Thank you, John.
I'm going to ask you in advance to give a report to me.
Judith and I are going away for a brief vacation.
We're leaving after the morning service.
We're going down to, where is it?
Sevierville, Tennessee, okay?
Down near Gatlinburg, et cetera,
and we're going to have a wonderful time there.
Be back Thursday evening.
But I am not going to be here for the youth missions team report tonight,
and here's what I am looking for in particular.
I want to know whether or not the person who speaks, that's Caleb Gibbs,
if he asks you to pray for him, will you report on that?
You let me know.
You can email me.
This is one of those times that you can email me.
I want the inbox with lots of people saying, yes, he asked for prayer.
Three or four times, he stopped and did it specifically so that you had adequate emails in your inbox.
You got it?
Okay.
Do we believe in praying for those who preach the Word of God?
What's the answer?
Yes.
I am looking forward to the reports I hear.
I know that our missions team has been working diligently.
I'm very thankful for what they have been doing and for what all of those who are working with our young people have been doing.
It's a great blessing to watch them at work and to see the details that God is bringing together.
Well, if I'm going to ask you to pray for me, then let's do it together,
and then you can kind of at least three times during the service, and you may sense when it's necessary.
You just say, oh, Lord, help them.
I don't care if you do it out loud.
It won't bother me.
I believe it more than you do.
That was wrong.
But I depend on your prayer, and so I don't care if you say it out loud.
Now, some of you are going to do that just because you're perverse, and it won't bother me.
There you go.
More, more often.
Okay.
Precious Father, my heart can't help but think about the truth of Zechariah where it said,
not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.
Preaching is a terrifying business in that while it is the sweet savor of salvation to those who are being saved,
it is the odor of death to those who turn away from Christ.
And I would ask your power this morning to preach the word with clarity and with the enabling of the Spirit of God,
that those who are here today and know Christ would have their hearts strengthened,
their resolve increased,
their passion for holy living amplified,
and their desire to see people come to the Savior strengthened.
And pray for those who are here today that do not know Christ,
some that are completely deceived,
believing that church attendance or something they said decades ago
that really has never made any difference in their life
is the same as having a personal relationship with the living God and Savior of this universe.
And I pray that this morning your Spirit would bring them to conviction,
that they would see their need for the Lord Jesus Christ,
and they would cry out and be saved.
Now help me.
I ask it for your glory.
Amen.
Well, you who know me, I think over 26 years,
know that topical messages are not my favorite.
I'll just tell you that right up front in case you didn't know it.
I would much rather start in chapter 1, verse 1 of Ephesians
and work my way through to the end of Ephesians,
and then after that, I can tell you I'm already beginning to pray
about what I'm going to preach next, Lord willing.
And I'll tell you ahead of time that I'm beginning to think real seriously
about the book of John.
And I don't know, I can't promise that yet,
but it's beginning to become a thematic focus
in my own private devotions and study.
And I love preaching expositionally.
Take our time and work our way through the book.
That's my preference.
But there are times that I believe it is right, it is important,
it is responsibility of a person who ministers the Word of God
to speak to those matters that are contemporary to where we are.
And I don't think there's a one of you here in the room
that is not aware of the fact that the Supreme Court,
the Supreme Court, the Supreme Justices,
are in the process of considering the Defense of Marriage Act
that California passed.
And there is a high probability that the court is going to,
in some way or another,
diminish the significance of that law
and pose some challenges to the traditional view of marriage.
And that being the case,
I believed that it was right for me,
as a preacher of the gospel,
to stand before you
and address the issue of homosexuality and the believer.
So let me speak, first of all, in broad terms,
in terms of where we are and what's going on,
bring it down a little more specifically
to what's happening with the issue of homosexuality,
and then bring it down to what I believe
is the most important part for us.
What is it that Christ wants us to do
as His witnesses and representatives
in this world that He has placed us in?
So let's think about it in broad terms.
Where are we?
First, let's kind of look at the broad state of our nation
and what is happening with social norms.
Recognize that you may take pleasure
in realizing that divorce rates are dropping.
How many of you picked up on that?
The divorce rates are dropping.
Good news, good news.
The fact of the matter is,
the reason divorce rates are dropping
is because people are just not marrying.
And so I wouldn't go around touting the statistics
that says,
whoo, we're having some kind of modest revival
because fewer people are getting divorced.
The truth of the matter is,
fewer people are getting married.
And more and more people are just cohabiting,
living together,
and just kind of leaving it out there.
Let me give you some very startling statistics.
41% of the children in the United States of America
live in single-parent homes.
41% of children in America
live in single-parent homes.
I was doing some research on the web,
and I was really struck that
one of the primary factors in poverty
is single-parent homes.
You look at the statistics
and recognize that 29% of Eurasian people,
white community,
they come from single-parent homes.
53% in the Latino community,
and 73% in the black community
live in single-parent homes.
It is devastating to stop and realize
how many people grow up
without a daddy and a mommy
in the same home.
It's unbelievable.
We are growing into a culture
in which entitlement is a way of life
and a perceived right.
And if you want to see people
really get animated and really angry,
just suggest to them
that you're going to take away
any of their entitlements,
any at all.
Our rate of narcissism,
that's a fancy little word
for self-focus,
has grown by incredible leaps and bounds
in the last two decades,
and it is at the point
where people are culturally consumed
with themselves
and their own preferences and interests.
Our culture's drug use
and criminal behavior
is up significantly.
I sat in here
about a week ago
when our homeowners association here,
Trebu Woods,
we host them once a year,
and they had a police officer
come in and talk to them
about just common safety
and block watch issues
because there's so much crime going on.
It is going on
because of heroin in particular,
and they were just giving little tips
on what not to do
to make your house a ready target.
Let's speak a little more specifically
to what we see happening
in the area of homosexuality.
We see there is an aggressive agenda
that has sought to unseat truth
and to suppress it
in news,
in entertainment,
in classrooms,
and in every manifestation
of the public square.
Make no mistake about it.
Those who oppose our God and Savior
will never be happy
so long as any believer
is capable of standing up for the truth
and calling people to repentance.
Don't be surprised
because we realize
that what is really going on,
there are two kingdoms in conflict.
Do you understand that?
There are two kingdoms in conflict,
and don't be surprised
at the adversity
that is coming for those
who will at any point
and any juncture say,
hey, that's not right.
I am stunned
to realize that there's been
a significant shift
in public opinion
on many fronts,
but particularly
in the area of human sexuality
and self-gratification.
There's been a huge shift
in the last 20 years.
I remember when I was going
to seminary
in the mid-70s,
and the predominant focus
of my seminary education
was on learning the languages
and the discipline of exposition
and study
and pastoral theology,
and nobody ever thought
to say to me,
pastor, before you retire,
you are going to be dealing
with the devolution
of American culture,
and you are going to see
the church of the living God
become progressively
colder and colder,
both to holiness
and to moral purity.
We see a futile attempt
by social conservatives
trying to argue
a theological truth
without relying on the authority
and the sufficiency
of Scripture.
And when you turn away
from arguing
a theological truth
without relying upon
the theology of truth,
guess what happens?
It doesn't work.
I don't know
if you're actually aware of it,
and some of you perhaps are,
but in, let's see,
what is it, 2003,
the law against sodomy
in the state of Texas
was ruled against
by the Supreme Courts.
when that was,
when that happened,
the reality of the fact
is this,
is that there was removed
all rational basis
for insisting on any kind
of moral behavior
in our culture.
And be certain of this,
that once that has passed
by the wayside,
the door is open
for every kind
of imaginable perversion
as men can imagine.
It's very interesting.
I did some research
last several weeks.
I've been studying
and praying about this subject.
But one of the things
that I went back
and began researching
is the vocabulary
of acceptance
that has worked its way in.
You may not realize this,
but first of all,
there was a time
when homosexuality
was called a perversion,
even in secular fields.
Then it was recognized
as a psychological difficulty.
And then it was recognized
as an alternative lifestyle
and a preference
that everybody should have
the right to choose
simply because,
hey, that's what I want
and why should I not
be given what I want?
Listen to me carefully.
The same logic
is being played out today
in the area of pedophilia.
And any of you
who don't know
what the word means,
you can ask your mother
or daddy at home
later on.
The vocabulary
of teaching our culture
to be acceptable
to that form
of misbehavior
is in play
and is being advanced
aggressively in our day.
I have to look out
on our congregation
and recognize
that there are some
of you probably.
I think it probably
will take longer
than the next 10, 15 years.
But I would not be surprised
if we saw
the same argument
play out
and the same consequence
take place
in the area of pedophilia
that we have seen
taking place
in the area of homosexuality.
And if you think I'm wrong,
ask yourself
historical questions
as to what's going on
and where it has gone
and how quickly it has gone.
I recognize
that as we think
about what is going on today,
we also recognize
the building pressure
on professing believers
and the probability
of wholesale compromise
on many fronts.
I would not be surprised
if in the next decade
it's not just liberal churches
that quietly
and tacitly
agree with homosexuality,
but a great deal
of accommodation
is going on
in churches
all over our country.
And I'm not just talking
about those
who are liberal
and would tell you
that really
Jesus did not come
to die for our sins,
but He came
to be a good example.
I anticipate
that many churches
will compromise
because they simply
will not want
to face the pressure
that goes with
the issues
that are on hand.
So let's come
to a second question
and that is
what is going on
here in America now?
And I want you
to turn in your Bibles
to Romans chapter 1.
What is going on
here in America now?
Romans chapter 1
beginning in verse 18
through 28
and I'm not going
to take care
of an exposition
of the entire passage
but kind of follow
the broad sweep
of what is in view.
But pick up,
if you will,
in verse 18.
It says,
For the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness
of men
who by their unrighteousness
suppress the truth.
I want you to recognize
that what I believe
is taking place
is God is in the process
of displaying His wrath
against those
who are ungodly
and are intent
on suppressing the truth.
Now, do you follow
what I'm saying?
Ungodly
but also intentional
in their energetic
attempt
to suppress the truth.
Hey,
all you have to do
is say,
I don't believe
homosexuality
is an acceptable
alternative lifestyle
and what happens
to you in your workplace?
Unless you're a mother
at home
or you run
your own business,
guess what?
You're going to face pressure.
And everybody else
is wandering around
with these two equal signs
that are made out of pink.
Do you follow me?
It's the way it is.
I recognize
when we think about
God's wrath
that we have to identify
there are different ways
in which God's wrath
is or has been expressed
and eventually
will be expressed.
For one,
we do see illustrations
in the Bible
occasionally
of God's wrath
being directly displayed
as is
or as was the case
against Sodom and Gomorrah.
You look back there
in Sodom and Gomorrah
and you recognize
that God reached the point
with their sexual perversion
and wickedness
that He finally brought fire
from heaven
and destroyed them.
If you're a student
of Scripture,
you also realize
that one of the reasons
that the Amorites
and the Canaanites
were driven out
of the land
was because
of their sexual perversion
and their murderous treatment
of other people,
their shedding
of innocent blood.
In fact,
remember,
Abraham was told,
you are eventually
going to receive this land
and you're not going
to get it now
because the iniquity
of the Amorites
has not filled up
to the point
that I am going
to put judgment on them.
I want you to understand
also that God's wrath
generally
is something
that is released
only on occasion.
We don't see
many illustrations
of God's wrath
in this day and age
and if you were
to think back
on that subject,
you realize
in Romans chapter 2
it says that God delays.
Why does He delay
His judgment?
What's His reason?
His desire is
that no one should perish.
He's patient,
patient, patient
and in His patience
He is giving men
opportunity to repent.
However,
when men
disrespect His patience
and temperance,
I want you to understand
that the day of judgment
is coming
and judgment
will be amplified
by the amount
of patience
and forbearance
He has displayed.
Ultimately,
we do need to understand
that God's wrath
will be displayed
against unrepentant sinners
for all of eternity.
And that is a terrifying prospect
to stop and realize
that individuals
who rebel against God
and refuse the grace of Christ
will spend all of eternity
in hell.
That's important
for us to realize.
Remember I said
that we are watching
God turn His back
on America
and He's releasing
this nation
to the devolution
and the unintended consequences
of rebellion
against God's will.
And I bring this
to your attention
for several reasons
in the text.
First,
let's look at what we find
there in Romans chapter 1.
Mark what we see
in verse 24,
26 and 28.
And let me just draw
attention to you.
It says here,
therefore God gave them up.
God gave them up.
And that little statement,
that little phrase,
identifies the judicial act
of God whereby
He steps aside
to allow sin
to produce
its horrible
and unintended consequences.
How many realize
that when God says
don't do this,
there's a little subtext
that says,
this is going to hurt you.
I was reading
another interesting article
about the coming
certain economic difficulty
in America.
And that coming
economic difficulty
has nothing to do
with our national debt.
Ooh,
what is going to cause
our economic difficulty?
Guess what it is?
How many of you know
it is the birth rate?
Japan today
has more people
in adult pampers
than in nappies
for babies.
And as you get older,
guess what happens
to your creativity
and your productivity
upon which a culture
depends for economic stability?
How many of you heard
that we had too much population
going around?
You remember hearing
all that kind of stuff?
The unintended consequences
of not following God's Word
plays out eventually
and catches people
in their foolishness.
Same thing happening
in China, by the way.
Well, you look here
and it says that
God gave them up.
Second,
notice that in each
of these three instances,
God's act of giving men
up to their sin
results in them
doing things
that are unnatural.
Look at verse 24.
He gave them up
in the lusts
of their hearts
to impurity,
to the dishonoring
of their bodies
among themselves.
In verse 26,
God gave them up
to dishonorable passions
for their women
exchanged natural relationships
with those
that are contrary
to nature.
Now, what does it mean
to be contrary
to nature?
Here,
my son called me
the other day
asking me a plumbing question.
I am an informal plumber.
I'm a plumbing pastor.
And it happens
on a regular basis.
People call me
with plumbing problems
and I will tell them
it should run downhill.
Keep it going that way
and you want it
to go towards the curb.
You want it to go away
from where you are.
But there's something else
about plumbing.
How many of you know
when you go to buy fittings,
they are called male fittings
and female fittings?
Duh.
There's a reason
for that vocabulary.
It has to do
with biology.
And when it says
that they are doing things
contrary to nature,
it's saying
they're doing things
contrary
to the biological structure
that God has provided
to the male body
and to the female body.
Look at what it says
there in verse 28.
And since they do not
see fit to acknowledge God,
God gave them up
to a debased mind
to do what ought not
to be done.
Now when it says
ought not to be done,
it's not just talking
about what is not
morally correct,
but it's something
that is destructive
to the person
who engages in it.
Third, notice something else
in our text.
The characteristics
that bring judgment
are not only rebellion
against God's order
and the law,
but I want you to notice
something else
in verse 32.
And ask yourself
this question,
does this not describe
what we see happening
in our culture?
for though they know
God's decree
that those who practice
such things deserve to die,
they not only do them
but give approval
to those who practice them.
Hey, you want to get
acceptability in our culture today?
Just let everybody know
how tolerant you are
and accepting you are
of homosexuality
and every other perversion
out there.
Well, everybody's doing it,
you know,
I was going to say
picking their nose
and chewing it,
but I didn't think
I should say that.
So, we'll take that off the,
scratch that from the tape.
Okay.
I've been praying a lot
that I don't say things
I don't need to.
That was one of them.
Okay, here we go.
You cannot miss the fact
in this passage
that God calls homosexuality
and its behavior sin.
In one sense,
it is no more offensive
to God's holiness
than any other sin.
In another sense,
it profoundly violates
God's greater plan
and has more lasting consequences
like the sin of lying
or covetousness.
It causes destruction
to the foundational relationship
of the home
and marriage
and procurativity.
It harms people.
And so,
I want you to understand
that the Bible
is explicit,
undeniable,
and clear on the matter
of that homosexuality is sin.
Now, I've heard people argue
and I've listened
to some of those arguments
and also read them
that homosexuality
was really something
that was only
an Old Testament edict.
It was a problem.
The Old Testament,
there was a lot of problems
with male prostitution,
cultic prostitution,
and so,
it really didn't get carried over
into the New Testament.
Well, Romans,
I would advise you,
is in the New Testament.
But I want you to look
at another passage,
if you will.
Turn in your Bible
to 1 Corinthians 6.
1 Corinthians 6,
and I want you to look
at verse 9.
In fact,
this is a good passage
to underline,
particularly verse 11.
Do you not know
that the unrighteous
will not inherit
the kingdom of God?
Guess what that means.
Listen to me carefully.
People who do not know Christ
will go to hell.
Do you not know
that the unrighteous
will not inherit
the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived.
Neither sexually immoral,
nor idolaters,
nor adulterers,
nor men who practice
homosexuality,
nor thieves,
nor greedy,
nor drunkards,
nor revelers,
nor swindlers,
will inherit
the kingdom of God.
Now, look at verse 11,
and that's the one
I like the most.
And such were some of you.
Isn't that encouraging?
Guess what?
There's not a single one
of us in here
that was not born
with perversity
woven into our heart.
Agreed?
Now, could we have
gotten worse,
left to our own devices?
That's undeniably true.
The grace of God
delivered us
from the devolution
that sin brings
into an individual's life.
But understand this.
The Scriptures make it clear
that homosexuality is sin.
And let me explain something
I already touched on,
but just mark it down.
Homosexuality contradicts biology
and by its nature
is part of Satan's attacks
on the foundations of culture
and its home.
I think it's very interesting
that when you think about
the matter of homosexuality,
you recognize
that it's a very attack
on the relationship
that God ordained
between a man and a woman.
And God thought
that that relationship
between a man and a woman
was so important
that He actually
kind of changed,
didn't forget,
but He tweaked
the normal flow
of His creative process
so that men
didn't miss the issue.
Now, what am I explaining?
I mean,
everything else
that He created,
how did He do it?
Shazam?
I mean, you know,
I mean, bang.
He said it,
it happened,
and it all came out,
what, male and female.
But with man,
how did it happen?
Man alone.
And then in order
to amplify man's identity
of his difficulty
in his alone state,
He had him name
all the creatures,
and as He was naming them,
guess what He kept
on looking for?
He was looking for a partner,
and then God
helped him realize
it wasn't there.
And then God created
woman out of man
and brought that woman
to man,
and Adam responded with,
I mean,
it's probably one of the
most expressive
little statements
in the early parts
of Genesis.
In essence,
it says,
wow,
bone of my bone
and flesh of my,
do you know what
He was saying?
He was saying,
this is it.
This is what I need.
This is right.
And Satan has put
his energy
into attacking
the glory
and the wisdom
and the kingdom
of God,
and he attacks
the foundation
when he attacks
the issue
of the relationship
that God has ordained
between a man
and a woman.
And I have to tell you
that I watch our culture
here in America
lunging towards
a futile confrontation
with the God
of this universe,
and I tell you
that it will not be good.
I'm reminded
of what it says
in Psalm chapter 2.
Why do the nations rage
and the heathen
imagine a vain thing?
Do you know what vain is?
Stupid.
I remember,
and the image
kind of stands out
in my mind,
out in the southwest,
there was a large
pile of roadkill
been hit by a previous semi,
and this buzzard
had landed down
in the roadway
and was enjoying dinner
early morning,
dinner,
and just kind of
picking at the guts
and pulling them out
and eating them,
and out in the middle
of nowhere,
and along comes this semi
just kind of tooling
along the highway,
and the buzzard thought,
you know,
who is this to take my lunch?
And instead of flying away,
kind of puffed himself out
and stood out
in the middle of the road
right in front of that semi,
and guess what the outcome was?
New roadkill.
And so I got to tell you
what I see happening
in America
is we see a culture
that is standing out,
puffed up,
in front of God,
and the consequences
are going to be undeniable.
And let me tell you something.
Unto whom much is given,
much is what?
Say it with me.
Much is required.
There are lands
all around the world
that have not received
the blessings
that America has received.
And I believe
those blessings
have come to a large degree
because of the humility
and godliness
of our forefathers.
And this generation
is squandering it
in its violation
and rebellion against God.
Let's come to
the most important part.
What's the believer to do?
Turn over in your Bible
if you will
to Matthew chapter 5
verse 10 through 16.
Matthew chapter 5.
Be salt and light.
I tell you,
we live in a day and age
that is no more wicked
than what the Roman Empire
was like.
Do you understand that?
I see people sometimes
wringing their hands
in kind of absolute despair
and just broken hearted.
No, that's understandable.
But the level of anxiety
among professing believers
is unfitting.
When Jesus said
what He did
in Matthew chapter 5,
look there in verse 13.
You are the salt of the earth,
but if salt has lost its taste,
how shall it be salted?
How will it be restored?
How will it be turned around?
And the imagery of Scripture
is clear.
When Christ saved us,
He did more to us
and for us
than just deliver us
from future judgment.
He appointed me,
He appointed you
to be His ambassadors
and He also appointed us
to be His representatives
in a broken
and despairing world.
Being His ambassador,
beloved,
involves godly living.
Mark that down.
Godly living.
Let me just touch on a few texts
to make this undeniably clear.
In Matthew chapter 5,
as I recited here,
being salt and light
refers to living a godly life
that lifts up the character
and truth of God
in a dark and desperate world.
Titus chapter 2,
verse 10 through 14,
says this,
that we are to adorn
the doctrine of God
by living godly lives.
We are to adorn.
We're to make it look good.
And over in 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
I want you to look at this passage
just for a moment.
1 Corinthians chapter 15,
verse 34,
wake up from your drunken stupor.
Now,
I don't believe
the primary focus of this passage
is talking about drunkenness
in the church at Corinth.
I think it is talking about
carnality and ungodliness
that had become so pervasive
in the body of Christ there
that they were completely missing
their calling.
Wake up from your drunken stupor
as it is right
and do not go on,
what's the next word?
Sinning.
Why?
Because some have no knowledge of God.
Can you live a sinful life
and have a significant testimony?
No.
Can God use you in your sinfulness?
Yes.
But is your testimony compromised
by your impurity
and your failure
to be a living representative
of Christ
in humility
and tenderness
and an affection for godliness?
And what's the answer?
When you drift away
from what He wants you to be,
you lose effectiveness.
Now,
look at that passage again.
He says,
stop acting that way.
Don't keep sinning
because there are people
that don't know Christ.
Let me have you think also
of another factor.
As you think about
what is happening today,
and remember,
salt and light,
Titus passage
and this passage,
I got to tell you,
I think the moral impurity
that we see going on
in our culture
has some roots back
in the misbehavior
of the church today.
The moral impurity
that's crept into the church
of the living God
is unbelievable.
Rampant pornography
is an undeniable fact
in the congregation
of God's saints.
Heterosexuality
and immorality,
heterosexual immorality
is something
that goes on all the time.
I remember reading
an article
in Christianity Today
where there were
some young people
that were writing
and saying,
listen,
you old fogies
need to get with it
and just realize
that young people
are going to have intercourse.
Just don't get upset
about it
and just be hopeful
that we don't get pregnant.
These are Christians.
I remember talking
with a pastor
who explained to me
that he no longer
asked young couples
who came into his office
if they were living together.
It just was too embarrassing
for him.
Listen,
that's not being
a faithful shepherd.
And when the salt
loses its saltiness,
it is ineffective
and as a result
it gets trodden underfoot.
Let's go on
and recognize something else.
We are to be loving
and telling the truth.
I make a sad prediction
that you're going to see
more and more believers
just go quiet
on this subject
and the sinfulness of it.
I think it's somewhere in May.
No, maybe it's April 19th.
I think it is April 19th.
There is going to be
a silent day
in public schools.
Do you hear me?
Thousands of schools
and I would venture to say
many of them
in our community
will have a day of silence.
Do you know what the day of silence
is to recognize
and celebrate?
Homosexuality.
And many, many Christians
will just be quiet
and acquiesce
and not make any stink
because do you want to seem
to be out of sorts
in that environment?
When people that have been
called by God
to declare His truth
sit by quietly
in the face of sinfulness,
they are invariably
or invariably
also quiet on the gospel.
Let me explain something here.
People who do not know
about sin
do not need a Savior.
Does that make sense?
Can I say that again slowly?
People who do not understand
the sinfulness of their heart
don't need a Savior.
Let me put it in a frame
so you can understand
what Jesus meant.
He said,
hey listen,
those who are well
do not need the doctor,
only those who are sick.
And in Galatians
it tells us
that the purpose of the law
is to bring conviction.
The law doesn't save us
but the law lets us know
that we're desperately sick
and we can't save ourselves.
And beloved,
I want you to understand
that we have a responsibility
of telling the truth.
It is an unloving thing
to watch people
going about
intentionally preparing
for their own
eternal suicide
and just sit there quietly
because you don't want
to offend anybody
in our culture.
Do you understand that?
Expect adversity
if you're faithful for Christ.
Expect adversity
if you're faithful for Christ.
Let me have you look
at a passage
that I think just
rings the bell on this one.
Over in 2 Corinthians 2
verse 14 through 16.
Paul makes a very
interesting statement
about what it means
to be a believer
in contemporary culture.
In verse 14 he says,
but thanks be to God
who in Christ
always makes us,
who leads us
in triumphal possession
and through us
spreads the fragrance
of the knowledge
of Him everywhere.
For we are the aroma
of Christ to God
among those
who are being saved
and among those
who are perishing.
We smell like God
to people
who are saved
and dying.
And then he goes on
and says in verse 16,
to one a fragrance
of death to death,
to the other a fragrance
of life to life.
And who's sufficient
for these things?
Beloved,
if you are faithful
to your calling,
people will pick up
on the aroma
of your life.
and the aroma
of your life
becomes hope-filled
to those who are desperate
and despairing
in their condition
and it becomes
supremely offensive
to those who don't want
to hear anything
about Christ.
Now am I suggesting
that you'll go around
putting sharp sticks
in people's eyes?
No.
But when someone
says to you,
hey,
why are you so happy?
Well you have
an opportunity to say,
because Jesus forgave me
for all of my sins
and granted me salvation
through his finished work.
And I'd like to have
you know him too.
And you offer them
the hope of the gospel.
If you don't have confidence
that he can save you
from your sin,
I guarantee you,
you won't advertise it
to anybody else.
There's another thing
that I want you to realize
that believers
should be doing.
We ought to grieve
as we watch
the growing effect of sin.
Don't kid yourself.
Probably one of the most
inaccurate statements
in our culture today
is the term gay.
It's not.
Homosexuality is a perversion
against nature.
By the way,
I don't want to get
into genetics
and breeding
and all that kind of stuff,
but if,
how many of you realize
that maybe 1.4,
1.6% homosexual,
apart from the Kinsey report,
and if really
this genetic disposition
could be carried on
genetically,
guess what would happen
when 1.4 of them
carry forward the genes?
Leave that to your
own entertainment.
What is he talking about?
Let's go back.
Grieve as you watch
for the effects of sin.
It says in Psalm 119,
136,
my eyes weep
when I consider people
not following your law.
Let me add two more
and close.
Rejoice that you're
an ambassador
to rescue sinners
from the pit.
Do you know what?
Life's short.
It really is.
When I was about 20,
I didn't think life
was short,
but it is.
And you know what
I'm learning?
The older I get,
the faster it goes.
And here's the deal.
In the time I got left,
I want to talk about
things that count.
I like the fact
that in our prayer bulletin,
when you look at it
Wednesday night,
when we're praying
for people that are sick,
how many of you know
there's always a little
point out to the side?
If the person's unsaved,
we put that there.
Do you know why?
People that are saved,
be careful here,
I know,
get in trouble,
don't need to be healed
as desperately as people
who aren't saved.
Because when people
are saved,
die,
where do they go?
Hey, come on,
say it with me,
absent in the body,
present with the Lord.
Now, do I pray for people
that are sick,
that are my brothers
and sisters?
Absolutely.
There are a lot of
Dorcas's out here,
and I want to keep them alive.
But on the other side,
if they die,
it's okay.
When people do not know Christ
and they die,
they spend the rest
of all of eternity
in hell.
Look at your passage
in 2 Corinthians 5,
verse 11,
plead with those
you love
and do so
with tears.
I really like
2 Corinthians 5.
Therefore,
knowing the fear
or terror of the Lord,
we persuade others.
you know,
there was a time
in my life
where the pendulum
swished over
to the side
where I had done
some training
in sales
and I could
pretty much
coerce people
into saying yes
even when they
didn't want to say yes.
Now,
in selling used cars
and vacuum sweepers,
you have a
reversionary clause,
am I right?
Well,
when you coerce people
into making a
provisional
profession of faith,
guess what happens
as soon as you leave?
If it ain't real,
it ain't real.
But on the other part,
I recognize
that what it says here,
it says,
look at what it says,
read it with me.
2 Corinthians 5,
therefore,
knowing the terror
of the Lord,
we persuade men
and let me tell you
something,
your affection
for the heart
of lost mankind
ought to lead you
to be more passionate
about people
who are on their way
to hell
than any other
thing in life.
Look at verse 20,
therefore,
we are ambassadors
for Christ,
God making
His appeal.
I understand
election
by faith,
but I understand
appealing
to God
making His appeal
through us.
We implore you.
Do you know
what that word means?
We're down on our knee
begging with you,
please don't
destroy your life
with sinfulness.
Come to Christ
and discover
the complete forgiveness
that is in Him.
Where are we at?
Our culture
is going downhill.
Where are you at?
If you're a believer,
you were left behind
to be His living,
visible representative
of the glory
of God
that saves sinners.
He saved you.
And He wants you
to be like
the woman
at the well.
Do you remember
what she did?
When she discovered
the sweetness
of complete forgiveness,
she ran into town
and she told
other people
about,
come see
the man.
and if you're
not all about that,
if you're not
all about that,
sadly enough,
you've lost
some of the affection
and joy you had
in Christ Jesus.
and I would plead
with you this morning,
humble yourself
before God
and say,
it is not to be
that way.
I am not
trudging my way
towards my day
of death
or retirement
or vacation.
I am on point
for Jesus
and people
who need Him.
Is that
for you?
Let's bow our heads.
Without anybody
looking around
this morning,
I want to ask you
real quietly
and quickly,
if you're a believer
this morning
and you recognize
the Spirit of God
is addressing
an issue in your life
and you realize
that there is
lukewarmness
and there's
spiritual indifference
and you are there
this morning saying,
I don't want to
stay this way.
I would challenge
you to put yourself
on notice.
Slip your hand up
and say,
Pastor,
I'm convicted
but here I am.
Yes,
yes,
yes.
I want to change
and I'm willing
to let God
do whatever it takes.
I just don't
want to stay this way.
Is there anybody else?
Anybody else?
Yes.
I wonder
if there's someone
here that does
not know Christ.
This morning,
your life is,
it's a mess.
But Jesus died
and rose again
and he did that
that you might
have everlasting life
and what the scriptures
say is true.
Whosoever calls
upon the name
of the Lord
shall be saved.
And like it says
in 2 Corinthians,
we plead with you
in Christ's stead,
be reconciled to God.
And if you need
Christ as your Savior,
slip your hand up
and say,
that's me.
I need complete
forgiveness for all
of my sins.
I need Christ
to save me.
Father,
work in us
that Christ
might be glorified.
In your precious name,
amen.
As our band
sings together,
would you stand together
and if God lays
a matter on your heart
you need to care
for publicly,
you come forward.
Lord,
it might be
that he's calling
to be part
of our fellowship.
It might be
that you need
to be obedient
to the Lord
in the matter
of baptism.
You know Christ,
but baptism
is a public declaration
of your relationship.
It might be
that you need
someone to counsel
with you
and pray with you
and make the issues
of salvation clear.
You come forward
as we sing this song
loudly and enthusiastically
as we close.
You come forward
to ending
of a
ending
of a
ending
of a
ending