June 30, 2019 - MISSIONS
Not so a few months ago. When when we spoke with Jared and we were strategizing a way to share about our time in Uganda.
He suggested that I would be extended the opportunity to me to share a message. And if you are in my situation and I think you would react the way that I did because I panicked I was I was frozen because you know, I've been coming to West London since 2009 and upset and you know grown to respect a lot of men have spoken here and load of people have shared that very very exemplary late. And I thought boy that's you know something but then I remembered you know, who I am in God and I was encouraged. You know, God can use anyone God uses Brokenness and so over the last few weeks. I shared with some some people some of you and here and ask for you to pray with me to pray for me and I can suggest to you that I felt the impact of those prayers. And so thank you so much for that. But then I also thought you know if my method should I mess up your not here. I should I you know even starter, you know, I won't be the first Moses to do that. So it's okay to look at lunch break dear father. We thank you for this very specific privilege. We have once your children to call you father. God we know that the round-the-world invented in this moment not too many people sharing this privilege until we recognize that to me say thank you for calling us you all in for calling out your children until father. We pray that as your children as we listen to your word as on this particular Sunday, I speak and my brothers and sisters listen, but I pray that your will be done father. I pray that you prepare our hearts for what you have us consider and help us help us along the way to be obedient to putting it into action the Lord. We know also that at West London. We're not just on our own we are part of the larger Global charge lourenco this morning, we pray to 4 seconds like this for brothers and sisters missing in different contexts others more difficult than ours here God we commend them to you unites Lord with the body of child of Christ this morning, but I pray that the car says that we sing the Praises that would lift it up to you. All of our considerations that we are advised to the car says that others have sound and I singing in real thing today God because you are worthy to receive all these prizes from around the world. By the way. Thank you that we're privileged to sit on to listen to you. Thank you. I'm a father. Amen. So last Thursday, June 20th was World Refugee day and every year on world Refugee day, but you and the unhcr pacifically publishes a report and this report is specifically about the situation of refugees and migrants and basically people playing Their homes are from around the world. And for the first time the very first time this year. the UN report suggested that there are 70 million people fleeing their homes as the highest that it has ever been recorded at the UN report goes on to note that elevation of 70 million people 40 million of them are internally displaced people which means that they've been kicked out of their homes, but have stayed in their country while 25 million refugees and refugees are people have been kicked out of their homes, but have fled the country so that you know, just a small difference in about 70 million people have been fleeing their homes in different ways. So they bought it down the report goes on to boil it down even more specifically to this kind of such a statistic which has been difficult for me to wrap my mind around.
The Goldie's numbers translates to this every minute every minute 25 people around the world 25 people around the world aflame their homes every minute. And you know, we usually hear statistics like this and you know, they have different impressions in our hearts and our minds but this is the reality of what's happening around the world right now, and that's the context within which I have the privilege of sharing this message. And this is a message about you know, the gospel and refuges so haven't had that and also considering by the way that you know, these statistics in the 70 million people around the world in the Sand by the ton of away from us. They're not immediately within our contacts, right? So there in Uganda in South Sudan wherever wherever so here in London. We also have a reality that we have to we we have been confronted with which is to respond to this Refugee crisis within our own particular local context since 2015. 2500 more than 2,500 Syrian refugees have been welcomed into London Syrian refugees alone 2500 in the number is rising and this is of course in addition to other Refugee groups from different parts of the world. So if you're following along you probably would guess what the next question is for us as Christians and it's a question. I simple as this what do we do about this? What do we do about this reality? This is rubbing a global phenomenon that also has a particular local local face in in our contact here. What do we do about it?
My goal in this message is to speak to three categories of people in the congregation and they are not hard and fast categories, but simply those that I found useful as I imagined where would fall under questionable refuges and in terms of our experience and engagement with that. So the first. Which includes those of us who are currently engaging with refugees in different capacities all those who have previously done that it also includes, you know, those of you who at some point in your life have been refugees who know firsthand the experience of being a refugee The second category includes those who are interested in engaging in this particular Ministry or engaging in refuges, but you're not exactly sure what steps to take. The fight and final category of people is that which includes those of us who know just generally not interested maybe out of apathy or out of your lack of awareness about this Global phenomenon. Ultimately, I hope to demonstrate through this message that God commands us to respond. That's inescapable. God commands us to respond. In order to respond wisely as Christians. We're best position to do that by looking to the gospel.
Last week when Ron was speaking. He shared the gospel hits of summarize the gospel in the way that I found very useful for me very certain simplistic and I hope I remember it. Well, that's great news bad news then great news. And so after he created everything in the created man. He said that it was very good. The bad news can men run through one man's Disobedience sin entered the world. Some cuz of that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Great news in Augusta doesn't end there cause you know, the great news comes in again when Jesus was sent by God to take the penalty for men's in which he did by dying on the cross at Calvary. He defeated sin and death power to Resurrection and today anyone who repents and believes in Him is reconciled with God forever. This is the great news bad news and the great news of the Gospel.
The more we think about and interact with the gospel the more we discover.
How profoundly impactful it can be for us. To our joy, we begin to realize that there is no death. The gospel cannot penetrate all day is no with that. The gospel cannot reach. That is the power of the Gospel. That is the reach of the Gulfport. There's really no place to go Pokemon go. I'd like to you know to to challenge or encourage you write check any circumstance in your life take anything and in your life that you think is important to you and apply it through the car and you'll find that the gospel will guide you through places within that that you never thought it might, you know possible. So that's that's the surprising depth and bread for the gospel and soul. By looking to the gospel as our framework we can serve respond to that question, which I paused rhetorically Alia. What do we do about the refugee crisis the global Refugee crisis that has a particular face in our local context. We look to the gospel. And so I got you know, sorry taking the gospel as a framework we can respond in in with a ghost by looking at three points idento a Note 3 Sim 4 slides which will introduce each of the points that I want to focus on again all this I've been in inspired by the gospel the first question or the fat point. Is it going to just this right here? What does God say about refugees? He has something specific to say about refugees the second question that will look at. Will be to demonstrate really thought the refugee crisis is evidence of sin in our world. I'm finally will look to Jesus and will look at how specifically he informs our engagement with refugees how we look to Jesus to respond to the refugee crisis. So to the point, what does God say about refugees? In Genesis 1:27 reread that every man and woman is imbued with the image of God in verse 31 specifically.
We read that God considered his creation and he say that he was very good. This means something specific in terms of refugees. if God created man and
a day in his own image that means that we can never never talk about Asylum Seekers of migrants are newcomers refugees or stateless people or immigrants that we can never talk about them without talking about people who bear the image of God.
God loves refugees now depending on the Bible translation you have you'll see why it's like aliens sojourners foreigners or strangers appear in more than 100 times in scriptures. And you try to be alone. God commands us to love the Foreigner to use tides to bless the foreigners to assemble with foreigners to listen to God's word to invite for Anna's to holidays in face to take care of the physical needs of foreigners. That's me alone in chapter is 10 + 14 + 31 + 16 + 24 And why does God command us to do this? You're trying to be continuous. By focusing on the Israelites, right God commands us to this because the Israelites were once foreigners in Egypt because the Israelites were slaves and God redeem them. And so that others could learn to fear the lord Our God and then follow him. So that's why God commands that we should do all these things by to foreigners to refugees until 4. God identifies with recoges right? So not only does God love messages, but it also identifies himself with refugees Matthew chapter to demonstrate to us that Jesus knows something about the refugee experience. No, like millions of mothers and fathers around the world today Joseph and Mary had to frantically whisk their child to safety. In Matthew 2:13 an angel tell Joseph to court rise took the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you for hair it is about to search for your sister size for the child to destroy him. Until they plant.
When God talks about refugees, we really ought to listen closely to hear what he says because his drawing from personal experience. God identifies with refugees more than that not only does God love refuges not only does he identify himself with refugees, but he also identifies us with them. You don't know this is different from some of the language. We use even beyond the question of refugees, right? There's a lot of us against then ask versus Batman so far regarding the identifies as Sweden. Unites, I have 58 bus 7 we read that it is right to bring the homeless pour into your house and not to hide yourself in a note to hide yourself from your own flesh. This is talking about refugees miss talking about, you know, the strength of the parking lot, right? I'll read that again right that it it says in Isaiah 58:7 that it is right to bring the homeless for into your house and not to hide yourself from your own flesh. I find this fascinating write the ESV. Called The Stranger you're on flash. The NIV says your flesh and blood. Write this is in reference to the Foreigner in reference to the refugee identifying as wisdom. Until I I took some Liberties and looked at other translations in a different languages and then. Luganda translation. Luganda is the most widely spoken language in Uganda. This is what Isaiah 58 + 78
nortech way, Garnerville
write note template.
Began Deboer, right and that text means your siblings and this is God identifying us with them. I also looked at Swahili. What does it say in Swahili? So he'll is the most widely spoken language on the African continent more than a hundred million people speak Swahili. And in some of us have tried so I really watching The Lion King Hakuna Matata, you know, that's why he leave you some more than yeah. I guess it's more than a hundred million by 7. This is what it says in Swahili what I was thinking future numb to when you're dumb or not.
Received your feature. Number two when you're done more than hour. Donna Morgan our way in Swahili translation to English as the same blood as you write. This is God identifying us with refuges with strangers. So regardless of what translation you using what language you're speaking when it comes to God, you know talking about refugees, you know, this is what he speaks in terms of our identity with them. So refuges of people with dignity that like us Autumn Vape a refugee settlement which is where I took all the pictures that you'll see. I had the privilege to interact with teenage boys and girls and I listen to you know, something, you know a lot of their stories and not and you know for a moment, I forgot that they were refugees. Because in the stories they shared, you know in the laughter, you know, they exchanged and that I also participated in the games of soccer that I played with some of the kids. Some people with dignity they laugh and they cry and they have dreams many of the year that I interacted with had dreams like that like we do ourselves, right if you're going to go to classroom here and you asked you know, what you want to do when you throw up right now so you don't want to be a teacher a lawyer or a doctor. Listen. Well, they share those same exact dreams as well. So they are like us
No, cuz the only difference in terms of status between us and Them is simply that they no longer have their homes. And then knocking at our door, they're knocking at the borders. They're fleeing from their plate them from their homes. If we don't love them if we don't love the stranger, we're disobeying The God Who identifies with them. We're disobeying The God Who identifies us with them and the God who loves them. So that's what God has to say about refugees. Will the second Point again as we're following were the gospel, right? So, you know, if we think about God and the gospel version of great news write the great news is that God loves them God identifies with them that all these bad news bad news about the depravity of man until the second point is this not the refugee crisis and it's a sort of you know, Globe Global sent represents the sinfulness of men. Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9 tells us that the heart is deceitful Above All Things. If this is true about the condition of our hearts. Then it should not be surprised that we have a refugee crisis at hand. I was about 8 years old in 1994 when you know in that you have for a few months. the front pages of newspapers articles in Uganda screamed with images A bodies that had washed across Lake Victoria and you know found their way to the banks of the Lake Victoria in the Ugandan side inform and you know, this was happening and I just kept on seeing it and then the news newspapers and so forth and I was young and I didn't understand something ominous happening people talked about it and so forth. And of course this ended up being the genocide in Rwanda. Amelia million people were killed helplessly finding a mushroom Wix at some point. and not since then have I send images like that of your body is bloated bodies washed to the shores of until September 2015 on 2nd September 2015 an image came in the news and shocked the world and many of us but most of us if not all have sinned that image of the three year old Syrian boy and his body lying lifeless. on the banks of the Mediterranean Sea
he had died because it was trying to flee with his family intersecting. He was fleeing his home in Syria. Boy's name was Alan carti. And then again dressed and that was in 2015. And then again just a few days ago this week this past week. I think it Wednesday or Thursday another picture shock the world and maybe some of you have seen this one is a picture of you know, the father and the child and the daughter. This time the bus leaving from El Salvador. No, trying to find that way to the US. That. That's what the details of the story. I'm very very That they had that they're very tough, but they were fleeing El Salvador and intercepted trying to find something and they didn't make it. We just all went all the way up to the Marriott Grande and you know, they drowned. Their names were Oscar the father in Valeria the daughter. I was hit the common link that ties these stories together is that in each of these circumstances? This is what people do I fly into safety this what people who are 10 seconds, then says not of Their Own It was not of the Appalachian that they left their homes, but they were fleeing into safety. When we think about the 70 million people when we think about the fact that every minute 25 million 25 people 25 individuals a flame from their homes. I don't think we can never really comprehend the different ways that flame their homes in every once in awhile literally within the space of years. We get powerful images that show cast back into realizing the gravity of the situation.
I really did a thousand million stories Untold. our fathers and mothers and children drowning unspeakable unspeakable egregious weight. This is the reality of the broken world. The simple wild that we live in that sin is there is the same causes all this stuff to happen because of the wars that caused all this Refugee crisis. So that's what happens in a simple well, but even our response to this crisis our response to these realities also indicates how sinful we are. You know whenever we hear about the refugee crisis and whenever you know, so we're confronted with the question. I think we always pretend we're always prepared to respond. Please it would never usually it's ready to respond by welcoming them in. Instead we are ready to respond with no political reasons and economic reasons and also told you know clever isn't any of them are convincing why we can't really have them join us. We build walls of separation. And yes, it gets political. It really does get political. You know it there's no escaping it against political. We have arguments that up, you know.
Arguments that I'm into to keep them away right now. That's how it prepared. We are and it represent the following world that we live in. We see as Christians when we respond in that sort of way. We're demonstrating the fear that we have. You know, what is common what is a common denominator in all this at the responses that they're based in fear? They're based out of fear. Ready for said no. They can't come in here. It's because we're faring something. Has Christian specifically for responding fear we demonstrate that we are not listening to the voice of God to the voice of The God Who identifies us with them and who also himself identifies with him. When you respond in February not responding to the voice of God, but instead of responding to the voices of the cultural and political prognosticators that we read about and listen and watch.
Fear blinds us to the fact that we ourselves were once refugees of the most terrible kind of the most desperate kind spiritual Refuge. fear blinds us from realizing that blinds us from realizing that once we were homeless spiritually speaking once we didn't belong Once we didn't have the right to call God Abba Father Noah tent.
But didn't see it when we respond, especially as Christians. We're not really listening to the voice of God. God has something very specific to say. And so in this sinful wild of refugees being killed and sent out of their homes in Southwest fear of groups are hurt but the gospel doesn't stop there right? Remember the other great news of the Gospel when Jesus comes in and so this will be the final of the final point. How do we respond by looking to Jesus?
Ephesians chapter 2 verse we're told that we watch spiritual refugees without a home because of our Disobedience, but because of Jesus verse 10 say Visions to 10 that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works with God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. The life of Jesus exemplifies is the better way his perfect love casts out any fear the grips of a heart when refuges and strangers and foreigners knock on our doors.
It was this perfect love of Jesus that healed the Gentile demoniac. It was released by fake love that he conversed with that woman at that Samaritan woman at the well. He praised the Roman Centurion for his faith. And was this love also in Matthew 9 that cause Jesus to stop? And took interact with that woman with the issue of blood, you know, that point Jesus was busy. He was on a mission. He was going places. There was a woman in need and he stopped and Jesus stopped. Set the gospel points as to Jesus. To look to how we are to respond to these situations if they happen in our context, right which way to stop. And something Jesus, you know, how did Jesus respond to this? Around the world. There are examples of individuals and households and communities that are following the example of Jesus and welcoming refugees in welcoming The Stranger and welcoming the new, In Uganda about you know two years ago roughly in 2017 a poll was taken asking Ugandan some very simple question why you will come in all this traffic advisor the context is this. It was during the time when you can. Was inundated of the borders with so many refugees coming in from South Sudan and Congo at that time. The wars were going to bring you SLI happening and sending lots and lots of Refuge has at its highest Uganda at one point was taking in refugees to the tune of you know, 2,000 per day. The unhcr reports Nissan with the Ugandan government for country, and we should really be careful about responding to this and bringing them inside. others responded by pointing by referencing the Golden Rule decide we want to do to them as we would want them to us if the situations were reversed.
when hard-pressed some actually said that while we're doing this because it's what God tells us to do. Know that sound you know how to make a simplistic and listen. I need some really difficult operations. I thought called us to respond in Simplicity and he can guide us and be with us in that.
God is even using refugees themselves to take care of other refugees on Christmas Day last year on December 25th, 2018 the guardian publication in the UK run a story an article about a crisis that's happening within a crisis. It was a crisis of thousands of children being born within the rohingya refugee crisis. But the article focused more on the response that Refugee women widow's grandmother's. Mothers and fathers were a butt while doing in the eighth focused on the response has been how by profiling, you know, the example profile the story of one woman one grandmother would never had a son and a sidebar why I'm God has answered my prayer and she adopted one of the orphan boys. She was a refugee she is a refugee herself. And if you follow the story of the rocking yet if it is. You know that it's a difficult time they're having right now, but within that context God is demonstrating that he can use Brokenness. to demonstrate his love two people so can all contacts here. Right? We've so can sit at the global state of these things. And you know, it seems very distant inside. So in London in this place, I'm in this time. What can we do? What can we do? How do we make sense of all this stuff, you know a particular context? Well, as I noted we have more than 2,500 refugees from Syria alone and we have others from all over the world.
So here's a specific challenge that I'd like to commend you. I'll talk to invite you to take on a very specific practical point of application if you will. this summer exchange hospitality with a new, family or individual No, I say exchange Hospitality because as we invite them in let's also be open to visit them in their homes, right Jesus did this to think about the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus how Jesus went to Zacchaeus house and that was supposed to be happening and we can do that as well to let me open to visit them as well as our new, neighbors come from countries. Where hospitality is maintained as a high reading with retired volume, right? So they Delight in doing that throughout moving context Jill and I and our teammates in moving. I've had the privilege of visiting our neighbors from different countries in Maya my they take so much joy in that. You will be blessed. You will be blessed in all our when that happens. So this time I take that as a challenge not in your contacts does a family or a life group or even just added as an individual?
Romans 12:13 it did Romans 12:13. We read that, you know, God called us to practice hospitality. And by the way, I Was preparing for this when I discovered was that the Greek word for hospitality is Phil exenia Felix Enya? Which means Love Of The Stranger?
the exact opposite Philips India is xenophobia.
xenophobia means hatred of The Stranger
So that is practice for looks in your by looking to the example of Jesus. Displayed dignity by listening to strangers by listening to Broken People the stories of our new, neighbors might have enough to God that he has brought them within proximity. He has brought the nation's to us right now in West London. We are a church of Christian but want to take the Great Commission. Seriously, we want to take Global Mission. Seriously. Well, what are unique opportunity? God has given us. To bring the nation's to us. What an opportunity we have to command newcomers to our God who identifies with them? To our God for a loved one.
West London, let us strive to be Christians who make London like that City on a Hill in Matthew 5 So that when they see us. No Proclaim like Ruth need. But I want your God to be my God. We can be that church God Is With Us Jesus Promised lyrics to mention that he will be with us. So let us strive to be that chat and practically at Westland and they're all sorts of Ministries all forms of Engagement happening with refugees and migrants are newcomers or not. So if you're interested that Server Connection cards that you'll see and you don't feel free to fill them out if you're interested, and I know that you know Gram is best place to buy travel guide you in terms of how you might specifically joined any existing opportunities of that's odd, but practically practically this summer to practice. Hospitality. I'll end with this story really quickly. It's ordering the time in Uganda. When was the end of the that my time with that were the unhcr Virginia to visit a refugee settlement again where I took most of these pictures and while interacting and helping to implement a program that I had some time to chat with some Refugee Youth and I asked one of them if I could share their story and bring it back and you know, share it with my people here and she was happy to do that until I got my camera out and we shot the story on that and you'll see that in the video that will show finally But what do you want in the video? And a memory that has stayed with me is the during the times as we were walking through the settlement. And as we were all kind of chatting and that they were sharing she and others as particular she was sharing about how difficult it was to run from home and it was burning and how she lost all of my family understand that and it was really heavy. It was Heavy to listen to that.
I think should notice you know when she glanced back and she was walking ahead and I was following me and others we were following and to notice my head was down and I think it was just you know taking then I think I might have been close to tearing up and said she wanted to lighten the mood a bit. She broke into sun to began humming a song and others followed along. And that song as you know, it's a very popular in almost every single it's a song about. You know, I know who I am. I know who God says I am. I'm walking in power. I'm walking in Victory right now. I'm not about to sing that song now, but it's really a song about how these particular God that you'll see in the video. She knows who she is despite her circumstances that result has not been dissipated because of her circumstances when we invited refuges in when we invite newcomers in we're going to be a blessing to them as God allows sister, but they will bless us as well. So let's let's let's watch this Regina wrap up.
What's great father we come to you again? And Count Your Blessing of being called your children being invited into home to you Lord being invited into a family where forever because of you we know that we belong I got an A Sunday like this we pray for brothers and sisters who?
Who are refugees were playing like, Gloria? Like others Millions more who? Are in Desperate situations God we commend them to you? Oh God, I pray that for each of us. Clarify to us what you want us to do. In a bit against your lord, we want to be a big into you and listening to you all good. And so help us learn to do that in a way that brings you glory that you deserve in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much.
One of those things that God says exactly required of us response.
What God really is?