hear about blanks are lazy they want to hand out their criminal that is that not just keep my mouth shut and God made it very clear to me this is not this is my journey to grace relation when God made it to me. You don't follow blank. You don't follow like to follow Jesus and that's what I'm trying to do. Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. Romans 12 wanted to shut out so to say.

I presented my life as a living sacrifice holding on to.

I don't bow before group. I don't bow before party.

I don't bow before person other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one I got answer to. He's the one I'm living for and and God put me on that journey. We start this group: voice of biblical reconciliation.

By that time. After that, when I went to the DC area, but God heard my heart and suggest keep preaching grace because of the grace of God to save me. I want you to understand in this book. This first book I wrote Bob Jones is an Bob Jones as man be an example of an institution believing that interracial marriage for sand and send it but you know what, I'm here today to tell you the grace of God gives me and my sin and helped me grow and develop. I'm so happy Bob Jones South that this is the right way to go. I tempered a misinterpretation of the text that to a misapplication of the text that led to a misdirection of the church the way we corrected is not to follow the world back to the text right interpretation of the type of application of the text right redirection of the church and that's what Bob Jones is doing. Praise God I'm all for that. I segment this history is still being written by the hand of God Bob Jones is not bound in its pass. You are making history right now and what you want to be able to do is talk about the past and talk about the grace of God to transform you and demonstrate something so different that people just have to say it was the grace of God.

That's why I'm here. I'm excited about God is good also. Ken Davis is here. He and I create a course of Fort Bend crossroads Bible college is called culture, race in the church I was troubled as I look at history, the more conservative and Bible believing the group was the more likely they were to support slavery to fight integration to fight civil rights, and I wanted to know why I want to go back to the text and see what was going on so we created that course together not to be taken in a competency-based situation can be taken online and people get taken at their time. But what I'm here to tell you is that I am convinced that the grace of God saying my old sinful soul when I was headed to hell just slick and it was God's love is unmerited favor and God is change my life and I'm looking for other people who been changed by the grace of God that we can unite together been empowered by the spirit of God guided by the word of God so that we can impact this this culture for the glory of God.

I'm not following the world. I'm following Christ. And I want you to notice my close when I was in college like you were in college.

There is racial things going on. There was all this division so on so forth. But but some of us were seeking God to love him Frank were fantastic were involved in ministry together and we were eating together talking together, laughing together one of those individuals in my life is Ken Rudolph and Ken would also on Trish Rudolph went to our alma mater and put up money to start a scholarship call akin and Charles where scholarship because he said this is reconciliation that I believe in.

That's biblical reconciliation that grace relation may God help you to live your life in such a way you been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Charles where who serves at the college of biblical studies in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This is part two of a three-part series called grace relations. Listen again tomorrow as we conclude this series on The Daily Platform