WELCOME BACK HOME MVC FAM!

Reopening the Church Various Passages June 21, 2020 I. Introduction: A. Greetings 1. I want to wish every father here today and watching on line a very happy Father’s Day! May you have a day to be celebrated and refreshed! 2. And welcome to my brothers and sisters here at MVC Church today, our first day back together after three months! It’s great to see you. B. A lot has happened in the last three months that has changed our lives, church and world! 1. COVID 19 has changed many of our lives and has kept us apart for three months as our hearts cried out to be back together! 2. And the murder of George Floyd has made our hearts cry out for justice. C. I believe God is using this time as an opportunity to grow His church in discipleship! 1. He stripped away all our programs to help us see all the more clearly that programs are designed to disciple people and we want to make sure as we come back we can do that even better. 2. This time of heightened awareness of racial tension is a great platform to develop us as disciples because the lessons we learn in this season are lessons disciples can use all their lives in all relationships and injustices! • So let’s start by looking at … II. The cry to be back together! A. One question our leaders and staff kept hearing repeatedly as we talked to people during this time was, “When are we getting back together?” “The video services are good but something is missing!” 1. There were two truths that kept ringing through my heart as I heard this: a) Read 2 John 12 – as good as letters are, as good as social media is, as good as a video is, only face to face gathering fill our joy tanks to overflowing! b) Read Ephesians 2:19 – we are God’s household, we are the family of God, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. (1) It is built into our spiritual DNA as new creatures in Christ to long to be together just as we long to be together with our blood family! B. So we put much work into coming back in a way that is timely, wise and as safe as possible for everyone who longs to be here! C. But I am fully aware that there are others who have that same longing to be together but they do not feel it is wise for them to come back yet. 1. I want you to know that I fully respect the fact that it is not right for you to come back now and we look forward to your return when the time is right for you! 2. We are fully aware that MVC will be meeting on Sunday mornings live in the auditorium, by video in different rooms throughout the building and in many homes! a) We are asking God for wisdom to: (1) Minister well to all three venues on Sunday mornings (2) Encourage all of us to connect with other believers because we need each other as believers, especially in days like these! (3) Encourage all of us in our faith because we need that in days like these! • The second cry we have felt is … III. The cry for justice A. What I am going to say is not all that needs to be said nor will it be the final word that is needed regarding the unjust, brutal and cold-hearted murder of George Floyd, and the aftermath of that murder. It will be just my two cents added to the discussion and next steps for us at MVC. B. Before I jump into my comments, I want to say a few more things so you know where I am coming from. 1. I am aware that the racial problems are bigger than just in our hearts and it reaches into our families, churches and culture. a) But I am also aware that if our hearts do not change first then our families, churches and culture never will! b) Tony Evans said if the church is broken then we really have nothing to say to the culture around us until we clean our own house! 2. I need to let you know up front that as a white person I cannot empathize with blacks because I have not been where they have been. a) Their experience in the United States has not been the same as mine as a white person and they have experienced suppression, injustices and inequalities in many respects! 3. While there are policies that the police department can still improve upon, we need to recognize that there are many good police officers who love the communities that they serve and whose hearts have been broken and repulsed by what the officer in Minneapolis did to George Floyd. a) Their reputations have been ruined by the few, the many are bearing the consequences of the few, and many are hated and judged without being known. b) We must not forget them and appreciate our brothers and sisters who are good and faithful ministers of Jesus on the streets of these communities as they risk their lives to keep others safe! c) Please be praying for them! 4. Ultimately, this is not a black and white issue or even police officers and black community issue – it is a spiritual war where Satan is using people as pawns to destroy one another, relationships and communities and especially important to us today – even divide the church! C. Let me share the two verses that have been rolling around in my heart! 1. Read Psalm 89:14a. a) Righteousness and justice are the very foundation of God’s reign. b) Righteousness – that which is morally good and right c) Justice – the impartial and fair judgement and punishment of the breaking of a law! 2. Read Ecclesiastes 8:11- I going to give you the Pat Peglow paraphrase of this: simply if an evil deed is committed and justice is not administered quickly then man thinks he can get away with it and does it all the more. D. So let me tell you how I think we got to where we are today 1. So first, consider the fact that most of those who rule over us in our community, state and nation do not lead from righteousness and justice but rather have rejected God, His Word and His wisdom and think they have better and wiser ways than Him. 2. Add to that when a policeman or a looter or rioter, when a wealthy person or poor person, when famous or a nobody, when a white person or a black person, when a person in position of power and those who are powerless are not dealt with quickly and with equal (important word – equal – one more time - equal) justice for all, not only do they but those around them see they can get away with it and jump in with both feet so it spreads from the individual to organization to the culture. 3. Compound this with the fact that this has been going on for decades; you kind of get what we have today when it comes to racism and prejudice in individuals, families, churches, cultures, organizations, and court systems. 4. If equal and fair justice for all would have been put in place decades ago and administered quickly we would not be where we are today! • So let me suggest a few, not everything that needs to be done but a few… IV. Next steps for the people of MVC Repent 1. The standard that God has called us to in our attitudes and relationships with others that are different than us is the one we find in the Bible and displayed in the life and character of Jesus 2. In light of this my guess is that everyone of us, black, white, police, rich, powerful, etc. have places we need to repent! 3. Listen to your own thoughts and what you are saying at home when no one else is around but your family and you will get a sense of where your heart really is. B. We need to celebrate what God celebrates – diversity in color and class and ethnicity. I love what one speaker said, “Jesus did not just shed His blood to save us but he shed His blood to make us siblings! 1. One black brother I spoke with told me that all his life he has not felt accepted or valued as a black man in a white church. Simply the more white he acted the more he will be accepted by the white Christians. a) This is not a brother with an axe to grind; this is a man of God humbly being honest with his pastor. 2. Stop saying you do not see color. Actually, start seeing different colors and glory, delight in, accept, and learn from the diversity that God has built into His church. C. As disciples, we not only follow Jesus but we impact others! Many of us think we need to do something big and significant to impact others and our world! 1. I want to remind you of the last sermon I preached before we went to videos entitled “Changing our world – one life at a time! 2. Remember this quote from Jeff Manion – “Most of us desire to live great lives. We fear we will fritter away our days without leaving any discernible mark on our world. However, in our quest to live greatly, we search for something great to do. Something big. I believe this to be a huge mistake. Greatness is rarely achieved by doing great things but instead by doing good things repetitively. Jeff Manion “dream big think small” 3. The first step we can do in changing the world is to be faithful on the circuit of life and people where God has placed you. a) Lovingly and humbly, challenge those of the same color as you who are displaying words, attitudes and actions that are sinful racially. b) And those of a different color from you use your words, attitudes and actions to help heal and bridge the racial gap! D. Our next step as a church – a community of people together 1. In July, we have a hands on opportunity that Ron Ovitt talked to me about, that would give us a chance to provide diapers and baby food to help young mothers in an area that was hit by riots. 2. On Sept 27, we are going to have Roy Patterson, the head of the urban ministry at MBI, preach to us and we will follow that with a round table discussion on race relations with Roy. E. There is more that can and should be done but I think the best place to start is by calling a black brother or sister, and calling a police officer. Just say I want to hear your heart, and then really listen to understand them and then pray for them. You do not have to have any the answers now as you are just learning. 1. I called seven different black adults that come to MVC. God used these calls to do something deep in my heart and give me a better glimpse into what their world has been like as well as how good hearted and biblically minded our people are! I love the story one woman told me. a) She had a white electrician at her house and he asked her what this thing “Black lives matter.” He said, “I do not get it because all lives matter!” b) She said, “White lives have always mattered here in this country but what they should have called themselves is “Black lives matter, too!” I thought, “Wow that is good!” c) Black lives matter too because: (1) Every human being has been made in God’s image (2) When it comes to race, biblically there is only one race the human race. Then they were scattered all over the world from Babel to form the different nations of the world. (3) God’s plan in beginning was to bless every nation (4) Jesus died for the sins of the entire world. (5) The great commission sends us to every nation (6) When God’s purposes are fulfilled in the future every nation, all tribes and peoples and tongues will stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! V. Send off A. Brothers and sisters, commit yourself this week to begin to listen and learn! Whites from blacks, blacks from whites, blacks from police officers, police officers from blacks and let’s begin the healing at MVC.