The Untouchables – Homosexuality Series

“The Untouchables – Homosexuality”

Gladstone Baptist Church – 3/9/06 pm

I want to start tonight by playing a News video clip from ABC…

S1 Play a clip from the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. Ask congregation :

- What is your reaction to that clip?

- What is your reaction to the people featured in that clip?

S2 - There are some things in our society that we as Christians view as being far worse than others. We set ourselves up as judge and jury. Introduce Sermon Series. But God doesn’t rank sins – we rank sin, God doesn’t. - OOPS

You know, I am not surprised by those comments. When I look at those images. I am repulsed by them. I think it is absolutely sick that people would want to openly parade the fact that they are gay or lesbian. I wonder what in the world would make these people want to give up the brilliance of a male – female relationship for something that I consider such a poor second.

You know, if we sat down and thought about it, there are some things in our society that we as Christians view as being far worse than others. I talking about a scale of morality here.

- There are some behaviours which we see as being almost saintly – you know, the Mother Teresa type of acts – helping the sick and poor. We often put missionaries in this category

- Then there are the good things – like being nice to your neighbour, telling the truth, etc.

- Then there are the bad, but not so bad things – like telling a white lie, being envious of your neighbours garden or new boat, gossiping, deceiving someone. You know – the sorts of bad things that you and I get up to.

- Then there are the really bad things. Things like murder and child molestation. Being involved with witchcraft or being a rapist. It is in this category that we put homosexuals.

We have in our mind this scale of morality. We’ve all got one and we typically like to think that we are more positive than negative in our behaviour. We make sure this is the case, by putting others lower on the scale than we are. We essentially set ourselves up as judge and jury of morality issues. And we wouldn’t dream of associating with the people on the bottom of the scale. They are the untouchables – those who are beyond help and beyond salvation.

Tonight, I want to begin a short series on homosexuality – a group of people who we perceive as unreachable. In our Christian mindset, they are people we see as beyond salvation’s grasp – or at least beyond our help. They are already lost and we don’t want to have anything to do with them. But I think that if we were to see them through God’s eyes, we would see just another sinner, just like what we were.

S3 - God sees Homosexuality as being as bad as people who are envious, deceitful, slanders, proud, gossips, or even people who disobey their parents. - UGH

You see, as I read the Bible I read that God sees Homosexuality as being evil, wrong and bad for us as individuals and as a society. But he puts on the same run on the morality scale people who are envious, deceitful, slanders, proud, gossips, or even people who disobey their parents.

What’s the matter – you are looking a bit shocked! I know what your thinking … You are thinking that my last statement is a bit harsh. “Doesn’t God condemn homosexuality more than other minor sins?” you ask.

It is true that he condemns homosexuality.

- The whole town of Sodom was destroyed for its wickedness – homosexuality was one of the specific items mentioned.

- God says that gay and lesbian relationships are detestable and those who practice it are to be killed (Lev 18:22, 20:13). ‘If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads

- Male prostitution was seen as a detestable act. It is said that this was why the Canaanite tribes were driven out of their land by God. (1 Ki 14:24,

- 1 Cor 6:9 says that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God. They won’t be saved.

Now that is pretty serious stuff, it looks as if is it justifiable to judge homosexuality as one of those sins worse than others. But hang on, let’s look at honouring your parents – one we don’t really think is that serious, because we’ve all dishonoured our parents at some stage.