1167. Color Me Love

Welcome to The Daily Platform or program printer sermons from travel services Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

Every day students are blessed by the preaching and teaching of the Bible from the University Chapel platform today on The Daily Platform work, including 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 his speaking. Dr. Charles Ware Dr. Ware is the Executive Director of grace relations 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 them 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 as I was thinking about this. Us sermon this morning. I want to take a good mood. Look at me and how I did answer the question what color am you got it and it preached to you all call me because I'm exterior some might say black. You might say Brown somebody might be educated is a just a little bit more melanin than somebody else. But I'll get what you say you see something was out, but I know you're not colorblind if you concede you can see, but I want to understand this, God's looking for character and also you are soon as you noted every professor outcome.

They have their trying to get across the testing on whether you got that point I want to say to you, the reason I'm pretty don't call me love is because God has an outcome he wants to see in our lives as believers and that is love and we talk about that this morning I had the privilege back in 22,000 for the middle of Zion's meeting in Thailand in that particular year. Liaisons broke the people who attended in this study groups I was in a study group about 48 people what we were looking at was confronting racial tribal and conflict within the Christian community seeking reconciliation and transformation underneath that was the question, is the gospel powerful enough to reconcile people from diverse groups in my group.

We had a black South African white South African with a Hutu and Tutsi. We had a Palestinian Palestinian and Israelite you get the point.

We were all like the 48 from these different groups that known for division and and we spent a week together.

Listen to the one of this testimony is talking about one another's lives and wrestling with this question is the gospel powerful enough to save people from devising groups and bring them together as one. As the Scripture says it was an interesting time while we were there at the end of of our time. We came to get.

We came to this conclusion is that we believe that that reconciliation is God's initiative. The church is called to be the one living sign of the one body of Christ. Reconciliation is at the heart of the gospel and the church's life and mission and is to go to evangelism and justice. Reconciliation is a deep and costly process and requires humility, forgiveness, courage and patience. We are committed to pursuing God's reconciled and mission in a world of broken relationships and destructive relation destructive conflict student in 2017 I was in South Africa I was there participating in a conference call racism when color and why were there speaking. It was interesting as we were coming towards the end of our conference and their news was the fact that somebody high up in our government like individual that presidential aspirations that he gave a call out to black South Africans to take their farms from white South Africans and to kill white South African and some people were acting upon an absolute disturbance of the country's electrician should we stay here should really at that same time, I got a report in the United States of the march in Charlottesville, Virginia and and and and and it all right and that March and it hit me at that particular time that racism is a global problem. Divisions amongst people from different groups is a global problem and I wrote an article I will pull up the article that grace relations is an answer.

The answer to the global problem of racism. I want to challenge it is morning what you think about this column I love what you think about it because number one I will take down read the Scriptures and spend the time some of the Scripture, but what if Jesus said, you can build your house on a rock and to build on sand built on sand.

When you take the ideas of the world and try to build your life around that when the storm because it's going to fall upon but Jesus said, he who hears my words and doing them. These built his house on the rock and win-win scones in the storms, you will stand so I want to challenge you and challenge myself about this concept.

Color me love call me love I want to say you first of all, as we think about this, Jesus was asked?

What is the greatest commandment. And he answered the greatest commandment is simply this. Dr. love the Lord thy God with our whole heart, soul and mind, and the second is like unto it, also love thy neighbor as thyself.

If Jesus Christ says the greatest commandment is to love.

I think as Christians we all feel like the one of the primary objectives that we are seeking for in our lives is to demonstrate the love of God society does not know God, I want to challenge you and challenge myself.

We need to pursue this and I want to say it is easy for us to miss you got your tagline you want to learn you want to love anyone lead taglines at the top of it is love and I want I want I want just hit you with this from first Corinthians 1st Corinthians got every problem that we are having today they got. They got immaturity.

They got immorality. They got divisions they got lack of teaching is all there and in the first reason pauses at the heart of the problem is you immaturity.

That is, we need to be disciple be mature Christian.

But then he gets the first residence. 12 and he talks about spiritual gifts and then he says in verse 31 chapter premises were covered earnestly the best gifts and yet show unto you a more excellent way. This way is it is better is better than anything the world can put out is better than any law that you can pass is better than any pressure that you put on people on social media are individual. This law is better than any secular education they can give you this law. This is better. This is the more excellent way.

And you say what is the more excellent way to listen to them in verse 13. Do I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

You can be a great orator, you can move crowd you can you can you can you can cause people to be fascinated with your sweet but if you don't if you don't have love you like a sounding symbol. It says here's a tinkling cymbal read verse two says and don't have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and don't have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, and nothing policy and of these things that you can be educated.

You can take drink can take Hebrew you can learn history. Well, you can learn your subject will you meet and a student in the school. But if you come out here and you don't have love, you are in pain you have freight I mean real faith is a mountain, remove the move because of your faith if you don't have love you are nothing. He says out in verse three, and August. All my goods to feed the poor, and so I give my life to be burned, and have not charity.

It profits me nothing. You can live in freedom for the sake we are afraid of what you can do this and you can do that. In fact, you can give your like to be sure, but you don't have love and dropped anything reason I say call me love for God is looking for that that is that isn't that is a priority for the you and I neither need to get in our minds got what he won't see the color of your skin the color of your skin doesn't tell me nothing about your character. You want to be known for our character above anything else. As Christians we want to be known by our love for God and our love for one another. One of the interesting things to me about the younger generation we get excited about Jess's issues and we can weaken protestant and then we can we can set straight on social media, but at the same time was sleeping with somebody is not as well that's not the love of God, you start off with loving God. If you love God you will keep this commandment is at the center of loving God and you and I gotta get you get that down so I'm a living sacrifice. God has control over my life so I got what God wants to create in me that desire that passion and be transformed by the word of God to the spirit of God's life become more like a son of God and the apex of it. What he is looking for his love is and what we talk about we talk about love is an example of love. I want to say to you right now that that that as a Christian you and I need to understand that we need about to the word of God and the God of the word before without any human being or any human system.

John chapter 13 Jesus Christ with his disciples the Last Supper.

He washes their feet as a symbol of humility about the way he knew that Judas was in the crowd, Judas would betray him set amount for 30 pieces of silver, and yet he washes their feet out there, people listen. If I'm having a meeting and I'm holding you sit there and you are to sell me out. I will wash your feet. I might not you handle Jesus wash his feet Jesus identified then Jesus says to his disciples a new commandment I give in. Notice is a commandment is a mandate this new commandment that you love one did it in your hand. A lack of love is as sinful as adultery, fornication, or stealing, you are breaking the command of God. This is not a suggestion, it is a commandment, it is the greatest commandment, Jesus said this is it your love. I will be known for my love, not the color of my skin.

I see sin and people of every color. People talk about you study my family tree I say how far you want to go back go back far enough, we all came from Noah and his family keep digging in our family tree get back that many you spend money for you at your and your ancestry wound you give me that money not daily came from became the matter sometime get intrigued with them and I know where they're coming from. After marriage, and that means instead of incentive keys and cleans and powerful people answered because they been beat down so much by Senate black seven accomplish anything that I understand that but I think yeah well I said in my ancestry. My my my biological father I I didn't know him until he was on his deathbed. When my wife and I went visiting the biological… Father figure my life for my elementary years to about seven grade. My mom was never married, and they separated in middle school and saw that my mom just raising men will bounce around from place to place it in high school my mom married and and and and and and and my senior year in high school. God it was a father figure in my element. Terry school year.

He came up took me out fishing and he said to me what you think about me and your mom getting back together when I'm 18 years old and am send myself my mom's marriage is I just between you and my mom came in at about midnight from a senior event and I'm going to my house yellow ribbons all around the house and totally stop me want to know who I was. I told well as I live there. They say what is been the shooting here tonight. The gentleman that was was my father figure from elementary school you got on the config with my stepfather.

My stepfather shot and killed and all three of with what you call blight.

I don't need going to follow man says that there is disheartening to know what it tells me we've all sinned and come short of Lord God has a God they can say about what home.

You grew up in, and what you going to become but I think God when you get saved. It breaks the chain. I don't care what my mama was what the problem was that great granddad and I don't really care when I got saved by the grace of God I became a child of God's been transformed by the word of God and I'm trying to be obedient to that word, and therefore I want to be known for my love for God and my love for people and especially Christians, is a mandate that we that we love one another the model.

The model who went to the mall is what is Jesus Christ sees them out. Jesus, a symbolic topic from first John chapter 4, God loved us first. Love not. We first love God, but he loved us and sent his son to be propitiated a satisfaction for our sin while not me you love me.

When our trip values.

When I when I had nothing to give him when I was posting him. Also his word.

He said his son to be propitiated and he loved us. For when talk about reconciliation in our present culture. Sometimes the questions that he makes the first move but I like individual say to me one time. We always gotta be first referred as a we want to be like Jesus but them. You know what the reason why I reach out reach out to other people from different ethnicities on so forth is because I have experienced the love of God. He sought me when I wasn't seeking him. You might say what we publishing on our church and it is welcome to come with what I've come to the Jacuzzi church. God doesn't tell Dante I say people go to chat.

God tells people to say people this what you call it.

That's what Jesus did right. Jesus loved us first. He made the first move. If I literally cut love I'm going to be seeking out reconciliation that brings honor to my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Regardless of the color your skin. Regardless, wake, he's the model you love this most what are you afraid of something I call your name somewhere I say so bad about your family.

Oh somebody might even attack you around. When I got saved in 1968 and all the racial things going on all the talking subs on media, and I remember telling God I'm saved I'm going to heaven. I'm glad that I want talk to these people. These people crazy didn't want to reason that we got limited acts 2024 is a life verse one. Paul's going to Jerusalem and in the proper profit told him that you go to the rooms.

We will be persecuted and put in jail also. But none of these things move me neither, my life there and myself that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry that I received to testify of the gospel of Jesus Christ and God said, you get a hold and just don't you just do what I dictated. Don't be moved by these things.

Jesus Christ loves us most. He gave up heaven for us. He became one of us that he might die for city might save us. There's nothing you and I can ever, ever give up compared to what Jesus is already given up for God did not spare his own son but gave him up up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things.

So when I look at this love and look at Jesus. He loved the smoke G Jesus. So what is it is a big thing for me, and recall names be rejected by human beings may get a life at some point person asked me one time you will wish you a white said from what you go down by the beach and get the suntan lotion and sit in the sun so you look like me. They bound him a mama I'm good. My skin say Jesus Christ is satisfied with me. I don't care what you are.

He was willing to give up and we should be willing to give up because were secure in the Savior's love.

I know he loves me he excepts me he indwells me I'm not waiting for somebody so called primitive power. Tell me there.

Sorry so I can feel good about myself.

I'm securing the Savior's love that that enables me to selfishly love others. That's what Jesus did for us is to love this most he went to the cross for us.

Not only knew of his first love was most, but he loved us to eternal life. He became a depreciation that we might know God, that we might have eternal life because that is eternal life. Jesus is and this is eternal life, that they might know the true God, you know, I'm so glad that God didn't say, and give us different parts of heaven, all microbe over there all white football here all y'all yellow whatever, how you divide people that we might know you true God love it if you say you got access to the father. Some people scream and I will give need is this famous person going to mean this politician called me for the present United States hold me got access.

I don't stoop so low as the official above God Nebuchadnezzar during a dress can take care of anybody in the White House. I got a life I got fellowship with the living God, and I want to invite you walk with me in that fellowship red, yellow, black and white.

Anyway you want to put it low Milliman melanin file you want to put if you born again we want to love on that will be known by love. That's what God is interested in character, not the color of our skin. I want I want I want I will out, I want to encourage you to make that your goal that's what you want to say is a God use my life to impact me with this this this this this idea of the body of Christ and his love of preaching all over the country. I was getting tired of preaching all over the country.

I was complaining to God but God I'm free to follow the country and internationally, and I'm not didn't know anybody I'm not getting close relationship. I'm running hereunder. Most people probably forgotten about me. They don't care about me and then in March 2019 February 1998 I got a phone call is on the West Coast preaching and I got a phone call from my executor like Pres. and he says what are your signs of been injured there taken them to the doctors right now. I said oh he said you want a number the hospital as it please not call the hospital and dancing on the other end and that said my son is been admitted they said yeah he suffered a C4 fracture. Do you know what that means is in no Mama, don't. She said he's broken his naked edges, but your wife is coming on the corner right now.

You want to speak with her. I said yes.

Sharon got on the phone she's crying.

She's weeping. Matt's been hurt.

It doesn't look good and and and she said I gotta leave now there taken to another place. So I got off the phone.

I told the president of the seminary allows forget that my son had broken his neck and he call the prayer meeting all faculty was like I didn't care what color they were. I just couldn't get through to heaven they pray for me that night I got a 1 o'clock flight in the morning for Seattle and I was I went to the airport and for pastors came there they will all write what color they were looking to get to the heaven pray for me. I got on the plane.

I'm fine. I'm sitting there in my seat and I'm trying to God and I'm send the God I gave you my life just to preach the gospel sons broken his neck. I don't know I will have money.

I came to give up my son. I want to quit my job to two job second job to take care my friend sitting there in that seat.

God reminded me. He said you gave me your life as a living sacrifice Roman 12 wanted to. He said just leave it there. I got this and there were tears in my eyes. I just went back trusting God. I landed, I went to the hospital the next morning and as I'm going the hospital to see my son always tubes all his things, and I see the Indianapolis newspaper Indystar and and on on the front page of stock is a picture my son and there's a caption over the picture young athlete injured but not his faith in, and what it was about was they were practicing in basketball disabled balls and worn out his head into a wall is vertebrate friendship and sever this severed his spinal cords and when my wife got there they had him on a stretcher never taken to transporting and and and and and they were Trevor she ran. She was crying, weeping over son Lynn on his back hurt and he looked her eyes and is pull yourself together God's in control a sportswriter.

Her death so he wrote that on that was in the news about a solid week you use and even in them as women's magazine on the I did. It is horse start again go all over the world will begin to do the emails it area around the world. His testimony went, and then the church of the house and they said we got some food from another business constantly having something where family they created a trust fund church on a Sunday night took up $167,000 for the web trust fund to Christian businessman they had dinner hundred and $7000.

What a great brand-new van that was handicap adapted for games that debt-free some building people built us another home on 10 acres of land with 3000 ft.² handicap adapted we were able to move in the street and God told me that's what I'm talking about when I say I'll love one another and people come together, red, yellow like some physical disability with the family at that time and I just praise God. I can never get over the grace of God I want to say to you and say to myself: me love and may not be said of you to God bless you been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Charles where who serves at the college of biblical studies in Indianapolis, Indiana. This was the final message from the series called grace relations.

Thanks for listening and join us tomorrow for another sermon preached from the Bob Jones University travel platform