Real Talk - Jesus Flipped Furniture

I’m Pastor Ryan, the lead pastor of one church. I'm so excited to be here today. I'm excited because I love the fellowship of believers. I love the gathering of saints because that's what God has called us to do to forsake.

Not this symbol of ourselves in such a way that we begin to gather and begin to, you know, begin to lean into one another. And so we're in a new series this this month for the next month and a half called The Real Talk. And if you don't know already, guys, we're going to chop it up. We're going to talk about some real stuff and some excited just to see where God is going to take us.

I mapped out a sermon series through the month of June. So I hope you're ready. And we're going to talk about some difficult things and we'll talk about some real things that we need to deal with. Right. Because we know that life takes place in the midst of our everyday lives. And just based on last week's sermon, well, I kind of dropped a nugget last week that talked about homosexuality.

And, man, I tell you, I got so many phone calls and text messages like, Pastor, can we talk? I'm like, let's chop it up. So I'll say this. That sermon is now scheduled to the month of June. And because that is such a hot topic, and such a misunderstood topic in a biblical context, what I would like to do once we have that sermon and I believe it's going to be on June the 12th Once we have that sermon following direct or directly after service, we're going to just have Q&A.

OK, amen. Because I'm sure that there's plenty of questions just out there that maybe people are like they're wonder what what is homosexuality was. How does that look in the context of the church? Right. And so we want to make sure that we properly just go through the scriptures and really just talk through and see what God says about that particular lifestyle.

And so do this. Do this for me. If you have any questions, if you don't have my number, text me, email me, but feel free to email the church and our email address is admin aid. Am I in at one church, NC dot net and one is spelled out. Email us any questions that you want me to kind of address on that particular sermon topic.

And I will make sure that we will directly address those issues and those concerns. On June the 12 so hey, invite your neighbors, invite your cousins, invite anybody who's in that lifestyle because you know, we really want to just talk about what God is going to do through that and how He can redeem and restore and set free that yes, that just that lifestyle itself and service work directly after service.

We're going to have a quick, very quick church meeting just to give you guys an update about our new building that we're moving into. And we just want to make sure that you guys are well informed about the progress of where we're at. And so we don't want to keep anything away from you guys. And so we're just a very open church.

And I promise you in five to 10 minutes you can go eat Bojangles or whatever you want. So, um, let's see y'all laughing at me y'all going to make my sermon topic, keep it up I'm just teasing. I'm just teasing. I remember a while back when police and I had our first child, Ashton. Ashton was just a couple of months old, and we had to rush into the E.R. We were at home in our apartment at that particular time, and Ashton began to have some breathing problems, new parents fearful. And we jumped in the car. We left our house. We have some family friends at the house, like you guys do. What you do, you lock up the house. I'm doing 90 to get Ashton to the hospital.

I look over to see my wife I see my wife holding my son and I see the look of fear in her face. We get to the E.R. and we sign in, and then they have us waiting in the waiting room. And as a new mother and a new father, you begin to think about all the things that could be going wrong as your son is breathing erratically.

And to know that my son is having a breathing problem and they have a sitting in the waiting room that didn't sit well in my spirit.

And that was B.S. before Christ and Lord, let me tell you, I was about to turn the hospital upside down because you have my mom, my family, my son sitting in a waiting room. And I'm thinking to myself, you need to see my son right now. You don't is in the state in the condition that he's in. So we get up and we talk to the nurse and then begin to they take us back to what, another waiting room oh, I got heated.

I begin to think about what's taking place and I begin to think about where's where's the doctors in the medical team and well, you know, I'm thinking to myself, oh, my God, I went to the the first year. I want the best physicians and doctors to look at me, said, don't send me a flunky who had to go to med school three different times.

Just to pass. We don't want I want the top notch medical system that you can give my son the begin to take my son back in the back. And then they begin to weigh him and measure him and ask questions and ask, has he done this? When was the last time he ate and things like that? I'm like, can you just take care of my son because he's not breathing properly. And all I know that there was just wasting time because time was precious.

Then I realize that they had to weigh Ashton. They had to measure him that they had to check him out because what I realized then is that I had to realize that to weigh him, to measure him and to ask the proper questions was to our benefit because they wanted to make sure that Ashton was growing properly. They wanted to make sure that he was growing in the way that he was developing the way that he was since he was born. Because if he's not growing, then if something's wrong growth is connected to our health growth is connected to our health and I noticed early Sunday morning someone let me just let you know, I've already shipped it from the doctor's office. I'm talking about church your growth spiritually is connected to your spiritual health and if we're not growing, then, Houston, we have a problem.

If you're not growing in such a way, you have a spiritual health problem. Then begin to identify things that are taking place in your life in such a way that you have to ask the right questions. Why am I not growing the proper way? We as Christians should be growing in knowledge and likeliness of God, studying God's Word. If your soul responded the same way but been in B.C before Christ, you need to evaluate yourself. If you are a Christian believer, you still respond as a immature Christian, you need to evaluate yourself because after salvation of Christ is to become the saturation of His Word, which is the sanctification of our souls. After you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, you should saturate yourself in the Word of God in such a way that sanctification, the purification, the becoming more like Christ is taking place in other words, we're pressing toward progress and so throughout the next several weeks. And today's topic it's going to challenge you. But not only should it challenge you, it should transform you and only should it transform you. It should position you to take action. What God has called us to do you see, we can't remain silent while serving God. You can't remain sleeping while serving God. The things that we will accomplish as a church the things that God has called us to put our hands to would not be an overnight excess success, but a journey towards victory.

Yes, the things that you and I are facing would not be an overnight success, but it's a journey to our victory. The things that you brought into this church today that you've been dealing with, it's going to take time. That's the perfecting of our faith. But victory is coming in other words, let me put it like this even though that there's a delay, you're not denied even though that there's a delay in what God is telling you that you have to endure for a while, that moment affliction, you will not be denied a victory, as in Christ Jesus, because I know that all things work together for the good of those who are who love God. It is my calling and my responsibility as your shepherd and as your pastor to teach the entirety of the scriptures and not only the easy ones so this is a setup. I want you guys to get your mind right, because we got to talk about some hard stuff over the next several weeks. We're going to talk about some hard stuff today.

And so if you have your Bibles, let's open to Matthew Chapter 21 verses eight to 13 Matthew 21 versus eight through 13 it's a very familiar passage if you have it say man all right I'll be reading out of the interview version a very large crowd spread their clothes on the road while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest heaven. When Jesus into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up and asked, Who was this? The crowd answered, This is Jesus, the Prophet from Nazarene in Galilee. Jesus entered the temple course and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling Dove for what it is written. He said to them, My house would be called a house of prayer, but you're making it a den of robbers.

So if I had to give a title to my sermon today, my my lesson Jesus is still flipping furniture I want you to look to your neighbor, said neighbor man. Come on, y'all. Said Neighbor Jesus is still flipping furniture. And just in case the neighbor on your left, on your right, turn to the other neighbor and tell him neighbor Jesus is still flipping furniture many of you may not know our church started a campaign about a year ago, and it's called J F F Jesus Flip Furniture. And this initiative was to begin to challenge injustice one table flip at a time that it all begins with the awareness that we're sitting in.

But biblical justice means that getting our hands in our feet dirty for the sake of the gospel so we desire not only to flip furniture, but again to speaking to the injustices that we live into today.

So don't try to leave right now. Don't security lock the doors, bar it up, do what you need to do. I see this there's a great debate. There's two sides, right? As we look at, should the church get involved with social justice or should we just remain silent and pray that things will change? So there's two sides, right? And one hand we ask, should we get involved? And the other hand, should we stay quiet? Many church people say that, you know what, no, we should not get involved. But on the other hand, people say, yes, it is our duty. It's our responsibility to get involved.

And I know this either side, there's a cost, especially from the church side, there's a cost that we may lose members right we may lose ties in offering and most importantly, we may lose the chance to proclaim the gospel because most people will begin to think about, you know what, why in the world am I looking at the social justice things of the world? So to to to to fully understand what we're going to talk about today we're asking ourselves what is what is social justice and what is biblical justice? What is social justice? And is there such a thing as biblical justice so when we're going to walk through a lot of scripture today, because I want to make sure that we lay the foundation of what the scriptures say about what biblical justice is and how it should be addressed socially. To define social justice, I believe we have to first define what is injustice right because if you define injustice, then that automatically defines what social justice is. There's an author, pastor and educator who who quotes he says this biblical injustice, anything that does not line up with God's doctrine, the simple if it is line up with the scriptures, then that's biblical injustice.

So what is social injustice? Social justice? Injustice means this. Anything that produces or allows inequitable outcomes anything that produces or allows in an equitable outcome all right, Pastor, and show me this in scripture, Isaiah Chapter 58 versus wanting to declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins for day after day, they seek me out. They seem eager to know my ways as they were a nation that does not does what is right and is not forsaken by the commands of God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. Is it not this kind of fasting? I have chosen to lose the chains of the injustice and to untie the cords of the yoke to set the oppressed free. It's a break every yoke, is it not, to share food with the hungry and to provide for the poor, the wandering with shelter when you see the naked to clothe them and not to turn them away from your own flesh and blood so Isaiah, the prophet, is saying that they seek me. So these are people who who know and have a relationship with God, right?

They go to worship and they they are like you and I every single week where we go to worship. But then this is day after day says that means we are faithful and worship the day after day that they're doing their their their discipleship, their reading, their devotion every single day. They are true believers. They turn on k love and they listen to gospel music and you listen to the hymns. These are true believers of the gospel.

Even to the point where says they are eager to know my ways they are trying to live a life chasing God but then God does this. He rebukes him because He said, you will not even take care of the poor and the oppressed. And we just continue to lay the foundation. Isaiah chapter one verse 15 and 17 says This When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you even when you offer many prayers. I am not listening your hands are full of blood. Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight and stop doing wrong. Learn to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless. And plead the case of the widow do you got to see that? I just want to lay the foundation. I'm just going to I'm not going to do a lot of whooping and hollering.

We just kind of teach today because this matter of social justice and what biblical justice is, we have to begin to lay the foundation rightly divine in the word of God so we can fully see what the Scripture says about injustice. The Prophet Isaiah says this, and this is God speaking he says he will hide his face when I even listen to you he said he will you listen to your prayers because you will not begin to take care and defend the oppressed. But you are not even seeking justice that you won't even begin to take up the call and plead for the widow and the fatherless so what are our characteristics of biblical justice? I'll say this characteristics of biblical justice is equal treatment for everyone.

In Leviticus chapter one, verse 22. This is what the Word of God says you are to have the same law for the foreigner which means stranger and the native born. I am the Lord Your God. Leviticus Chapter 19 verse 34th says this The foreigner or in this translation different translation or immigrant I want you guys to understand it residing among you, you must treat as your own native born. Yeah, it says Love them as yourself, for you are once foreigners in Egypt, I am the Lord your God it says. Let me just read that one more time. Leviticus chapter one verse 22. You are to have the same law for the foreigner or for the immigrant or for the stranger. Stranger in the native born because I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 1934 says this For any foreigners residing among you, you must treat as your own native born just in case. If you don't know Jesus was an immigrant I want you to realize that Jesus was an immigrant what Leviticus is talking about says you were once foreigners in Egypt. So what they're saying that you was once even the wrong race what are the things that we do in JF Jesus flipped furniture, we address immigration our church is in a process of it's been about a year and a half now to being a certified immigrant connection site.

And what does that mean? Pass the Rye? That means we will begin to help our immigrants to get documented. Praise God for that come the church to tell you. Even to further discuss about this, I am flying out tonight at 830 to go to Washington DC. Myself and about 20 other pastors will be meeting with Synod to talk about immigration reform. For the next four days we will begin to take a stand against our immigration laws. Will you be like passed around? What are you talking about? What about those who are coming over illegally? Let me just give you the myth that most people believe that most of the legal immigrants are coming from different borders. No studies shows that most of our illegal immigrants are those who come in with their work visa and his expired only 10% account for the immigration that comes from borders.

Let me just clearly define that most people, either Canada or Mexico, we be talking about like pass, right? You know, where are you getting all these deaths? You know, call me, email me, sit down. We can talk through it. What scripture is telling us this, that we must equally fight for and defend for immigrants. Isaiah Chapter 123 says this Your rulers are rebels partners with with these they love all the bribes and they chase after gifts. They do nothing defend the cause of the fatherless. The widows cases not come before them. What Isaiah is saying in this particular scripture here in verse 23, in chapter one, Isaiah is saying this, that the rulers of that government are building systems to make money while not addressing the marginalized verse 23 Your rulers are rebels partners with these they're all taking bribes and they chased after gifts they're chasing after money so there's three questions that we begin to address today.

What is got to say about justice? What it's got to say about the Old Testament in relation to justice, and what does the New Testament say about justice? So what does God say about justice? What does the Old Testament say about justice and what does a New Testament say about justice? A sick question number one What is God say about justice? God gives special concern to those who don't have power because God can man Christians like you and I to stand up and rightly walk with and begin to really help those who don't have the proper justice in their settings. Proverbs 31 verses 89 says this Speak for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all who are destined to speak up for who are judged fairly. Defend the rights for the poor and the needy. Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. Ensure justice for those being crushed. God is saying that we as believers should advocate for those who are injustice. So what about the Old Testament? Let's look at First Kings Chapter 21 versus one through three now. There was a man named Nabil from Jerusalem who own a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.

One day Ahab said to No Beth, since your vineyard is so covenant to my place, I would like to buy you to use as a vegetable garden. I would give you a better vineyard in exchange. Or if you prefer, I would pay. You paid up for it, but Nabil, the reply The law forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.

Some put it like this King Ahab approached neighbor and he basically said, Look, I'm going to buy your by your vineyard because it's close to my palace. They both said, like you know what? No, this is this been in my family for generations and I don't want to sell it to you. And so if you want to go back and read the story, me give you the Cliff Note version of what's taking place so King Ahab is married to Jezebel.

Jezebel comes up and says, Aren't you the king? She's not a punk. Her husband, like, if you're the king, you just take it by force. And so what Jabez Jezebel does, she goes back and she sets up a scheme to take his property. So after he she don't call her husband out and say, you act like a little guy, would you go ahead and let me take I'll take this. I'll take this property from this guy. So what happened is this. He puts a hit out on neighbor, kills him, and then it goes back until her husband. You can have his property because he's dead. She committed murder first degree at that let's see what happens after this first kings 21 17th through 19 but the Lord said to Elijah go down and meet with King Ahab of Israel who rules in some area he wouldn't be at neighbor's vineyards and Jezreel claiming it for himself give him this message give the king this message this is got talking to the prophet Elijah. This is what the law says. Wasn't it enough that you kill your neighbor must do Robin too because you have done this like dogs will lick your blood from the place where they the blood a neighbor. So this is what God does, guys. Speaks to the prophet Elijah tells them to go down and speak to King Ahab and call them out.

And what he just did so King Ahab has this conversation with Elijah we see this in scripture. The Old Testament prophet is verbally and accidentally spoke against the injustice that was taking place I want to be sure that we see that Elijah went to go talk to King Ahab because there was a system set in place. Let me just call it like it is.

King Ahab used his power and his authority to take something that wasn't his. Not only that, he committed murder and we've seen murder taking place all throughout the world. This is what Amos says about injustice in Amos chapter five or seven. It was just is making a bitter pill for the oppressed. You treat the righteous like dirt. He's saying that you take the justice that you have, you making it a bitter pill because you are oppressing everyone else and you treat the righteous like dirt. So what does the New Testament say about that? So we lay the foundation for the Old Testament. So what is the new testing? Because we have some people, some believers. If it's not a New Testament, then I'm not going to believe what the new the Old Testament says. This is what the New Testament say. Luke Chapter four verses 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that the captives will be released the blind will sing in the oppressed will be set free Matthew Chapter 23 verse 23 What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees hypocrites for you are careful to tie in even the tiniest income from your earth guardians, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law which is justice, mercy and faith.

You should tide, yes, but do not neglect the more important things so in short, this is what I'm trying to tell you, that biblical justice is social justice. That we as believers are called to stand in the gap and address social justice issues and this is tricky. I'm going to be kind of transparent just a little bit because I'm always in many ways it's difficult for me to have this conversation being a pastor of color for a multiethnic church, for multi-generational church, people automatically ping me most most people what pin a pastor of color to be democratic right I'm not Democratic or Republican or liberal.I'm a Christian church. We have to begin to start leading our churches in such a way that we have the authority of the Scriptures to do what God has called us to do.

And we can't tiptoe around hard topics. And so today, guys, I just really want to just to go through and just lay the foundation of just what not only Jeff stands for, but what our church stands for. We started with Matthew chapter 21 verse 12. And what happened is this, that Jesus came in, he began to see money exchangers he walks in, he sees them, and then he begins to address the issues that he says Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of money changers and the benches to those who are selling Dove.

He said, It is written for my house. We call a house of prayer. You're making it a dinner of robbers. What Jesus was doing. Jesus wasn't just flipping furniture. And so as a church, as we begin to turn over tables and furniture, we begin to start addressing all these other issues that we have in today's society.

Jesus wasn't flipping furniture. Jesus was flipping the systems I want you guys to get there. Jesus was not flipping furniture. He did it in the natural sense. But what Jesus was doing he was dressing the systems were those who were in authority were making money so what are we going to do as a church as a church, we are addressing human trafficking and we are addressing immigration and we are addressing racial reconciliation. Come on, church Jesus was so mad because he knew that the table itself the Pharisees in a sad, sad season in the money exchanges, those who were in the temple making money, they took something that God has that they created that guy really wanted them to to make. And what He decided that this is this is what you guys are doing.

You guys are perverting the original intent of a table the original intent of the table was was a place to gather. The original intent for the table was to have communion the original intent of the table was to have intimacy with your friends and your family members. The original intent for the table was a place of intimacy for all people, for all walks of life, no matter the socioeconomic. This was a place where everybody was the same and they missed it.

He made this place where people gather, where they knew that you can have a seat at the table, even your enemies because scripture says, I prepare a table for you, even in the presence of your enemies. The original intent of the table was a gathering place not to make money so Jesus was flipping the systems of that culture. The same systems have been in place for over 2000 years. So we have to believe that biblical justice is social justice.

So I wanted to make sure as our worship team make their way back to the stage God is going to address divorce, mental health, pornography, poverty, gang violence, homosexuality. We will be addressing all of these issues we're not going to be told, tap dance around. I want to I want you guys to make sure that we begin to rightly divide the Word of God. In such a way that you guys can walk out of here with authority and with all power because he got up out of the grave. We have to begin to take back what the world has taken from us. And I need you guys to start walking in and your authority and begin walking out of this place. So you know what?

My church that I seen, this is what we are addressing so ties, generational curses, guys, we got to start flipping furniture if Jesus did it, why can't you bring it? So today we're going to close with the song. The song by self is called Stones but the reason why I chose this song is because the the whole makeup of the song talks about I would not allow the rocks to cry out and what I want you to begin to understand that as an individual, as a believer, that you won't allow the rock to be your voice that you have a voice, that you have authority to begin to start talking to these issues in such a way. But it does require work. And guys, I'm be honest, I'm not preaching if your feet I'm not preaching if we'll see if we're a church of one or 1000, 2000, we will preach all of God's word and we will begin to address everything, even the hard conversations in the next few weeks. Vanessa's going to be talking about mental health because Lord knows we deal with it right we have another I call him a pastor.

I'm not going namedrop him, but he's coming up preaching to two guys over these next couple of months. We will have some real talk so let us stand because I want us to begin to realize that we can't allow the right to cry out. And so many people ask around, pastor around what is that JSF Jesus pit first you know, Jesus flipped furniture, right? So if you want a t shirt and this may be a shameless plug, we have him out in the lobby if you need one to represent forgot that costs ten, $15, whatever it may be. It's a conversation piece it's a conversation piece to let you know say look come have a conversation about what God is doing, the things that we're standing on because we want you to flip furniture.

I really wanted to flip this thing over here, but I don't want to hit anybody because I want to be indignant about it. Because these issues that we're dealing with I'm standing in the gap for your families, for your sons and for your daughters, for your husbands and for the wives we have to fight against these things. Guys. So we are addressing human trafficking, immigration and racial reconciliation. Those are our top three as a church. We will put a budget to it. We will mobilize a team. So if you want to be a part of this movement, let us know because there's a lot of work to be done and we need your help. Amen. Let me verify the guy we think you got for this day, guys.

We close out today's worship and we begin to sing that we were not allowed the Stones to cry out that we will be that voice. That will be the voice of reason, that voice that you have called us to be because we know that you have already told us in the Old Testament and even in the New Testament that we are to advocate for those. We can't advocate for themselves God allow us to be game changers, allow us to be the hands and feet of the gospel.