The Sin of Partiality

There are many things that we like, and other things that we dislike like collard greens. I just like Brussels sprouts. I like happy people and not dislike unhappy complaining people. I like the underdog and not dislike the bully each of us have many likes and dislikes, so word of these dislikes and likes come from will most are introduced as a part of our upbringing.

Now upbringing as a good Southern word is but most of what we like and dislike.

RR preferences that are introduced us during our childhood and we like the things our parents like it many times as we grow up we adopt the things that are friends light there comes a time however when we have to make decisions for ourselves as to what we like or dislike what is right or what is wrong. We cannot just continue to accept the things that we have been conditioned to accept we come to that age of accountability as part of growing up. The Bible says that in first Corinthians 1311 when I was a child, I spoke like a child and I thought as a child, I reasoned like a child but when I became a man I gave up childish ways this morning. I'd like for us to talk about a topic that is hot in the news today is the sin of racism in the sin of partiality now. Any time there is a hot issue and then use I see it as an opportunity for me to think personally about that topic. See how the Bible what it says about that particular topic and to ask myself as I am confronted by the word of God. Is there something that I need to do to adjust my life. My thoughts, my attitudes, my beliefs on this issue do my actions need to change. I'm afraid that many of us when it comes to the task of thinking about racism or partiality. We have not moved from our childish beliefs to mature biblical understanding of this issue and that's our challenge today to allow the word of God to permeate in your heart and begin to change your beliefs, your actions, your values into those that align with what the word of God says robust well set to says do not be conformed by this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what the will of God is what is good and acceptable and perfect.

So I've used this climate in this country and not just in this country. But this this is taking place in the world, racism, reality takes place around the world have asked myself this question today.

I am I a racist. Do I commit the sin of partiality. I want to ask you the same question this morning is gotten quiet in here. If you notice that in my racist and do I commit the sin of partiality now usually when the media portrays a racist is usually a white man by our media that we have usually drives a rusty old pickup truck and he's from the sticks of North Carolina or South Carolina somewhere in this man was everyone who was not like him to leave his town to leave his country now want you know that this is a false view of racism. Sure, there are some folks that fit this profile, there are extremist in every race and every people group who are only empowered when they can keep things stirred up throughout my life I've encountered people of every race and every culture that are racist and practice the sin of partiality is not just limited to one race.

What is racism.

Racism is defined as a prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that that that one's own race is superior. Let me read that again.

Racism is defined as prejudice and discrimination or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that that one's own race is superior.

That's the sin of racism. The sin of partiality is when we treat people differently through our actions and attitudes because of their differences, we treat people differently because they are not like us. The let me tell you little bit about my background.

I grew up in Robison County, North Carolina. Now it's one of the poor poorest counties in the United States but back in the day back in the 60s and 70s when I was growing up. Robison County was up for prosperous farming textile community.

It was called Lumberton where I grew up was called an All-American city and was a great place to grow up and to live, but not so much right now in Robison County when I was growing up and I know that I got some fellow rubber Robison onions in the congregation today who can verify my observations, but when I was growing up there were three different races in Robison County. There were Blacks, whites and American Indian and they were equal in the population, and none of the races got along. None of them liked one another. They were equally prejudice and from my perspective I learned that prejudice does not just happen in one race but I saw it happen with whites, Blacks, and with the Indian now the sin of racism has to do with the person's color or nationality. And again, the sin of partiality has to do with not treating people the same does not necessarily have to be about nationality when we commit the sin of partiality. We treat anybody different than us differently. Whether they are a person with a disability and we got friends with disabilities in this room who can tell you that there treated differently or weathers people of different income levels or attend the wrong school and the list can go on and on the sins of racism's are not just the sin of racism partiality are not just problems for America but believe or not I seen racism in other countries as well. We have a ministry mission in Ethiopia and I see Brother Bill Harding down front. There's a sweet lady by the name of two who was there and she was just a wonderful hostess cook for our group should've gone down there before the Harding's. She helped raise their kids for several generations in this sweet lady has lived in the same hot on the same property with the same few coffee trees that she gets her income from four years remember several years ago being told that she wanted to purchase that land she had saved up enough money to purchase that land but the land was owned by another tribe. And because they were two different tribes, they wouldn't sell her that land we just returned back from India John and as we were teaching a group of a thousand brothers and sisters, encouraging them to take the gospel to their country of India. I began to recognize that what was magical about that group were not magical. It was a God thing. That group was that they were all different members of different tasks systems that exist in India and these caste systems do not integrate at all except the power of the gospel. So around the world. We see racism and partiality that exist are media leads us to think that is just here, but I want you know that is not just an American problem. This is a human problem that permeates cultures around the world.

Now I've done some work with people with disabilities as I serve with Johnny and friends and I have seen the way that other people treat those with disabilities. We seem to focus on the disability or the thing that makes these people different from the rest of us. We fail to see people as people first. Instead, we see the differences instead of the person, the individual now. Again, racism is defined as prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that my one's my own race is superior and we focus on the differences and the need to make ourselves feel superior or important note for some of you think what I meant women that I don't try to make myself to feel more important. But it's a trick of the devil that makes us think that others who are not like us are inferior. So where does racism come from racism is not a matter of being black or white or red or whatever skintone you might have. Racism is not a matter of what tribe you're part of what level of caste system that you were born of racism is a matter of the heart. Your heart makes a choice and see this is it's it's what's got a change for us. As long as we continue to just accept what we've been taught and not considering what the Bible wants to change as to if we just assume I let somebody else choose for us, our past traditions. We are failing miserably as brothers and sisters are hard eventually has to make the choice. Your heart makes a choice as to whether got a lot of people are not love people. Your heart makes a choice of how you will treat others now I mentioned earlier that there are things that we learned when we grow up and there comes a time when we as Christians cannot let the wrongful sinful things that we have learned impact our beliefs. The sign of being a mature Christian means that we have to look at everything through the lenses of Scripture and see what the truth actually is. So where does racialist racism come from. I want you know the racism is one of the ugly angry heads on the many headed monster of pride, racism and the sin of partiality says that I'm better than you and because you are not like me you cannot be as good as me and you see where pride is there.

Turn, if you were to Matt to Mark seven versus 20 through 23 and this tells us that this sin of pride and really all of our sins come from the heart.

Mark seven versus 20 through 23 says that he said what comes out of a person is what defiles him from both from within, out of the heart of man comes evil thoughts, sexual immorality, staff murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness to see sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolish notice all these things come from within, from our hearts and date our heart and they defile us know no matter what the sin is weathers evil thoughts of adultery, staff, slander, gossip or racism.

These stands do not come from our environment. They do not come from our education they do not come as a reaction to what others make us do. They do not come sin doesn't come from the media.

Sin comes from the heart of every man and every woman here. Racism says I'm better than you. I am more important than you. I should be treated differently from you because of my race, racism says that because I'm white.

I should be treated this way because I'm black. I should be treated that way. Whatever your race is is thinking that you are superior year. The pride in that lace last paragraph. I am better, I am more important, I should be treated differently. I don't care what your experiences whether you may have grown up like me distrusting those who are not like me. Eventually we have to choose whether going to love or to hate all people and to choose anything other than to love as Jesus loved his sin. Racism is not a skin problem, but it's a sin problem and because it's a sin problem. Racism can only be solved not by the world and its ways, but it can only be cured by Jesus.

Let's look at racism in the Bible for just a moment, turn in your Bibles to James II chapter beginning with verse one James two beginning at verse one, and James gives us a beautiful example of partiality and racism in the Bible. James has my brother show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes clothing comes into your assembly and a poor man in shabby clothing comes in.

And if you pay attention to the one who wears a fine clothing and say you sit here in a good place while you say to the poor man you stand over there, or sit down at my feet have you not made distinctions among yourself and become judges with your evil thoughts. You see the favoritism here he is better than you because he has finer things to see the group mentality that takes place here. James says brothers he's just not speaking to one person, but he says brothers. It appears that this was a problem within the entire church and if you want to draw a group.

Racism is a great way to gather an angry mob and make them focus on people who are not like us per se says if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You're doing well, but if you show partiality, you are committing sin and aren't convicted and are convicted by the law as transgressive transgressors here. The Scripture states that we are to fulfill the royal law now we all know what the royal law is its mission here we are to love our neighbors as what ourselves and we are showing and we are to assist says we the royal losses. Love your neighbor as yourself and were showing partiality, we are committing what sin right it's a transgression, sin now, racism is not loving your neighbor as yourself in the sin of partiality is not loving your neighbor as themselves and treating them differently now. I think the sin of racism really is sitting twice is because were placing ourselves is better than our neighbor, not loving them and were also treating them differently so it's almost like a double sin.

You know there's a great deception that has been sown in the hearts of men and women by the enemy and he tells us that we are not worthy. You know that's kind of the depth of all sin that we are not worthy saying lies and says that were inadequate and unworthy any promises us that way to feel more worthy is to put other people down see how Satan uses our need to feel worthy.

He makes us a prideful person.

This is the heart of bullying a bully as the fill important so they put other people down. This is the heart of racism. It says that I can feel better about myself by putting people who are not like me down attack them, see them as less than me, and it's a sin problem in this sin becomes a cancer and express to every part of our lives expressed to her children. It infects other people. It's a cancer that infects other people.

So we started off taking a long time for us to identify the sin, the sense of partiality and the sin of racism.

Now I want you to ask yourself this morning. Are you guilty of those sins are you guilty of treating people differently because they are not like you want. You know it's okay to say yes because that's that's where I had to start when I started working through the Scripture and discernment and asking myself and my races.

I don't think I am, but I had to ask myself about my attitude toward all people in all circumstances, and I recognize their places in my heart that God still needs to come in and change in the only way that we can have change that comes about in the human heart is to admit that there sin. There and to admit that I need God to change my heart and make me into a different person. Turn with me now because I want to tell you how the heart changes turn to Ephesians 2 verses 11 through 18 and this is a wonderful passage of Scripture that tells us what happened in the first century church and how it dealt with racism and has been wonderful in the way that it is ministered to my heart.

Ephesians 2 verses 11 through 18 is where were going to be for minute follows a real long.

Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcised by what is called the circumcised which is made by made in the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at a time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you were once fire or off have been brought nearby the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in the flesh the dividing wall of hostility, abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances that he might create in himself one new man in the place of two, so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross thereby killing hostility and he came and he preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near and through him we both have access in one Spirit to the father is a beautiful passage. Let me summarize it for you. Christ, his death on the cross, destroyed the racially charged hatred that existed between ethically Jewish people and ethically, and ethically non-Jewish people you know at one time. And here in the Scripture tells us that there were only two races there were the circumcised and there was the uncircumcised, you're either a Jew or you are either a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised look verse 1112 again.

Therefore, remember that you at one time were Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcised who you call the uncircumcised by by what is called the circumcised continue. Verse 12. Remember that you are at a time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel could not be a part of the nation of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

You see, we had two groups of people, Jews and Gentiles, and for thousands of years. The Bible tells us that they hated one another and they were humming the Old Testament is full of of their racially motivated encounters and hatred for one another.

I went back this week and read some of the rabbinical writings and I said what is a Jewish view of a Gentile. In the first century and some of the rabbis said they are always intent on idolatry.

They are liars. They are best the best among the Gentiles deserve to be killed. They have different kinds of souls he has read the zoster thinking about offering some of these here about different races as they talk about one another. It's okay to poison their babies. One rabbi told all the midwives Jewish midwives that if they just delivered Gentile baby. It's okay to poison them. The purpose of a Gentile is to serve a Jew. They are inferior they will not be able to share in the world to come. Gentiles were called unclean.

The stall sound all too familiar don't think so much. These people hated one another.

The look what Jesus did in verse 13 verse 13 but now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off the Gentiles have been brought nearby the blood of Christ, for he himself is our peace.

I want to say he's the only piece in this racially charged world who made us both one and has broken down in his flesh, but the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in the ordinances that he might create in himself one new man not to, not Israel, not in Gentiles not circumcised and uncircumcised one you man in the place of two, so making peace that he might reconcile us both to God in one body how to do it.

Christ did on the cross thereby killing hostility Christ through the cross, killed that racial hostility Jesus put racism today. So why is racism not dead why does it still exist today is because our hearts are not completely is of learned this week preparing this message that Jesus is the only one powerful enough to kill racism in my heart you know many people tried to kill it.

They tried it the wrong way is a politicized it they marched they had rallies that held forums and some of those things may have their places but none of those get to the root of the problem because the problem is man's sinful heart and the only way to handle a sin problem is with the cure of Jesus Christ. Jesus puts to death. Sin. Jesus takes a sinful, prideful heart and make Satan you now wish it happened overnight.

Don't you wish you soon as we accepted Christ as our Savior, shazam you know we get that you harden our new way of thinking.

Where's my new heart. Why do I still have some of these thoughts, these different ways. Remember Romans 12 to we read earlier. It says our hearts are being transformed. Our mind is being renewed. How by the word of God for me to have my heart to become the heart of Christ. I need to spend more and more time in the word of God curing that sin problem. The need to spend listening to the talking heads in the media who are offering the world's way to solving something that cannot be solved without Jesus.

If I Jesus death he can kill and cure thousands of years of racism between Jews and Gentiles. What could he do to the hundreds of years of racism here in the United States we make a personal it Jesus can kill racism in the hearts of Jews and Gentiles. He can kill racism in the sin of partiality in my heart and in yours. We go back and we look at this Ephesian section again.

It says in verse 14 that Jesus makes us one you man one you people one you race. Verse 14 for he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down the flesh the dividing wall of hostility, Jesus breaks down that wall of hostility he makes is one you man in the place of two, so making peace.

If you're a believer in Jesus Christ. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

You are no longer an individual, but we are one new man one you people.

We are one where the body of Christ with the bride of Christ.

We are one. Now I look around Calvary church this morning and I see that where a family made up of different. We look different.

There different shades across this congregation different complexions. Some of us have brown eyes somehow blew some have green. Some of us have tattoos. Some listen to different music. Some eat different foods if we know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He brings us together as the body of Christ. John 1711 Jesus prayed holy father keep them in your name which you have given me that name, that they may be one as we are one. You see the closeness that Jesus prays for for his people.

He prays that we will love each other and be as one.

As Christ and God is one, there is no separation. They are one in the same first Peter 29 says, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation of people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and a marvelous light. See what Jesus does. Here Peter says that we are on you race a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. We are to be unified. I want you to know that to understand this doesn't mean that we are one people that were not going to be different.

I mean you look across our congregation again. We talked about the world a lot different shades here. Some come from different places. We got African-American. We got Asian Indian we got American Indian. We got Russian, Chinese 40 nations gather here for worship here Calvary church.

Even though were one body were one fellowship. We still maintain our trades are different characteristics you know I share with a friend of mine the other day that I was going preaching on this topic of racism and he said you know I'm colorblind I said me to have a problem with browns and greens and some other colors and he said no no no no, he said I'm colorblind don't see people in their different colors. I see everybody as the same and you probably heard people say this to understand the point they're trying to make, but this kind of thinking is wrong and at some biblical God created us in his image, and when God did create us in his image he created us different.

He created us different races. He created us from different places he created us different colors. He gave us different characteristics.

He gave us different interest. Why did God make us different because God's and you race this one race is a tapestry of colors, interest languages and cultures, and he weaves us together to make us into something beautiful and he makes us into a beautiful multicultural, multiethnic family, and that's the image of God. The image of God doesn't look like me.

The image of God is all of us being blended together into a beautiful mosaic. I love what God is doing here Calvary church because he's blending us into a body and we can be an example to the world because this is not commonplace in the world. We need to show others through our actions through our deeds. From the way that we love one another. We need to show the world that God has killed racism in our hearts and makes us one as a family now I know that being a part of a beautiful tapestry can sometimes get rough. They're going to be times that we step on each other's toes. I hope I haven't done so. But in a proper way.

This morning, but we have to show grace and love toward one another, even when we might make some mistakes because none of us have arrived. Our hearts are not to be completely changed to be like Christ until we get the glory right now. When a process is some of us are along the way. Better than others. We need to have an understanding with one another and love one another that that leads me to my next point the gospel.

Jesus makes our hostilities become opportunities for meaningful conversation I need to to move quickly here. Verse 14 says that the dividing wall it well.

The verse 40 says for he is our peace. He has made us one hostility is gone because of Christ. Peace is what Jesus prays the gospel creates calm, cool, harmonious communication between people both here in the United States and China and India around the world to react to racism in a violent way is not biblical but we got to have meaningful communication that brings peace to my last point quickly. Jesus welcomes all races into the same family you know what heaven is going to be like Revelation 59 says, and they sang a new song, saying were there, you take scroll to open the seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people from God from every tribe, every language, every people, every nation.

Revelation 7 talks about a great multitude of every nation, every tribe, every people, every language group coming together to worship the Almighty King, Revelation 21 says is going to bring you heaven and a new earth is gonna be a heaven on earth where all the tribes and all the people are gathered together. This is the family of God. God is gathering us together as a different people created in his image, because our forever family or eternal family is going to be a mix of every nation of every tribe of every color. Jesus has a multiethnic ride that will live with him forever and ever. I started this message by telling of my journey took a little bit of time today look at our problem.

We looked at it through the eyes of Scripture how Jesus heals all racism. I know that I'm not all I could be, but I'm willing to allow Jesus to come into my heart and shine light in those places where I might have the sin of racism and partiality. What about you in light of God's word. What changes do you need to make in your mind, your actions, your heart to keep our family together to reach out to others, created in the image of God is pray together. Father your word is truth and he told his father that it is for correcting us for reproving us for training us in righteousness and father. If my heart needs to change. Today, May your word shine light if my attitudes need to change. Would you move them father to be more like your attitude your thoughts and father, may I reach out to my brothers with the gospel, knowing that you died for all men and all women father give me the eyes of Jesus. The doesn't see color it sees your children in need of a Savior force in Jesus name we pray.

Amen