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A new humanity Part II:

A new humanity Part II:. The church in a socially divided society. The Jews had taken the gift of the Mosaic Law and had abused it, turning circumcision into an exclusivity status separating them from Gentiles. Racism comes from a comparison apparatus.

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A new humanity Part II:

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  1. A new humanity Part II: The church in a socially divided society.

  2. The Jews had taken the gift of the Mosaic Law and had abused it, turning circumcision into an exclusivity status separating them from Gentiles. • Racism comes from a comparison apparatus.

  3. Outside the church at Ephesus Jews and Gentiles are hostile to each other. • Within the church Jews and Gentiles are not hostile, and together are reborn into a new humanity.

  4. Sichuan earthquake 2008

  5. Transitioning to be a new humanity is easier said then done. • v12“excluded from citizenship ..and foreigners to the covenants of the promise” • v19 “consequently you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens” through the Gospel (3:6)

  6. Jesus preaches on foreigners and aliens. • “I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the skies was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine in the land. Yet Elijah was not send to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.” Luke 4:25-26 • “And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elijah the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Namaan the Syrian. Luke 27

  7. The Gospel work of ethnic integration in the church is intentional • God intentionally seeks out non Jews to bless in the Old Testament. • Jesus intentionally seeks out the foreigner, the alien, the weak, the sick, etc. • The church will either be intentional in integrating various social groups, or intentional in creating barriers that prevents them feeling welcomed.

  8. Renewing the mind against creating social barriers. • Those you overlook. • Those you are prejudiced against.

  9. Intentional in noticing others who are often overlooked. • In those days when the number of disciples were increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Acts 6:1 • Discriminating others is not necessarily a conscious activity.

  10. Ethnic integration is a process for the church Now those who had been scattered by the persecution…..traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and begin speaking to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. Acts 11:19-20

  11. Overlooking minority groups when teaching the word of God. • As soon as you express the gospel, you are unavoidably doing it in a way that is more understandable and accessible for people in some cultures and less so for others. Tim Keller, pg 94, Center Church.

  12. The ethnic church makes it easier for those who are often overlooked to turn to God. • “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” Acts 15:19-21 • The ethnic church must have the goal to integrate with other congregations to reflect the new humanity. This can be done during common church activities such as FBC’s Christmas Banquet, etc.

  13. Theprejudiced disciple. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. John 1:46

  14. Distinguishing between probability and prejudice. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. “Come and see” asked Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” John 1:46-47

  15. There is a very fine line between probability and prejudice. • Nathanael was honest on his prejudice. • We are have prejudices. • Important to understand cultural traits, including negative ones (Cretans- lazy, Titus 1:2, Pharisees- hypocrites- Matt 23, etc.) in order to understand the risks when reaching out to different ethnic groups.

  16. To the Jews I become like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those not having the law, I become like one not having the law…I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Cor 9:19-22 • Reach out to some forgotten people in FBC, or to some from an ethnic group you are prejudiced against. • Make an effort to understand their culture and why they are in FBC.(Acts 17: 16). • Show respect (Acts 17: 22). • Build a bridge to communicate the Gospel (Acts 17:23).

  17. Intentionalin building the church together Play on the Greek word “Oikos”-household • v19a-No longer foreigners (paraoikoi) • v19b-Members of God’s household (oikeioi) • v21- Building (oikodome) • For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whetherJews or Greeks, slave or free- and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Cor12:13 • Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Cor 12:27

  18. A building is not made out of a singular monolithic material.

  19. Intentional church vision • We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ. Against the rising spirit of indifference, alienation, and hostility in our land, we will embrace the supremacy of God’s love to take new steps personally and corporately toward racial reconciliation expressed visibly in our community and in our church. Vision document, Bethlehem Baptist Church

  20. Diverse representation is found in the 12 apostles • Peter- Fisherman. • Matthew Levi- Tax collector. • Paul- Pharisee. • Churches should be intentional in finding diverse representation in their leadership structure.

  21. In worship “We need blending. We need to take elements from China’s own cultural heritage and build on the West’s musical foundation to create music that can be considered contemporary Chinese praise and worship” Brother Jiang En, Beijing Zion Church (www.chinesechurchvoices,com/tag/zion-church)

  22. At ministry and cell group level

  23. At relational levels

  24. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despise you, and persecute you”?...so the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” Martin Luther King

  25. Intentional in bringing down all types of barriers of hostility. • Grace and peace with each other in the church will lead to grace and peace in our lives outside the church. • Is there any one we have barriers with which we need to repent? • “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

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