Building the rainbow nation Kingdom

Concern for what is happening in SA
 Xenophobia
 Statue debates
 Racism
 Many different voices
What does God say?
>> God loves diversity - Nature
 Incredible variety in creation
 8.7 million species that inhabit our planet. Nearly ten thousand different kinds of birds, nearly eight
thousand different reptiles, nearly five thousand different mammals , over twenty three thousand
different kinds of fish, four hundred thousand different flowers , one hundred thousand species of
tree.
 The diversity in creation is extravagant.
 Why so much diversity? Giraffe - thoroughbred horse / proboscis monkey - duck-billed platypus
 Why 400 000 different flowers, 40 000 would have been more than enough?
Creation reveals the glory of God
Building the Rainbow Kingdom notes summary
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>> God loves diversity - Heaven
Revelation 7:9-12
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and
language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their
hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
 This prophetic picture of the church calls us to become more like it.
 It challenges the church on earth to become more like the church in heaven, a church that
is united by its diversity rather than divided by it.
>> God loves diversity - on Earth
Why should we embrace diversity?
Scripture instructs us to:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28
 Picture of Paul entering a church and wondering why the divisions
“For Jesus himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility….His purpose
was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the
cross” Ephesians 2:14-16
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are
my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

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Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,
cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20
Story of the Good Samaritan: Luke 10: 25-37 Who is my neighbour?
 Man travelling down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Got mugged by a band of thieves. Left half dead.
Several travellers- Priest & Levite (religious ruler) passed by but ignored him. A Samaritan
(foreign national) stopped, bandaged him up, took him to the nearest inn. Paid for his care.
 Jesus used the story where the foreign national is the hero, to explain what it means to be
a good neighbour.
 Diversity enriches our lives. We learn from each other
We have different gifts, ways of looking at things that enable us to fulfill our life & Christian mission
The reality of the new South Africa
What practical things should we do?
 Be actively establishing God’s Kingdom on earth
 Go out of our way to build relationships with people who are different from you
 Get to know people’s stories
 Forgive & ask for forgiveness
 Help those in need
 Pray

Cultural Diversity
God loves diversity
Nature
Building the Rainbow Kingdom

Cultural Diversity
God loves diversity
Heaven

Revelation 7:9-12
9 After this I looked, and there before me
was a great multitude that no one could
count, from every nation, tribe, people
and language, standing before the
throne and before the Lamb. They were
wearing white robes and were holding
palm branches in their hands. 10 And they
cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Cultural Diversity
God loves diversity
On Earth

Cultural Diversity
Why we should embrace Diversity
 Scripture instructs us to

Cultural Diversity
“There is neither Jew nor Greek,
slave nor free, male nor female, for
you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:28

Cultural Diversity
“For Jesus himself is our peace, who has
made the two groups one and has
destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of
hostility….His purpose was to create in
himself one new humanity out of the two,
thus making peace, and in one body to
reconcile both of them to God through the
cross” EPHESIANS 2:14-16

Cultural Diversity
“A new command I give you:
Love one another. As I have loved you so
you must love one another. By this
everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35

Cultural Diversity
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a
brother or sister is a liar. For whoever
does not love their brother and sister,
whom they have seen, cannot love God,
whom they have not seen.”
1 John 4:20

Cultural Diversity
Story of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10: 25-37
Who is my neighbour?

• Scripture instructs us to
• Diversity enriches our lives

• We learn from each other

• We learn from each other
• We have different gifts, ways of looking
at things that enable us to fulfill our life &
Christian mission

•Diversity enriches our lives
•We learn from each other
•We have different gifts, ways of looking
at things that enable us to fulfill our life &
Christian mission
•The reality of the new South Africa

• Be actively establishing God’s Kingdom
on earth

on earth
• Go out of our way to build relationships
with people who are different from you

on earth
• Get to know people’s stories

on earth
• Forgive & ask for forgiveness

on earth
• Help those in need

• Be actively establishing God’s Kingdom on
earth
• Go out of our way to build relationships with
people who are different from you
• Learn other cultures languages, styles of
worship, etc.

• Be actively establishing God’s Kingdom on
earth
• Go out of our way to build relationships with
people who are different from you
• Learn other cultures languages, styles of
worship etc
• Pray

“Blessed are the peacemakers” Jesus

Building the rainbow nation Kingdom

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