Anger, Riots, Justice & Hope | Grace Bible Church

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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
June 7, 2020

Anger, Riots, Justice & Hope
Selected Scriptures

Introduction

One again I have added another topical sermon to the list of what I have been either asked or believe I need to address before we can get into our next book studies in 1 & 2 Thessalonians. The events of this past week have shown that our nation is in serious trouble as elements within our society abandon any civility and turn to looting, riots, assault and murder. That is very bad, but perhaps worse and more damning to our society are the politicians trying to justify the mayhem as legitimate “protests.” It is extremely tragic that Mr. Floyd was killed by a police officer regardless of that officer’s motives for his actions. All sides have universally condemned his actions and all sides want to see justice done. The officer was quickly brought up on murder charges, and charges have now been made against the other three officers that were present. It now goes to the legal courts to sort out exactly what happened and for the proper punishments to be meted out. Again, all sides want to see justice done. It is even more tragic that Mr. Floyd’s death is being used to justify these evils of looting, riots, assault and murder of others despite the pleas of the Floyd family to stop.

There is much I could say about all of this after spending much of this past Thursday looking at reports from around the nation and trying to get a handle on what is happening and why. I even went on facebook to see how people are responding to one another – and that was as disgusting as the news reports of the rioting. I can only conclude that a large portion of our society has lost their collective minds as Isaiah 5:20 is played out in them calling what is evil good, and what is good evil. Civil discourse and rationality have become hard to find, and those that attempt it are quickly attacked by the “twitter mob” or “facebook trolls.” If that happens to you, keep in mind that you are not dealing with rational people. Responding in kind only plays into their evil hands because rational discussion ceases in favor of sound bites and zingers. Speak the truth in love and leave it in God’s hands. Only He can change their minds and hearts.

I will be making some comments about some of what is happening in our nation, but those will be limited for three reasons. First, others who are much more knowledgeable about these things have written extensively about what is happening from a political and social standpoint. They explain things much better than I can. You can start with Jonathan’s blog (www.worldviewconversation.com). For news, go to OneNewsNow.com for brief headline news and then follow links. If you are listening to, watching or reading the mainstream media such as ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, PBS, The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc., etc., you will be less informed than if do not watch anything because their bias is so extreme as to promote what is happening. Fake news is only the beginning of their propaganda.

Second, I have also seen that a large portion of those involved are reacting without any regard for truth. They have disconnected from reality. They have heard the lies for so long from so many sources that they will refuse to believe the truth no matter how much evidence is piled up for it. In that way they are similar to evolutionists who reject the actual facts of science in favor of only what matches their philosophical system. Each side uses statistics to bolster its case, and if you don’t like what is said, either personally attack the reporter, or disparage the statistic as irrelevant without explanation. I want to use a different strategy to reach them instead of just repeating what they have already rejected and refuse to hear.

Third, related to the second, I want to make sure that I fulfill my mission to expose the light of God’s word on what is happening and let the Holy Spirit bring people to a conviction of sin. I want to warn them about God’s wrath which is already upon them and explain the hope of the gospel and how it changes everything. I know from the first draft of this sermon, that if I start getting into refuting arguments, that all my time would be taken by that instead of laying the more important foundation.

The Source of Anger

Why are people so angry? People will give you all sorts of answers to that question. Some of those answers will have some sort of legitimate basis. Others will have anger based on false perceptions and beliefs. It is not surprising that people are angry at the present time when so much in the media is presented in a way to provoke anger and incite unrighteous action. That comes on top of so many living under such draconian restrictions for such a long time. That comes on top of the normal struggles of life that often provoke anger made worse by being confined in close quarters. It all has been a tinder box ready to explode, and now that it has, there are plenty who are now fanning the flames to achieve their own goals. Please understand that anger is very useful to both politicians and anarchists. The former hope to gain the positions of power for themselves. Anarchists hope to use it to destroy what is left of this once Christian nation and replace it with a marxist society with a new religion – more on that later.

The Bible has a lot to say about anger. I preached two sermons on the subject when I was preaching from Proverbs in 2012. (See: Proverbs on Anger, Part 1 & Proverbs on Anger, Part 2). It is a topic that commonly comes up in many other passages because it so often a part of human experience. There are many levels of anger ranging from displeasure to consuming wrath. Because anger is an emotion, it is in itself neither good nor evil. Its moral quality is determined by its cause and the actions resulting from it. Anger is either righteous or unrighteous, with the danger that righteous anger can quickly be compromised and become unrighteous when its motivations change or it becomes expressed in evil actions.

God’s anger is always righteous and righteous anger in man is always tied directly to God and His character. Anything that angers God should also be cause for the righteous to be angry. We should be angry when others worship anything other than the Lord God our creator. We should be angry when His holy name is profaned. We should be angry when children are dishonoring to their parents, when murder, adultery, theft and lying occur. Psalm 7:11 states, “God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.” 2 Peter 2:6-7 describes Lot as a righteous man dwelling among the ungodly and that in seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds, his righteous soul was vexed from day to day. The righteous today have had plenty of reason to be vexed everyday just like Lot.

In the current crises, there is basis to be righteously angry about the death of Mr. Floyd since it was sinful for him to have died in those circumstances at the hands (knee) of a police officer. But even if the emotional reaction may be righteous, because the motives of people are often, if not usually, mixed with their own sin and selfishness, unless there is great care taken, the actions in response to the anger will prove to be unrighteous. That is why there are so many verses that caution us to be “quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God “ (James 1:19-20). Again, anger itself may not be sinful, as expressed in Ephesians 4:26, but we are never to let it provoke us to sin, which is why we are to deal with it quickly and not let it fester.

The righteous response in this case is to seek justice for all concerned upholding God’s laws about such injustices. Perhaps a peaceful protest to motivate the authorities to properly carry out justice could be in order, but in this case, the police officer was charged with murder within days and the other three officers facing their own charges soon after. What was left then to protest? The proper action after that would be to let the law proceed while holding accountable those responsible for carrying out justice.

The unrighteous nature of the protests that were held after the charges were made was demonstrated in the rioting that broke out, and rioting is never righteous. Even the pagans understood this which is why in Acts 19 the town clerk of Ephesus included a rebuke to the crowd that had gathered. After directing them to go to the courts and settle things in a lawful assembly, he said, “for indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today’s events, since there is no real cause for it, and in this connection we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering.” That is what civic and societal leaders of every kind and stripe should have been doing as soon as the very first protest got out of hand. Instead, all those who have tried to justify such wicked actions are unrighteous themselves and perpetrators of evil. Worse than instigating unrighteous protesting, they have incited continued rioting.

I will quickly add that those who try to equate rioting with Jesus over turning the tables of the money changers and driving out the merchants with a whip because they were desecrating the temple are guilty of blasphemy. If that is the way they use the Bible, they should be shaking in their shoes because James 3:1 applies directly to them, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”

The anger being displayed out on the streets is unrighteous and completely unjustified even if you believe in the foolish claims of systemic racism. Evil is not the cure for evil.

The Peril of Riots

There have been a lot of idiotic statements made in vain attempts to justify the vandalism, looting, pillaging, physical assault and murder. None of these things have anything to do with the death of Mr. Floyd. These are the actions of thieves and thugs. Tragically, most in these gatherings do not even know they are being played by evil people who are anarchists and marxists seeking to overthrow our society. The evidence is already in that groups that may have gathered as a crowd (in violation of all the COVID-19 restrictions) for a peaceful protest are worked into a mob by paid agitators who plan for a riot even staging bricks, weapons and gasoline for it. The crowd is worked into a mob, riot breaks out and people’s sinful natures take over to desecrate, steal, destroy, physically harm others and murder.

Ask these questions of those protesting, participating in riots, and those trying to justify them. Can the wrongful death of Mr. Floyd justify anything that occurs in a riot? Does your anger justify beating someone to a pulp because they disagree with your protest or tries to help someone you have already ganged up on and beaten? Does your claim of systemic racism justify the looting and then burning down of someone’s business? That is wrong even if you were specifically targeting businesses owned by whites since that would be racist, but in hypocrisy and stupidity of the highest level, you take out businesses of other ethnic groups including those very melanin blessed and in your own neighborhoods. Where are you supposed to go now to make purchases? What businessman in his right mind would rebuild or reopen in your neighborhood now? In what twisted crevice of your depraved mind do you think it is right to murder a police officer or anyone else because a bad cop murdered someone in a distant city and state? And to every politician and civic authority who supports this mayhem in any way, shape or form, why are you derelict in your duty? The destruction of your community is upon your own head.

Now there are idiotic calls for defunding or even abolishing of police departments. That is not as bad as the evil signs seen at protests, “Save a pig – Kill a Cop,” but it is still bad. Who are you going to call when you need protection? Remember, these are generally the same people that don’t want you to own a gun. While the militarization of police forces is not good and too many officers have shifted from protecting and serving their community to authoritarianism, often at the insistence of authoritarian civic leaders – COVID-19 rules being a present example. To remove police presence is to invite complete anarchy and eventually vigilante justice. As I pointed out from Romans 13 in an earlier sermon, God establishes government, including its police power, to give praise to those who do good and be an avenger who brings wrath on those who do evil.

Baltimore is the example of reduced policing. After multiple officers were prosecuted in 2015, the rest of the force reduced their policing. The result? From 2014 to 2018 the crime index jumped from 662 to 776.3 to 823.6 to 909.2 to 816.7 (the average U.S. average is 274), and that is with the number of arrests dropping by more than half. That is what defunding police will do. Abolishing police departments will be worse. The Boston police force went on strike on September 9, 1919. Looting began that night. A riot broke out the next night. The Massachusetts Militia was called up, but not being trained in police work, 9 people died in their amateur job to establish law and order.

True Justice

One of the frequent calls by protestors is for justice. That certainly is the hope of all involved but the guilty. True justice reflects God and is pleasing to Him. However, I have seen enough in my life to know that justice by human courts can be perverted for lots of reasons in both directions with the innocent being punished and the guilty going free. Perversions of justice grieve the Lord and bring about His wrath. “Everyone that acts unjustly is an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deut. 25:16). That is why there are so many warnings in Scriptures about it, and the lack of justice was a factor in ancient Israel and Judah being taken into captivity.

This is a false call in the case of Mr. Floyd since justice began quickly and is now at work. Other people who died at the hands of police are cited, but most of those are cases in which justice had a different conclusion than the one desired by the court of public opinion which had not seen all the evidence and carefully weighed it to make a righteous decision. The calls are actually for vengeance for which they will take out their wrath on whatever they want until they get their way. Even in those cases in which our justice system utterly fails, the riots are the opposite of justice for multiple reasons starting with the crimes they are committing. True justice demands that every looter, vandal, arsonist, thug and murderer be punished to the full extent of the law for their own crimes regardless of any crimes committed against them. It is unjust for you to steal from Peter because Paul stole from you. It is even more unjust for you to steal from Peter because Paul stole from Ted. How much more serious the injustice if you murder Peter because Paul murdered Ted. It is unjust to punish the innocent for the guilt of others, yet that is what rioters are doing with their supporters trying to justify the evil.

This injustice is at the heart of the claim of systemic racism, for it is not racism that is fueling it, but the ideas of critical race theory which includes perpetual guilt just because you are a member of the majority group and therefore automatically an oppressor who has unfair privileges. Even if your ancestors did horrible things to my ancestors or vice versa, that has nothing to do with either of us. God cannot be more clear on this issue than in Ezekiel 18:20, “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.”

It is ludicrous for melanin blessed people to demand non melanin blessed people to kneel down before them and confess their white privilege and ask for forgiveness. It is even more ludicrous that there are so called “woke” people that are doing just that. What is behind this is the utterly false narrative that this nation was founded upon racism and slavery. The 1619 project is a pulitzer winning historical farce, like a lot of other fake news published by the New York Times, but much like Al Gore’s, An Inconvenient Truth, it is promoted by the politically correct to the ignorant so that it is accepted as truth.

Think about it a minute. Even if you accepted the premise that descendants of former slave owners needed the forgiveness of the descendants of former slaves, a huge portion of our population immigrated long after slavery in the United States was ended, and this idea demands that people who never owned slaves or have a heritage of slave owners are to kneel down and ask forgiveness before other people who have never been slaves nor a heritage of being slaves. Forgiveness is a transaction between the individual sinned against and the individual who sinned. There is no sin on my part simply because I am not as melanin blessed as other people, and those who are more melanin blessed cannot forgive me for something I have not done. What all of us can do is learn to love one another as Jesus said.

But lets get back to real justice. Romans 1:18 declares that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” As you work down the chapter you find mentioned in the listings of those who are the immoral unrighteous: idolaters, homosexuals and the depraved of mind which includes those filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, those without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful and those that reject the ordinances of God and those that give hearty approval of those that do these things.

That is an extensive list. But just in case you thought you were safe because you avoid doing any of those things flagrantly, Romans 2 condemns the moral unrighteous for judging the immoral unrighteous because they actually do the same things though not to the same degree. Your conscience itself will condemn you, and God will render to each person according to his deeds. Romans 2 also condemns the religious unrighteous because though they have the law of God, they do not follow it.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists examples of those that will not inherit the kingdom of God including fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and swindlers. The list in Revelation 21:8 of those that will be excluded from heaven includes the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, immoral persons, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars. Romans 3:10-12 concludes that “there is none righteous, not even one; ¹¹there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for god; ¹²all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”

Judgment in God’s court will be absolutely just. He is omniscient so nothing is hidden from Him. He is the self-existent and self-sufficient creator and sovereign of the universe, so there is no partiality in His court. There is nothing by which He can be bribed, and there is nothing that can threaten Him. He judges each person based on their works, but all human works are unrighteous so those works only condemn. None can escape from His hand. Not only will the rioters answer to God for every single one of their crimes, so will everyone that expressed their anger in unrighteousness. Everyone is guilty before our holy and just Creator. Again, “there are none righteous, not even one.”

What is the punishment for disobedience to God which includes not only violating His prohibitions but also failure to keep what He proscribes? Revelation 21:8 describes it as “the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Jesus described it in Mark 9:43-44 as gehenna (hell), a place were their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. Jesus described it in Matthew 13:42 as a “the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 describes it as a place of retribution where they will pay “the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His power.”

That is the destiny of not only everyone participating in these riots, but also those fanning the flames by supporting the rioters, and even much more scary, every other single person that has ever walked this earth. That is true justice, and God will carry out that justice when He judges. That is not the “justice” that the protestors and rioters want, but it is what they will get.

Is there any hope? Yes, but it is not found in anything man can do for all of man’s deeds are as filthy rags before our holy God (Isaiah 64:6). According to the description of the judgment at the Great White Throne in Revelation 20, there is hope if your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Hope for Sinners

How do you get your name written in the book of life? Only by God’s grace through faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 20:31 states the purpose of the gospel account, “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” It is to those that receive Jesus that are given “the right to become Children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12). Here are some of the things John recorded Jesus said about salvation. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 6:40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 11:25–26, ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ requires a change of mind, repentance, from what you used to believe to the truth He has revealed about Himself. This includes His identity as God in human flesh who lived a sinless life and then willingly died as the sacrifice of atonement for sin and then physically rose back to life on the third day and who is now ascended to heaven where He intercedes and is preparing a place for His followers for whom He will one day return. Your faith must be in the true Jesus of the Bible for a false Jesus cannot save you, and your trust must be in the application of His righteousness to you (2 Cor. 5:21) and not in your own righteousness for as Titus 3:5–7 states it, ⁵ He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (See What is a Christian?)

For those that cry out for racial reconciliation, there is only one way it can happen – the gospel of Jesus Christ by which we become brothers and sisters in God’s family. (See: Racial Harmony & One Blood, One Race: Overcoming Prejudice). As the apostle Paul describes it in Galatians 3:26–28, ²⁶“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We stand together as one body in the Lord Jesus Christ, and individually members of one another (Romans 12:5). (See: Body Life)

The protests and riots will not accomplish what they claim they want. They only increase tension and place greater barriers between different groups of sinners. But then, that actually is the purpose of the anarchists and marxists who are behind the riots. For those touting the ideas of racial justice, critical race theory and intersectionality or any combination of them, you have been co-opted by lies and deceit that are demonic in nature and origin. If you are “woke,” you walking in a hypnotic sleep and you need to wake up to the truth. That is especially true of those ministers who are now repeating these evil ideas for you are now giving a false gospel, and woe to you if you do.

A New Religion

In Jonathan’s podcast this past Wednesday, my son analyzed what is going on and recognized that this is actually the formation of a new religion. It is not meant to replace other religions, but it is designed to be included in them, and since religions, including Christianity have a human bent toward syncrestism, the tenants are added. These are winds of doctrine warned about in Ephesians 4:14. What was amazing to me was that I noted on Thursday that Ben Shaprio’s podcast was on the “Religion of Wokeness.” This Jewish man recognized the same thing Jonathan did.

Jonathan’s charts are as follows:

The Gospel Parallels

*White / Male / Straight Privilege = Original Sin

*Political Correctness = The Law

*Woke = Born Again

*Liberal Politics = Sacraments

*Sociology = Cannon

*Equality of Outcome = Heaven

The Gospel Contradictions

*Focus: External Behaviors instead of Heart Condition

*Group: Oppressor Classes instead of Individuals

*Order: Sanctification precedes Justification

*Power: Perpetual Repentance instead of Justification.

The Steps into this New Religion

1) GET WOKE (Salvation experience).

* Come to an understanding of “systemic oppression.”

* Realize you are complicit in the system as the result of “privilege.”

2) REPENT (Own your privilege)

*Stop supporting “whiteness” (Put off).

*Participate in “lamenting” and “raising awareness” (New ordinances – Put On).

* Find forgiveness from “oppressed people” (New Priests)

3) SHAME OTHERS (Evangelism)

* Promote “Oppressed Perspectives (New Holy Books).

* Make Ultimatums (New Catechism).

He or someone else may refine these in the future, but that is a good analysis and accurate description of what is happening right now that is fueling the riots. These ideas have entered strongly into evangelical colleges and seminaries and from them into churches. From my own perspective, it is just the latest attack of false doctrine against the church. It is the latest test that will separate those who actually love the Lord God with all their heart and soul and those who do not as false teaching has always done (Deuteronomy 13:3).

What is our defense? What should we do? What the church has always had to do. Cling to the truth and preach the gospel. Call on those who have been swayed by false doctrine to repent and mark out those that do not as commanded in Romans 12:17 and in 1 & 2 Timothy. Be aware this may include those that you once held dear as men and women of faith, but the warnings are serious that it will be from among our own that false teachers will arise (Acts 20:30, 1 Timothy 4) and that the people will want their ears tickled (2 Timothy 4).

I will close with the encouragement and admonition in Ephesians 6:10-17. ¹⁰“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ¹⁵and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; ¹⁶in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

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Addendum. These are some specific examples I started to include in my first draft.

An example of a statistical battle is the study done by the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland in 2019 that show that “white police officers are not more likely to have shot minority citizens than non-white officers.” The study went on to conclude that “black citizens are more likely to have been shot by black officers,” but that is directly related to more black officers being in a black community and that “violent crime rates are the driving force behind fatal shootings.” They also found that 90-95% of civilians shot by police were actively attacking the police or other citizens when shot. 90% were armed. There are accidental shootings, mistaking another object for a weapon, and then there are the awful cases. I will describe those as murder by bad cops which happens to people of all ethnic groups. However, cases such as that of Zachary Hammond in 2015, Tony Timpa in 2016 or Daniel Shaver in 2017 do not get media attention because they were white. Justine Damond, killed by Minneapolis police in 2017, got a little media attention because it was an international incident since she was Australian. There is a serious issue of training and bad cops, but there is not systemic racism among police forces going out to kill people with dark skin.

The Washington Post counters this saying that “black Americans are shot at a disproportionate rate” showing a graph of police killing rate of “Black: 31 per million,” “Hispanic: 23 per million,” “White: 12 per million,” and “Other: 4 per million.” Nice statistic, but irrelevant when as shown in the university study that “violent crime rates are the driving force behind fatal shootings.” The disproportion reflects the double, triple or higher rate of violent crime in their communities compared to other groups.

Why is there such high violent crime rates in some communities compared to others? Statisticians like to link this to poverty which is then blamed on “white oppression.” While poverty and crime rates correlate in some communities, it does not in all communities, and poverty today is wealthy compared to the Great Depression when my parents grew up, and they did not have such high crime rates. In addition, causes of poverty are usually multifaceted, but in a nation in which there is economic freedom, poverty has much stronger ties to things like drug usage, alcoholism, family dysfunction or family being replaced by gangs – a common problem when about 3/4 of all children are born to single mothers. Add in a cultural bias against education because that is a “white” thing to do and also generations that have lived on government welfare instead of working and it is not really any surprise that such a community lives as it does. Of course, the politically correct will quickly say all those things are also the result of white privilege oppressing minorities. As my brother quipped the other day, “I’m leaving my second job to get into my 12 year old car to go home and enjoy my white privilege.”

Frankly, my sons have been subject to discrimination and shut out of jobs because they cannot over come the Affirmative Action bias to those with more melanin. My sister-in-law is mentally retarded and was eligible for social security disability out of High School, yet she did all she could to work even though it was at low wages with no chance of advancement. She was severely physically injured in a car accident a few years ago, and eventually it got to the point she could no longer do the work she had been doing. She has been continually denied disability though those with more melanin and less disability are approved. What is our response to this kind of discrimination and “oppression?” We commit ourselves to overcome and succeed by finding other jobs and walking with integrity while helping one another.

And what about the melanin blessed that rise out of poverty and welfare culture? They are accused of becoming part of the system and therefore also enjoying “white privilege” regardless of how dark their skin might be. People like Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, Condalisa Rice, Colin Powell are hated by the social justice crowd because they prove they are liars. They are considered to be “white” because they succeeded.

What about the melanin deprived who grow up and live in poverty? Though they are as economically oppressed as anyone with lots of melanin that is considered oppressed, they are still considered part of the “oppressing” class with “white” privilege.

I can go on like this for a long time, but I am sure I am labeled a racist for what I have said already, but hey, I am accused of being a racist just because I am not as melanin blessed as other folks. I refer to that as a blessing because I burn easily and more melanin would protect me. I also do not like using the terms black or white because I have yet to meet someone truly black or truly white – only various shade of brown. Some are very dark, some are very light, and even albinos, who have no melanin, are reddish because of the blood in the skin. The problem here is not racism and that is not what the current pillaging is about. Prejudicial treatment of those who are different and preferential for those who are similar is a common problem in all sinners. Racism exists, but this is not the 1860’s or the 1960’s, and those who cannot recognize the great strides this nation has made in overcoming racism are blind. A good case can be made that America is one of the least racists nations in the world. If America is systemically racist and has from the first Europeans arriving in North America sought to oppress everyone else in order to stay on top, then it has failed since those of ethnic minority groups have leadership in so many areas and places, and even twice elected a self professed black man to the highest political office in the land.

The charge of systemic racism is made by three main groups. First are those who are themselves racists since they view the world through prejudicial eyes and favor only those similar to themselves. Second are the race baiters, the Al Sharptons and SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) type organizations of the world who profit by keeping the turmoil. Third are the anarchists and marxists such as Black Lives Matter who seek to overthrow law and order in order to establish a new form of government in which they can be in charge.

Let me be direct about Black Lives Matter. It was a well chosen name to project something it is not. It is a pro-marxist organization which is anti-American, anti-Christian and anti-family. Just read their own material. Their name is false because only some black lives matter to them – those that they can exploit for their own purposes. They do not protest black lives lost at the hands of other melanin blessed people – about 93 percent of such homicides. Neither do they protest the more than 1 out of 3 melanin blessed babies who are aborted. I have yet to hear about them protesting about a black cop who is killed either – as was David Dorn, 77, retired black police captain in St. Louis, who was killed on Monday helping a friend protect his store.

Sermon Notes (for powerpoint)- June 7, 2020
Anger, Riots, Justice & Hope – Selected Scriptures

Introduction

All sides have condemned the actions of the police officer that killed Mr. Floyd – _____ sides want justice

Our society has lost their collective mind as the _______play out the woe of Isaiah 5:20 – calling evil good

Others are more knowledgeable and better articulate: worldviewconversation.com, OneNewsNow.com

Those rioting and advocating it are no longer ____________

My focus is to declare God’s word, for the Holy Spirit to convict, to ________of God’s wrath & give hope

The Source of Anger

Mainstream Media foments __________which builds on COVID-19 anger and normal anger in living life

The Bible speaks a lot to the issue of anger – which ranges in level from displeasure to consuming _______

The _____quality of anger is determined by its cause & response & righteous anger can become unrighteous

God’s anger is always ____________, and our anger is righteous only when it reflects Him

There is reason for righteous anger over Mr. Floyd’s death – but without caution it can become ___________

The righteous response is to seek ___________- which is being done by the authorities

Riots prove the ______________nature of the protests – even the pagans knew riots were wrong (Acts 19)

Equating Jesus clearing out the temple with rioting is ___________- teachers heed the warning of James 3:1

The anger on the streets is unrighteous even if you believe in systemic racism – _____is not the cure for evil

The Peril of Riots

Vandalism, looting, pillaging, physical assault & murder cannot be justified by ___________

__________ (anarchists & marxists) work ignorant protestors into angry mobs to cause a riot

Challenge rioters and their supporters with questions that point out the ________and injustice they are doing

Defunding or abolishing police departments will result in ____________& vigilantism – contrary to Rom. 13

____________is an example of crime increase due to less policing. The 1919 Boston strike resulted in a riot

True Justice

True justice reflects God and pleases Him while perversions of justice are abominations that bring His ____

The rioters want ______________, not justice, for justice demands punishment for their own crimes

Claims of systemic racism are built on the ______________of Critical Race Theory

Ancestral guilt ____________ Ezekiel 18:20

The New York Times 1619 Project is a Pulitzer winning historical _________meant to deceive the ignorant

Forgiveness is a transaction between the _____________sinned against and the individual who sinned

God’s wrath abides on all those ___________in Romans 1:18-32, Romans 2, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Rev. 21:8, etc.

Romans 3:10-12 – ______________ is righteous before God on their own merits

Judgment in God’s court will be ________justice – and none can escape the condemnation of their own sins

God’s punishment for sin will be ______, conscious, torment & destruction by fire (Rev. 21:8; 2 Thess. 1:9)

That is the current destiny of not just all the rioters & their supporters, but __________not in the book of life

Hope for Sinners

There is hope only in _______from sin by God’s grace through faith in the person & work of the Lord Jesus

John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:40; 11:25-26; Eph. 2:8-10

Salvation requires _____________(change of mind) to believe the truth about Jesus’ identity and work

Faith must be in the ___Jesus & His promises of redemption and forgiveness and not our own righteousness

Racial reconciliation can only happen through the ________which makes all believers members of one body

Anarchists use the protests & riots to increase tension and ____________ instead of solving the problem

The “woke” are in a hypnotic sleep and need to ______________ to the truth – it is a false gospel

A New Religion

The Gospel Parallels: *White / Male / Straight Privilege = Original Sin. *Political Correctness = The Law. *Woke = Born Again. *Liberal Politics = Sacraments. *Sociology = Cannon. *Equality = Heaven

The Gospel Contradictions: *Focus: External Behaviors instead of Heart Condition. *Group: Oppressor Classes instead of Individuals. *Order: Sanctification precedes Justification. *Power: Perpetual Repentance instead of Justification.

The Steps into this New Religion:

1) GET WOKE (Salvation experience). *Come to an understanding of “systemic oppression.” *Realize you are complicit in the system as the result of “privilege.”

2) REPENT (Own your privilege). *Stop supporting “whiteness” (Put off). *Participate in “lamenting” and “raising awareness” (New ordinances – Put On). * Find forgiveness from “oppressed people” (New Priests)

3) SHAME OTHERS (Evangelism). *Promote “Oppressed Perspectives (New Holy Books). *Make Ultimatums (New Catechism).

These ideas have strongly entered into even ________________ denominations and institutions of education

Our defense against this wind of doctrine is to mark out heresy and continue to preach the ________in love

Ephesians 6:10-17 – Stand firm and put on the full ____________ of God

KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help.
Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Write down all the verses mentioned in the sermon and look them up. 2) Count how many times the word “justice” is mentioned. Talk with your parents about God’s justice and how to be right with Him so that you are not condemned by your sin.

THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. What is anger? When is anger righteous? When is anger unrighteous? Should there be righteous anger about Mr. Floyd’s death? Have the responses to it been righteous or unrighteous? Explain. Are riots ever righteous? What is the danger of using Jesus’ overturning the money changer’s tables in the temple as a justification for a riot? Was the Boston Tea Part a riot? Explain. Why are the justifications used by rioters and their supporters both hypocritical and unjust? What happens in a sinful society when there is not a sufficient police presence? What do the rioters actually want? What will true justice do to the rioters? What role does Critical Race Theory play in the riots? Why is it a false and dangerous philosophy? Why is it ludicrous to confess and ask for forgiveness for sins of ancestors? Does God hold any individual responsible for another individual’s sin? Explain. Will anyone escape God’s justice on their own merits? What will God’s justice do to sinners? How is a sinner justified before God according to the gospel? How does the gospel bring about racial reconciliation? Why do man’s efforts toward that fail? What will be the results of the protests and riots on race relations? What does it mean to be “woke” and why is that contradictory to truth, history and the gospel? How has demands for “social justice” and the philosophy of Critical Race Theory created a new religious system? Why is that system dangerous to Christians? How are Christians to stand against it? Do you have your spiritual armor on?

Sermon Notes (without powerpoint) – June 7, 2020

Anger, Riots, Justice & Hope – Selected Scriptures

Introduction

worldviewconversation.com, OneNewsNow.com

The Source of Anger

Anger

Righteous Anger

Unrighteous Anger

Anger over Mr. Floyd’s death – righteous and unrighteous

Jesus’ clearing the Temple

Evil is not the cure for evil

The Peril of Riots

Vandalism, looting, pillaging, physical assault & murder cannot be justified by any means

Agitators (anarchists & marxists)

Challenging rioters and their supporters

Dangers of a lack of police presence

True Justice

Definition

What rioters want

Ezekiel 18:20

The transaction of forgiveness

God’s wrath

Romans 3:10-12

God’s absolute justice

God’s punishment for sin

Condemnation of all

Hope for Sinners

The hope of the gospel

John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:40; 11:25-26; Eph. 2:8-10

Repentance and belief

The objects of Faith

The Gospel and facial reconciliation

The “woke” and the gospel

A New Religion

The Gospel Parallels: *White / Male / Straight Privilege – Original Sin. *Political Correctness = The Law. *Woke = Born Again. *Liberal Politics = Sacraments. *Sociology = Cannon. *Equality = Heaven

The Steps into this New Religion:

1) GET WOKE (Salvation experience). * Come to an understanding of “systemic oppression.” * Realize you are complicit in the system as the result of “privilege.”

3) SHAME OTHERS (Evangelism). * Promote “Oppressed Perspectives (New Holy Books). * Make Ultimatums (New Catechism).

Defense against false “winds of doctrine”

Ephesians 6:10-17 –

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