Racial Reconciliation: The Church's Call to Action
Summary
In our discussion today, we delved into the pressing issue of racial reconciliation within the church and society. We began by acknowledging the cycle of awareness that often traps many, particularly within white evangelical contexts, where understanding the problem of racial injustice is emphasized but not acted upon. The key to breaking this cycle is building genuine relationships across racial lines, especially those that share a Christian value system. This approach transforms understanding from merely informational to incarnational, mirroring the incarnation of Christ, who became human to relate to us.
We also explored the historical failure of the church, particularly the white evangelical church, in addressing racism. By providing theological legitimacy to racist ideologies, the church has contributed to the ongoing racial divide. The solution lies in the church taking a visible and verbal stand against racism, thereby becoming a vehicle for God's healing in the land. This involves embracing the full scope of the gospel, which includes applying its principles to our human relationships, as Paul did when he corrected Peter for his racial prejudice.
Furthermore, we discussed the role of the church in influencing the civic sphere. The church is called to be salt and light, modeling kingdom engagement in the culture. This can be achieved through initiatives like adopting public schools, addressing homelessness, and building community relationships with local police. The church should also encourage the election of kingdom-minded political leaders who legislate according to biblical principles.
Finally, we addressed the concepts of racism, anti-racism, and systemic racism. Racism is not just about individual attitudes but is often embedded in societal structures. Being an anti-racist means actively working against these structures and advocating for justice. The church must lead by example, promoting justice and unity as integral parts of the gospel message.
Key Takeaways:
- Building relationships across racial lines is crucial for moving beyond mere awareness of racial issues. These relationships should be rooted in a shared Christian value system, transforming understanding from informational to incarnational, much like Christ's incarnation. [03:11]
- The church has historically failed in addressing racism by providing theological legitimacy to it. To bring healing, the church must visibly and verbally oppose racism, embracing the full scope of the gospel, which includes applying its principles to human relationships. [06:12]
- The church is called to be salt and light, influencing the civic sphere by modeling kingdom engagement. This involves initiatives like adopting public schools and addressing homelessness, demonstrating the church's role in promoting justice and unity. [10:12]
- Racism is often embedded in societal structures, not just individual attitudes. Being an anti-racist means actively working against these structures and advocating for justice, as justice is something we do, not just believe in. [19:26]
- The church must preach the whole counsel of God, addressing justice and righteousness as integral parts of the gospel. This includes speaking out against racism and promoting unity within the body of Christ, as seen in the early church. [29:43]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:15] - Introduction to John Fortner
- [00:55] - Addressing Confusion and Fear
- [01:32] - The Cycle of Awareness
- [02:19] - Moving Beyond Awareness
- [02:56] - The Importance of Relationship
- [03:39] - Incarnational Understanding
- [05:04] - The Church's Historical Failure
- [06:12] - The Church's Role in Healing
- [07:32] - The Scope of the Gospel
- [09:06] - Kingdom Engagement in Culture
- [10:12] - Church's Civic Influence
- [12:55] - Electing Kingdom-Minded Leaders
- [15:05] - Defining Racism
- [17:47] - Being an Anti-Racist
- [19:26] - Justice as Action
- [23:54] - Systemic Racism
- [27:37] - Christianity and Race
- [29:02] - The Need for White Pastors to Speak Out
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Galatians 2:11-14
2. Micah 6:8
3. Matthew 5:13-16
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Observation Questions:
1. In Galatians 2:11-14, what was the issue Paul confronted Peter about, and how does it relate to the theme of racial reconciliation discussed in the sermon? [08:08]
2. How does the concept of being "salt and light" in Matthew 5:13-16 relate to the church's role in influencing the civic sphere, as mentioned in the sermon? [10:12]
3. According to Micah 6:8, what are the three things the Lord requires of us, and how do these requirements align with the sermon’s call to action against racism? [19:26]
4. What historical failures of the church in addressing racism were highlighted in the sermon, and how have these failures impacted the church's witness today? [05:04]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Paul’s confrontation with Peter in Galatians 2 illustrate the importance of applying the gospel to our human relationships, particularly in the context of racial reconciliation? [08:08]
2. What does it mean for the church to be "salt and light" in today's society, and how can this metaphor guide the church's engagement with issues of justice and unity? [10:12]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church has historically provided theological legitimacy to racism, and what steps can be taken to correct this? [05:04]
4. How does the sermon define the difference between being aware of racism and actively working as an anti-racist, and what implications does this have for individual believers? [19:02]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your personal relationships. Are there opportunities to build genuine connections across racial lines within your community? How can you initiate these relationships in a way that reflects a shared Christian value system? [03:11]
2. The sermon emphasizes the church's role in modeling kingdom engagement. What specific actions can your small group take to address local issues such as homelessness or education? [10:12]
3. Consider the historical failures of the church in addressing racism. How can your church community take a visible and verbal stand against racism today? [06:12]
4. How can you personally embody the principles of Micah 6:8 in your daily life, particularly in the context of promoting justice and unity? [19:26]
5. The sermon calls for the election of kingdom-minded leaders. How can you engage in the political process to support candidates who align with biblical principles of justice and righteousness? [12:55]
6. Reflect on the concept of systemic racism as discussed in the sermon. Are there specific societal structures you can work against or advocate for change within your community? [24:19]
7. How can you encourage your church leaders to address issues of racial reconciliation and justice from the pulpit, and what role can you play in supporting this effort? [29:02]
Devotional
Day 1: Transforming Awareness into Incarnational Understanding
Building relationships across racial lines is crucial for moving beyond mere awareness of racial issues. These relationships should be rooted in a shared Christian value system, transforming understanding from informational to incarnational, much like Christ's incarnation. [03:11]
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life can you reach out to today to build a genuine relationship across racial lines, and how can you ensure this relationship is rooted in shared Christian values?
Day 2: The Church's Call to Oppose Racism
The church has historically failed in addressing racism by providing theological legitimacy to it. To bring healing, the church must visibly and verbally oppose racism, embracing the full scope of the gospel, which includes applying its principles to human relationships. [06:12]
"But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party." (Galatians 2:11-12, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you personally and actively oppose racism in your community, and how can you encourage your church to take a visible stand against it?
Day 3: Kingdom Engagement in the Civic Sphere
The church is called to be salt and light, influencing the civic sphere by modeling kingdom engagement. This involves initiatives like adopting public schools and addressing homelessness, demonstrating the church's role in promoting justice and unity. [10:12]
"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." (Matthew 5:13, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific initiative you can support or start in your community that reflects kingdom values and addresses a pressing social issue?
Day 4: Active Anti-Racism and Justice
Racism is often embedded in societal structures, not just individual attitudes. Being an anti-racist means actively working against these structures and advocating for justice, as justice is something we do, not just believe in. [19:26]
"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." (Isaiah 1:17, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a societal structure in your community that perpetuates racial injustice. What steps can you take today to begin actively working against it?
Day 5: Preaching the Whole Counsel of God
The church must preach the whole counsel of God, addressing justice and righteousness as integral parts of the gospel. This includes speaking out against racism and promoting unity within the body of Christ, as seen in the early church. [29:43]
"For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." (Acts 20:27, ESV)
Reflection: How can you encourage your church leaders to incorporate messages of justice and unity into their teachings, and what role can you play in promoting these values within your congregation?
Quotes
In one word relationship, relationship to read about black people or the black experience or the black struggle or the justice issues from a black experience or the experience with a police person from an urban context relationship, particularly if that relationship shares your Christian value system because now you're not you're starting at a different place. [00:02:49]
So if you're starting there you're bringing differences, you're bringing problems but you're bringing problems to the same spot to address them and if we can build a relationship then your understanding of what you've read is incarnational not informational and that's what God did he he God became incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ so he took on humanity. [00:03:26]
Because what the church did the white evangelical church is that it gave theological legitimacy to racism it let it be said that God endorses what the culture was doing and if God is okay it really must be okay that led to a whole series of things dehumanizing people uh a misuse of slave text in the bible in order to justify it. [00:05:01]
When if the church of Jesus Christ would fix this visibly and verbally then God would have the vehicle that he prefers to work through to bring healing to the land so as long as we have a segregated mindset in the church we'll have confusion in the culture. [00:06:26]
We have embraced the content of the gospel without embracing the scope of the gospel the content is faith that's the kingdom approach yeah the kingdom approach embraces content and scope right the content is the death and resurrection of Christ and faith in him for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. [00:07:41]
But the scope when Paul was correcting Peter for his racism in Galatians 2 he makes an interesting statement he says to Peter you are not acting in concert with the truth of the gospel but Peter's already saved Peter's already a believer so he wasn't talking about the gospel to get Peter to heaven. [00:08:01]
He was talking about the comprehensive application of the gospel in our human relationships so we have limited the definition of the gospel to heaven and we've refused to implement it in history particularly in the issue of race and so I like to say the greatest verse in the bible on our identity is Galatians 2 20. [00:08:23]
Well of course Jesus told his disciples he wanted them to be salt and light meaning he wanted them to be influences in the world salt of the earth light of the world not salt of the shake shaker light of the bulb so he wants an influence so what the church should be doing before the civic order is modeling visibly what kingdom engagement looks like in the culture. [00:10:06]
One of the things we promote is churches adopting public schools and providing mentoring for the at-risk students in that school churches can can deal with the homeless you know if every church adopted a couple of homeless families homelessness would be eradicated pretty quickly uh you could a church could adopt the police state police precinct and build community relationships. [00:10:32]
To be an anti-racist means that when I see racism I work against it it uh it would be people working against uh segregation that may not be how they feel but they're helping to deconstruct it somewhere else where churches work against uh those people who would bar people out simply because of the ethnicity or color of their skin. [00:17:53]
God makes it clear what he requires of us he says I want you to do justice I don't just want you believe in justice I don't just want you to affirm justice justice is something you do not just something you feel think about or approve of okay and then I want you to show mercy so there's gonna be some empathy here. [00:19:18]
Justice and righteousness are twins psalm 89 14 from my throne kingdom comes justice and righteousness which means that we have to have a whole life agenda not a term agenda we can't just be preaching anti-abortion messages for justice in the womb but once the baby is born not proclaimed justice to the tomb. [00:29:29]
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