How Do Believers Deal With Homosexuality? Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: July 05, 2013

Date Preached: July 07, 2013

Where Preached: OPBC (AM)

Sermon Details:

Series Title: Biblical Truths for Societal Pressures

Sermon Title: How Do Believers deal with Homosexuality?

Sermon Text: 1 Tim 1:3-6 [HCSB]

Introduction:

I want you all to know that I have agonized over the sermon for this morning… but God has given me a peace about what I about to say… although I know many may decide to reject what I am about to say!

This past week our Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling that overturned the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and in doing so became a defacto ruling that from a Federal or Constitutional standpoint, any law forbidding marriage between same sex couples is unconstitutional.

This ruling by a much divided Supreme Court was a huge step toward the normalization of homosexual behavior and lifestyles within our society/culture/nation.

BUT… the subject of homosexuality is NOT a new subject, in fact it has been around for quite a long time! I believe the church has FAILED to teach us about how we should deal with this very difficult issue!

Many approach this topic and go to the many verses of Scripture that condemn Homosexuality & then try to “prove” God's disapproval of the lifestyle!

There are others who will go to those same verses & then try to argue that those verses no longer apply in our culture OR that those verses are misinterpreted.

These 2 opposite end ways for the Christian approach to the subject of Homosexuality BOTH end up with an argument! It pits US against THEM and either side is hoping that 'the Best Arguer will Win!'

But here is the TRUTH, YOU know the Scriptures I am talking about and you know where I stand on the Scripture… Scripture is TRUTH, Scripture tells us that homosexuality is a sin and Scripture is very clear.

But this morning I want to take a different approach than either of those 2 approaches! This morning I want us to look at how we as Christians should deal with reality of Homosexuality & Homosexual people in our culture. For this I turn to a scripture that gives us a principle that will really help."

For FAR 2 long I believe the church’s main game plan in dealing with the sin of homosexuality has basically been a judgmental view (based on Scripture) that judgmental view has led believers to hate & condemn those who practice homosexuality… [use ‘no swimming illus here]

THIS type of approach to homosexuality by the church and THIS particular use of Scripture as a tool of judgment has not worked… I believe that the reason it has not worked mainly because although Scripture reveals the sinfulness of homosexuality…

it is NOT intended to be used by us as a tool of judgment! Instead Scripture has always been intended by God to be used as a tool of love!

Turn to 1 Tim 1 where Paul instructs Timothy how to deal with any ‘doctrine’ that deviates from God’s plan!

3As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different doctrine 4or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith. 5Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 6Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion.

Paul’s instruction here is to a pastor, a leader of a church… a leader of a fellowship of Christian believers seeking to reach the lost and see the lost come to know Jesus Christ as SAVIOR! But it is also directed to all believers as a guide to not be deceived…

Paul laid out a template for dealing with doctrine that conflicts with the Gospel & Paul provides a few examples of ‘conflicting’ doctrines to the Gospel.

Let’s look at this passage and what we can GAIN in our perspective of God’s plan and how we fit into that plan!

3As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach different doctrine 4or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. These promote empty speculations rather than God’s plan, which operates by faith.

Here Paul lays down the principle that we are called by God to be a part of a fellowship SOMEWHERE… for Timothy this was Ephesus! For you, at this point it is Oak Park! Paul instructs Timothy to ‘remain in Ephesus’

The principle here is that God places you somewhere and your duty while there is to ensure FIRST that you teach nothing that deviates from the Gospel of Jesus!