A Lack of Understanding

And again I'm saying this to help us understand that if you come from a wide world.

You don't understand. You need to walk around the other side of the model and so this message is going to help you offer in title of this message. I had to explain material get it in a minute but is called a lack of understanding a lack of understanding and what I want to do today is address racism and talk about how the Bible addresses racism.

We have a problem in our country and I believe obviously all the snow. Jesus is the answer, but I believe the reason we still have this problem today is because of the church. I don't believe the church has taken the stand that the church needs to take and I want us as a church to take a stand now when I talk about a lack of understanding. Let me show you a Scripture Hosea 46 says my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge that they just don't understand. I don't think that we have really understood the depth of this problem and so let me let me give you an illustration. So here is a water bottle haven't opened it got water in it and if you guys to get a close-up of the vent water bottles where bodies deliver campus okay so what on the stereo. I so what what you say you meant what he what word you say Ozark of they want to see that okay honestly that I don't see the word Ozark is not on the side. I see the words born naturally and nasty some words that are too small to read table were looking at the same bottle right right but I'll never see what you see unless I take the time to walk around the bottle and look at it from your perspective before you follow me, so we have a problem in our country, mainly because white people don't understand is really true and we need to take the time to walk around the issue and see what our brothers and sisters are see and see what they're feeling, but will never know unless we ask. Instead of simply arguing about a protester demonstration or something like that.

When we set out and say what you what are you hearing what you say. What do you feel and not see it as an issue on his history but his people so it's going to be a sobering serious message but one puts us some humor throughout the, lighten it up every man says that okay so I just let you know that I think really that were ignorant of the problem to the deputy as I think were ignorant doesn't mean you're stupid does it mean that were rebellious or anything like that and talk my little white people now means were just ignorant.

I've been learning some things for the past several years as I've met with pastors and friends of mine to help me understand and it has now become personal to me, not just an issue, I think we gotta come the place where it's personal. So first of all we need to know that Jesus ministered to everyone.

He was sent to the house of Israel and their very specific theological reasons why Grace came to where there was a foundation of law.

I don't have time to going that he ministered to the star formation woman he ministered to the Roman soldiers sin that the centurions slave his servant. He ministered to the Samaritan woman that was considered interracial so but a lot of times we don't even realize where pigmentation came from pigmentation. I think we all think we know what the word means it does refer to color but it refers to color skin and it refers to a genetic DNA in our bodies that determines what our color skin is in you, you can try to change it, but you can't change it much. It's amazing how light-skinned people want to be darker and dark skinned people want to be lighter. It's amazing to me but is simply the color of your skin, so somebody will only know where it came from what we all came from adamantly with income for monkeys selection of face you bought into that.

I know sometimes they'll say 98% of us are. You have monkey DNA. It's really not true that's really not true statements about 70% and under and everything on my wife that sometimes it's not the eight. In my case, but it's really only about 70% of that 30% is very distinctive. Plus we have a soul and we are made in the image of God. But we all came from Adam and Eve, but then in Genesis 6.start all over with Noah and his family, and three sons as something really interesting about Noah's sons. That is, their names, their names do mean something so Noah had three sons him means hot and black is what it means hot and black lace that means fair or light-skinned sham. Now this one will throw you for a loop because you don't know quite what it means, but I'll explain it, it means name. That's all it means is nine.

I believe Noah was prophetic in naming a sons for several reasons but one reason sham was where Abraham came from his line house of Israel came from his line. Jesus K so it's amazing that the person who got the name above all names came from Maine. The person name name but why would he name one dark skin or black and why would anyone like her fair skin well because this is going. I'm I wouldn't say something about shams color is because Sharon was probably Brown reason sham was probably Brown was because Noah and his wife are probably Brown Baxter 74 loop reason Noah and his wife are probably Brown is because Adam and Eve were probably Brown because you can get black from Brown and you can get white from Brown, but you can't get white from black figure black from white so most theologians believe that God created Adam and Eve Brown so that we can have light-skinned people and dark skinned people and by the way, why does not the predominant rights in the world's amazing how many people believe that Brown is the predominant skin color pigmentation in the world more people around dinner, water, black so it's very possible that Noah has a dark sun and mainstream dark or black, yellow, light-skinned son named him Feher light-skinned thing is one that is his color and he says main unit which is your name is name. We get have got too many kids now can think of anything right.

And yet God knew what he was doing. By the way, hot and black in the Hebrew that's recent white-hot it it's scientific fact that a dark skinned person does better in a hotter client and a fair skinned person doesn't do well in a hotter climate fair skin person can burn skin can burn very easily and to get skin cancer much more easily dark skin person on the other hand many times my live in the colder region reasons culverts farther from the sun, and so sometimes a dark skinned person actually is recommended by doctors to take vitamin D in the colder region of the earth, but my point is that God created us, not all look alike, God created some of us to be lighter and some of us to be darker, but God didn't create the races in the racial divide. You go to Genesis 12. Yes, he graded the languages but so many people believe then that he created some for the racial divide. God did not create racial divide. He created diversity.

He created light-skinned and dark skinned.

I was talking with the pastor while back and he said this to me said you know in our church we tell people were not colorblind or color blessed with color blessed so we do have dark skin ramp light-skinned. Some people don't know that there black people in the Bible just take a few in the New Testament the man that God chose to carry his son's crops that gave they gave this man the honor of appearing a sons cross was a black there were black people on the day of Pentecost, read the nations therefrom. Read the north African nations that they were from. In acts 13 everyone knows that accepting when the church of Antioch CF Paul and Barnabas for most of fighting for most famous, most well-known apostles ever what people know it lists five leaders in the church and on to something it it's amazing that again. I'm telling you why people are ignorant of this there in two of the five leaders were black and the church annual church that sent begin sending missionaries rental when the rage of the first acts 13 verse one now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers Barnabas that we are taught by Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas, Simeon, who was called Niger, Lincoln, like the Lord Niger in a moment Lucius outside ring that's north African nation. My name had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul that we know is Paul so you got Lucius and Simeon, who was called Niger that this was not a derogatory term but Niger means black. That's what he means. Look it up it means black, it's what we have a country called Niger, and we have a country called Nigeria and this went by the way, the sad part of this word is this is where the slang word came from from this war. The reflective thing from this work and it's a horrible work, but this is working from but to Adam, leaders in the church in Antioch were black and when Paul and Barnabas left in two out of three were. And again I'm saying this to help us understand that if you come from a white world you don't understand. You need to walk around the other side of the bottle and so this message is going to help you walk around the bottle so when we talk about interracial marriage. Most time were not talk about Asian or Hispanic, black this is been a plan of the enemy. For many many years now to create a divide when, by the way the Bible does this does not forbid interracial marriage if your bids interfaith marriage. When God told Israel not to marry with other nations. It had nothing to do with them being a different race. It had to do with them not being believers in the true God and that they what they were doing.

Israel was literally selling their daughters in marriage to enter into a business agreement with another nation and so they could be business with them, but that nation God may withdraw them awaken to idol worship space. I don't don't don't merit, don't don't do that. Don't get your daughters in marriage to. He then nations. It had nothing to do with race and everything your faith in the New Testament and back set up says what what what what fellowship with wood light have with darkness are a believer with an unbeliever when when my daughter was about three years old.

We set this couple that would come and stay with us. He played basketball overseas. Now I'm going there be times when all I'll say this man or this person in this family was a black family. The reason Allstate is because it's pertinent to the conversation. When you think about it it's not pertinent to the conversation you and you say like this guy was talking one time and he was not a pastor and he said there was a black woman in line behind that supermarket.

We started talking indebted on a phone conversation and at the in the conversation I said unless I wanted something once you tell me she was black when he assumed there was a woman.

We started talking when you don't choose what would you tell it said there was a white woman behind. Would you said that they said no.

He said I don't know I said that and then later about a month later call me and he was crying and he said Robert I've been praying about that. Ever since I realized when I was growing up that my that's the way my parents introduced any black person is on the talk about the black man or black woman. They always use were black, but they never used my chocolate white friends and so he said God convicted me about. I have prejudice in my heart by growing up for my brother Lenny by the way, define racism and prejudice were correct. That is very very important understand that you give you three definitions of racism starting from the worst to what would be what is probably more dominant or predominant in our country. First of all, racism can be defined as paving a person because of his race, and we do have races that type racism in our nation. Unfortunately, people hate someone because of race. Secondly, as though the believing that a race is superior or race is inferior to other races that traces if you believe that there is a superior race are you inferior race. That's races.

The third is what I think is most predominant in our nation, and it is prejudice toward another rights prejudice is making a judgment not someone that have no effect. Previous prefix which means before and Judas means judgment, Judas thinks about the judicial system that they only problem with pre-Judas is that you make a judgment before you have the facts. Our judicial system makes a judgment after the get the facts. I don't follow me. Okay so previewed pre-Judas prejudice is making judgments on. That's the racism that we are mainly in America. Although we do still have eight and course Jesus is the answer because he's love all we did although we do have wrong thinking that there's a superior race fermenter race is completely false. The Bible never back set up but most of it is is that most of us most of us have some sort of prejudice toward people some sort. We make some for the prejudgment. Even though we don't know that person. So when my daughter was about three years old.

This family a black family they would he play basketball overseas.

Many times he was like the MVP for the national team and use that the witness get a chance play in the NBA. He really felt like he was called more be a missionary for a play for different countries overseas and you play for about six months and then he'd come home when they would come home they would stay in our home for two or three weeks or a month until they found the house they could rent until I went back for next season, so they stay in our home.

So one day delay. My daughter was playing with his son and their center play together. And the Lord spoke to me and said, is it all right with you if Elaine marries a black man, and I said wall. Yes, more details if if he's a godly man is a man of good character.

If he loves her and if he loves you. Yes it's okay.

And the Lord said this know is it okay with you, and I knew when he said that what he was saying was, you still have some prejudices that I need to deal with but I can deal with them if I can't reveal some need you be open to get some prejudices.

By the way most of you know, but when you show your picture of my daughter and her beautiful husband. Then beautiful children right there.

So God was already preparing me because when I realized later, was that I had things in my heart that it in no where in my heart. Now Bellarmine real quietly all you okay. I mean, would you agree that God is showing you that you grew up probably with some prejudice you would say Albert was prejudice on the okay number one still event so this is going to shock you. What I'm about to tell you but I have seven points today it's it's it's amazing but I want to do them very quickly among them very quickly on the comment heart that also if you're going to write you got it right fast.

This will go through the seven points and then share something else with direct so number one racism is pure evil is just pure evil Romans 12 Nine says let love be without hypocrisy without judgment, without being fake love people truly and often poor. What is evil in anything. What evil is evil is Hippocratic oath hypocritical and that's that's that's what lovably know the words loving some people, not loving others of Horwitz evil. By the way, we say that racism is pure evil. I know if you have noticed this look at the word devil and then look at the last four letters. He's the evil, these being evil is the fifth as free. I just threw that in 45 okay number two. Racism is pure self-righteousness is pure self-righteousness. That's all it is. Luke 1811 the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.I thank you that I'm not like other men. In other words, I think young better-known people believing that a race is superior or race is inferior is nothing but pride and self-righteousness. Colleges number three racism violates the great commission. Racism violates the great commission.

Mostly one of the great commission.

Matthew 2819 of issues. Part of it oath or Mark make disciples. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nation toward nations is the record Fwhere we get our word ethnicity from ethnic go make disciples of all ethnicities so racism would violate the great commission number four racism violates the great commandment not just the great commission, with the right commandment.

John 13 versus 30, 40, 35, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. This is why people don't know that were different because we love each other. Number five racism questions God's creation.

Racism questions God's creation. Acts 1726 and he is made from one blood every ethnicity nation F. Most every ethnic group is made from one blood we talk only go up black white and brown. We just let you know no matter what color yarn outside. All of us are red on the inside were all red. That's what color wheel were read because we come from one blood number six racism questions God's plan.

The questions God's plan. Revelation 59. They sing a new song, saying your word and take the scroll and open it seals for your slaying and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, God's plan is to redeemed people out of every ethnic group, so racism questions God's plan and God's creations reset is number seven race yet racism questions God does questions got and decided to put in parentheses defies God and even these last three were use the word question.

You could put it this way, five, six and seven. You could say racism defies God's grace goes against what were defined goes against God's creation goes against God's plan and it goes against God. So how does a question God or if I got well the most famous verse in the Bible John 316 for God so loved the world, not one race, but the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. See we got it we got to somehow walk around to the other side of the bottle. I can remember hearing about the Holocaust and memo see you heard about the Holocaust. But if you've ever visited the Holocaust Museum been the one in Israel and I've also been to the one in Auschwitz. I've been to Auschwitz and sing ovens and signal the Holocaust for me was an issue. In any event, and it was history until I went Auschwitz when you see shoes that belong to children piles of piles and eyeglasses, and here's the tough part hair and teeth son issue anymore and it's not history his personal people.

We got to walk around outside model and understand that the atrocities that happened in our nation and around the world have people so I assume like pastor friends that have been helping me understand a lack of understanding helping understand and one on Dr. Ricky Temple and his wife Diane. I have a picture of them.

They were in our conference mask the share for moment you notice that Diane is light-skinned and she shared her story that her great-great-grandmother was impregnated by the slightest label whites label and had a child had little girl and for some reason he decided to let him go free, so he put the mother and the little baby girl on a boat but some white man got angry about it and they began shooting at the boat when it was leaving the mother did what any mother would do and covered the baby.

The mother was shot and died in the baby with that Stein's grandmother to say it's not an issue anymore.

To me it's something that happened to my friends will never understand until we walk around to the other side. What some people that you work with that live in your neighborhood come in our church.

What they and their families have been three and it's time for the church to stand up and declare that racism is evil and the answer is Jesus Christ. I really believe that the problem that we have in our nation today is a lack of understanding and I'm not trying to ball down a very complicated problem into a simple solution, but I believe if more of us took the time to just walk around to the other person's perspective. We would understand it is a wound that can only be healed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and I want us as believers to pray for this wound in our nation to be healed. I'd love for you to get this message because I actually share more in this message and I have one of my friends share a testimony about something that happened to him and I believe it will give you more understanding about how we can see this wound healed in our nation. Let's pray and seek God heal this wound. I want to encourage you to watch next time because I'm going to continue this series via battery. Wouldn't it be amazing to get a glimpse of the priorities that are on God's heart for your life to know what's most important to God in our relationship with him and with the people around us in the exciting new teaching series be a better you blueprints for Christian living pastor Robert gives us a look into the priorities of God's heart and explains that we can grow and mature in our faith in him and in her love toward each other. Think about this. Jesus Christ, God's son came to earth in the centers wanted to hang out with these six messages contain principles that will help you develop a blueprint for building your life and what matters most to God.

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