Jesus and the Gay Debate

Is Jesus on the subject of the usual title is. This is the third message of the savings on Jesus on gender. Previously we thought of Jesus on marriage and then last week, Jesus and divorce and this week it is Jesus and the gay debate, Lord willing. Next Sunday will think of Jesus on the LGBT Q plus and then week following will think of Jesus transgender is him there.

We are not I can possibly cover every dimension of the shoot subject.

We will continue it next week and I approach the subject. Not as a social scientist as of this late, not as a psychologist or politician but as a follower of Jesus, and as a preacher of the gospel in my previous life. Life is Scottish attorney. I both prosecuted and defended individuals who were charged with crimes stemming from their homosexuality and as a pastor over the years I have counseled those with with same-sex attractions of counseled homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals, and many others have come to me, deceit seat, spiritual counsel, so I'm well aware of the pain and the struggle of many, including some in this congregation who struggle with same-sex tendencies.

Same-sex attractions and even same-sex behavior, let me say this is absurd before whoever you are, whatever you've done. You're welcome I tell the church we began by reminding ourselves of God's mercy of his grace God is a gracious God, and each one of us is wonderful to know when you think is individually and personally today that you are made in the image of God.

I am made in the image of God and as we are created assuming beings in the image of God. Each one of us is created to glorify God.

We often forget that we get so absorbed in our own little lives but think of this are made in the image of God and you are created to glorify God in the glorious message of the gospel, and it is a glorious message is that God loves you, whoever you are a God loves you and loves me and he sent his son into this world to deliver us to save us that Jesus Christ came to die on the cross for the sins of the world is the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world is so powerful that he rose again and is alive and this God who made you who created you, this God who loves you this God who sent his son into this world to die for you is a God who has a plan for your life when you do understand. Also want to say to foundational truths firmly believe that Calvary church that I firmly believe is a preacher of the gospel and which are foundational to the series. First of all, that Jesus Christ is Lord over all of life when he was resurrected before his essential said all authority has been given to me in heaven and on so that our Lord Jesus Christ is Lord over all of life and that means that every aspect and I mention of our lives, including our sexuality must be brought under his Lordship God who made you your image.

God is your creator and we had a tangible to him one day each one of us will stand before God is irrelevant along time to live well.

That may well be the case you may die today regarding tomorrow. COBIT has reminded us of the uncertainty and the gravity of life. Each one of us made by God accountable to God and will stand before God and God has exalted his son is wonderful son as Lord over all, and therefore all followers of Jesus and many of us here was they were following Jesus away all followers of Jesus, then must submit to his Lordship, so that's the first thing I'd like to say as we approach the subject. Secondly, we believe that this book, the Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God. It is not.

I thought it.

It is our guy in our life and practice for followers of Jesus, please listen this is very important truth is revealed truth does not find within your truth is not find by getting together and working outside some kind of consensus we firmly believe that truth is revealed by God that God has spoken, and he speaks clearly and he spoken in his word that means for followers of Jesus Christ out experiences and will have them our feelings and will of them our viewpoints and opinions are psychological well-being yes and our desire for personal happiness must all come under the Lordship of Christ the Lord is our authority is not your experience you have them your authority day is not your opinion other thought. It is not what is going on in the culture authority is not what our politicians are saying on the Supreme Court is the siding of Congress is the siding and some kind of legislation. Truth is revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ.

We must submit to his Lordship and we must humbly submit to Scripture and God's plan for marriage and gender does not involve to accommodate our secular or political or social or personal agendas. Some people seem to think this that we have a kind of God that we can control that we could manipulate that we can create a God in our image.

Who is going to accommodate us to our view of life and desires here then is the central question I want you to think of this are marriage divorce, same-sex attractions, Jen transgender is him etc. on these mainly matters of personal preference or do God's commands and his design have to be followed.

That's a question you have to face is your sexuality in a matter of your personal preference and desire is your sexuality, something that you are going to work out yourself and make your own decisions are. Are you going to submit to what God has said, and his plan and design for your life. That's I think is a critical question that all of us in space. I want to explain why am preaching on the subject because someone said what are you preaching on this.

John, I want to give a biblical perspective. Next week I'm going to deal with some of the specific biblical texts on the subject of LGBT Q plus. But first I want to read Matthew chapter 19 verses one through six. Because this series sends him because I want to preach on the subject.

In actual fact, I don't, but because they arise clearly from the teaching of Jesus. And as I was setting it is thought of do one message on it than I thought I would do to and I told Tim Hathaway as he arranges the worship the first of all, is going to do a couple of messages. Then I said nominative far and have ended up doing six so there we are. Matthew chapter 19 we haven't had what I said David. So don't particularly right so many American people clap before you say living in Scotland. We rarely clap and we often move so is my move to America wonderful country must chapter 19 verse one know Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan on large clouds followed him, and he healed them there and Pharisees come up to him and tested them by asking, is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause without of this last week Jesus and divorce. He answered this a brilliant answer. You no rights. We do not know your Bible, do not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer to but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. I want to state in addition to dealing with this tax, which is the main reason I am dealing with the subject. Why am preaching on the subject of the Gay debates that I four main reasons. First, to provide a biblical response to the increasing strident and persuasive voice of the gay lobby followers of Jesus who believe the Bible is the word of God. We have not changed our view on the subject, the Lord taught this 2000 years ago, and as he himself said, his teaching in Matthew chapter 19 regarding marriage regarding God creating us male and female that goes right back from creation. So for thousands of years people who believe the word of God have accepted this view, so we followers of Christ we who believe the inspired word of God.

We have not change views but were not bombarded and weight with the view that the players that homosexuality not only should be allowed, but it should be applauded and that it is in fact normal behavior. In fact, we have captured this word is gay the gay lobby. As we all know is very very powerful has been very successful in promoting its social and political agendas including teaching in our schools were not told that homosexuality and lesbianism are perfectly acceptable. They are good there viable alternatives to the straight lifestyle and that they must be affirmed by all of us. They tell us the gay marriage is all about love is all about acceptance is all about happiness hundred and 1B again that we you be against love you be against people being happy.

Should we just accept everyone many days then see their sexual preferences, and the lifestyle as the way in which they view themselves take that name. I am gay. I am trance Scripture makes it very clear that we as human beings are much more than a sexuality. It's true, we are sexual beings but were much more than our sexuality and we don't define ourselves in terms of her sexuality to your programs, talk shows, movies implicitly and explicitly present the so-called gay lifestyle and viewpoint venture.

Those who disagree often tried to be silenced and it seems that some people believe that freedom of speech is only for those who agree with their viewpoint.

You notice this followers of Jesus. We must not be silent in declaring the truth of Christ and displaying the love of Christ as the two law was given by Moses. John says, but grace and truth came through our Lord Jesus Christ, so we who are followers of Jesus we are to present the truth but would also display the love of Christ you notice in the media than those who had pro-gay are portrayed as enlightened and progressive in the opposition of country viewpoint is labeled as bigoted. We would bigoted prejudice where homophobic. Therefore, I believe a biblical response is necessary under three common beliefs that are propagated by the gay lobby that I want to refutes please I want to say that maybe another point. First of all, they say that homosexuality is in barn. Some people are born with blue eyes. Some people are born gay were told well. The research is that science is backing off from claiming that there is a genetic cause for homosexuality that is no single gay gene that is no genetic test that you can have, to see whether or not you're going to end in a same-sex relationship. What is true is that every single one of us has sinful desires and these sinful desires manifest themselves in always. This is true, we as human beings we are fallen. The Bible tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God in a sense what all myself created to glorify God, but we pursue out on sinful desires and the fact that you're inclined to pursue a certain behavior doesn't mean that that behavior is good all right is a fatal mistake is in the logical say to say that because you have a desire to do something that must be good and that must be right now people are not born gay and sexual orientation is much more complicated than genetic factors can imagine someone some people are born quite aggressive. We scouts are none with aggressive people really like the fights we like to argue. We are part of our DNA, but if I punch her nose because you disagree with this and I just say well that's just the way I made I I'm an aggressive person and I don't like people who disagree with me and I punch you in the nose that does it make a right doesn't even if it's true that I is an individual or barn as an aggressive person or someone is born very passive, were born we are made, and every single one of us a sinful desires and with our sexuality.

God made us a sexual beings that sexuality and the sexual desires and those are so strong that they often lead us astray so we review the put the proposition that homosexuality is inborn. Secondly they say that homosexuality is unchangeable were told that homosexual people and lesbian people was with same-sex attractions and those who indulge in same-sex behavior that they can change. Therefore it's wrong to try and change them.

In fact, it may be done right cruel to expect them to change. Just as someone can change the color of their eyes so people can change that homosexuality if that is true, except that he sighed proposition is that we as human beings are like some kind of precut predetermined programs. No human beings are people who make choices. And who can exercise self control.

You are not a machine you're not a computer you are not a predetermined Robert that some of your born in a certain way and you can change your behavior.

That's very sad isn't it to think of human beings like no set layer personalities and backgrounds, environmental factors, the home we come from, may well make us susceptible to certain temptations, but man doesn't accuse her conduct and assume human beings that we have different temptations. I've never been tempted to go to the casino and I gamble on two frugal with my money. I don't want to throw it away. That is never a temptation to be, but I know some people are very tempted to gamble and it takes over the life.

Would you say to that person and very sad. This is the way you make God major that God predetermined you as a gambler God predetermined you is an alcoholic God predetermined you as a gay person. Surely not the said in the beginning God made us in our in his image and is true because of sin, that image is scarred and marked, but God created us as people with the capacity to choose today. You can choose to be kind and generous to the large contribution the Calvary church or you can choose to be mean and self you can go home today and to be kind to your wife to your children to your friends for your brothers and sisters. You can choose to be mean is not right made like that and we make choices and we can exercise self-control. We are not relevance and is true. All of us. Every single one of us here desires for things that God forbids when did you last read the 10 Commandments. A number of them say what the child why is that the command because we want to do certain things that shall not steal, but shall not covet thy shalt not murder, but shall not commit adultery. These are clear commands of God. Why because as sinful human beings with tempted to do sinful things and temptations in the sexual area is one of the most common temptations in our study of Matthew would be learning to be a follower of Jesus we are Jesus as first thing the more there was the nine self oh I want to affirm myself. I want to be my own cake. Most of Jesus during follow me. You must deny so that snow the self that implicit in that there's a recognition that we as human beings want to go out on the way to do it. One thing to fulfill it on sinful desires and Jesus is saying no to follow me in the deny self, take up your cross and follow me. And Jesus always leads us in the paths of righteousness. Jesus never ever ever is going to lead you into sinful conduct. Homosexuality is important. No, homosexuality is unchangeable.

No, homosexuality is benign. It's all right something wrong with it to learn to click next week. It is against God's commands. Therefore those who don't repent those who don't believe in the gospel will experience God's judgment is true of us all. God said no and you want to see. Yes, also, that are inherent risks in pursuing a homosexual lifestyle study show that homosexuality homosexuals generally have a shorter life span than heterosexuals, but homosexuals are, the greater risk for AIDS and hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases, and so on. So first reason for preaching on this is to provide a biblical response to the increasing strident and persuasive voice of the gay lobby. Secondly, it is the signed warning warning, no preachers today. We would were told fight someone tell us there were always to be positive or the Bible is not like that is, the Bible gives warning's the preachers of the gospel of the warnings this the sign to sign the warning will learn from the Scriptures next week, but homosexuality, lesbianism is sinful.

It is unnatural and is condemned by God's that's a strong statement.

It is sinful is unnatural and is condemned by God. And although many people strongly maintain that his behavior is good and acceptable and doesn't alter the clear teaching of God's work. What we so weary yes as an individual you can choose certain lifestyles, you can go your own way. God has made you and is gives us the great privilege that were not Roberts would not machines that inheritance in humanity and being a person as opposed to an animal's that were made in the image of God and have a capacity to choose and you want to go your own way and I want to go my own way right from the beginning was and that God created Adam and Eve in this little paradise you got it all but there's just one thing, there is one tree I don't want you to eat, and the devil says that God really say that you really can be as God. You can experiment a little bit. You can imagine what is going to be to try that and right from Adam and Eve right down to you today is that same temptation is particularly with our sexuality. Why don't you try that you tempted to experiment with your sexuality you who would dare to say no you tempted here is a warning sign. The one known do not students. When you say your sexuality is a beautiful gift from God. God's a good is a great God is good, good things that God gives us is that it makes us as sexual beings. This is a very beautiful gift and is a very powerful gift, but because of that it can be misused and can be views that can be exploited but something which is very precious. You got to take care of occasionally unbeknown to to buy some nice jewelry for my wife give it to. I don't expect her to win it when she goes out into the yard to dig up some dirt. No, something which is of value. You take care love you treated with respect.

You all know it's because it's a costly beautiful gift sent students, but in fact all of us remember this is a beautiful gift and because of that it can be exploited young students young woman say remember one stopping me right here is is working out one day and said pastor to the Christian be a lesbian here was a young woman professing follower of Jesus Christ going through personal difficulty in some friend comes in, puts her arm around her shoulders and she gets comfort for that and then someone whispers in the rear.

What that means that your allies been no it does not at this moment is nothing wrong with having close friends of your own sex God gives us the money I woman of courses much better than the mind is a wedding comforting a woman. That doesn't mean you're a lesbian but we have to understand that there are sexual predators around their sexual predators who seek to trap boys and young men their sexual predators who seek to obtain sexual gratification from girls and young women be worn. Be careful parents plead with you. Be very careful who your children have sleepovers with you say well we know the family. Be careful, careful what they may watch. Be careful what we go on, do you really know what goes on that house. I would tell you the harder stories of her dress and so-called Christian homes through a Christian family, allowing the sun or their daughter to have a sleepover in someone's home and for that to be abused in a sexual way. Check out very very carefully who your children your students spend time with C.

Fact is younger and younger children in their schools are being exposed to the gay agenda. Some educators have an agenda to indoctrinate children and students.

That being gay is normal and acceptable Christian parents need to be worn. This is going on in our society. Don't be naïve. You need to speak up at the PTA meeting to speak up at the school board meeting.

You need to reassess where and how children are being educated and carefully monitor what your children are being taught so that the communication is good is of the big talk. Some of this stuff in the school that you can speak with them that you can open the Scriptures and tell them God's truth on this area. We need to send a warning third, I want to provide a response to the use of some churches pastor Pearson his prayer after the baptism was praying for a country and acknowledging the downward shift in our country.

One of the biggest problems is because of her churches get over the problem comes in the church doesn't usually come from the pew comes from the pulpit. Many churches, many denominations have bought into the homosexual and lesbian viewpoint spoken with some pastors they they they rejoice in that they think this is very good living.

This is very cool. Several churches ordain practicing homosexuals in lesbians and probably officiate at the so-called gay marriages are side churches which are called to be the pillar and support of the truth have enough being attempt to be cool and relevant of compromise. The standards of God. No wonder our nation is in such a mess when we have many many churches who have really marginalized in some case silence the clear teaching of Scripture on the subject seem to be more concerned with being politically correct and biblically correct. Instead of being counterculture to become a pitiful reflection of the surrounding culture. God's word is denied.

This marginalized assignment. Sometimes I thank God this church is committed to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. My view is this.

If we say as many churches do well that teaching on homosexuality that's outdated look at the text next week. You can decide it's outdated.

Things have changed, though the Holy Spirit has led us in another direction is as one pastor from one of these churches told me that the truth is involved. It is true, it is written there. But no God. God is trying to change over the years God has not changed. I don't want to God to changes then could you depend on that God critical to who God is that he is immutable. Malachi Woody I God, I change not Hebrew says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. Usually one on evolving God. Do you really want a God who changes. Do you really want a small God empathetic God is going to change his character and his plans and his purposes to accommodate Western civilization that we can live the way we like what kind of God is that what kind of church does that say I'm amazed that some people continue insert in such searches. So, provide a response to the views of these churches for threes, no one to speak on this is to give hope to those struggling with homosexuality and lesbianism and we as pastors we as leaders are privileged women, people who have these struggles and sexually it is without sin, homosexuality or lesbianism or some other struggle in their sexual lives. We are privileged as pastors republish as a church, the people come here you come here and that we can point you to Jesus Christ as followers of Jesus we are called to speak the truth in love, we are to show compassion as well as conviction.

I'm aware that some professing Christians show hostility towards homosexuals there are in caring or partial and of noxious weed very very strongly disassociate ourselves with any such behavior and attitudes that kind of attitude against people who struggle in these areas is the very antithesis of Christianity, our Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the loss. We must never ever forget that all of us have sins and all of us struggle and the fact that you were struggle may be different from someone else's doesn't mean that you can be the judge. All of us come short, all of us are guilty of sinful attitudes and thoughts and deeds. I think it was. I think it was Billy Graham and said how easy it is to condemn sins that you're not yourself tempted with that's true for some, their sins, maybe in this area of their sexuality. Some other form of the modality for others. The sin may be self-righteousness, covetousness, greed probably intervened in the gospel of Matthew in a few weeks that the Lord's great denunciation is against the Hyde Park essay and the self-righteousness of the Pharisees.

That's a great sin and how easy it is to excuse this sin and ourselves and to condemn those who struggle with sins that we ourselves don't the gospel of Jesus Christ that reminded is a message of hope. Our world needs. Hope that I speak with people more and more I see that many people are living without hope that black hole is a well-run date know their lives are messed up under their struggling and we as the church of Jesus Christ are not there to condemn them and to judge them, but to tell them to look up to Christ. The repent of their sin and to cry to Jesus Christ's. This is a message of forgiveness a message of grace a message of hope message of hope that Jesus Christ came to save sinners he came to save you and we are sinners. When he came to save you and he came to save me the chiefest of sinners struggling with same-sex attractions struggling with same-sex conduct struggling with heterosexual attractions single trying to live a holy life is difficult, and married struggling in some way attracted to someone else's wife for her husband when he did note very interesting when Jesus comes market records at the beginning of his public ministry. You know what he says repent and believe the gospel and believe in the gospel since everyone repent. Knowledge of sin. Stop looking at other people acknowledge that you are the center of the Sardis your concern and you and your relationship with God.

The chiefest of sinners and you see the send in your own life and you repent of that you confess that before a holy God. And then you look to Christ for the beautiful and glorious Lord Jesus Christ who loves you and cares for you dying for you and call it to him and he will save you and he'll transform your and you'll be able to live a life according to his purposes to Christ as a way of life of joy, of hope and life everlasting ask you to look at verse four of Matthew 19. As we close the remind you that God created to sexually distinct human beings.

This is so God created to sexually distinct human beings. Matthew 19 – four have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, both male and female are created in the image of God at creation. Then we see the equality of the sexes both made in the image of God. But we also see the differences we are created sexual beings is a clear distinction between male and female were equal but were different. This is the divine design male and female were created to procreate. Genesis 1 verse 28.

27 first chapter of Genesis, God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him male and female he created them.

And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue its there we have it obviously same-sex relationships cannot procreate our sexual function has been defined by God as not as male male as female female.

By this male female seems so obvious it hardly needs stating, but with the stated and to legitimize that homosexual conduct would require rewriting of the Genesis account in the teaching of Jesus.

So we have in our schools, at least in some schools the other absurdity that teacher is not to address students as boys and girls, where are we in our society have we lost our minds or teachers telling students that they can choose their own gender. Little Johnny comes in his eyes.

I know Joan that we have to applaud this. We see this as an attack on God's design. Satan four years has been a tactic attacking the family and now he's attacking our children God created us male and female heterosexual gender is a creation by God. It is God's design and human sexuality is to be expressed only in marriage is a side a couple weeks ago. God's plan for marriage is a man and a woman in a monogamous permanent union Paul in Ephesians 5 likens the relationship of Christ and his church to the relationship of the husband and wife are wonderful. Think of that same-sex union makes a mockery of that holy relationship between Christ and his church over followers of Jesus all sex outside of marriage is sinful. This includes fornication and adultery, incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, human sexuality is only to be expressed in marriage relationship between a man and a woman. You think we are wiser than God. If you choose to go your own way.

As you may itself path of brokenness, despair, guilt being used.

I speak to people who've gone the path of sexual promiscuity and end up feeling very shameful, dirty, use the devil never ever tells you the end result that the devil time shoot with the best no you do that will be wonderful and it is wonderful but just for the moment. The deeper you go into it, the less the pleasure and the more the guilt and the shame and the feeling of being used. Follow God's design is a path of choice. A path of holiness is a path of wonderful security to know that you're in this marriage with this person who loves you and cares for you. This is God's design, America has been great because America has been good. But no, we see don't we had the worst trend in this area away from God away from his work. Edmund Burke said evil triumphs when good men do nothing we cannot do nothing. We must send on God's truth, not because I like preaching on the subject. I don't we need to stand firm involving to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and accepting the clear teaching of Scripture. Irrespective of the strong voices, accusing those who dare to disagree with the homosexual agenda is homophobic, bigoted, and prejudice brothers and sisters. We must stand firm in Scripture.

If we give way on this. What will we give way next in the in the midst of the moral and spiritual decline of our nation. The glorious light of Jesus Christ shines. I find some Christians are very depressed by the state of the world. What do you expect we are called to shine as light called to be the light of the world, her sister and was baptized quoted from John 812 Jesus says that he who follows me on the light of the world and he who follows me shall not walk in the darkness, but in the light of life. Don't walk in the tartness don't go against God.

Walk in the light of his life and then Jesus Christ is offered to you, whoever you are, what have you done his grace is forgiveness, love and his mercy that God's grace is always greater in your sin, but object you've never received Christ. You never receive that cleansing, you never experience that purification of your soul as you come to Christ will attenuate no to come humbly to him. He knows all about you will forgive your sins to plunge in and he'll do something which no therapist or psychologist or pastor can do. He'll give you this new power, the power of Christ living in you were going to sing about. This is a new part in the gospel. Not only are you saved and cleansed and forgiven, but Christ comes and indwells you so you have this you power, a power which is greater than the pool of sin, a power to live a life for the glory of God by with me. We thank you father you so love the world that you gave your only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. We thank you that you sent your son into this world not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved in the pre-even though here in the sanctuary. People are being saved.

The look to Christ that they know he came not to judge them not to condemn them but to save them may each of us father before a holy God acknowledge arson and turn to our Savior. We pray and we thank you for this great hope of the gospel, but Christ lives in us, giving us that power in that blessing may receive this living Christ in his name