HOLDING ON TO TRUTH - THE TRUTH (IN LOVE) ON HOMOSEXUALITY
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW ON HOMOSEXUALITY
Main Scripture: Romans 1:18-32
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
Pastor Ryan began his sermon by saying, “The Christian church that holds on to Biblical truth needs to be careful to hold on to the grace of truth as well.” This is Pastor Ryan’s posture and prays it will be our church’s posture toward the entire LGBTQ+ community.
We have to remember that rejecting God and choosing sin has systemically impacted all of humanity. We reach those who do not know Christ with love for the truth and love for them. We help the lost by being patient, building relationships, and helping them understand the gospel.
Today, Pastor Ryan shows us all what happens when humanity rejects God as the creator. This rejection has affected our identity, our beliefs, and how we live our lives (lifestyle). Pastor Ryan took time to Biblically confront some beliefs and ideas that are false and that Satan is using to deceive Christians and non-Christians of the LGBTQ+ community.
Notes:
ROMANS 1:18-32
There’s an incredible downward progression starting with identity, beliefs, and then lifestyle. Identity made by man leads to beliefs made by man, and leads to lifestyles mankind wants to live. On the other hand, If God was accepted He would define our identity, we would hold to His will and beliefs according to the Bible and we would seek to live the life He desires for His creation.
This downward progression explains a lot about our subject of homosexuality.
Identity
Rejecting God as our creator and designer caused confusion and issues with knowing our true identity (Romans 1:18-21).
We abandoned who we are according to our creator for who we want to be according to ourselves.
Rejecting God is to have no identity, therefore, you come up with your own source of identity. This has led people to look to sexuality and human relationships as the foundation for who they are, what they believe, and how they live.
Beliefs
Rejecting God’s will and knowledge for us caused us to create our own beliefs (Romans 1:21-23; 25; 32).
We traded the knowledge of God for a lie. This left us to create our own humanistic beliefs and convictions. This is where we get the idea that you create your own truth and then “live your truth and I’ll live mine.”
With our particular subject of homosexuality, this is where the false beliefs come in such as: “I was born this way…You can be gay and Christian…The Bible should change with the times…Love is love…If you love me unconditionally you’ll approve of my choice.”
Lifestyle
Rejecting God’s ways caused us to create our own ways to live which do not honor and obey God (Romans 1:26-27; 29-32).
The identity and beliefs of our own liking (our own worldview) lead us to fashion our own lives around this identity and belief system.
I do chuckle when people accuse Christians of following a set of beliefs from men like they don’t. By the way, Christians adopt their beliefs from God and not man.
Rejecting God has created a lot of ideas and beliefs. I would like to lovingly correct the following three: “Your Identity is defined by sexuality.” “People are born gay.” “You can be a gay Christian.”
Your identity is not defined by sexuality.
Our society is teaching the message that the foundation for our identity is in our sexuality.
Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
We are image bearers of God and are meant to reflect His nature, character, goodness, love, and truth in this world.
*Unfortunately, sin hindered this image-bearing but Jesus came to restore what sin and the devil have tried to destroy. Salvation in Christ has made it possible for us to bear His image more fully. Jesus transforms us into sons and daughters of God. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us and helps us to deny sinful desires so we can pursue what reflects God’s character and purpose in creation.
Society says, ‘God loves me just the way I am.’ [when looking to accept their sexuality] My identity should not be grounded in my sexuality. My identity is not gay, or ex-gay, or even heterosexual for that matter, my identity is in Jesus Christ” - Christopher Yuan
People are not born gay
“Why would God prohibit me from living how He created me?” You’re not born gay but there is an explanation for why you may be struggling with same-sex desires…
We are born into a sinful and fallen world and have the propensity or inclination for sinful desires due to our sinful nature that can lead us to act on those sins. But we are not designed by God and are not born to live a particular sinful lifestyle.
Our sinful nature and or sinful nurture can cause people to have same-sex attraction. The world we live in affirms and celebrates same-sex attraction and relationships that lure, appeal to, and reinforce our sinful desires. God never encourages us to fulfill sinful desires.
If it were true that someone could be born gay Jesus would say the solution then is to be born again, spiritually.
John 3:3-6 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” 4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” 5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
When we are saved or born again, God transforms us into a new creation, giving us the Holy Spirit to have new desires and power to do what pleases Him (2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 2:13) Being born again restores you to your true identity: a new creation, a child of God! We are taught by God not to give in to our sinful desires or they give birth to sin and death (James 1:13-14). We are taught to no longer conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2) by obeying the Word (John 17:17).
Gay Christianity is Unbiblical.
“Gay” Christianity—whether a person is sexually active or not—is a different religion from biblical Christianity…Gay Christianity adds things to the gospel… The idea that gay is who you are comes from Satan. Gay is not “who” you are, even though you believe it represents how you feel. If you believe that gay is who you are, it is impossible to war against your homosexuality as a sin because this sin has morphed into other areas, like personality and persistence of attractions. As a Christian, your job is to learn how to hate your sin without hating yourself. And you simply cannot take a clear aim at your sin if you call yourself a gay Christian and have interposed your sin into your personality.” -Rosaria Butterfield https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/christian-life/misplaced-identity-gay-christianity/
This belief seeks to marry the world with God and they are two different kingdoms. There is no dual citizenship in Christ. A Christian cannot have one foot in the world (embracing a gay identity) and one foot in Christ. We can’t serve two masters. Eventually, we’ll be more loyal to one over the other. More often we will be more loyal to the one we see, hear, and feel every day.
Jesus’ death on the cross did not make sin innocent or free of its consequences but it did provide forgiveness and freedom from being slaves to sin moving forward.
HOW DO WE LOVE? Parents, friends, church…
We show compassion and care without condoning or celebrating sin.
We are compassionate because we know sin is deceitful and easily entangles. We know our true enemy is not the person, but the sin and the devil. We don’t condone or celebrate sin because we don’t want to give the impression that God approves a sinful life.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 We are patient and kind but we don’t celebrate what is evil, we rejoice with the truth.
We Disagree
Ryan, are you trying to push my kid away? Am I not supposed to love them unconditionally? One of the most loving things you can do is disagree. To discourage sinful desires and paths and point them to live God’s way is to discipline and truly love!
“Unconditional love is not the same as unconditional approval of my behavior.” -Christopher Yuan
Your child or friend has to apply the principle of unconditional love too. It’s interesting that parents, family, and friends have to love unconditionally, but the person seeking unconditional love doesn’t tolerate your decision if you don’t agree or affirm.
Parents, ask yourself a question. Since when did your child become smarter and more right than God? (They haven’t have they…?) Then why would we approve?
Maybe you feel bad because you think it's your fault and by agreeing it's your way of making up how you’ve failed them. It’s worse to encourage sin…
Love is War.
We go to war by praying. Love is patient…
We love longer than anyone else while holding on to Biblical truth
The Fence
The fence represents a standard and boundary placed by God. This standard helps us know what is sinful and what is righteous or holy. This fence is offensive to many because of what it communicates to them, but again, God did it for our good. We’ve been influenced as Christians to move the fence out so things that were once called sin can be welcomed in and considered good. But we didn’t write these standards or put this boundary in place…God did. God doesn’t get it wrong, we do.
Here’s the good news…
The fence has a gate. I can’t condone or agree with ANY sin but I’m always going to love you and pray for your return to the truth.
Discussion:
What scripture verse stuck out to you from this sermon and why?
What spoke and or challenged you in this sermon?
What do you think? Has rejecting God caused us to create our own identities, beliefs, and lifestyles? Who else besides the LGBTQ+ community does this?
According to Pastor Ryan, how do we love and what would you add?
How do you need to apply this message to your life?
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed? We encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!