Just after I graduated from college, I got my very first automobile, a Toyota Camry. Before I owned this car, I hadn't noticed anyone driving a Camry before. However, when I began to drive mine, I noticed that they were everywhere! It's funny how that works. When you have a personal experience with something, you begin to notice things you never noticed before.

Someone I know has recently experienced a battle with prostate cancer. Before his illness, he was somewhat ignorant of the disease. But when he made his illness known, he found out that many others had the disease. It was his own personal exposure to the issue which opened his eyes to see others with whom he could identify. Such has been my experience with the issue of racial diversity since I attended The Bethlehem Conference For Pastors, in Minneapolis, Minnesota this past February.

In past years, I had known of this conference, and had greatly desired to attend, but was unable to free up the time needed in my schedule. This year I was finally able to attend for the first time. The brochure for the conference came across my desk with John Piper's invitation, which read, "This year I want to tackle head-on, with no holds barred, the historical and theological connections between historic Reformed theology and the African-American experience. ... I hope we grapple honestly with some of the complexities of racial harmony in the destructive wake of racism, particularly in the church. And I hope we will all see new ways that the African-American experience can enrich and empower the contemporary experience of Biblical, Reformed theology for greater impact in America and in all cultures."

When I first read this invitation, I was somewhat disappointed, because it seemed like an irrelevant topic to me. In school I studied about the slave trade of the 1700's, the civil war in the 1800's, and the civil rights movement in the 1900's. Practically, I have never experienced the issue first hand. Over the years, I have had several good black friends, without ever sensing a "tension" between because of the color of our skin. Yet, as I described above with automobiles and diseases, this conference has helped me to see the relevance of this issue for me as well as for our church.

Let's begin with the end of history. We read in Revelation 5:9-10 of the worship that will be given to Jesus Christ, "Worthy are You to take the book, and to break it seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

I want you to notice how the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross at Calvary is communicated in these verses. People often think that Jesus died upon the cross simply as a demonstration of His love (see Romans 5:8). But these verses direct our attention to the transaction that took place upon the cross: the death of Jesus purchased men from the world to serve Him. In other words, the death of Jesus bought a kingdom and priests for Himself.

Notice further that Jesus' purchase of men from the world wasn't without purpose or intent. Jesus intentionally bought "from every tribe and tongue and people and nation." In the death of Jesus, God sacrificed everything to secure a racially diverse heaven for Himself. In God's kingdom there will be black people, white people, yellow people, red people, and all other shades of people in between serving our King. This is the picture of heaven.

But this is also the picture of the church. We all know this, right? From our childhood we have sung, "red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." So we willingly send missionaries to every tribe and tongue and people and nation -- and rightly so.

This is not only the picture of the universal church, but also the local church. We read in Ephesians 2, that the death of Jesus Christ, abolished the enmity between Jew and Gentile, "that in Himself [Jesus] might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity" (verses 15-16). Paul was urging the Jews and the Gentiles in the local church at Ephesus to realize their oneness in the cross of Jesus Christ, so that they might be reconciled in one body and worship together in complete harmony with each other.

Though Paul discusses the Jew-Gentile unification, let it be noted that almost everyone you meet today is Gentile, not Jew. Yet, this cultural divide in Ephesus is applicable to any cultural differences we have today, whether they are Black, White, or Hispanic. The fact remains that those who trust in the sacrifice of Christ Jesus alone for the forgiveness of their sins, are to be united in the church, despite the cultural tensions that exist.

As a result of the Bethlehem Conference For Pastors, my eyes have been opened to notice the genuine divisions that exist in our society today. Let's face it, we live in a racially divided city. We have an "east-side" and a "west-side" town. Do you see the cultural disharmony?

So let's get practical. When you take a look around Rock Valley Bible Church, do you see racial diversity as there will be in heaven? Do you see men from any other "tribe and tongue and people and nation"? Do you see radically different cultures "both in one body" as at Ephesus? We have great opportunities here in Rockford to bridge the gap and taste heaven on earth!

There are many issues we may use to justify the lack of cultural diversity in our church. There are demographic issues (other cultures may not even live near us). There are language issues (other cultures communicate differently). There are style of worship issues (which we cannot even figure out in the white community). Perhaps the greatest issue in our church is that all of our friends are of the same culture. Perhaps a first step in the process is to extend kindness and love to those of other cultures. As you have opportunity, prioritize the minority cultures, by speaking to them, befriending them, and serving them. Perhaps another step is to long for the day when our church will look more like heaven and pray to that end. When we have visitors from other cultures, greet them, make them feel welcomed and genuinely loved.

God's intent was to have a racially diverse heaven. So, He paid an infinite price, the blood of His Son, to insure that heaven would be filled with men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Do you have a heart for those who are in other cultures as God does? He sacrificed everything to secure a racially diverse heaven. In what ways are you demonstrating your love for others in cultures different from your own? Perhaps you struggle with prejudice. If so, repent and cry to God for a heart like His, that loves those in other cultures. If God paid an infinite price to secure a multi-cultural heaven, ought not we make efforts to extend His love to all cultures in Rockford as well?