How Should the Church Respond to the Equality Act?

Should the church respond to new LGBT Q legislation that's being voted on in the US. That's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Pedro Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We would love to hear from you if you want to talk to pastor Israel live. Here's the phone number to call its 833.

The core that's 1-833-843-2673 course you can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts. You can check us out on YouTube and you can email us with your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Evan in Kansas City, Missouri Evan, welcome to core Christianity hi you grabbing me.

Thanks for joining us today what your question Evan Sanchez I am discipling another person right now and in the discipleship process. This person is told me that they have the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues and will even pray in tongues that will I just love to hear guidance on how I can disciple his person and really get a good God's word on what it says about speaking, speaking in tongues all the places you want to look in Scripture regarding the gift of tongues are first acts chapter 2, there you have the day of Pentecost where the spirit of God fell upon the church and they spoke in unknown tongues. That is, languages that they had never learned it but the spirit of God gave them utterance. And they were they were declaring the wonderful works of God in their next chapter, doing what it did was it actually open the door for Peter and then the rest of the disciples to preach the gospel. One of the things things really important for us to understand this, is there and in the New Testament that those miracles those sign gifts really pointed to something else. A greater reality. They were in and in and of themselves they they were helping to point to the gospel, the forgiveness of sins.

I think even of what Jesus did and in healing the paralytic and Mark's gospel unites is that I did this so that you would know that I have authority on earth to forgive sins. That's the greatest miracle of all regeneration. The new birth, the forgiveness of sins, and so I think in the discipleship process you nice as you talk about some of the things you want to focus on that a lot of us a lot of people coming out of different church traditions you know that they focus on maybe the signs and the wonders at the expense of the gospel, who Jesus is his identity. What he's accomplished for us and so we want to be really careful with that.

Another place you can go to his first Corinthians chapter 12 chapters 12 to 14 really where there's an extended discussion there about the gift of tongues and again, really, that the, the, the signs of the spirit, if you will, are not firm for believers today.

These these gifts of that miraculous in the miraculous usually scrape the fruit of the spirit that the apostle Paul described in the book of Galatians. That's what should be prioritized for each of us do. I have love, joy, peace, patience, and that's really that the sign of the presence of the spirit of God in my life and and Paul actually talked about that in the middle of his discussion regarding spiritual gifts in first Corinthians chapter 13, he said, look, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love the noisy gong or a clanging symbol if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing if I give away all I have in a fight deliberate my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing and goes on to talk about the importance of love in the fruit of the spirit. For the Christian life is not that you note the gifts of the Holy Spirit are and aren't important, but I think that we oftentimes focus on them at the expense of the gospel and and at the expense of even the fruit of the spirit. Now there's a broader question a bigger question here and that's where those gifts. Those sign gifts meant to continue it into the the everyday, ordinary life of the church.

My position is that the answer you note to that question is no, that those gifts were given for a specific time to help the advancement of the gospel and those are the kinds of things that you're gonna want to talk about is you as you continue this discussion but I want to commend you brother for meeting.

Meeting with someone in and continuing to help them grow in their faith and their walk with the Lord dig into those passages of Scripture, and do so with humility. Prayerfully looking to Christ and add to his word. So Evan God bless you Santa.

Thank you.

Evan appreciate your call and ask them thank the Lord that you are taking the time and making the effort to disciple somebody. What a blessing. All the should be doing that. If we feel that God is calling us to that role and perhaps that we should be doing that an adult in the church in the body of Christ.

Having disciples to one another while let's go to Brandon from Lake Ozark, Missouri. Brandon welcome the core Christianity hey Bryn, good to hear from you at your question brother find a reference to the New Testament Senate and, if so, what are the restrictions restrict elected temple coming from a man with a shriveled hand Bible study were talking that man shriveled hand.

They are bright is right in the commandment that a lying person not being able to enter the temple just to try and get Jesus healed. Yeah, it's really good question you in the synagogues that existed there in the ancient world were distinct from the temple and the temple was the place where sacrifices were being offered. It was it was the primary meeting place between God and his people.

It was where atonement was made.

You have all the types and shadows of the. The Old Testament sort of pictured there at the temple and so what ended up happening though is over time. What you had is the development of these gatherings. These assemblies of Hebrew people of Jewish people coming together around the Torah and there's you know there's speculation about what exactly was taking place in the synagogue meetings is clear from the New Testament that they had Scripture readings them you think of Jesus reading from the Isaiah scroll in the synagogue, they probably had prayers and singing of the Psalms. Those kinds of things and so this was this was more of an informal gathering of people to study and to grow in the word of God and it did not have the same kinds of regulations and restrictions that were related to the temple to the person with the withered hand. It was totally fine for him to be there whereas is is you know you know that there were laws, regulations that that People who had stuff like a withered hand from entering into the worship of the people that are serving in the priesthood. In particular, and so so yes there is a distinction there and really in the New Testament church and what we have in the book of acts as the disciples gathering together, oftentimes it would go to the synagogues and that would be one of the primary places that they would preach Jesus the message of Christianity and end early Christian gatherings really reflected looked like these synagogue gatherings were happening throughout that world. And so it's kind of an interesting thing there but but they weren't the same. They were distinct and and so there were distinct rules that governed each of them granted. Thank you for your question brother forgiven us a call.

May the Lord bless your day. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez. We would love to hear from you. If you have a call question for Pastor Adm. Here's a phone number to call right now it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, we should mention that we also have a podcast and some radio stations there are program on a delayed basis. So the best way if you want to talk to Pastor Adm. live is to call at this time. 1130 Pacific time 1230 Mountain 130 Central or 230 Eastern time and you can connect with us there, let's go to a voicemail that we received your core Christianity yesterday: John brother Senate voted on the quality act act grants discrimination in religious another institution. Small businesses in news talk a lot about freedom and wondered how aggressive churches might need to be components of freedom and not on the top things will come church do more Mitch dear thoughts and thick so much, which does do ticker as Jan thank you for that voicemail that you left us, and for those who are unfamiliar with the equality acted its right here in front of us right now and just give you a little bit of a summary about the bill so there's some information. The bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in a wide variety of areas including public accommodations and facilities education federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation. The bill expands the definition of public accommodations to include places or establishments that provide one exhibitions, recreation, exercise, amusement gathering or displays two goods, services or programs and three transportation services than the bill allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on account of sexual orientation or gender identity. One of the want to think that a lot of the evangelicals are concerned about is the bill prohibits the religious Freedom restoration act of 1993 from providing a claimant defense or basis for challenging such protections and one last thing. The bill prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room and a dressing room that is in accordance with the individual's gender identity. First, let me just say Christians believe in the inherent dignity of all people of all human beings, not because of our our sexual identity or even that kind of thing, but because were made in the image of God each and every one of us is an image bearer called as image bearers to reflect the goodness and glory of God the creator and so we have this fundamental basis for treating all people with dignity and with respect and for fighting for life and the propagation of life. We also have a very clear sexual ethic, and view of identity that's given to us by God himself in holy Scripture is handed down to us by the Lord and its contrary to the current cultural definitions that are and have changed over the last 200 years and and certainly are continuing to change. It seems like sometimes almost every single day, and the concern that many Christians have with this equality act is not that the prohibition of discrimination against people were against discrimination.

As Christians we believe all people have inherent dignity as I just as I just said were made in the image of God. It's how the bill continues to define sexuality, sexual identity, those kinds of things and in the concern is that it doesn't have much wiggle room for people who don't embrace the culture's definition on sexuality to disagree on the basis of religious conviction, and so there are there are a lot of people, myself included, who are concerned with these things. I think we ought to be a part of this discussion engage on these issues and the question is what what should the church do and I really appreciate that, but you asked that will one.

I think we can definitely say that the church is always in and with regard to things like this were always called to pray to seek the face of God and add to asking open pulses in first Timothy chapter 2 in it to pray for it for that piece of the church, so that in all that we do were able to and will continue to faithfully preach the truth of God's word. We may be challenged in the other.

The society culture might disagree with us and I think that's one of the big concerned is you know are we gonna be able to hold fast to what the Bible teaches without facing repercussions and that that's what many that so many are are concerned about were called to pray and nothing else is recalled to know the truth you need to know what the Bible teaches about sexuality about identity, where it's rooted more than ever, because the fact of the matter is the culture the broader culture wants to wants to catechizing that wants to tell you their own sort of narrative of what that is and and as I said, it's contrary to the teaching of Scripture. And so we need to know and hold fast to the word of God will God is clearly revealed and we don't have to be ashamed of what the word of God teaches me to hold fast to it with with boldness since I know the truth. Pray know the truth being engaged in the broader discussion speaking the truth in love once you know it is. I just said there don't don't be ashamed of it. We can be honest about about these things and I would say this have a gospel confidence to think we do stuff like this comes out Bob and many believers are concerned they feel like oh know if if something like this passes you know the church were just weren't so much trouble what's going to happen. It seems like were losing the quote unquote fight the culture war will let me say this every single day. The gospel is gaining new ground, the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to continue to advance regardless of what the culture does or says or believes our confidence, our hope is ultimately in the power of God's word and spirit is a yellow that the world around us. The culture around us, their views on things have changed regarding sexuality and identity and their totally contrary to so much of what we find in Scripture, but our confidence is not the fact that they agree with us. Our confidence is in the fact that God is going to accomplish his purposes by his word in spirit and so pray know the truth and immerse yourself in it and share that truth with the people who are around you.

I think it's that as you know US is noted to what extent should we be engaged in these kinds of this visit be engaged in them were called to love our neighbors and and part of that is speaking the truth in love, respectfully, charitably, and and being a part of this this broader discussion is so really appreciate the question and I hope that all of us can ultimately rest. Our hope in the power of the gospel and in Jesus promised to build the church he's gonna do that no matter what happens. And so we can be confident in that brothers and sisters as we've said before the gates of hell shall not prevail against God's church and so we should not be living in fear right we should have that conference the gospel confidence you talked about Israel, that's right. And we just think about what Jesus himself said in the Gospels, the upper room discourse. We, the church are going to experience it. There is there there are people who aren't going to agree with us. We we recognize that Jesus said it very clearly.

The apostle Paul said everyone who desires to live a godly life in Jesus Christ is going to suffer persecution.

I what that looks like is is yeah I think sometimes we here in the united states can really feel like all man were being so persecuted and we don't face anything compared to what our brothers and sisters in other places like North Korea are facing. But there is certainly opposition to what we believe, according to Scripture, and so how should we respond well what is Jesus say we love our neighbors. We pray for them and we continue to preach the truth and to hold fast to it. We don't have to be afraid because were with the Lord and he's with us and he promised to be with us to the end of the age. I meant you're listening to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Here's the phone number to call.

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The core let's go to Cindy who is calling us from Shawnee Kansas City. Welcome to core Christianity all and I was reading in Mark's gospel in chapter 4 Jesus is captured and it young man who runs away naked and I wondering what the significance of that level part of the gospel is that Mark ran nakedness, a symbol of our sinful man fleeing or what the significance of that part of the story.

Such a good question Cindy any assertive is this mysterious you know seen in Mark chapter 15 verse 51, and a young man followed him with nothing but a linen cloth about his body and they seized him, but he left a linen cloth and ran away naked and so this is in the context of Jesus's arrests. There's this this young man there who runs away naked and at you and I think maybe you're on to something there in terms of this being a picture of sin. Nakedness not being clothes. What's really interesting is what I go to is in chapter 16 we have another picture quote on quote of a young man, but this time he's close in Mark chapter 16 in verse five and entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in white in a white robe and they were alarmed and he said to them, do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified.

He has risen, he is not here see the place where they have laid him. And so you have this sort of this sort of book engine of the betrayal of Jesus prior to the crucifixion. This young man who flees naked there in the dark wilderness if you will. And then afterwards a young man who's clothed there you not on the on the side of where Jesus had been placed and he essentially proclaims the message of the resurrection. And so there are some who have said what you kinda have this this picture as you said of nakedness sin prior to the cross and then after that the cross after that the death of Jesus and the resurrection.

You have the young man clothed me what's really interesting is in the ancient church when they would baptize people to think this is totally well but oftentimes they would baptize them naked and crazy.

I'm glad we still don't do that at that we don't do that anymore, but they would baptize them. They can afterwards they would give them a white robe this picture of being clothed in and often times there's that sort of imagery that baptismal imagery related to being clothes you think about what Paul says, putting on the new man that kind of thing clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and so we really aren't given more than that, but I would say those two scenes right there in Mark it actually was 1450 Mark 1451 and then in Mark 16 verse five that the the picture of the two young men unclothed prior to the cross and then closed after the cross and the resurrection.

Cindy, thank you for that question could question Cindy, this is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez by we want to mention something if you're a regular listener of our program.

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It's all right now that all of the gospel at a Christian things. Legislation looked so popular. We will probably where this comes from but what do the legislators think they're doing the Riverview's yeah well I mean Steve, it's really hot. I can I can speculate about what they think that my assumption is in the we live in this we might call a therapeutic society a therapeutic age where in the minds of so many.

Is it whatever whatever person wants to believe about themselves. We just need to let that be and you are the master of your own destiny.

That kind of the thing and that really that ideology has been bought hook line and sinker by so many in our culture today.

That's that the sort of reigning ideology and and so I think I think one of the ways in which some of these politicians are thinking that there helping us by legislating Ted ideology as well. Certainly it's not the truth that we embrace. According to the word of God and we also know on the basis of Scripture. Like you said that we are in a in a spiritual war, and that it involves people's minds and their beliefs and that the spirit of the antichrist is at work in the world today try to take our eyes off of Jesus and trying to trying to destroy. Essentially, the image of God in the world. John said in first John chapter 5 verse 19 we know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one that can be really really discouraging for so many, but we also have the hope aside as I've tried to stress and and I and I keep going back to this over and over again because it's easy to look around us at the outside world and to feel like home and it's so discouraging. Look at all these things these legislation sees Bill so on and so forth will look brothers and sisters, we have the promise of the gospel. We have the word of God that's good to continue to advance throughout the end of the H that's something we know something we can rest in, and something can celebrate.

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