So...Diversity? Truly?

So today we will begin to take look at the Church as the Family of God, and focus on its DIVERSITY. In what ways is the Church DIVERSE?...

There are certainly many ways in which the Church is diverse, but I want to pastorally focus on four different ways, that I hope help us each to learn to love Her in all of Her beauty.

To start off let’s look at how the Family is DIVERSE Racially. In Genesis 17:1-5 we read:

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

We should start by noting that Abraham would then become a “father of many nations.” Now in the immediate context, God is promising Abraham physical descendants, which Abraham is accepting in faith since He is super old, and at this point only has one son, and God is promising him more. But there is a lot more to this promise than physical descendants, instead Abraham is also a father of many nations by FAITH. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 4, that Abraham is the father of all those who have true faith.

I hope the significance of this is not lost on any of us, that faith in Jesus Christ is preached to, and then found in people from EVERY NATION. We see this all over Scripture that we who have faith in Jesus Christ are witnesses of His suffering, death, and resurrection, and forgiveness of sins in His name TO ALL THE NATIONS! In Revelation 7 we see a multitude of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation praising the Lord around His throne! 

This is what the Family of God looks like. This is who sits down around the table at Family Meal time. One of the significant aspects of Communion is that we take it together with ALL the Family of God, whether they are at that particular table or anywhere else in the world (1 Corinthians 10:17). 

We should celebrate this diversity. This was the way that God’s family was meant to be. Paul in Acts 17 talks about how all people came from one man, speaking of Adam, that they should all seek after God. Can we see that every race is part of the one family, and that was the goal all along? Because of this, we as the church should be leading the way when it comes to racial reconciliation. All politics aside, that is the truth that comes from Scripture. One Family. Many Nations. All Reconciled Through Christ.