Racism

Recently a famous white comedian made some racial comments to a couple of young black men in his audience. It shows the old demon of racism is still around. Here's a sermon that expresses my biblical convictions on this subject. I hope in some small way this will help with this problem in our country.

Overcoming Racial Strife
Scripture: Acts 10: 1-48 11:1-18. I love this passage of scripture. Notice 11:2 where the leaders of the church in Jerusalem went from "contending with the Apostle Peter/criticizing him" to v. 18 "quieting down and glorifying God." Peters' heart was changed; the leaders of the church in Jerusalem had their hearts changed, and God was glorified. And that is a real key to overcoming racial strife--A Changed Heart.

The Jewish people at this time history were taught apartheid. They thought the world was divided into two ethic divisions: Jews & Gentiles, Circumcised & Uncircumcised, and Saints & Strangers. In fact the Jews used racial slurs and refereed to the Gentiles as 'dogs' and believed that all dogs went to hell. We know only cats go there! j/k. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10? The amazing thing most people miss in that story is that it's all about racial reconciliation. Jews hated Samaritans and the Samaritans hated the Jews. They would go way out of their way to avoid going through Samaria. Jews saw the Samaritans as half-breeds. In John 4 we read the story of the woman at the well. V. 9 "How is it… For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans."

Unfortunately that mindset was still with the Jewish Christians. They saw themselves in one room and all others in another room with a great big thick wall of separation between them. Christian Jews needed a REVEALTION that all human beings were made by God "of one blood" (Acts 17:26). The Apostle Peter and the leaders of the Jerusalem church needed their minds cleansed. And none of them needed to be cleansed more than a rough fisherman from Galilee.

RACISM KEEPS PEOPLE APART.
The Jerusalem church leaders made a judgment about Peter and the Gentiles in Caesarea. They concluded that the Gentiles could not be real/legitimate followers of Jesus. To them they were pagans and Peter was wrong for associating with them. It's sad but true—the Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles were kept apart by the racist sins of their leaders. It's still that way today. Some people are taught to stay away from "other so called Christians" because they are not like us. We need to be careful of our opinions of other Christians. Because God says what I have cleansed don't call dirty (10:28).

When we speak of racism it is important to understand that most whites and blacks & ethnic groups think differently about this. There are contrasting views. Most white Americans think of racism as something overt done by one individual to another. They see racism as something an individual chooses to do. For ex: if an apartment manager decides not to rent to blacks or any ethnic person, then that manager is guilty of the sin of racism.

Whites/Anglo Americans often want relationships & warm feelings but do not always the need for social justice. Often it is because justice involves painful change & personal involvement. Many times I think whites are just blind to the injustices/racism of our society, don't think it exists or are just insensitive to what is going on.

However, black Americans & other ethnic groups view racism more often as structural. Of course there are individual acts of racism but they understand how society can perpetuate racism even when individuals in that society do not intend to be racist. For example, public schools are funded largely thru property taxes. So schools in wealthy neighborhoods are able to put more money into their schools & those students get a better chance at a quality education than students who live in poor neighborhoods where the tax base is smaller. So personal racism is not the blame but the blame is on the social structures of our society. People of ethnicity usually understand these kinds of things better than whites do.

The secular way of dealing with racism is thru four basic models: Colorblindness, Anglo-Conformity, Multiculturalism, White Responsibility. We know they all come up short and I agree with him that the church has the answer and we can demonstrate it daily. Just say this about prejudice/racism/divisions/bigotry: it is part of the human heart. That is why we need Jesus in our hearts—to change our hearts! -This I know-- Prejudice/racism even keeps Christians apart.

A CHANGE OF HEART IS REQUIRED TO GET RID OF PREJUDICE/RACISM.
(This is the supernatural solution to racism). Notice 11:17 The Apostle Peter had his heart changed. He was prejudiced against Gentiles. God gave him a vision that dissolved his prejudice/racial attitudes. He was reluctant to do what God said (10:14). But his God given REVELATION broke through his reluctance! He responded to the vision, he obeyed; when the Gentile men from Caesarea came he went with them! (10:23). After he saw God pouring out the HS on the Gentiles, his mindset, his heart changed, he said in 11:17 "who was I, that I could stand in God's way?" Let me guarantee you this, if you are serious about following Christ: He will show you your prejudices racist feelings, then He will give you the opportunity to let go of them. And we all need our hearts cleansed.

I just experienced racism on my flight from Japan to here…Racism keeps people apart—the only hope is changed hearts. There are other observations from this text but I want us to look at John 4:1-42. This encounter of Jesus with the woman of Samaria is one of the most insightful teachings in the NT in regards to culture, truth & unity. Another key to overcoming racial strife is found here and that is—true unity & love for one another. Changed hearts & true love… {Read some of John 4} Need to understand a bit of historical backdrop to this conversation between Jesus this Samaritan woman at the well.

About 700 years BC the Assyrians invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel and took many of the people captive. There were also many Assyrians who settled into the Northern Kingdom. Intermarriage began to take place and a new group of people came into being called the Samaritans. The Jewish people had been taken captive by the Persians but were allowed to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple when Artaxerexes was king of Persia? Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer. But there were people living in the land of Israel who did not want to see the city of Jerusalem rebuilt because of their racial hatred of the Jews. Those people were the Samaritans (mixed breed of Assyrians & Israelites) you can read about it in Neh. 2, 4, 6. The reason for this hatred was because the Jews would not allow the Samaritans to participate in the rebuilding process. A feud started that continued into the days of Jesus. Knowing this will help you understand that when Jesus journeyed through Samaria He was making it clear that He was willing to go beyond His own culture with love and compassion. He was not patronizing them—he was there to demonstrate the power of God's life changing love.

My observations of this text:
FIRST, HE ESTABLISHED COMMON GROUND. Vs. 6-7. He stopped at Jacob's well & built a bridge of communication by starting with what He & the Samaritan woman could agree on. Both the Jews & Samaritans loved Jacob, who was the father of both groups. This shows that Jesus rejected the racial attitudes of his day. This is why the woman asked him in v. 9, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans." She could not believe Jesus was asking her to let Him use her cup. That was an act of fellowship and acceptance. How did she know he was a Jew? Perhaps he looked like a Jew or had a Jewish accent, we don't know. But I want you to see something. He did not stop being a Jew, but neither did He let His culture stop Him. That's it. We cannot let our culture keep us from people. And neither did Jesus rob this woman of her culture. He established common ground with her, and that is what we need to do today. What is our common ground? Our common ground is our LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST that gives us love for one another—true love.

Jesus said in John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The bonus to all this would be that the world would see our unity as we work together cross-culturally. As a church, as an individual believer, we need to 'establish common ground', we need to reach out, and you need to reach out to someone that culturally is different than you. Jesus did and so should you & me. Another principle for biblical unity & love is that Jesus refused to allow culture to interfere with the truth of God's Word.

DO NOT ALLOW CULTURE TO INTERFERE WITH GOD'S TRUTH.
When the Samaritan woman allowed her cultural background to cloud her correct understanding about God, Jesus rejected her cultural commitment. He said to her very directly, "You worship what you do not know" v. 22. His point was clear: Whenever there is a conflict between culture and God's truth, culture must always submit to the truth of God's Word! Our cultures must be controlled by our commitment to Christ. I am not a white Christian. You are not a black Christian, or an Asian Christian, Latino Christian. We don't modify the noun 'Christian' by an adjective—black, white and so on. In other words we don't modify our Christianity by our culture. The facts are--OUR CHRISTIANITY SHOULD MODIFY OUR CULTURE!

I am a Christian who happens to be white. You are a Christian…Important to understand this—as Christians we must always, inform, explain, and if necessary, CHANGE OUR CULTURES—never the reverse. Culture can be a wonderful thing but it not sacred. KINGDOM CULTURE is above all our cultures. Just with a 75 yr old man who understands and appreciates culture—every time he was asked to pray he would say, "Lord thank you for this wonderful world we live in."

Look at v. 35; Jesus said they were to stop making excuses for racial hang-ups! It was harvest time and they needed to see people on God's terms. Illus: Carolina Football Coach note…
Let's not allow culture to interfere with God's truth. Amen?

RECONCILIATION LEADS TO RENEWAL.
(Satan loves to polarize people but God loves to…) A spiritual revival took place in Samaria. V. 39. Jesus even spent the weekend there. V. 40. Because Jesus sought unity and bridged the gap of racial prejudice many Samaritans came to faith. VV 41-42. Want to say this—it doesn't matter if others around you, even your own family won't reach out cross-culturally. You should. God expects you to, and in fact demands that we do it. It is a real key to lasting revival/renewal.

CONCL: If the world can see us as Christians reaching out to other brothers and sisters cross-culturally they will believe. Jesus made a powerful statement in John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

The Biblical Answer to Racism is GENUINE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, demonstrated by our unity and HAVING OUR HEARTS TRULY CHANGED BY GOD. These are some real keys to Overcoming Racial Strife—and it is a Technical Foul (worst kind of foul in the game of basketball—can cause your team to lose).


From Acts 11 we see two spiritual truths:
Prejudice keeps Christians apart (and God wants us to be in unity-Satan loves to build walls, God loves to tear them down). A change of heart is required to get rid of prejudice/racism (something spiritual needs to take place). The Lord is saying, 'let your heart be changed.' And from John 4 we see: Establish common ground. You need to reach out to someone that is culturally different than you. Even if your family doesn't. Cannot let our cultures interfere with the truth of God's Word. We are not white Christians, etc. we are Christians. Culture bows to the Kingdom of God. Reconciliation leads to renewal. Personal and cooperate.

I want to sincerely apologize to every person of ethnicity in this fellowship and especially our African American brothers and sisters who have experienced racism at the hands of a white person. I apologize for the way, we the majority, the whites, have historically and even now socially& structurally impose unfair treatment to any black person or any person of color. I repent of white privilege (repeat) and pray that all Americans of any race will experience the God given freedoms of this land we call the United States of America. I give you my personal word that I will stand with you to fight any social injustice you may ever face. I have done this before and will do it again as any need arises. Just say, no Christian who is black should ever play the 'black card' or any person of ethnicity should ever play the 'ethnic card' to get out of personally responsibility or their own sin but again I will stand with you, personally, in any legitimate grievance or concern if you ever need me. I promise. I want to say especially to any black man who has been embarrassed in front of his wife or children because of something said or done by a white person—I say to you I am truly sorry—may God give you the grace you need and may God change that person (s) heart.