Homosexuality - How Should I Respond Series

Too Hot to Handle - Homosexuality

Slide

Series Intro

Today, we begin a new series entitled “Too Hot to Handle.” We will be dealing with and discussing topics that are hotly debated in our society and even the church. We will look at the biblical teaching or biblical principals that interact with these topics and see what the Bible has to say about them and what we as Christians should do in light of this teaching.

We are going to be talking about

Homosexuality, Alcohol, Abortion, Pornography, Entertainment Choices, to name a few.

I am sure over the course of this series, everyone in here will be challenged in their thoughts or actions regarding these teachings. That is why I would like to begin in prayer and ask

That the Lord to work inside of each of our hearts,

that He would, by the power of His Holy Spirit, speak through me, and

that the words that are spoken would be honoring and glorifying to Him.

Pray.

Sermon Intro

Today we start with the issue of Homosexuality.

Slide

We are going to take a look at what Scripture teaches about homosexuality and then see how it is that the Lord would have us act and treat those who are homosexual.

This series is going to be a bit different than my normal preaching style in that not too many of the topics we will be discussing can be distilled from a single passage of Scripture, but we have to look at them from the teaching of Scripture as a whole in a more systematic, principled approach.

Therefore, we will be looking at Scriptures throughout the Bible, but I will do my best to keep them in the context that they were written.

Churches that “claim Christianity” teach differently

Now before, we get into these questions, I want to begin by recognizing that churches that claim Christianity, vary widely on their teaching about homosexuality.

I worded that specifically as “claim Christianity,” because sometimes their teachings seem so far away from what we find in the Bible, and we can find this at both ends of the spectrum.

Westboro Baptist Church

For instance, if we looked at the teaching of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS, we would hear teaching that

God hates Fags,

God hates America,

Fags burn in hell

(http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/aboutwbc.html accessed 9/11/2007).

You could also hear sermons this past year entitled,

Ruth Graham is in hell

(http://www.godhatesfags.com/sermons/sermons.html accessed 9/11/2007, sermon from June 17, 2007), Jerry Falwell is in hell

(http://www.godhatesfags.com/sermons/sermons.html accessed 9/11/2007, sermon from May 20, 2007).

As I looked through the sermons on their website, 95% of what I read was hate and hell. One sermon I found with the title “The God of all Comfort” (sermon from January 14, 2007).

I clicked to see the notes with some hope of a positive message of hope or of some “good news,” but only found more encouragement to move forward with their doctrine of hate and to take comfort that God will comfort them.

Even for myself, as I read their material, I was

appalled that they claim Christianity, and

embarrassed that others might associate me with them

I stand here today and tell you that I see no evidence of Christ’s work in that pastor’s life through any of his teaching that I have read.

United Church of Christ

On the other end of the spectrum though we find churches like the United Church of Christ that will teach that God loves everyone just the way they are and they will affirm you in your lifestyle choice to be homosexual or not.

No need to change or stop any actions, because if you are that way, God must have made you that way and despite what the Bible says, times have changed so we need to change even if that means we have to change what God says or means.

On there website, you can find that

“The UCC has no rigid formulation of doctrine or attachment to creeds or structures.”

http://www.ucc.org/about-us/what-we-believe.html Accessed 9-11-2007 United Church of Christ Website

When someone doesn’t stand for something, they will stand for anything.

Now while the Bible does teach that God loves the world, it is His love for us that has given us the power through His Spirit to overcome things that are sin.

So that is what a couple of different churches teach, but we don’t need to hear what individual pastors or churches claim. We need to know what God says.

So let’s start out by asking

What does the Bible Say about Homosexuality?

Slide

Well, to begin with in the Old Testament, homosexuality doesn’t seem like something God thinks is ok.

Leviticus 18:22

22 "’Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.