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Birds of a Feather Flock Together

BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER

MIKE CUNNINGHAM

APRIL 3, 2008

I hope I’m correct in assuming that as far as those of you who have been attending our church for at least six months are concerned; for the most part I’ve pretty much been preaching to the choir. Obviously I don’t expect anyone to agree with everything I say. However, if you think some of my or our churches teaching is “over the top,” so to speak, I hope you would grant me the courtesy of telling me. You folks know I would never brush legitimate concerns aside. In the unlikely event I ever did act in such an uncharacteristic manner; you shouldn’t continue silently sitting in that pew week after week and not letting me know. If you sincerely believe some of our teachings are dishonoring to Christ and His church; I can assure you God would want you to deal with the issue in a manner which is pleasing to Him.

I sure wouldn’t want to be surprised and see you on the evening news sometime and listen as you tell the world that you abhor some my teaching as the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has from Barack Obama, the most famous member of his congregation. To the best of my knowledge Obama finally admitted he was present in church when Wright’s outrageous remarks were made and said he disagrees with them, but he does agree with the rest of his pastor’s views. What do you folks think of Wright’s comments based on those video clips from some of his previous sermons that you saw and heard on TV? How would you have dealt with the issue if you were in Obama’s shoes? Recently on cable channel MSNBC, Mike Huckabee offered his view on Wright’s preaching and how he believes we ought to respond. I thought it was quite interesting. Allow me to explain. “As easy as it is for those of us who are white to look back and say, “That’s a terrible statement,” I grew up in a very segregated South, and I think that you have to cut some slack. And I’m going to be probably the only conservative in America who’s going to say something like this, but I’m just telling you: We’ve got to cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told, “You have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can’t sit out there with everyone else. There’s a separate waiting room in the doctor’s office. Here’s where you sit on the bus.” And you know what? Sometimes people do have a chip on their shoulder and resentment. And you have to just say, I probably would too. I probably would too. In fact, I may have had … more of a chip on my shoulder had it been me.”

I certainly can’t fault black people for becoming angry during that dark disgraceful era in our nation’s history when they were treated so despicably. They had every right to be angry. If either I or someone I loved were subject to such cruel dehumanizing abuse as the black people at the time were I would have been very angry to say the least. I believe God would expect me to become angry just as Wright and his fellow blacks were. Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us never to express justifiable anger. But He does tell us how we He wants us to deal with it.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (AMP) 26 When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down. 27 Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

These verses pretty much speak for themselves and are quite emphatic. Don’t sin whenever you become angry. Get rid of it before you fall off to sleep otherwise you will give the devil a foothold. In my opinion that’s exactly what Wright appears not to have done. The video images and language he used in those sermons are indicative of a human being who still oozes bitterness, resentment and hatred towards our government and white people in general. Suppose you were to hear that kind of venom come gushing out of my mouth while I was up here preaching. What would you do? Would you let me know you strongly disagreed with me and let it go at that? Would you agree to disagree with me or would you just quietly leave the church? If you did either; you would be guilty of treating with contempt the clear teachings of the One you profess to love and follow. Allow me to explain. I hope you each of you folks would care so much about where I will spend eternity that you will handle such a divinely ordained challenge the way the Lord directs.

Matthew 18:15-17 (AMP) 15 If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two others, so that every word may be confirmed and upheld by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he pays no attention to them [refusing to listen and obey], tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a pagan and a tax collector.

I hope I would be wise enough to listen to you and change my ways. If not, I hope you would care enough about me that you would lovingly confront me again; only this time being accompanied with other people. If I still insisted on keeping my anger and not getting rid of my fits of rage; I hope you would once again prove your love for me by taking the matter to the whole church. And if I wouldn’t listen to the whole church; I hope the church would love me so much that they would excommunicate me and treat me as they would a non-Christian, and then do their utmost to lead me into God’s Kingdom. In the unlikely event the church didn’t excommunicate me, then, and only then, would you have a legitimate biblical reason to leave this church. But don’t ever, ever stop loving me this side of eternity.

God wants us to rid ourselves of all sinful expressions of anger, even if the anger is justified. The Bible warns us if we don’t get rid of our anger completely, we will condemn ourselves into experiencing horrible eternal consequences. For instance:

Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV) 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 4:31 (AMP) 31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

Christ died to save His people from being compelled to sin as they were from the moment of their birth. Everyone who has been supernaturally delivered from being held in bondage to their sinful nature by virtue of being reborn in Christ does not have to continue sinning. It just takes time for this reality to sink in. I’m sure Huckabee would attest to the fact that even after the blacks were given their civil rights, many of them habitually continued sitting in the back of the bus and in the balcony of movie theaters until they broke what had become a lifelong habit. They would have to be reminded that things were different now. That’s what the Apostle Paul did with those early Christians. He reminded them that they had been set free from being a slave to sin. Each of them had crossed over from death to a new life in Christ (John). They would have to struggle real hard to live their new life in Him as a toddler must struggle to stand up and walk.

Colossians 3:1-17 (AMP) 1 IF THEN you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. 3 For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory. 5 So kill (deaden, deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). 6 It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons of disobedience (those who are obstinately opposed to the divine will), 7 Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices].

8 But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! 9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices, 10 And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. 11 [In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person].

12 Clothe yourselves therefore, as God’s own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. 13 Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. 14 And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].

15 And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ’s] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always]. 16 Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.

If God has indeed forgiven us, the Holy Spirit will be living inside of us and He will manifest His presence by inclining us to sincerely want to forgive others just as we have been forgiven by God in Christ Jesus. We must “Hate sin always; hate sin in the sinner always, but never hate the sinner. Both sides of the truth are absolutely essential. Sin must never be condoned. Sin must never be excused. Sin must always be condemned.1 The bottom line is that if we won’t forgive we can be certain we have not been reborn in Christ.

Ephesians 4:32 and become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

As I said in the beginning of this message, “The video images and language Obama’s pastor used in those sermons you and I saw and heard are indicative of a human being who still oozes bitterness, resentment and hatred towards our government and white people in general. I’m hoping and praying that if he hasn’t already done so, he as well as every other angry person you and I know regardless of the color of his or her skin, that each of them humbly beg God to give them the strength to get rid of their anger before it’s too late. I’m not suggesting this isn’t something which isn’t easier said than done, because it is difficult. But, if someone is truly a Christian, overcoming sin is not impossible. Every true follower of Jesus will be given the desire to overcome sin in his or her life, and then must be given the strength to do so whenever they ask Him for it.

In the Letters To The Editor section of the March 31, 2008 National Weekly Edition of The Washington Times; there was a letter concerning a remarkable man whom most of us never heard of. The letter was captioned; “The Difference Between Two Reverends.” “Jacob DeShazer, who took part in World War II’s legendary Doolittle Raid, was a Japanese prisoner of war for more than 1,000 days. As with most other POW’s DeShazer suffered beatings, hunger, disease, solitary confinement, and threats of execution on a daily basis. In an interview in 2001, DeShazer said that his thoughts turned toward what he had heard about Christianity changing hatred between human beings into real brotherly love. With those thoughts, he was able to suffer through his imprisonment.”

“After DeShazer’s freedom in 1945 he returned to the United States. Eventually he received a divinity degree and returned to Japan. He served as a missionary for over 30 years to spread the message of love and forgiveness, helping to start 23 new churches throughout Japan. Now we listen to the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. with his vitriolic and anti-American ranting, spewed forth not from a political rally soap box but from the pulpit of a Christian church. We are told that this is black anger for our past sins and everyone should be tolerant of these views. I doubt that Rev. Wright or his congregation ever experienced on a first hand basis the degradation that Rev. DeShazer suffered through yet, Rev. DeShazer was able to forget and forgive. Rev. Jacob DeShazer died on March 15, 2008, at the age of 95, in Salem, Oregon.” The letter was signed, Bill Griffith, Keizer, Oregon.

Not only are you and I sinning when we don’t get rid of our anger and forgive the guilty person as we have been forgiven in Christ, but we will also greatly diminish our effectiveness in leading poor lost sinners to the Risen Savior. Most Americans probably aren’t all that certain if Barack Obama really disagrees with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s outrageous ranting and raving about our country and white people. Instead, they are probably reminded of that old adage: “Birds of a feather flock together,” just as I have been. And they certainly ought to be wondering! And that’s why “I sometimes feel like screaming or crying.” But that’s another sermon; Lord willing, next week…

1. Darkness and Light, ©1982 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Baker Books, p. 235.

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April 3, 2008 Posted by Categories: Uncategorized 3 comments

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