Order Of Service

Romans 5:1-5

(1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4)   And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Introduction

This year is a milestone for both America and Black History. 250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence was signed, and 100 years ago, Carter G. Woodson instituted Black History Week, which was later expanded to an entire month. Initially, the second week in February was given the designation because it coincided with the birthday of Abraham Lincoln on the twelfth and Fredrick Douglass on the fourteenth.

Please stay with me as I take a sharp right turn on this sermonic highway.  It will make sense in a little while. There are athletes who broke records, and afterwards, it was later discovered that they had used drugs to enhance their performance. Their records were not expunged, but an asterisk was placed by their names with a footnote explaining tactfully the violation of the rules. America has achieved greatness, but we must put an asterisk by the accomplishments.

It was built with free slave labor.  We all know that when we take our cars for repair, the biggest expense is labor. The replacement part is only a small portion of the total bill. So, if you could run a plantation with free labor, making a profit is a “shoo-in.” If you can develop a nation with free labor, again it is a “shoo-in.”

There are many questions about American history, especially as it relates to slavery and segregation. How could a Christian nation defend slavery? How could a nation that promotes freedom relegate women to second class citizens? Women could not vote until the suffrage movement. How could the genocide of Native Americans be justified?    

With all of these questions and many more, there is one thing that is readily apparent: Blacks survived and even thrived despite the evils perpetrated against them. Our foreparents were like the proverbial oyster, which when grit settled between the parts of the shell, instead of dying from the infection, it produced a beautiful precious pearl.

Our ancestors, probably unknowingly, followed our Scripture from Apostle Paul. They responded to tribulation well. That response taught them patience.  Patience provided the opportunity to gain experience. Their experience of the providence of God gave them hope that could not be crushed. “You can’t make me doubt Him; I know too much about Him.” Let’s look at some of these pearls.

Exposition

1. Creativity Despite Chaos.

(Music, Paintings, Quilts, Fashion, and Cuisine.)

2. Hope Despite Hatred And Hostility.

(They Ignored Erroneous Scriptural Interpretations Taken Out Of Context By The Masters.)

(They Ignored The Flawed Interpretation Of “Servants Obey Your Masters.”)

(They Garnered Hope From Israel’s Exodus From Egypt, From Daniel Surviving The Lions’ Den, And From The Liberation Of The Three Hebrew Young Men From The Fiery Furnace.)

(They Kept Hope Alive.)

(They Believed Things Would Get Better, If Not In This Life, Then In The Life To Come.)

3. Celebration Despite Cruelty.

(Good News, The Chariots Are Coming.)

(I Got A Robe Up In Ah That Kingdom, Ain’t Ah That Good News.)

(Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, Since I Laid My Burdens Down.)

(We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.)

(Ride On King Jesus, No Man Can Hinder Me.)

Closing Thoughts

I will close with the lyrics of a familiar spiritual, Ain’t Got Time To Die.

“Lord, I keep so busy praising my Jesus,

Ain’t got time to die.

‘Cause when I’m healing the sick,

I’m praising my Jesus,

Ain’t got time to die.

‘Cause it takes all of my time to praise my Jesus,

All of my time to praise my Lord.

If I don’t praise Him, the rocks gonna cry out!

Glory and honor, glory and honor,

Ain’t got time to die.

Lord, I keep so busy working for the kingdom,

Ain’t got time to die.

‘Cause when I’m feeding the poor,

I’m working for the kingdom,

Ain’t got time to die.

Now, won’t you get out of my way,

Let me praise my Jesus.

Out of my way,

Let me praise my Lord.

If I don’t praise Him, the rocks gonna cry out!

Glory and honor, glory and honor,

Ain’t got time to die.

End Notes

1. There were many other Scriptures that were taken out of context to try to justify slavery and segregation. One of the ones most often used was Genesis 9:25, where Noah cursed his son Canaan and made him the servant of his brothers. It was taught that people of African descent descended from Canaan and were relegated to be slaves forever. He was only a servant to his male siblings. It was not intergenerational. The curse became null and void upon his death or upon the death of his siblings. Who says Africans descended from Canaan anyway? Also, the curse would have been abolished with Ezekiel 18:20. The most egregious misinterpretation is the incident recorded in Matthew 27:32 and Luke 23:26, when Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry the cross of Jesus. In their warped erroneous interpretation, it proved, to themselves, that Blacks were only good for performing manual labor. They did not consider that his sons Rufus and Alexander were great leaders of the early church, especially at Antioch. The Apostle Paul was familiar with his sons. Please see Mark 15:21; Acts 19:33; and Romans 16:13. I know this is depressing and may breed anger, but this “foolishness,” which most people thought was gone forever, is now being retaught. They have better tools than before because of the internet and social media.    

2. Some question the need for Black history – even some Blacks. The racial distinction would not need to be so heavily emphasized were it not for the attempt, deliberate and sustained over the centuries, to deny the contributions the Black Africans and the Black Americans made to universal civilization. This is also true of women. Women literary authors had to use their initials rather than their first and middle names, so you would not know they were women. Even though things have changed, the residuals live on.  A case in point: J.K. Rowling is known for writing the Harry Potter series.  She is not known as Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

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