Sunday, October 25, 2009

Cow Tipping Gets Really Serious

What does the Bible really say about homosexuality and sexual orientation?

Today we attempted to address the most challenging issue I think we've ever addressed in a weekend message: the subject of homosexuality...

I'll post an abbreviated set of notes, but if you really want to get at the heart of what we shared this morning you need to download the podcast. An mp3 is available on our website at www.a2church.org or via iTunes - just type a2 Church into the iTunes Store Search Engine. It should bring up our podcast...

Here are the notes:


What does the Bible really say about homosexuality and sexual orientation?
Cow Tipping – Part 2

Seven Important Insights:

1. The church has largely blown it in terms of how it has addressed this difficult issue.

Our greatest need: A combination of biblical conviction and personal compassion.

Here's God's heart for people:

John 3:16 (ESV), For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 (NIV), But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


2. Human beings are created in the image of God, and God has a specific intention for our life in general and our sexual experiences in particular.

This is the concept of original intent. God’s original design for human sexuality is described in the first two chapters of Genesis.

Genesis 1:26-27 (NLT), Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us…” 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 2:21-25 (NLT), So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.
23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’
 because she was taken from ‘man.’”
24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.


Matthew 19:4-6 (NLT), “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’] 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”


3. We live in a fallen, messed up world and we are fallen, messed up people. The “fall” messed up every aspect of our existence and experience, including our sexuality.

Psalm 51:5 (NIV), Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Romans 5:12 (NLT), When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.


4. The way sexual orientation is formed is an extremely complex issue.

Possible Contributing Factors:

• Developmental factors: A history of destructive and dysfunctional family dynamics.

• Early childhood sexual abuse.

• Environmental conditioning.

• The “God made me this way” theory.

“There’s no compelling evidence your loved one was born gay. Genetic makeup may have made him or her more susceptible to other factors that helped create the homosexuality, but the condition – or orientation – is not, in and of itself, a genetic, immutable trait.” ~ Joe Dallas, When Homosexuality Hits Home


5. Regardless of the complexity surrounding the issue, God’s Word indicates that homosexual behavior is ultimately a result of our fallen state and a violation of God’s original design, purpose and intent.

Leviticus 18:22 (NLT), Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman. It is a detestable sin. (Cross Reference: Leviticus 20:13)

Romans 1:21-23 (ESV), For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.


1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV), Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.


6. Our deepest desire is not for a sexual experience, but for an intimate relationship with God.

Story of Jacob and Leah
Genesis 29

“Jacob’s behavior was that of an addict… Rachel was not just [Jacob’s] wife, but his ‘savior.’ He wanted and needed Rachel so profoundly that he heard and saw only the things he wanted to hear and see. That’s why he became vulnerable to Laban’s deception.” ~ Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods

“If you get married as Jacob did, putting the weight of all your deepest hopes and longings on the person you are marrying, you are going to crush him or her with your expectations. It will distort your life and your spouse’s life in a hundred ways. No person, not even the best one, can give your soul all it needs. You are going to think you you have gone to bed with Rachel, and you will get up and it will always be Leah.” ~ Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods, pages 38-39

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world…” ~ C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity


7. Grace, forgiveness and freedom are available in Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (ESV), Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.


Resources: Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller, When Homosexuality Hits Home by Joe Dallas, 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality by Mike Haley

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