When God Gives Us UP
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
1
Worship Readings:
Isaiah 62:1–5
Psalm 36:5–10
1 Corinthians 12:1–11
John 2:1–11
Preamble
Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to the persons who are
subjected to it;
Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because,
among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and
stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender
gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex
assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual
orientations, gender identities and gender expressions;
And whereas, in light of those harms, it is important to discourage
and denounce the provision of conversion therapy in order to
protect the human dignity and equality of all Canadians;
Conversion Therapy
Definition of conversion therapy
320.101 In sections 320.102 to 320.104, conversion therapy
means a practice, treatment or service designed to
(a) change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual;
(b) change a person’s gender identity to cisgender;
(c) change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the
sex assigned to the person at birth;
2
(d) repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual
behaviour;
(e) repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or
(f) repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not
conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.
For greater certainty, this definition does not include a practice,
treatment or service that relates to the exploration or development
of an integrated personal identity — such as a practice, treatment
or service that relates to a person’s gender transition — and that
is not based on an assumption that a particular sexual orientation,
gender identity or gender expression is to be preferred over
another.
*Anti-Gospel
*Anti-Science
*Media propaganda: “Love is love,” being a hater, etc.
*The torpedoed church
Romans 1:16–32 (ESV)
I.
16
The Gospel is the power of God for salvation
a. Revealed
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God
for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also
to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
3
II. The Wrath of God is Revealed (note present tense. This
is not a prediction about the future but a comment on
current affairs in Paul’s day)
a. The Wrath of God is explained in vss. 24
b. On revelation
i. The righteousness of God is revealed (vs 17)
ii. The wrath of God is revealed (vs 18)
1. Because the unrighteousness of men
suppress the truth (the righteousness of God)
18
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their
unrighteousness suppress the truth.
c. The reason
i. They know what they can know
1. God’s invisible attributes
2. They are without excuse
ii. They knew God!
1. Did not honour Him as God
2. Or give thanks to Him
iii. To fail to honour Him or to give thanks to Him
results in:
1. Futility
2. Foolish hearts
3. Darkness
4. Claiming wisdom, fools
5. They exchanged God’s glory
a. Idolatry
4
b. Images
19
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because
God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely,
his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived,
ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been
made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God,
they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they
became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were
darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling
mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
“Certain things then follow. God is an inescapable and
necessary Being; if He is rejected, God-substitutes are created,
man-made creatures and principles of ultimacy. These are often
naturalistic facts, the heavenly bodies, birds, animals, and the like,
all used to symbolize some divinized aspect or energy in the
natural order. In becoming the god-maker, man becomes himself
the source of ultimacy, the god behind the gods. In doing this,
men profess or pretend to be wise, but they are fools.”
5
III. When the Wrath of God is Revealed, it is evidenced in
that “God gives them up” (παρέδωκεν* αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς1
) (for vs 23)
a. Idolatrous Exchange 24 Therefore God gave them up
(παρέδωκεν* αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς2) in the lusts of their
hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies
among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth
about God for a lie and worshiped and served the
creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!
Amen.
b. To Sodomy: 26 For this reason God gave them up
(παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς3) to dishonorable passions.
For their women exchanged natural relations for those
that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave
up natural relations with women and were consumed
with passion for one another, men committing
shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves
the due penalty for their error.
c. To a debased (incompetent, unqualified) mind:
28
And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God,
1
Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft,
2012), Ro 1:24.
2
Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft,
2012), Ro 1:24.
3
Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft,
2012), Ro 1:26.
6
God gave them up (παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς4) to a
debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
i. 29 They were filled with all manner of
unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice.
ii. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
maliciousness.
iii. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God,
insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless,
heartless, ruthless.
iv. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that
those who practice such things deserve to die, they
not only do them but give approval to those who
practice them.
IV. Notes:
a. When God is exchanged, anything can be exchanged.
b. We were to have dominion over and eat these things.
When God is exchanged, they are worshipped!
Genesis 1:24-28
i. These things are created, not gods
24
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living
creatures according to their kinds—livestock and
creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their
kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the
4
Kurt Aland et al., Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft,
2012), Ro 1:28.
7
earth according to their kinds and the livestock
according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on
the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it
was good.
ii. Man has dominion over these things, now
worships them
26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after
our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish
of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the
livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping
thing that creeps on the earth.”
27
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be
fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and
have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds
of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on
the earth.”5
c. The greatest sin is idolatry. It is the sin from which all
sins flow.
Hope for the idolators:
5
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 1:24–28.
8
9
V.
6
For they themselves report concerning us the kind of
reception we had among you, and how you turned to
God from idols to serve the living and true God,6
d. The wrath of God is poured out on Christ for the elect.
Therefore, anyone who will be saved will be saved from
these sins.
e. Idolatry is always spiritual and physical.
The connection to Bill C4
a. Introduction:
i. This text makes it clear that the wrath of God is
expressed in men and women engaging in samesex behaviour, bisexuality, transgenderism, etc.
ii. Therefore the problem is one of idolatry. All these
things are a result of idolatry
1. Idolatry is the suppression of the knowledge
of God
2. Idolatry is the exchange of the glory of God
for images.
iii. Modern idolatry is both physical and spiritual
1. Spiritual—ideologies
a. Created Man is the determiner of all
things
i. Worships the creature, rather than
the Creator
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bi
bles, 2016), 1 Th 1:8–9.
9
2. Physical—man-centred
rejection
of
Creational norms
a. The biological incompatibility of samesex relations
i. Not a physical match
ii. Sterile
iii. Not the purpose of marriage; not
complimentary
iv. A man or woman with same sex attraction or
behaviour (affection or physical) is living under
the wrath of God
b. Bill C4 is to be rejected because it is anti-conversion.
Because Christ came to receive the wrath of God, to fail
to counsel and disciple men and women in every sin is
to leave them in that wrath.
i. It denies the power of God. Sexual perversion
(which is what the Bible calls it) is seen as an
essential part of one’s being, or personhood. To
change is to destroy the person. Therefore, this
identity must be protected by law.
1. But following Christ does destroy the
person!
Matthew 16:24–25 (ESV)
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone
would come after me, let him deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For
whoever would save his life will lose it, but
10
whoever loses his life for my sake will find
it.
Colossians 3:3 (ESV)
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden
with Christ in God.
Romans 6:2 (ESV)
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin
still live in it?
2. 2 Timothy 3:5
5 having the appearance of godliness, but
denying its power. Avoid such people.
3. Christians are expected to obey this law,
which is to deny God’s power. We are to keep
an appearance of godliness, but deny it’s
power.
ii. It denies the possibility of Change: We are
commanded by this law to deny the transformative
power of God:
1. Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed
11
by the renewal of your mind, that by testing
you may discern what is the will of God, what
is good and acceptable and perfect.
a. Real worship vs. idolatrous worship
b. Real change vs. transitions and samesex relationships
c. A debased mind changed to a renewed
mind.
2. It denies the change from one state to
another. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV): the
Bible expects change
9 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, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God. 11 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.
3. It denies the New Birth, which is
fundamental to change
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
12
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation. The old has passed away;
behold, the new has come.
iii. This law demands that we replace God as
Lawgiver and Judge with the laws of man
Isaiah 33:22 (ESV)
22
For the LORD is our judge; the
LORD is our lawgiver;
the LORD is our king; he will save us.
VI. How to respond to Bill C4?
a. We must not surrender one millimetre of the
Gospel.
b. We must recognize that our governments are
actively suppressing the truth about God, and
understand that we are under His wrath.
i. We must understand that this ban will not stop
with sexual sin—it will be extended to every sin
possible in the name of protecting one’s own
identity.
ii. We must see this as a Gospel issue
c. We must reject “conversion therapy” because only
the Gospel has the power to change. We can’t
counsel someone to leave a sin if they are not
converted to Christ
13
d. We must reject in thought and in practise the
government’s right to dictate on this matter, or to
define Gospel terms.
e. We must continue
i. To preach the Law of God
ii. To preach the damnation of the sinner
iii. To preach the Good News of God’s salvation of
sinners.
f. We must face fine, imprisonment, and censor for the
sake of the truth. To do otherwise is to
i. Deny sinners the comfort of confession and
forgiveness of sins
ii. Deny the repentant the comfort of the Holy
Spirit
iii. Deny a disciple of the love of a Christian
fellowship
iv. Leave a lost soul in guilt, shame, and confusion.
v. The lost are in a far more dangerous position
than is the church and Christians.