Gtcotr/ss112308
John 3 NKJV
16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The church does not offer condemnation for the world but rather salvation.
Believers in Jesus as Messiah, Savior and Lord cannot however, sit idly by and allow the truth of God’s Word to fade from the scenes of life in some misguided attempt to remain socially acceptable or politically correct.
God’s Word is applicable, relevant and meaningful for today. The world, societal tolerance, culture and even laws have changed over the past 2000 years however, God’s love has not.
What was considered unacceptable behavior when the New Testament was penned is still unacceptable behavior today and despite debate, sin is still sin, truth is still truth and the church is still the church.
The church can ill afford to dim the light of the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus to appease a changing world.
Winston Churchill said, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last.”
The sinful nature of man can never be satisfied. Sin knows no boundaries and if tolerated, will continue to grow like an unchallenged cancer and will ultimately consume its victim.
Our challenge as a Believer in Jesus is simple: We can choose to be right with God or be right with the world. What will you do? Will you be ‘politically correct’, or ‘biblically correct’? It’s a fundamental choice and … don’t think you can escape facing this choice.
Just two short Sundays ago while we were here in church worshipping God, just before our children were released to their Sunday classes, a church in Lansing, Michigan was being attacked. Perhaps you read about it in the papers or heard it on the news … but maybe not … you see it was not widely reported.
In case you missed it, allow me to read an excerpt from a church member’s eyewitness account that Sunday morning, November 9th.
“Prayer had just finished when men and women stood up in pockets across the congregation, on the main floor and in the balcony. “Jesus was gay,” they shouted among other profanities and blasphemies as they rushed the stage. Some forced their way through rows of women and kids to try to hang a profane banner from the balcony while others began tossing fliers into the air. Two women made their way to the pulpit and began to kiss.” (Source: American Family Association of Michigan - afamichigan.org)
I purposefully chose the least offensive quote I found to share with you this morning in order to preserve the dignity of our service and not unduly offend you or your family. Other reports tell of a much more violent and profane disruption from this organized group who brought a reporter from a local newspaper in tow hoping to catch church members physically resisting these attacks. (Which by the way, did not happen)
It seems that a gay rights group based in Chicago had organized this raid and staged a rather loud and vulgar protest just outside the church building. Once they had successfully drawn the church’s security personnel outside, those who had been sitting strategically throughout the congregation were instructed by their leader to begin their coordinated disruption of the Sunday service inside. This violent raid was staged in attempts to intimidate the Church membership.
Now lest you think this can only happen way up North or is only a threat if you live on the ‘Left’ or ‘Right’ coasts of the US, think again.
On that same Sunday morning, just two weeks ago, right in the heart of the Bible-Belt, smack dab in the middle of Texas, at a relatively conservative, ‘not bothering nobody’ kind of church, the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, guess what happened?
An organized group of gay activist from the greater Dallas-Ft Worth area coordinated a protest, lining both sides of the street in front of the downtown church singing “Jesus Loves Me” while carrying signs promoting a gay and lesbian agenda and shouting “I’m Gay and It’s OK” to families coming for worship and others who passed by.
Why did they choose to demonstrate at this particular church? It seems the Pastor intended to preach a series on family values which focused on some ‘politically in-correct’ topics of the day. Topics which this group and groups like this believe should be outside the parameters of Church teachings. Topics which some believe should be taken out from under the 1st Amendment Freedom of Speech protections and placed under the Hate Crimes Act.
The organizer of that protest said she was there because she wanted to protect the children sitting in the pews who are struggling with their sexual identity from hearing only one side of the truth. (My synopsis) “I was like those kids,” she said. “The hardest part of coming out as a lesbian is aligning your faith with who your are.”
It is certain that God loves every person without regard as to how they feel, what they do or what led them to feel and do what they feel and do. However, there are some things which God’s word calls sin and disorder no matter why we feel or do them. And He says to entertain, foster or feed a desire within yourself or others towards homosexuality is sin, no more so than any other sexual sin, but sin nonetheless. You see, our feelings are not a license to sin.
Contrary to what some think, we can ill afford to teach our children or allow ourselves to align our faith with who - we - are … rather we must align who we are with our faith … the faith which is in Christ our Lord and His Word.
To bring these issues even closer to home …
Last week our church received an email protesting our assumed anti-gay position because our news department had chosen to see the events I have mentioned this morning as news worthy and dared to include them in our weekly broadcasts of ChurchOnline News. We were encouraged to not continue pursuing these types of stories in the future. Some believe the church should have no voice in social affairs and no opinion concerning such controversial matters.
It’s amazing to realize that people and groups are watching to make sure churches do not get out of line or become a threat to their own political agendas … right here in Southeast Texas, right here in your church … a church which has a long standing reputation of preaching an uplifting, non-condemning, not critical, non-judgmental word straight from the Bible.
We simply believe and teach that truth is truth and that truth is never determined by a show of hands or guided by emerging trends. Truth transcends time and culture. We follow neither the traditions nor the changing morals of society but rather stand firmly and lovingly upon the infallible, undeniable, living Word of our benevolent Creator.
Without apology the Church is a shining light designed to illuminate God’s pathway for salvation. We cannot allow that Light to dim or be hidden from view. It is the Light of Truth which draws men to Christ. If that Light shines on any darkness it is because darkness exists in the lives of all who approach the light.
Jesus is the Light of the world and there is no darkness at all in Him … no desire to judge, criticize or condemn, but to save. We condemn ourselves when we refuse to embrace the Truth.
Earlier I read from John 3:16 & 17. Allow me to re-read those scriptures and continue a bit further in that passage to help us remain biblically correct.
John 3 NKJV
16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
No man can condemn you. However, people are condemned when they stand before the truth and refuse to embrace it. This is the condemnation that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. (v.19)
The remedy for darkness, the cure for sin, the help every person needs, is Jesus. Come to the light and open your heart and mind to God’s Word without pre-condition … listen to what He says, don’t be condemned, let the Word save you!
In closing I asked you to accept these biblically correct Facts
1. Jesus loves us the way we are but He will not agree with nor will He bless our sin.
2. We don’t have to be afraid of the Bible, it is our salvation.
3. If we will seek and embrace the truth, it will set us free.
4. We must teach our children the Biblically correct truth.
