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I want to talk again about racial
reconciliation if you’re not living
under Iraq you know that that’s a real
issue race is a real issue in our
country right now from the election to
government to policing and and in our
city it’s been a very hot topic over the
past year and a half as we’ve had
different cases with Terrence Crutcher
and then what just happened on this past
week and just different things that are
happening that even if these things were
racially are non racially motivated it
starts getting racism and racial
prejudice and and black and white and
Hispanic and it does stall that stuff up
and then the movie get out came out and
that messed me up y’all just for at
least 30 minutes after that movie I was
suspicious of many white people if you
never seen the movie it’s okay you know
you don’t have to but but there’s things
that are culturally and racially probing
that are trying to make us divided it’s
trying to make us divide it and that’s
what I’ll say and that was never God’s
intention we were never supposed to see
color of skin but before we saw the
character in somebody’s life that was
never supposed to be the intent but then
we got in this flesh suit and Adam and
Eve back in the garden and and we
started comparing ourselves and why are
they so tall and why are they so short
and why they’re so odd and why they got
all that booty and why ain’t got no
booty and why I mean these are these are
real why are they born in this side of
town why do they live on that side of
the town why does it seem like this and
what and comparison still runs rampant
in in all of our daily lives today I
dare say that many of the situations
that we come in contact with are
racially we see them through a racial
lens and we have not even acknowledged
it it’s just how we are you walk into a
room full of black people and your heart
if you’re white starts pumping a little
faster then now I’m not saying I’m
saying stuff that people have told me
okay you’re black and you come in and
it’s all Hispanic people and there’s
something in your mind oh this must be a
kid Fiera
but this this must be that this must be
and what the what we do is we assume an
assumption is one of the deadliest
things that you can do because it
usually leaves you looking at the first
three letters of that word you you you
forfeit relationships that could benefit
your life you cut off the exchange that
you could have with some of God’s
children because we assumed it was funny
one time I was at um Utica Square I eat
there a lot I have meetings there a lot
of time at the wild fork if you know
anything about Utica Square most of the
shops over there that she works there
most of the shops most of the shops over
there um there upscale shops they’re a
little more expensive shop so I’m eating
at the wild for it and I look who it
this day I mean I’m in a hoodie I’m in
some J’s I just came from working out
but the people know me there we have
great relationship and so I
intentionally do stuff to throw people
off like I just intentionally so I went
up to this elderly white woman and she
saw me coming and you know how when
you’re trying to look at somebody you’re
not trying to look she’s like and I
could only assume that the only reason
she was looking at me the way that she
was looking at me is because she might
have had some preconceived notions about
what a 6-2 black man in a hoodie would
want to do with her if we’re going to be
real we’re going to be real today so
even though she had never met me in my
entire life she had already made some
assumptions that made her continue to
look at me like I’m taking my eyes off
you brother and I walked up to and I
threw her completely off I said ma’am
that is such a beautiful brooch you have
on
she said huh and I said I said ma’am
where did you get this and she began to
talk to me about how she been shopping
at at that area for over 30 years and
how a daughter works over here and she
comes every Thursday morning
da-da-da-da-da and we had a 30-minute
conversation because I challenged her
norm and I stepped across the line and
tried to form relationship with somebody
that we probably don’t even have that
much in common until I made us have
something in common
today as the church we can’t take sides
because of the color of our skin of
anything we have to be able to live
biblically on everything that is
happening in our world in our society
and in our lives and so today I want to
talk about it I want to talk about can I
be real today can we know okay let me
get permission can I be real real today
okay this may not be able to be aired
afterwards but we’re if it’s going to
change it’s got to start with us it’s
got to start with the church and it’s
got to start with each one of us in this
room and so I’m going to talk about it
um as I talk to you about Arthur being
my drum teacher he gave me a really
profound appreciation even back to my
dad and all the people around I love
music I mean how many people in the room
love music like like you love music okay
um and and you know some of y’all can’t
sing but it’s you know it’s one of those
things that it doesn’t even matter you
you love music and I used to produce
music and do a lot of different things
in that area and I’ve always had this
thing I wanted to share this with y’all
but I’ve always had this thing um that
I’ve wanted to be invented called
situational surround sound and and it
it’s like the most perfect song comes on
at the right moment when something is
happening and you don’t even have to
tell it to come on you don’t even have
to press play it just comes on
automatically I’ve always I’ve always
dreamed like when I’m
done talking to somebody and this
conversation is completely over and I’m
like okay well I’ll see you later I’ll
talk to you later I wish this song would
come on right here I wish this song
literally would just come on out of
nowhere out of like I wish this song
would come on oh it’s good to see you
all right bye-bye
like I wish that what happened and like
when I get to heaven and I’m looking on
the streets of gold I’m looking for my
house this is what I want to play right
here oh what’s up Abraham what’s up Paul
24-karat magic I want that to come I
think God will be okay if 24-karat magic
comes on y’all to saved look at y’all
y’all know that funky hmm now what I was
thinking about this title of racial
reconciliation and when we get to heaven
I think this song y’all don’t know
nothing about that y’all don’t know
nothing about that peaches and herb 1970
you don’t know nothing about that how
many people know something about that
right there okay they said this was a
young church I guess not but I thought
about that I thought about see now
everybody’s okay I had to do that cuz
everybody would calm down no that song
reunited and it feels so good I started
thinking about that and we’re either
going to have one of two testimonies
when we get to heaven
um I’m convinced that either we’ll be
able to say about all races and all
ethnicities and all backgrounds we’ll be
able to say we’re reunited and it feels
so good because we did it on earth
already or we’ll be able to say we’re
United for the first time and I really
should have had a relationship with them
I really should have invited them to my
kid’s birthday party I really should
have invited them to that function I was
having at my house
cuz many people are missing out on one
of the greatest experiences in exchanges
of their life by having different
ethnicities a part of their everyday
life Paul gives us a picture I mean John
gives us a picture of this in
Revelations I want you to turn to
Revelation chapter 7 verse 9 and this is
Paul and he has a prophecy and he he’s
seeing heaven God is showing him heaven
and this is what he says in verse 9 it
says after this I saw a vast crowd too
many people to count it says they were
from every nation every tribe every
people and every language another
translation says every tongue in every
race it says they were standing in front
of the throne before the lamb and they
were clothed in white robes how many
people have never sang in a choir before
in heaven you get to sing in a choir
white robes and all and they held palm
branches in their hands and they were
shouting with the great work roar
salvation comes from our God who sits on
the throne and from the land so when
people asked me what do you think pastor
Michael about this racial reconciliation
thing what what what what do you think
about it I have three words I say it’s
going to happen I mean I don’t care what
it looks like right now we have a
picture of the end so many people are
looking at the situation and God gave us
a picture in Revelations of what it’s
going to be every tongue every race
every background every thighs eyes every
way size every person every hair texture
they’re going to be worshipping around
the throne singing worthy is the lamb so
when people ask me about racial
reconciliation I say it’s going to
happen and I can’t wait so I don’t wait
see see that there’s a difference when
people like I can’t wait for it to
happen so make it happen see I can’t
wait I don’t wait and I won’t wait as
for me and my family we have made a
decision to make the picture that heaven
has already painted for us happen on
earth well pastor Michael that’s easier
said than done God this there is nothing
new Under the Sun that this racism stuff
has been going on since the very very
beginning but God sent his children
people who are born again to make it as
it is in heaven
on earth what hasn’t like I’ll know
about that go to Matthew 6:10 and Jesus
is talking to the disciples and they see
him pray a different way and they’re
like man Jesus can you teach us how to
pray like that he said uh yeah I’ll
teach y’all and he gave us a blueprint
that we called the Lord’s Prayer but I
want you to see this with the lens of
reconciliation he says that if you’re
going to pray pray like this pray our
Father which art in heaven hallowed be
thy name he said your kingdom come your
will be done unwary where we live right
now as it is in so if the picture is
every race around the throne in heaven
worshipping and praising and living
together Matthew tells us our prayer our
daily prayer should be make it on earth
as it already is in so my question is
are you living your life to see the
picture of heaven on earth and the
reality of it as many of us aren’t
because of our backgrounds and what our
big momma told us and what our Uncle
John told us and what cousin Bob told
all of us you stay away like do you
understand what I’m saying
but let let’s be real
uncle jujin told you now listen son if
you ever get around y’all know the
conversations that have been passed down
from generation to generation the
unspoken things that aren’t said but you
know
those things that when you walk in y’all
know y’all see me even with President
Obama you walk in and you’re shaking
everybody’s hand and you see your
brother like what a fool what up so what
a full and hi-hi I’m just saying things
that we see but that’s rooted somewhere
that comes from a place and and my
challenge today is that God is asking us
me and you to not conform to the
patterns of this world that’s that’s
woman’s 12:2 but be transformed by the
renewing of our that means there’s some
things that have been programmed in us
that are not like God and it was born in
us because we were born in this flesh
chute we were born into society that had
racial tension we were born into these
families and God said I know you got it
I knew you had it so I’m gonna send my
son and when I send my son I’m gonna
give you a new race first I’m gonna make
you Christian I’m gonna wash away
everything know it neither Jew or
Gentile black or white Hispanic or Asian
I’m gonna give you the blood of Jesus
and I’m gonna wash you in that so that
people will know you by your love and I
want to reprogram your mind so that’s
why he says we can boil the whole thing
down to love your inlay of your neighbor
as yourself we can boil this whole now
he didn’t say your black neighbor or
your white neighbor or your affluent
neighbor or your poor neighbor he said
your neighbor so whoever God has sent
you around you’re supposed to love them
so today I’m just challenged that many
people let’s not talk about people who
don’t know Christ right now just let’s
leave it because they don’t know they
still they still got in them the the
seed of hatred and frustration and all
these other things that doesn’t get
changed until you accept the grace of
God but let me talk to the church for a
second because the saddest part about
the narrative of all the
sysm that’s going on is probably some of
the most visceral and venomous prejudice
happens in God’s church Martin Luther
King once said the most segregated hour
of a week is Sunday morning at this time
because you got white church and black
church and Hispanic Church we just want
to worship we were comfortable stop it
that’s not what God called us to look
like he said that we should be able to
walk into any Church any place that
bears the name of Jesus Christ and feel
comfortable feel loved feel accepted
feel like you can be able to praise but
that leads me to think that there may be
something wrong in God’s house with
God’s people and I don’t think we’ve
taken our responsibility to reconcile
people to ourselves and to God well
pastor Mike you know now who races race
reconciliation that’s great I don’t
really feel like that’s my
responsibility well let’s look at second
Corinthians chapter 5 and I want us to
all look at this together it says this
means that anyone who who anyone who
belongs to Christ he has become a new
birth okay so that means if your family
R is racist when you became a Christian
you became a new person that means oh
and I’m not talking about just white
people being racist I know some black
people that are more racist than anybody
in the world I know I want to be very
clear about this this is not a white and
black message this is a people humanity
message does everybody hear what I’m
saying okay I want you to hear me say
this very clearly that when you come to
Christ he gives you the title of new
creation and then he clarifies because
most of us wouldn’t be able to
understand it just like that
he said the old life is gone he said you
missed it you thought you was going to
be able to keep on to the keep those
racist comments in your back pocket in
case some by
made you too mad he said the old life is
gone it the old life is no longer valid
now that you’ve become a believer your
old response is no longer acceptable
after accepting Christ into your life
and he said in a new life has become
verse 18 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 18 it
says and all of this is a gift from God
who brought brought us back to himself
through Christ and God has given us this
task of reconciling people to him but
how can you reconcile somebody to him if
you will not even communicate with him
how can we how can I tell you about a
sale that’s going on if I won’t talk to
you I want you to see he’s given us the
Ministry of reconciliation he said for
God was in Christ reconciling the world
to himself he said I’ve already shown
you the picture no longer counting
people’s skin I mean sin against them
and he gave us this wonderful message of
reconciliation check this so we are
Christ’s ambassadors
we’re his representatives and this
messes me up every time God is making
his appeal through us I want you to see
this that God is literally saying I’m
giving you at Salvation anybody where
fanny packs in the 80s did anybody have
a fanny pack ok I just see our salvation
you get a fanny pack and in that fanny
pack you get love joy peace the ability
to turn the other cheek the question is
do you open it up and use it and in that
fanny pack you have the Ministry of
reconciliation that God says I’m gonna
put you in opportunities i’ma have you
have workplaces that have races and
and and frustrated people that work with
you and I need you to be my
representative in that place I need you
to open that fanny pack and give them
the Ministry of reconciliation so you
know when you come over there and
they’re like all quiet down huh here
comes Bob Bob you got what up y’all
what’s up I want to have relationship
with you let me take you out to lunch
and yeah it’ll be uncomfortable yeah it
won’t be but God said that’s not for
them to do you have been given the
responsibility of representing Christ
everywhere you go and that’s why you
have the Ministry of reconciliation so
how can you reconcile if you don’t have
any friends that are a different color
than you when is the last time you had
lunch with somebody that didn’t believe
and doesn’t look like you okay when’s
the last time that you saw somebody in
need that wasn’t a brother what wasn’t
somebody you that you stepped across the
line and risked being uncomfortable or
even embarrassed
so hopefully this couldn’t be the thing
that changes their perception about me
and maybe my race if they have one good
interaction and that’s what God is
challenging all of us to do as the
church is to use this message of
ministry of reconciliation to change
people and I want to show you this in
the Bible with the greatest reconciler
of them all Jesus go to John chapter 4
because all of that is good and and is
sad to say but everything I’ve set up
into this point everybody knows but for
some reason we haven’t taken a hold of
this this message of reconciliation and
I know some of you guys are like no no
no I have a white friend I have a white
friend and I do have a black friend and
we are good and we’re listen is not just
about a black friend and a white friend
it’s about humanity it’s about when you
see somebody do you think about their
race before you think about the
problem do you think about do you think
about what they need before you you
think about what what where they come
from or what side of town do they live
on or their situation are you thinking
law about race are you thinking more
about grace because until we can answer
that question they’re not going to look
to the church to get any answers and
we’re not going to get them from
government and we’re not going to get
them from the police force and we’re not
going to if the Church of Jesus Christ
because nobody has been given the
responsibility to reconcile except the
church and so I’m proud of everybody who
showed up today because I put it out
there that I’m ministering on racial
reconciliation some people dodged that
one like a bullet you’re at home right
now online hey online do you understand
what I’m saying
because this is the heart of the matter
and I just want to tell you a story in
John chapter four that you probably are
familiar with it’s the story of the
woman at the whale and everybody’s seen
that heard this story if you’ve been in
church for any length of time but maybe
something you didn’t know is Jesus in
this one chapter reverses 800 years of
racial division in less than 24 hours
see we hear the woman after whale story
but we don’t know the real background
and so I’m going to try to break this
down to let you see that Jesus one man
reverses 800 years of black and white
800 years of your side of town in my
side of town 800 years of this is what
y’all deserve this is what we deserve
800 years of Rachel division he changes
in 24 hours and this is what happens in
John chapter 4 and I hope my prayer is
that for you that something in you would
be changed to start moving to be an
ambassador of racial reconciliation and
your sphere of influence at your job
with your kids with your relationships
and that God would start to heal our
land not through us but through you John
chapter 4 um
Jesus is healing everybody and baptizing
everybody and that’s how it starts off
and basically the Pharisees are mad
they’re like who is this coming up here
baptizing everybody he doing more than
John the Baptist no we got to go talk to
his brother and Jesus like I’m baptized
enough people today we’re gonna go and
get ahead and get up out of here I’ll
see y’all later and they said he said
the Bible tells us that they went from
Judea in the south and they wanted to go
to Galilee in the north okay so I just
want to paint this picture because it’s
going to help you understand that
they’re in one place and he’s healing
people he don’t want to deal with the
foolishness so he says let’s go to
another place to be able to make
interaction the only reason why this is
important is because right in the middle
of those places is a place called
Samaria
Samaritan Samaria okay and this is the
thing
um Samaria is a place with Samaritans
and they would be like African American
or or Hispanic people and and the Jews
and the Samaritans hated each other
there was so much racial tension because
they came from the same place but they
classed each other and started comparing
each other and it would be the
equivalent of white and black or some of
the other racial divisions that we have
and so most people if you are a Jew and
you wanted to go up to Galilee you would
go all the way around Samaria because
you didn’t want to cross the railroad
tracks and have anything to do with the
Samaritan okay so what so what Jesus did
is he said let’s go to Galilee but I
want to go through Samaria
now all the disciples like Jesus oh you
know us in Samaria right it’s those
people those people who were
uncomfortable with those people who we
don’t understand where there’s been all
this prejudice in racing Jesus a yellow
let’s go and verse 4 tells us of John
John chapter 1 verse 4 it says he had to
go through some mayor
on the way because there was a spiritual
need there and God was going to give us
an eternal picture of racial
reconciliation happening in this month
and this moment and it’s John chapter 4
is what I meant to say so please get
this picture Jews and Samaritans do not
like each other they’re there they’re in
the streets yelling Samaritan lives
matter
can we be real but they’ve seen
injustice is they’ve been frustrated and
Jesus is so awesome because he goes
right to the heart of the issue and if
the church is going to see anything
happen and we’re going to read be
reunited as it is in heaven on earth
we can’t skirt around this issue we have
to go and talk about the issue and
that’s why I’m so excited we’re doing
this this morning because if racial
reconciliation is going to happen
give me let me give you point number one
it’s going to start with an organism and
not the organization now Jesus is
rolling I love you dad I love you though
I mean he’s it rolling rolling but you
know every preacher needs a hype man
okay brother Luke how do you brother
Luke you just turned what 90 years old
brother Luke oh y’all can do better than
that brother Luke on the front row
rolling I love it god is good brother
Liu amen that’s my y’all better watch
out if me and brother Luke get all the
loose but this is what I’m saying
it’s Jesus knew that this racial problem
he couldn’t have his disciples
impartation and agreement for it to
happen because they were still
struggling through some of their own
racism and we’ll talk about that in a
minute but Jesus knew that if something
was going to be done it would start with
him not the church see people waiting
for transformation Church to do
something to racially reconcile when are
we going to go no it’s not going to
start with the government’s going to
start with you and Jesus paints this
picture so much so that he decides to
meet a woman at noon but he sends the
disciples away because he knew that
where they were they were still racist
and they couldn’t handle the
reconciliation that was about to happen
what do you say a person like there’s
some people around you that are your
friends your dogs your homie your family
ain’t gonna like this next season
because God’s giving you a Ministry of
reconciliation and they’re still stuck
in racist past but Jesus gives us a
picture so what does he do he will go
off on them y’all alright sister and I
don’t know he said y’all go get some
chicken in town y’all running go get
some Church’s Chicken and he
conveniently started saying oh is hot
I’m thirsty I’m gonna stay right here
that’s what my Bible says I’m gonna stay
right here and y’all go into town and he
stopped at the place of the issue and he
met her at a specific place it was
Jacob’s Well now why would they meet at
Jacob’s Well it’s because the Samaritans
rejected most of the Old Testament
except the Penta to twitch is the first
five books of the Bible and and the Jews
accepted that too and so everybody loved
Jacob the Jews and the Samaritans so
Jesus was smart and he met her on common
ground he he didn’t meet her to
reconcile where there was an issue he
met her at a place where they agreed and
if we’re going to see racial
reconciliation we can’t start when
there’s a riot we we cannot start at the
point of an issue we got to start where
we agree everybody loves their kids
welcome to somebody of a different
ethnicity say you have the most
beautiful time you’re not gonna hear
anybody say you get away from me you
stupid nay nobody gonna do that much oh
thank you because it makes them feel
like they’re pretty even if they’re not
and it makes them you understand what
I’m saying it makes them feel hear me
meet people on common ground everybody
likes to hear about them themselves
that’s why when that woman had a
prejudgment of me a prejudice
prejudgment of me at Utica Square as
soon as I told her her brooch was nice
her attitude changed oh this little
if you don’t meet people on common
ground you’ll never be able to see
racial healing and Jesus met this woman
on common ground verse 7 says he met her
at the whale and he asked her a question
so he decided to communicate with her I
want you to just see all of the things
we have to do he said please give me a
drink
look at verse 9 it says the woman was
surprised for Jews refused to have
anything to do with Samaritans
she used the past to predict the future
she was surprised because no white
people you see how she summoned
everybody up Jews have nothing to do
with some white people Hispanic people
Asian people have nothing to do with
these type of people and look at the
response she said to Jesus um I don’t
know if you knew but you’re a Jew and
I’m a Samaritan woman why are you asking
me for a dream now this begs a question
in my mind Jesus didn’t say anything
about him being Jewish he he didn’t
declare anything blatantly Jewish so
what this leads me to conclude is that
he was obviously Jewish that that’s by
the way he was dressed or the way that
he looked his skin colour she knew he
was a different ethnicity just like me
you know I’m black nobody has to get up
and put a sign up you know if you can
see you see that I’m african-american
and what this tells me is something
that’s so special that Jesus did not
have to change who he was to reach
somebody else see so many people are
trying to act black or act white or do
this or do that
stop it you don’t have to deny the
heritage and the culture that you came
from but you cannot respond first out of
that you have to Swiss bonds first
biblically and see this is the problem
that people don’t have people have God’s
not asking you to like rap if you don’t
and he’s not like you Mita
asking me to like Barbra Streisand I saw
a lady in the back barb is that but he
is asking us to live biblical and that’s
different and I heard it like this I
think Tony Evans said it and it just
just killed my whole life when he said
it he said most people identify as a
black Christian or a white Christian or
a Hispanic Christian he said well we
have two things a Christian is in the
noun place of this phrase and your
ethnicity is in the adjective position
and if anybody knows anything about
English or grammar the adjective always
it describes whatever the noun is and he
said so we cannot put Christian as the
noun Christian has to be the adjective
so that whatever we do and however we do
it and whatever we become Christian
describes what it is so I’m a Christian
business owner I’m a Christian father
I’m a Christian african-american I’m a
Christian Anglo person because if you do
not put it in the adjective we always
have to conform our Christianity
[Music]
so what I’m asking you to do is be
Christian first be biblical first and to
do that it’s a scary thing because that
means we have to disassociate with some
of the things that we have Ben come on
let’s be honest it makes me have to
watch what I say when I come into
certain environments I get comfortable
in certain environments and this is just
what would come out of me and God says
that life and death is in the power of
the tongue we got to get a home today
well I’ve been saying it since I was 15
this is me and my and God says but when
you became mine you became a new
creation the old things are now pastor
now you get a new identity now this is
the word you’re going to need God to
help you with this so what are you
saying Pastor Mike if we’re going to see
racial reconciliation and we’re going to
live biblically we’re going to have to
live our life comfortably uncomfortable
see comfortably uncomfortable has to be
your new normal
what are you talking about Pastor Mike
you’re going to have to live your life
comfortably uncomfortable I had the
opportunity to preach at Battle Creek
two weeks ago and I shared this message
and Battle Creek is about 5,000 to 7,000
members and they’re 90 percent um white
people and the pastor wanted me to come
and speak on racial reconciliation
Pastor Alex Amaya one of the greatest
men I’ve ever met and and we I went up
there and I was comfortably
uncomfortable I stood up on that stage
and I say good morning everybody
my name is Michael Todd and I’m black
and they all started laughing and and
and I had to dive through the same exact
topic and I did it the same exact way in
and talking and using the analogies and
talking to help them understand
I was comfortably uncomfortable but me
and my family have decided to live our
lives like that because that’s the only
way we’re going to see racial
reconciliation that you’re not going to
be comfortable in all the places God
puts you I mean if you’re just serving
God at all it’s not comfortable that’s
why he calls it a faith walk because
they’re going to be time for him like
it’s anything gonna be here when I take
this step and somehow he always puts
something right there he’s faithful to
continue to provide for his children so
so so you’re gonna have to get used to
living comfortably uncomfortable you’re
gonna have to get used to being in
conversations where you don’t know much
about the topic you’re gonna have to be
some of y’all with pride you’re gonna
have to get used to asking questions you
get something y’all ever had a friend I
think they know everything like you do
not know but they think they know
everything I google check you do not
know it happened to me but it owns it
and and and it’s going to take you
putting yourselves in experiences that
are completely uncomfortable to find out
something new it reminds me of a time I
went duck hunting
what brothers don’t hunt see it’s funny
cuz you never even heard that when the
last time you was at the barber shopping
is like yeah me and my boys we went
duck-hunting like you don’t hear that
but I’ve decided to live my life
comfortably uncomfortable and so what
happened was I had a couple of my
friends so I do things in the cities
with with unite my city and they’re
white and we get along I mean we are
always just connecting it on stuff if
it’s hoop in or playing basketball or
going to the racetrack or playing golf
they always invite me but then when they
start talking about hunting it’s like
they start whispering they like see me
and they’re like hey guys we’re gonna go
and so one day I just I called him out
on it I said what’s up why don’t y’all
ever invite me to go hunting and they
were like well we just assumed there’s
that word again we just assumed that
brothers don’t know huh at least ducks
like they don’t I’ll hit dogs and I was
like next time you go hunting I was like
I was out strong with it
next time you go hunting you invite me
cuz I’m coming to hunt with y’all and
they was laughing and they were smiling
I was like okay cool three weeks later
they called me came like we got this
dunk hunting excursion set up but
there’s gonna be geese out there I was
like cool man I’m so excited about that
I don’t have no gear I don’t have
nothing there’s like don’t worry about
the gear we got you we got everything
you need your gun your boots your your
your camouflage they said you just got
to be there I said what time ten eleven
they said three a.m.
I said well what will we be doing at 3
o’clock in the morning and y’all my mind
got opened up to this whole new
experience we pulled up a quick trip
that was about 3 or 4 trucks they had a
big ol um trailer behind him they had
thousands of dollars worth of gear they
had all these guns and so we’re out
there we’re setting up the what they
call the blinds and it’s like where you
put up fake grass to hide yourself to
make the Ducks think that is real grass
so you can just stand up and bow shoot
them and and so we have to set up
basically a grass tent and then we had
to go out and put what they call decoys
out with your fake ducks that cost
hundreds of dollars and we got a date
throwing grass up in the air and seeing
which way the wind is blowing so they
can set the Ducks like so many of the
ducks facing one way and so many of the
ducks facing the other way so that the
ducks in the sky can think that the
Ducks on the ground are real I mean it
was all this stuff and that was all
before 5:30 in the morning I was so
tired by the jump but I was willing to
be uncomfortable so now we’re sitting in
the blinds and I’m the only speck of
pepper anywhere near there and they all
got these semi-automatic rifles and all
these thing and they done gave me a pump
gun so like I like doing I don’t know if
they didn’t want to give me a gun or
something but
so we sitting in the blinds and at the
moment they’re calling that guy guy and
they got all the I mean 6 & 7 duck calls
and geese calls and they’re doing all
this other stuff and then they say
they’re coming and then it’s like I mean
it must be devastating for a duck but
it’s so exhilarating for me there’s like
poo and everybody is like nine people
stand up outside of this grass and
everybody’s like Bob
it’s like the greatest feeling in the
world it’s like Mario duck hunt in real
life y’all know what I’m saying it was
amazing
okay and I got to spend three hours in
the blinds talking faith talking family
talking about dreams and visions with
guys as we shot ducks out of the sky but
it was one of the most enriching
experiences of my life and I think we
got a picture of of that day if you
could put that on the screen done that
boy look like then that boy come on dump
that boy look like he hiked up and me
and my friends you can put that other
one up there and me and my friends we
shot a lot of geese and a lot of ducks
and I don’t know how many I actually
shot but I know that my gun fired and so
we shot all kinds of stuff that day but
what I wanted to save from that is if I
didn’t take the chance to live my life
comfortably uncomfortable I had to get
all my instructions from somebody else I
had to learn about a whole new thing but
when I did that it right rich their
lives it enriched my lives and I have
relationships that I’ll have forever and
I’m able to reach people when I told
that hunting story at Battle Creek those
people were on the floor laughing
because their culture has many people
that hunt and because I had that
experience we could connect and business
owners and car dealership owners and
physicians came up to me afterwards and
said that was the best message I I love
pastor Alex but that was the best
message I’ve ever heard but it was
because I could relate it’s because I
took the chance to cross the line and
get comfortably uncomfortable and if
we’re going to live and see racial
reconciliation God’s going to ask you to
live comfortably uncomfortable he’s
going to ask you to take that boss that
maybe slightly racist but loves
Starbucks he’s going to ask you to buy
them a fifty dollar Starbucks card and
take them to take them to get a drink
every morning what are we going to talk
about well what are we going to do it
start with them how long have you been
your hair it’s so beautiful how do you
start if you cross the line one
interaction with somebody of a different
ethnicity that’s positive can literally
change the entire thought process of
somebody else and that’s what Jesus did
see I want you to realize in this story
the reason that this woman was so
surprised is because Jesus was willing
to put his Jewish lips on her Samaritan
cup he was willing to identify with her
he said give me she he said give me a
drink
and he didn’t have a cup that means he
would have had to drink from her cup see
that’s what God is asking us to do he’s
asking us to at least identify what
people even if somebody’s hurting or
community is hurting or a group of
people are hurting and you have no
experience just say I know what it is
like to hurt you don’t got to agree with
everything but you got to be there and
hug them you got to send a text that
says I’m sorry that that happened and
that’s both ways that’s every way that
doesn’t matter where you are from
but until we’re willing to identify with
each other
there will be no
racial reconciliation so you’re going to
have to live your life comfortably
uncomfortable go to verse 15 John
chapter 4 verse 15 and the beautiful
thing about this is Jesus decides not to
let his historic prejudice of the
heritage he came from the Jewish people
keep them from the promise of their
future
so Jesus officer living water if you
drink this you won’t ever be thirsty
again and he’ll give you eternal life
she said please sir um give me some of
that water then I’ll never be thirsty
again I’ll have to come to this daggone
waterhole no more and then and then
Jesus switches the subject because now
that he has a relationship with her he
can go deeper into her for life see you
can’t engage some body’s problem until
you engage their humanity and and when
and when he said I identify with you
I’ll drink from your Cubs she said oh
he’s cool he does a good that’s a good
dude I know every other Jew I’ve heard
about her every other Hispanic person
I’ve heard about or every other Asian
I’ve heard about but this one’s able to
identify with me so then he asked her
hey go get your husband and you know
most people now if we ethnically don’t
see out I’m not about to tell you my
business look go get your husband Jesus
told her she said um about that I don’t
have a husband jesus said you’re right
you’ll have a husband for you had five
husbands and you aren’t even married to
the man you live in where now you
certainly spoke the truth this woman
said I’m sorry I perceive you our
prophet
to see that oh you know why you might be
the Son of God but I want you to see the
playbook Jesus has given us you’ve
probably never seen this before
Jesus engaged her humanity and said he
would drink from her cup and it granted
him access to her personal and spiritual
needs see what we want to solve is
people’s problems but we have not even
engaged their life and until I know you
care I’ve heard it said like this people
don’t care how much you know until they
know how much you can’t when you tell
them when you show them when you live
like you care they’ll let you in today
problems then they’ll deal I don’t care
if if you’re a white person and I can’t
don’t care if you had never been to the
north side if you saw a baby get shot
you should be able to say I’m so sorry
that that happen no matter if the cop
was wrong no matter it don’t matter if
we don’t engage then we can open up if
you’re a black person and you’re walking
around and you have affluence and you
see somebody poor and you don’t help
them because all that’s trailer-trash
sure that’s that they’ve lived it no you
should be able to I know what it’s like
to not have enough cuz until we gauge
engage people’s humanity you’re not
gonna get access to their real needs and
so Jesus gives access to this woman’s
life they went from talking about water
to her immoral lifestyle just like that
and then look verse 20 it goes even
deeper cuz cuz then she starts asking
him questions about their race see when
you get relationship with somebody I’ve
friends that are white one of my closest
friends um is David and he was in that
video David you’re somewhere in here
there you go there um Dave’s white white
like Dave is just white but we have a
relationship where he can ask me about
anything and I can ask him about
anything because we engage each other’s
humanity first then we started talking
about our spiritual needs are our needs
for accountability our needs for and now
once
you did that you can start asking
questions about the race like as a whole
like there’s white people in here they
have questions about black people there
are black people here like if you really
got to talk to a white person do i why
do you all do that well what is that but
see we’ve never had those exchanges
because most people don’t get close
enough to have and so Jesus and this
woman go talking about water then they
talk about her sin issue that she says
well I got some questions about you Jews
so tell me why this house that’s how it
starts verse 20 why is it that Jews
insist that Jerusalem is the only place
to worship while we Samaritans claim
that it’s here on Mount Gerizim where
our ancestors worship seems like why do
you all go to church over there and
y’all be shouting and jumping and and
speaking in tongues jesus replied
believe me dear woman the time is coming
well it will no longer matter whether
you worship the father on this mountain
at the AME Church at the kojic Church at
the Pinnacle it’s not gonna matter if
you had Guthrie green it’s not gonna
matter where you worship in he said um
you know very little about the one you
worship what he was telling her is like
you’re making generalizations about a
whole group of people because your daddy
told you that and your daddy’s daddy
told him that and your daddy’s daddy
daddy told him that your daddy’s daddy’s
dead he’s dead he told you that and he
said he said your daddy didn’t know what
he was talking about and your daddy’s
daddy didn’t know what he’s talking man
your daddy’s daddy’s daddy’s daddy daddy
didn’t know what he was talking about he
said the paradigm which you need to be
thinking about is spirit and truth and
when it comes to this racial
reconciliation
it’s got to be spirit and truth and it
has to be the absolute truth which is
the Word of God and that’s what we go so
when the Bible tells us to love our
enemy that’s what we have to do when it
tells us we’re supposed to turn the
other cheek that’s what we have to do
when it’s tell tells us we’re supposed
to do for the least of these so Jesus
like some of us we’re doing things cuz
our daddy told us to
and our daddy’s daddy told and our
daddy’s daddy’s daddy believed this way
and Jesus comes like he came to this
woman your daddy and your daddy’s daddy
and your daddy’s daddy daddy and your
daddy’s daddy daddy didn’t know what
they were talking about this is about
spirit and truth so can I break it down
if your father was racist if your
grandmother was prejudiced I’m talking
black white Hispanic
if if the uncle who raised you had just
a racial bend y’all know I had a uncle
one time told me all white people
I said UNK you ain’t never been out this
city you don’t even know all ye people
like how can you say that but it’s been
things that we’ve learned and I came to
tell you they didn’t know what they were
talking about they had no idea how
beautifully and wonderfully God made
every person in this room they had no
clue how much life comes when different
ethnicities embrace each other and we
were talking around that table they
showed you six minutes of a two and a
half hour conversation I have with
different ethnicities it was probably
one of the richest experiences of my
whole life because I was open I was
comfortably uncomfortable and I got to
experience relationship with other
people but it comes we decide to leave
what we’ve been taught and be
transformed by the renewing of our minds
guys we got to see racial reconciliation
and it’s going to start with the
organism not the organization and it’s
going to start with us living
comfortably uncomfortable not everything
being okay look at it and verse 23 said
the time is coming indeed it’s here now
somebody shot at me now shout at me now
now this is when true worshipers will
worship the father in spirit and truth
the father is looking for those who
worship him in this way for God his
spirit so those who worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and truth and
Jesus went real deep on her and she was
like oh okay okay verse 25 the woman
well okay I know the Messiah is coming
the one who’s called Christ so when he
comes you know he’ll explain everything
and doesn’t that sound like the church
like we’ll know we’ll all be together in
heaven one day like I know I mean this
black and white thing i’ma say on my
sides how you stay on the other side of
town but in heaven when eternity happens
and he said no no now as it is in heaven
let it be on earth because we’ve been
given the Ministry of reconciliation
verse 26 then Jesus told her I’m the one
you was talking about I’m the Messiah
I’m here right now and if you look at it
isn’t Jesus living on the inside of all
of us and didn’t he say greater works
should we do he’s healing 800 years of
racial division in one day and greater
works should we do that’s what the Bible
says he said just then the disciples
came back they were shocked to find him
talking to a woman but none of them had
the nerve to ask what do you want why
are you talking to her now I want you to
see this because you have to read the
whole Bible to get this right here
um they really weren’t mad because she
was talking about a woman because the
Bible tells us he’s already talked to
Mary Martha he’s talked to the Sarah
Phoenician woman he’s talked to women
before it was because she was a
different ethnicity that it would be
like a group of black friends that that
black power all this other stuff and
then you see one of the people that’s
leading a group talking to a white
person and they walk up him what did did
he forget what we was here for
did he forget that we were here to stay
segregated and saved
did Jesus forget but none of them had
the nerve to ask the question and this
is a beautiful picture because it
encourages me is that the disciples as
many miracles as they perform they were
still racist think about it think about
it at this place in their journey and
this is the beautiful thing that God can
still use you if you have broken areas
they they weren’t healed all the way in
this area they still have some more time
to get this right but it proves to us
that this journey with Christ is not a
perfection thing it’s a progression
thing and the disciples were still
racist right here they burst
twenty-eighth said so the woman left the
water jar beside the whale ran back to
the village telling everyone she had a
great interaction with one person who
was a different ethnicity and she had to
go back and tell everybody else because
she got living water she got saved come
and see a man who told me everything I
ever did could he possibly be the
Messiah so the people came streaming
from the village to see him now I want
you to see this a group of disciples
went into the city with no intention of
reconciliation came back with no results
one man had a positive interaction
outside of the city that changed her so
much that she went back into the city
and told everybody she knew and they
came to Jesus see you’re waiting on the
organization to do something and God
said I can do one more with one person
who would show my love and would cross
the line and live comfortably
uncomfortable and they’ll come and say
what must I do to be saved
meanwhile verse 31 the disciples were
urging Jesus rabbi Eastham
but Jesus apply man I got a food that
you know nothing about boy whoa you know
when you have something good to eat you
like mmm
Versailles through this somebody bring
him some chick-fil-a while we was goin
walk ten miles to get him this charges
chicken and somebody brought him some
chicks lately that’s what my Bible says
verse 34 says then Jesus explains see my
nourishment comes from doing the will of
God from actually doing the Ministry of
reconciliation my nourishment comes from
being obedient to God’s Word who sent me
and from finishing his work verse 35 you
know the saying four months between
planting and harvest but I say wake up
look around the fields already ripe for
harvest see right here Jesus was doing a
social experiment to say either we’re
going to be the church that goes at this
issue or we’re going to wait for months
oh yeah we’ll get together and do a
racial reconciliation event and we’ll
have balloons and jumpies for the kids
and we’ll come together he said but look
around there are people coming to you
right now there are people at your job
right now there are people that you’re
on Instagram with right now and Facebook
right now
he said the field is ripe for harvest
and if you look at where we’re at in our
city in our world about this racial
reconciliation the light shines bright
in the darkest times the field is right
right now for one of God’s children an
organism to raise up and say we don’t
have to do it like this I’m gonna cross
the line of my uncomfortability I’m
gonna have a conversation with somebody
in fact I’m going to invite you to my
family gathering yeah it’s gonna make
all my family uncomfortable but we got
to start living comfortably
uncomfortable why cuz I have been given
the Ministry of reconciliation until I
do something nobody’s gonna do anything
and I want you to get this picture as we
close God’s telling us to wake up look
around so many different ethnicity
that God has placed you around but you
still go home with your four friends you
you still you said well I don’t know
what to say
like Moses I’m telling you open your
mouth and God will filled it well what
if I’m disrespectful you’ll learn like I
mean all the things that you put as a
blockage God will change in you and I
want you to see this we’ve heard it but
said Mark 12:31 that we’re supposed to
love our neighbor as ourselves but can i
rephrase it love requires relationship
what do you love that you don’t have
relationship with nothing if we’re going
to love our neighbor is going to require
relationship first John 4:20 it says if
someone says I love God but hates his
fellow believer then that person is a
liar for if we don’t love people we can
see how can we love God who we cannot
see because Jesus one organism decided
to live comfortably uncomfortable and
meet this woman of a different ethnicity
at a place of common ground they were
able to share an exchange that changed
her life and pointed her to the Father
she went back and told all of her
friends the entire city is now coming to
meet Jesus because of one man see the
best part of this whole thing is in
verse 40 see the people came now I want
you to get the picture real quick Jesus
is about to tell the disciples we got to
minister to all these men you see coming
from the town and this either was going
to be a race riot because Peter cuts
people’s ears off you understand what
I’m saying this is this was either going
to be a race riot or revival and it
turned into a revival because people who
had prejudice in their heart allow God
to fill it up and started to engage
people that didn’t look like them the
most beautiful part of verse 40 he says
when they came out to see him they
begged him to stay in their village
so so he stayed for two days get the
picture
when they met at noon the woman declared
the first thing we don’t have nothin to
do with each other white people and
black people well had nothing to do with
each other
Hispanics and Asians we don’t got
nothing to do Europeans we don’t got
nothing to do with each other by that
evening he had booked the two night stay
in the hood the and they were begging
him to stay because when their
relationship came in to a place where
they exchanged with one of God’s
creations it became one of the richest
experience in their life and then the
Bible says that many were saved because
of that one interaction so what are you
asking us to do Pastor Mike last point
take the risk take the risk to look
stupid take the risk to be the only
white people to show up in a
predominantly black congregation take
the risk to invite somebody to your
family reunion now you know your family
to take the risk
because if as the organ is organism we
don’t do something and start to do it
then we just stay at the same place we
on our Facebook at our barber shop at
our own place talking crazy about
whatever but nothing changed and God has
given every christ-follower now anybody
who’s not a believer is all good I’m not
talking to you
but anybody who believes in Jesus you’ve
been given the Ministry of
reconciliation and now it’s time for us
to use it so um if you could bring me
out my prop real fast hey I love
sandwiches and um but a sandwich is not
complete for me
now now if I come to your house and you
make a sandwich do not put your
mayonnaise on my set just leave it plain
cuz the only thing that goes on my
sandwiches is the miracle nyeh buyer of
the whip let me let me hey oh hey glory
this will take some raw meat and make it
by blessing but but as I begin to study
how this was made
it has two major ingredients that aren’t
supposed to go together and in it and it
kind of reminds me of the enemy’s plan
for the beginning of division it like
black and white is not supposed together
go together races aren’t supposed to go
together and it’s oil and water I mean
you can whip it you can blend it you can
you can shake it and as soon as you quit
all of that they separate oil and water
doesn’t go together until it comes in
contact with what’s known as an
emulsification process and see the
emulsifier and miracle whip is an egg
and one part of the egg grabs the oil
and the other part of the egg grabs the
water and when it mixes together it
becomes one if we’re going to make the
picture of heaven on earth when you meet
Jesus
it becomes the emulsifier of every race
where it will take a white believer and
a black believer in a asian believer and
a Hispanic believer and it will bring
them together and no longer will we be
apart but it’ll be a miracle a picture
of heaven on earth I don’t want you to
ever eat a sandwich to say
but more importantly I don’t want you to
ever live the same cross the line be the
organism who lives comfortably
uncomfortable and is able to identify
with others take the risk and get
relationship with somebody that doesn’t
look like you and if it starts with you
it will impact so many others can we
give God praise right now