Conviction and compassion. These are two words that need to be part of this conversation about same-sex marriage. Pastor Alex started today’s message with a quote from Russell Moore that basically said, “If Christians see ourselves as people who are ‘losing’ the culture rather than people who have been sent on a mission to a culture, we will be outraged and hopeless instead of compassionate and convictional. If we do not love our missional field, we will have nothing to say to it.”

Is Jesus against gay people? Is God against gay marriage? These are the wrong questions. Jesus is for people, and sin is sin, whether it is heterosexual or homosexual sin. Pastor Alex reminded us that acceptance of another person is not approval of their behavior. This issue for the church is not so much what we say as how we choose to say it.

There are six statements we start with this morning:

1. There are people with us who are same-sex attracted but are choosing to remain celibate. How do we embrace these men and women?
2. Some in our church family have immediate family members who are same-sex attracted.
3. There are some who are feeling a great pressure to conform to the culture.
4. Others here are “all in.” You want to be equipped to respond well to this issue.
5. Some here have walked with a cruel and judgmental heart toward “those people”.
6. And finally, there are some who simply don’t care.

But God’s word is the truth and God shows us how to live. So let’s look at God’s original design in Genesis 1 and 2. Genesis 1:27-28 gives some very obvious statements.

1. Men and women are equal in value and dignity
2. But they are NOT identical. And those unique differences are GOOD.
3. Reproduction is good. And two men or two women cannot reproduce.
4. Marriage is good.
5. Sex is good.

Satan’s strategy is to attack – via cultural means – God’s design. In Ephesians 5:32 we read that God chose to “paint” what relationship is like between God and his church by using the imagery of marriage between a man and woman. Satan has viciously attacked that design by trying to “mar the painting”.

In addressing the current cultural confusion, Pastor Alex then took a look at the historical/political process that has brought us to this point. He began in 1996 with President Clinton’s signing of the “Defense of Marriage” act, which proclaimed marriage is between a man and a woman, and ended with the Supreme court decision in 2015 that legalized same-sex marriage across all the states.

During this time period satan has pushed to “muddy the waters” the meaning of the word “gender.” Instead of gender being a biological term meaning male and female, it is now being used to express who one might believe themself to be (with dozens of “identifications”).

What can we do?
1. Don’t panic if someone tells you they are gay or experiencing same-sex attraction.
2. Remember it is the gospel that comes first and in Christ where our identity is found (gay Christian vs. a Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction).

3. Holiness is the goal for each of us.
4. Have the courage to ask yourself: “What holiness issue is God calling me to face?” Repent of that today!
5. Talk with people on the “other side.”
6. Leverage the resources we have suggested below and others located here.