This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on April 25 2021.
This was the first joint service of Christ Church and Iglesia Evangelica Dios de Justicia in both English and Spanish. We know that the body of Christ is made up of all people, white, black, red, yellow, and brown.
Whether or not we are big fans of diversity, the fact is we are experiencing more and more of it. Some people are enthusiastic about this increase in diversity. They see the richness of the difference as something that benefits us all. But not everyone is that enthusiastic. Instead of finding reason for joy, some find reason for fear and insecurity and even hostility. Diversity has led to political, racial, gender, cultural and economic division. There has always been some of this, but now it seems to be more prevalent.
But God has something to say about all of this. The Church is called to be a Christ-centered community of diversity. It's very existence proclaims the power of God to overcome the divisions that set people against each other.Scripture
Romans 14:1-9 NIV Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
Text
Romans 14:4 NIV Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.
Whether or not we are big fans of diversity, the fact is we are experiencing more and more of it. And it comes in all forms: a greater range of entertainment options, a wider selection of foods at the supermarket, more car companies and models than ever before, more ethnic restaurants and the list goes on. During a routine trip to the mall, when we can go again, it’s not that unusual to overhear two or three foreign languages. If you go to the hospital some of the doctors treating you are likely to be from India,China, Egypt, South Africa or any number of other places.
Some people are enthusiastic about this increase in diversity. They see the richness of the difference as something that benefits us all. The mix of cultures and races and opinions provide opportunities to learn from others and grow in understanding.
But not everyone is that enthusiastic. Instead of finding reason for joy, some find reason for fear and insecurity and even hostility. The old rules we used to take for granted have been shaken. Cherished convictions are challenged.
Diversity has led to political, racial, gender, cultural and economic division. There has always been some of this, but now it seems to be more prevalent.
But God has something to say about all of this. The Church is called to be a Christ-centered community of diversity. It's very existence proclaims the power of God to overcome the divisions that set people against each other.
In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul announced,
Galatians 3:26-29 NIV So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The church is to live as a people touched by God's grace and no longer defined by the divisions that plague the world.
However too often the divisions of the world are brought right into the church. Instead of reflecting the light of Christ, we mirror the broken world.
No matter how much we claim that we value diversity, living with it is tough work but it’s always been that way, all the way back to the first century. Differences between church members have strained the fabric of fellowship. In the scripture passage we read earlier, Romans 14:1-9 we find an ancient church that is not dealing with its diversity very well.
In the Roman church, the threat of division was over whether or not it was more spiritual to be vegetarian. You had the salad group and the steak group. And some argued over whether or not to celebrate special holy days. They took these issues very seriously.
At work, in society, in church, why does diversity so often bring hurtful divisions?
First of all, we tend to be wary of those who are different from us. When people look, or act, or even think unlike the way we do, we’re not sure what to expect of them. They make us uncomfortable, even fearful. And in our fear we may even be tempted to strike out.
There is a second closely related reason why differences can bring division. We attribute bad motives to the actions of others. If our viewpoint or values are challenged by someone, it may hurt our feelings. We may get angry. If someone hurts or angers us, most of us have a hard time believing that that other person’s heart is pure. The religious leaders in Jesus’ time certainly weren’t happy that He challenged them. They questioned His motives. They even claimed that the healings He performed were done by demonic power.
Luke 11:14-15 NIV Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.”
Of course it was His accusers who had the real problem.
Luke 11:19-20 NIV Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
It can be that way in the church, too. People can become so intent on defending their turf or promoting the interests of the few that they forget the mission of all. Jesus prayed;
John 17:20-21 NIV “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
We can all contribute to the mission of the church.
Well, differences are not going to just fade away in society or in church. So what can we do? What can we do to live with our differences in a way that honors Christ and is good for the church?
First, open your own life to change. In 1 Corinthians 13 the scripture tells us, “Love does not demand its own way.”
Second, recognize that you don’t have the right to judge the motives of others. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “Who are you to pass judgment on the servants of another? It is before their own Lord that they stand or fall” (Romans 14:4).
Third, we need to recognize that there is sometimes more than one right way to think and to behave. Many decisions are based on taste, preference or tradition. God is equally honored by vegetarians as by those who eat meat. God can equally be honored by an organ, a piano, a guitar, a drum or even a kazoo. Decisions in these matters are not about right and wrong. So the apostle Paul writes in our Scripture text,
Romans 14:1 NIV Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
In other words, don’t make a big deal over differences. Don’t allow controversy over opinions to be the center of your conversation. Welcome one another.
Fourth, we need to recognize that no one of us, and no single group of people like us, can stand alone. We need each other to do what God calls us to do in the world. Only as we live with each other, differences and all, are we whole, healthy and prepared to serve God. All of us are flawed. All of us need to be forgiven; so, too, we need to forgive. When we come together with our brokenness, together we can serve God.
As Paul wrote,
Romans 14:7 NIV For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.
Some years ago in the Durham, North Carolina Morning Herald there was a story about two female musicians who performed together. One was black and the other, white. They called their duo Ebony and Ivory. Both of the women were handicapped. One had lost her left hand in an accident. The other had lost her right hand. Neither knew of the other, but both were brokenhearted after the tragedy they had individually faced. Each of them believed she would never again experience the joy of her life, the joy of creating the sound of music.
But a third woman heard of the plight of the injured musicians and put them in contact with each other. When the two one-handed pianists came together, they found that each could supplement the loss of the other. Together they could again play their beloved piano. When the black hand and the white hand were skillfully coordinated with each other, the maimed musicians could coax beautiful sounds from the instrument.
God calls us together in our brokenness and with our differences. God has given us to each other. Each supplements what is missing in the other. Together and only together with our differences are we whole and ready to serve. So in the words of scripture,
Romans 15:7 NIV Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Let's pray;
Almighty God, through your Holy Spirit you created unity in the midst of diversity;
We acknowledge that human diversity is an expression of your manifold love for your creation;
We confess that in our brokenness as human beings we turn diversity into a source of alienation, injustice, oppression, and wounding. Empower us to recognize and celebrate differences as your great gift to the human family. Enable us to be the architects of understanding, of respect and love; Through the Lord Jesus who unifies, we pray. Amen
Sermon Audio
No comments:
Post a Comment