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 Sermon for 02/10/08
(First time visitors: Please read the notes HERE about these sermons first!)

GRACISM: I Will Honor You... Stand With You,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Bottom Line: When people deal with color, class, or culture in a negative way, that’s racism. But the answer is not to ignore differences as if they don’t matter. This sermon is the 4th in a series on how to we can focus on diversity in a positive way, showing God’s favor to others! That’s GRACISM! Today we discuss Paul’s 4^th and 5^th Gracist concepts; “Greater Honor” (I will honor you) and “No Division” (I will stand with you). It is surprising to many to discover that Grace is unfair – and that God gives greater honor to those who lacked it! God is in the exalting business, and loves to honor His servants; especially the poor, the outcast, the marginalized, disabled etc.. We can honor others in 4 ways: service, speech, stewardship, and sitting. Also, division among believers is not of God! His love for unity means we must love all people and seek unity; through prayer, praise, standing together. It is important that stand with those who are mistreated, devalued, ignored or left out! (Source: “Gracism – The Art of Inclusion” by David A. Anderson) Praise God AMEN

1) GREATER THAN! Anyone recognize these symbols from your math classes? Yep, they are the greater than (>) and the less than (<) symbols. Christians tend to think that these symbols are used by mathematicians but never by God. Certainly God sees and treats us all equally (=). We are often surprised to discover that while our heavenly Father values us all, He is clearly a Gracist when it comes to His divine equations. And in our 1^st Corinthian 12 passage, we find an interesting verse that assigns a Greater-than value in terms of honor to some people. Verse 24: “God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.” Wow! We know that God’s family is multi-cultural, multi-economical, and multi-gifted: but doesn’t it seem at first a little unsettling to discover that God assigns a greater-than symbol to honor some of them. Yet, that’s exactly what He does! So why? And just who is it that gets the greater-than symbol?

2) HONOR DEFICIENT! Apparently those worthy of “greater honor” are not chosen because of their gifts, economics, or even their ethnicity. They are those who have lived with “honor deficits”. Do you know anyone who is honor deficient? ...folks who have lacked what the majority enjoyed. This is a strange choice considering those our American culture has chosen to honor. America honors success. And the way you measure success is primarily by our earnings. Basically if one works – one earns money. If one achieves, one is awarded. It’s simple. If you do not achieve or work for your earnings, then you fall short of honor and the normal rewards that come with accomplishment. You are honor deficient... And for most Americans this seems fair and right. Well, get ready for a shock: Grace is unfair!

3) UNFAIR! That’s right, Grace is unfair! Because according to society’s standards, those homeless people or welfare recipients do not deserve any honor – and yet God says otherwise! Ouch! Believe me, I can understand the culture’s logic; hey, I worked three jobs to get through college! I studied my tail off to get to the top of my class. I dedicated myself to achieving my goals – and there is a part of me that (while it may not demand pats on the back, or a plagues to hang on the wall,) ... well there is a part of me that bristles to think that God wants us to give honor to those who do not appear to have invested the time, effort, energy, money, risk, or faith that it took for me to get to this level of life! And yet, there it is - “God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it.” Wow – Grace is unfair!

4) GRACE! Until, that is, the Holy Spirit reminds you that none of us would be anything if it were not for Christ! We’ve all heard the phrase, “If not for the grace of God, there go I”? But do we believe it? I mean really believe it? How many of us look at a shattered life and are convinced that if “we” were raised with the same parents, in the same environment, provided with a limited number of coping skills, perhaps given the same abuse or prejudice, denied the same privileges - that we would NOT have turned down the same path? How funny that we admit to being broken people living in a broken world, but we somehow want to take credit for our lives’ successes. That’s why grace looks so unfair. People don’t get what they deserve! Woe! Did we hear what we just said; that grace is unfair because people don’t get what they deserve!?! Well, what is it that “sinners” deserve? Eternal separation from God. Remember; the only thing worthy of God’s holy love and kingdom is perfection in living according to His will! But since it’s clear we are ALL sinners, if we were to get what we deserved – we’d all be toast! Christ came and paid for our sins – and by the “works, reward, achievement” standards of our culture; that’s unfair! But thank God grace is unfair! We would not be anything without Christ!

5) DESERVE? Psalm 103 tells us (vs 8-10) “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him”. Did you hear that? He does NOT treat us as our sins deserve! Thank God for the unfairness of Grace! God is NOT fair! Grace is NOT fair! Halleluiah! See, it wasn’t fair for the sinless one, Jesus, to have to suffer for sins He did not commit. I don’t know about you – but it’s hard for me to rejoice over Jesus’ suffering on my behalf. It tears me apart inside! Many of us have shed tears to think of the price Jesus paid. Our redemption is beyond cost! It’s not fair! Jesus got a bum deal – while you and I got what we did not deserve.

6) GOD! The reality is that none of us deserve one positive thing we have received! We haven’t earned one thing that God did not provide for us! Our education; a blessing from God! If you’re smart – it’s because God gave you a brain that works! If you’re athletic – the use of your limbs is a gift! The very air you breathe is a gift you don’t deserve and haven’t earned. Praise God - Grace is unfair. And so when God says His heart goes out to those who are least honored, who are we to argue? Remember the parable about the banquet, and Jesus argued against taking the most distinguished seats in the house? Self-promotion and seeking honor was the target Jesus took aim at! And the final verse revealed the heart of God: (Luke 14:11) “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Unfair? Not according to God! And not according to any follower who aligns their heart with His, as a Gracist! Fact is, God is in the exalting business and loves to honor His servants. And God is determined to give even greater honor to those who have lacked it the most!

7) THE HOSTS! Well, if we’re to follow Christ and imitate His ways, then we better figure out WHO lacks honor and deserves a greater measure of it! In heaven’s eyes, it the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. That includes the lower classes, the outcasts, the marginalized, and the disabled. Christ’s parables declares it is these who have an honor deficit. But here’s the catch; the poor and crippled will not just walk into a prepared banquet. They must be sought after and retrieved. Since God declares greater honor is to be given them, it is up to the hosts to search the streets for the less honored. If the people of All Saints Lutheran Church think we are honoring others by “leaving the door open” on Sunday Morning, we have missed the boat! As “the hosts” who feast undeservingly upon the blessings and love of Christ, we have to get off our pews and go out and seek those that society has cast away, ignored, or forgotten. When was the last time a single parent with kids was honored by anyone? When was the last time an ex-con, or a 12-step participant was honored? When was the last time a minority, or immigrant, or poor family was honored? I don’t care if that person is poor in spirit, morally crippled, or spiritually blind, God in His grace sent Jesus out for us, and wants us (the hosts) to go out and proclaim to those who are honor deficient – There’s a banquet going on, and you are invited!” Believe me, they aren’t just going to come prancing in here on their own: the hosts, you and I, have to invite them – as Christ invited us!

8) HONOR OTHERS! How do we honor others? In four ways; service, speech, stewardship, and sitting. By that, I mean we honor them when we serve today’s “poor, crippled, blind, and lame!” When All Saints feeds the hungry on Mondays – we honor them! Have you honored anyone through service lately? Jesus said that when we feed and care for the “least of these,” (Matthew 25:40) we are doing it for Jesus Himself. And when we speak, instead of telling off colored jokes that put down minority groups, or perpetuate racial slurs, we need to lift others up. Rather than spewing words that demoralize and rip others apart – we need to offer something positive! And when we invest time and money into the programs and people that God wants to honor – we are being faithful! Sacrificing our time, talent, and treasures for others is never easy – but it’s what a Gracist does! Have you honored anyone lately with your stewardship? And lastly; Sitting! Sitting with someone who lacks honor is a blessed gift. Whether it is an aids patient, a prisoner, someone in the pysch-ward, an invalid, an elderly person in a retirement center– sitting with someone may be one of the most important and powerful ministry of all. Isolation can be sad and painful. That’s why intentionally sitting with someone is a discipline and a privilege. Who have YOU sat with lately that lacked honor? Service, speech, stewardship, and sitting – it’s how we honor others!

9) UNFAIR! Yes, it is unfair! God is unfair! Grace is unfair! And thank God for that unfairness! Because it brings new life and hope to those who are hurting, helpless, forgotten, and in need! The truth is this: if you and I are not intentional about reaching out to those who lack honor, we will slip into a private world of wealth, privilege, and selfish comfort while being surrounded by those Jesus calls “the least of these!” If we are not careful, we can lose ourselves in the “suburbs of our Christian faith”, and miss those God desires to give greater honor to! How can God be expected to honor the people of ASLC, who have so much, if we will not join Christ in seeking out the least of these and giving them honor through service, speech, stewardship, and sitting with them? Churches, whose inactions reflect the idea that God’s grace is unfair, fade away. Those servants who are true Gracists, who honor the “least of these” - they will be greatly blessed!

10) NO DIVISION! Paul continues in our 1st Corinthians text: (12:24-25) “But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be NO DIVISION in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” Proverbs says there are six things God hates, and seven that are detestable to Him. Dissension among brothers and sisters is the last item! (Prov 6:19)  It says God hates “a person who stirs up dissension in the community.” Division among believers is not of God! God hates division in marriages, friendships, church ministries, denominations, ethnic groups, genders, or families. Or as the Apostle John puts it (1 John 4:20-21) “If we say we love God yet hate a brother or sister, we are liars. For if we do not love a fellow believer, whom we have seen, we cannot love God, whom we have not seen. And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love one another.” See, when we cling to division, we are aligning ourselves with the power of evil in the world, led by Satan, the great divider! Unity on the other hand, aligns us with God! And when a community of believers is working right, there is nothing as beautiful, noting as pleasant or divine. “How good and pleasant is it when brothers live together in unity,” declares the author of Psalm 133 (verse 1).

11) UNITY! There is a funny thing about unity – people often understand it differently. Some claim unity is everyone on the same page, agreeing always, liking the same thing, being homogenous and basically being clones of one another. It is a sad definition that ignores the fact that God loves diversity, created a multi-cultural world, and hates segregated groups that have no room for those who do not think, act, and serve as they do. Our unity is to be based around Christ! Not a particular way style of worship, music, or programs. Jesus is the center of the wheel that draws us closer to Him while at the same time drawing his diverse family closer to one another. He wants us to acknowledge our differences, and celebrate our diversity! ...to value the fact that every culture, class, or color brings with it additional revelations as to “who God is!” Unity is never to based on human traditions, preferences, or comfortable routines. Unity is every heart filled with the love of Christ, working to build up the body of Christ, seeing that no one is left out!

12) PRAYER! Every church that has multiple and variable services knows that it is not a particular style of worship that unites them, it the Jesus they worship that brings them together. And one of the major components that help us stay united is prayer! Prayer unifies at a deep, deep level! Prayer is all about being in a humble place of dependence on one another! Jesus taught the disciples, and us, how to pray. And He didn’t begin with, “My Father”, or “Dear Father” – He began with “OUR Father”! Jesus is saying that we all have a common connection – a communal connection - to God! We are to be brothers and sisters! And fighting among ourselves is ignoring the common bloodline we have. Prayer unites us!

13) ONE! The longest prayer of Jesus is recorded in John, the 17th chapter - and as He prays for His disciples - He adds “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one - I in them and you in me - so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” This oneness is God’s will! It’s important to mean what you pray when these words flow from your lips “your kingdom come, your will be done”! God’s will is oneness! Not just unity among like minded people. Not just unity among people of a particular race, class, or culture. Unity among all people! He desires us to be ONE!

14) HEAVEN! Remember when I asked you to picture heaven several weeks ago – I was testing to find out whether your image of heaven was multicultural or not! It’s important to reflect on heaven, because it moves us to live according to that model. What does heaven look like? Revelation 5: 9-10 tells us that “with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom...” John also had a vision in which He says (Rev7:9) “After this I looked and there was before me a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb!” There is no doubt about it; the population in heaven is intentionally racially, ethnically, and nationally diverse! It is God’s will that it be reflected here on earth! ...that we, His rainbow of children, be unified in love and worship here on earth as it is in heaven!

15) GRACE! Of course, it goes without saying that in a broken world full of broken people, “theory” and “reality” don’t always line up. Let’s face it, the diversity of our giftedness, genders, race, class, perspectives, and preferences may collide with each other and even compete at times. But Grace, within the relationships, becomes the lubricant that keeps the body of Christ (the church) well oiled and working together towards the goal of unity! Sin is powerful, but God is stronger, enabling us to fend off division and work towards unity! Grace brings oneness!

16) STAND UP/WITH/FOR! God is saying that when we, the “haves”, discover others who are the “have nots” – it is not enough just to recognize them – we are called to lift them up and honor them! We are not to ignore or walk away from those who are different from ourselves, we are to intentionally join them, and when necessary “stand up for them!” Yes, I understand that standing up for others who are the “least of these” goes against our selfish nature, it is never-the-less “Godly!” And the resulting benefits are minimum division and maximum unity. When we agree to stand with and stand for the disenfranchised, we are being Gracists! And the distance between the “haves” and the “have nots” disaapears!

17) CHRIST! Remember when Jesus quoted Isaiah in the 4th chapter of Luke? (verse 4:18-19) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” Christ then went on to say “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." He didn’t say His ministry’s grace and blessings were for just ONE particular race, culture or class. Jesus didn’t care if the poor, or prisoner, or blind were legal or illegal immigrants. Christ saw them ONLY as the Father’s children. And He loved them. And the Lord poured Himself out for them! Today Christ calls you, and empowers you, to go out into the world with that unfair grace and pass it on to those who do not deserve it, just as we did not deserve it. And you can do so by giving the greatest honor to those who are honor deficient, and standing up, and with, and for those the world has marginalized. Grace is “not fair” according to the world, but from Christ’s view point - it’s life-giving, and it’s Divine! Praise God, AMEN

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