The Bible and My Response
- (Genesis 2:24-25)Intro:
What is marriage in the eyes of God?
- A Covenant relationship between a man and a woman.
- A Picture of Christ and the Church.
- A married couple enjoying a God Designed sexual expression.
Jeremiah Canfield - Pastor Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh East
Review: Leviticus 18:22; 20:13 | Romans 1:18-33
What do we do?
- Stop Avoiding them.
- Give them the Gospel first.
- Love them, but not Accepting what they do.
- Guide them as part of the body of Christ.
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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Mark Ort:
00:21-00:21
Good morning, guys.
Mark Ort:
00:22-00:28
If you're new around here, usually Jeff Miller's going to be standing here right about now.
Mark Ort:
00:29-00:35
And he is over at our sister church in Pittsburgh East, near Monroeville.
Mark Ort:
00:36-00:39
And Jeremiah Canfield from Pittsburgh East is here this morning.
Mark Ort:
00:39-00:40
We did kind of like a pastor swap.
Mark Ort:
00:41-00:50
So Jeff usually studies and takes the month of July to prepare for the next calendar year of preaching.
Mark Ort:
00:50-00:53
And so we have guest speakers lined up for the month of July usually.
Mark Ort:
00:54-01:01
And today is our last guest speaker, and it's Jeremiah Canfield, again from Pittsburgh East.
Mark Ort:
01:01-01:03
And just a couple of things about Jeremiah.
Mark Ort:
01:03-01:11
I first heard Jeremiah speak at Harvest University two years ago on the very topic that he's going to be speaking about today.
Mark Ort:
01:11-01:19
And it really changed my view of other people who may not be like us.
Mark Ort:
01:20-01:22
And I was very convicted about that.
Mark Ort:
01:23-01:25
And it really changed the way I think.
Mark Ort:
01:26-01:27
And so you'll be challenged with that today.
Mark Ort:
01:28-01:33
I didn't meet Jeremiah until last year at a pirate game.
Mark Ort:
01:34-01:36
We met at a pirate game and that was pretty cool.
Mark Ort:
01:37-01:39
I don't even remember if the pirates won that game or not.
Mark Ort:
01:40-01:50
And then we spent some time together, Jeremiah and his church's leadership and our church's leadership spent some time together in January in Pittsburgh.
Mark Ort:
01:51-01:54
And I really kind of got a feel for who he was.
Mark Ort:
01:55-01:58
He's a warm and engaging individual.
Mark Ort:
01:58-02:01
And you could tell that he loves the Lord.
Mark Ort:
02:01-02:03
And he loves God's people.
Mark Ort:
02:04-02:05
He loves the church.
Mark Ort:
02:05-02:13
And we have some things that we want to do Pittsburgh East in the coming years, and we're looking forward to that.
Mark Ort:
02:13-02:27
Jeremiah has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Northland University, and he has a Master's of Arts in Religion from Liberty University, and he's been serving at Harvest Pittsburgh East since 2013, right?
Mark Ort:
02:28-02:29
He is married.
Mark Ort:
02:29-02:31
His wife and kids aren't here today.
Mark Ort:
02:32-02:41
They're over at their church, his wife Stephanie, and they have five kids, two sons, Titus and and three daughters, Eliana, Selah, and Charis.
Mark Ort:
02:42-02:46
And so maybe we can give a warm Pittsburgh North welcome to Jeremiah.
Pastor Jeremiah:
02:54-02:54
Well, good morning.
Pastor Jeremiah:
02:56-02:57
It is a privilege and an honor to be here.
Pastor Jeremiah:
02:58-03:00
So grateful for your pastor.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:01-03:04
Jeff is a good friend and a godly man.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:04-03:08
And if this is your first time here, then please come back because you need to hear Jeff speak.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:09-03:11
So don't judge the church by how I speak, okay?
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:11-03:15
But I know Jeff is gonna do a great job.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:15-03:16
Look forward to him bringing the word at my church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:17-03:35
And it's just a privilege to be 45 minutes from each other and not have to worry about fighting, but able to say, "Hey, we're here for one goal, "and that is to see the gospel proclaimed in Pittsburgh "and to be able to come together and to do things like this "and look forward to doing it more in the future "and just how that we can be a greater force." Two's better than one, right?
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:35-03:40
And Lord willing, we're gonna have three and four and five and more churches planned here in this area.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:41-03:43
And we look forward to seeing what God's gonna do in Pittsburgh.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:44-03:47
And so I thank you for the privilege to come and to preach.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:48-03:55
If you have your Bibles, you can go to the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter two, Genesis chapter two.
Pastor Jeremiah:
03:55-04:01
Now, I can't say that the topic today is probably the easiest one to speak on.
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:02-04:04
To be honest, I don't even like to.
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:04-04:08
when Jeff asked me to speak, it's always an honor to preach at someone's church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:09-04:17
But then when he said he wants me to speak on this topic, I can't say I got truly excited about it, but I do believe it's an important one.
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:18-04:34
And if you've looked at your bulletin and seen what we're gonna talk on homosexuality today, I believe it is in our culture today and where we are at and what is taking place in our culture and what is being pushed in our culture, I believe it's important that we understand what the Bible truly says.
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:35-04:49
And so I hope what we get across today as we walk through some things is to understand truly what the Bible says about homosexuality, but also what is our response as the Christians, what are we supposed to be doing?
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:49-04:53
Because I'll be honest, I believe the church is not doing a very good job at that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
04:54-05:02
And I believe we've almost been blindsided over the last probably five to six, maybe seven years that this has kind of become more predominant.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:02-05:05
And I believe the church has been behind, has not responded properly.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:06-05:09
And so I wanna share some things as we look at God's Word today.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:10-05:18
And if you would, let me just pray real quickly as we dive in, because I can't do this without God's strength, and I don't think you can listen to it without God's strength.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:18-05:19
And so let's pray.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:20-05:20
God, we need you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:21-05:24
As we sang today, Lord, you are our only hope.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:25-05:32
God, I pray, Lord, as we look at this topic, Lord, I pray that we would see clearly what the Word of God says.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:33-05:35
Lord, You know every heart here.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:35-05:40
You know if they're struggling with this issue, if they know somebody who's struggling with this issue.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:40-05:46
So God, I pray that You would show them truly what Your Word says on this issue and how to move forward.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:46-05:48
Lord, for Your glory, we ask these things.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:48-05:49
In the name of Jesus, I do pray.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:51-05:51
Amen.
Pastor Jeremiah:
05:52-06:38
Oprah asked a former pastor, Rob Bell, a question - Rob Bell is no longer a pastor, but is a speaker and does many other things - him this question says, "Well, when is the church going to get it?" Speaking of this topic of homosexuality, when is the church going to understand it? When is the church really going to start to embrace it? And here's what Mr. Bell said. He said, "Well, moments away. I think culture is already there and the church will continue to be more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2,000 years ago as their best defense. When you have in front of you flesh and blood people who are your brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles and co-workers and neighbors and they love each other and just want to go through life with someone.
Pastor Jeremiah:
06:39-06:54
I believe that Mr. Bell is right. Many churches have started to go irrelevant today, but the reason it is not because they are holding to a book that is written 2,000 years ago, it's because they have neglected a book that was written 2,000 years ago.
Pastor Jeremiah:
06:55-07:02
And I believe the Word of God is very clear and what we need to stand and how we need to stand on this issue.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:02-07:04
So what does the Bible say?
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:04-07:10
In issues that we thought, you know, 10, 15 years ago, we never even thought we'd have to even have this conversation really.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:11-07:17
It was almost in many of our minds, black and white, of what needed to happen in the whole area of homosexuality.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:18-07:22
But because of kind of where our culture has gone, it is an issue that we have to address.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:23-07:29
Now, here's, you know, there's a lot of messages that you preach, and when you preach a message out of your head, it's because you know it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:30-07:34
You preach a message out of your heart because you feel it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:34-07:39
But you preach a message out of your life because you've walked through it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:39-07:56
The reason why this topic hits close to home, and I'm gonna try not to cry through this whole message, so bear with me if I start, is because my younger brother, my younger brother about 15 years ago came to me and told me that he had a same-sex attraction.
Pastor Jeremiah:
07:57-08:02
And actually, when he told me that for the first time, I can't say I responded the greatest.
Pastor Jeremiah:
08:02-08:13
I just came out of Bible college, and I gave him all, "Hey, this is not biblical, "and you need to change this, "and this is not natural, and you need to do this." And I look back now, and I realize I did not respond correctly.
Pastor Jeremiah:
08:14-08:23
About four years ago, about a month before we planted a church down in Pittsburgh East, my little brother sent an email to my family.
Pastor Jeremiah:
08:23-08:43
four brothers and a sister. My dad's been in ministry for 40 years. All three of my other brothers are in ministry. My brother Josh is in New York City. He's an actor there, actually on Broadway right now, performs with Josh Groban, and been very successful in what he does. He was on Survivor about three years ago.
Pastor Jeremiah:
08:45-10:10
And about four years ago, a month before we were about to launch the church, he sent an email and told us that he believed that it was biblical and that God had made him a homosexual and that this is the lifestyle that he was now going to embrace. And I can still remember sitting in my--I was sitting in McDonald's actually in Monroeville, I was talking to my worship guy and I just kind of stopped me and said I had to go. And I remember going home and crying with my wife and Josh was my best man at my wedding and I have a good relationship with him and I'll tell you it hurt. It hurt a lot and it made me have to go to the scriptures and I told Josh, I said, "Josh, listen, with all I have, go to the scriptures and with no presuppositions look at this topic again and study it out and see what does the Bible truly say." And he gave me a book that he wanted me to read and I said I'd read it and I said I will go and over the next months I read books I read articles I listened to people talk on both sides and what I share with you today is really where that point has brought me and yes it's a continual thing and it's a continual action of learning and growing but the journey that I've on it took time it It took tears and a lot of prayer.
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:11-10:14
And do we really have ground to stand on?
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:15-10:21
What we have believed and what church history has believed for over 2000 years really, do we have ground to stand on?
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:21-10:25
And what does the Bible really say about this?
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:25-10:27
And what does the church do now?
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:28-10:31
You may sit here and say, Jeremiah, the Bible, it seems so clear.
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:31-10:33
How did they get around it?
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:33-10:36
I mean, there are verses that we've kind of held up for so many years.
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:36-10:37
How do we get around these verses?
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:38-10:40
Well, some don't even care what the Bible say.
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:41-10:49
Some, you know, look at it and say, well, Jesus made me this way, and if he made me this way, then I'm gonna embrace this, and I'm gonna walk through this, and not really giving any thought to what the word of God says.
Pastor Jeremiah:
10:50-11:07
And then some, including my brother, have changed the new, have put a new hermeneutic, or a new interpretation to the verses that we would usually go to and say, these are the verses that talk about homosexuality and why we believe it's wrong, and that they put a new hermeneutic to it, a new interpretation to it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
11:08-11:19
And they say that most of those verses, as it talks about homosexuality, are talking about proactive or adulterous or fleshly acts, you know, like a gang rape, like you would see in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Pastor Jeremiah:
11:20-11:26
They say it's not talking, Jeremiah, about a covenant relationship between one man and one man or one woman and one woman.
Pastor Jeremiah:
11:27-11:44
So it is. It's hard to debate somebody because when they change the hermeneutic of the scripture to say what they wanted to, And let me just say, it's very dangerous when you start to take the Word of God and start to change interpretation that the church really has held for for over 2,000 years.
Pastor Jeremiah:
11:45-12:00
And so what I want to do this morning is I want to help you understand homosexuality and understand biblically what the Word of God says, and hope that you see that's coming from a heart that has walked through a tough journey over the last years.
Pastor Jeremiah:
12:01-13:26
You know, I'd say that most of the books that I read that were for homosexuality, most of the pastors that have kind of gone over and accepted it now, it's because they usually start their argument like this, "I know somebody who's a homosexual, and I know how much they love that person, how much they love God, so it has to be right." And so they say, "Okay, because of that presupposition, "Now I'm gonna go to God's Word." And listen church, that's not how we go to God's Word. We go to God's Word as the foundation of what we believe. And as hard as it was, as I studied and I journeyed through this, as hard as it was to set aside my love for my brother and my love to want to see him be happy, I have to go with this book right here, and I have to stand on what God's Word says. So I want to give you a couple things and I think if you're gonna understand why biblically homosexuality is wrong, I think you have to understand what marriage is in the eyes of God. Look at Genesis chapter 2, number one, it's a covenant relationship between a man and a woman. You say, "Jeremiah, where do you see that? Where do you see that's between a man or woman?" I think we start at the beginning at Genesis chapter 2 verse 18. It says, "And the Lord God said, 'It is not good than a man should be alone. And I will make him a helper fit for him.
Pastor Jeremiah:
13:26-13:52
Skip down to verse 21. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon this man Adam. And while he slept he took one his ribs and closed up his the place of his flesh. And the rib that the Lord had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. And she shall be called woman because she was taken out of the man, and look at verse 24 right here.
Pastor Jeremiah:
13:53-14:07
"Therefore, man shall leave his father and mother "and hold fast to his wife, "and they shall become one flesh." Listen, that verse right there, verse 24, I believe is a definition of what marriage is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:08-14:11
You say, Jeremiah, why do you think that verse 24 is the definition of marriage?
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:11-14:16
Why is it not just really connected with this whole story of what is taking place there?
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:17-14:25
Because I believe that God is setting a precedence right there at the beginning in creation of saying, hey, listen, this is what marriage will be for all.
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:25-14:25
Why?
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:26-14:30
Because you look at verse 24, did Adam and Eve have a father or a mother?
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:31-14:35
No, they were the first two adults on the earth.
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:35-14:42
And so he can't be talking about Adam and Eve because they didn't have to leave their father, they didn't have to leave their mother and cling together.
Pastor Jeremiah:
14:42-15:54
No, Jesus was setting a precedent, a creation principle and saying, listen, this is what marriage would be from all time. It would be when a man shall leave his father and mother, because from here on out everybody's gonna have a father and mother. And so yes, they're the first one, they didn't, but here a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. You know, they'll try to sit there and they'll say, Jeremiah, in the books that kind of promote homosexuality, will take this passage and say, "No, that was, this is just for Adam and Eve and this is kind of how the world started, this is what took place, but it's not a principle that has to be cleared through the whole scriptures and through all time and I believe that's not understanding what the Word of God is saying here. God is setting up precedence. This is what marriage is. It's between a man and a woman when they leave their family and they cling to each other and they become one flesh. And then you start walking through the scriptures. You walk through the scriptures, there's no story or even a picture of a same-sex marriage ordained by God. In the Word we always see marriage pictured and defined as a relationship between a man and a woman.
Pastor Jeremiah:
15:55-16:15
And I've read the articles and a lot of times will say well homosexuality was not a big emphasis during that time, during that time frame it wasn't known and that's just not understanding history. You go back and you study history you can even look at Wikipedia online and they put homosexuality all all the way back at the start of what they would know history to be.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:15-16:41
So my thing is, if homosexuality was a big part of the culture, even back in that time frame, then why do we go through the whole scriptures and we don't see God ordain one homosexual act, we don't see God bless one couple, if it was prominent then, if it was known, why does every marriage that we see take place in the word of God between a man and a woman.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:42-16:48
Because God was setting a pattern, this is what marriage is, this is what takes place.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:48-16:49
You say, well, that's just the Old Testament.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:50-16:52
You can flip and you have to turn there.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:52-16:54
But in Matthew, Jesus starts to talk about it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:54-16:58
They come to Jesus in Matthew 19, they say Jesus, asking him about divorce.
Pastor Jeremiah:
16:59-17:03
And before Jesus talks about divorce, first he says, listen, let me define marriage.
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:03-17:05
And how does he define marriage?
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:05-17:12
He goes back to Genesis chapter two and says, Listen, this is how God defined it in Genesis chapter two, so let me tell you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:12-17:17
He says, "Have you not read that he who created them "from the beginning made male and female?
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:18-17:33
"And he said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father "'and mother and hold fast to his wife, "'and the two shall become one flesh.' "So they are no longer two but one, "therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." So Jesus goes back and says, listen, before we even talk about divorce, let me tell you what marriage is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:34-17:38
It's between a man and a woman, They become one and let that not separate.
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:38-17:41
They say, Jesus, that's really insensitive.
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:42-17:50
Why didn't Jesus just say, therefore a person shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to each other and the two shall become one flesh?
Pastor Jeremiah:
17:51-18:00
Listen, don't you think Jesus knew that the people he was talking to, the people standing in that crowd, that there were some there probably with the same sex attraction, the people who would have heard that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:01-18:08
Why did he make it so clear when he said, This is between a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:10-18:13
Because Jesus was defining again what marriage was.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:15-18:22
We can flip a little bit later in the epistles, Ephesians chapter five, the apostle Paul is talking on marriage.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:22-18:28
And at the end of his talk on marriage, he quotes the same verse in Genesis chapter two.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:29-18:31
He said, "Listen, this is what marriage is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:32-18:38
It's when a man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:38-18:40
Listen, he was talking to the church at Ephesus.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:41-18:46
Ephesus would have been full of, yes, of idolatry and people who would have had that same sex attraction.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:48-18:55
So why wasn't Paul more sensitive unless he was communicating truly with the word of God says, this is what marriage is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:56-18:57
You see, listen to me, church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
18:57-19:05
If God defines marriage as between a man or woman Genesis 2. And Jesus defines marriage between a man and a woman in Matthew 19.
Pastor Jeremiah:
19:06-19:58
And the Apostle Paul defines marriage between a man and a woman in Ephesians chapter 5. Listen, I'd have to say that's pretty good company to be able to sit there and say between God, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul, I'm saying this is what marriage is. This is what it looks like. I think God would have known. I think God's not connected to time so he would have known that this would have been an issue today and as prevadent as it is that he would have put one verse or one illustration or one of something saying this is what marriage is. You see if you read in the books that are for homosexuality what they do is they go to the scriptures and they try to say well that's not really what the author was intended and but when you ask him okay we're in the Word of God does it is it for homosexuality, there isn't anything.
Pastor Jeremiah:
19:59-20:03
Their whole argument is on silence because there isn't anything.
Pastor Jeremiah:
20:03-20:10
Yes, you can change the hermeneutics to something and you can say that's not what it was, but the bottom line, that there's nothing that is for it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
20:10-20:35
I've looked and as I've counseled and talked to people with same-sex attraction, I've told them, listen, if I get to heaven and what it is for you to have a homosexual relationship was ordained by God and God is for that, then listen, I'm gonna be mad at God Because I know the pain, I know the hurt that I have as I've counseled those people, I've talked with my brother, that the desire they wish they did not have.
Pastor Jeremiah:
20:36-20:39
Why was God give us just one instance on it?
Pastor Jeremiah:
20:41-20:56
And that's why I have to go back and say, God was totally clear from the beginning, and even when Jesus walked in there, started the church with the Apostle Paul of what marriage should be, is a covenant relationship between a man and a woman.
Pastor Jeremiah:
20:57-21:03
There's another reason I'd give you, and that is this, is that marriage is a picture of Christ in the church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:04-21:06
Marriage is a picture of Christ in the church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:06-21:08
Ephesians chapter five is what it talks about.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:08-21:12
This is one of the big reasons why I believe homosexuality is wrong.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:13-21:20
The illustration that we see in Ephesians chapter five is between Christ and the church and how the husband represents Christ and how the wife represents the church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:20-21:27
and how the wife submits under the husband just as Christ, and as the church submits under Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:27-21:28
It's an illustration that is given.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:29-21:34
And this can't be an illustration just for that church or for that time frame.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:34-21:39
No, he goes back again and pulls the creation principle from Genesis chapter two.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:39-21:47
I believe that according to this passage, that one of the reasons why marriage is set up is to picture Christ and the church, it's two opposites uniting as one.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:49-21:53
We have roles that are played out so clearly, what the man is supposed to do and what the woman is supposed to do.
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:53-21:56
And in the same sex relationship, how does that play out?
Pastor Jeremiah:
21:58-22:03
If they say, well, it's just one of them should do it, well then in a heterosexual relationship, you should be able to say the same thing.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:04-22:20
If we tear down that picture and say, well, it doesn't matter if it's the man that's the leader or the woman that submits or this woman that submits or the man's leader, it doesn't really matter what it is, then we've torn down really the picture of what the family is and how God designed the family to be.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:21-22:33
And then I'll give you one more quickly here is we won't take a long time to look at it and I promise I'll keep it PG rated, but it's a married couple enjoying a God-designed sexual expression.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:34-22:36
It must be a married couple or it is sin.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:37-22:43
I believe there's one way that God designed sex to take place and that is between a man and a woman.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:43-22:49
Sex is not just a union, it is a reunion of the two difference becoming one.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:50-22:54
And only in a heterosexual relationship will that take place.
Pastor Jeremiah:
22:55-23:00
And so understanding in the eyes of God this is what marriage truly is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
23:01-23:04
And that we can stand on God's word of what marriage is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
23:05-23:10
Now you say, "Jemar, are there other passages in God's word that talk about it?" Yes, I'll quickly just kind of give you a couple.
Pastor Jeremiah:
23:11-23:41
Leviticus chapter 20, chapter 18 and chapter 20, both talk about it and just I'll go to Leviticus 20 for a second here. It says in Leviticus 20 verse 13, "If a man lies with a man as with a woman, both of them have committed abomination and they shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them." Jeremiah, that seems so clear. How do they take this? Well, they'd say this is Levitical law and they'd say if you're gonna follow this then you have to follow all Leviticus, right? Well, understand what the Levitical law is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
23:41-24:09
They sit there and say that God has done away with the law, Jesus did away with the law, and that's not true. You see in the New Testament that Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law. There's a difference of fulfilling the law and doing away with the law. A very important difference. They say, "Why, Pastor, then do you practice some of the things in Leviticus and not other ones? You don't still sacrifice, you don't still do that, so why?" Well, again, you have to go to the New Testament understand this, that when Christ came, he came to fulfill the law.
Pastor Jeremiah:
24:09-26:44
So all foods that were declared unclean in Leviticus, we see in the book of Mark and in Acts, that Jesus says these foods are now clean. You can eat what you want. Also we see all the holy days and all the things that they kept with the Sabbath and things they couldn't do and they couldn't walk this far. And what took place, we see in Romans chapter 14 that Jesus said, "Listen, you don't have to do that anymore. Fulfill those things." And then the whole sacrificial system that has written Leviticus. We see in Hebrews chapter 7 that Christ was the last sacrifice, but lying with another man is a purity issue, and there's a difference. That this is the purity law as you walk through Leviticus, that God is calling his people to holiness, and so the things that God talks about and the issues of purity are still supposed to be followed today. It's interesting in this verse here, it's the only time, actually there's one other time, and that's in Leviticus 18.22 when he's talking about homosexuality, that God uses the word "abomination" as Moses goes through and writes Leviticus. He is saying that this is an abomination to him. Now, you say, "Jeremiah, how can they pull this verse out?" And what they say is that, you know, this is talking about, you know, a more of a gang rape or someone who is you know raping someone but that's not what the word is talking because they both it says shall be killed if they practice this. Now again, the punishment was fulfilled at the cross so we don't fulfill the same punishment that took place at that time but what God said is still supposed to happen. Look at the verses around it. It talks about committing adultery, it talks about the man lies with his father's wife, it talks about if a man lies with his daughter-in-law. It talks about in verse 15 if men lies with an animal. What we still all say today that those are wrong so why would we not say that the Homosexuality Act is also wrong? Again we can't just take one verse and pull it out we have to look at what it communicates there. And so here it is talking about and it is wrong. I'll look at one more chapter here and then I want to get you some practical things. Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 23. Let me read some of this with It says, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness oppress the truth. For what we can be known by God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For this is his invisible attributes, namely, his internal power and divine nature, has been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world, the things have been made.
Pastor Jeremiah:
26:44-26:50
So they are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not honor as God or give thanks to Him.
Pastor Jeremiah:
26:50-26:58
"for they became futile in their thinking, "and their foolish hearts were darkened." So he's talking about a generation that is not seeking after him, that is seeking after their own thing.
Pastor Jeremiah:
26:59-27:02
"Claiming to be wise, they become fools." He says this in verse 24.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:02-27:10
"Therefore God gave them up." You know, I'll tell you, one of the worst things to do is receive the passive wrath of God.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:11-27:16
That when God says, listen, my discipline, I'm not even gonna put in more, I'm just gonna give you up and step back.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:16-27:19
It's the passive wrath of God that you don't wanna walk down.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:20-27:29
He says, "I gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity, the dishonor of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:30-27:34
And they worship and serve the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:34-27:35
Amen.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:35-27:39
For this reason, God gave them up." What did he give them up to?
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:39-27:41
"To dishonorable passions.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:42-27:46
For the woman exchanged their natural relations for those that are contrary to nature.
Pastor Jeremiah:
27:47-30:45
And the men, likewise, gave up natural relations with women consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error." You say, "Jeremiah, how did they get around that?" Well, during that time frame, there was an emperor who would basically bring kids in and adults in and have sex with them. And so they would say, as Apostle Paul wrote this, that they would have been thinking of that emperor, they've been thinking what was taking place in that time. The problem that again as these are says there they were consumed with passion for one another these are two people consenting to have a relationship with each other that goes against what God designed it to be and because of that it is wrong and that God gave us this dishonorable passions listen if there's one thing that I want you to make sure you walk out today is understanding that we can stand strong on God's Word. You know as you walk through, as you read through articles and you see articles on Facebook and you see pastors slowly just falling in this area of saying, "This is fine, this is biblical, they're allowed to practice these things." And yes, it can make you start to doubt and go, "How is this happening? What is taking place?" Please understand that God's Word is very clear on it. That we don't have to waver, we don't have to doubt. We don't have to sit there and say is what they're saying true? No, you go to the scriptures and God's Word is clear and we can hold on the same hermeneutic that we've held to for 2,000 years and we don't have to change on that. That God's Word is clear on what it says. Now let me give you just a couple street-level objectives before I give you what you could do, because here's what some people will say as you walk the streets, you talk with someone, you have a friend, or you have a sibling, or a parent, or somebody who's in walking down this this problem, this is what they'll say, "Jesus did not say anything about homosexuality, so we don't need to take a stand on it." And I've heard pastors say that. You know, "Jesus really didn't say anything about it, so I don't need to take on a stand on it either." Well listen, Jesus didn't say anything about incest or idolatry either, at least that we have recorded, and we still believe both of those are wrong. Jesus was an actual person, lived a specific time, and yes, as the Apostles wrote what he said, they didn't write down everything he said. He could have said something about it, and they just didn't write it down, maybe because it was so clear in their minds and so clear of what was taking place that they didn't have to write anything about it, because it wasn't an issue as this right or wrong back then. They knew it was wrong. I think also Jesus did as marriages where he looked at Matthew 19 that he did talk about it because he said this is what marriage is and so if he said this is what marriage is then what he also is saying this is what marriage is not. So this is what it is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
30:45-31:55
He also in Mark chapter 7 used the word sexual immorality. It's the word pornia and there's a broad word that is used for any sexual sin and that would be idolatry, fornication, or homosexuality. Listen, just because we don't see Jesus giving specific instructions saying homosexuality is wrong does not mean that Jesus didn't talk about it. Also, if we believe these are all God's words, then everything in this book, not just what is in red. So I don't believe that that objective stands for anything. Another objective that I've heard is this, is some animals have same-sex relations, it must be natural. They try to go to the animals and say, "Well, some of those animals, they have sex and they're man and man, a woman and woman, so that must be fine." Well listen, the female black-widowed spider after mating with a male eats the husband. I don't see anybody promoting cannibalism today. Also the hippo after the mom gives birth, the male hippo tries to eat the child because it doesn't want the child to take over the dominance of the herd. So listen, just because nature does it does not mean it's right. Listen, nature is under the same curse that we are under.
Pastor Jeremiah:
31:55-31:58
And so not everything out there is perfect.
Pastor Jeremiah:
31:59-32:08
And so there are still some things because of the curse, just because an animal does it, nature does not make it natural in what it should be.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:09-32:13
Someday creation will be freed from the same curse of sin that we will be freed from.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:14-32:21
The other objective that you sometimes hear is this, is the church used to think slavery was right, and they were changed on this topic also.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:22-32:28
They try to compare it a lot to slavery and say this is what happened, you know, with slavery, and so the church is gonna come around, they're gonna get it also.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:29-32:37
Listen, the church has changed numerous times throughout history on their stance on things, and slavery always being the biggest one of what they say.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:37-32:42
But first, we don't decide what we do because of the church, we stand on what we believe because of God's word.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:43-32:46
And so just because the church does, it doesn't mean that it's right.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:46-32:52
And we've gotten a problem when we start to declare the church as the authority and not God's word.
Pastor Jeremiah:
32:52-33:01
Now, when we talk about slavery, we think of people being beaten and treated harshly, unjustly, and listen, the Bible was never for that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
33:02-33:06
And that's why conservative Christians throughout history have fought against that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
33:07-33:10
William Wilberforce being one trying to abolish slavery.
Pastor Jeremiah:
33:11-33:17
You read through and study through the Bible what it talks about slavery and understand slavery in that culture.
Pastor Jeremiah:
33:17-33:19
Slavery back at this time was like a job.
Pastor Jeremiah:
33:20-33:28
People would put themselves into slavery, as slaves you could become a doctor, you could become a lawyer, you could move up because you don't go work at McDonald's or Lowe's, what do you do?
Pastor Jeremiah:
33:29-34:10
You go find somebody who has a lot of money and you work under them. And the Bible is clear that you treat them nicely. If you do something to them, you deserve it back. So what we think of slavery of being beaten and tortured, the Bible was never for that and was against that, and there are clear laws in the Bible of how you're supposed to treat someone like that. But understand, we're looking at in our 21st century mindset and we look back at the Civil War and what took place there, that was not what slavery was back in the Old Testament, at least what God said it could be. It was a job that people had in what took place. And so homosexuality is different when it comes to that issue.
Pastor Jeremiah:
34:11-35:13
So slavery and homosexuality I do not believe can be compared. Let's close by this. Let me give you a couple things. What do we do? Say, "Jeremiah, the Bible's what do we do? Here's the first one I would say is stop avoiding them. Listen, please stop avoiding them. That they don't have the plague. Stop making fun of people. Remember in college people making fun of someone who is homosexual or are talking in the girl's voice or whatever it may be. These are real people with hurts and feelings so please stop it. No wonder they have run from the church. Most same-sex desire as having this unforgivable sin. Listen, that is not the case. I've seen damage the church has done, and many of them, they don't want to have anything to do with the church because they've run. They don't want the desire. You know how many times my brother have told me and talked to me and said, "Listen, I don't want this." He wants it to go away.
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:15-35:19
Listen, they're not less because they feel like that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:20-35:22
We all have problems, we all have sins.
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:23-35:25
We don't push them aside because of that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:26-35:28
Will most of them ever get rid of that desire?
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:29-35:31
No, but can they be used for the glory of God?
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:31-35:32
Yes.
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:33-35:34
Yes, and yes.
Pastor Jeremiah:
35:35-36:22
I actually wonder if my brother would still be where he should be according to the scriptures and how he was raised if the church would have treated him a little bit better. You see, we didn't know five, ten years ago really how to handle it. It was just kind of, "Oh, if you have that, you have to change, and you know, this needs to be done, and just, you know, be finished with it." And I think a lot of that, that's why a lot of these homosexuals have run to these bigger cities where they've found a community of people that they can get around. They just want to be accepted in it. And listen, if there's any place that we should be accepted, it is here, we should be loving them. But listen, here's what I want you to know, here's number two is this, is give them the gospel first. Give them the gospel first.
Pastor Jeremiah:
36:22-36:56
You're not trying to fix them. Listen, they need the gospel. Don't rush into this specific sin problem when first they just need Jesus Christ. And we so quick want to try to fix this and fix this when they just need the gospel. They need a Savior. They need to know that He loves them and He cares for them. So when you talk with them and you look at them, see them through Christ's eyes, give them the gospel first. Because listen, the gospel changes everything. And don't so quickly point their sin and say, "Listen, you got to stop this." No, give them the gospel.
Pastor Jeremiah:
36:58-37:06
I did not say the gospel will free them from the desire of same-sex attraction, but it will free them from the change of the same-sex attraction.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:07-37:11
It might not be the desire, but the change, yes, the gospel can free them from.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:11-37:24
You say, "Jeremiah, what do you do with someone who believes they're sexed?" Like my brother. Listen, let me tell you, if you talk with my brother, and you didn't know he had a same-sex attraction, you would think he's a Christian sold out on fire for God.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:25-37:29
Gets up and reads his Bible probably more consistently than most people in our churches today.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:29-37:30
He goes to church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:31-37:34
But you have a conversation with him, I guarantee you he'll bring Christ into it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:36-37:37
So what do you do with that?
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:38-37:40
To be honest, I wish it wasn't.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:40-37:41
I wish you would just kind of renounce the faith.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:42-37:43
It'd be so much easier.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:43-37:43
But what do you do?
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:44-37:49
Here's the third thing I would say, is love them, but not accepting what they do.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:50-37:52
Love them, but not accepting what they do.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:53-37:55
Listen, I will embrace them, but not the sin.
Pastor Jeremiah:
37:56-38:01
But the person I will embrace, I will love my brother, I will continue to love him.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:01-38:06
I will show him, I will let him know I love him, but listen, I cannot accept what he does.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:07-38:08
And he knows that also.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:09-38:18
Jean Lloyd, who is a former lesbian, she said this, "Continue to love me, but remember that you cannot "be more merciful than God.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:18-38:21
"It isn't mercy to affirm a same-sex acts as good.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:22-38:23
"Don't compromise truth.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:24-38:31
"Help me to live in harmony with it." Listen, we know what the truth of God says, so we have to stand on that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:32-38:39
But we don't have to say, listen, we accept what they're doing, but we push them away when we say stupid things, when we don't say anything at all.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:39-38:43
And really, that's where the church has been for so many years, is we never even talk about it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:44-38:50
I wonder how many times you've ever heard a message on homosexuality, we don't talk about it, we've kind of just kind of pushed that aside.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:50-38:57
And because of that, those who are struggling with that same sex attraction think that there's something less, and that they should just kind of be pushed aside.
Pastor Jeremiah:
38:57-38:58
And that is not the case.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:00-39:01
Listen, we love them.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:01-39:03
Yes, we cannot embrace that lifestyle.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:03-39:09
And someone who is fighting against that lifestyle, then we should put our arms around them quicker than anything.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:10-39:19
I remember as I spoke this in my church, afterwards there was a couple that I talked with or that was talking in their small groups and just like, I don't know about that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:19-39:21
I've just really embraced them into our church.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:22-39:23
Listen, that's wrong.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:24-39:30
Yes, I'm not going to say that what they're doing is right, but I'm going to love them, and I'm going to show them love.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:31-39:39
There was an article by a man named Garrett Kell who wrote, do you remember some years ago, a boy named Josh Alcorn, who committed suicide.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:40-39:42
He believed he was a girl trapped in a boy's body.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:43-39:48
And in this article by Garrett Kell, he said this is what he would have said to this young man.
Pastor Jeremiah:
39:49-40:06
And I really wish I would have known this about 15 years ago when my brother first came to me and told me a same-sex attraction. In the article it says this, he said, "This is what Jesus would say to you today. Jesus would say you are made in my image and I love you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:07-40:23
Jesus would say you are broken just like everyone else. Jesus would say you have a unique struggle and I will use it. Jesus would say I came to rescue people like you so trust in me. Jesus would say the journey is hard but it's worth it and I I will help you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:25-40:28
Jesus would say, your parents aren't perfect, but they love you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:28-40:30
Jesus would say, go to my people.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:30-40:33
They will walk with you in grace and truth.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:33-40:35
Listen, will we do that, church?
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:36-40:39
Will we walk with those people in grace and truth?
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:40-40:43
Jesus would say, don't give up your life.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:43-40:44
I make life worth living.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:46-40:50
Jesus would say, remember, I'm coming back to make all things new.
Pastor Jeremiah:
40:51-41:00
Listen, if you're here today and you struggle with the same sex attraction, then please understand that you're not anything less than the person sitting next to you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:01-41:07
God has made you in a unique way and He's gonna use that for His glory and for His praise and for His honor.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:08-41:13
And also, I sit there with your family and you have someone like I have as a brother.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:14-41:19
If you have a son or a daughter, I know there are many couples in my church who have kids that we pray for.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:20-41:26
I pray for my brothers, we pray for them, and we ask God to do what only God can do.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:26-41:27
Listen, those families, they need encouragement.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:28-41:36
I have wept with some of those families in my church who are walking through the same thing, and I've wept with my parents.
Pastor Jeremiah:
41:37-42:06
As my dad has been in ministry for 40 years, I remember about three years ago, my dad sent an email to my brothers and I, and it was right before I went to bed, And I woke up that morning, or actually it was about three or four o'clock in the morning, and just went out because I wanted to respond back to my dad because my dad was at that place where he was like, Jim, I don't just want to quit.
Pastor Jeremiah:
42:07-42:14
As, yes, he's walked through ministry for so many years, seeing his son walk down this road was tough on my family.
Pastor Jeremiah:
42:15-42:51
And I remember sending an email to my dad, I'll read this to you because if there's someone here who If you have a child or you have someone that you know Then then listen don't don't give up and that's what I told my dad. I said this you can't quit dad because I'm watching I've been watching what you're doing and say and how you're going to respond You've been my role model for 34 years, and I'm still watching you can't quit that. I need you to stay strong I need you to see how to finish strong when the hardest battles of your life comes at the end of the race.
Pastor Jeremiah:
42:52-42:58
I need to see your passion for Christ and love for the gospel grow as you walk this road. Dad, you can't quit. I'm watching.
Pastor Jeremiah:
42:59-43:04
Dad, you can't quit. My kids are watching you. I need you to show my kids how to live for Jesus.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:05-43:09
They love their Papa and I want them to know the greatest thing in your life is Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:09-43:14
Someday they will fully understand the story and I need them to see Christ all through it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:15-43:19
You are giving my kids a legacy and I need you to paint it clearly for Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:19-43:24
You can't quit dad, my kids are watching. You can't quit dad, the gospel is on display.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:25-43:31
It's being destroyed and misused on one front, so you must show it more clearly.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:31-43:42
You must love when it's hard to love. You must stand for truth when lies take the form of truth. You must show how the gospel sustains us in the hard times, how to proclaim mercy and grace in our deepest struggles.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:43-43:49
You must show how when you feel unworthy and weak, the gospel gives you hope and peace and reason to keep fighting.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:49-43:54
You must paint the picture of the gospel more clear than those who are blurring its beauty.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:54-43:56
You must continue to preach and to minister.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:56-43:58
God is not finished with you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
43:59-44:00
You can't quit, Dad.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:00-44:01
The gospel is on display.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:02-44:04
You can't quit, Dad, 'cause we're all watching.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:05-44:08
You are the patriarch, and you have this charge for this family.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:08-44:12
You have a wife, five kids, four daughter-in-laws, and 14 grandchildren that are following you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:13-44:16
We are behind you and we will help you as you walk through this valley.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:16-44:20
We will stand together as a family for that is how you have taught us.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:20-44:22
We look to Christ and he will sustain us.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:23-44:27
He will use this valley to encourage others who are walking through the same valley.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:27-44:29
He will use this valley to proclaim Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:30-44:31
You can't quit, we are watching, Dad.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:32-44:33
I need you to finish strong.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:33-44:36
You can't quit, there's too much at stake.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:37-44:39
I love you and we all love you and don't ever forget that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:39-44:42
You can't quit 'cause that's not an option, so stop saying it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:43-44:47
We're in a battle and this is the war, it's one of the toughest our family has faced.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:47-44:51
We need you to lead us and to show us how to follow Christ while in it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:52-44:54
Dad, I hope to see that you can't quit.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:55-44:56
Don't ever forget, Dad, that I mean every word of it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
44:57-44:59
I write this in tears because I feel your pain.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:00-45:01
We're all with you, we love you.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:01-45:03
We're a family, we're staying together as we keep our eyes on Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:03-45:04
We live for his glory.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:07-45:17
Listen, if you know somebody, you've walked down that road before, listen, it is more clearly and more important today that we stand truthfully on the gospel.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:18-45:24
And we stand strong in a world that is pushing something the wrong way, that we stand for what is true.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:25-45:28
And then here would be the last one, guide them as part of the body of Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:29-45:32
Listen, guide them as part of the body of Christ.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:33-45:35
Help them learn how to walk in the Spirit.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:35-45:38
Help them put to death the deeds of the flesh.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:39-45:44
We are learning to put to death the deeds of the flesh in our sin, so let's help them.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:45-45:49
Listen, they should be able to come into a small group and share with their struggle and not be judged.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:51-45:55
Guide them, help them, pray for them, because listen, church, if you don't, the world will get there.
Pastor Jeremiah:
45:56-46:03
And listen, if you sit here today and you struggle with the same sex attraction, then I pray that you will find these here.
Pastor Jeremiah:
46:03-46:21
I've said numerous times that I pray that someday, that when my brother does get the blinders off his eyes and see the truth, I hope he comes back and starts a ministry in my church, the LGBT movement, because I wanna show those people that gospel changes things, and I wanna help them.
Pastor Jeremiah:
46:22-46:32
And as hard as it is to see what my brother's walking through, and yes, it's a story I never would choose, I never would sign up for, to have a life story like this.
Pastor Jeremiah:
46:34-46:57
But it's where God has me, and it's where God has our family. And so yes, it has made me study the scriptures and know I can stand strong on the scriptures, but it's also given me a love for those people who have a same-sex attraction because they're struggling. And just like I struggle with sin and I have difficulties, they do too. So we don't treat them any differently.
Pastor Jeremiah:
46:57-47:15
we love them, we embrace them, and we help them walk and see the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And it's been a joy as I have, as hard as it is for me to share this message, to have people email me and write me after and say that they have a same-sex attraction and they just want to know how do they keep walking.
Pastor Jeremiah:
47:16-47:28
And it breaks my heart, the emails that I get from people who struggle with it, who are walking down this road and thinking that they're alone and they don't have anybody, listen, that's what the church is there for.
Pastor Jeremiah:
47:29-47:31
And that's why as you as a church are here.
Pastor Jeremiah:
47:32-47:55
It's not something to push aside, but something to embrace. Listen, as a body we need to help them. As if you're a critical judge and you're casting judge on these people, then listen, stop. If you're a hurting family, then I say there is hope. And if you're someone here today with the same sex attraction, then know that God has a plan for you to trust and rest in Him.
Pastor Jeremiah:
47:56-48:29
Listen, to be honest, some of this stuff I don't say with happiness. I wish I could tell my brother that he could act out what he's doing, and that's by God. So I don't say it with happiness, but I say it with confidence because I know it's what God's Word is, and I know I can stand on that. And I pray that you will see that also, and no matter if you have someone who is a same-sex attraction to yourself, that you would understand truly how God sees them. They're made in His image and and made for His glory, and made to be used for His glory. Let's pray to God.
Pastor Jeremiah:
48:31-48:58
Father, as come before you, God, Lord I thank you that your word is clear. Lord I thank you we can stand strong on your word. God I thank you for every person that is here, Lord I pray for those who do have that struggle with the same sex attraction, Lord you might never take it away from them, but God I pray that that they would see clearly what you have for them, that you have plans for them, you have desires for them, that you're gonna use them for your glory in incredible and magnificent ways.
Pastor Jeremiah:
48:59-49:01
Just like I wanna see you use my brother someday.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:02-49:09
And God, I pray for those who have maybe a son or a daughter or a grandchild or a friend, Lord, who struggles with it.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:09-49:15
God, will you help them to see how to love, but to still stand strong on the truth of what your word says.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:17-49:24
And God, will you raise up a church here in Pittsburgh North that, yes, welcomes without judgment.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:25-49:30
Yes, we don't accept sin, but we welcome and we love and we show them the gospel and the truth.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:31-49:34
God, will you please do what only you can do here.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:35-49:36
And God, we give you praise.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:37-49:38
We give you glory.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:38-49:39
We give you honor.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:40-49:41
In the name of Jesus, I do pray.
Pastor Jeremiah:
49:42-49:42
Amen.
Mark Ort:
49:43-49:44
Thank you, Jeremiah.
Mark Ort:
49:45-49:51
Before you step down, is it all right if we open it up to the people to ask a couple of questions?
Mark Ort:
49:51-49:53
We have time for maybe three or four questions.
Mark Ort:
49:54-50:00
I know it's a hot cultural topic right now, and Jeremiah is willing to answer some questions if you have any.
Mark Ort:
50:00-50:02
And Corinne will walk around with the microphone.
Mark Ort:
50:03-50:05
Anybody have a question that I can try to answer
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:05-50:06
for you?
Audience Question 1:
50:07-50:08
Thank you, Jeremiah.
Audience Question 1:
50:09-50:13
You could see it in the media over the last 30 years.
Audience Question 1:
50:13-50:19
It started with cohabitation, that's okay now. They went to homosexuality, that's okay now.
Audience Question 1:
50:21-50:37
And now it's heading towards transgenderism. That's something that they're pushing for being okay now. So what are you doing to teach your children the truths so that they can battle through this onslaught of media?
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:39-50:44
Yeah I have five kids and my kids don't know the whole story about Josh.
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:44-50:47
One reason why my family's not here is because they don't.
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:47-50:52
My oldest son's 12 and we've started to have conversations with some of that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:53-50:54
He knows what homosexuality is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:54-50:56
I said I haven't wanted to link that to my brother yet.
Pastor Jeremiah:
50:58-51:16
You know, what we have tried to do is, my wife and I, I've tried to do is teach them this is the difference between a male and a female, and make it very clear and had a nice set of conversations the other day that your DNA, 'cause he was watching something and it came on, transgenders came on, he was like, "I don't understand that." And I explained to him, I wasn't trying to hide anything, that's the way it is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
51:16-51:22
Some people think that they're this, but you gotta understand, when God made somebody, your DNA shows that you're a male or a female.
Pastor Jeremiah:
51:22-51:30
And you can say whatever you want and your mind can say this or that, but scientifically, you go back to the DNA and it shows that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
51:30-51:36
So try to bring them back, God created the human body and created it in a great way, and it's incredible.
Pastor Jeremiah:
51:36-51:43
And so to go back and help them see this is clearly what is, and we have as they have grown is trying to, the difference between a male and a female.
Pastor Jeremiah:
51:43-51:50
I can't promise that my kids won't have a same-sex attraction, they could, but they are still going to know the difference between a male and a female.
Pastor Jeremiah:
51:51-51:59
And that God designed, God didn't make it, hey now you can decide as now we're seeing, and some of the laws that are being passed in Canada right now are amazing.
Pastor Jeremiah:
52:00-52:04
You know, you could take, your child could be taken away from you if you don't let them choose what sex they want to be.
Pastor Jeremiah:
52:06-52:55
I'm going to teach my children this is different a male is different a female and to be honest because the culture we live in I've been pushed that even harder to a place what this is the difference We are different and to go back to science and to show them that I'm not a scientist So if you're a scientist and you know more of that stuff and help them see that that as they read those things Just you know, you don't when you point those people out and say hey, listen, they see something TV So those people are just confused I don't want to give them a perspective where they hate those people or say how stupid I don't make them think those people are stupid because that's what the church has done for so many years Then they have this mindset No They're just confused and they understand how God really loved them and God made them this way and they're just confused They need the gospel and so point them back to the gospel of the truth But help them understand the difference between a male and a female. So it's a good question anybody else
Mark Ort:
52:56-52:58
So what do you do when you get invited to a same-sex wedding?
Pastor Jeremiah:
53:00-54:06
What do you do when you get invited to a same-sex marriage if you didn't hear that and that's one that I get asked a lot. My brother was dating someone, they were very close, they actually were engaged, and if you saw Survivor about three or four years ago, he was on there with his partner, and they broke up, so he's not dating anybody right now. I would say I would never be able to go to his wedding, and I can't. You know, a wedding is, when you sit in a wedding, what you're saying is, "I approve of what's taking place." And they used to ask the question, "Does anybody disapprove of this?" Well, they don't ask that anymore, because everybody sitting there, they said they approved of this. And so I could never sit in a wedding. I could never do that. If my brother got married, yes, I couldn't go to that because I don't approve what's taking place. And I think your presence there shows that. And so I don't see how if I stand truly what I believe a marriage is, to be able to go and sit in a marriage of the same sex, and I would show him my love. I love you, I wish, but I don't approve of it. After they were married, would I love the spouse that he's— yes, I would. But they still would know I don't approve of what's going to take place in that. Good question.
Pastor Jeremiah:
54:07-54:08
Anybody else? Yeah, right over here.
Audience Question 2:
54:08-54:28
Okay, and so piggybacking on that, if you have a family member who did get married or have a relationship with somebody and you had a family get-together, how would you handle that as far as in front of your children and them showing public affection in front of your children or something like that?
Pastor Jeremiah:
54:29-55:24
You know, that's been a tough one for my family from the beginning, especially when Josh started to like this guy and they started to date. What is that? And I would say this, I think every family, there's no clear verses on that. I think you need to go as a family and look at that. I think a family is different than a church, okay? You know, as a church, if someone's living in that sin of homosexuality, yes, you love them, if they're members of the church, then church discipline's there, because that shouldn't take place, and happen. But as a family, yes, he's still my brother and so I'm gonna still love him. What we have kind of, I would let Josh come. I would not let them sleep in the same room because under my house I would say, "Hey, there's no physical contact and there's no, you're not sleeping in the same room," because I don't believe it's right. But I would still let him and his partner come. I just not, and that's what kind of when my parents have landed, they always said.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:26-55:30
I would not let them with my kids, I'd ask Josh not to.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:30-55:35
I think it's different if you have younger kids to if you have older kids and no kids and what that is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:35-55:37
And again, that's where as the spouse you got to go.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:38-55:42
Right now with younger kids, I would not let them display any affection.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:42-55:43
I would say I don't even want that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:43-55:44
I don't want that communicated.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:44-55:48
I want to talk about it because I don't agree with it and I don't want to mess with my kids minds already.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:48-55:49
We're trying to raise them one way.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:50-55:54
If you have older kids, then it might just be, "Hey, we're not, you can't stay together." And I don't want that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:54-55:56
So I think that's something you have to decide.
Pastor Jeremiah:
55:56-56:08
to think you have to let them know though, this in this home we don't agree with it and it's out of love, it's not coming out of anger, it's not yelling at them, please don't do that because you're you're the run from that so quickly.
Pastor Jeremiah:
56:09-56:40
But just say hey will you honor me because yes I want to show I love you, I want to show you that I care for you, but this is not and even though the state may say you're legally married, in my eyes and in God's eyes I don't believe you are, and so we're not going to stay in the same room, and that's not going to happen. And so that's kind of where we've landed as a family, but again I do think that's every family has to go and pray and ask God, "What does that look like?" I think you love them, but you still have got to help them see that they don't approve of what your lifestyle is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
56:42-56:43
One more in the back.
Audience Question 3:
56:44-57:30
So I used to live in Boston, very liberal city, you know, they painted rainbow crosswalks on the streets and stuff during June and whatnot, and they have the parades and stuff like that. So, and also being in the music industry, and you know, my sister's in musical theater, which is even, you know, further, I guess my question would be how do you exist in, or is there anything you can say to how to exist in kind of an environment where it's so celebrated? Because, you know, if you don't to agree with it, you're automatically labeled a bigot, which that's not true. I mean, I guess for some people maybe it is, but I guess, is there anything you can say to speak to that, just like sort of existing there, but trying to... does that make sense?
Pastor Jeremiah:
57:31-58:02
To be honest, it's because of the church that it's harder for those people to do it. You should have seen some of the texts and emails and stuff, tweets that my brother got when he was just from church people and church pastors, I mean he had whole churches that were just told to just lamb blast him and just tell him he's going to hell and da da da. It's because of that, that's why most of the people in the musical theater issue just have pushed away the church so much. Do we need people who understand the truth, the gospel, who understand light to be in that atmosphere? Yes. Is it a tough one? Yes.
Pastor Jeremiah:
58:03-58:39
And so yes, for those who are, I would say what? I'd say show them love, but you've got to stand on the truth, but show them how to love in truth, and that's not because they don't think that, they don't see that. I don't think you come in with, you know, the big sign on your shirt that says, "I don't agree with this." You come in and show them love and understand who you are, and you say, "No, this is what I stand for." I don't think you hide—it's not like you hide your Christianity. I think we live out the gospel, we live out the truth. I mean, Christ, he was with the tax collectors and the sinners, and he was with all those people, but he still stood for what he believed. We have to be able to penetrate this world, but still have the light of the gospel on us.
Pastor Jeremiah:
58:39-58:43
And so for those who are in there, I would say, make sure you're grounded in God's word.
Pastor Jeremiah:
58:43-58:44
I think that'd be the biggest thing.
Pastor Jeremiah:
58:44-58:49
I'd probably challenge anybody who's in that atmosphere that God's called you to into that atmosphere.
Pastor Jeremiah:
58:49-58:57
Make sure God's called you, 'cause it is a tough one, but we need lights in there, but be grounded in God's word, because this is what our foundation is.
Pastor Jeremiah:
58:57-59:00
When the world's starting to sway back and forth, we have to stand on this.
Pastor Jeremiah:
59:01-59:24
And so make sure you're grounded in this book right here, and then also make sure you have people that are keeping you accountable and that you aren't just becoming like them. So I'm just kind of, I think it's so easy for them, eventually I'll get to whether they've been there for two, three years, they never share the gospel with anybody. I think that's a problem. God's called you in there, he wants you to be a light. And yes, are they gonna persecute you at times? Yes, and the Bible says that.
Pastor Jeremiah:
59:24-01:00:07
When they persecute a Christ, they put them on a cross. So be grounded in God's Word, make sure you know this. If you don't know this, then I'd be challenging not to, because it'd be hard to go into that atmosphere because it's just like the sand, it's just waves back and forth, and we have to have the rock, and we have to be grounded in this. So, and listen, that's for those who—and that's for all of us— that says the culture goes where it's going, and the direction it is, if we're not solid on this book right here. That's why it's important that you come to a church that preaches God's Word, and I know Jeff does that, because you have to know what this book says, or are we going to shift back and forth? And we have to be grounded in God's Word so we know how to stand and continue to live out the gospel. Okay, if you have other questions though, I'd be more than happy to answer.
Pastor Jeremiah:
01:00:08-01:00:11
I'll be up here, but thank you so much for allowing me to share.
Pastor Jeremiah:
01:00:13-01:00:14
[APPLAUSE]
Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Genesis 2:24-25
What overall thoughts do you have from the message and what where some take-a-ways and "nuggets".
What other "street level" objectives have you heard. If so, talk about them and come up with an answer for them.
How do we show love and give the gay community the Gospel in today culture?
Breakout Questions:
Spend time praying for those in the your small group who know someone that is struggling with this issue. Pray for God to free them of their bondage.