God's Love and Same Sex Attraction

Why as they are going down.

If you have a Bible to buy jewelry campuses to take it out now and open it to the book of first Corinthians in the Bible verse review chapter 6 we find ourselves in the midst of a series called from the beginning from the beginning is a phrase that we get from Jesus I Jesus was once asked a really controversial question about marriage and sex and the basis of his answer was what God had established about marriage from the beginning. So we are trying to answer some of our toughest questions today about relationships and sex using that same reasoning this weekend we're going to apply the concept of from the beginning to the really difficult question that people have both in our church and also in the culture at large and that is the question of same sex attraction. There are three specific questions for us today. How questionable one is, is it wrong, and if so why is it wrong question number two is what do I do if this is me and then question number three how do I love my gay friend the narrative that our culture puts forward is that we have only really two options in our relationship with the gay and lesbian community affirmation. On the one hand that's one option or alienation.

On the other. I want to show you that Jesus presented 1/3 option. Jesus ministry. You see, was a paradox because never was there anyone who so exalted God's standards of righteousness. He said that sooner would heaven and earth pass away than one jot or tittle the law without the way he said that unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees were the ultra law keepers of his day that we wouldn't enter the kingdom of heaven. Yet at the same time. Never was there anyone who so effectively drew in people who had broken every aspect of that law be they the prostitutes or the tax collectors are those with broken marriages. They all love to be around him. The last week of Jesus life captures the paradox of his ministry that Jesus had never broken any laws that Jesus had never committed any sin. The religious and political leaders called out for his crucifixion.

While a former prostitute washes his feet with her tears and a thief depends his reputation from the cross. The apostle John summarized the heart of Jesus ministry in John 114 when he described Jesus as being full of grace and truth. Grace and truth and explain to you that in order to represent Jesus in order to know Jesus. You have to understand both concepts truth without grace is fundamentalism. It's judge mentalism grace without truth however is vapid sentimentality to represent Jesus you must be full of both grace and truth. Let me explain to you that as I attempt to answer some of these questions in recent years, I've learned to do so. I'm less like a theologian, perhaps a more like a friend or maybe a pastor, I think, for example, as I was writing this this week and thinking through these things and think about a lot about a young man in our church named Dustin who was very active in the leadership here. The summa church, a personal friend of mine yet. You work directly on my team here at the church. He was one of my interns. His senior year of college. He came in the office.

He sat down in the chair across my desk any burst into tears and he says for three years now I've had a very dark secret of never told anybody he says I have a same-sex attraction that has led me to bouts of Internet pornography have an addiction to Internet pornography now, which is led to, string of hookups that I've had with random guys that I meet in chat rooms on the Internet.

He is wrestled with this now for several years. Recently he told me he said you know there is no way that I would've chosen to be like this, and I imagine this is going to be a struggle for me until the day that I die I cannot talk about these things without thinking about about Dustin or I think about Ginger Ginger someone who's here at our Saturday night campus of the Berkeley campus I met Ginger a cell phone store several years ago and she was in her 30s and she had been a practicing lesbian since he had been in college.

She began to come to our church as she battled severe depression that rule culminated in one Saturday morning she was driving out of the Blue Ridge Mountains in order to take her own life when God miraculously intervened in her life and did a marvelous work and her now. She is a very active member here, the summa church and she is a him a leader in our overseas missions efforts, particularly those that are going to India. She told me recently.

She said these things. My desires the depression they never totally gone away but she's following hard after God and I love her as a friend and I cannot talk about these things without thinking about about her and I know that there are probably some of you listening to me right now who have been hurt, ostracized, maybe even cast out over this issue. We all have heard the heartbreaking stories of parents who disown their kids when they came out, which is so tragic at the time they most needed. The constant love of a parent. They were rejected, perhaps even more tragically, this was sometimes done in the name of Christ. What greater lie. Could we tell about our Savior. In the distance ourselves from the broken and hurting in a moment when they needed us the most to that is the contacts that I want to speak from this weekend and there are three particular people I have in mind, I want to address here in the beginning, number one, there are some of you that for you. Your mind is Artie made up on this issue and if you are honest with yourself, you would admit that there's nothing that I or the Bible says that it could say on this issue. This could make any difference if that is you want to challenge you to really think about what it means for Jesus to be Lord, do you trust him and are you ready for him to leave in this these are questions of course for all of us about every situation, but especially relevant for you that are in the midst of struggling with this question and if perhaps you feel like right now you just want to walk out. I'll ask you will you at least be open to hearing what God's word says about it. It might not be what you think. But if you are sitting there and you are saying that whatever campuses I can't even consider this right now. Let me just tell you that I'm very grateful that you're here and I'll tell you what I often tell people who are are are are are investigating Jesus I tell them that on issues like this. Sometimes it may be helpful for them to plunk this because this is not the center of Christianity. You might need to wrestle with the real question of Christianity and that is is Jesus Lord and what is his love like and what is it look like extended to you because when you have come to terms with the Lordship of Jesus and his love then then you can let him lead you on this issue. So feel like I'm not even ready to consider that then yeah maybe you need upon this issue and that's okay. In a moment.

I will pray for some of you want to use that moment to slip out rather than making a big scene later. That's that's a promise that I won't think that you were ending the conversation. I just think that you're saying that you're not ready for today and that we can have it another day. The second group is there some of you who don't want to make a decision on this. You don't want to make a decision on this is more convenient for you not to have an answer you feel caught between what you think the Bible says in one hand and and not wanting to offend a friend of the other and it's it's better it's easier if you just not really have an answer to this question. I want to convince you that your indifference and your cowardice.

Quite honestly is harming others. You need to make up your mind one way or the other because getting this wrong either way, has massive implications in the third group is there are some of you who believe that this is wrong. Believe homosexuality or same-sex attraction is wrong but you believe it's wrong for the wrong reasons. Sitting like it's gross or your position is more characterized by bigotry and intolerance than compassionate Christian conviction as I want to challenge you to rethink this issue in terms of the gospel is a sinner yourself and not somebody who sits on a different plane so I we all are campuses of our heads and let's ask the Holy Spirit for his help in this matter, but I pray for the spirit spoke with grace and truth. The spirit God upon Jesus, who was so clear that they crucified Jesus in the spirit of grace God that drew people so effectively to himself. I pray that it would now cover me entirely that I would decrease. In this and you would increase God. Our hearts are humble and we want to tremble at your word, we stand ready to hear from the God of the universe not give us faith to believe in God, give us courage to be able to act on what you say. I pray in Jesus name, amen and amen. Here's our main passage for today for scrimmage after six. You can read along here with me if you if you want summer fighting a Bible and as I read it here. Do not be deceived of the apostle Paul says neither the sexually immoral nor the idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God and that is what some of you were but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God. Three questions number one is it wrong there are six passages in the Bible that directly address homosexuality.

Every single one of them does so like the passage here in first Corinthians in explicitly negative terms. The words that Paul uses there in first Corinthians 6 that we translate into English as men who have sex with men, are the records of Malik Hoy, which means soft or effeminate and Arsenault Coit hi, which means sex between males. Every major Greek writer and philosopher of the time. Use those words to refer exclusively to homosexual relationships. There are some who have said, well, Paul does not have here in mine, committed same-sex relationships that we see today how what he had in mind was no prostitution or for the Man boy love. It was common in the Roman army and but he wasn't talking about, committed same-sex relationships because they didn't exist back mid but that's not true. Historian Thomas Hubbard, who is not a Christian, wrote the definitive work on homosexuality in the ancient world.

It's a 558 page volume called homosexuality in ancient Greece and Rome and he shows that homosexuality existed in a wide variety of forms in the Greek and warm Roman world, including committed same-sex partnerships and they were always referred to by the terms of Paul uses here in first Corinthians 6, Malik Hoy and Arsenault Coit hi. The bottom line is this. To say that what Paul says here would not apply to same-sex relationships the day requires the most tortuous and dis-Integris methods of interpretation. There is no doubt at all that he has in mind exactly the kind of relationship that we talk about today.

Let's look at another one.

Romans chapter 1 just one book back in your Bible if you got your Bible, but in front of you.

Romans chapter 1 Paul is talking in Romans one about the human race is rejection of God's authority is is because we reject God's authority.

For this reason God gave them God gave us as a race up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their for their error. Richard Hayes, who is a professor of theology over Duke Divinity school here in Durham says that Paul here depicts gay and lesbian activity as an outward impediment station of the inward posture of all sin that inward posture is a rejection of the creator's design and rejection of his authority. It is unnatural. Paul says here in Romans one homosexuality is a natural somebody response, but it feels natural to me. Just because something feels natural doesn't mean that it's right right and we know that because sin has corrupted our nature. A lot of things that feel natural to ISR. In fact, quite wrong. If I can prepare them.

Always try to teach my kids that just because you feel this way doesn't make it right on this because you feel like hitting your sibling doesn't mean that you should.

If I were to come to my wife and say you know Veronica everybody tells me I agree that you were so beautiful.

I married so many levels above what I should've been able to have a wife and you're just everything beyond what I could have dreamed it here now after 13 years of marriage to a girl that is way out of my league. I still now find myself from time to time lusting after other women and us have concluded that I just must not be designed for, but for one woman I my desires show me that in order to be true and authentic to myself, I'm going to have to have multiple sexual partners. That's just me you're going to have to be okay with that. Veronica would say back to me.

I'm going to have to be true to myself and she's going to smack me upside the head with a tube of war. Now I use that example. Not to say that all those things are the same simply to say that our sexual desires are not as safe guide to what is right because according to Romans chapter 1 something is gone really wrong with our listen your sexual desires on their own will lead outside of God's will. Every single time he said again your sexual desires, whether gay or straight on their own will lead outside of God's will. Every single time the Old Testament says this of a man.

Leviticus 20 lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, three passages, which will take time to read are all very similar.

Or, here are the most common objections that I hear to what the Bible says, people say well I don't we don't need all Old Testament laws and things like dyad or the prohibition on wearing mixed fibers so it is hypocritical for you to pick out this Old Testament law.

This prohibition in the heat. It cannot all be others first. As I showed you this is not just an Old Testament thing. The New Testament is it anything even clearer than the Old Testament on homosexuality be a deviation from God's plan. But second, there are different kinds of Old Testament laws are what we call moral laws and ceremonial laws, ceremonial laws, things like diet and ransom how the sacrifices went were there to give us a picture of what Jesus would do when he came when Jesus came he said he fulfilled the law, which meant that all the things the ceremonies were pointing to were embodied in him. And now that we had him we did need to continue with the ceremonies in the way that you already look at a picture when he got the person standing right in front of you when he said he fulfilled the moral law. What he meant was that he showed us what the embodiment of all the moral laws look like. Not that we could disregard the prohibitions on murder or adultery or idolatry for homosexuality. People say, well, Jesus never spoke about this, that's just not true. Jesus affirmed the creative order affirmed the Mosaic law that declared sex to be permissible only between a man and a woman and covenant marriage. Anything that deviates from that plan of of sex between a man and a woman covenant marriage. Jesus referred to with the Greek term tornado, Mark 721 leases on the road to down tornado Mark 721 is true that Jesus did not list out all the possible deviations from that from that plan because there are two ways that you can declare what is wrong you can list out every possible variation of the wrong or you can simply affirm what is right. If there were five women on stage, it would mean one of them was my wife and I wanted to point out which one she was one of two ways I could do that one of the four that aren't my wife want to point out the one that is either approach would serve the same purpose and repeatedly affirming the Mosaic understanding of the sanctity of sex within heterosexual marriage, Jesus disallowed all deviations from that what ever variations they take to put this in perspective. The Scriptures never record Jesus using the words idolatry rate, fraud, or beastie reality either, but is anybody really suggesting that Jesus thought it was okay for us to practice those things that he didn't mention them specifically. Furthermore, to say Jesus never talked about it does, it must be okay. Pits the words of Jesus against the rest of the Scriptures.

But Jesus himself said that all Christian Scripture is inspired which means the black letters in your Bible that records the word written by Paul had the same divine authority of the red letters that record the words that are spoken by Jesus was able Christian leaders disagree on this issue. It is true you can always find dissident voices in every generation. On every issue but the vast consensus of evangelical theologians see this is very clear in the Bible. And that's not even to take into account the opinion of the church worldwide and the collective witness of Christian history were to thousand years, Christians have understood this to be clear, this is only a question for a handful of 21st-century Western Christians who say that God has not really spoken clearly on this issue and were the first generation of culture to figure that out. More likely, God has spoken clearly they just don't like what you said me tell you why we as a church have to be clear on this, and not just abstain from the conversation I can assure you this is not my personal preferences and appeared address that my friends believe this alone. This is not good for church growth is not in the playbook of how you grow your church make everybody happy, but to you why we talk about this what we have to in Revelation chapter 2 Jesus rebukes the church in Thyatira for tolerating somebody who's teaching led people to sexual sin to the churches in Revelation represent the churches in every age and was one church to Jesus said to them, you do everything so well. So when you take care of the poor. But on this issue. You tolerate those who lead people in the sexual sin and for that reason, he threatened to remove his presence from those churches altogether.

That means that Jesus is not just against those who do the teaching.

He is against those who tolerate the teaching in their midst.

If you were going to have to offend somebody on this you have to offend the world are good enough. In Jesus, I just choose to offend the world.

Apostasy 100 years ago was the denial of Christian miracles today. Apostasy is the denial of Christian morality using Lars as the first not generation to be offended by the teachings of Jesus. What offends the culture changes from generation to generation have often told you the Bible is an equal opportunity offender and that if you're not offended by Jesus, you're just not listening but in every generation we have to choose whether our allegiances to our culture or allegiance is going to be to our Savior. I choose Jesus because our culture is passing away. United States is not forever. Hollywood and the New York Times not decide what things persist into eternity. But Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever.

So is this wrong.

There's no way you can read the Bible with an open mind and come out with any other conclusion. And yes, the Bible is univocal on high on its declaration. That is a deviation God's plan so that leaves us to question number two what do I do if this is me will first Corinthians 6 and can you give us an answer here but let me first explain our culture says if you find this desire and you affirm it's the only way to be truly authentic is to be true to what is deep inside of you. Let's forget about the issue of sexuality for a minute okay let me just talk about how God says we approach him in general on every issue when my favorite verses about relating to God. Isaiah 66 to thank you for sermon ever preached through the summer church is a 662 this is the one to whom I will look he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.

There's one kind of person God looks at with those three characteristics humble means God wherever you and I disagree you're right and I'm wrong contrite means. I recognize that my heart is bad and might lead me astray, look within trembles at my word means God, whatever you say. I'm ready to obey on all issues, whether regarding our sexuality or our opinions or anything that is to be our pastor before God. So in regards to your sexuality. That's the question. Is your pastor before God, humble, contrite and trembling at his word, Rosaria Butterfield, who spoke your door college students a couple weeks ago or taught by the way is up on the website. If you if you were unable to be here for Rosaria Butterfield was a practicing lesbian for years, a tenured professor of women's studies in Syracuse University before coming to faith in Christ in our lives right here in and then the Raleigh-Durham area on.

She said the core issue is never sexual. The core issue is the attitude toward God behind our sexuality. We want to be God. We don't want to be judged. We want to judge. We want to choose what is right. We want to remake reality around our preferences is not homosexuality that condemns it is the sin behind that sin that condemns me say something I want to make sure you don't misunderstand it. No one goes to hell for being a homosexual.

How do I know that you don't go to heaven for me in a heterosexual.

It's not that sin that condemns were condemned for our refusal to submit to God and for an exultation of our sinful desires over his will and that kind of simple hard to be as present in a heterosexual person as it can be in someone that is gay or lesbian. Jesus said that following him means denying yourself.

He said you want to come after me, you gotta deny yourself, take up the cross and follow me. That's not just for gay people regarding your sexuality that is for all of us about everything relevant. Rosaria says it herself, to follow Jesus. Every person must surrender up everything which means all my ideas all my ambitions all my dreams, my opinions and yes even my sexuality. People say what I was born this way and I just cannot change being humble and repentant toward God does not mean that you lose all desires contrary to his will. Repentance means acknowledging that were you and God disagree God is writing you need to change it back with what it means to have a contrite heart is recognize that your heart is not right and you still got desires that are wrong based on what God says and thus you are not looking and that you haven't lost theirs desires someone says as well as change even possible. Let's go back to first Corinthians little Paul says, and that is what some he says of you were but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God, washed means that her guilt has been removed, sanctified means that we were set apart for God and his purposes justified means that the penalty for our sin has been canceled because it was paid in full, but there is not anything in their about all your simple desires disappearing when you trust Christ.

Can God heal that part of you. Of course he can, but not every broken thing in our lives gets healed immediately. Richard Hayes again over at Duke University says in the answer to the question of can someone sexual desires change lies in what he calls the already not yet dimension of the kingdom of God. Now don't lose me here. This is not as it is very easy content to get you Yorty understand it there is already not yet dimension to God's inauguration of his kingdom. When you accept Christ Jesus has already begun the process of new life and you and you already experience some of its power but there is a not yet dimension to Jesus is kingdom to which means that some of our ultimate healing is yet to come.

You can see that displayed in Jesus's miracles right Jesus would often feel blindness as a sign that one day in his kingdom there would be no physical blind right but that doesn't mean that every single Christian has their blindness healed. The moment they become a Christian. Not that some of that we are waiting to happen in eternity in the same way. Coming to Jesus does not automatically remove all your simple cravings from you. I know of alcoholics.

For example, who said that upon coming to Jesus. They were released from that addiction. I know of many other alcoholics who struggle with that for the rest of their lives and so to take greater caution to not be in a place where they could destroy themselves. I can look in my own heart and see things that I asked Jesus to heal me from and he has done it. I am a changed man but there are other things that I continue to struggle with. I already have the power at work in me, but some of my healing is yet to come. Paul said, even though the power of new life is in me the apostle you know I got the power of new life already in me. I still see every moment in my physical body.

The law of sin that is constantly trying to take me back there as long as I had this body I'm gonna have that temptation to go back in the sin. When you apply this thinking to sexuality Richard Hayes says that means that when someone comes to Christ. There are some who, sexual orientation, God transforms like Rosaria Butterfield to be a great example. Others he allows to struggle so that they can be a testimony to God sustaining grace in struggle.

You think I might even say that's his normal way when the reasons I say that it is John Newton who wrote this song we love to sing amazing Grace. Nearly 300 years ago, John knew not told you my favorite one my favorite books is a collection of letters that he wrote of the course of his ministry and my favorite letter in that book is a letter he wrote when he was 84 years old to a friend and he told his friend that I thought that by this point in my life I would have progress farther and become a godly man I have is that I thought that I 84 out of left a lot of these old temptations behind me. He submitted 84 years old.

Some of the simple passions had not only not died away. They have gotten stronger in the and 84 years old is in it.

First, that used to really really discourage me is what now I realize that what God is done is he is left these things in this physical body so that until my dying breath I could be absolutely sure that my acceptance is not based on the fact that I become righteous. My acceptance is based on the fact that Jesus paid it all for me that it's amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me to God's grace in your life might not be automatically changing that desire God's grace might be his enablement for you to struggle against it faithfully for the rest of your life with the assurance that you are in Christ washed sanctified in justified that he no longer hold your sins against you. As far as the east is from the west. That's how far he's removed your transgressions from you and though you and I have a body that is plagued by sin, and though I am still not sure at all how God looks at me and sees me as righteous. I know that his acceptance is not based on how righteous I become. It's based on what Jesus did in my place and gave me as a gift.

I've been asked by gay friend before they said what got done change my desires and God does not give me a desire for merits of the opposite sex.

Are you saying I must always be alone was enough for first two weeks were about. It was about confronting the myth that marriage makes for a complete life. The reason there are a lot of people who think that is because we the church propagate a myth that the complete life is the married life must be not marriage. Not ever to be complete bull we saw that God has other ways of giving you companionship and even offspring. And there are many people that just aren't given a desire for the opposite sex and then wrong with that. Paul calls that a gift in fact in first Corinthians 7.

There a lot of people who don't even like to hang out with the opposite sex. They prefer to hang out with people. The same sex and that's okay to. They can have deep nonsexual companionship with people of the same sex and what that means is that if you are not somebody that has a heterosexual attraction. And God calls you to a single life by not giving you a desire for fervor that kind of marriage he'll give you the empowerment to do it joyfully because they live the abundant life does not come from your marital status. The abundant life comes from the God who possesses you and walks with you every step of the way. By the way in saying that I realize if some of you that feels like a heavy cross to bear, and I do not want to take away from that because I know you're like oh it's easy if you stand here and say that you and your marriage, and for kids. I understand that what I know is that every cross becomes light when Jesus shoulders it with you. That's why he said coming to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. It's not that the yoke is actually easier. The bird is actually light is that Jesus shoulders it with you and of the abundant life is not gonna come from a situation to put you in the abundant life come from the fact that he said I will never leave you or forsake you.

And I migration you is greater than anything that you walk through in life that leads me to question number three how do I love my gay friend had all of my gay friend.

Again, we look to first Corinthians chapter 6, verse 11. Now Paul says, and that is what some of you were so short answer the question, how I love my gay friend.

I love him or her as a fellow center.

We often say the ground is level at the foot of the cross which means maybe three practical things as means.

It means A. You don't judge them you don't judge them more. Does that mean last year we unpacked what Jesus meant when he said Judge not lest you be judged. I told you this is one of the common versus people know is in the Bible. That's the average on the street 92 versus this is always one of them, Bill Marr, the Eskimos in the Bible is the first thing he brings up if you remember this action showed you that we got done a Google search. The Bible says not to in the Google auto field for me and this is what came up with is a screenshot of the Bible says and what not eat pork somewhere.

The Bible says not to judge number two ding ding Bible says not to get tattoos bottles are not to worry. The Bible says not to eat them like nominal by Weary no one in the southern Baptist when I grew up where we ate all the time going Jesus was happy with it but but whatever is me.

I told you Judge not lest you be judged. Can't mean that we never tell somebody what they're doing is wrong.

The reason we know it can't mean that is because Jesus spent his entire life correcting error and he commands us to be clear in his word as well. Yet even though Jesus was clear about what was right and wrong. He said I'm not judging the world.

So how was he clear about what's right and wrong saying you're wrong and get not judging the world. It's because after telling us the truth. What did Jesus do the broadest close, he made us sinners. His friends, and here's what we said you judge someone not when you assess their position. You judge them when you dismiss them as a person is not telling someone the truth that judges them is what you do after you tell them the truth that determines whether or not you are judging them as judging assumes that you are righteous and their guilty to guilty them. Need to get away from righteous you. You can never do that. What that means.

On this issue is that when somebody disagrees with us or somebody comes out. We don't push them away ever withdraw them close.

Here's a statement I gave you what you think about deeply. We have to love our gay neighbor more than we love our position on sexual morality.

We have to love our gay neighbor more than we love our position on sexual morality. I do not mean by that that we give up our conviction.

I mean, that our relationship with them must not be contingent upon their agreeing with us.

One example of that. You see Jesus on the cross, who would not back down. For the law of God one bit. But when it came into conflict with us sinners, he stretched out his arm and he died a doubt that we were supposed to die so that he could uphold the law of God save us at the same time you say you must say I love you more than I love being right and so even if you don't see things my way to keep bringing you close and I'm to remain committed to you. This is where the Christian community has so badly failed to live out Jesus's ministry. The church ought to be the safest place on the planet for a teenager was same-sex attraction to reveal that are to come out to sinners always save exposing their hearts to Jesus does not mean that we consent or agree that just means we never turn away and we never stop loving, we never stop growing them close and we church we must be the biggest abacus against biggest advocates against discrimination and abuse against the gay community and where we have not church. We must repent and some of you have been the victims of that abuse. Tragically, often it was on the name of Jesus that was not Jesus level Satan dressed up in Jesus's close because that is not what Jesus was at the same time as we not judge them. B.

We must love them enough to tell them the truth.

We have a love enough to tell the truth like Paul does here in first grade insects.

What you think about this in first Corinthians 6 Nine is true that those who openly practice a gay and lesbian lifestyle will not inherit the kingdom of God. What is the only loving thing that you can do I have to love warn you against anything that will keep you from joy in God. People sometimes ask me what if your son when they declares that he's gay. I cannot imagine a human being that I love more than my son. But if I love him. I really love him. I will tell him what God's word says plainly. If not, I am not loving him and I hope I hope that in that moment I can teach them to like his daddy come to the feet of Jesus, broken and repentant boat as broken men who need a Savior both repentant total wickedness in our hearts that we have no way of overcoming my son was born with a proclivity toward same-sex behavior and I was born with a proclivity toward anger, pride, deceit, and unfaithfulness. Well, we both need to be born again.

Jesus said if you come to me if any man is in Christ, he or she is a new creation. All things are passed away. All things are become new. The only thing missing the only thing that will put you outside of God's grace is refusing to acknowledge your brokenness in Jesus's Lordship. It's not sin that ever keeps us from God is our sense of rightness our refusal to acknowledge he is right. That's what keeps us outside of God's grace. But if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, whatever they are to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Come unto me all you who labor, not straight people who labor but all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest because the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercy, never comes to an end. As far as the east is from the West. That's how far he has removed our transgressions from us and as high as the heavens are above the earth. That's how great his love is for those who know him. One of my son and I don't agree about this issue will then I'll do by God's grace with Jesus that I won't judge him. I will send him away. I will keep bringing him close, but I will warn him that the Bible says that a day of judgment is coming when a righteous judge, will sit on the throne and hold us all to account for all that he has said when we push someone away. After speaking the truth. We have failed to represent our Savior.

But when we say peace, peace, and there is no peace. We have failed as the faithful heralds of God's word that he has told us to be C we show them a greater love.

We show them a greater love. So we talked about throughout the series are sexual desires go down to the core of who we are. Our souls are thirsty… Starving for love. We find insects something that goes down and gives us this love which we crave have heard it said this wastes we often think that sex is the answer sex is not the answer. If anything sex is the question below that you and I need is not the love of another human being the love you and I need is the love of God. You see we are all captives to sin because of the absence of the love of God in our life and it is only the love of God that sets us free from our captivity to sin. That's probably most clearly illustrated in John chapter 8. The clearest example of how Jesus deals with people in the midst of sexual sin. In John chapter 8, a woman is brought to Jesus was caught in the very act of adultery and all those who brought her say, the law says she ought to be stone.

She ought to be killed. Jesus looked at them and says what is now famous bill to them and says will of him who is without deferred without sin cast the first stone.

One by one they all dropped the rocks in the ground and I'll go home. Then Jesus and the woman the only one standing there.

He actually was without sin that he looks at her and says what are you doing, neither do I condemn you go and sin no more.

I told you what is amazing to me about that statement is not that he said it, it's the order that he said it in because I will most always reverse those two phrases when you if you go and sin no more. Then I won't condemn you but Jesus. Listen put her acceptance before change.

If not that he didn't tell her to change the total go and sin no more, but he put her acceptance before her changed because he knew she would never have the power to change until she had the assurance of his acceptance. It is the power of his acceptance that gives you the ability to be free of sin.

God's acceptance of you is not based on you having right desires. Jesus paid the penalty for your acceptance. He did it in a basement of the what you are not you, not accepted because of what you've done your accepted because of what he did that he watched you and sanctified you and justified you to his work on your behalf and not your work for him to limits of sexual sin, of whatever kind God says do you just like he said to this woman, I never stopped loving you never not in your darkest moment, not in your darkest desire on the cross.

I took everything about you that made you unacceptable in the rocks of judgment got pummeled in the my body not yours, and I died for all of them Jesus last words on the cross to us were not to fix yourself. His last words were, it is finished is not good for yourself and come back to me when you're ready. It's I will fix you and that I've died for you and that I will accept you on my behalf and not yours. And when you believe that when you believe it in him you are washed in your sanctified, which means that he is accepted you and set you apart for his purposes that you are justified, which means the penalty of your sin debt has been paid in full.

That's what breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free UCR message or messages not simply stop sexual sin are messages you hold the extravagant grace of your God because his is a greater love to visit you that this is you, he doesn't define you by your sexual desires. Thank God it undefined is by any thing that is about us or our mistakes. He defines us by what he has made us as his child.

He if you let him you can be washed, sanctified and justified in Christ found in the me tell you that if you're struggling with this issue. You need to remember that sexual ethics is what is at the beginning are not the center of Christianity to say this because I want you to hear this. That's actual quote from CS Lewis come from the book mere Christianity was discussing subtle ethics in the middle the chapter's office visits really bother you. Can you just not handle this right now. He said and spun it for a while because the center of Christianity of the Lordship in the grace of Jesus Christ.

You might need to plan this for a while and what you might need to really wrestle with is who is Jesus and what he come to do and what is his love for you like to see what I can tell you is that God's grace and his infinite love and acceptance is here for you, but you have to receive it. John 112 as many as received him, is to them he gave the power to become children of God, to those who believe on his name, not to those who behave correctly but to those who believe God makes you his child not based on what you do with some effect you receive like a gift. Receive means acknowledge him as the Lord receive means that you receive the grace that is bestowed on your behalf to you believers, here's what I'll tell you we have to let the cross shape how we engage this issue.

We have to be full of grace and truth. Be faithful to what God says we gotta be full of grace, so that, as were faithful that we never push away like Jesus when he told the truth and the stress at his hands and a Mountain Dew across what comes out of his mouth. Father forgive them for they know not what they do. By God's grace we can't back down like Jesus didn't back down.

But when they nail our hands to across mobile comes out of her mouth is not God's judgment is coming. The father forgive them for they know not what they do.

And if God's righteousness in your sin, intersect, letter, intersect in my death because I want you to know that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief and I want you to know. Romans 1013, that whosoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved, not whosoever, the straight community but whosoever whosoever, for the same Lord. Paul says, Romans 1011 is Lord and all who call upon him. There is no difference and that you will agree to the black and white of the ridge of the bore the arm of the older religious irreligious that day or the straight there is one Lord over all. There is one kind of person center. There is one kind of Savior, and that is Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world, not the straight part of the world but the world that he gave his only son so that whosoever not strike, whosoever, but whosoever would believe in him, he would give eternal life to what separates you from God's grace is not the kind of your sin is not the depth of your sin simply that you and I won't want to receive him.

You have your issue. I have my if you, humble and contrite repented trembling at his word, he will save you. I close with this letter from another young man in our church who wrote me recently to tell me about his journey with same-sex attraction.

Listen to this Duke University seated when I came to Summit church three years ago I heard you preach on the cross and you explain that Jesus took away all of my guilt and my shame by bearing in himself that I was not just forgiven. I was made to her by the blood of Christ and then for the first time it made sense.

My same-sex desires don't define me. My identity is now built on something much greater.

Jesus in my place. God knew me from before the foundation of the world. He knew my sin. He knew of my struggles would be any still chose to send his son to live the perfect life.

I could never live and die the death that I deserve on the cross he traded places with me. He took my sin and my shame.

And he gave me his place of righteousness before the father. Now even with my same-sex desire. I am in Christ and I am a new creation.

I began to see my struggle with same-sex attraction. Listen as a way for me to draw closer to Christ as a way for me to see my own sinfulness and be driven even more to treasure the gospel to treasure the fact that in Christ. I am fully known and fully log in. The thought then of eternity became so much sweeter knowing that one day even if I struggle in this world for the rest of my life with same-sex desire.

One day I will be with my Savior and then finally completely free from sin forever.

All that is to say thank you for being relentlessly committed to the gospel. I improve that faithfulness to the gospel in this area is crucial because in a fragile time in my life when everybody else was. Tell me something different when I could of been driven to despair or to an abandonment of the Christian faith altogether.

I heard I submitted to and I treasure the gospel and I thank you in the Summit church for your role in that this is a message of eternal implications said why you picking on this. I'm not picking on this is not what we talk about all the time but it is right now the only thing that our culture celebrates the God says those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of heaven and you will not, God has appointed to be his representatives which means we have to be full of grace and truth.

And if we fail to say clearly what God has said clearly God tells us in Ezekiel 33 eight when I say to somebody, you will surely die you will be judged for that and you don't tell them that the diner sin but I will hold you accountable for their blood. Some churches put us here is what is here this time to put it here be popular, but is it a get rich role you church people is here to be faithful about God's ways are to be faithful and they that young man stored be multiplied a thousand times over because there is salvation to all who believe what you believe. You must repent, and you must come to Christ because there is no greater infinite grace. But there is no grace apart from repentance sponsored by your hands.

If you would. Maybe somebody right now is coming to mind choosing to pray for. I invite you to do that is pray for this person.

Maybe this is you you me to say because you have homosexual desire. You need to say because you are a sinner just like me. Jesus is paying the debt of your centiseconds paid mine.

Jesus is Lord of you dislike the Lord of me if you will. Right now, surrender, and believe receive him the right to become a child of God is right now receiving just a moment, our pastors be down front here at the end of the service, like they always are we to bite you every campus, told one of them was pray with God, help us to be clear, help us to be full of grace, humble and trim literature word I pray in Jesus name