Is God Anti-Gay

Intro

1 Corinthians 6:1–11 ESV

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! Or 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.

Back in 2008 Brandon Heath who is a Christian Song writer debuted his hit “Give me your eyes.”

In the song Heath sings about pleading with God to just give him God’s eyes for just a moment, so that he can see the world through his eyes.

The song was about seeing the world with the compassion that God has for it.

Forgive me but I am not going to sing it but here is the chorus of the song.

Give me your eyes for just one second Give me your eyes so I can see, Everything that I keep missing, Give your love for humanity. Give me your arms for the broken-hearted The ones that are far beyond my reach. Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten. Give me Your eyes so I can see.

I wish that we could be given God’s eye when dealing with our world today.

I wish that we could have a better perspective on how we treat people.

I wish our world was not full of jerk Christians who judge first, and then ask questions later.

I wish that we did not have to apologize for those Christians.

Because I truly believe that if we were given God’s eye, if only for a moment, we would see how screwed up we are in ways we show love and compassion.

And who we show love and compassion too.

We say that God loves all people and he wants to be in a relationship with them, yet our actions are insider-information and we judge and hate others and treat those who are not a believer as a second class citizen.

We say we offer compassion yet we are more indifferent than anything and they are not the same thing.

Compassion is sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

Indifference is someone who shows lack concern or interest.

Keep these words in mind as we wrestle with a topic that is a hot button and will continue to be a hot button until we say enough is enough.

As we have entered into the series of Can I ask that? I knew there would be a question about homosexuality, I knew there would be.

There were 2 question.

I am glad they were asked, because I believe they are coming from a place that is from a deep longer to know how to navigate these tricky waters.

Because the Bible- God’s word says one thing but our culture is saying something different.

So, the two questions we got were:

Is LGBTQ A Sin? Why is it so bad?

Can a Christian be gay?

My hope is that by the end of this message you have a better understand of how to approach these questions.

There are a couple of ways we can look at this topic and we are not going to be able to hit everything tonight, and that is okay.

My goal is to show you what God says and how that relates to the Gospel, and to challenge you in the way you think.

But above all I want you to offer love and compassion to those who think differently than us, who are just lost and in need of a savior— and YOU, YES YOU! May be the only believer someone comes in contact with—how would you like to represent Christ.

**If this is your first time here, I am so glad that you are here, and I have no idea where you stand on this, and if you disagree with me, come chat with me, but sit back listen well, take notes, and ask lots of questions.

Let’s pray

So I was studying for this week’s message and as I was reading the book ministering to gay teens, I read this line.

“There are misconceptions in the relationship between faith and same-sex attraction. Some argue that no true disciple of Christ could have these types of attractions. I argue that they can, and some most definitely do— including the author of this book. I (Shawn Harrison) firmly believe that one’s attractions don’t determine one’s salvation and sanctification through Jesus. Though they can lead us toward temptation and sin, they are not in and of themselves sin. They don’t define a person, nor do they constrain or limit that person.” (End Quote)

How do we think God created us creation- How we see God’s design.

after reading this: I stop and I prayed to God, because if I can be honest you, I am way out of my element when we address issues that I have not had to deal with.

I think we all are in some ways.

Yet, that brings us to study and learn from both sides of arguments.

However, when it comes time to speak on this— I am still a white heterosexual male, that has never struggled with the temptation of Same Sex Attraction.

So I read this passage and I stopped and I was praying to God and just asked, God it would be amazing to talk to someone about this.

Someone who has been in this world of the LGBTQ and has come out onto the other side.

It only took God 2 hours to answer this prayer.

A mom of one of our junior high students, Jessica called me.

It was about a similar topic, more how does her daughter navigate helping one of her friends out who is struggling with this.

We chatted a bit and man is her daughter a bright one, she has it down, but she is so caring and loving in how she approaches her friends.

So we are wrapping up and Jessica says, “hey, if you ever talk about this stuff, homosexuality, bisexuality, what have you, I have struggled with this and I would like to be a voice.

Guys, I am telling you my jaw hit the floor.

I then proceed to tell her everything I just told you, how I was praying about this and then you call— God is 100% in this.

I then told her that we are talking about this Sunday night, how would you like to give your testimony/or even your advise into this topic.

Jessica agreed to step out on faith and obedience and said yes.

So Jessica is going to come up and just chat with us, I told her to bring whatever God has laid on her heart, because honestly, this is all Him, and she has something that God wants to use, and there is no way I am getting in the way of that.

So will you please join me in welcoming Jessica Cansino up to the stage.

Jessica’s Testimony

Thank you so much Jessica

We had two questions.

Is LGBTQ A Sin? Why is it so bad?

Can a Christian be gay?

Is being gay a sin? Yes- It bad because it takes what God intended good and perverts.

God’s Design

God has designed each person to

In Genesis we see that God created everything.

But homosexuality is not the only sin that perverts what God intended for God.

Then God created humans.

God’s Purpose

Any sexual activity that is not in the confines of a man to woman heterosexual relationship that is under the vows of marriage falls under this umbrella of sin.

Our Response

That means that even heterosexual relationship fall into sin- If you are having sex before marriage that is sin.

If you are having oral sex, anal sex, if you are master-baiting and indulging in pornography, you are under this same umbrella.

Because here is the deal: Everyone gets tempted.

You think you are special because you don’t have to deal with homosexuality, you are not, it just means you got something you may not want to admit to yourself and it is much easier to throw stones at a group that is already marginalized.

Homosexuality is a sin, BUT so is lying, and cheating, murder— I think this is really clear when Paul talks about homosexuality in his letters he writes.

Homosexuality never stands alone, it always has other sin attached to it.

Let me ask you a question, can someone who still sins be saved?

Its not a trick question, We all sin daily, I hope that the answer is yes.

Here is where I may have just a few questions:

Following Jesus means that we lay down our lives.

If this is not evident in anyone’s life then we all would questions if they are a true follower of Jesus.

Paul tells us:

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

1 Thess

Are we still going to struggle yes, but we are working through this process called sanctification.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ESV

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

At the end of the day, God calls us to something greater than worrying about if someone is a believer if they are gay.

If they are; then I pray that God is working in their life, let Jesus worry about their salvation- you are called to love.

If they are not a believer- No matter how many arguments you may win about homosexuality- a gay person still needs Jesus, just like any other sinner.

We never tell an alcoholic to clean himself up first before accepting Jesus, so why are we trying too hard to prove that gay people are living in sin?

They may not think so, but if they are not a believer they are not being held to Christ’s standards.

All who do not have a relationship with Jesus are heading to the same place.

If you are a lair you need Jesus

If you are a murder you need Jesus

If you are a cheater you need Jesus

If you are fully of anger you need Jesus

If you are homosexual you need Jesus

If you are drunk you need Jesus

If you are a drugie you need Jesus

If you are depressed you need Jesus

I hope you get the picture.

Sin, is sin- no matter how many ways you cut it.

Sin is sin

So how do we respond?

We love.

He calls us to love.

Matthew 22:36–40 ESV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matt 22:

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Love all people

Love God and love people

Never are we asked to judge others salvation, but we are called to love.

Christ gave himself up for all people that includes all sinners.

All are guilty and all are in need of Jesus.

Let’s Pray

Not wired but tempted