My Purpose in writing the Slave Bible Sermon, by Laurence C.W. Wedderburn

The Global Unstoppable Witness of the Church

I wrote because God’s Spirit cannot be muted! The gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church. Neither Scriptures banned, distorted, nor barriers of literacy or language or geography (Ac.2:4), nor imprisonment, persecution, the martyrdom of believers will succeed. Some say that Christianity is “the white man’s religion”, and the product of European colonialism. Beware false teachers, warned Jesus. Search the Scriptures, counselled Paul. Some black people chose rather an African-rooted religion: Coptic, Rastafarian, Muslim, Ancestral, Traditional. Ancient world religions appeal to some who reject the relative “newness” of the Christian era: they chose Buddhism or Hinduism. The Holy Bible, however, teaches that there is One (triune) God – pre-existent, eternal. The Bible affirms God to be the One and Only Creator, Sustainer, Saviour, Redeemer, and Counsellor. Before time began, He existed (Gen.1:1-2; John 1:1-3,9); He is the Alpha and Omega, nothing and no one preceded Him. He is Immortal and Eternal, Life-giving, Life-sustaining. Since the Fall of all the world, He has suffered alienation, strife, misery, suffering and death – and fear thereof. We are helpless for all who have sinned (Rom.5) says the Bible. But also all may be saved through trust - based not on race, colour, or lineage - but through faith in Jesus Christ.

“Christian” – Christ in me – Hope of Glory is our motto. This is Christ’s Amazing Grace. Those saved include ancients such as Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham (Heb.11). Those saved include both “Jews and Gentiles”.

(Jesus Christ) there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, vowed Jesus! Mt.16:18.

The evidence is apparent; it is three-fold:

1) The Church Body*

2) The Holy Bible, The Word of God

3) Life of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate

The lives of the men and women transformed, born of the Spirit, bear living testimony in the face of discrimination, persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom. “For Your sake, we are killed all day long; we were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Rom.8:36-37

There is no barrier, no one can stop the Church of Jesus Christ: despite persecution, false teaching, and fraud. *The Church is defined as all who are led by the Spirit, children of God in Christ, under God’s rule and blessing.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Mt.7:21. The human race without Christ is lost! Racial partiality, black or white, male or female,  is not part of the equation! After these things, I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; Rev.7:9.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind because all sinned—Rom.5:12. I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Mt.16:18. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name, who were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God. Jn.1:12-13. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. … 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ Mt.25:34, 40

By: Dr. Laurence Wedderburn May 31, 2024