It Is Really Your Choice

It is Really Your Choice

John 12:37-50

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND 1BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.” 41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. 42 Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47 “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50 “I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

The United Methodist Church is falling apart. It will survive the disaffiliations and the people who are leaving the UMC, but it will be smaller. The question of sexuality is a problem that the denomination has been tackling for over fifty years. When the Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Evangelical Brethren churches merged, the issue should have been settled. Perhaps the people involved in creating the merger thought that people would put aside their differences around this issue to create a united denomination. It sounds great on paper. However, history was against this from the beginning.

Today United Methodist Churches are deciding whether to stay in the denomination or to leave. A new Methodist denomination has formed called the Global Methodist Church. The decision on allowing same-sex marriages and the ordination of homosexual clergy is the basic issue. At this point, there are listeners who are getting ready to get angry. That is the first problem in solving this issue. Both sides of the issue get angered by the thought of having a church that endorses the other side. But I know you will not do that.

It is your choice whether you agree with society and that same sex marriage is fine or to disagree. Let me indicate that the Bible is clear on this issue. Leviticus spells out the problem. Yes, homosexuality as sin is biblical. There I said it. Now is when the pro-homosexual listeners get furious. On the other side, the UMC’s Discipline states that homosexuality is unbiblical and same sex marriage and ordination of gay clergy is not done. However, elements in the UMC have been performing same sex marriage, including Bishops, and not only ordaining gay clergy but also electing one as a Bishop. They completely violated the rules of the church, and the church allows this! Now, the other side is angry.

Because of this mutual, intense anger, the problem could not be reconciled, and the UMC is splitting apart. From posts on social media, the churches that do not leave the UMC over the issue have seen large drops in attendance and membership. I should add that the UMC intends to change the Discipline to allow same sex marriage and ordination at the General Conference in 2024.

The UMC has placated to society in the United States. The UMC is a global church and same sex marriage is not accepted everywhere in the world and in numerous countries it is illegal. By the way, this issue has torn apart the other mainline denominations, and the UMC is the last large denomination to be torn apart.

Forget about which side of the issue you are on for a moment. The question is, do you have the choice to decide which side of the issue to be on? The answer is yes. Jesus said that we have the choice to follow his word or not. The bottom line is that Jesus reinforced that truth that the LORD gave us freewill to make our decisions. You have to decide. If you are in a UM church that disaffiliates because of the same sex issue, do you stay at that church or do you leave? If you are in a UM church that stays in the denomination, do you stay or leave the church?