For the second straight Sunday, I interrupted a series to deliver a message more designed than written; more mapped than manuscripted.
Here’s the general flow of what I hoped to accomplished. I did in fact lead to a pretty coherent bottom line:
Why be color blind when you can be color blessed?
Here goes:
Sermon Map 6.7.20 2 Cor 5:16-21 Revelation 7:9-10
OPENING REMARKS … 2x in a row; Unusual for THINK TO TALKER
CATARACT … functionally blind right eye; With best of intentions, people want to be “color blind” … no, no, no! Bible has better way …
2 COR 5:16a … used to regard “see” people in “wordly view” as in ALL whites, ALL blacks, ALL Latinos … You? (Julie, Harris Teeter, 7.1.90?)
But then 5:16b … no longer this way … how? What changed?
5:21 … sin. A ha! Saw self in light of Jesus and so saw others differently The only ALL that is accurate is Romans 3:23 (Biden was off 85%) If you resist reconciliation, you resist Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. Heaven racist free zone.
Back to 5:18: ministry of reconciliation (restore broken) See self in light of Jesus, see others differently. Change gut reactions; first instincts
Brass tacks
Anglos: No more “Yes, but … !” Just yes. The difference between my THE TALK with Riley and Ron’s THE TALK with his sons. Don’t answer, hear anguish
A-As: Recognize language & terms & expectations changing rapidly; most are bewildered (“white nationalists” “silence is violence”?) Choose trust over suspicion, esp in church
Both: so suspicious of ppl who claim to speak for all
CHURCH .. Not urgent, ultimate. Long haul. Convinced as always that lift Jesus up as the cause diversity is the result. And reconciliation.
AND I MEAN LONG .. Rev. 7:9-10. A ha!! From COLOR BLIND TO COLOR BLESSED. That’s it. The race you are now you’re gonna be forever. REFRAIN
If that’s what we’re going to be doing in heaven, why would we want to arrive out of practice??!!