Homosexuality & the Gospel 1
2020 Spring Electives • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsElective on the right response by the church to the homosexual community
Notes
Transcript
Introductory remarks
Introductory remarks
Intro (TBD)
Setting the stage
Rising cultural acceptance of homosexuality
“Do you think gay or lesbian relations between consenting adults should or should not be legal?” (Gallup/graph)
In 1987— 57% should not be legal // 32% should be legal
In 2019— 26% should not be legal // 73% should be legal
“Do you think marriages between same-sex couples should or should not be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages?” (Gallup/graph—interesting wording)
In 1997— 27% should be valid, 68% should not be valid
In 2019— 63% should be valid, 36% should not be valid
The political and litigious landscape has predictably followed the popular trends
2015 the US Supreme court essentially legalized gay marriage across the 50 states
Increasing pressure on private organizations, non-profits and religious groups to conform to the demands of LGBTQ activists
The promotion of homosexuality in the arts
Movies, televisions shows, pop music and even children’s books have normalized homosexual relationships—even styling them as virtuous “love is love.”
“Let me make the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes it laws.” Andrew Fletcher
—>What is the church to do?
>How do we address our culture?
>How do we strengthen our congregations?
>How do we compassionately share the liberating and healing gospel of Jesus Christ to those enslaved and broken by sexual sin? (most important)
Roadmap:
Next week— we’ll examine the key biblical texts in question to endeavor to answer the question: “what does the Bible teach about homosexuality?” We’ll also consider some of the critical objections raised against those texts.
3rd week— we’ll look at the common arguments that culture (and even church denominations) are making to justify and promote homosexual relationships. We will also consider strategies to respond and effectively minister to the sexually broken.
4th week— reserved for your questions. Almost all of us are personally connected to someone in relationship with a same-sex partner, and many difficult and emotional practical problems arise for the Christian trying to preserve relationship and maintain a witness while speaking truth and protecting one’s conscience. We will think through your anonymous questions together, submitted in the basket by the 3rd week of class.
—>Today: we are barely going to get into the issue of homosexuality.
>I believe related to this issue we struggle in two significant ways
We know homosexuality to be sin, but are not always biblically literate enough on this issue to defend it… (topic of next few weeks)
We are often so self-righteous on topics like these that we major in condemnation and minor in speaking the truth in love… (today’s topic)
this morning I desire to set the stage for our thinking and speaking on this whole topic—an important warning from Scripture about the dangers of self-righteousness.
Exposition: The Prodigal Son
Exposition: The Prodigal Son
A disrespectful son (15:11-12)
And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.
The request is untoward
the normal time to receive an inheritance is upon the death of the property holder, in this case, the father. 2/3 would go to the oldest, and 1/3 to the younger brother.
this son doesn’t concern himself with these conventions—he is young, impatient to use his means to pursue his pleasures
The request is inconvenient
this is not the simple transaction of funds from the father’s account into the son’s account—there is no available wire transaction
this would almost certainly involve the selling off of land, servants, flocks and crops—this is likely to hurt the function of the whole estate
The request is unloving
the principle of opportunity cost—in this case two choices, relationship with the father, or the inheritance and severance or relationship
the son is choosing his own pleasure over relationship with his father, and absolute spit in the face.
Observe: Sin always destroys relationships.
>true in human terms
>true especially of our relationship with God—since our first parents, we have pursued our sinful pleasures, our priorities, our passions at the expense of loving relationship with our father.
Application thought: Sin (including homosexuality) is an affront to a Holy God, and causes separation in relationship.
The Consequences of the Folly of Sin (15:13-16)
Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
The promise of sin verses the reality of its cost
Sin appeals, it entices, it ensnares—it presents the passions of sin as delight
But sin always has a profoundly high cost
With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.
All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
It results in slavery, brokenness and pain
It separates us from the love of the Father
It brings shame and humiliation
Application: The wretched plight of the sinner ought to inspire our compassion rather than our judgement, not least because we were once in the same predicament!
“I once was lost in darkest night,
Yet thought I knew the way.
The sin that promised joy and life,
had led me to the grave.
I had no hope that You would own,
A rebel to Your will.
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse you still.”
-All I Have Is Christ
>we have all, like so many of John Bunyan’s Pilgrims, been brought low and crushed under the awesome weight of sin and wrath upon our shoulders
>we have all, like so many prodigals, found ourselves mired in the slum of our own depravity, and found further separation from the Father’s love intolerable!
-it is to that Fathers love that we now turn
The Father’s Love (15:17-24)
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
>we note firstly the prodigal son’s recognition of his sin and his repentance
The father presents us with an astonishing profile of love
He is absolutely within his rights to treat his formerly ungrateful, unloving, thoughtless, reckless, selfish, immoral son in whatever manner he sees fit
Instead he casts aside his dignity to run to the son (this undeserving son), and through every possible method makes clear his overflowing love for his son. And there is much rejoicing
> Our sin is infinitely greater than the offense of the prodigal because we have offended the character of a holy God. The cost of reconciliation is infinitely greater than that of the parable because to accomplish the adoption of so many of us undeserving sons God must sacrifice his only beloved son. And the love of our Father is infinitely greater than the love of this parabolic father because confronted with this horrible cost, God spared not his own son.
How deep the Fathers love for us,
How vast beyond all measure!
That He should give His only son,
To make a wretch His treasure.
The Third Character—The Oldest Son (15:25-32)
“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’ ”
—>Who does this third character represent?
>we understand the prodigal is the repentant sinner
>the father represents our gracious God
The key—> verses 1-2
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
this is a remarkable, REMARKABLE statement, meant as an offense, but a beautiful picture of the gospel
The older brother is a WARNING to the Pharisees of Jesus’s day, and to those who are Pharisaical among us.
—>Do we view those struggling with particular sins as being especially sinful? Of unworthy of our love, compassion, friendship, and witness?
“But what about our conservative, evangelical churches? Has the idea of sin all but disappeared from us also? No, it has not disappeared, but it has, in many instances, been deflected to those outside our circles who commit flagrant sins such as abortion, homosexuality, and murder, or the notorious white-collar crimes of high-level corporate executives. It’s easy for us to condemn those obvious sins while virtually ignoring our own sins of gossip, pride, envy, bitterness, and lust, or even our lack of those gracious qualities that Paul calls the fruit of the Spirit.” -Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins
>do we tolerate “respectable sins” while condemning others as gross sinners?
The older brother is angry for at least three reasons
He feels his profligate brother is enjoying is enjoying what rightly belongs to him!
He feels he has earned his father’s favor
He gives himself away δουλευω “serve under orders or as a slave”—this has not been joy but drudgery aimed at merit and reward
Based on his performance, on his merits, he expects reward
He feels morally superior to his brother and his father
“We were incensed, and rightfully so, when a major denomination ordained a practicing homosexual as a bishop. Why do we not also mourn over our selfishness, our critical spirit, our impatience, and our anger? It’s easy to let ourselves off the hook by saying these sins are not as bad as the flagrant ones of society. But God has not given us the authority to establish values for different sins. Instead, He says through James ‘Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it (2:10).’” —Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins
Christ did not come as the savior for those self-righteous souls whose confidence is in themselves and who say to heaven: “God, thank you that I am not like other men, the unjust, adulterers, extortioners and sinners.”
Instead, Christ is the redeemer of those poor and desperate sinners, who in their wretched humiliation cannot even lift their eyes to heaven as they cry “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!”
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