Embodying Love and Justice: Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Summary

In this gathering at Woodland Hills, we come together to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and to worship Jesus Christ, the one who embodies the love and justice that King so passionately advocated. As we reflect on King's life, we are reminded of his commitment to nonviolence and love as the only true means to change hearts and bring about justice. King understood that while laws can be changed through force, only love can transform the human heart. His approach was rooted in the belief that true freedom comes when both the oppressed and the oppressor are liberated from the chains of hatred and division.

This weekend, we focus on the themes of unity and diversity, central to both King's vision and the teachings of Scripture. We are blessed to hear from a diverse group of speakers, each bringing their unique perspective on these themes. Jason Lee speaks on equality as a divine right, Ruth Jo discusses love overcoming division, Cedric Baker shares insights on living out King's dream, and I conclude with a message of hope.

King's dream was not just a vision for racial equality but a call for a beloved community grounded in love, justice, and equity. He challenged us to live up to the ideals found in both Scripture and the U.S. Constitution, urging us to work towards a society where racism, poverty, and violence have no place. This vision requires persistence and patience, as change is often slow and met with resistance. Yet, we are called to hold onto infinite hope, knowing that the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice because it is shaped by a just God.

As followers of Christ, we are tasked with manifesting this beloved community now, celebrating our differences as a reflection of God's creativity and diversity. In the face of discouragement and setbacks, we must remain steadfast in our hope and commitment to serving others. This year, we are encouraged to participate in a "serve-a-thon," finding ways to volunteer and serve our community, embodying the love and service that King and Christ exemplified.

Key Takeaways:

- Worship is a choice to focus on God, setting aside our troubles to ascribe worth to Him. This act of worship is a declaration that God is greater than our concerns and worthy of our undivided attention. [00:00]

- Martin Luther King Jr.'s approach to nonviolence was rooted in the belief that love is the only force capable of transforming hearts. By protesting in love and refusing to retaliate, he highlighted the injustice faced by the oppressed and moved others to compassion. [34:38]

- King's vision of a beloved community is grounded in love, justice, and equity, reflecting God's ideal for humanity. This vision challenges us to live up to the ideals of Scripture and the U.S. Constitution, working towards a society where racism, poverty, and violence have no place. [56:31]

- Change requires persistence and patience, as both minds and systems are slow to transform. King emphasized the need for preparation and sacrifice, understanding that the journey towards justice is fraught with challenges and setbacks. [58:55]

- Infinite hope is anchored in the God revealed in Jesus Christ, who promises a future where justice prevails. As followers of Christ, we are called to manifest this hope now, celebrating diversity and serving others as a reflection of God's love. [01:00:33]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:29] - Announcements and Youth Dismissal
[30:37] - Offering and Prayer
[34:38] - Martin Luther King's Nonviolent Approach
[35:58] - Unity and Diversity Theme
[56:31] - Hope for a Better Future
[57:57] - King's Vision of the Beloved Community
[58:55] - Persistence and Patience in Change
[01:00:00] - King's Final Sermon and Sacrifice
[01:00:33] - Infinite Hope and Justice
[01:05:36] - Global Challenges and Our Call
[01:06:53] - Civil Disobedience and Kingdom Call
[01:08:49] - Serve-a-thon and Community Service
[01:11:19] - Closing Prayer and Blessing

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 1 John 4:7-8 - "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
2. Micah 6:8 - "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
3. Revelation 7:9 - "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb."

#### Observation Questions
1. What was Martin Luther King Jr.'s approach to nonviolence, and how did it reflect his belief in the power of love? [34:38]
2. How does the sermon describe the concept of a "beloved community," and what are its foundational elements? [56:31]
3. What challenges did Martin Luther King Jr. acknowledge in the pursuit of justice and equity, according to the sermon? [58:55]
4. How does the sermon suggest that worship is a choice, and what does it mean to ascribe worth to God? [00:00]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the sermon connect Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of a beloved community with the teachings of Scripture and the U.S. Constitution? [57:57]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that love can transform hearts and systems, and why is this significant for followers of Christ? [34:38]
3. How does the sermon encourage believers to hold onto infinite hope, and what role does this hope play in the pursuit of justice? [01:00:33]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between diversity and God's creativity, and how should this influence the church's mission? [01:00:33]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a situation that required patience and persistence. How can Martin Luther King Jr.'s example inspire you to continue working towards justice in your own life? [58:55]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of serving others. What specific actions can you take this week to participate in the "serve-a-thon" and embody the love and service exemplified by King and Christ? [01:08:49]
3. Consider the diversity within your own community. How can you celebrate and embrace these differences as a reflection of God's creativity? [01:00:33]
4. How can you practice nonviolence and love in your daily interactions, especially with those who may oppose or misunderstand you? [34:38]
5. The sermon calls for a heart for the marginalized and the immigrant. What practical steps can you take to support and stand in solidarity with these groups in your community? [01:06:53]
6. How can you ascribe worth to God in your daily life, setting aside distractions to focus on His greatness? What changes might you need to make to prioritize worship? [00:00]
7. Reflect on the idea of infinite hope. How can you maintain hope in the face of discouragement, and what role does your faith play in sustaining this hope? [01:00:33]

Devotional

Day 1: Worship as a Declaration of God's Supremacy
Worship is an intentional act of focusing on God, setting aside personal troubles to acknowledge His greatness. It is a conscious choice to ascribe worth to God, declaring that He is greater than any concerns or challenges we face. This act of worship is not just a ritual but a profound declaration of faith, recognizing God's sovereignty and worthiness of our undivided attention. By choosing to worship, individuals affirm their trust in God's power and presence, allowing His peace to transcend their circumstances. [00:00]

Psalm 95:6-7 (ESV): "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."

Reflection: What specific worries or distractions can you set aside today to focus on worshiping God? How can you make worship a daily declaration of His supremacy in your life?

Day 2: Love as the Transformative Force
Martin Luther King Jr.'s commitment to nonviolence was deeply rooted in the belief that love is the only force capable of transforming hearts. By choosing to protest in love and refusing to retaliate, King highlighted the injustice faced by the oppressed and moved others to compassion. This approach demonstrated that while laws can be changed through force, only love can truly transform the human heart and bring about lasting justice. Love, as a transformative force, calls individuals to rise above hatred and division, seeking reconciliation and understanding. [34:38]

1 John 4:18-19 (ESV): "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are tempted to respond with anger or retaliation. How can you choose love instead, and what practical steps can you take to demonstrate this love today?

Day 3: Building a Beloved Community
King's vision of a beloved community is grounded in love, justice, and equity, reflecting God's ideal for humanity. This vision challenges individuals to live up to the ideals of Scripture and the U.S. Constitution, working towards a society where racism, poverty, and violence have no place. Building such a community requires a commitment to justice and equity, celebrating diversity as a reflection of God's creativity. It calls for a collective effort to dismantle systems of oppression and create spaces where all individuals can thrive. [56:31]

Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: In what ways can you contribute to building a beloved community in your own context? Identify one action you can take this week to promote justice and equity in your community.

Day 4: The Journey of Change
Change requires persistence and patience, as both minds and systems are slow to transform. King emphasized the need for preparation and sacrifice, understanding that the journey towards justice is fraught with challenges and setbacks. This journey demands a steadfast commitment to the cause, even when progress seems slow or resistance is strong. It is a call to remain hopeful and resilient, trusting that the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice. [58:55]

Galatians 6:9 (ESV): "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

Reflection: What is one area in your life or community where you are seeking change? How can you cultivate persistence and patience in this journey, and who can support you in this process?

Day 5: Manifesting Infinite Hope
Infinite hope is anchored in the God revealed in Jesus Christ, who promises a future where justice prevails. As followers of Christ, individuals are called to manifest this hope now, celebrating diversity and serving others as a reflection of God's love. This hope is not passive but active, inspiring believers to engage in acts of service and love, embodying the principles of the beloved community. It is a call to live out the hope of a just and equitable future in the present, trusting in God's ultimate plan for humanity. [01:00:33]

Romans 15:13 (ESV): "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

Reflection: How can you actively manifest hope in your daily life? Identify one way you can serve others this week as a reflection of God's love and hope for the world.

Quotes

"Worship is a choice. It's a choice to ascribe to God what he's worth. Ascribe to him the glory, let's do his name. And we do that by choosing to focus on him and putting aside all of our other concerns. So can we make that choice right now, online as well? Whatever else you got going on today, it will be there when the service is done. But right now, let's ascribe to God what he's worth by showing that he's worth more than all of our troubles and all the other things we could be thinking about." [00:07:34]

"There were plenty of folks in the 60s and 70s who were saying white folks will only change in light of violence. It's the only language they understand. Malcolm X and others were advocating violence. Martin Luther King said no. With violence, yeah, you can conquer people and maybe force them to change some laws, but you can't ever change a heart through violence. Violence only does one thing, and that solidifies the person in whatever stance they have against you. The only thing that can change hearts, see, instead of changing just laws, you need to change hearts. He understood that, and the only thing that can do that is love." [00:34:38]

"And so he says we've got to protest, but we've got to protest in love. And when he would make calls for folks when they would come and want to be part of a march or whatever activity they had going on, he would tell them, I don't want you to participate in this unless, two things, one, you're doing it not just for yourself, but for the oppressors. Because they're trapped in their own kind of dehumanizing bondage. And until everyone's free, none of us are truly free. And so march out of love for your enemies and wanting them to be free. And secondly, you do not retaliate. Whatever they do, we're not going to reciprocate." [00:35:00]

"Martin Luther King, he had a dream. You all know about that dream. He was a visionary. He dreamed big. So in his I have a dream speech, he talked about how he looks forward to the time when every valley will be raised up and every mountain will be brought low and all the crooked paths will be made straight and all the rough paths will be made smooth. And he looked forward to the time when humanity would form this tapestry together, and God would be glorified, he said, and all flesh will see. He was a visionary. He dreamed of a time when his four children will live in a nation where they wouldn't be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." [00:56:31]

"He dreamed big. He dreamed of this beloved community, the phrase he used. And it represented what he believed was God's ideal for humanity, what an ideal society would be, a humanity that's grounded in love and grounded in justice and equity, a community in which racism has no place, poverty has no place, and violence has no place, the beloved community. And he thought that was God's vision for humanity because he found it in Scripture, and he was right about that. That is God's vision for humanity. But he also found it in the U.S. Constitution. Which begins with, we believe these, we hold these truths to be self-evident that all people are created equal." [00:56:51]

"He knew that living out love, living in love as Christ loved us and gave his life for us, is a challenge. He knew that moving towards justice and equity is going to be a challenge. There are people who will push back on this. He understood that people's minds don't change overnight. They usually change kind of slowly. And systems and cultures change even slower than that. So he emphasized how it takes persistence and patience to keep working towards this beloved community. He warned people frequently that there's going to be tough times coming. This is not a picnic. And that's why they had trainings before they did the marches and stuff. Because he says, you've got to be prepared. You've got to be prepared to suffer for the cause." [00:58:55]

"upstream in the culture that says just stay do what's the most convenient thing to do the easiest thing to do no you got to swim upstream on that one if you're going to be living in this other oriented love at one point dr king said this he said we have to accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope you will have finite disappointments in the short run yeah there'll be times where it doesn't work in the short run there'll be people who don't get it in the short run there'll be people who don't understand and they push back and they're they're afraid in the short run you may you may lose some things uh in the short run you may lose your life as martin luther king did as jesus did uh but don't live in the short term yeah you'll fall sometimes but don't lose that infinite hope the disappointments are going to be finite but hang on to this infinite or this eternal hope uh knowing that here's another quote of his he says that the the the the moral the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice it's long it takes a long time to get there it's going to be a long long long journey home it's a long journey pops you said are just right yeah there's ups and downs it's sometimes progress is never linear you're three steps forward and four steps backward there'll be finite disappointments but never lose that infinite hope that that ultimate hope and king understood that this ultimate hope is is anchored in the god who is revealed in jesus christ the reason why the the moral arc of the universe bends towards justice is because it's created by a just god and this just god promises us that there will come a time when all of the things that have been accomplished in christ will be manifested in in this world we alert we heard about ephesians which tells us that that in christ there's one new humanity that's been created and all the walls of hostility have been torn down all the things that could separate us from one another have been torn down someday that would be manifested and the job of the church is to manifest it now and he talked about a time when when every tribe and every tongue and every nation and every people group will be gathered around the throne you find that vision several times in the book of revelation and everybody worshiping god in their own way in their own tongue in their own language in their own culture but it's beautiful precisely because of its diversity dreams of a time when humanity where our differences will no longer be problems but will be things to celebrate because they could they combine together create this a history that highlights and glorifies the great creativity and the beautiful diversity of the god who created us hallelujah and the church's job is to manifest that now not to wait for it to happen but they'd be the ones who bring this this about hold on to that infinite hope even when you're discouraged especially when you're discouraged i believe that a lot of folks probably listening to this message right now are kind of discouraged we've made some progress in some areas over the last decade some progress in certain areas but there's also a lot of reasons to be discouraged i did a little digging in it this week and pew research and other things found that that basically the disparities between whites and non -whites most non -whites on average have stayed pretty much the same nothing much has changed for the last couple decades on average white people are not white people are not white people are not white now just because the gaps grow for 30 years they're not the same white people are not the same you understand that the only way to get white people back is to based on the hydration of our bodies we understand the inequality of the Futures is whether or not we're gonna be white but hat's not a general issue now as of now many of us we guess back as Brian encuentra writer Ben Malm of the black locomotive theory we think that most only people work sexual privilege that's both negative and affect ." [01:00:33]

"Martin Luther King said, and everyone can be great because everyone can serve. And he understood, as Jesus did, that greatness is found not in being served, but in serving others. As Cedric was saying, who do you serve? And so instead of a learn-a-thon, we want to have a serve-a-thon. Serve-a-thon. And we want folks to look at ways that you can volunteer, serve others. We have on our website a list of things you could do. Our team went out and just researched all sorts of things. I was amazed looking at this list. Incredible ideas, ways that you can help other people. And there's a ton of them. So get on Woodland Hills Church, whchurch.org, serve-a-thon. And we have the serve-a-thon little pamphlets out there. I encourage you to pick those up. We also have out there community events, MLK community events, places you can go that will be doing different things, celebrating Martin Luther King Day. I encourage you to check out that and be a part of that. Because it is about service. It's about love. It's about manifesting the character of God in all that we do and how we relate to one another." [01:08:49]

"When James Lewis first proposed having a Martin Luther King Day, he specifically said this day should not be a day off. It should be a day on. And what he meant is that this should be a day of service. And so our goal is to have 250 hours of service work by the end of February. So we have all February to get this done. Check it out on the website. All the opportunities that are there. And I encourage you to participate in it. Don't forget that we have prayer up here at the end of the service. Or if you're online, you can get prayer that way. And we have the MuseCast on Tuesdays. And we've got gathering groups that we encourage folks to check out and talk about the message and meet other people, sometimes from around the globe." [01:11:19]

"So Holy Spirit, just anoint this as we now solidify ourselves together. We, the people of Woodland Hills Church, who pray this prayer in earnest to you. I'll do the leader and you guys do the author. Father, Son, and Spirit, you have made each of us a unique reflection of your image. We affirm the Jesus, on the cross, you tore down every wall that divides us and brought us together as one body. We affirm the weaving our diversity into a glorious tapestry. We celebrate our differences. You call us to stand with the marginalized, to speak for the voiceless, and to be in solidarity with the hurting. May Christ be glorified in everything we think, do, and say throughout this coming week." [01:12:55]

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Transcript

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