Sermon Transcript February 9, 2014

Transcription

1 Sermon Transcript February 9, 2014 Homosexuality and the Christian Community Romans 12:9-21 This message from the Bible was addressed originally to the people of Wethersfield Evangelical Free Church on February 9, 2014, at 511 Maple Street, Wethersfield, CT, by Dr. Scott W. Solberg. This is a transcription that bears the strength and weaknesses of oral delivery. It is not meant to be a polished essay. An audio copy of the sermon on CD is available by request at (860) An audio version of this sermon may also be found on the church website at 1

2 Sermon Text Romans 12:9-21 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. 20 To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. 2

3 Three Declarative Statements Regarding Homosexuality This morning we want to discuss the topic of homosexuality. As I began to put this sermon together, I quickly realized this topic is a rather large topic to address in the scope of one sermon. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? How do we respond to the trend of our culture, where in a matter of time same-sex marriage will be the acceptable law of the land and where anyone who voices opposition to homosexuality will be at best ostracized and at worst penalized in some form or another? How do you explain same-sex attraction and same-sex orientation? Is it something you are born with or is it a choice? And furthermore, can someone change their sexual orientation and how does the church respond to the one who is wrestling with what they are feeling inside while at the same time wanting to be faithful to Christ and the standard for sexuality held out for us in the Scriptures? Do you see what I mean? There is a lot to cover here, more than what can be covered in the scope of one sermon. That being said, I feel it necessary to begin by making a few declarative statements regarding homosexuality before I narrow our focus this morning. Scripture forbids and condemns homosexuality: I can t think of any other way to say it. In fact, Scripture uses very strong words to condemn such behavior. In Romans 1, we find the words shameful, unnatural and dishonorable connected to homosexuality. In 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10, the words unrighteous and unholy are used to describe homosexual practice and furthermore, it is things like this that lead to hell. In Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, it is referred to as an abomination and is detestable. I understand this viewpoint does not play very well in our culture and nothing will get a quicker response than a public figure even hinting at such a notion as this. We saw the firestorm ensue after Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty expressed his opposition to homosexuality. He was temporarily suspended by A&E. ABC has a popular show called the Bachelor. It is basically a reality show that finds a bachelor shopping for a potential wife among a cadre of female contestants. Let me say, there is not much you could deem to be holy in this show. But when one of the former bachelors from the show expressed his reticence at the thought of a gay contestant being part of the show because he simply did not think it would be appropriate, he quickly found himself backpedaling and apologizing because of the strong reaction against any thought or notion that there would be something wrong with that. Now admittedly, sometimes the way Christians publically engage this topic doesn t help. As we will see in a moment, I think we can be rather simplistic and quite insensitive to very real struggles and issues. And furthermore, at times we can be rather 3

4 self righteous in the way we address this issue forgetting that there are other sins listed among the sin of homosexuality, rendering us all guilty, facing judgment and thus equally in need of the cross of Jesus. That is why Paul reminds us in Romans 2 that we are quick to condemn ourselves when we pass judgment on others without recognizing our own sinful ways of life. This does not mean we can t judge something to be wrong or sinful, but we must always do so with the humble heart of a fellow sinner. That being said, if Scripture is our authority, we must conclude that the practice of homosexuality is forbidden and deemed sinful. Same-sex marriage is not part of God s design: We began our series on Holy Sexuality by framing our conversation around a biblical worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration. We saw that God created us as sexual beings, male and female, and therefore sex has a purpose. In Genesis 2:24 we read, Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. The purpose for sex is to consummate marriage, for procreation, for the expression of love within the covenant of marriage and it was intended to bring pleasure in the context of marriage. Jesus reaffirms what God designed when he created us. Jesus said in Matthew 19:4-5, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. There are a group of Christians who identify themselves as The Red Letter Christians. In your Bible, anything written in red represents the words of Jesus, and so they say that the words of Jesus carry more weight than the rest of Scripture. They often note that Jesus didn t say anything about homosexuality and therefore his silence on this matter carries more weight than Paul s strong words against homosexuality. One of the flaws with their argument is that the Apostles, of whom Paul was one, received their authority from Jesus himself. Jesus said in John 14 and 16 that when he left the Spirit would come and guide them in truth. And speaking for all the Apostles, John wrote in 1 John 4:6, We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. Furthermore, it is quite clear that as Jesus responds to sexual immorality of any kind, he does so with grace and with truth, recognizing that the creation of man as male and female forms the context for the institution for marriage and for sexual expression. The Gospel is the Answer: My final declarative statement before I focus in on the heart of what I want to share with you is that our response to what is going on in our culture regarding homosexuality is not found in winning the culture war but is found in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and in demonstrating the love of Jesus to all people. It doesn t mean we don t engage in culture, we should. But the current trend 4

5 finds us on the outside looking in. In 2010, for the first time a Gallup poll showed that the majority of Americans, that is 52%, felt that homosexuality is acceptable. 1 As of now, 17 states have legalized same-sex marriage and it is only a matter of time that the remaining 33 will follow suit. Whether by court order, state legislature or popular vote, it seems inevitable. Last month at the Grammy Awards, while Macklemore sang the song Same Love, to the delight of the crowd, Queen Latifah presided over a mass wedding that included same-sex couples. So what do we do? We do what we have been called to do! Our mission hasn t changed. We are not the first group of Christians who are called to be counter-cultural in our lifestyle. And perhaps the blessing in all of this is that it will call us back to what our mission truly is. Dr. Sam Williams said it this way in a paper called A Christian Psychology of and a Response to Homosexuality, I do believe that following Jesus at this point in God s plan is more rescue mission than culture war. Someday, when he is ready, Jesus will win the culture war, overwhelmingly after his rescue mission is complete. And that mission is our mission for the time at hand. 2 It is the same response Marvin Olasky gave in light of the harsh laws against homosexuals in Uganda, which included lengthy prison terms. Harsh legislation will not win the heart at the end of the day. What does? It is the gospel. Olasky writes, we need to preach a gospel of godly love and kindness towards active homosexuals...our hope is in the gospel that shows us all people are created in God s image... the gospel that welcomes all people to confess that Jesus is Lord and unite together in a broken but re-built community of Christ. 3 I felt you needed to hear me say these things before we look at the heart of what I want to say this morning. The focus of my message this morning is not on trying to win the argument or drumming up points for the Christian view of homosexuality. There is a place for that and I have done that in the past and just did a bit of that in my introduction. But I am afraid that in the midst of all the debate and the rhetoric on both sides of the issue, that what gets lost in this is real people with real issues and real struggles. If I could critique the church, of which I am most definitely a part of, I think we tend to approach this issue in a very simplistic manner that fails to appreciate the complexity of this issue. While taking a necessary moral stand as followers of Christ, we need to understand the struggle that comes with same-sex attraction and we need to be marked with a compassion that embraces those who experience this struggle. What I want to do this morning is humanize this issue for you. More than being just concerned over what side of the moral line you find yourself this morning, I am praying for compassion to be birthed in our hearts for the one who knows all too well this internal struggle. I am speaking to two groups of people this morning. I am speaking to the person who is struggling with same-sex attraction and who truly wants to follow 5

6 Jesus and is not sure what to do with what is going on inside. I am praying that as a result of this morning you would find strength for your journey and a community here that will help you experience the transformation of the gospel. The other group I am speaking to this morning is the church. May we be that kind of community where homosexuality is not treated as the unpardonable sin. In his book Love Into Light, Peter Hubbard states True Christianity creates a casteless society because we see people through the lens of God s particular creation, you knitted me together in my mother s womb 4 In a review of his book, Ron Citlau confessed, As someone who met Jesus in an amazing church about 16 years ago, as I was emerging from my own homosexual brokenness, this book reminded me just how awesome it is when sinners know they are loved and welcomed. 5 May we be that awesome! Before I go any further, I want to lay Romans 12:9-21 like a blanket over our conversation. It dictates to us the kind of community we need to be as followers of Jesus. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. I would like to share with you two questions that Dr. Sam Williams asks 6 and then offer a biblical response to each question. At the end of each response, I would like to lay it back down under the blanket of Romans 12:9-21. May the Lord be so gracious to guard my words in such a way that they would speak life and hope into the one who is here this morning and is struggling with same-sex attraction and may it move the rest of us to a deeper understanding of the struggle that some face and may it create within us a godly compassion that allows for an environment that leads to healing and grace. How will the church understand persons who struggle with Same-Sex Attraction? Dr. Williams is an elder in his church and he writes, I think of Terry and Carl and Dave 6

7 (and I could go on) committed Christian men who came for counseling because no matter how much they tried, their sexual compass pointed more towards men than women. 7 I think of Wesley Hill who wrote of his own life-long struggle with same-sex attraction and who gives voice to others who want to follow Christ but continue to wrestle with this challenge. He writes, I am writing for homosexual persons who have tried and are trying to become heterosexual and are not succeeding and wonder, for the umpteenth time, what exactly is it that God wants them to do. 8 Quite naturally, this struggle causes certain questions to emerge within the hearts of those who find this to be their experience. Does this mean I am gay? Was I born this way? Did God make me this way? I surely wouldn t set my compass in this direction. If God s design is for heterosexuality, what happened to me? One of the things that has helped me process through this is understanding the definition of terms. There is a difference between same-sex orientation and a homosexual identity. When we talk about same-sex orientation we are acknowledging that there are some who not only experience same-sex attraction, but this attraction is predominant in them. As long as they can remember, they will tell you that this is their internal reality. Researchers and psychologists debate over the cause of these feelings and there is a long list of internal and external influences that may contribute to same-sex attraction. In a concluding statement, Williams asks, What causes homosexuality? He said that there are two honest answers to this question: We don t know for sure and Probably several things. But it his experience that most people he deals with who struggle with same-sex attraction and orientation do not choose it, but instead it is found, and often with shock and shame. 9 I find this to be helpful because as Christians we are often heard saying that you are not born this way, it is a choice. I would caution you against making a sweeping judgment like that. As Christians, we have no trouble admitting that we are born sinful. When Paul talks about our struggle with sin in Romans 7, he refers to sin in me. Williams says, So, the starting point for a biblical psychology of homosexuality is fundamentally no different than the origin of many of our sin-driven character flaws, whether it is selfishness and narcissism, or jealousy and envy, or a bad temper, or worry and anxiety, or mania or depression, or addictions or whatever. Everybody is born congenitally defective with some innate bio-psychological weakness, which finds its origin in the fall and subsequently in hearts and bodies riddled with the cancer of sin. 10 Robert Gagnon put it this way. For Paul, all sin was in a sense innate in that human beings do not ask to feel sexual desire, or anger, or fear, or selfishness they just do, despite whether they want to experience such impulses or not. If Paul could be 7

8 transported into our time and told that homosexual impulses were at least partly present at birth, he would probably say, I could have told you that or at least I can work that into my system of thought.... Paul paints a picture of humanity subjugated and ruled by its own passions; a humanity not in control, but controlled. 11 Now I do believe in our sexually charged culture and with the prevalence of pornography and sexual experimentation and acceptance some of these latent feelings are given oxygen that leads to full blown desire. But I also believe that in a fallen world there are those who say that this has been their struggle from the beginning. Dennis Hollinger says, Orientation is not usually the result of a person s willful sinful choice. Hence the ethical judgment on homosexuality is not about orientation or homoerotic impulses. 12 The presence of a temptation does not constitute a sin. The problem comes not with orientation or attraction, but with identity. When a person takes these very real struggles and chooses to self-identify himself as gay or homosexual they are making a choice that shapes how they live. Hollinger writes, Identities are socially constructed and are significantly shaped by groups and experiences into which we place ourselves. 13 In this series on holy sexuality we have championed sex in its proper context and acknowledged it to be a good gift from God. But it is not the ultimate good. We are more than our sexual impulses and they do not ultimately define us. But we live in a culture where sex is ultimate and we are told that unless you identify yourself around your urges and passions you will be denying the essence of who you are. Sex has become the primary force of identity. That is a choice. What will you use to form your identity and define who you are? This is a critical question because it governs behavior. Christopher Yuan came out of the closet and told his parents that he was gay when he was a young adult. He completely immersed himself in the gay culture. To make a long story short, he ended up in prison for selling drugs and it was there that the prayers of his mother were answered and he came to faith in Christ. He still wrestled with samesex attraction. As he read the Bible, he discovered that the practice of homosexuality is forbidden. So he knew now that he had a choice to make and the choice centered around where he would find his identity. What would now define him? Here is what he wrote. If I was abandoning homosexuality as the core of who I was, did I have an identity apart from my sexual orientation? I really struggled with this... For the longest time I really believed that God had created me this way gay. I had told myself over and over, I am gay. I was born this way. This is who I am. I never chose to have these feelings. But now, as I searched the Scriptures for the way I should live, I began to ask myself a different question; Who am I apart from my sexuality?.. I realized that my identity shouldn t be defined by my sexuality. Paul said in Acts 17:28, 8

9 For in him we live and move and have our being. Christ should be everything, my sexual orientation didn t have to be the core of who I was. My identity was not gay or homosexual, or even heterosexual, for that matter. But my identity as a child of God must be in Jesus Christ alone. 14 That is a choice. What will you choose to be defined by? Williams adds, A Christian with same-sex attraction, like the rest of us, emphasize their identity in Christ and in the body of Christ, and view same-sex attraction desires as a product of the Fall, just one of many forms of sexual deviation and temptation that can be covered by God s grace. They will grieve over their same-sex attraction, and some will repent of it depending on how they understand its origin and how they understand sin, guilt and repentance. A Christian comprehends the reconstruction of our identities upon adoption into the family of God: Now God is my Father, Christ is my brother, I am a son/daughter of the Lord. I (in the deepest sense of that little word) belong to Him. He redefines and redirects every part of my being. 15 So if we bring this conversation back under the blanket of Romans 12, we find identity statements here. We read of brotherly affection and contributing to the needs of the saints and Paul calls them Beloved. This is what defines us in the body of Christ. We are brothers and sisters, holy saints and beloved of God. This means there is room in this body for those who find that their struggle is with same-sex attraction and orientation just like your struggle is with something else. It doesn t mean we are free to act on our impulses and passions, but our standing with God is under the cross and we are there for each other. We weep with each other and we rejoice with each other. We are a safe place for each other. It is Jesus who forms our identity and shapes us. Can people change, and if so, what type of change can be expected? This is somewhat of a controversial question. Recently, a ministry called Exodus International issued an apology to the gay community. For 37 years, this Christian organization labored to help gay Christians become straight. As I read through their statements of apology, I discovered that they are not apologizing for biblical standards on sex and sexuality, but rather for the way they portrayed this issue in a simplistic manner and for the way they came across as judgmental and hurtful. Alan Chambers, the founder of Exodus International, once referred to himself as gay and has since married a woman and has children and is following Christ. But he confesses that he still wrestles with same-sex attraction. He said, "It is strange to be someone who has both been hurt by the Church's treatment of the LGBTQ community, and also to be someone who must apologize for being part of the very system of ignorance that perpetuated that hurt." 16 So can people change sexual orientation? 9

10 Maybe our problem is the point of emphasis. Can we change? On one hand, I would say, most definitely. That is the whole point of the gospel. To some degree, if you are in Christ, you have already changed. You are a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. We are being transformed by the power of Christ. But lets take this conversation outside of the realm of homosexuality and just speak in general terms. Would we not all admit that even though we are new creations and our identity is in Christ we still battle the flesh? We still have besetting sins that we need to keep an eye on and they tend to present themselves to us from time to time. Do you not find yourself repenting of the same things over and over again? Do we not agonize with Paul when he confesses that he does what he doesn t want to do and doesn t do what he wants to do? I like the way Christopher Yuan puts it, I had always thought that the opposite of homosexuality is heterosexuality. But actually the opposite of homosexuality is holiness. God never said, Be heterosexual, for I am heterosexual. He said, Be holy, for I am holy. 17 For some, that means as they strive for holiness their affections change and they are now attracted to the opposite sex. I have read numerous stories of people who have journeyed down this path and are happily married. For others, though, that is not their experience. They remain attracted to those of the same sex, but are choosing to live celibate and chaste lives, just as any other single Christian would do. They are no less holy than the one who is now attracted to the opposite sex because they likewise are choosing to be holy and obedient. Do you know what the fancy word is for the change that Jesus brings to all of us? It is called progressive sanctification. Do you know what that means? Until I leave this world, I am a work in progress. I am still under construction. Listen to this. It is a long obedience of faith down a narrow and often difficult road, in the company of other Christian men and women in the local church. The progressive and ongoing change that God is working in us comes from the power of the gospel and it is rooted in the rich soil of the body of Christ. So here is how I process the idea of whether or not sexual orientation can be changed. That is not the key question. Regardless of whether or not a person still wrestles with same-sex attraction is not the change that the gospel calls us to, or for that matter even promises. For some, they may no longer wrestle with it. For others, there may be a measure where they wrestle with it until God takes them home. The change that Jesus brings is the recognition that all sin is forgiven and now my identity is formed by Jesus and by God s grace and through the support of the body of Christ, I am re-ordering my life. I am choosing holiness! It is not always easy, but we all know that. Wesley Hill 10

11 Conclusion says this, Not only does God in Christ take people as they are: He takes them in order to transform them into what he wants them to be... In light of this, is it any surprise that we homosexual Christians must experience such a transformation along with the rest of the community of faith? 18 Can we bring this back under the blanket of Romans 12? People who are going through the struggle with same-sex attraction and who want to follow Jesus, need us to be a loving place that helps them grow and struggle through this very challenging issue. Kevin DeYoung says, We must raise an army of men and women, who are compelled in all humility, to seek to understand the homosexual struggle and enter into relationship that will challenge, encourage, and hold friends and loved ones accountable. 19 In other words, they need to be just like anyone else in the body of Christ. I know I have not answered every question. Nor have I resolved every tension. I may have actually created some for you this morning. This is a very real issue in our culture and it is hard sometimes to divorce the political and cultural issues from the real needs of those who want to follow Jesus. We know what the Bible says about homosexuality. But we also know what the Bible says about your sin and my sin. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We know what the Bible says about the gospel. Jesus died on the cross for all of our sin so that grace and through faith in Jesus we can all be forgiven. We should be a casteless society in the church. We all stand on equal footing under the cross. As we seek to be holy as God is holy, may we create an environment where we can be honest with our struggles without being judged. May we create an environment where we can respect the diversity of struggle we have within the body. May we create an environment that has compassion for the one who struggles with same-sex attraction and who wants to walk with Christ. For some, that means embracing celibacy. My prayer is that they would find deep biblical friendship in the church. May we create an environment where we all experience the change that God wants to bring in our lives as we live out our identity in Christ. 11

12 1 Sam Williams, A Christian Psychology of and Response to Homosexuality Oct Ibid, 2 3 Marvin Olasky, Problem of Solution World Magazine January 14, Peter Hubbard, Love Into Light (Greenville: Ambassador Int., 2013) 24 5 Ron Citlau, Book Review of Love Into Light 6 Williams, 3 7 Williams, 1 8 Wesley Hill, Washed and Waiting (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010) 19 9 Williams, Williams, Robert Gagnon, the Bible and Homosexual Practice: Text and Hermeneutics (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001) Dennis Hollinger, The Meaning of Sex (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2009) Ibid., Christopher Yuan, Out Of A Far Country (Colorado Springs: Waterbook Press, 2011) Williams, 7 16 Ed Payne, Group apologizes to gay community, shuts down cure ministry July 8, Yuan, Kevin DeYoung, Christians, Don t Give Up on the Homosexual Debate January 30, by Dr. Scott Solberg - All rights reserved 12