I wanted to begin this session by heading off at the past, a very common objection,

which is sometimes somewhat of an emotional objection, but it's an objection nonetheless that deserves at least

somewhat of an answer before we continue and that is that there has been oppression throughout

human history.

You can open your Bible and read about the oppression

that took place in the times of the Old Testament

and New Testament.

It's part of the human experience.

It's part of the result of sin and how man treats his fellow man.

And in the context of the United States, there has certainly been oppression to various groups.

There are certain groups that are certainly more, used more, I should say, their experiences by the social justice advocates more than others.

But we can certainly look at the history of our country and we can see that there have been things like slavery, like the extermination or putting Native Americans on reservations, things like that.

There are things like really every immigrant group who has come to this country has faced barriers that they've had to overcome.

That's not something unique to the United States though. That's something that exists across the Western world. I remember my

wife and I went to Turkey a few years ago and Turkish people are very proud of

their culture and their heritage, their history, and they do not like Armenians in Turkey.

And there's been very much been historic oppression against Armenians.

But that's not the kind of thing

that when you're in Christ in the church,

worshiping together, makes a difference

as far as the way you treat each other because you're in Christ now and those

Hostilities that may have existed at one point historical wrongs these kinds of things do not

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