Race, Cross, and the Christian
Series: Bloodlines
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 23rd August 2015
00:00:00 --> 00:00:09 Asylum seeker Kadim Dai fled to Indonesia to escape the Taliban in fear of his life.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:17 Kadim, who is part of the persecuted Hazara ethnic minority in Afghanistan,
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 fled to Pakistan with his family when he was a child.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:27 He left Pakistan in 2013 when a bomb went off near his school
00:00:27 --> 00:00:31 that killed 124 people, including a dear friend of his.
00:00:33 --> 00:00:41 Kadim, who has been found to be a genuine refugee by the United Nations Refugee Agency,
00:00:41 --> 00:00:47 is living in Indonesia until he is resettled into another country.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:52 He featured in the recent multimedia series Frontiers of Hope,
00:00:52 --> 00:00:58 and he agreed to participate in a question and answer session
00:00:58 --> 00:01:04 about the life of a refugee on the Age newspaper's Facebook page last Monday night.
00:01:05 --> 00:01:14 What happened next highlights the state of the asylum seeker debate and racism in this country.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:23 Here is what some of our fellow citizens wrote on the Age newspaper's Facebook page.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:28 Another privileged elitist trying to illegally enter Australia.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 Only Australians have right to say who can live here.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 No other should have influence.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:40 And out of those, only those who pay taxes should have a vote.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:44 Why is this Australia's problem?
00:01:45 --> 00:01:49 We are not a super country that can save six billion lives.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:51 What's wrong with Indonesia?
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 They are mainly Muslim and should be welcoming their fellow Muslims.
00:01:57 --> 00:02:00 He should not be a burden to our society.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:06 Why should I have to work hard to pay for my mortgage and food and my foxtel?
00:02:06 --> 00:02:14 And this toad comes in through the back door and my taxes feed him.
00:02:16 --> 00:02:20 That makes me hate asylum seekers even more.
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 He should be shot dead.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:27 And yes, I would gladly donate money for the bullet.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:34 Now, I hope your blood boiled.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:42 I left out the expletive laden ones for the sake of propriety here this morning.
00:02:42 --> 00:02:47 And ones that were even worse than that, which is hard to imagine.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:54 I found it hard to believe that someone would put that stuff out there on the public forum.
00:02:57 --> 00:03:04 A disgraceful treatment of another human being, and yet it's out there in our society.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:13 And it's hard to believe that that's the sort of attitude that has historically found a home in the Christian church.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:17 Even within our lifetime.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:24 And one of the clearest examples is the history of the black-white relationship in churches in the United States.
00:03:26 --> 00:03:34 In parts of the United States, where Christian values were the strongest and church attendance in the highest,
00:03:35 --> 00:03:39 millions of whites belonged to the white supremacy group, the Ku Klux Klan.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:47 And even as far back as the 1950s, that's not that long ago,
00:03:48 --> 00:03:53 church groups would be involved in public lynchings of Negroes.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 There's photos on the internet.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 Church families just walked out of church, all dressed up for church,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:07 and they're with people hanging from trees.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:11 That's not that long ago.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:19 The Ku Klux Klan has been involved in the segregation and slavery and torture and murder of many black people.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:28 And yet, the Ku Klux Klan was, and in fact still is, a powerful advocate of Christianity.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:32 The Christian cross features heavily in its activities,
00:04:32 --> 00:04:39 and it has consistently campaigned for the compulsory teaching of Christianity in public schools.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:39 It still does.
00:04:42 --> 00:04:46 There are some very dark chapters in the history of the church,
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 and yet, I have hope.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:53 I believe that the local church that treasures Jesus together
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 can be a pace setter for the wider community on this issue.
00:04:56 --> 00:05:06 And so this series is not about St. Paul's being perfect on the issue.
00:05:07 --> 00:05:10 It's about movement in the right direction.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 That's what it's about.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:18 The theology of the Apostle Paul, I believe, helps us move in the right direction
00:05:18 --> 00:05:22 of ending racial pride and ethnocentricity.
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 Hopefully, in the last three weeks, you've already been challenged
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 about some attitudes of your own heart.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:31 If not, I would encourage you to keep tuning in.
00:05:32 --> 00:05:34 So let's go to Galatians 2.
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 It was just read out to us by Debbie.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:40 Galatians 2, verses 11 to 16 particularly I want to focus on.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:45 The key phrase that I want to focus on is verse 14.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:52 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel.
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 That's the verse.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:59 That verse implies that there is conduct,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:02 that is, there's behavior, actions, things that we do
00:06:02 --> 00:06:07 that is out of step with the truth of the gospel,
00:06:07 --> 00:06:09 which is what we focused on last week.
00:06:09 --> 00:06:11 Or to put it another way,
00:06:11 --> 00:06:16 the gospel governs not just what we believe,
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 but what we do.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:23 So there is gospel belief,
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 and there is gospel actions.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:29 And some beliefs contradict the gospel,
00:06:29 --> 00:06:33 and some actions contradict the gospel.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:38 And Peter's action here in Galatians 2
00:06:38 --> 00:06:41 was contradicting the gospel.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 And so this is one of the most important questions
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 that we can ask.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:50 Ask of our habits,
00:06:50 --> 00:06:51 of our actions,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 of our behaviors,
00:06:52 --> 00:06:53 of our attitudes.
00:06:54 --> 00:06:57 Do they contradict the gospel?
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 Or positively,
00:07:00 --> 00:07:03 are my actions, behaviors, attitudes
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 in step with what I say
00:07:06 --> 00:07:08 that I believe about Jesus?
00:07:11 --> 00:07:13 Do they say true things about the gospel?
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 Does it reflect the gospel?
00:07:14 --> 00:07:16 Does it look like the kind of action
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 that would flow out of the gospel?
00:07:20 --> 00:07:24 Now, Paul here leaves us in no doubt
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 about what the heart of the gospel is.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 So we're going to look at it again
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 so that we're clear on it.
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 We don't have to go any further than verse 16,
00:07:31 --> 00:07:31 I think.
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 So look at that with me.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 Galatians 2 verse 16.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 We who are Jews by birth
00:07:37 --> 00:07:39 and not Gentile sinners
00:07:39 --> 00:07:42 know that a man is not justified
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 by observing the law
00:07:43 --> 00:07:45 but by faith in Jesus Christ.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus
00:07:48 --> 00:07:52 that we may be justified by faith in Christ
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 and not by observing the law
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 because by observing the law
00:07:56 --> 00:07:58 no one will be justified.
00:07:58 --> 00:08:00 And so the heart of the gospel
00:08:00 --> 00:08:02 for the apostle Paul
00:08:02 --> 00:08:05 was justification by faith alone
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 apart from works of the law.
00:08:07 --> 00:08:10 Justification is what a judge does
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 in a courtroom.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:15 It is a declaration that a defendant
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 is found innocent
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 because they are actually innocent.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:23 The defendant is declared to be just
00:08:23 --> 00:08:28 that is right, justified,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:31 just if I had never sinned
00:08:31 --> 00:08:34 because they are just.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:37 It's as just as if they had never sinned.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:41 So how can God, the judge,
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 declare us righteous and innocent?
00:08:43 --> 00:08:45 And the answer is what we looked at last week
00:08:45 --> 00:08:48 is that Jesus Christ lived and died
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 and to provide our righteousness
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 and to bear our punishment.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 Justification by faith
00:08:55 --> 00:08:56 puts all of us,
00:08:56 --> 00:08:57 every single person,
00:08:58 --> 00:08:59 on level ground
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 in utter dependence upon him.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 Utter dependence upon his grace.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:08 And one thing that justification does
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 is it smashes pride.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 That's the heart of the gospel.
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 And my friends,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 from that gospel,
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 how many new and sweet
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 and tender and deep
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 and strong and beautiful
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 and noble and humble and kind
00:09:23 --> 00:09:25 and wise and patient
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 and caring and serving attitudes
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 and behaviors
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 flow from that gospel.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 And one of which
00:09:33 --> 00:09:36 is the breaking down
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 of ethnic hostilities
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 and suspicion
00:09:38 --> 00:09:40 and creates instead
00:09:40 --> 00:09:42 unity and harmony
00:09:42 --> 00:09:44 where there was once division.
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 justification by faith
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 and justification by faith
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 and justification by faith alone
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 has overcome all,
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 all,
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 all,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 all
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 the divisions
00:09:56 --> 00:09:57 that there are
00:09:57 --> 00:09:58 between people.
00:10:00 --> 00:10:04 Galatians 3 verses 26 to 28
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 is very clear on that.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:09 You are all sons of God
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 through faith in Christ Jesus.
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 For all of you
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 who were baptized
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 into Christ
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 have clothed yourselves
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 with Christ.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 There is neither Jew
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 nor Greek,
00:10:21 --> 00:10:22 slave nor free,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 male nor female,
00:10:25 --> 00:10:27 for you are all one
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 in Christ Jesus.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 If you belong to Christ,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 then you are Abraham's seed
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 and heirs
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 according to the promise.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 Remember,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 Galatians,
00:10:38 --> 00:10:38 oh sorry,
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 Genesis chapter 12,
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 turning point that I said,
00:10:41 --> 00:10:41 Abraham.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 That's where it all started,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 God's redemption plan.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 When Paul states here
00:10:47 --> 00:10:48 there is neither Jew
00:10:48 --> 00:10:49 nor Greek,
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 slave nor free,
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 male nor female,
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 he strikes
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 at the three,
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 at least the three
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 of the major barrier
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 forming divisions
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 in human society.
00:11:04 --> 00:11:04 Ethnic,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:07 economic capacity
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 and sexuality.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 There was a Jewish prayer
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 in the first century
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 that went like this.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 Blessed be he
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 that he did not make me
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 a Gentile.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 Blessed be he
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 that he did not make me
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 a slave
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 or an ignorant peasant.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 And blessed be he
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 that he did not make me
00:11:30 --> 00:11:30 a woman.
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 That's a Jewish prayer.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 I assume prayed
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 just at men's breakfasts,
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 the bacon-free
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 men's breakfasts
00:11:40 --> 00:11:40 that they had
00:11:40 --> 00:11:41 back in those days.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:44 And the Christian gospel
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 smashes all of those barriers.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 And it forms,
00:11:49 --> 00:11:50 doesn't just break down
00:11:50 --> 00:11:50 the barriers,
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 it forms a radically
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 new society.
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 It doesn't obliterate
00:11:55 --> 00:11:56 the differences.
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 Greeks are still Greeks,
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 slaves are still slaves,
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 and women are still women.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 What obliterates here
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 is the barriers
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 that are formed up
00:12:06 --> 00:12:09 in those differences.
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 And what's also obliterated
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 is a person's status
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 among the people of God
00:12:15 --> 00:12:17 based on those differences.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 There is no race,
00:12:22 --> 00:12:22 no nation,
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 no class,
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 no gender,
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 no denomination
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 that has a favoured status
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 with God.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:38 This was radical theology
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 in Paul's day
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 because it flew
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 in the face
00:12:42 --> 00:12:44 of all traditional norms.
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 And it continues
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 to be radical theology
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 today
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 because it conflicts
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 with many of our
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 cultural norms as well.
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 The gospel brings
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 unity,
00:12:54 --> 00:12:56 not uniformity.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 But at the end
00:12:58 --> 00:13:00 of Galatians 2 verse 12,
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 we see that Peter
00:13:01 --> 00:13:04 was governed by fear
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 and not by the gospel.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 And Paul rebuked him
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 for it
00:13:08 --> 00:13:08 in Galatians 2
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 verses 11
00:13:09 --> 00:13:11 to 13.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:11 When Peter
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 came to Antioch,
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 I opposed him to his face
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 because he was clearly
00:13:15 --> 00:13:15 in the wrong.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 Before certain men
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 came from James,
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 he used to eat
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 with the Gentiles.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 But when they arrived,
00:13:21 --> 00:13:22 he began to draw back
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 and separate himself
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 from the Gentiles
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 because he was afraid
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 of those
00:13:26 --> 00:13:26 who belonged
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 to the circumcision group.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 The other Jews
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 joined him
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 in his hypocrisy
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 so that by their hypocrisy,
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 even Barnabas
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 was led astray.
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 And so Peter
00:13:38 --> 00:13:40 had been
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 experiencing
00:13:42 --> 00:13:42 the freedom
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 of the gospel
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 as a Jew
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 and he'd been
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 crossing
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 ethnic
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 and religious barriers
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 to eat with Gentiles
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 ever since
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 Acts chapter 10.
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 If you want to go back,
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 that's a turning point
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 for him.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 And then
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 it says
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 in verse 12
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 that certain men
00:13:58 --> 00:14:00 came from James.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 Now these were
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 the Jerusalem
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 conservatives
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 who believed
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 that the Gentiles
00:14:08 --> 00:14:10 because of their
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 uncircumcision
00:14:11 --> 00:14:13 and because of their
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 unkosher
00:14:14 --> 00:14:16 dietary habits
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 and because of their
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 failure to keep
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 the holy days,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:19 they were
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 off limits
00:14:20 --> 00:14:22 even if
00:14:22 --> 00:14:22 they were
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 Christian,
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 they were still
00:14:24 --> 00:14:24 off limits
00:14:24 --> 00:14:26 for Jews.
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 And so these
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 conservatives,
00:14:30 --> 00:14:30 theological
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 conservatives
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 came down
00:14:32 --> 00:14:32 from Jerusalem,
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 the
00:14:35 --> 00:14:37 Sydney Anglicans,
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 they
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 came
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 to
00:14:40 --> 00:14:41 Hillsong
00:14:41 --> 00:14:45 and started
00:14:45 --> 00:14:45 throwing stones.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:53 religious
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 and ethnic
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 issues
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 were
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 inseparable
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 for them.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 Now I'm not
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 sure exactly
00:15:01 --> 00:15:01 what Peter
00:15:01 --> 00:15:02 was afraid
00:15:02 --> 00:15:02 of,
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 but it's
00:15:05 --> 00:15:05 clear,
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 excuse me,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 it's clear
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 that he was
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 afraid of his
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 own group.
00:15:11 --> 00:15:17 and what
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 is absolutely
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 clear is
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 that that
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 fear ruined
00:15:21 --> 00:15:23 practical
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 gospel
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 faithfulness
00:15:25 --> 00:15:25 and
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 relationships.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 He was
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 free,
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 he was
00:15:32 --> 00:15:32 eating with
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 brothers across
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 ethnic lines
00:15:34 --> 00:15:34 and fear,
00:15:35 --> 00:15:35 at least for
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 that moment,
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 destroyed the
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 diversity and
00:15:39 --> 00:15:39 the harmony.
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 And so at
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 very least I
00:15:42 --> 00:15:42 think I could
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 say from this
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 passage,
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 don't let
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 fear ruin
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 your joyful
00:15:47 --> 00:15:49 freedom in
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 living and
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 working and
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 worshipping and
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 relaxing and
00:15:53 --> 00:15:53 eating with
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 brothers and
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 sisters who
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 are different
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 from you.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 Or to put it
00:16:00 --> 00:16:00 positively,
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 fall in love
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 with Jesus
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 again.
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 That's what it
00:16:06 --> 00:16:06 means.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 Fall in love
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 with Jesus
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 again.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 Rejoice all
00:16:13 --> 00:16:13 over again
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 that you are
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 justified by
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 faith alone.
00:16:16 --> 00:16:21 It means we
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 need to keep
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 Jesus front and
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 centre.
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 We need to
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 keep justification
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 by faith
00:16:25 --> 00:16:25 front and
00:16:25 --> 00:16:25 centre.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:27 Consistently,
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28 level playing
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 field, no
00:16:29 --> 00:16:29 room for
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 pride.
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 It means
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 treasuring
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 Jesus together.
00:16:34 --> 00:16:34 Again,
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 keep putting
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 to that,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 treasuring
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 Jesus
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 together.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 And yet
00:16:39 --> 00:16:41 fear is a
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 very real
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 issue.
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 I went to
00:16:46 --> 00:16:46 the Hillsong
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 conference this
00:16:47 --> 00:16:47 year.
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 First time
00:16:50 --> 00:16:50 ever.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 I ran into
00:16:54 --> 00:16:54 a friend of
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 mine, a
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 colleague from
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 all colleagues
00:16:57 --> 00:16:57 there.
00:16:59 --> 00:16:59 We were both
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 surprised to see
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 each other.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 fear.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 I said to
00:17:04 --> 00:17:04 him, let's
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 take a photo
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 and stick it
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 on Facebook.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 Preferably with
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 Brian if we
00:17:10 --> 00:17:10 can.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:12 And he said,
00:17:13 --> 00:17:13 I'm glad to be
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 here.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 I'm not quite
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 ready for the
00:17:16 --> 00:17:16 vitriol.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 Fear.
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 I agreed with
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 him.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 Fear.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 Fear.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 Fear.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 Fear.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 Fear.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 Fear.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:27 Fear.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 Fear.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 Fear.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 Fear.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 Fear.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 Fear.
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 Fear.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 Fear.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 We need to
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 keep putting
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 Jesus front
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 and center.
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 We need
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 Jesus to be
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 our greatest
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 treasure.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 We need to
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 remember that
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 the divide
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 could not
00:17:35 --> 00:17:35 have been
00:17:35 --> 00:17:37 larger between
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 sinful human
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 beings and
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 the infinitely
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 holy son of
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 God.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 And Jesus
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 did not
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 despise us.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 He came to
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 us.
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 He loved
00:17:50 --> 00:17:50 us.
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 He died in
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 our place to
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 give us
00:17:53 --> 00:17:53 life.
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 And he
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 did that
00:17:57 --> 00:17:57 when we
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 were more
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 alien to
00:18:00 --> 00:18:02 him than
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 anyone has
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 ever been
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 to us.
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 Jesus
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 needs to
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 be front
00:18:09 --> 00:18:09 and center
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 consistently.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:12 You see
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 when we
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 think or
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 feel or
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 act with
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 disdain or
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 disrespect or
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 avoidance or
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 exclusion or
00:18:20 --> 00:18:20 malice towards
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 a person
00:18:21 --> 00:18:23 simply because
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 he or she
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 is of
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 another race
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 or another
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 ethnic group
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 we are
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 in effect
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 saying that
00:18:33 --> 00:18:33 Jesus
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 acted
00:18:34 --> 00:18:36 foolishly
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 towards
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 us.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 And I
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 don't believe
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 we ever
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 want to
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 say that.
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 Now
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 as far as I'm
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 aware here at
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 St. Paul's we
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 don't face the
00:18:49 --> 00:18:49 issues of
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 Galatians.
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 That is
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 exclusion because
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 of lack of
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 circumcision.
00:18:53 --> 00:18:55 far as I'm
00:18:55 --> 00:18:57 aware that's
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 not the
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 case.
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 But we do
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 face numerous
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 divisions.
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 We have
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 divisions of
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 race and
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 age and
00:19:04 --> 00:19:04 gender and
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 social status
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 and financial
00:19:06 --> 00:19:06 status and
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 theological
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 awareness and
00:19:08 --> 00:19:08 historical
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 connection.
00:19:09 --> 00:19:11 We don't
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 have signs up
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 in the
00:19:13 --> 00:19:13 building
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 segregating
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 people of
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 different races
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 morning tea
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 here lying
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 for whites
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 and we
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 don't have
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 that sort of
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 thing happening.
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 Hopefully that's
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 long gone.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 We don't have
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 a KKK
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 option to
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 sign up for
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 Activate.
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 But we do
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 have our
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 prejudices and
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 implicit beliefs
00:19:32 --> 00:19:34 that linger in
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 our hearts.
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 And that's
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 the key issue
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 I think that
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 we need to
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 be looking
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 at.
00:19:39 --> 00:19:39 The key
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 issue is
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 our hearts.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 On the
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 whole,
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 our issues
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 I believe
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 are more
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 implicit.
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 Sort of
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 like a
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 motor
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 mechanic
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 who
00:19:50 --> 00:19:53 implicitly
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 assumes that
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 girls can't
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 fix cars.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 And so
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 with that
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 implicit
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 assumption
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 he gives
00:20:01 --> 00:20:05 less
00:20:05 --> 00:20:05 attentions
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 and fewer
00:20:06 --> 00:20:06 opportunities
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 to his
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 female
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 apprentices.
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 Because it's
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 an implicit
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 belief that
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 he has.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 Boys are
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 better at
00:20:14 --> 00:20:14 fixing
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 cars than
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 girls.
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 And so
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 my hope in
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 this series
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 is that we
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 would put to
00:20:20 --> 00:20:22 death those
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 implicit beliefs,
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 the remaining
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 corruption in
00:20:25 --> 00:20:25 our hearts
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 that think or
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 feel or
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 acts with
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 ill will
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 towards others
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 because of
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 difference,
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 especially race
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 and ethnicity.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 So what I
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 want to try
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 and do for
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 the rest of
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 our time
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 together now
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 is to
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 help us
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 to see
00:20:37 --> 00:20:39 and remove
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 one of the
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 subtle
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 sinful
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 prejudices
00:20:42 --> 00:20:44 that's in
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 our hearts.
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 I want us
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 to focus on
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 a particular
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 part of the
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 text that
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 was read
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 out from
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 John chapter
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 1.
00:20:50 --> 00:20:50 It's not
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 the main
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 point of
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 the text.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 It's an
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 implication I
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 think relevant
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 for our
00:20:56 --> 00:20:56 situation.
00:20:57 --> 00:20:57 It's in
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 verse
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 43,
00:20:59 --> 00:20:59 43,
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 Jesus
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 calls
00:21:01 --> 00:21:01 Philip to
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 be his
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 disciple.
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 In
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 verse 45,
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 Philip finds
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 Nathanael and
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 says to him,
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 we have found
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 the one Moses
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 wrote about in
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 the law and
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 about whom the
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 prophets also
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 wrote,
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 Jesus of
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 Nazareth,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 the son of
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 Joseph.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 In other
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 words,
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 Philip has
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 believed in
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 Jesus as the
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 Messiah and
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 he's eager for
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 Nathanael to
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 know him
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 too.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:29 He identifies
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 this one
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 written about
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 Moses and
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 the prophets
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 by calling
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 him Jesus
00:21:34 --> 00:21:36 of Nazareth.
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 So he
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 identifies Jesus
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 with a town,
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 with a group
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 of people who
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 live in that
00:21:44 --> 00:21:44 town, just a
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 small town,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:45 about 2
00:21:45 --> 00:21:45 people,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 something like
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 that.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 And for
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 whatever reason,
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 Nathanael responds
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 to Philip's
00:21:50 --> 00:21:50 announcement in
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 verse 46 with
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 Nazareth,
00:21:52 --> 00:21:52 Nazareth.
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 Can anything
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 good come out
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 of Nazareth?
00:22:01 --> 00:22:01 And so his
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 question amounts
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 to a foregone
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 conclusion.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 Nothing good
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 can come out
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 of Nazareth.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 What's the
00:22:10 --> 00:22:10 nature of his
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 mistake?
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 One way to
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 describe it would
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 be say that it
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 was sinful
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 prejudice against
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 the people of
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 Nazareth.
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 He had what
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 you call a
00:22:22 --> 00:22:24 stereotype of
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 people from
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 Nazareth.
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 He made his
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 judgment about
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 Jesus based on
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 that negative
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 stereotype.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 But another
00:22:34 --> 00:22:34 way to look at
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 it is that
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 Nathanael did
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 what we do
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 every day.
00:22:41 --> 00:22:43 He made a
00:22:43 --> 00:22:44 generalization
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 based on
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 multiple
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 experiences,
00:22:49 --> 00:22:49 possibly
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 biblical
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 evidence,
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 and then
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 formed a
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 probability
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 conclusion
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 based on
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 that
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 generalization.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 So let
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 me try and
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 unpack that
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 in this
00:23:04 --> 00:23:04 context.
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 My experience
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 is that the
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 people of
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 Nazareth are
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 pretty ordinary
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 people.
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 And I don't
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 see in the
00:23:12 --> 00:23:12 Old Testament
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 that the
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 Messiah actually
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 comes from
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 Nazareth.
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 death.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 Therefore,
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 from those
00:23:19 --> 00:23:19 general
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 observations,
00:23:21 --> 00:23:21 I think it's
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 highly
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 improbable,
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 if not
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 impossible,
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 that Jesus
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 is the
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 Messiah.
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 Now,
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 before we go
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 any further,
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 I would say
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 generalizing from
00:23:35 --> 00:23:37 our experiences
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 and drawing
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 probability
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 conclusions
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 is both
00:23:41 --> 00:23:42 inevitable
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 and good.
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 The human
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 brain works
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 that way.
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 In fact,
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 our life
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 depends on
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 it working
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 that way.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 For instance,
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 you observe
00:23:53 --> 00:23:55 that mushrooms
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 of certain
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 colors,
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 particularly
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 bright colors,
00:23:59 --> 00:24:02 generally are
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 poisonous.
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 poisonous.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 And so,
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 when someone
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 offers you
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 with a
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 mushroom,
00:24:08 --> 00:24:08 which is
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 orange and
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 yellow and
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 purple and
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 says,
00:24:11 --> 00:24:11 here you go,
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 taste that,
00:24:13 --> 00:24:15 you turn it
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 down.
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 You've never
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 tasted one
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 before,
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 ever.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 You've never
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 tested that
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 particular mushroom
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 whether it's
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 poisonous,
00:24:25 --> 00:24:27 but you see
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 that it belongs
00:24:27 --> 00:24:29 to a general
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 class of
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 mushrooms that
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 are known to
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 be poisonous.
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 And so,
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 you form a
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 probability
00:24:35 --> 00:24:37 conclusion and
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 you refuse to
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 eat it.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 Your life
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 depends on
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 not treating
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 that individual
00:24:42 --> 00:24:44 mushroom in
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 isolation from
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 your experience.
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 You with me?
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 Let me just
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 say that again.
00:24:52 --> 00:24:52 You're with me?
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 Fantastic.
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 Of course,
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 sometimes our
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 judgments are
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 totally wrong.
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 They seem
00:25:01 --> 00:25:01 legitimate,
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 but are dead
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 wrong.
00:25:02 --> 00:25:04 My experiences
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 in Alice Springs
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 in 2005
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 that I mentioned
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 a couple of
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 weeks ago.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 And there was
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 another time I
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 was at a
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 restaurant with
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 a former
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 Chinese member
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 of our church
00:25:13 --> 00:25:13 one day.
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 We were sitting
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 down,
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 we were just
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 about to order,
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 and the
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 waitress came
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 over and
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 this member
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 spoke to this
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 waitress in
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 Mandarin.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 And the
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 waitress looked
00:25:23 --> 00:25:25 at him and
00:25:25 --> 00:25:27 just didn't
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 say anything.
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 And I
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 looked at the
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 waitress and
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 I said,
00:25:31 --> 00:25:31 you've got no
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 idea what he
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 just said,
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 do you?
00:25:33 --> 00:25:35 And she
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 says, no,
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 I don't.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 And I just
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 laughed.
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 It turns out
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 she could only
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 speak English and
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 she was in fact
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 Korean.
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 The probability
00:25:46 --> 00:25:49 conclusion based
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 on observation and
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 experience was in
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 fact wrong in that
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 moment.
00:25:52 --> 00:25:55 But that's
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 what our brains
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 do all the
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 time with our
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 information.
00:26:02 --> 00:26:04 Sometimes it's
00:26:04 --> 00:26:04 sinful.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 I'm driving
00:26:08 --> 00:26:08 along the road,
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 stopped the
00:26:09 --> 00:26:09 said traffic
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 lights, man
00:26:10 --> 00:26:10 standing at
00:26:10 --> 00:26:10 the traffic
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 lights, based
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 on what he
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 was wearing,
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 the beard
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 that he had,
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 the haircut
00:26:14 --> 00:26:16 he had, and
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 his general
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 appearance.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:21 I immediately
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 concluded,
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 he was a
00:26:22 --> 00:26:24 Muslim man of
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 Middle Eastern
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 descent.
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 The next thing
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 that happened in
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 my mind was
00:26:29 --> 00:26:29 sinful.
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 I wonder if
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 he's linked to
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 terrorism in
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 any way.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 That was the
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 next bit in my
00:26:39 --> 00:26:39 mind which was
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 sinful.
00:26:44 --> 00:26:44 So what does
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 Nathaniel do?
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 Was his
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 non-sinful,
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 fully warranted
00:26:49 --> 00:26:51 probability judgment
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 that proved to be
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 wrong?
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 Or is Nathaniel
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 guilty of sinful
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 prejudice?
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 I think he's
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 guilty.
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 Because he doesn't
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 say, can the
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 Messiah come from
00:27:00 --> 00:27:00 Nazareth?
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 He says,
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 Nazareth?
00:27:03 --> 00:27:05 Can anything good
00:27:05 --> 00:27:05 come from
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 Nazareth?
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 Nazareth?
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 If his heart were
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 right, gracious,
00:27:11 --> 00:27:11 loving, patient,
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 hopeful towards the
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 people of Nazareth,
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 he might have been
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 legitimately skeptical
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 about whether the
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 Messiah came from
00:27:18 --> 00:27:18 Nazareth.
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 Although he would
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 probably would have
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 not said, Nazareth,
00:27:22 --> 00:27:22 can anything good
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 come from Nazareth?
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 You see, he's
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 moved from
00:27:27 --> 00:27:29 legitimate probability
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 conclusion to sinful
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 prejudice.
00:27:30 --> 00:27:33 His view of these
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 people is so
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 negative that he
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 sweeps all of
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 them into the
00:27:37 --> 00:27:39 stereotype including
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 Jesus, which is
00:27:40 --> 00:27:42 what I did on that
00:27:42 --> 00:27:42 night in November
00:27:42 --> 00:27:44 in 2005 with those
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 Aboriginal people.
00:27:45 --> 00:27:51 notice too that his
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 reaction to what
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 Philip says is
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 immediate.
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 He doesn't consider
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 the possibility that
00:27:56 --> 00:27:56 Philip might have
00:27:56 --> 00:27:58 been right about
00:27:58 --> 00:27:59 what he knew what
00:27:59 --> 00:27:59 he's talking about.
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 He's temporarily
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 blind to his
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 prejudice.
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 Now here's the
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 point that I want
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 to make.
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 There's a fine line
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 between legitimate
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 probability judgment
00:28:11 --> 00:28:13 and sinful
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 prejudice.
00:28:14 --> 00:28:16 but there is
00:28:16 --> 00:28:17 a line.
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 There is a
00:28:21 --> 00:28:21 line.
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 And God
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 sees it even
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 when we don't.
00:28:30 --> 00:28:30 And we do
00:28:30 --> 00:28:32 not, we need
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 to be careful
00:28:32 --> 00:28:34 to not allow
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 our
00:28:35 --> 00:28:37 genuine
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 and right
00:28:38 --> 00:28:40 assessments of
00:28:40 --> 00:28:40 people and
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 circumstances to
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 function in our
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 hearts in such a
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 way that it
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 becomes a
00:28:45 --> 00:28:47 subtle self
00:28:47 --> 00:28:49 justification for
00:28:49 --> 00:28:51 sinful prejudice.
00:28:51 --> 00:29:01 I've noticed
00:29:01 --> 00:29:03 that since doing
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 this series that I
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 have less patience
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 with some people of
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 some races than I
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 do with others.
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 Our hearts are
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 deceitful and
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 corruption remains.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:18 We must put it to
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 death.
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 death.
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 And so may the
00:29:20 --> 00:29:21 Lord give us
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 absolute honesty
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 with ourselves
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 and with him.
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 May he expose
00:29:27 --> 00:29:29 every remnant of
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 sinful prejudice.
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 May we never use
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 the legitimacy of
00:29:34 --> 00:29:36 generalization to
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 cloak what is
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 sin.
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 And so let me
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 close with three
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 indications of a
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 good heart as we
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 struggle with this
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 line between
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 inevitable
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 generalization and
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 sinful prejudice.
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 It's a heart I
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 believe that has
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 received Christ,
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 knows forgiveness
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 and is indwelt by
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 the Holy Spirit.
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 Number one,
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 this good heart
00:29:59 --> 00:30:01 desires to know
00:30:01 --> 00:30:02 people and to
00:30:02 --> 00:30:05 treat people for
00:30:05 --> 00:30:07 who they are as
00:30:07 --> 00:30:09 individuals, not
00:30:09 --> 00:30:10 simply as
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 representatives of
00:30:11 --> 00:30:11 a group.
00:30:11 --> 00:30:16 if this were not
00:30:16 --> 00:30:19 so, Jesus
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 could not be
00:30:20 --> 00:30:21 recognized for
00:30:21 --> 00:30:21 who he is.
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 Do you
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 desire, I
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 mean really
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 desire to know
00:30:25 --> 00:30:26 people and to
00:30:26 --> 00:30:27 treat people as
00:30:27 --> 00:30:29 individuals, not
00:30:29 --> 00:30:30 just samples of a
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 group?
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 Number two,
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 the good heart
00:30:36 --> 00:30:38 is willing to
00:30:38 --> 00:30:40 take risks to
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 act against
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 negative
00:30:42 --> 00:30:44 expectations and
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 belittling
00:30:44 --> 00:30:46 stereotypes when
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 dealing with a
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 person.
00:30:48 --> 00:30:48 Paul says,
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 love believes
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 all things,
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 hopes all
00:30:52 --> 00:30:54 things, and I
00:30:54 --> 00:30:54 think he meant
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 that love strives
00:30:55 --> 00:30:56 to believe and
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 hope for the
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 best and not
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 for the worst.
00:30:58 --> 00:30:59 Number three,
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 the good heart
00:30:59 --> 00:31:01 is ready, like
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 Nathaniel, to
00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 repent quickly
00:31:03 --> 00:31:06 and fully when
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 we have made a
00:31:07 --> 00:31:08 mistake and
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 judged someone
00:31:09 --> 00:31:09 wrongly.
00:31:10 --> 00:31:10 This is what I
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 want my heart
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 to be towards
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 you, it's what
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 I want your
00:31:14 --> 00:31:14 heart to be
00:31:14 --> 00:31:16 towards me, it's
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 what I want our
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 collective heart to
00:31:18 --> 00:31:20 be towards the
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 city of Chatswood.
00:31:22 --> 00:31:23 And I believe it
00:31:23 --> 00:31:25 is vital for God's
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 glory and our
00:31:26 --> 00:31:28 society, our
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 society needs to
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 see this kind of
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 racial harmony and
00:31:31 --> 00:31:33 peace in action.
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35 And so I would
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 invite you to start
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 right now.
00:31:37 --> 00:31:38 when I say now,
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 I mean when we
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 finish here and
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 move out to
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 morning tea, we
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 finish our formal
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 time together.
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 I don't want to
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 trivialise the
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48 gravity of the
00:31:48 --> 00:31:50 issue that we're
00:31:50 --> 00:31:50 dealing with in
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 these series by
00:31:51 --> 00:31:53 making the
00:31:53 --> 00:31:54 application trite
00:31:54 --> 00:31:57 and simple, but
00:31:57 --> 00:31:59 let's do it
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 anyway, let's
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 start there.
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 Why not move
00:32:02 --> 00:32:03 out of here and
00:32:03 --> 00:32:05 talk with someone
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 who's different
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 than you?
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 As a starting
00:32:10 --> 00:32:11 point, not just
00:32:11 --> 00:32:13 gather with the
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 people that you
00:32:14 --> 00:32:14 normally gather
00:32:14 --> 00:32:16 with, across
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 boundaries.
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 Maybe next week
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 when you come to
00:32:25 --> 00:32:27 church, sit with
00:32:27 --> 00:32:28 someone different
00:32:28 --> 00:32:29 than you.
00:32:33 --> 00:32:34 Ask God to
00:32:34 --> 00:32:35 help you by the
00:32:35 --> 00:32:35 power of his
00:32:35 --> 00:32:36 spirit to build
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 bridges of peace
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 and harmony.
00:32:41 --> 00:32:42 I think it's
00:32:42 --> 00:32:43 absolutely essential
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 and it has been
00:32:44 --> 00:32:47 for us and the
00:32:47 --> 00:32:47 Christian church
00:32:47 --> 00:32:50 for decades to
00:32:50 --> 00:32:50 deal with this
00:32:50 --> 00:32:51 issue.
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 John Stott
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 wrote this in
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 his Ephesians
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 commentary back in
00:32:56 --> 00:32:59 1970-something,
00:32:59 --> 00:33:00 76 I think,
00:33:01 --> 00:33:01 79.
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 He said,
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06 it is simply
00:33:06 --> 00:33:07 impossible with
00:33:07 --> 00:33:08 any shred of
00:33:08 --> 00:33:09 Christian integrity
00:33:09 --> 00:33:10 to go on
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 proclaiming that
00:33:11 --> 00:33:12 Jesus by his
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 cross has
00:33:13 --> 00:33:14 abolished the
00:33:14 --> 00:33:15 old divisions and
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 created a single
00:33:16 --> 00:33:17 new humanity of
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 love while at the
00:33:18 --> 00:33:20 same time we are
00:33:20 --> 00:33:21 contradicting our
00:33:21 --> 00:33:22 message by tolerating
00:33:22 --> 00:33:24 racial or social or
00:33:24 --> 00:33:24 other barriers
00:33:24 --> 00:33:26 within our church
00:33:26 --> 00:33:26 fellowship.
00:33:27 --> 00:33:29 We need to get the
00:33:29 --> 00:33:29 failures of the
00:33:29 --> 00:33:31 church on our
00:33:31 --> 00:33:32 conscience to feel
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 the offense to
00:33:33 --> 00:33:35 Christ, to weep
00:33:35 --> 00:33:36 over the credibility
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 gap between the
00:33:37 --> 00:33:39 church's talk and
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 the church's walk,
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 to repent of our
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 readiness to
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 excuse and even
00:33:44 --> 00:33:45 condone our
00:33:45 --> 00:33:47 failures and to
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 determine to do
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 something about it.
00:33:49 --> 00:33:50 I wonder if
00:33:50 --> 00:33:51 anything is more
00:33:51 --> 00:33:53 urgent today for
00:33:53 --> 00:33:53 the honor of
00:33:53 --> 00:33:54 Christ and for
00:33:54 --> 00:33:54 the spread of
00:33:54 --> 00:33:56 the gospel than
00:33:56 --> 00:33:56 the church should
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 be and should be
00:33:57 --> 00:34:00 seen to be what
00:34:00 --> 00:34:02 by God's purpose
00:34:02 --> 00:34:02 and Christ's
00:34:02 --> 00:34:03 achievement it
00:34:03 --> 00:34:05 already is.
00:34:06 --> 00:34:07 A single new
00:34:07 --> 00:34:09 humanity, a
00:34:09 --> 00:34:11 model of human
00:34:11 --> 00:34:12 community, a
00:34:12 --> 00:34:13 family of
00:34:13 --> 00:34:14 reconciled brothers
00:34:14 --> 00:34:16 and sisters who
00:34:16 --> 00:34:17 love their father
00:34:17 --> 00:34:19 and love each
00:34:19 --> 00:34:21 other, the
00:34:21 --> 00:34:22 evident dwelling
00:34:22 --> 00:34:24 place of God
00:34:24 --> 00:34:25 by his spirit,
00:34:26 --> 00:34:27 only then will
00:34:27 --> 00:34:28 the world
00:34:28 --> 00:34:29 believe in
00:34:29 --> 00:34:30 Christ as
00:34:30 --> 00:34:30 peacemaker.
00:34:31 --> 00:34:33 Only then will
00:34:33 --> 00:34:34 God receive the
00:34:34 --> 00:34:35 glory that is due
00:34:35 --> 00:34:36 his name.
00:34:36 --> 00:34:37 Amen.
00:34:37 --> 00:34:38 Amen.
00:34:38 --> 00:34:42 Amen.
00:34:42 --> 00:34:43 Amen.
00:34:43 --> 00:34:44 Amen.
00:34:44 --> 00:34:44 Amen.
00:34:44 --> 00:34:45 Amen.
00:34:45 --> 00:34:46 Amen.
00:34:46 --> 00:34:46 Amen.
00:34:46 --> 00:34:47 Amen.
00:34:47 --> 00:34:47 Amen.
00:34:47 --> 00:34:48 Amen.
00:34:50 --> 00:34:51 Amen.
00:34:51 --> 00:34:51 Amen.
00:34:51 --> 00:34:51 Amen.
00:34:51 --> 00:34:52 Amen.