Conversations | Benny Perez

hey family welcome to church LV online thank you for inviting us into your home we're just so grateful that we're able to meet as a church community virtually this is a season that we're choosing faith over fear wisdom over worry probability if God's gonna even use this platform to do a great work in our lives if you're joining us leave a comment let us know you're with us if you're new with us under the VIP link fill it out remember of our dreams we will reach out to you and get hey I know today's gonna bless you it's our heart here at church I'll be the lead people to encounter new life in Jesus I believe I was home in the Las Vegas Valley and I found myself working in my backyard and I was working on my backyard I got up at 5:30 big shout out to I mean this incredible family and I love Gary Whittington and Debbie so I asked Gary to come over and to help me early in the morning early the morning - Gary is four o'clock in the morning I said no let's try about 6:00 so he came on over and helped me for about an hour and a half and picking up rocks in my yard and then he ended up leaving cuz we got a lot done but then I just kept on picking up rocks and I started at 6:30 and I ended about 12:30 about six hours and during that time I was worshipping music on my phone and and I just begin to think about what's happening in the world today I begin just to meditate on Jesus and what is the gospel response what is the kingdom response to what is going on oh I know I'm getting videos showing well look at what this side says getting videos well look what this person says look what Anderson Cooper says look what Candace Owen says look look what this person is saying and and this is America we have a right to our opinions and this is why I love this nation that we could actually now hopefully have a discussion a conversation but I begin to say okay I I know what some people are saying where they're on the right or red they're on the left or maybe they're in the center I don't know and and and I want to say Jesus what do you say what do you say about this what do you say about the situation and immediately I was brought back to a text that is familiar to a lot of us and I want to submit to us today that all the stuff that's going on we still need to start with the conversation we're in a series called conversations and little did I know it would be a prophetic message or theme for our church that is multi-ethnic that that's rich and poor that we would have to understand that God is probably or no God is speaking to us to have conversations I was drawn to the book of John chapter 4 we're gonna turn there right now about a peculiar conversation with Jesus and a woman at the well that is known as the Samaritan woman we're gonna pick it up at verse 3 it says this Jesus heard what was being said in abruptly left Judea and returned to the province of Galilee look at verse 4 and he had to pass through Samaritan territory had to pass through Samaria ten territory Jesus arrived at the Samaritan village of sick heart near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph long ago wearied by his long journey he sat on the edge of Jacob's Well and he sent his disciples into the village to buy food for was already afternoon soon a Samaritan woman came to draw some water and Jesus said to her give me a drink of water surprise she asked why would a Jewish man ask a Samaritan woman for a drink of water jesus replied if you only knew Who I am come on somebody in the chatroom said if you only knew somebody say if you only knew come on give me some help in the auditorium if you only knew thank you if you only knew who I am if you only knew who Jesus really is if you only knew not just what the left or the right is saying but if you only knew who Jesus was and who Jesus is and the gift of God that that wants to give you you'd ask me for a drink and I would give you living water I'd give you living water father I pray that you would speak to all of us again lord I recognize that I'm I'm human I recognize my frailties are my faults and I'm gonna do my best card but Lord you know my heart and those that know my heart father I pray God that they would hear with open ears and open their hearts to hear what is what is Jesus saying what is Jesus saying well what what what is Jesus or it's not about the donkey or the elephant but what is the lamb saying where's the lamb saying god help me I can't speak for anybody else God but help me help Benny Perez ben-haim Pettis help me Lord God to articulate what you were speaking to me when I was picking up rocks Jesus name Amen amen amen amen thank you so much if you're taking notes I believe you should take notes speaking to my pastors I'm speaking to my staff and speaking of dream team burrs are speaking to my wife I'm speaking of my kids although they're probably not up but you should take notes because I believe God will speak something to you the type of message is if you only knew if you only knew have you found out that God speaks to you in strange places have you ever stopped to think that God would choose some places and spaces that most of us would not choose for him to speak to us most of us would choose well God's going to speak to me any Church experience and I believe that God's gonna speak to me in a worship environment I believe that but when you study the scripture it's interesting to note that Jesus himself that God himself in the Old Testament New Testament chooses to speak to people in unusual places let me take for instance Moses Moses one round of desert for a lot of years and he comes to Mount Horeb up the mountain of God and what does he see he sees that burning bush has not been consumed and he goes over to this strange site and what has happened what happened is that God speaks to him come on into burning bush have you ever looked at Scripture and say God why did you wait for the unusual why did you speak to somebody in that moment have you ever thought about Abraham doesn't really know God and God comes to him and in it not in a temple or not in a Jewish synagogue and but he comes and speaks to him at an unusual time it's interesting that God chooses unusual sometimes mundane times to speak to us that was me yesterday picking up rocks picking abroad so much that my my back is hurting picking up rocks and I'm like I just I can't rest sight I'm up early and I'm picking up rocks putting him in watch putting him in that wheelbarrow and we'll burn and created this big old pile of rocks and I listen to my worship and I'm just picking up rocks and it floods in my soul that God I believe begins to speak to me through the scripture I begin to be taken back in this life story about Jesus and what we would say the woman at the well and I begin to think about this and I got so overwhelmed with this text that now I begin a tech text my wife Wendy and we begin to talk via text and I said we have to be careful because it's not just political things people need to hear they can get that from Fox News they can get that from CNN they could get that from whatever News Agency but we need to have people hearing what God has to say what does heaven have to say about this what does God have to say about this because I'm going to tell you something we need to hear this is there God created both black and white and brown and Asian and every other ethnicity that we are all created equal in God's sight that there is a reason for Humanity it is not to fight against each other or dominate each other but it is to come in unity and harmony and recognize that God has a plan and God began to speak to my say God speak to me I've listened to all kinds of different voices that's all good I need to absorb I need to listen I've seen what people are posting we got to be careful that we don't post too quickly on one side or the other side because of emotion please hear me that we have to understand there is a narrative that has been talked about but my narrative must start with the gospel the gospel I know it's going to be very uncomfortable I could feel it even in the room right now literally feel it right here I bet you this as pack I could probably feel the tension because it is real because when I went to the text I realized oh my goodness God you want to speak to me if you read the text in John chapter four and we picked it up at first three and it says that Jesus now knew that he had to return to Galilee it says Jesus knew what was being said what's being said well if you go back a few verses is there debating who now baptize more people which on the Baptist or Jesus who is more powerful Jesus now understands the comparison and Jesus is pulling himself away from comparison side note here comparison is a killer to gratefulness if I continue to compare my life to somebody else's life or my church for somebody else's church my church isn't as big or my church isn't this or my church no no Jesus pulled away from that comparison and Jesus now says I got to get back to Galilee and it says that Jesus he had to pass through Samaria he had to pass through Samaria well we know in Jesus day that Jesus was walking he was going to take an uber he was gonna take an airplane he was gonna take some fast mode of transportation we know that Jesus had to Bible says go through this place called Samaria now we read that we would think well that must be the only way that's the only way I can see he has to go through Samaria because that's the only way but in the biblical times there were three ways for you to get to Galilee from Judea and going through watch Samaria was one option I grew up in SoCal come on shout out SoCal and I grew up in Southern California and when you were in Orange County or let's go the other way in LA and you wanted to get to Orange County there's not only one way you can actually take the 405 freeway south you could take the i-5 freeway south you could take the 60 you could take the ten you could take the 210 there are at least five ways and those are just free ways you can actually take streets that go all the way literally from LA out towards Orange County and so there are multiple ways for you to get from LA to Orange County there are multiple ways for Jesus to get to this place called Galilee and yet Jesus chose watch to go through this place called Samaria it was Jesus making a decision watch to go through someone let me say to you this way this is profound in the text is that Jesus could have walked around it he could have avoided it he could have said don't want to go there don't want to have the discussion don't want to talk about racism don't want to talk about this but our Savior in John chapter 4 showed us something he showed us that no I will not walk around something come on I'm gonna walk in something I'm gonna walk in the middle of a crisis I'm gonna walk in the middle of something that people don't want to walk in to Jesus a Jewish man is choosing to do something that most of his men of his background Jewish man would not choose to walk through Samaria the disciples are probably to be puzzled and saying Jesus wait a second do you understand about Samaria do you understand because some of us to understand when we say Samaria cuz we live in 2020 but Samaria was a part was a region that was despised and hated by the Jews and the Samaritans despised and hated watch me the Jewish people it was a mutual satisfaction it was a mutual disdain between the Cimmerian race and the Jewish race why is that what one time they were United at one time if you go back in scripture you would recognize that they all go back to the same forefathers they all go back to Abraham Isaac and particularly this forefather named Jacob they all could go back and begin to realize Jacob is our unifying force Jacob is here we can go back to Jacob but what happened what happened is is that now some people begin to intermarry with Gentiles and now Samaritans were not fully Jewish and not fully Gentile they were they were part Gentile and they were part Jew they they they they did things and ate things and they had different customs and and it was it was as if they were less than in fact we know that they actually built another temple to the worship of Yahweh in their region because they were not welcome to go to Jerusalem it was a hostile racially charged area that now Jesus says no no no you gotta understand something I have to I have to walk into it I have to walk into it let me stop and pause for a second and to ask the question are we gonna continue to walk around it or we can continue just to avoid it are we gonna continue to pretend it doesn't exist well you know I'm not racist well just because you're not racist doesn't mean that other people aren't struggling with it and let me make it clear in case people are wondering right Church Shelby is anti racism we always have been we always will be for 17 years I've dressed race in this church for 17 years all races and faces and classes have been welcomed to church Shelby and I'm not saying something because it's just relevant right now if you go back I've been saying it for years because I don't want to walk around it come on somebody we gotta walk in it we got to walk in it we gotta walk in a place that is uncomfortable if I'm honest with you 100% I got to tell you it isn't uncomfortable for me you want to know why because I can't say enough or I say too much or you don't understand or you don't get it and there's this all that's narrative but can we just stop for a second and say can we be a church community can we be a group of followers of Jesus and the gospel compels us to step and walk in it now walk around it they call us back to dr. Martin Luther King to dr. King who watch walked in it the church let it the church led peaceful protests I don't believe anybody that I'm associated with that I know is for the looting and the violence that is not the Spirit of God I want to say it again I am for peaceful protests I've got to walk in it I was in a peaceful protest in Orange County California and the pushback that I got for just walking in it I'm like my god how far have we come that I cannot walk in it and begin to have a peaceful protest for the injustice of what happened to this man named George Floyd - what has happened to any - so many other African Americans to so many other people by the way we have to get away from this narrative just because we walked in something we support everything and people say well if you're this you're that now you're anti police in a anti-law enforcement know so my dearest friends are police officers some of the friends that I know and thank God listen to me thank God that that I believe that a majority of police officers come on or it gets the same thing we're against police brutality and we have to be careful I'm gonna go there early and my message is that take a brush and just stir wiping you know how many pastors are there's passes that are dirty there's pastors that are that aren't in for the wrong reason let me tell you when I find out I'm a pastor like that I'm saying that does not represent what it means to be a pastor let us not take a brush and all some paint everybody you have to learn to walk in it not around it I have to go there jesus said I have to go there I was walking down PCH in Newport Beach my wife and my oldest son was with me and I was walking and I was observing things that were going on wanting to be there because injustice took place and I saw something that was so beautiful and so powerful and when he took a picture of it I filmed it really put on my story and there was an African some African American people and there was these white Newport Beach okay police officers and they walked up to the peace officers because police officers were saying this stay safe we're here to protect you you have a right to protest we're with you the person said are you with us they said yes can I take a picture with you with my sign you're the police Alfred said absolutely it was a beautiful picture of white law enforcement with protesters that asked are you with us and they took a picture and I begin to weep I begin to weep and I looked and I said if we would just walk in it we could see stories of God's hand beginning to move Jesus says I have to walk in it because disciples you don't know culture you don't know but I do know that there is a conversation that I must have so Jesus says I have to pass through Samaria and I love it because as he goes through this place called Samaria we read in the text that Jesus got tired I have to admit as a leader I'm tired right now I am emotionally mentally my heart everything about me is tired I'm not tired of what's going on I'm tired because as a leader leading a very large Church and having influence in a small way in the Las Vegas Valley and maybe beyond it's like God I I don't know how to respond all the time God God help me God help me with my own staff my own team my own pastors because I I I'm looking at everything on social media I'm looking at everything and I'm saying God let me let me sift it through the gospel Jesus got tired I think he got tired of being misunderstood I think he got tired of people saying things about him because he was human just like me and you I think he got tired of people questioning the origin of his birth I think he got tired of a lot of things I think he got tired of people now somehow question his motives I think Jesus got tired not just physically but if he was tested or tempted in every way as the scriptures say like me and you I think he got tired even and emotionally and he's sitting there and he's tired he's tired what does that say that Jesus could have walked in it and through it see some people say well look at--look God K I'm in it I'm in it I'm in it but it's really uncomfortable it's really uncomfortable I just want it I just wanted to I wanted to hurry up I I want to get through I want to get through I want to get through and and we have to be careful that we don't just feel so incredibly just want to get through and want to get through we want to get when is it gonna stop when it's gonna end when is all this gonna happen I just want to go back to normal but Jesus didn't just walk in it he stayed there he stayed there the scripture says that he sat down in a place that was uncomfortable for Jewish men a place that was uncomfortable for Samaritans to see a Jewish man there and I believe prophetically we have to be careful that we don't rush through something to just get through something so powerful I'm not hearing this I'm not I'm not repeating a message from somebody else I'm telling you as I'm picking up rocks I'm telling you it's flooding my soul I'm telling you and I'm telling you say how do you know it was God why was it the enemy I don't think it's the devil I know it's not you maybe it's just me but even if it's just me maybe be inspired by God can you feel can you understand the motive of my heart that church we need to sit in it for a moment why was he sitting there Jesus new disciples didn't know but there was a woman that was coming oh I know people say he sat there because he was thirsty at the well if Jesus was really that excruciatingly thirsty before he sent his disciples to go get some food he would say hey guys somebody get me a drink of water Jesus was sitting at the well watch this to have a conversation not a debate now let me show you my point but a conversation make no mistake about it there's yelling on every side there's yelling on the right yelling on the left yelling about this yelling about that and I learned cuz I've been and I've been a miracle counsel in a long time you say wow it's past 20 that bad no I'm that bad I'm that bad you know my counselor doesn't me over and over again he says this with that that counselor Tony or that counselor tone well you know when you get elevated and you start talking and you start getting angry and you let emotions lead the cerebral part of your brain that has reason and logic gets shut down and now you are being driven by either fight or flight or fear and now you cannot have a conversation I've learned with Wendy I said Wendy I'm elevated I've learned that I have to look at myself and since I I I'm gonna have a conversation right now but but give me time just to compose myself and then come back because I don't want to just be on the attack I want to be somebody who listens who listens he sat he sat there he sat there and he now is position to have a conversation and the conversation has is mind blowing because at that moment watch this aid again Jesus didn't walk around it he walked in it it wasn't so much about getting through getting through getting through but he decided I'm gonna sit in it I'm gonna stay here I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm not gonna I know it's uncomfortable I know I don't want to be but I want to stay here for a moment I gotta have a conversation and he gauges in a conversation with the Samaritan woman with the Samaritan woman somebody who's not like him somebody who is despised from a race of people that has been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years racism it's not that she's just a Samaritan but now she's a woman do you understand what the gospel is trying to tell us do you understand what Jesus is trying to tell us quit letting CNN and Fox News into RL can we go back to the gospel not getting no amens here it's okay can we go back to bird can we go back to Jesus for a second and if something lines up with Scripture I get it so be it but let's go back when's the last time we read the Bible on racism when's the last time we engaged in the Bible Jesus is there he's sitting in it he's talking with a woman and he's there in the moment and I asked the question what are you doing Jesus you're breaking the rules you're breaking longstanding tradition you're going against what has always been all the stereotypes and all the history like Jesus what is this all about are you trying to make counting points Jesus are you trying somehow Jesus or maybe Jesus was communicating that to him no matter if you're a woman no matter your race no matter your economic standing no matter if you come from the highest of the high like Nicodemus in John chapter 3 who is that that the Chiefs chief rabbi in the synagogue or now the lowest of the low according to society could it be that Jesus is trying to tell you something tom tell me something that it's not either/or it's both and it's both and he's sitting there and he wants to have a conversation so I've been having conversations with people of color African Americans my friend says Ben you can call me black and here's what I've done on the phone in person tell me what you're feeling tell me what's going on inside your heart tell me what happened to George Floyd and many others tell me how that impacts you and I look at him I say because like lives matter Oh pastor all lives matter I know people go there because it's uncomfortable isn't it it's uncomfortable isn't it it's uncomfortable because we were saying black lives matter I get it he like well pastor no no no I'm gonna say it again black lives matter we're gonna sit here for a moment uncomfortable can we somebody gave me a great illustration about a firetruck that is racing down a neighborhood and people run out of their house and say wait a second my house matters my house matters my house matters and a chief chief plea a fire fight he says yeah yeah yeah all your house matters yeah yeah yeah your house matters but that house is on fire that house matters right now let's catch that that house matters so I decided to call people I called your own Williams we're gonna be having an open dialogue discussion on racism white privilege systemic abuse on Wednesday night at Green Valley and I attempted it open it up I'm tempted it open up and have this place jam-packed what did the authorities gonna do you didn't stop them over there you didn't stop peaceful we're not gonna be riding here we get out peaceful I'll pass there you are you're inciting something you're inciting something I said Jerome talk to me tell me what it's like tell me from your perspective we're gonna talk about it but let me just give you a little insight it's faster when I saw George Floyd and I saw his last in his last moments he says were parks in the same age that could have been me pastor it could have been me and he began to tell me stories that I never knew of things that have happened to him said pastor I have to have that talk with my son you know the talk I'm like he's too young for that talk no no pastor not that talk the talk that african-americans need to have with their sons especially I don't know what that's like I don't have to tell BJ BJ oh I get pushback in racism I get it but I don't like I don't I don't I don't get it I don't get it any because it tell me stuff and I'm like oh my god cuz I'm how I know I'm brown I'm not Dino I'm Hispanic I get it yet we all have herstory my house is on a fire we talk probably about for 45 minutes then we said what are the action steps what are the action steps we don't talk about those coming up on Wednesday then I picked up the phone and I called an african-american woman I talked to her for a long time I mean even today I sat down with another gentleman right here in the building and asked him how you doing how does this impact you I just want it and we had a great so much so that we almost missed opening up church today can we have a conversation it's interesting to note that this woman as she's coming she's coming to the well at noontime she's coming to the well and she sees this Jewish man that is sitting there what is interesting to note is why is she coming at the wrong time of the day she should be coming in the early part of the day but why is she coming at because even within her own racial group she is looked down on even in her own group she is now the lowest of the low because of some things that she has done somebody says what do you know what that person did do you know what has happened do you know their background we need to stop the madness here nobody because of their background should lose their life nobody should lose their life on the street because of something that happened how many years ago in fact let me see you this way there are some things that I've done that I'm not proud of how about you how about all of us recognizing that we all need forgiveness can I get an amen that we all need a Savior that we all need somebody that can save us because we can't save ourselves she's so despised she's coming to the well by herself and she has this pot there and she shows up and all of a sudden watch this so powerful don't miss it don't miss it don't miss this because we are so reactionary in the church we got to quit being reactionary and we got to be more like Jesus and what does Jesus do Jesus initiates notice the text he said to her give me a drink of water Jesus initiates conversation oh I long for the day that the church in Las Vegas would initiate the conversation or I long for a day and I'm going to call for a town hall meeting where the church will be the ones that lead the discussion and we're not going to be afraid of the liberal or the conservative and we would be the ones that stand up and say it's God to start and let us be the initiators of this conversation let's go historically was dr. King a political activist first or was he a pastor first have you looked at what he said have you looked at the lens in which he looked through it the church led peaceful protests I'm just saying right now that Jesus initiated but this is the gospel watch this is the gospel that's what he almost done yet I'm really uncomfortable no no I'm not done yet I'm not done yet he initiates this is the gospel you ready I love God I love God I get it but the Bible says this it's not that you love God first but he loved you first he initiated he found you you did not find God he came after you you were the listen to me you were the one sheep and he left the 99 and he initiated contact with you are you hearing me you and I with a prodigal son and we think it were initiating something but if you read the text in Luke 15 it says that the father every day was scanning every day was looking every day was longing every day and when he saw his son afar off what happened he initiated contact it surprised the son what because the dad pulled up his outer garment which would it be disgraced for a father of a Jewish home and now he's running towards a son biblically who actually said I want you dead give me my inheritance who loathed his dad who didn't love his father and yet this father he initiated that contact and he said my son who was dead is now alive this is the gospel this is God initiating with love and compassion and mercy and even Jesus when he was reviled he didn't revile in return he initiated God him is she hated him I'm asking can we initiate a conversation cuz some of you don't know what you don't know some of you have blind spots and I have a blind spot and you can't see it you know what reveals blind spots can I be honest with you conversations let me say what the scriptures say faithful are the wounds of a friend but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy I want to have a conversation with people that they know I love them they know the intent of my heart they know my motive and I know their motive and if they say something hurtful at least it's coming from a place of love and concern and compassion well you've lost that art we've lost it what we rather do is post stuff what we rather do is say well look I'm part of it but when's the last time you had a conversation oh I could post something right now well here's the thing since the watch the Rangers this lid here and what but have you had a conversation an ongoing conversation he has a conversation now here's what's crazy are you with me come on give me some amen I know like oh my gosh amen and you could put like uncomfortable it's uncomfortable and this Samaritan woman is surprised why is she surprised asked the question why is she so shocked because for hundreds of years there was silence no conversation and walls have been built up and Jesus is here to break down the wall between races faces and classes surprise she said why would you a Jewish man asked a Samaritan woman for something can you can you can you just sit in that for a moment can you sit in hundreds of years of hostility hundreds of years that she is less than just by being a woman and now she's Samaritan which is a less than race and now she is looking at the predominant powerful control the system Alysha system jewish man can you just acknowledge it I love Jesus he don't get defensive he don't say I'm trying I mean come on she said ah if you only knew if you only knew who I really am could it be that the church has got the wrong perception because we've given the wrong reception you missed it sometimes the church could have the wrong perception because we've given the wrong reception acknowledging past wrongs is the first step it's a first step I was having to drive with my son daughter Bella if you see Bella Bella is blond hair long blond hair blue eyes tan skin and if Wendy isn't with us the looks that I get is like I want to read your mind I said dear Bella do you know that people don't think I'm your father and I wanted to put on a Darth Vader oh yeah I'm your father because I know dad I know we're driving in Orange County and Bella says this to me that I see how they treat you differently that I see that if mom isn't with us dad when they don't think you're with us I see what they do to you at the airport this is my 15 year old daughter I'm not putting this in her head she's opening up she's telling me because I'm 15 years old she sees the injustice of just most small things that have happened to her father let me let me tell you something else are you pulling to a nice boutique in a very high-end place Wendy and me walk into this place these are real stories and walk in there and some customers being helped after these two ladies walk out the gentleman turns his back on us and just walks away like we're not even there when he has to get his attention she starts asking about some stuff I could tell he's a little bit bothered I could tell he's a little bit kind of like like and I'm like what is up what you brought we're all good I don't I don't know he just got this feeling and so we walked out full disclosure when he says did you feel that I said I felt that I was that about that's crazy so we wrote Wendy wrote a nice email to the owner the boutique and my wife cuz we have access to this very nice exotic car it's not mine you see me driving around or Ferrari it's not mine and my wife says maybe if I part our Ferrari in front of your store that I would get different treatment in your store I'm not getting nobody responded and and the person this how beautiful this this owner is don't know their background don't know their ethnicity don't know who they said that they did get defensive they didn't they didn't somehow say well they said we're so sorry that's not who we are we don't judge people by the car that they drive there's no pressure to buy within boutique we welcome everybody from every background conversation if the world would only knew if the world only knew that Jesus wants to have a conversation if the world on the knew that the church wants to have a conversation unless you think I'm anti white then why would I marry a white white white Caucasian girl by her own volition she says that Y would have kids that are half Caucasian half Hispanic and Latino I am NOT I we have to have the conversation why are you talking to me Jesus we shouldn't have this discussion sort of like miles McPherson shout out to you miles who was on CNN with Anderson Cooper what like whoa I mean all the people on the other side like he's a sellout what's he doing a CNN and fact with Anderson Cooper that's the problem we cannot have a conversation with people that don't even agree with a lot of our views I pitch Anderson Cooper is well he's a pastor he's evangelical I know how they feel towards me I'm just making stuff up but I just think he's human and that's when Cooper had him on and I would ask everybody to go see the video clip boom even show it next week it was so powerful and profound as miles McPherson dared to have the conversation and here's what Anderson Cooper asked him he said he said you know Myles I mean it just seems like like there's there's it's polarized and it's it's us versus them and and how do you get around that what is the answer to this and he says that's the problem it should never be us versus them just because I'm for justice and injustice at the hands of a police officer doesn't mean I'm anti police and we begin to have the conversation because we should mourn over that police officer who got shot here in Las Vegas that is wrong folks that's wrong any human life's wrong and Anderson Cooper is engaging what they would they passed her over the issue of race and they're having an open dialogue and discussion it is so powerful and profound and he says well maybe we need maybe we need to hear each other and Myles says we have to have a conversation we have to have a conversation now this blew my mind look at yourself I'm gonna paraphrase it don't quote me like work for work but then Anderson Cooper says this is that maybe if we have conversations maybe we will realize that the position we've taken is possibly wrong and Miles said yeah because all of us have been conditioned by our upbringing by society by our neighborhood and by the narrative I'm pushing back and I'm saying I want to give a gospel narrative I'm looking at post I'm saying is there any scripture in any of that where's the scripture well what I mean I mean for followers of Jesus we should be putting something about scripture in there can I get an amen I'm looking at posts and stories and I'm BC I'm being challenging my own heart that if I need to say peace and and injustice and there's scripture for that can we be gospel if you only knew as somebody comes back to the keyboards if you only knew I don't know how much time you got to give me how much time I have in the encoder so I could wrap this thing up if you only knew if you only knew I want the world to know Jesus but it starts with a conversation if you only knew the gift of God that is here you would ask me for a drink of living water conversation goes back and forth and then Jesus says okay they start talking theologically she says you Jews worship here we worship over here and Jesus says there's a time coming and now is when they that worship and worship the father in spirit and in truth and he says oh by the way where's your husband I don't have one he says you said right you've had five and the one you're with right now is not your husband this is crazy he knew everything about her past whether he was said it was a sordid past or not he knew everything about her past and debt her past did not dictate the initiation of the conversation I have relatives that have been involved in games relative who has served a lot of years for a violent crime is he gonna be painted that way the rest of his life oh no to some people yes but I've seen that change Jesus has made in his life crazy thing is is that this conversation takes place and Jesus is so profound and so powerful she leaves her water jar there and runs and go tells the whole village meanwhile the Bible says that the disciples come back and they see the woman with Jesus as she's leaving they go whoa wah wah wah wah well what's he doing talking to her he's gonna ruin your image gonna ruin your brand better be careful people aren't gonna understand Jesus that's that's that's risking something but here what the Bible says they were afraid to ask him why he was talking to a Samaritan woman hey Jesus we bought you your food I'm not hungry anymore they'd asked each other did somebody bring us a vertebrae so Britt what happened somebody gonna Capote Jesus goes on to talk to them more don't tell me that God's gonna move later well right now the harvest is right now and at that moment it says that all this all these men and women came from the village because this one woman was now leading them to have a conversation with Jesus here's the crazy thing it says Jesus stayed in it for two more days I had to be honest if it's me I spent enough time here I'm out of here I need reputation management I mean he was tired he stopped for a drink we get it he was there for a moment get it oh no now he's there for two days is he aligning out with the Samaritans and see against us is he that she stayed there for two days and here's what the text said cuz I read it this morning it says that the men of Samaria many of them now believed watch because of Jesus message and I sat back unlike my God my God it didn't say we believe because the miracles because of raising the dead I I didn't believe because I saw something supernatural take place and I'm all for that but it says because of Jesus message stop what's the message of Jesus come on somebody in the auditorium what's the message Jesus don't be afraid of being wrong don't be silent give me something somebody say louder please I can't hear you kingdom come on pass driver tell me something what's the message of Jesus here's the message of Jesus that's all in there here's what she said I came to seek in a safe the hurting the broken the sick the lost the gospel is it you're wrong and I'm right the gospel is we're all wrong and Jesus came to make us right the gospel is you're not less than because you're a woman you're not less than because you are Hispanic or african-american that no no no no and the gospel is where there's oppression where there is where there is where there's oppression torture people group that gospel is is that my god is not part of that we got to have uncomfortable conversations this is the gospel the message of Jesus was so radical listen to me people that were steeped in racism for hundreds of years and hating Jews themselves there's something disarming about a conversation I don't claim to have it all right I don't claim to preach it all right I don't claim that I got the one true message all I know is I'm following the one true God his name is Jesus and I'm doing my best I know I'm gonna get criticism I know I'm gonna get pushback but you know what I didn't start off the ministry 33 years ago thinking about reputation management I didn't get into the ministry to have a mega church and a massive building and buildings and to have a following I got into this because God brought me because I was broken I was battered I was bruised I have suffered enough and you don't even know some of the stuff that I have suffered because you want to know why we haven't had the conversation I don't know what you have suffered even as a white individual because we haven't had the conversation but what would happen if we sat down and had a conversation and I listening the ears and an open heart and in this moment right now black lives do matter so I'm having conversations with black families I said at the table he stayed there two days oh man I would love to have a video of that what about this Jesus or what about that jesus said and what a high I just I just wonder if you only knew if you only knew the gift of God for God so loved the world he didn't come to condemn it but that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have everlasting if you only knew if you only knew I I'm not I don't get it all if you only knew that I got to give me grace I want to give you grace can we learn together some things we will not agree on but we will agree on injustice we won't agree on on this or that or the Raiders are the best team Derek are for watching they are right now I'm not sure adversary I want to be your advocate to my right brothers and sisters when people say now to him their family to me their family and they express the same thing I'm expressing some african-american brothers and sisters I have two years I want to use them more forgive me if we're not totally understanding because I never will I cannot really understand your pain but I'm gonna share it a little bit I want to somehow that the gospel be real to all of us so as we close if you only knew how much Jesus loves you cares for you I'm gonna say something radical Jesus loves the racist [Music] they get no amens I know it's hard huh the spirit of the world would say differently I'm not saying I like what somebody does but the gospel is God loves you love our enemy stand up for justice and truth there are people in our churches that are racists that need the gospel to penetrate their hearts I got four minutes and we're done I'm wrestling with that flesh just shout to share this story but growing up I had some bad experiences where I despised and did not like a certain ethnic group I went to a school that was predominantly this ethnic group with very wealthy individuals from this ethnic group I'll Drive in 1974 Datsun 710 with squeaky brakes cuz it was metal on metal because I couldn't afford to get brake pads and I learned how to drive it and downshift an automatic had hubcaps to cover the cheap wheels when I got my car trained at a one-day auto paint as Elbert is driving up in there rabbits VW rabbits and their Trans Am zand their fancy cars and I got you I'm going to end it on time it ends at 11:00 so I got three minutes sad to say that I allowed things to enter my heart and my spirit has many what changed you it was in a political party but changing it was the gospel Jesus changed my heart so much so that I married a woman of that ethnic background too transparent too real thank God I am embracing all that Jesus is doing in me and through me and now God is giving my dream a church filled with ethnicity is a very background [Music] let's stay together and have the conversation what a great time in church today I want to give you a couple of ways to stay connected with us the first way is if you need prayer of any kind go to the prayer link fill it out a member of our team will be happy to reach out to you and pray with you personally via text or phone call we want to make sure you know somebody was standing with you during these times the second way to get connected is by doing a small group you can actually join a virtual small group if you want to be a part of that go to church Elfi calm slash groups the last way to get connected is following us on our Instagram at church healthy for daily content encouragement worship playlists prayers and more we had a great day in church today let me declare some truths over our lives as we end our time together God you are in control we give you our anxieties because you care for us you are our provider you are our increased sir you are our healing I pray the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus may the Lord bless you may the Lord keep you may he make his face shine [Music]

Channel: ChurchLV

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Id: _F4W58YB5ok

Length: 61min 50sec (3710 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 08 2020