Beautiful Diversity

The sermon series at my church in Chicago right now is “The Next 10”, a look at what we want our piece of the Body to become over the next ten years. One week in particular got me really excited (ask my roommate- she had to listen to me talk about it to everyone for the next few days): “By God’s Grace We Aim to Be a Diverse but Unified Church.” The actual sermon can be heard here (http://www.edgebapt.com/media.php?pageID=5) but I’m going to use my notes (which ended up in paragraphs rather than in bullets) to recount what I got so excited about.

…

This is a Biblical history of diversity.

Old Testament.

In the beginning, God created one people group: united in language, descent, culture, and purpose. To be one and fill the earth with that one-ness, reflecting God’s image…

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…” (Genesis 1)

… but the Fall tarnished that purpose.

… and to dust you shall return… (Genesis 3)

Instead of scattering and filling the earth, man came together to avoid being dispersed. Instead of seeking God’s glory, they sought their own. So God confused their language.

And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11)

This was the beginning of the nations. It was a judgment… but it was also a grace. God called one man, Abram, to make His own great, blessed nation- and to bear the seed that will bless the world.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12)

For Israel, God created a bit of an incubator in the midst of a diverse and sinful world. He sanctified them, set them apart. A nation by definition requires a people, a land, and a law. So He gave them, His people, a Land and a Law.

You shall therefore keep all my statutes and all my rules and do them, that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out… I am the Lord your God, who has separated you from the peoples. (Leviticus 20)

All of this is done to one day draw back the rest of the earth.

And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be My people… (Zechariah 2)

New Testament.

Finally, Jesus arrived! The seed through which all the world would be blessed.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3)

God calls all the world to repent and believe in the gospel.

…a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him… (Ephesians 1)

Jesus said that the gospel will be proclaimed in all nations and exhorts His disciples to go and make more disciples in all the earth (Matthew 28; Acts 1).

The Holy Spirit soon followed. At His advent the disciples proclaimed God, each of their listeners hearing in his own language.

This is a monumental event. This is the first time since Babel that the people have been together, united by space and understanding.

Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. (Acts 2)

Peter had his visions about eating unclean animals, representing the new cleanliness of the Gentiles, and protested at first. But God said, “Ohhhhh no—things have changed—what I call clean is clean!” (Acts 10)

So Peter began to reach out to the Gentiles.

God even sent an angel to prepare them for his coming. The Jews had been set apart, guarded by the Law, but now things are different.

There is no longer Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3)

And what will happen in the end? What does all of this come to?

A multitude. From every tribe. Every tongue. Every nation. All giving praise to “our God” –

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen. (Revelation 7)

—inheriting the New Jerusalem, dwelling with God, in unity, just like the original. Just like in the Garden… but, dare I say, better.

And the city has no need of a sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of the Lord gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light the nations will walk… (Revelation 21)

God’s plan included diversity. It will be even better at the end because of the multi-everything-hodge-podge of people who had NOTHING in common and now have EVERYTHING in common, a forever marker of God’s grace and His plan to bring His people to Him.

I think it’s beautiful.