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BECAUSE RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

10-12-15
Session 1
Pastor Ed Teo

Hong Kong has the largest income gap between rich and poor. Twenty percent of the population is classified as poor. I was in Hong Kong for ten years and I hardly saw any poor.

Stats:

  • 1 in 5 live in poverty.
  • 1 in 3 elderly are poor.
  • 1 in 5 children are poor – don’t get three meals a day.
  • 40% in HK living in subsidized housing.

I felt condemned – that I wasn’t aware of others. Felt I’d failed. We are not here to plunder the land, but to the bless the city. Most who come to another country come for a better life; to go where it’s more rewarding for career, finances or future.  It’s ok that when we leave HK we are poorer than when we came.

‘The local global church’.

We are to be more local. I suddenly realized I didn’t know how to pastor the church. Realized I was ill-equipped to the job. Had doctorate – but just a piece of paper. Didn’t know how to do it.

The church is not a place of destination but of connection. The church is like an airport. Our job is to connect people from here to there. To also help people connect from there to here.

I Peter 2: 11

Jeremiah 22:3 (aliens and strangers)

Aliens – embrace culture coming from there to here.

Strangers – coming from here to there.

Focus on being more global. In responding to our community we are called to be the local global church. To be part of the community. Realizing the changing demographics of our church we are reminded to stay local.

The church must remain local but the people must be ‘gracists’ (those with grace).

Glocal: act locally, impact globally; reach all people of color, countries and plus.

Practice gracism (giving grace) in the church – all people, all places.

Video: Expression of these things from our church in HK.

Globalization: world is ever changing. Very diverse.

As the world continues to become more global, our churches haven’t. Not just national churches but also international churches.

Globalization; process of interaction and integration. Want to make sure we capture the spirit – interactive among people; integrative in terms of technology, etc.

There are implications.

Major languages will survive; weaker languages will not.

Migrants would constitute the fifth most populous continent in the globe. (Behind Indonesia and Malaysia).

Changing our communities – Larry (Henderson) says half of those living in Vienna are foreigners (2 million).

The US – by 2042 – racial minority groups will make up the majority of the population.

Christianity will become an African faith.

I want to have an African pastor on my team.

By 2052 – North America will have less than half of Africa’s Christian population. Africa will have 38 percent of world Christians; South America will have 23%.

More Christians are migrating than are Muslims.

I want to have a Latino pastor on my team.

Europe will have: 23% Christians

Asia will have: 16%

Racial and social make up will force us to glocalize.

Glocalization – McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King…

What does the Bible say about the church? Why must our church be diverse? God is at work, He is not out of control.

“We shouldn’t long for diversity (racial or otherwise) but the proclamation of Jesus.”

See notes: 

1. ‘All people are equal because of the image of God. (Gen. 12:1-3)

2. The gospel is to be preached to all people and in all places (Acts 1:8)

3. All people are joined together because of Christ (I Cor. 12: 12-26)

*Nationalism is removed.

* Racism removed

* Sexism removed

*Ageism removed

* Classicism removed

* Walls removed.

3. All people are joined together because of Christ 

When we preach the gospel we need to explain it

The cross invites me to become all new and gives me a new life.

Cross unites us to become one and make us his new wife.

Read from Ephesians (the message) chapter 4; 5, 23-32

Talking about Christ and the church.

We became the body of Christ by becoming one flesh.

Power of embracing diversity.  If I see a nationality not represented in our church, I pull them in.

1 Cor. 12:12: ‘The body is a unit’

African, Indian, Korean, Japanese, beggar (we have a beggar in our church who plays in our café)

Ask myself a simple question: if Jesus were pastor of this church, what would he do?

Who would be coming to this church?

4. All people from all places worshiping together in heaven.

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