KINGDOM CULTURE looking towards a multicultural and multiethnic

KINGDOM CULTURE looking towards a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic movement of Christ

OVERVIEW • Kingdom Culture begins with a KING • He and his Kingdom is our heart and desire in this journey • We are on a journey of perspective and understanding • Truly representing the Kingdom is important to God and should be important to his people

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD?

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD? Revelation 5: 1 -10 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? ” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. ” Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. ”

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD? • Our future heavenly existence is multicultural. • This diversity is part of Christ’s inheritance. • Through sacrifice and death, He paid a great price for diversity. Obtaining this is costly. • There is great intentionality to the purchase - not accidental • It is a salad bowl, not a melting pot • Diversity is retained not lost • Celebration of God’s people living united yet diverse.

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD? Galatians 2: 11 -14 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD? • The pressure to align ourselves with those who look, act and behave like ourselves is real, but not God’s highest good for our lives. • Cultural and ethnic division is often based in fear and misunderstanding. • Allowing cultural barriers in the body of Christ is an affront to the Gospel. Paul calls it hypocrisy. • As leaders we must be careful to not lead others down this path. • We have largely segregated churches, organizations and movements because we have largely segregated dinner tables. As a relational ministry, our job is to build relationships “across dividing walls of hostility”

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD? Acts 6: 1 -7 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. ” This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

WHY IS CULTURAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IMPORTANT TO GOD? • Division occurs along cultural lines and not just ethnic ones. • Resolution of the issue was brought to the highest level of leadership of the church • Bible does not specify if the injustice was real or perceived. Just that action was taken to solve the problem. • Of the seven leaders chosen to solve this issue, five were from the minority culture which was feeling mistreated - empowerment of leaders from the minority culture to provide voice and governance. • Major spiritual breakthrough occurred because of the diligence to solve what could be termed a social or organizational problem.

WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING A KINGDOM CULTURE BE IMPORTANT TO YFC?

WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING A KINGDOM CULTURE BE IMPORTANT TO YFC? • First and Foremost, this is important to the Lord • A diverse, multi-ethnic body is his inheritance • The ability to create relationship and love across racial and cultural barriers demonstrates the power of the Gospel • It requires great humility and sacrifice which conforms us more to the image of Christ • Moving towards cultural and ethnic understanding is an act of obedience to Jesus.

WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING A KINGDOM CULTURE BE IMPORTANT TO YFC? • Secondly, having real answers to the world’s challenges builds credibility toward the Kingdom of God. • As a whole, the church has allowed this topic to become political and social and has not inserted the power of the Gospel • Ephesians 2 - breaking down the dividing wall of hostility - making one new people, who’s primary relational connect is Jesus. • As a whole, God’s people have allowed the early attack of cultural division against the church to have victory. Sunday mornings are still the most largely segregated portions of society. This breaks God’s heart.

WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING A KINGDOM CULTURE BE IMPORTANT TO YFC? • Thirdly, as US societal trends and church demographics shift, YFC must adapt to changing realities to retain relevancy and influence. * • Global Christianity • 1900 - 84% White, 16% Non-White • 2005 - 40% White, 60% Non-White • 2050 - 29% White, 71% Non-White • Both abroad and in the US, the only segments of church growth are occurring amongst people of color and multi-racial congregations. • US Population • 2008 - Minority population in US at 38% • 2023 - US children at 50% Non-White (In 9 years, our target demographic will no longer be primarily White) • 2042 - Minority population of US as a whole will be greater than 50% • In roughly 25 years, the US will no longer have a clear racial majority * Dr Soong-Chan Rah – Kainos Conference and Many Colors

WHY SHOULD DEVELOPING A KINGDOM CULTURE BE IMPORTANT TO YFC? • Youth For Christ has tremendous opportunity to have relevancy and cultural influence for another 70 years by following our Biblical examples: • Humility - The way of the Lamb. • Intentionality - won’t happen through accident • Celebration of God’s plan • Rejecting Fear and Misunderstanding • Creating Relationships. Share meals with those who are different • Taking action to solve problems - whether real or perceived • Empowering underrepresented minorities into positions of voice, power, influence and leadership

MOVING FORWARD: NEXT STEPS • Self Examination & Thoughtful Inspection • Repentance where necessary, ask for Kingdom eyes • Intentional relationships • Both personal and professional • Initiate with those are different - Philippians 2: 1 -5 • New partnerships • Organizations and Churches that don’t look like us • The flexibility to adapt to this - 1 Corinthians 9: 19 -22

RESOURCES • Books • Many Colors - Soong Chan Rah Bob Ayres bobayres 123@gmail. com • Right Color, Wrong Culture - Bryan Loritts • The Next Evangelicalism - Soong Chan Rah • Healing America's Wounds - John Dawson Myron Bernard myron@tacomayfc. org • Oneness Embraced - Tony Evans • Crossing the Tracks - Dolphus Weary • Videos • John Piper at Kainos - http: //vimeo. com/92836725 • Tony Evans Kainos - http: //vimeo. com/92836726 • Bryan Loritts: Ephesians 2 - http: //vimeo. com/82747958 • Soong Chan Rah: Lamentations - http: //vimeo. com/46597000 • Tom Skinner - https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=I 9 R 5 ia. Hyq. Gc Darrin Miller dmiller@yfc. net