Overcoming Discrimination Strongholds

Dr. Tony Evans says there's no discrimination at the foot of the cross race… This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker and pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative doctrine as you said a moment ago that there's no discrimination at the foot of the cross, but there seems to be plenty of other places we can find it in your message today to talk about discrimination, not just as a problem but as a stronghold.

What's the difference with Dave a problem is something challenging in your life that you have the capacity to address a stronghold is something that hold you hostage and you don't have the capacity to address it.

You two week it's too ingrained. It's too deep for you to change your neuronal obviously racism and discrimination is one of those strongholds that is holding people hostage for generations. That's passed down from community to community from parents to children and it's in golf our nation since its inception. And so it is time now that we recognize strongholds can only be broken spiritually. There's no legislation, you can pass to break a stronghold is no group meeting that you can have the breaker stronghold unless God gets involved a stronghold because it spiritually. Nature keeps you wrapped up tight up and confined it to yourself discrimination, so it's time now to look at the spiritual issues that are holding us hostage ritually well with that in mind, let's listen to your message for today.

James chapter 2 starts us all without discussing the day. Let God what step of discrimination, he raises the issue in verse one my brethren referring to Christians all glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude up personal favoritism.

James Ray a problem in the church. They call them up discrimination a couple of immediate observation hello did not have clear believers in God and the glorious Lord Jesus Christ belief system and a personal relationship with the people who are different, they would look at people side to determine their work will be inside bailout TVs, personal now this is a fundamental issue is because the Bible makes it so only clear that there is no partiality with God. Big because when Chris liked this discriminatory way.

Like just because something we ought to discriminate about all you want to discriminate between right and wrong like this discrimination whole body would have you treat them because of you by God, in fact. James chapter 2 verse nine. Please note the clear statement but it will show partiality, discrimination, you said and are convicted by the law as a transgressor you show me discrimination toward another person because of God's socially that's not James puts it on the level where it all when I was in school way back in Baltimore moment they had all the way they needed the school of boiling water. That's not into the various classroom radiators. Remember the old radiators and Steve would go up through their why got to know as a child, but it should be a good handle. The ballroom in elementary school one day notice that there was this little glass on the side of the big huge glass about this long now that you said what the little let me know.

Work will be helpful because lets me see what's going on. The bigger boy let you know how you would not your relationship with God.

Every one of you would not matter how close you and your brothers with the amazed at some of the testimony dissipated Tom Landry funeral one testimony about one of the black player.

The particular, would not ask to speak reason alone during the 60s. He said what all that when I went treat me family was unlike what this man have to show for 20 years of women going to heaven with a good name because he didn't let that mess with his team and that tell us how we all feel sees for the kingdom of God/concept five produces prejudice prejudice produces discriminations of all briefly talk about the categories of discrimination not mentioned again about one is the most celebrated kind of discrimination, particularly in America. What is race is that is discrimination based on skin, that's racism. Racism is the discriminating based on the complexion of another person is most noted white against black not talk about quite as much discrimination. A light-skinned black dots to Blacks differences.

Sometimes it is based on a mentality that all other times is based on the ability to exercise power over somebody else or to maintain status and the nuances of racism, but racism is faulty because it complexion and begin feeling what the creator because not that God has created an all white, you will is one thing, the blood pressure group is called type, many black or white races all black starlings to create the stereotypes that become normative when you judge the group so that you have to prove you not like how I think the group is you got a good meal to show me you're not like everybody else. You have to prove to be not like this class that has to do with money and status. Treating the poor person badly because they don't have a close house.

They have that hope.class discrimination lost some wealthy members. You existed anymore because they didn't get preferential treatment because of their status in the world get preferential treatment in the chart is your spirituality, understand their your doctor. You burn your medical degree will call you Dr. Joseph. But I will treat you a lot of money to the child you make sure your donation is based on spiritual will go back to the rest of today's lesson in just a moment driven you been making it clear that we can wish our way out of the discrimination stronghold or legislator way out, or even educate our way out. So what can we do that will actually work well that's exciting question to respond today because God is established the church as his dominant cultural influence or that's why it is the condition of the church that will determine the well-being of the community.

So when Jesus established the church in Matthew 16 he said, my authority will be manifested through the church to advance my kingdom is when my church is operating like my church should operate. Then the society will see what God had in mind when he built civilizations.

So God is literally waiting on his people to come together with that uniqueness is across race, cultural and class lines and to bring God's kingdom principles to bear in the church and been through the church overflowing from the church into the community to bring about the kind of change that we desperately need to see that's why can the book that I wrote one is to embrace that book on grace and God's kingdom. It shows God's perspective how we are to operate. In light of it and even gives a plan for any community can see transformation take place in spite of the anguish, agony, violence and injustice and racial disparities that is occurring everywhere, Tony.

I also know that oneness embraced was a very personal book for you to write dealing with your own hurts and hopes over this issue.

So I want to make a point of reminding everyone that a newly revised edition of oneness embraced is now available. In fact for Black history month to the end of February were packaging it together along with your current six part message series, faith, hope, unity, this powerful resource bundle as a thank you gift from us to anyone who makes a contribution to help keep this program coming each day to take advantage of this offer. Just visit Tony Evans.org or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 were resource team members are standing by ready to help. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 with Dr. Evans will return with the second part of today's message right after this. It's beyond the Sunday sermon a chance to really dig into the Bible and the kingdom in a new way anytime and anywhere because it's all online Tony Evans training center, in-depth courses, all kinds of topics cultural transformation intro to expository preaching, Jude John, Hebrews, Old Testament, New Testament, and so much more. These are sermons their teaching courses to help you engage understand Scripture and not just to hear about, but to explore the kingdom of God on your own.

Find out more Tony Evans training.org Tony Evans training.org accepts that Dr. Neff talk about the Hellenized you and the Hebrew Jews to different cultures Hebrews and the Greek Jews rubbing each other the wrong way, you have search church leaders you get men fix it two different culture that was sensitive to the culture so they chose Jews that could remake the people who have a need as whites in our congregation grow to be sensitive to that sensitive staffing for the programming since you cannot skip the reality of differences. Same thing with Blackstone like churches you went without losing your majority. You cannot get you not the only one religion based discrimination because they don't worship like our worship where great church their term church doll after proctors worship spirit and truth. I got the right attitude seriously. Education discrimination limits placed on educated. Whether you have a PhD or GED or GED you came into the kingdom for single God did not make before he brought you into the PA wanted to be able God will grant all data. Praise God for person to have the tenacity dropped out back secure for discrimination stronghold.

Whatever level it is to the Galatians with me. Book Dalmatians going on grace. You remember he says in the book of Galatians verse chapter verse six verse God shows no partiality. God shows no partiality. That is unrighteous distinctions about right and wrong, but not based on unrighteous distinctions three verse 23. But before faith came before before coming to Christ through faith And custody under the law being shot up to the day until faith that was to be later revealed the law will have become to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified. But now the Lord what you will, come to class, you will you write yourself a Jew nor Greek/not free for you next, then you are with me, will you if you trust in Christ makes no difference to God is not that men are men and women don't limit what is the distinction we mean that status of the problem. The problem is this grace great and what you write because what is you what they made you have hope with Brinks.

People understand grace can be racist because they need hope to. That's why the book of James chapter 2 that one does not show mercy won't receive if you don't give hope don't have to hope if you don't expect if you day when you don't because grace and grace is not condemning all life the way you get to somebody that Dr. Tony Evans looking at how the spiritual issues that keep us in bondage to racism can be broken. He points out that expressing kindness, however small, to everyone we encounter is a very simple way to help deflate cultural disrespect, hatred, and insensitivity. As believers we are called to love God and one another and when we show kindness to others. We honor God and contribute to changing the atmosphere of our culture for good now before we go. Today I want to remind you to take advantage of our special package offer on Tony's newly revised blog oneness embraced and his six message audio collection called faith, hope, unity, attribute to Black history month that yours is.

I think you gift when you make a contribution to help keep Tony's teaching on the station, but this is a limited time offer so be sure to contact us soon. You'll find us online@tonyevans.org or give us a call, day or night at 1-800-800-3222 were resource team members are standing by to help you.

That's 1-800-800-3222 almost every day we're reminded that it's past time to face up to some biblical facts about racism tomorrow. Dr. Evans will take us beyond cultural thoughts on the issue as he shares what God has to say about race and racism.

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