Have you ever surprised and shocked people with your words in an attempt to get them to face up to a great concern you had regarding their life? Yesterday I was preaching to a large gathering of pastors, when I addressed the subject that most churches aren’t intentionally reaching out to minister to people of other races, cultures or economic statuses.

At that Pastor’s Conference I was preaching from Acts 1:8 where Jesus said to His followers: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I mentioned that the people of Samaria were different than the Jews in Jerusalem & Judea. They were primarily a mixed race of people who worshiped God differently than the Jews did, and the 2 groups of people refused to have anything to do with one another. Therefore, it must have been a real shock to the disciples when Jesus said to them: “I not only want you to witness to the people of Jerusalem and Judea, but I also want you to go witness to the people in nearby Samaria who are very unlike you. I know they’re of a different race, background and culture, but they need to be saved as well, so you be sure to get out of your comfort zone and go tell them about Me.”

Then I said to the Pastors, “I know that the Lord is saying the same thing to His 21st century disciples. So let me ask you, ‘When is the last time you went into one of the different neighborhoods in your city or town to tell people from a different race or culture about Jesus? When is the last time you led your people to go into the different neighborhoods of your city or town to tell people from a different race or culture about Jesus?’ Jesus said, ‘When you get filled with the Holy Spirit, you’ll bring my message and ministry to the people of Samaria.’ If in some way you are not personally reaching out to those people and leading your people to reach out to people unlike you in your town or city, you are disregarding and disobeying what Jesus said in Acts 1:8. Are there any people of color or from another ethnic background in your church? If not, why not? Don’t people of different colors and ethnicities live nearby? Don’t your people go to school with them, work with them and live near them? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you and your people ought to be taking some steps to reach and minister to those people like Jesus instructed us to do when He said that we’re to take the ‘good news’ to the people of Samaria. I know that you may think that people from different races and cultures will not want to worship with you because there are differing worship styles among cultures, but at the same time many people from different races and cultures would attend your church if they knew they were welcomed and wanted.”

Well, I don’t know if I’ll be asked to come back and preach again to that Pastor’s gathering, because it was obvious on the faces of many of those pastors that I’d challenged them about something that was very uncomfortable to them. It’s not that those “uncomfortable pastors” are racists (by the way, there were a number of pastors who were cheering me on with their “Amens”). It’s just that they pastor churches where people are still prejudiced against people who are from different races or cultural backgrounds. Back in the mid 1960’s Martin Luther King, Jr said while referencing the racial biases of the churches of his day, “11:00 on Sunday morning is still the most segregated hour of the week.” Reverend King made that statement 45 years ago, but I’m sad to say that it’s still an accurate statement in our day and time. In our nation as well as in our world, we have churches that are almost exclusively Caucasian or African-American, which means that those churches are not a true reflection of the racial makeup of the society around them. It also means that most Christian, blacks and whites, never share together what they say is of utmost importance to them – the worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How sad it is that Christian brothers and sisters never worship together across racial lines.

I’m so glad to be a part of the Celebration Congregation, where everyone is loved, welcomed and affirmed regardless of their racial background, color of their skin, ethnic background, or economic status. Regardless of which of our Celebration campuses I visit, I find there people of multiple races and background who love God, love one another, love sharing life together, and love worshiping together. That’s always been a value and characteristic of our church family, and will always continue to be.

I’m also thrilled to see what God is doing here in Greater New Orleans to bring together pastors and churches across racial and denominational lines. Since Hurricane Katrina, pastors and Christians from a variety of races and backgrounds now meet regularly to pray together, minister together, and worship together. There is a greater unity in the Body of Christ in Greater New Orleans than I’ve ever witnessed anywhere else I’ve been. I praise and thank God for such love and unity.

Years ago a young boy named Billy Meyers took a piece of chalk and drew a big “heart” on the wall of a New York City library. Within that “heart” he wrote, “Billy Meyers loves everybody.” That’s how we feel at Celebration, and that’s the way we are. So take some time this week to reach out to your friends, co-workers, neighbors or others who are from minority races or cultures, and invite them to join you for an upcoming worship service at Celebration Church. You can confidently tell them that they will be welcomed, loved and affirmed – and we will be sure to join you in communicating the message and ministry of Jesus that He entrusted to His followers.