Six is where we will begin tonight first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 says this do you not know

that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God do not be deceived neither the
sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves
nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God and
such were some of you 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 a school where God together in
prayer tonight and ask his blessing our father in heaven we thank you for the joy that has been
ours today to give you worship to receive the instruction of your word to fellowship together to
encourage and to exhort each other and all the more as we see the day approaching and now
as we open your word together again we ask your blessing upon this time of preaching or die
acknowledge to you and before my brethren my own weakness Lord apart from the strength
that you give apart from the ability that you would grant I can't do this and so I just asked that
tonight you would grant that Lord that you would grant ability as your word goes forth and
together lord we confess that you

Lines and hearts open our understanding so that we can see and grasp and receive and love the
things that we will see in here tonight from scripture or I pray for anyone in this room or
anyone who hears my voice who's not a believer my prayer for them is that Lord you would
save them and I pray that the result of our time in your word tonight would be that your people
are strengthened and encouraged please watch over this time protect it so that Lord I would
say nothing that would grieve your spirit or not be profitable for your people and we ask you to
do this for the sake of your own great name for the sake of your glory and for the good of your
church we pray this in Jesus name
Amen

as most of you know we are in the midst of a study on Sunday evenings of biblical manhood
womanhood marriage and family and for the last several weeks we have laid the foundation to
be able to deal where they particular subject that we must deal with in our culture today as we
talk about the subject of marriage and that is the subject of homosexual behavior what is a
biblical view of homosexual behavior that's what we're going to deal with tonight and I want to
say a few things about it before we see what the word of God says about this behavior first I
want to make clear that we would devote an entire sermon to a subject like this not because
this is the only sin identified by God's word as being worthy of condemnation

you know the Bible teaches that all sin is worthy of death and in fact when the New Testament
gives us lists of sins it characterized those who will not be in the Kingdom of God never does it
isolate homosexuality out unto itself the verses that we just read demonstrate that
homosexuality is mentioned in verse 9 but along with that sin God identifies through Paul the
sexually immoral the idolaters the adulterers the thieves the greedy the drunkards the revivers
the swindlers he says none of these

people who would be characterized characterized by such such sins will inherit the Kingdom of
God so we don't deal with this because it is isolated in scripture now the reason why we would
devote an entire sermon to the subject of homosexuality in a series like this one is because we
are living in a time when that behavior when this kind of behavior is being championed as a civil
rights matter
we're living in a time unlike any before in our culture when the issue of homosexual behavior
represents an opportunity by its advocates to redefine morality to redefine marriage and to
transform not only how the church regards this behavior but how the church reads the Bible
when it comes to this behavior

I want to say that again the advocates of the homosexual agenda are wanting to convince us
but the Bible doesn't really condemn the behavior or if we, if it does it, does so in such a way
that we don't need to take that seriously anymore out of the day and age in which we're living
that's sort of the narrative

doctor Robert Gagnon wrote a book called the Bible and homosexual practice
it's very well researched it I don't agree with everything I've read so far in it but it is it is an
excellent work

and he he notes in the book that he wrote the book at great personal risk when it comes to his
work in the academic profession and yet he wrote it and he offered three generic reasons why
later on he offers some personal reasons why he wrote the book

but he offered three generic reasons for writing the book and I think those three reasons also
represent why we would preach a sermon like this first of all he said he wrote the book because
of the greatest commandment we are commanded to love God with all our hearts minds soul
strength with all that we are and he said this he said I am persuaded that to love God with one's
whole being and to pray for the coming of God rule entails submitting one's pursuit of sexual
pleasure to the revealed will of God to suppose that God does not have much interest in
regulating the human sex drive

one of the most powerful and potentially destructive human impulses is both counterintuitive
and in direct conflict with scripture” we saying if we love God then we submit our desire for
sexual pleasure to his revealed will we submit to what God reveals to be his will then he said
the second reason he wrote the book is the second great commandment

that is to love your neighbor as yourself and he made a very important point using leviticus
1917 that love and reproof are not contrary commitments that we really love people by
reproving people if and when their is destructive

Point using leviticus 1917 that love and reproof are not contrary commitments that we really
love people by reproving people if and when their behavior is destructive leviticus 1917 says
you shall not hate your fellow countrymen in your heart you may surely reprove your neighbor
but shall not incur sin because of him you shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against
the sons of your people but you shall love your neighbor as yourself I am Yahweh
and so right there when he tells us we're to love our neighbor as ourselves when he tells us
we're not to hate our fellow countrymen says this to Israel not to hate their fellow countrymen
in their hearts in the same context he says you may surely reprove your name

in fact I would argue you have responsibility to do that when they're destroying themselves

gagged and writes this he says without a moral compass love is mere mush without taking into
account God's will for holy living love turns into affirmation of self degrading and other
degrading conduct this means that true love of one's neighbor does not embrace every form of
consensual behavior

that's a good point so why devote a book or white devoted sermon to this kind of subject well
because we love God and because we love our neighbor but third he mentioned he did this
because of the urgency of the time we live in

he said quote the window of opportunity for speaking out against homosexual behavior is
closing nothing less than intellectual integrity free speech and a potentially irreversible change
in the morality of mainline denominations are at stake in this vital area of sexual ethics a
growing number of zealous crusaders for gay rights are working hard to stifle vocal
disagreement with the homosexual agenda by fostering a public characterization of those who
refuse to go along as reactionary dangerous characters on par with racists or misogynists even
exerting institutional pressure to fire not hire or license or ****** the promotion vocal
dissenters”
can you see what he's saying do you see that happening in our culture right now
that if you go on record as being one who does not approve of acceptance of homosexual
behavior then all of a sudden you are branded and you are alienated
we had an example of this very recently when a football player

just tweet it as he as he watched Michael Sam who was drafted by the Saint Louis Rams as he
watched Michael Sam kiss another man on ESPN this player tweeted 2 words actually one was
not a word just initials OMG and then he tweeted horrible for that he was fined for that he was
suspended and for that he was told he will not be back on the team until you go through
counseling that is the atmosphere in which we're living right now that's what's going on right
now in our culture but for those three reasons I would offer a fourth while we would devote a
sermon to this subject

it flows out of the first three but but I still would separate it out and that is we are not ignorant
of satan's schemes and we have a love for and a zeal for the spiritual well-being of the next
generation the church must speak the truth of God's word on this subject in order for our
children and our grandchildren to have a clear view of what God in his word says about this

plain and simple if our children listen to the satanic lies they are now fully expressed in the
spirit of the age in our own culture if they listen and they believe the current cultural narrative
on the subject of homosexual behavior here are some things they're going to come to believe
see if you recognize any of these

our children will come to believe that gender identity it's just an accident of nature and that
your true self might be different than what is true of you anatomically so it's true that you're a
male in terms of biology it's true that you're a male or a female in terms of of your body but
that might not be the real you

you might be someone different on the inside and so who you are in terms of nature that's just
an accident you're not a male because God designed for you to be a male you're not a female
because God God's plan for you was to be a female this is just the accident of nature and it's up
to you to figure who you really are

Self cannot be known until each person is free to experiment and to discover for him or herself
how they should identify sexually

I mean experiment try it out just see what fits your fancy the most and then you'll really figure
out who you are it's interesting when you talk about similar things in a different realm the
insanity of that it begins to stand out if one of your children said
hey I know that burner I've been told all my life that it's hot
but mom dad I just like to put my hand on it to find out for myself

what kind of a parent would say sure experiment lay your hand on it find out I think anybody
would agree that that's not a wise parent that's not a loving parent a loving parent says no no
way listen you're going to burn yourself you don't have to experiment to find out that it's
dangerous you can know that it's dangerous just listen to me

what is underestimated in in that argument when it comes to homosexuality is the fact that this
is an in slaving behavior sexual sin in general enslaves people and so when you begin to
experiment with what is deadly and dangerous it's going to hurt you third of our children listen
to the culture they're going to believe that in the sexual realm any desire that they have which
would involve a relationship between consenting adults is worthy to be explored and worthy to
be accepted that's the argument isn't it I mean who's it hurting we're consenting adults we can
do what we want

so any desire you have that involves a consensual relationship it's OK try it out

4th they'll believe that homosexual behavior is equally worthy of acceptance when compared
with heterosexual behavior
here to view them the same I watched this week there there was a television host in Dallas who
ended up walking off the set of their talk show when she was pressed on her disagreement with
what ESPN did with Michael Sam's kiss

and she was asked on the show this was frustrating to watch she was asked on the show well
would you have felt the same way if it was a player kissing his girlfriend or a player kissing his
wife
and here's the frustrating part of that for me to watch people struggle to give an answer to that

the answer is would I have felt the same the answer is no because one is natural and the other
is unnatural one agrees with how God formed us the other disagrees with how God formed it's
not the same

but you see what the culture is saying to us is where to view those things the same to watch a
man kiss a man romantically ought to be no different to us than to watch a man kiss a woman
romantically it's the narrative that's what they're being told our children will come to believe
that acceptance of homosexual behavior is the mark of intelligence
and tolerance and decency and love

they will come to believe that if you oppose homosexuality that's the equal of racism

you're a bigot and this is just the latest issue you see there was a time for example when
women were not allowed to vote and there was a time when there was segregation and and
there was prejudice against African Americans and in the same sort of way this is the same
issue
that's how it's being advanced that's how the story is being told

and so they'll come to believe that those who disagree with homosexuality should be shunned
from society

they will also come to believe that there is a genetic component involved in homosexuality
homosexual behavior that the writers of scripture were unaware of you see now we are
informed now we understand that people are Born This Way they had no choice in the matter
there's something something genetic involved here never mind there's no clear evidence of
that

but nonetheless that's what we're being told and the writers of scripture that were living back
in the old ignorant days and so they just didn't know this
and that's why the scriptures would say what they say about the issue

if our children listen to the culture if we don't teach them the scriptures
they're going to come to believe that only a few texts of scriptures even speak to the subject
and those that do speak to the subject should be discounted either because of the culture in
which they were written or because there are other biblical injunctions that we no longer pay
attention to and the teaching on homosexuality should be among those that we no longer pay
attention to

dietary restrictions mixing of fabrics homosexuality you see what the Bible teaches about it's
just like that and so we ought not to pay attention to it if our children listen they will believe
that even if homosexuality is sin even if homosexual behavior is sin it's not the only sin so why
make a big deal about it we all said we all have sins in our life which of course is true we all do
sin and we all have sin in our life and it's not the only sin but

we must say what scripture says about it just because it's not the only sin it doesn't mean that
we should scripture says about it and finally there there are others but the last one I'll mention
if our children believe the culture they'll come to believe that if anyone is on the side of
condemning homosexual behavior what they really want is to deny another human being the
right to love
the right to be loved

and the right to experience a whole and complete life

ah my question for us tonight is in light of that cultural narrative in light of those things that are
being said it's such a prominent way in the day and age in which we're living what do we say to
that

how do we answer that this is now a powerful commonly accepted mindset

what does the church say and tonight I want to offer three answers
to the cultural narrative

3 answers that reflect a biblical view of homosexual behavior

the first thing the church must say is this the scriptures are clear the scriptures are clear on this
subject the Bible is clear

so if you want to argue that as Christians we should accept homosexual behavior that times
have changed and we need to be accepting of this behavior in fact perhaps even we should
consider homosexual unions as marriage if you're going to make that argument then just admit
that you don't believe the Bible

just just admit that you don't believe the Bible has any authority on this subject for today
don't attempt to argue that in any way shape or form there's even a shred of biblical evidence
that you can stand on to make the argument that you're making because the Bible is clear

one thing important to realize is the scriptures do not deal with homosexual behavior on a
psychological level

the Bible doesn't address this in terms of someone

identity how they identify
the Bible deals with this as behavior just deals with it as behavior and the Bible deals with
homosexual behavior as universally sinful

I mean there's not a time there's not a place there's not a circumstance in which it ever
indicates that homosexual behavior is acceptable ever everywhere the scriptures address it it
deals with this behavior as sinful and not only sinful

but worthy of the most severe punishment it's clear it's consistent in terms of the bible's view
of the sin for example let's begin in the Old Testament leviticus chapter 18 verse 22 says this
you shall not lie with a male as with a woman

it is an abomination

now that statement is made in the context of other sexual sins adultery is mentioned
incestuous relationships are mentioned best she aliti is mentioned but in that same context
God says Yahweh says you shall not lie with a male as with a woman it is an abomination that's
clear
and he goes on to say this in leviticus 1824 and following he says do not make yourselves
unclean by any of these things all the sorts of sins that he mentions there in the 18 don't make
yourselves unclean by any of these things for by all these the nations I'm driving out before you
have become unclean

and the land became unclean so that I punished it's iniquity

and the land vomited out its inhabitants but you shall keep my statutes and my rules and do
none of these abominations

either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you for the people of the land who were
before you did all these abominations so that the land became unclean lest the land vomit you
out when you make it unclean as it vomited out the nation that was before you

for everyone who does any of these abominations the persons who do them shall be cut off
from among their people so keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs
that were practiced before you and never to make yourselves unclean by them I am Yahweh
your God

so notice that these things characterize the inhabitants of the land prior to Israel taking
possession of it and notice that God judged the nations before them drove them out of the land
and and characterizes it as a judgment upon their sinfulness and notice that God forbids this
same kind of behavior

for anyone among his people whether they be a native of Israel or a foreigner living in the midst
of Israel it doesn't matter this is abomination and this is not to be practiced that's the word of
God

and then if you ask what was the penalty for such behavior leviticus 20 verse 13 says this if a
man lies with a male as with a woman both of them have committed an abomination they shall
surely be put to death their blood is upon them

which makes clear he's not talking about rape he says they are both guilty of having committed
an abomination both involved in the homosexual act both have committed an abomination and
according to the civil law given to the nation of Israel theocracy in that nation it was a death
penalty offense

punishable by death
not the only sin punishable by death or over 30 that death was the penalty but it was the death
penalty for homosexuality homosexual behavior

now as you know they're going to be some who say well yeah but this is just the mosaic law and
in the mosaic law you have other things that are called an abomination you couldn't mix fabrics
there were certain things you couldn't eat we don't pay attention to that anymore those sorts
of things anymore

that was just for the nation of Israel doesn't indicate that God views this behavior universally as
sin but when they say that sort of thing when they sort of make light of what the Bible teaches
about homosexuality based upon these other things that were off limits to the nation of Israel
what they miss what they forget probably willfully

is that things such as mixing fabrics you don't find throughout the scriptures as a universal
moral law

you don't find these things throughout the scriptures condemned for any people living
anywhere in any society when you talk about sexual immorality when you talk about adultery
when you talk about homosexuality you find very clear in God's word that this is condemned no
matter what people you belong to wherever you're living in the world it's universally
condemned by scripture in fact we see indications of it in the book of Genesis before the
mosaic law

Looked at the creation account God made then male and what female and God designed that
marriage would be between a man and a woman God made them for each other I will make a
helper suitable or corresponding to him God said he made a man and he made a woman and he
set that relationship marriage between a man and a woman as the as the rule for the rest of
time for this call Sheila man leave his father and mother and cling to his wife and the two shall
become one flesh that's God's plan for marriage

and he said to them be fruitful and multiply it is in this union that procreation takes place

and by the way it's the only union where procreation can take place no homosexual union if left
to nature will ever produce offspring

this is natural man and woman that's natural that's how God designed it and then it was in
genesis that we find that God actually condemned civilizations

that had rejected that natural standard

namely Sodom and Gomorrah

and the surrounding cities in genesis 1312 it says Abraham settled in the land of Canaan while
lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as sodom now the men of
sodom were wicked great sinners against the Lord I want you to recognize this in genesis 13 as
before the angels visited LA as before the destruction of sodom that you read about in genesis
19 when when lot moved into the region God has already characterized that region of cities as
wicked as the Bible puts it great sinners against the Lord in fact as you know in genesis 18 the
Lord appears to Abraham and tells Abraham what he's about to do in terms of destroying
sodom in gomorrah then the Lord said because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is
great and their sin is very grave I will go down to see whether they have done altogether
according to the outcry that has come to me and if not I will know and remember there was
that conversation between Abraham and the Lord about Lord sparing those cities and finally
the conversation comes to the point that if there are even ten righteous ones in the city the
Lord will spare it

knowing the outcome of what happened we know there were not even 10 and you know the
account genesis 19 won the two angels came to sodom the evening and lot was sitting in the
gate of

Dealt with his face to the earth and said my Lords please turn aside to your servants house and
spend the night and wash your feet then you may rise up early and go on your way they said no
we will spend the night in the town square but he pressed them strongly so they turned aside
to him and entered his house and he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread in the aid
but before they lay down the men of the city the men of sodom both young and old all the
people to the last man surrounded the house and they called to lot where are the men who
came to you tonight bring them out to us that we may know them that's just a way to say have
sexual relations with them
\

and you know the rest of it lot begs them not to do this finally the Lord blinds them and they
still are grasping for the door trying to get in to solve these men sexually verse 11 and they
struck with blindness the men who were at the entrance of the house both small and great so
that they wore themselves out groping for the door

genesis 1924 then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of
heaven and he overthrew those cities and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the cities and
what grew on the ground

verse 28 and he looked down towards sovereign and gomorrah and toward all the land of the
valley and he looked and behold the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a furnace we
believe there are some people who try to argue that the sin of those in sodom was being
inhospitable

I mean that the reason why the Lord destroyed those cities was because they just didn't
welcome the angels

yeah they were just rude I would say those were the rudist people ever would you agree they
fire and brimstone because of rudeness

and there are others who say no the real issue was not sexuality the real issue was that they
were going to rape these people

but what they forget when they try to argue that is don't forget this the Lord was already going
to destroy them before the angels arrived and it wasn't just there in sodom that destruction
took place but also gomorrah and the surrounding cities so it's not just those who tried to
assault the angels now the issue is not being inhospitable the issue is not rape the issue is
sexual immorality and specifically of the grossest sort unnatural desires how do you know that
well the New Testament makes it clear the book of Jude verse six says this and the angels who
did not stay within their own position of authority but left their proper dwelling he has kept an
internal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day just as Sodom and
Gomorrah and the surrounding cities which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued
a natural desire

serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire

notice that in Jude it is stressed they were sexually immoral
and they pursued unnatural desire sarkos heteros
which is flesh and other other flesh strange flesh

and not just sodom where the angels were so you could argue you know those wanting to go
after the angels but it was the surrounding cities as well so it's not just that one instance these
are cities characterized by sexual immorality characterized by a natural desire so you have
God's original design
it still testifies to this day man and woman are made for each other you don't have to have a
PhD to recognize that

testimony of God through the design of nature makes man fully responsible when he rejects
nature's testimony and longs for sexual unions that are unnatural and then you have that
original design affirmed by God's judgment on cities that were characterized by a rejection of
that design then you have the holiness code in leviticus that makes homosexuality a capital
offence under the civil law given to Israel

then you have the book of Jude making clear that the sin in sodom was one of sexual
immorality and the desire for other flesh a natural desire I'll tell you what's interesting about
this with shorter POV
and again Robert Gagnon has done a fantastic job of researching this and in demonstrating it

but when you study Mesopotamia in law at the time period of the pentateuch and you look at
Egyptian burial records it becomes plain is that in the surrounding cultures not only did
homosexuality exist but it was never punished as severely as it was in Israel

gore was it always condemned universally in fact it was usually condemned when it was
someone who was of a superior rank taking advantage of someone who was not on the same
level with him in terms of society's ranking system

which is to say God's commands to Israel did not reflect the surrounding culture it was
countercultural it was something unlike the nation surrounding well what about the New
Testament

does the message change when you come to the New Testament now as you know those who
advocate the homosexual agenda they they try to pit Jesus against the Old Testament and
against Paul the argument is if this is such a great sin why didn't Jesus talk about it we don't
have anything this is what they say we don't have anything from Jesus that condemns
homosexuality and I would say when people try to make that argument either they are ignorant
of the scriptures or they are viewing the scriptures through the lens of their desires they're
reading onto Jesus what they want to make him believe because even though Jesus did not use
the word homosexuality or speak to the issue directly like that what did Jesus do he affirmed
the creation account in the book of genesis he affirmed God's original design for marriage didn't
he in fact Jesus made plain that marriage is between a male and a female mark chef is in verse 6
they're asking you about divorce and in the context of that discussion list what he says but from
the beginning of creation God made them male and female

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 two but one flesh what therefore God has joined
together let not man separate does God joined together he joins together a union of male and
female he joins together a union of a man and a woman

and not only does Jesus affirm that marriage is between a male and a female but he actually he
actually restricts it in his comments by saying what God has joined together no one is to put
asunder no one is to separate so marriage is a monogomous relationship between a male and a
female and it is not to be separated it's a lifelong relationship it's crystal clear so when Jesus is
asked what does he do he goes back to genesis which means he completely agrees

with the Old Testament account

if their marriage began

but someone would say well still he didn't speak directly to the matter of homosexual behavior
why not let me give you two reasons

for one he didn't need to didn't have to because the entire ministry of Jesus everything he ever
said about God's word clearly indicated that he believed the entirety of the Old Testament

in fact he said it would all be fulfilled down to the smallest letter and smallest string that's
believing the Bible isn't it so he not only believed the creation account in genesis he believed
the holiness code Leviticus

he believed everything else the Old Testament and so just because he didn't speak to it directly
you can't derived from that the thought that he felt like it was something that would be
approved affirmed and it's interesting that no one ever tries to use the silence of Jesus on some
other sins to teach that Jesus then would affirm it today for example no one ever uses the
silence of Jesus to try to contend that he would affirm incestuous relationship

where do we have the record of Jesus condemning incest but has anyone tried to argue that
that means Jesus approves of it today or wouldn't condemn it today no one ever uses the
silence of Jesus about child molestation pedophilia no one ever uses the silence of Jesus on that
subject to assert that Jesus would affirm that today that he wouldn't condemn that today or
best she allati or any other of a number of sins we could mention though Jesus makes plain he
believes the entirety of the Old Testament revelation that means every place in the Old
Testament for homosexuality is condemned Jesus affirms it

so we didn't need to but the second reason we can say that he didn't it just wasn't an issue in
Israel at the time it just was not there's no evidence that this was a major problem among the
Jews at the time of Jesus none the people knew that the law forbade homosexuality and there's
no evidence that this was a problem adultery was an issue Jesus spoke to that divorce was an
issue Jesus spoke to that but there's no evidence that homosexuality was a major problem in
the land of Israel and Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel that's where he
ministered Galilee and Jerusalem Israel this is where he ministered so there was just no need to
do it didn't we move into the New Testament of pistols so so price is not at odds with the Old
Testament now we move into the New Testament epistles price having affirmed marriage is
between a male and a female New Testament of pistols what do they teach well we studied
some of it last Sunday evening Romans chapter one and in the midst of verses 18 down the
verse 32 we read this because the exchange in verse 25 because they exchange the truth about
God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed
forever Amen for this reason God gave them 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 we're consumed with passion for one another men committing shameless acts with
men
and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error and since they did not see fit to
acknowledge God God gave them up to a based mind that word to base their means rejected
deprave reject in mind do what ought not to be done

and here's what's interesting about Romans 1 Paul doesn't refer to genesis but he's echoing
truths found in the original creation account because you have the creator you have man who
has been created we were designed to worship him and be submitted to him we were too over
the animal world but when man decides to exchange the worship of Yahweh for the worship of
that which he's to rule over he's not ruling over the created order now he's worshiping the
created order this is idolatry and when men pursue idolatry they're given over to the darkness
of their own sinful reasoning and the results of that is a sexual revolution followed by a
homosexual revolution followed by moral insanity and that can be true in individual cultures
and it's true in individual lives that's what we saw last Sunday evening so echoing truths found
in genesis and demonstrating where rejection of God leads in terms of sexual behavior

and over and over again this sort of sin is described as dishonorable
unnatural you say one of the greatest arguments against homosexuality according to the
scriptures is it is against nature it defies what we should just know because it's self evident man
is made for woman woman is made for men not for homosexual units it's evident it's according
to nature
and anyone who thinks differently God describes that as being given over to a rejected mind
but there are other statements aren't there we read it as we begin tonight

clear as a bell no debate no wondering what it means first Corinthians 69 do you not know that
the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God do not be deceived neither the sexually
immoral or idolaters nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexuality there it is

nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of
God it's plain

first Timothy 18 says now we know that's a law is good if one uses it lawfully understanding this
that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly
and for sinners for the unholy and profane for those who strike their fathers and mothers for
murderers the sexually immoral men who practice homosexuality enslavers liars purgers and
whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine

in accordance with the gospel you see you can't embrace these behaviors and embrace the
gospel this is contrary to sound doctrine this is contrary to the gospel in accordance with the
gospel of the glory of the blessid God with which I've been entrusted

what is against the law of God what is characterized as disobedient ungodly unholy profane in
the midst of that list is the sin of homosexuality

so our first answer to the cultures narrative is the Bible is clear it's clear someone might say
why does Paul mention it if Jesus didn't mention it

think about that where is the ministry of Jesus taking place in the land of Israel as I said to you
this was not a major issue in the land of Israel where is Paul's ministry taking place in the gentile
world

and I asked you was homosexuality in the issue in the gentile yes and so as he's teaching
believers he must address this issue that's why you find it in Pol

This issue that's why you find it in Pol Jesus didn't mention it that's our first answer I'm going to
be more brief on the next two second answer what do we say we say this desire does not
remove sin

desire does not remove sin in fact sin works through desire here's the argument there are
people who are born with sexual attraction to members of the same sex born that way and if
they're born that way if they have these desires then we should never make them feel like
they're doing something wrong
they should never feel condemned or and this is an amazing thing to me but I read it this week
there are actually Christian theologians who claim to believe the Bible who will argue that
homosexual behavior is unnatural but not necessarily sinful

they would argue that that because of these desires if someone is willing to be committed to
one person oven arguments committed loving relationship that's how it's often described if
they're willing to be engaged that way then it's not behavior that necessarily indicates lack of
faith in Christ and the behavior should not be condemned

the argument is because they have these desires it makes it OK first I want to say this there are
probably a multitude of factors that figure in the same sex attraction probably not just genetic
but even if it were one day to be found that it's genetic guess what sin is genetic

we all are sinners by nature we're all sinners by nature we all have flowing through us desires
for that which God has condemned desires for that which would destroy us desires for that
which is off limits according to God desires for things that anyone who loves us would say don't
do that

all sin involves desire in fact strong desire have you ever just gone through your Bible and noted
how many times sin is associated with desire

take too long to do it tonight let me just give you a taste second Peter 1/3 his divine power has
granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory at excellence by which he has granted to us his precious and very
great promises that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature having
escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire God takes us out of a
corrupted dominion of darkness and why is it corrupted because of sinful

desire first in these 69 but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation into a snare into
many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and

Into a snare into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and
destruction you see there are harmful senseless desires that exist in human beings that
function in human beings and that would lead them plunge them that's what the Bible says
plunge them into ruin and destruction how does temptation work James 114 but each person is
tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire then desire when it has conceived
gives birth to sin
and when sin is fully grown brings forth death
this picture isn't it tempted because of desire give in to desire leads to death first Peter 211
beloved I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh which
wage war against your soul
there are passions even in the lives of believers passions that belong to the UN redeemed
sinfulness that still within us and if we give in to those passions what we discover is they wage
war against our soul contrary to what God would want for us in fact Romans 1314 says put on
the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires

so they're going to be desires going on within us and we must not gratify them don't make any
allowance for it any provision for it guard yourself against it

so in all of those cases what do you have you have desire strong desire but the behaviors
identified are still sinful just because people want those things doesn't mean they have
permission

just because they want those things doesn't mean that it's good for them or right

but in addition we can add this the Bible is clear that following Jesus means we have to say no
to desires not all desires not good desires but sinful desires

first John 2:15 do not love the world or the things in the world if anyone loves the world the
love the father is not in him for all this in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of
the eyes and pride of life is not from the father but is from the world and the world is passing
away along with its desires but whoever does the will of God abides forever

galatians 519 says now the works of the flesh are evident what does the flesh produce sexual
immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery in mitty strife jealousy fits of anger rivalries
dissensions divisions envy drunkenness ****** and things like these I warn you as I warned you
before that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God but the fruit of the
spirit is Lovejoy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self control against
such things there is no law and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its
passions and desires

if we live by the spirit let us also keep in step with the spirit
we are those who say yes I know the reality in my life of desires that are contrary to the will of
God I know in my life the reality of desires that are fleshly and would destroy me and I
understand that Jesus died to set me free from slavery to those fleshly desires so I reckon my
flesh as having been crucified together with Jesus and now I walk in step with the spirit of God

walking with Jesus means saying no to desires does anybody here tonight know what it is to
have a desire that would not honor God that you have to say no to if you've known that in your
life would you say Amen so that is just as true that is just as true with the subject we're talking
about tonight just because someone has a desire
for a member of the same sex doesn't mean it justifies it or that we need to affirm it

or applauded or celebrated it's not courageous it's rebellious

it's not something to be honored it represents dishonorable passions

let me ask you this if someone here tonight so they had a desire for an incestuous relationship
let's say a man who wanted to marry his stepmother

would it matter if they said to us we're committed to each other we love each other in fact
under notes to all of you until just now we've already been in this relationship and for a long
time would anyone say that incest is OK because it's consensual it's long lasting and it's being
carried out in the name of love

what's the answer course not in fact the idea that it's lasted a long time would increase its
offense because it's the kind of relationship you ought to be out of

the longer you stay in it the worse it is so he talked about a homosexual relationship and you
say but it's loving and it's committed it's monogamist it's long lasting all you're doing is
confessing to the offensiveness of it
it's something that ought to be repented of turn from rejected

we have an example of this don't we mark 6/17 listen for it was herod who had sent and seized
John and bound him in prison for the sake of herodias his brother phillip's wife because he had
married her for John had been saying to herod it is not lawful for you to have your brother's
wife and you read the history surrounding that relationship herod wanted his brothers wife
herod went to his brother's place herod seduced herodias and then they got married

and John the Baptist comes along and he confronts it and what does he say it's not lawful it's in
you may love her you may love each other now you're married it's in

it's not lawful for you to have her so first hand through the scriptures are clear on the subject
second answer just because you desire something doesn't mean it's right all sin represents
desire every sin we've ever committed is because we had a desire for it that's how temptation
functions and it in fact powerful desires are at work in the members of our body according to
Romans 7

to follow Jesus means saying no to sinful desire third last answer to the question what do we
say to this narrative
we need to make clear that that our response to this sin issue we have an example set for us by
the apostle Paul we are able to agree with Jesus on issues that Jesus did not address directly

people try to pit Jesus against the Old Testament but people also try to pit Jesus against Paul
Paul spoke to things Jesus didn't speak to
it's true that he did that but listen to how he did it

and only make a comment before I read this when people say that here's what here's really
what's at the root of their view they deny that all scripture is breathed by God

because from genesis to revelation whose word is it it's God's word who was Jesus he's gone so
what's written in genesis is that Jesus word what's written in leviticus is that the word of Jesus
what's written in Romans is that the word of Jesus what's written in galatians and all these
other places is that not the word of Christ but now listen to this and I want you to just turn their
will finish with this so you can see it go to first Corinthians well we're right there first
Corinthians 5 unless you've turned somewhere else first Corinthians 5 and look at verse one
now notice what's going on here

it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and of a kind that is not
tolerated even among pagans for a man has his father's wife our best understanding of that is
his stepmother and you are arrogant or you not rather to mourn to stop and let this sink in the
Corinthian church thought it was a mark of their maturity that they were actually not dealing
with this as sin

Paul says you should have mourned over this but they had not mourned over this they had
allowed this to go on right there in the midst of the fellowship next statement let him who has
done this be removed from among you

for though absent in body I am present in spirit and as if present I have already pronounced
judgment on the one who did such a thing when you are assembled in the name of the Lord
Jesus and my spirit is present with the power of our Lord Jesus you are to deliver this man to
Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord your
boasting is not good do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump cleanse out
the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you really are unleavened for Christ our Passover
lamb has been sacrificed here's what I want you to see what is this what is the sexual sin at
issue here

an incestuous relationship right did Jesus ever directly address the issue of incest can you find
one verse where Jesus directly addressed the issue of incest what's the answer no
no but do you notice when Paul takes issue when Paul takes action on this issue in whose name
does he do it and in whose power does he do it you see Paul didn't say Oh no I don't have a
word from Jesus on this I wonder what's right well Paul understood is what the entirety of the
word of God says about this subject that is the will of Jesus that is the word of Jesus that's the
word of God in Jesus is God so that when whatever the scriptures speak to he is able to take
action on it in the name of Jesus and knowing that he has standing behind him the power of
Jesus

and so church when the world comes to you and says well where did Jesus talk about this we
can be more detailed and offer some of the answers I've offered tonight or we can be really
general and say Jesus addressed it in genesis and Jesus addressed it in leviticus and Jesus
addressed it in Romans and Jesus addressed it in first Corinthians and Jesus addressed in
galatians because all scripture is God breathed and Jesus is God it's his word

it's his word

now I want to say something as I finish and I said what I've said in strong tones because frankly
we're living in a time when the church has a very weak voice on this subject and I say it in
strong tones because it is a burden on my heart what is happening and specifically what the
world has always been the world will always be the world I'm concerned about the church
concerned about evangelism world is our mission field but I'm also concerned that the church
know the truth about these things that the next generation be able to stand with confidence
and assurance as we say thus says the Lord but having said what I've said tonight in the in the
strong tones that I have I want to finish by reminding us of something as I said we all every
person in this room saved by the grace of God we know what it is to still have desires for sin

Amen there are people in our churches who know the temptation of same-sex attraction who
feel like they can't tell anyone because if they said it they would be branded they would be
viewed differently they would not be loved they would not be accepted they would not be
ministered to and I want you to understand that the sin of homosexuality is a behavior

it's not an identity to know the reality of a same-sex attraction is not to be guilty of the sin of
homosexuality homosexual behavior so I keep trying to remember to say homosexual behavior
that's the issue and we know that those who have been guilty of homosexual behavior are no
less capable of having their sin forgiven as all of us have had all of our sins forgiven and such
were some of you but you were washed you were sanctified and the Lord is able to grant those
who have known same-sex attraction he is able to grant them not only the forgiveness of their
sins but to transform their hearts so that now they find the desire and the ability to say no to
the desires that they may know at times in their life that they know are contrary to the word of
God in the will of God and to live God glorifying heterosexual married lives even though they've
known the reality of same sex temptation
so that there there's not anyone in this room who should feel like you could not say this is what
I struggle with because I promise you everyone in this room still struggles with sinful desire
thank God we're not a slave to it thank god that his forgiveness of all of our sins thank that
there is

What’s more pressing to me is how the church (my tribe) will respond to Caitlyn. The
LGBTQ people I know are loving, accepting, beautiful people, and many of them have
been so hurt by their church communities that they have left the faith.
Jesus wasn’t one to turn away from those the world had labeled broken. He was the one
who would walk toward them with open arms.

Caitlyn’s pastor writes…"Caitlyn knows who Jesus is, and Jesus knows her by name.
Whether that sits comfortably on a timeline or blog comment, I know firsthand that
Caitlyn has heard the good news," Cobia wrote. "And, Caitlyn has taught me more about
Jesus. Caitlyn taught me to be bold."

Listen young couples, what is your stand on homosexuality…you will be surprised that the
person you are getting married to is supporting homosexuality and transgender agenda and
when you have your first child and the child starts questing his or her sex as designed by God…it
will be your own spouse that will begin to support that sinful lifestyle…so have conversations on
that before you get married.

What I’m saying is not hate speech. What the Democratic Party is saying is hate speech
because they must hate the homosexuals if they will allow them to go the direction
they’re going, affirm that, knowing that it’ll take them to hell. That’s hate speech; this is
love speech. You either warn them or you affirm them. And Romans 1 warns them. And
any faithful Christian warns, “This is dangerous; this is deadly.” It’s better to warn them
than to affirm them. You might be the nice guy to affirm them, but that’s not love speech;
that’s hate speech.