Option 3

Option 3

I. Introduction

A. When given the choice between 1 and 2, choose option 3!

1. Joshua 5:13b (NASB) “Are you for us or for our enemies?”

2. Whose side are you on? Words that reveal something profound about human nature—our persistent need to divide the world into sides.

II. The Distance Between Us

A. Groupings: The natural ways humans organize themselves around shared traits, experiences, interests or common identity.

1. In-Group: A group with which a person identifies and feels a sense of understanding, belonging, and loyalty.

B. The Sin Effect

1. Separated from God

2. Separated from ourselves

3. Separated from one another

C. Out-Group: Group to which an individual does not belong and often perceives as different or separate and not part of “us.”

D. In-Group Bias: The natural tendency to favor, prefer, support, or give special treatment to people in their own group.

E. Out-Group Discrimination: The tendency to treat people outside our own group less favorably.

F. Zero Sum Game: One side’s gain must come at the other side’s equal loss, so the sum of wins and losses always equals zero.

1. When given the choice between 1 and 2, choose option 3!

III. Common Ground: Embracing Our Shared Identity

A. Joshua 5:13b-14 (NASB) ¹³“Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴And he said, “No.”

1. Jesus didn’t come to take sides; .

B. Joshua 5:14a-15 (NASB) ^14aAnd he said, “No; rather I have come now as captain of the army of the LORD.” ¹⁵And the captain of the LORD’S army said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.”

C. Common Ground:

1. All are created in the image of God.

2. All human life is sacred.

3. We are all part of a special race, called human.

D. How Christ-followers respond in an Us or Them world

1. Honor the image

a. “When anyone has an honor deficit … when culture has stripped them of honor, it is the duty of gracists to bestow honor upon them.” (Dr. David Anderson, Gracism)

2. Rename “those people” as your brothers and sisters.

a. Matthew 22:39 (NLT) “A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

b. 1 John 4:20 (NIV) 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.

c. You will never love someone above the label you give them.

3. Give In-Group love to your Out-Group

a. Matthew 5:46-47 (NLT) ⁴⁶“If you love those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. ⁴⁷If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”

4. Fulfill your responsibility to the human family

a. 1 John 3:11 (NIV) For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

b. 1 John 3:12a (NIV) Do not be like Cain.

c. 1 John 3:12, 16-18 (NIV)

d. Genesis 4:8-9 (NIV)

IV. Conclusion

A. Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV) ¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.