DIVERSITY
HARDLY A WEEK GOES BY WITHOUT SOMEONE SAYING WE NEED A SOCIETY THAT WELCOMES DIVERSITY, TOLERATION, AND ACCEPTANCE.
a) Moments ago we heard the names of the original apostles read (Mt. 10:1-4.
b) I want to call our attention to two of these names.
2) The first apostle who deserves consideration is Matthew.
3) Matthew was a tax collector. He was an employee of the Roman government.
4) He had a close working relationship with Rome.
5) His employer probably left him with few Jewish friends.
6) Jews hated the Romans and Jews who worked for Rome.
7) In Matthew’s list of the apostles we read about a second unique character.
8) Jesus picked a man named Simon to be one of the apostles.
9) We do not know very much about this man.
10) Some translations association the word “Cananean” with him.
11) Other versions use the word “zealot.”
12) The Zealots were a first century political party.
a) Now political parties try to use money and favors to get their way.
b) In first century times Zealots used something else: violence and murder.
13) The zealots saw themselves as “agents of divine judgment.”
14) If Simon were a member of the Zealot political party we have a very unusual picture:
ON THE ONE HAND IS MATTHEW, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT. ON THE OTHER IS A POLITICAL ACTIVIST WHO WAS INVOLVED WITH A RADICAL GROUP THAT OPPOSED ROME.
a) By selecting these two men Jesus may have given the world an extreme example of diversity.
b) When we look at the Bible we find that it says a lot about diveristy.
2) Once the church was established by Jesus it lacked a completed Bible.
3) For this reason God gave Christians spiritual gifts (miraculous abilities).
4) 1 Cor. 12 refers to these gifts and associates them with diversity three different times.
5) Here is the actual wording – 1 Cor. 12:4-6 – READ.
6) Paul singled out three distinct areas and said there is a lot of diversity in each area.
a) Today when people talk about tolerance and diversity I am afraid Christians sometimes run and hide.
b) It appears to me that Christians often seem to be uncomfortable with the word diversity.
c) This topic should not trouble us.
d) Our God created diversity.
e) The God of the Bible is a God of diversity and inclusion.
7) His stress on diversity is seen in fundamental areas such as the church.
8) When the first sermon was preached who was invited to become Christians?
9) Acts 2:5 says there were Jews from “every nation under heaven.”
10) This is another way of describing diversity.
a) Diversity was present on this day but it been predicated long before the Day of Pentecost.
b) Acts 2:16 introduces a prophecy from the book of Joel.
c) God said His “Spirit” would be “poured forth upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17).
11) God is diverse enough that He had a plan for all people.
12) During the miraculous age this diversity was illustrated again and again.
13) Acts 2:17 said sons and daughters would “prophecy.”
14) Young men would have “visions” and old men would have “dreams.”
15) Servants and handmaidens (verse 18) would also receive supernatural help.
16) Additional information about diversity is found in Acts 2.
17) In the past God has dealt with good men like David (verse 25).
18) God is diverse enough that he also deals with the unrighteous.
19) On the Day of Pentecost God interacted with those who were guilty of murder.
20) Church diversity is further exemplified in Acts 2:45.
21) Some had so much wealth they could sell possessions and help the poor.
22) There were also Christians who were so poor they had to receive gifts from their brethren.
23) God’s diversity extends to all social classes.
24) If the church had stayed within the area of Jerusalem it would not have been very inclusive.
25) Since God is an inclusive God He prepared Christians to include others.
26) Acts 1:8 tells how he first ordered the area of Jerusalem to be evangelized.
27) Next (which was the second logical step) the teaching was to be taken into Judea.
28) Area # 3 was Samaria.
29) People from the secular world would not have included Samaria.
30) Secular society saw a great barrier between Samaritans and pureblooded Jews.
31) God taught members of the church to be inclusive.
32) Acts 1:8 ends with “the uttermost part of the earth.”
33) Acts 1:8 describes complete inclusion and diversity. God said He would welcome everyone.
34) This verse reminds me of a parable Jesus once told in Lk. 14.
35) He described a man who “made a great supper.” A lot of people were invited.
36) Everything was prepared a lots of people were invited.
37) Although the guests were encouraged to come, those who had been invited began to make excuses.
a) One said he had just acquired a piece of property and needed to look it.
b) Another had bought some animals and he needed to check on them.
c) A third said he had gotten married and couldn’t come.
38) The verses we want are 21 and 23 – READ.
39) There can be no doubt that the kingdom of God (church) is a place of inclusion.
40) Those who had enough to buy a field and animals were not poor.
41) Jesus said they were invited.
42) The “poor” in this story were also welcomed.
43) The people well enough to get married were invited, and those in ill health were also invited.
AS I LOOK AT SOCIETY I CAN FIND NO OTHER ORGANIZATION ON THE PLANET THAT IS MORE INCLUSIVE THAN THE CHURCH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
a) Yet, I and most everyone here frequently hear people misrepresent the church Jesus built.
b) Christians are portrayed as people who have closed minds.
c) We are portrayed as hateful people who are exclusive and terribly intolerant.
2) If the truth be told, these charges are absolutely false.
3) We are inclusive and we believe in being inclusive.
4) To this someone might say, “There are people you don’t approve of.”
5) If this were stated a little more precisely it might be worded this way:
6) “There are actions which people commit which we do not accept.”
7) This is true.
8) Certain behaviors are not acceptable.
a) This should not surprise anyone.
b) In our society there are acts which are not okay.
c) Those who holler about inclusion and toleration do not tolerate everything.
d) If someone breaks into their house or steals their car, they want that person to be prosecuted.
9) The world has tried to redefine inclusion and toleration.
10) It picks out 2-3 issues to suggest that those who hold to Christian values are not inclusive.
11) This allegation is not only absolutely untrue, it conceals the truth.
12) Christianity is the most inclusive organization in the world.
13) Several times in the New Testament we are told about Jews and Gentiles.
a) These two groups were about as far apart as people can be.
b) God’s word tells us they were made into “one man” in the church (Eph. 2:15).
c) The church created a place of unity for two of the most diverse groups in the world’s history.
14) We need to be familiar with true diversity and stand up for it.
15) We need to affirm what diversity really is, and show that it has never included what is wrong.
16) God is a God of diversity but there are things He does not tolerate.
17) In the Corinthian letter we noted from 1 Cor. 12 the multiple references to diversity.
18) Earlier in this same book God said this in 1 Cor. 6:9-11 – READ.
19) God believes in diversity, but diversity does not mean that everything is okay.
20) Another illustration of this is in First Corinthians.
a) Virtually everyone knows that Corinth was a divided congregation (1 Cor. 1).
b) This congregation had big time diveristy.
c) Did Paul say, “congratulations on the diversity?” No. He rebuked the members of this congregation.
21) Not all diversity is good, and not all diversity has God’s approval.
22) The scriptures show us what kind of diversity is right to pursue and accept.
23) The church exists and functions best when there is proper diversity.