Hope for Relationships
Speaker: James Barnett
Date: 11th April 2021
Passages:
00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Good morning, everyone. My name's James. It's nice to see you this morning.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:17 The hashtag MeToo movement began in 2017 to give voice to women bringing to light issues of sexual harassment and abuse.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:26 In 2020, the Black Lives Matter marches rose to give voice to those who had been harassed and abused because of their ethnicity.
00:00:26 --> 00:00:32 More recently, there has been a campaign to stop anti-Asian hate and abuse.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:41 Even in the last week in Sydney, someone had carved into a footpath, Asians go home.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:46 And so this sentiment is happening even here in Sydney.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:52 In the last couple of weeks in Australia, tens of thousands of people marched against the abuse of women.
00:00:52 --> 00:01:00 Those who don't have power and freedom, those who have been abused in their lives, have been responding.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:04 They are calling for social issues to change.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:10 Whilst the coronavirus pandemic hit many people very hard, hit people's...
00:01:10 --> 00:01:14 They lost houses, people have lost jobs, people have been hit financially,
00:01:14 --> 00:01:19 let alone those who have had their health damaged and lost their lives.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 Yet, the richest in our society have also gotten richer.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:27 The three richest men in the United States,
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 Mark Zuckerberg, who owns Facebook,
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 Elon Musk, who owns Tesla and, you know, spaceships,
00:01:33 --> 00:01:38 and the third is Jeff Bezos, who owns most things, and Amazon.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:43 All three of those in the last year have more than doubled their wealth.
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 We see social abuses.
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 We see racial inequality.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 And we want to see a society that is changed.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 I want to see a society that is changed.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 In the Western culture that we live in,
00:01:58 --> 00:02:02 there is unrest and dissatisfaction about relationships.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 There is conflict between people at the workplace,
00:02:05 --> 00:02:09 conflict at home, conflict between friends and marriages.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:14 There is tension in the social fabric of who we are as people.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 Each of us trying to get ahead, trying to earn more money,
00:02:17 --> 00:02:19 trying to have shinier things.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 There is tension economically between classes,
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 between those who would be considered working class
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 and middle class and upper class.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 There is tension and unrest and dissatisfaction
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 between different ethnicities and nationalities.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:37 And for me, personally, I can feel the pull to become a Twitter warrior
00:02:37 --> 00:02:41 and to have arguments with people online.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 I can feel the pull to go to marches.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 And yet, I can feel another pull,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 which is just to be totally passive.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:55 Because these social issues seem so large
00:02:55 --> 00:02:56 that they are just impossible to change.
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 So how are we to view these issues
00:03:01 --> 00:03:04 that are not only around us, but we are also part of?
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 What does God have to say to this?
00:03:07 --> 00:03:09 And how does a Christian respond to these issues?
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 Last week was Easter.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:16 And we were reminded at Easter of God's goodness to us.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:17 His love, His grace.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 Not only that Jesus would die,
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 but that He would be raised
00:03:22 --> 00:03:24 so that our death has been paid for
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 and we are promised new life.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 The resurrection is such a wonderful,
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 world-changing event
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 that it not only changes our vertical relationship with God.
00:03:34 --> 00:03:37 Not only do we have a relationship with God
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 that is restored, redeemed,
00:03:39 --> 00:03:40 now we can know Him
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 and we can be made more like Him,
00:03:42 --> 00:03:46 but it also impacts our horizontal relationships.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 The resurrection changes how we relate to God,
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 but it also changes how we relate to other people.
00:03:52 --> 00:03:56 And so only in the death and resurrection of Jesus
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 do we have the resources to see
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 the transformation of relationships,
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 the transformation of our society,
00:04:03 --> 00:04:06 of the church being a powerful sign to the world,
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 of the people that God is making us to be.
00:04:10 --> 00:04:14 And so today, over the next 20, 30 minutes,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:17 I'm going to be touching on some large issues.
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 Racism, economic inequality.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 Unfortunately, I can't preach for an hour and a half
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 to go into all of these very deeply,
00:04:25 --> 00:04:27 but please come and speak with me after
00:04:27 --> 00:04:29 if you'd like to talk more about these.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 So we're going to speak about
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 the resurrection hope we have for relationships
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 before we look at the resurrection hope
00:04:37 --> 00:04:41 for racism and different classes.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 And as we do this,
00:04:43 --> 00:04:45 we should be praying and asking God for help.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 So let's pray.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:48 Dear Heavenly Father,
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 Lord, I thank you so much for our last weekend
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 and for the reminder of Easter,
00:04:55 --> 00:04:57 of your goodness to us at the cross
00:04:57 --> 00:04:58 and in the resurrection.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:01 Father, as we consider the implications
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 for us across our lives,
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 give us much understanding of ourself
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 and love of other people, Lord.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 Amen.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 Please have your Bibles open.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 We're going to be spending time
00:05:13 --> 00:05:16 in those three parts of the Bible that Anne read.
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 And we're going to start in 1 Corinthians.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:23 In this letter, Paul is writing this letter
00:05:23 --> 00:05:27 rebuking a church for many issues.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 Most of their issues come down
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 to how they are relating between people.
00:05:31 --> 00:05:34 You know, they might have the vertical relationship
00:05:34 --> 00:05:35 with God sorted,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:37 but their horizontal relationships with other people
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 are in a dire state.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 So as he writes in chapter 6, verse 1,
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 if any of you has a dispute with another,
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 do you dare take it before the ungodly for judgment
00:05:49 --> 00:05:51 instead of being the Lord's people?
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 It seems that the social relationships
00:05:54 --> 00:05:57 between people of the church have broken down.
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 Those people who should be loving,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 who should be forgiving each other
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 because they know how much they've been forgiven by Jesus,
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 they are not forgiving each other.
00:06:06 --> 00:06:09 And so instead of dealing with this conflict,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 they've been taking each other to court.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 They've been suing each other
00:06:14 --> 00:06:18 and they're being judged not by somebody else in the church,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 not by a wise Christian brother,
00:06:20 --> 00:06:23 but somebody that's totally unrelated.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 And so chapter 6, verse 2,
00:06:26 --> 00:06:29 do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world?
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 And if you are to judge the world,
00:06:32 --> 00:06:35 are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 Do you not know that we will judge angels?
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 And how much more the things of this life?
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 Paul is saying that at the resurrection,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 there will be a final judgment
00:06:46 --> 00:06:50 and Christians will have a role to judge the world.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 And yet these Christians
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 couldn't even judge trivial cases amongst themselves.
00:06:56 --> 00:07:01 You know, there's like a case of a hole between two neighbors
00:07:01 --> 00:07:02 and a donkey fell down it.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:07 And so instead of forgiving and reconciling their relationship,
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 they're taking each other to court.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 You know, someone hasn't paid the right amount.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:14 They've got unequal weights on their scales.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 And so instead of talking amongst themselves,
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 they're taking each other to court.
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 And so many of these issues that they worried about
00:07:21 --> 00:07:24 are trivial in comparison to the coming resurrection.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:29 Now, Paul's not saying that there is no place for lawsuits.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 There is a place for lawyers and lawsuits.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:35 Seeking justice is important.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 But it's the attitude of the vengeful,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 you know, he said, she said, you owe me more.
00:07:41 --> 00:07:44 You know, you owe me, you know, $13, $28.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 It's the quickness to sue and litigate.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:52 It's part of an unhealthy heart attitude.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:56 It's the spirit of the age of the church in Corinth
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 where people wanted to get what they were owed.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:03 And I also think it's the spirit of our age here in Sydney.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:08 If the Christians in the church who were supposed to know forgiveness
00:08:08 --> 00:08:12 and love from God at the cost of Jesus himself,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 if these people couldn't even forgive each other,
00:08:15 --> 00:08:18 what hope is there for people that aren't part of our church?
00:08:18 --> 00:08:20 What hope is there for people in the rest of society
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 to deal with their relationships,
00:08:23 --> 00:08:25 to have any hope of seeing reconciliation?
00:08:25 --> 00:08:32 The call of the gospel is to lay down our desire to get what we are owed.
00:08:34 --> 00:08:37 The beauty of the gospel can be seen when Christians forgive each other.
00:08:37 --> 00:08:40 You know, think, you know, last week we saw Jesus on the cross.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 He prays to God, Father, forgive them.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 They don't know what they do.
00:08:46 --> 00:08:51 The Abdullah family who had a person drive into their car
00:08:51 --> 00:08:54 and saw four of their children of the family be killed
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 seeing that family forgive the driver.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:03 The beauty of the gospel can be seen when Christians forgive.
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 And the resurrection is the key
00:09:06 --> 00:09:09 to healing our relationships with each other
00:09:09 --> 00:09:11 in two different ways.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:14 Firstly, when we know how much we have been forgiven,
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 it helps us to lay down our judgment of others.
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 When we know how much we've been forgiven,
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 it helps us to lay down our judgment of others.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:26 And secondly, knowing that God is a good judge
00:09:26 --> 00:09:30 helps us not to feel that we need to judge.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 Knowing that God has got the judgment.
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 It's not in the kind of way that it's like,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 oh, I'm not going to judge because God's going to get you.
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 I'm going to leave it to him because he'll take care of you.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:41 Don't worry.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 You know, big brother, you know, my God,
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 he's going to get you.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 Lightning bolts are coming for you.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:48 No, when there's conflict, it's,
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 well, I know God is a good judge
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 and he will take care of this.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 So I don't need to judge in his place.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 Instead, I can forgive.
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 But I know personally
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 that when I seek to forgive,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 there's often two other things
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 that can get in the way.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:08 Two other things that my heart
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 wants to default to.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 Imagine that I've been wronged.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 Does anybody want to suggest a way
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 that I could have been wronged?
00:10:18 --> 00:10:18 Nobody's, you know,
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 let's just say it's a car.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 Let's just say James,
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 dear James, dear brother James,
00:10:22 --> 00:10:23 I'll pick on him.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:23 He's leading.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 Thank you, James.
00:10:24 --> 00:10:25 Thanks for putting your hand up there.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 Let's say he's driven into my car.
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 Okay, let's say he's driven into my car.
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 Now, you know, when that happens,
00:10:32 --> 00:10:34 I'm pumped up full of adrenaline
00:10:34 --> 00:10:37 and I might want to respond
00:10:37 --> 00:10:39 firstly by striking back.
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 I might be very angry
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 and I might want to go
00:10:42 --> 00:10:44 and put my dear brother in a headlock.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 Or maybe I won't respond physically.
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 I'll respond with words
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 and I will, you know, shout him.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 What are you doing?
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 What are you looking?
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 You're looking at your phone.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 What are you doing, James?
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 I might respond quickly
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 by trying to strike back.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:04 Or in the case of the Corinthian church,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 they were suing each other.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:06 James, I'll tell you what,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 I'm going straight to your insurance.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 You are paying for every,
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 Dom, you're seeing my car fixed.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:15 Or I might hold a grudge.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 I might say to James' face,
00:11:17 --> 00:11:19 don't worry, brother, it's fine.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 I forgive you.
00:11:20 --> 00:11:23 But I might actually hold onto a grudge.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 Because what a grudge does,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 it gives me power over someone else.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:30 You owe me for hurting me,
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 for damaging my car.
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 And I'm going to bring this up
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 every now and then.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:34 Oh, James, you know,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 you remember that time
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 you smashed into my car?
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 It's okay, I forgive you.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:38 But you know what,
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 I'd love a coffee right now.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 And I'm going to remind other people,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 Ash, you remember that time James
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 smashed into my car, you know?
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 And I could use that as a tool
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 to belittle you.
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 Maybe I'll actually just hold onto this grudge
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 for many years,
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 and then one day I'll just cut you off
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 and have nothing to do with you.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 Neither of these options
00:12:00 --> 00:12:03 are influenced by the resurrection of Jesus.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:06 They're influenced by selfishness and pride.
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 They're the things that my heart quickly responds to.
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 I'm sure that your heart does the same.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:16 Years of responding in conflict in our relationships
00:12:16 --> 00:12:18 can leave us with destroyed families,
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 split churches,
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 damaged marriages,
00:12:21 --> 00:12:23 and hurt friendships.
00:12:23 --> 00:12:28 And so the resurrection calls us to forgive.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:31 And this is really hard.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 It actually means that we need to bear the cost.
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 Instead of recouping the cost,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 I actually need to bear this cost.
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 And that's what God has done with our sin.
00:12:42 --> 00:12:45 He has borne the cost in Jesus' death.
00:12:45 --> 00:12:49 Now this might sound good in principle.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 It might sound fine.
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 But it can be very difficult.
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 It's very difficult.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 Because do you know what?
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 I like to hold onto a grudge.
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 Because I gain something out of that.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:03 I've been wronged.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 And if I need to let go of that,
00:13:04 --> 00:13:07 it feels like I'm letting part of me die.
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 And it is.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 But the beauty of the gospel
00:13:12 --> 00:13:14 is that when we let our anger
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 and our grudges die,
00:13:17 --> 00:13:17 we see life.
00:13:17 --> 00:13:20 We see the resurrection life in us,
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 the Holy Spirit working in us
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 so that we can forgive
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 and we can show God's love
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 and life to other people.
00:13:27 --> 00:13:31 So to have hope for relationships,
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 even before we get to
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 more difficult relationships
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 like ones across ethnicities and classes,
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 we need to be people
00:13:39 --> 00:13:41 who practice forgiveness.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:41 forgiveness.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 So to have hope
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 for relationships,
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 our forgiveness has to come
00:13:50 --> 00:13:50 from the resurrection.
00:13:52 --> 00:13:54 We come now to a more complicated issue,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:57 one of race and ethnicity.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 Please turn with me to Galatians chapter 2
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 as we see the resurrection hope for racism.
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 In Galatians chapter 2, verse 11,
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 when Cephas came to Antioch,
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 Paul said that he,
00:14:10 --> 00:14:12 I opposed him to his face
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 because he stood condemned.
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 For before certain men came from James,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 he used to eat with Gentiles.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 But when they arrived,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 he began to draw back
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 and separate himself from the Gentiles
00:14:22 --> 00:14:24 because he was afraid
00:14:24 --> 00:14:27 of those who belong to the circumcision group.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 So Paul corrects Peter,
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 Paul rebukes Peter
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 because he has separated himself
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 from the Gentiles.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:35 Verse 15,
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 we who are Jews by birth
00:14:37 --> 00:14:40 and not sinful Gentiles
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 know that a person
00:14:41 --> 00:14:43 is not justified
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 by the works of the law
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 but by faith in Jesus Christ.
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 So we too
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 have put our faith in Jesus
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 that we may be justified
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 by faith in Christ
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 and not by works of the law
00:14:56 --> 00:14:58 because by the works of the law
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 no one will be justified.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:03 Paul had to go and remind Peter
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 of where salvation came from.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 It did not come from the law
00:15:07 --> 00:15:09 but it came from God's grace.
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 And what Paul does
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 is something really interesting here.
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 He connects God's love
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 and his grace
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 and his justification
00:15:17 --> 00:15:19 to cultural identity.
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 And he actually says that
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 one is stronger than the other.
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 The identity that we have
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 as Christians
00:15:27 --> 00:15:29 is far stronger
00:15:29 --> 00:15:31 than our family heritage,
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 our cultural identity.
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 Now Paul himself
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 was a proud Hebrew.
00:15:36 --> 00:15:38 He continues to refer
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 to himself as a Hebrew.
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 He doesn't say
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 I'm a Christian now
00:15:40 --> 00:15:42 so everything that came before
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 doesn't matter.
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 He follows Jesus
00:15:45 --> 00:15:46 and he also says
00:15:46 --> 00:15:46 he's a Hebrew.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 He's proud of his heritage.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:52 And Paul is talking to Peter.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 Peter is the guy
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 who had seen a vision
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 from God
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 that all people
00:15:58 --> 00:15:58 were considered
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 to be clean.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 This is the guy
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 who had had a vision
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 from God
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 that all people are clean
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 that there is no division
00:16:04 --> 00:16:06 between Jew and Gentile.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 And yet
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 the racial division
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 between Jews
00:16:11 --> 00:16:11 and Gentiles
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 ran deep.
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 It was full
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 of mistrust,
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 disrespect
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 and suspicion.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 His fear of the Jews
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 separated himself
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 from others.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 It was just
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 racism in practice.
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 So Peter
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 stopped eating food
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 with the Gentiles
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 and food
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 is such a clear sign
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 of relationship.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 It's such a wonderful thing
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 when we get to eat food together.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 I'm looking forward
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 to eating food
00:16:37 --> 00:16:37 with a whole bunch
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 of people
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 coming over to my house today.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 But here
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 Peter's racial identity
00:16:42 --> 00:16:44 became more important
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 than his spiritual identity.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:47 And in effect
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 he may have said
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 one thing
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 with these words
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 God's love
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 is for all people.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 God offers forgiveness
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 to all people
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 but in practice
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 he denied
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 the gospel of grace
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 because he was just
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 spending time
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 with the Jews.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 Jesus didn't die
00:17:04 --> 00:17:06 for just one ethnicity.
00:17:06 --> 00:17:08 There is no one group
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 of people
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 that are more special.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 He was the God
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 he is the God
00:17:11 --> 00:17:11 of the Israelites
00:17:11 --> 00:17:13 and a specific country
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 but he is also
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 the God
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 of the whole world.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 At the end of Galatians
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 in chapter 6
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 Paul says
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 neither circumcision
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 nor uncircumcision
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 means anything.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 What counts
00:17:26 --> 00:17:28 is the new creation.
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 Paul says that
00:17:29 --> 00:17:31 because of the resurrection
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 the ethnic
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 and cultural
00:17:33 --> 00:17:36 differences
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 are no longer important.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 In the new creation
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 cultural and ethnic
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 differences
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 don't create tension
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 but they are made pure.
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 They are just one
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 aspect of who we are.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 And I love
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 Revelation chapter 7.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 Revelation chapter 7
00:17:49 --> 00:17:51 has this beautiful picture
00:17:51 --> 00:17:53 of the new creation
00:17:53 --> 00:17:55 where there will be
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 people from
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 every tribe
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 nation
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 people and language
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 praising God
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 together.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 Ethnic and cultural
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 differences
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 are a good
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 part of creation
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 and they are
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 purified
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 and they endure
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 past the resurrection.
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 In the ancient world
00:18:14 --> 00:18:16 religion was just
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 one aspect
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 of a culture's
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 identity.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 If you were from
00:18:20 --> 00:18:20 Athens
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 you worshipped
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 the god
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 Athena
00:18:24 --> 00:18:26 Athena
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 Athena
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 thank you
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 thank you
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 Narlene.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 If you were
00:18:29 --> 00:18:29 a Delphian
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 your god
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 was Apollo
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 if you were
00:18:32 --> 00:18:33 from Olympus
00:18:33 --> 00:18:33 your god
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 was Zeus
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 if you were
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 from Corinth
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 a city
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 by the sea
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 your god
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 was Poseidon.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 Christianity
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 fundamentally
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 changed
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 all of that.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 Everyone
00:18:43 --> 00:18:45 of every
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 city
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 every
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 ethnic group
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 every
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 nation
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 all people
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 were called
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 to worship
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 the same
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 god.
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 The implication
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 then is that
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 this god
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 relationship
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 with this god
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 unites us
00:19:00 --> 00:19:02 far deeper
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 far stronger
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 than any
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 cultural bond
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 any place
00:19:07 --> 00:19:07 that we've
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 come from.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 And yet
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 following Jesus
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 putting off
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 the old self
00:19:13 --> 00:19:13 and old way
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 of doing things
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 doesn't mean
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 that I can
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 actually put
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 off my
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 cultural
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 identity.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 There is
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 no way
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 to be
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 culturally
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 neutral.
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 I will
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 forever be
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 someone who
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 is influenced
00:19:25 --> 00:19:27 by being
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 an Aussie
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 male
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 growing up
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 in Wollongong
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 in the
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 1990s.
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 I'm a
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 90s child
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 that's just
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 that's who
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 I am
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 and I can't
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 actually change
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 that.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 It's impossible
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 to change
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 that.
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 But what
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 I can seek
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 to do
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 is to have
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 my cultural
00:19:43 --> 00:19:43 way of
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 doing things
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 changed
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 and made
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 pure.
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 No longer
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 can I blame
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 culture.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 No longer
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 can I just
00:19:50 --> 00:19:50 say that's
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 just what
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 people from
00:19:52 --> 00:19:52 Sydney do.
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 That's just
00:19:53 --> 00:19:53 what Aussies
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 do.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 I can actually
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 choose to
00:19:57 --> 00:19:57 stand apart
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 to put off
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 idolatrous
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 ways and
00:20:01 --> 00:20:01 be a
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 Christian
00:20:02 --> 00:20:02 with a
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 culture
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 shaped by
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 God.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 What if
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 I as
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 a white
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 36 year
00:20:09 --> 00:20:09 old male
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 was listening
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 to a
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 younger
00:20:12 --> 00:20:12 Asian
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 Christian
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 sister
00:20:13 --> 00:20:15 speak of
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 the
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 casual
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 and
00:20:17 --> 00:20:17 deliberate
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 racism
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 she's
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 received
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 just
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 because
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 of
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 her
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 ethnicity?
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 How would
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 I respond
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 to that?
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 I think
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 my instinct
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 would be
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 to defend
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 my culture
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 to defend
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 the way
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 I grew
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 up and
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 the people
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 I grew
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 up with.
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 I probably
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 want to
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 default to
00:20:35 --> 00:20:35 saying something
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 like oh
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 look it's
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 not real
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 racism
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 it's just
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 jokes.
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 That's just
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 what Aussies
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 do.
00:20:41 --> 00:20:41 They're just
00:20:41 --> 00:20:43 boys being
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 boys it's
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 one of
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 those type
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 of excuses
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 and just
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 dismiss her
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 concerns.
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 Maybe I'd
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 even push
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 it back to
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 victim blaming
00:20:50 --> 00:20:50 oh look you're
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 actually not
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 able to
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 take a
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 joke.
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 It's
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 actually
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 your fault.
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 I might
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 even say
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 look racism
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 now isn't
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 as bad
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 as it
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 was 20
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 30 years
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 ago when
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 I was
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 growing up.
00:21:01 --> 00:21:01 It's so
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 much better
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 now so
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 don't worry
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 about it.
00:21:03 --> 00:21:05 or I
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 can remember
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 that my
00:21:07 --> 00:21:07 old self
00:21:07 --> 00:21:09 because of
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 my pride
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 in ethnicity
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 is an
00:21:11 --> 00:21:13 idol and
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 what it
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 does is
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 it actually
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 blinds me
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 to actual
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 racism and
00:21:18 --> 00:21:18 I need to
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 remember that
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 I'm a
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 Christian first
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 and a
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 white male
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 second and
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 I must
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 treat this
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 sister as
00:21:25 --> 00:21:25 an equal
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 child of
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 God and
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 who God
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 is using
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 to speak
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 to me in
00:21:29 --> 00:21:29 that moment
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 to work
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 on my
00:21:31 --> 00:21:31 idolatry.
00:21:31 --> 00:21:34 Each of
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 us needs
00:21:35 --> 00:21:35 to be
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 aware of
00:21:36 --> 00:21:36 our own
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 cultural
00:21:37 --> 00:21:37 blindness
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 and not
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 believe that
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 our way
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 of being
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 a Christian
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 just because
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 it's the
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 way we've
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 grown up
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 is necessarily
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 the right
00:21:44 --> 00:21:44 way.
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 Now what
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 I would
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 love to
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 do at
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 this point
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 is I
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 would love
00:21:48 --> 00:21:48 to encourage
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 you to
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 go on a
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 holiday to
00:21:51 --> 00:21:51 another
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 country.
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 A little
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 bit difficult
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 I don't
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 have money
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 to give
00:21:56 --> 00:21:56 you to
00:21:56 --> 00:21:56 fly
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 anywhere
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 we might
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 be able
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 to go to
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 New Zealand
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 in a week.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:00 What I'd
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 love for you
00:22:01 --> 00:22:01 to do is
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 to go to
00:22:02 --> 00:22:02 another
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 culture
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 spend a
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 significant
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 amount of
00:22:05 --> 00:22:05 time there
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 because what
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 that does
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 is it
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 actually makes
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 you realise
00:22:08 --> 00:22:12 these Christians
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 do things
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 differently to
00:22:14 --> 00:22:14 those Christians
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 back home.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 I wonder
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 why.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 When we
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 get out of
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 our own
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 culture it
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19 helps us
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 to ask
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20 questions
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 of our
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 own way
00:22:22 --> 00:22:22 of doing
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 things.
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 We are
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 a multi-ethnic
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 church here
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 and we are
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 seeking to
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 have a
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 culture shaped
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 not by
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 racism
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 not by
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 ethnic
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 preference
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 not by
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 the culture
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 that I've
00:22:35 --> 00:22:35 grown up
00:22:35 --> 00:22:35 in
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 but shaped
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 by Jesus
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 and his
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 resurrection.
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 We can be
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 a voice
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 of love
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 to hurt
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 and broken
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 people in
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 our
00:22:45 --> 00:22:45 polarised
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 neighbourhood
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 as we
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 hold out
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 God's
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 love.
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 Let me
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 encourage you
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 call out
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 racism
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 when you
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 see it.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 Call out
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 racism
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 in the
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 workplace
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 even if
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 it means
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 you don't
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 get the
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 next
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 promotion.
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 Call out
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 racism
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 within
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 friendship
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 groups
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 even if
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 it means
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 you lose
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 friends.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 Don't keep
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 quiet in
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 fear like
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 Peter.
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 Show active
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 love to
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 people of
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 all nations
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 and I
00:23:10 --> 00:23:10 think most
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 importantly
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 we actually
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 need to
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 seek to
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 listen to
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 people who
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 are different
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 to us.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 In the next
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 couple of
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 weeks I'm
00:23:19 --> 00:23:19 hoping to
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 read a
00:23:20 --> 00:23:20 book called
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 Reading
00:23:21 --> 00:23:21 While
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 Black.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 It's
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 written by
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 an African
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 American
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 called
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 Esau
00:23:25 --> 00:23:25 Macaulay
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 and he
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 writes
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 about
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 what it
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 means to
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 be a
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 Christian
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 growing up
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 in the
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 South
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 of America
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 and I'm
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 looking forward
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 to reading
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 that because
00:23:34 --> 00:23:34 it is such
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 a different
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 cultural
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 perspective
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 on what it
00:23:37 --> 00:23:37 means to
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 be a
00:23:38 --> 00:23:38 Christian
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 and he
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 has a
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 whole
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 different
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 voice on
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 what it
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 means to
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 be an
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 African
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 and insight
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 into the
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 Africans in
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 the Bible
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 so I'm
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 really looking
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 forward to
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 that.
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 Let me
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 encourage you
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 seek out
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 different
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 voices to
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 understand
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 people from
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 different
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 places.
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 I think
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 SBS is a
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 wonderful
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 channel because
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 it is so
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 multi-ethnic.
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 Watch documentaries,
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 learn about
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 people from
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 other places.
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 So let me
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 encourage you,
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 as we seek to
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 be influenced by
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 the resurrection,
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 to love people
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 who are different,
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 let me encourage
00:24:14 --> 00:24:14 you to listen.
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 Listen to
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 people's stories.
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 We've looked at
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 relationships between
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 each other,
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 how we need to
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 forgive,
00:24:21 --> 00:24:23 across ethnicities,
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 how important
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 it is to
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 listen,
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 and now we
00:24:26 --> 00:24:28 come to the
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 resurrection hope
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 we have for
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 the classes,
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 for different
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 social groups.
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 Have a look
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 with me at
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 Luke chapter
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 14.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 Jesus is at
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 a banquet.
00:24:40 --> 00:24:40 I actually
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 wonder if this
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 is the first
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 type of banquet
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 like this Jesus
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 has gone to.
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 Growing up as a
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 tradie, I
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 wonder if this
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 is the first
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 time he's gone
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 to a meal like
00:24:49 --> 00:24:49 this.
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 In chapter 14
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 it says,
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 when he noticed
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 how the guests
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 picked the places
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 of honour at
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 the table,
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 he told them
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 this parable.
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 When someone
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 invites you to
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 a wedding feast,
00:25:01 --> 00:25:01 do not take
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 the place of
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 honour,
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 for a person
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 more distinguished
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 than you may
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 have been
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 invited.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 Jesus is at
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 this banquet
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 and he is
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 watching the
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 social interactions
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 around him.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 He's watching
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 how the class
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 based system
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 functions.
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 Those who
00:25:18 --> 00:25:18 were closer to
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 the top of
00:25:19 --> 00:25:19 the table,
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 they were
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 considered to
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 be more
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 important.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 They sat
00:25:23 --> 00:25:23 with the
00:25:23 --> 00:25:23 more important
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 people and
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 they would
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 have conversations
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 to advance
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 themselves.
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 It was a
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 form of
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 ancient networking
00:25:31 --> 00:25:33 before LinkedIn
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 or however
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 people do it
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 these days.
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 The purpose
00:25:36 --> 00:25:36 of this
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 dinner was
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 to grow
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 social relationships
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 so that you
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 could climb
00:25:41 --> 00:25:41 the ladder.
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 You know,
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 you wanted to
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 sit next to
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 a person who
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 could help
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 you to open
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 doors, to
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 invest in you
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 and you would
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 invest in them
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 and you
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 would buy
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 products.
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 So, you
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 know, you'd
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 sit next to
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 the property
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 developer and
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 you'd ask,
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 you know,
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 where's the
00:25:55 --> 00:25:57 next land sale
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 going to be?
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 Where's the
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 next boom
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 suburb?
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 You tell me
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 where that is
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 and I'll buy
00:26:02 --> 00:26:02 in there and
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 you'll get
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 more money.
00:26:04 --> 00:26:04 And then if
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 you need me,
00:26:05 --> 00:26:05 you do a
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 favour for
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 you, I'll
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 do that.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 You know,
00:26:08 --> 00:26:08 I'm going to
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 sit next to
00:26:09 --> 00:26:09 the person who
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 works for the
00:26:10 --> 00:26:10 government so I
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 can get my
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 DA through
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 quicker and
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 when it does
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 that I will
00:26:14 --> 00:26:14 give your
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 political party
00:26:15 --> 00:26:17 an extra kickback.
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 You scratch my
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 back, I scratch
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 your back.
00:26:21 --> 00:26:21 Jesus says
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 into this
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 context,
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 don't try and
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 take the places
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 of honour and
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 power for
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 yourselves.
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 But that's a
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 crazy thought
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 into this
00:26:30 --> 00:26:30 context.
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 That was the
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 whole point of
00:26:32 --> 00:26:32 going to this
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 event.
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 You wanted the
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 place of honour
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 because you
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 want to talk to
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 those people
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 around you so
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 that you can
00:26:38 --> 00:26:38 climb so you
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 can get ahead.
00:26:39 --> 00:26:41 I didn't come
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 to this feast
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 to talk to
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 poor people.
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 They are not
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 going to help
00:26:46 --> 00:26:46 me at all.
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 I came to
00:26:48 --> 00:26:48 get an
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 advantage.
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 The whole
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 social system
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 was designed
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 to meet
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 people to
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 do favours
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 for each
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 other, to
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 try and get
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 control and
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 power and
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 influence and
00:27:01 --> 00:27:01 money.
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 Jesus says
00:27:04 --> 00:27:04 something radical.
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 Instead of
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 focusing on
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 yourself,
00:27:07 --> 00:27:09 focus on
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 others.
00:27:10 --> 00:27:10 You don't
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 need to gain
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 power and
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 control and
00:27:13 --> 00:27:13 money because
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 you have a
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 God who
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 richly blesses
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 you and he
00:27:16 --> 00:27:16 is in control
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 of all things.
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 And so Jesus
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 breaks free of
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 this system in
00:27:21 --> 00:27:21 verse 12.
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 Jesus said to
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 his host,
00:27:25 --> 00:27:25 when you give
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 a luncheon or
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 dinner, do not
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 invite your
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 friends, your
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 brothers or your
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 sisters, your
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 relatives or your
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 rich neighbours.
00:27:32 --> 00:27:34 If you do, they
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 may invite you
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 back and so you
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 will be repaid.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 But when you
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 give a banquet,
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 invite the
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 poor, the
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 crippled, the
00:27:41 --> 00:27:42 lame, the
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 blind and you
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 will be blessed.
00:27:45 --> 00:27:45 Although they
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 cannot repay you,
00:27:47 --> 00:27:47 you will be
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 repaid at the
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 resurrection of
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 the righteous.
00:27:51 --> 00:27:51 So the
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 resurrection
00:27:52 --> 00:27:54 influences how
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 we view people
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 in different
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 social situations.
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 Now what Jesus
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 is talking to,
00:28:00 --> 00:28:00 he's talking to a
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 culture of
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 reciprocity.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 A culture where
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 if I do
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 something for you,
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 you have to
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 reciprocate.
00:28:08 --> 00:28:08 You do
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 something for
00:28:09 --> 00:28:09 me.
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 It's true of
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 other cultures
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 today, some
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 Asian cultures
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 are still very
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 reciprocal.
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 Gifts were
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 never free.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 There was
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 always strings
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 attached.
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 And so you
00:28:22 --> 00:28:22 would never
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 invite a poor
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 person to a
00:28:24 --> 00:28:24 feast.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 First of all,
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 it says something
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 about the
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 host.
00:28:29 --> 00:28:29 Other people
00:28:29 --> 00:28:30 would feel that
00:28:30 --> 00:28:30 their time was
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 wasted.
00:28:31 --> 00:28:31 Why is this
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 poor person
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 here?
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 I get nothing
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 out of them.
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 I'm not going
00:28:35 --> 00:28:35 to talk to
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 them.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 And then the
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 poor person
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 themselves would
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 be embarrassed
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 because they
00:28:40 --> 00:28:40 can't offer
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 anything else
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 back to the
00:28:42 --> 00:28:42 host.
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 They can't
00:28:43 --> 00:28:43 invite the
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 host back
00:28:44 --> 00:28:44 next week
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 for a feast
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 because they
00:28:46 --> 00:28:46 can't do
00:28:46 --> 00:28:46 that.
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 And so the
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 poor would
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 just be
00:28:49 --> 00:28:51 excluded for
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 their sake and
00:28:52 --> 00:28:52 for everybody
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 else's sake.
00:28:54 --> 00:28:54 And so what
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 would happen is
00:28:55 --> 00:28:56 the poor would
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 get poorer and
00:28:57 --> 00:28:57 the rich would
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 get richer.
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 Jesus is
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 critical of this
00:29:02 --> 00:29:02 system.
00:29:03 --> 00:29:03 And so he
00:29:03 --> 00:29:03 says, you
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 know what,
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 let's just
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 start a new
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 one.
00:29:05 --> 00:29:05 Let's start
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 a new
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 system, not
00:29:07 --> 00:29:07 based on
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 giving each
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 other gifts,
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 one based on
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 the resurrection
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 where God
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 values us
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 all equally
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 and has given
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 us the gift
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 of his son.
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 All richly
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 blessed.
00:29:19 --> 00:29:19 Instead of
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 seeking people
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 to actively
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 gain a benefit
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 from them,
00:29:23 --> 00:29:23 I'm going to
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 use this person
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 to get ahead.
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 I'm going to
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 befriend them
00:29:27 --> 00:29:27 to open doors.
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 No, choosing
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 to love other
00:29:29 --> 00:29:31 people just
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 to love them.
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 The resurrection,
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 salvation itself
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 is our
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 advantage and
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 not what we
00:29:37 --> 00:29:37 gain from
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 each other.
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 Christians are
00:29:40 --> 00:29:40 called to be in
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 relationships with
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 people from
00:29:42 --> 00:29:42 other social
00:29:42 --> 00:29:44 circles and
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 cultures as an
00:29:45 --> 00:29:45 expression of
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 God's love,
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 of God's
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 generosity to
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 us.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:50 It's a whole
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 new world view
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 of how people
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 are viewed not
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 as tools to
00:29:54 --> 00:29:54 get ahead,
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 but as people
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 loved by God
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 to be loved.
00:29:58 --> 00:30:00 Jesus has
00:30:00 --> 00:30:00 blessed us,
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 he's brought
00:30:02 --> 00:30:02 us out of
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 poverty and
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 given us life,
00:30:04 --> 00:30:04 so we're
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 called to
00:30:05 --> 00:30:05 imitate him
00:30:05 --> 00:30:06 in generosity.
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09 Belief in
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 the resurrection
00:30:09 --> 00:30:11 should change
00:30:11 --> 00:30:13 our relationships.
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 It should
00:30:14 --> 00:30:14 change how we
00:30:14 --> 00:30:16 calculate the
00:30:16 --> 00:30:16 value of
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 people.
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 It should
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 end the
00:30:19 --> 00:30:21 constant thoughts
00:30:21 --> 00:30:22 in the back
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 of my mind,
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 I'll pick on
00:30:24 --> 00:30:24 James again,
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 is this person
00:30:25 --> 00:30:27 actually worth
00:30:27 --> 00:30:27 my time?
00:30:28 --> 00:30:28 Should I
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 spend time
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 with him?
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 Is he just
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 going to drag
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 me down?
00:30:32 --> 00:30:32 He's going to
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 need a lot of
00:30:33 --> 00:30:33 work.
00:30:34 --> 00:30:35 Do I really
00:30:35 --> 00:30:37 have time?
00:30:37 --> 00:30:37 Is he actually
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 worth it?
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 And if I spend
00:30:40 --> 00:30:40 time with him,
00:30:41 --> 00:30:41 does he appreciate
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 it enough?
00:30:42 --> 00:30:43 Does he thank
00:30:43 --> 00:30:43 me enough?
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 What do I
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 actually get out
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 of this
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 relationship?
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 The resurrection
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 should actually
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 end our
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 stinginess with
00:30:50 --> 00:30:52 our time and
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 our wealth and
00:30:53 --> 00:30:53 our lives,
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 because the
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 resurrection calls
00:30:55 --> 00:30:55 us to
00:30:55 --> 00:30:56 generosity?
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 Today we've
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 spoken about
00:31:00 --> 00:31:02 big social
00:31:02 --> 00:31:02 change,
00:31:04 --> 00:31:04 of
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 relationships,
00:31:06 --> 00:31:08 of racism,
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 of resources,
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 and I want to
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 encourage you,
00:31:13 --> 00:31:13 instead of
00:31:13 --> 00:31:15 just seeing
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 the national
00:31:16 --> 00:31:18 and international
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 conversations and
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 thinking, oh,
00:31:20 --> 00:31:20 I need to engage
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 with that,
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 I need to talk
00:31:23 --> 00:31:24 about these big
00:31:24 --> 00:31:24 things,
00:31:24 --> 00:31:26 just to engage
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 with the most
00:31:26 --> 00:31:27 recent Black
00:31:27 --> 00:31:28 Lives Matter
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 march or
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 these kinds of
00:31:30 --> 00:31:30 things,
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 instead of just
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 engaging with
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 those things,
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35 start with the
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 people around
00:31:36 --> 00:31:36 you.
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 It is much
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 easier to
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 forgive, to
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 show generosity,
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 and to listen to
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 the people that
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 are in front of
00:31:44 --> 00:31:44 you.
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 So look out for
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48 opportunities of
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 social inequality
00:31:49 --> 00:31:50 people around
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 you.
00:31:52 --> 00:31:52 My community
00:31:52 --> 00:31:53 group, we
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 got together a
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 whole heap of
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 food for the
00:31:56 --> 00:31:57 asylum seeker
00:31:57 --> 00:31:59 center in the
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 city to serve
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 people who are
00:32:01 --> 00:32:01 in need.
00:32:02 --> 00:32:04 Look out for
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 opportunities in
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 your community
00:32:05 --> 00:32:08 around you to
00:32:08 --> 00:32:09 show the influence
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 of the resurrection
00:32:09 --> 00:32:12 and not just
00:32:12 --> 00:32:13 see the big
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 national debates
00:32:14 --> 00:32:14 and think it
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 is too hard.
00:32:17 --> 00:32:17 The resurrection
00:32:17 --> 00:32:18 calls us to
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 forgive each
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 other and to
00:32:20 --> 00:32:22 see relationships
00:32:22 --> 00:32:22 restored.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:23 The resurrection
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 calls us to
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 listen so that
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 we see the
00:32:26 --> 00:32:27 gospel that
00:32:27 --> 00:32:27 binds us
00:32:27 --> 00:32:29 together and
00:32:29 --> 00:32:30 not cultural
00:32:30 --> 00:32:30 differences.
00:32:31 --> 00:32:32 The resurrection
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 calls us to be
00:32:33 --> 00:32:35 generous because
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 we have a
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 generous God.
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 And so let's
00:32:38 --> 00:32:38 be a church,
00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 let's be a
00:32:39 --> 00:32:41 people that do
00:32:41 --> 00:32:42 these things,
00:32:42 --> 00:32:42 that forgive,
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 that listen and
00:32:44 --> 00:32:44 are generous.
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 Let me pray.
00:32:48 --> 00:32:49 Dear Heavenly
00:32:49 --> 00:32:50 Father, Lord I
00:32:50 --> 00:32:51 thank you for
00:32:51 --> 00:32:53 all of your
00:32:53 --> 00:32:53 goodness to us.
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 Lord it is
00:32:56 --> 00:32:58 easy for us to
00:32:58 --> 00:33:00 forget how much
00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 we have been
00:33:01 --> 00:33:03 forgiven, how
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 generous you
00:33:04 --> 00:33:05 have been and
00:33:05 --> 00:33:07 how you
00:33:07 --> 00:33:07 know our
00:33:07 --> 00:33:09 condition because
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 Jesus became
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 one of us.
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 Heavenly Father
00:33:13 --> 00:33:14 we ask that you
00:33:14 --> 00:33:15 would remind us
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 of the impact
00:33:16 --> 00:33:18 of the resurrection
00:33:18 --> 00:33:19 on our daily
00:33:19 --> 00:33:19 lives.
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22 Lord give us
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 much patience
00:33:23 --> 00:33:24 when we are
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 faced with
00:33:25 --> 00:33:27 conflict that
00:33:27 --> 00:33:27 we would be
00:33:27 --> 00:33:28 quick to
00:33:28 --> 00:33:28 forgive.
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 That when we
00:33:30 --> 00:33:30 see cultural
00:33:30 --> 00:33:31 differences we
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 would not be
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 quick to see the
00:33:33 --> 00:33:33 differences between
00:33:33 --> 00:33:34 us and others
00:33:34 --> 00:33:36 but be quick to
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 see the gospel
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 that binds
00:33:38 --> 00:33:38 us.
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 And Father
00:33:40 --> 00:33:42 help us to be
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 generous to other
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 people Lord
00:33:44 --> 00:33:46 knowing your love
00:33:46 --> 00:33:46 for us.
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 We ask this in
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 your son's name.
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 Amen.
00:33:50 --> 00:33:50 Amen.
00:33:50 --> 00:33:51 Amen.