Faithful Living Amidst Controversial Issues

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. **Matthew 6:33** - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
2. **1 Corinthians 6:9-10** - "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
3. **Psalm 139:13-16** - "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to Matthew 6:33, what should be our primary focus as Christians? How does this align with the sermon’s emphasis on prioritizing the Kingdom of God over politics? [40:22]
2. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, what behaviors are listed that prevent inheriting the kingdom of God? How does this passage relate to the sermon’s discussion on homosexuality? [58:51]
3. Psalm 139:13-16 speaks about God's involvement in our creation. How does this passage support the sermon’s stance on the sanctity of life and abortion? [13:09]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does seeking the Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33) influence our political views and actions? What does it mean to submit our political identity to our kingdom identity? [40:22]
2. Why does 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 include a list of specific sins, and how should this influence our understanding of sin and grace? How does this passage challenge us to view our own sins in light of God’s standards? [58:51]
3. Psalm 139:13-16 describes the intimate involvement of God in the creation of life. How does this shape our understanding of the value of life from conception? How does this passage inform our stance on abortion? [13:09]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your political views. Are they more influenced by your faith or by party allegiance? How can you ensure that your political actions reflect your commitment to Christ’s teachings? [47:07]
2. How can you show love and compassion to individuals with different lifestyles, such as those in the LGBTQ community, while still holding to biblical convictions? What practical steps can you take to create a safe space for dialogue and growth? [01:06:34]
3. If you know someone facing an unplanned pregnancy, how can you offer support and alternatives to abortion? What resources or actions can you take to provide compassionate care? [01:17:28]
4. How can the church balance holding firm to biblical convictions while demonstrating grace and compassion in controversial issues? What role can you play in fostering this balance within your church community? [01:19:22]
5. Think about a recent political discussion you had. Did you treat the other person with respect, even if you disagreed? How can you improve your approach to political conversations to reflect Christian values? [49:58]
6. Are there areas in your life where your personal convictions are based more on feelings than on Scripture? How can you realign these convictions with biblical teachings? [47:07]
7. How can you actively pray for political leaders, even those you did not vote for or disagree with? What specific prayers can you offer for their wisdom and guidance? [53:19]

Day 1: Aligning Politics with Faithful Stewardship
In the realm of politics, Christians are called to navigate with wisdom and discernment, ensuring that their political engagements are reflections of their faith in Christ. It is vital to prioritize spiritual allegiance over political affiliations, making decisions that align with biblical principles of justice, mercy, and truth. This approach encourages respectful discourse and thoughtful engagement in societal issues, aiming to embody Christ's teachings in every vote and political stance. As followers of Christ, the challenge is to be salt and light within the political sphere, influencing it positively rather than being swayed by its power dynamics and conflicts. [47:07]

James 3:17-18 ESV
"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Reflection: How can you engage in political discussions with grace and truth, focusing on God’s principles rather than partisan loyalty?

Day 2: Love and Truth in Responding to Homosexuality
The Christian response to homosexuality must balance truth with profound love, reflecting Christ's own approach to all individuals. While affirming the biblical view that homosexual acts are sinful, it is crucial to engage with individuals with compassion and dignity, offering a safe space for dialogue and potential transformation. This love is not an endorsement of sin but a commitment to walk alongside others in their journey, fostering environments of grace and growth. By doing so, believers mirror the sacrificial love of Jesus, aiming to lead hearts towards repentance and healing through genuine relationships. [01:06:34]

1 Peter 4:8-9 ESV
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling."

Reflection: In what ways can you show Christ-like love to someone who views sexuality differently from you, without compromising your biblical convictions?

Day 3: Upholding the Sanctity of Life
Abortion is a deeply divisive issue, yet from a biblical standpoint, it is a matter of life and sanctity. Believers are called to uphold the sanctity of life, recognizing that life begins at conception as affirmed by Scripture and biological evidence. However, the response to those considering or having experienced abortion should be marked by compassion and support, offering practical help and spiritual guidance. This dual approach of truth and grace invites open, honest conversations and provides alternatives that honor the value of every human life. [01:17:28]

Psalm 139:13-16 ESV
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Reflection: How can you actively support or engage with organizations that provide compassionate alternatives to abortion in your community?

Day 4: The Church’s Role in Controversy
The church must be a beacon of truth and love, especially when addressing controversial issues. It is essential for the church to provide clear biblical guidance while also demonstrating grace and compassion. This balance helps believers understand and apply Scripture in ways that are both faithful and loving, encouraging them to live out their convictions authentically. As the body of Christ, the church's role is to equip its members to navigate complex societal issues with wisdom and integrity, fostering a community that reflects God's kingdom on earth. [01:19:22]

Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV
"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Reflection: What is one way you can contribute to your church’s efforts to address controversial issues with both truth and love?

Day 5: Personal Conviction and Public Action
As believers, aligning personal convictions with Scripture is crucial, especially in how these convictions are expressed publicly. This alignment challenges Christians to critically evaluate their positions and to act in ways that honor God, even when it is countercultural or difficult. Whether it's through voting, advocacy, or everyday interactions, the call is to live out one's faith authentically, ensuring that every action reflects a commitment to God's Word and His principles. [01:24:07]

Colossians 3:17 ESV
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Reflection: What is one area of your public life where you need to better reflect your Christian beliefs, and what are practical steps you can take to do this?

Right, here we are. Man, this is the big one. You ready for this one?

Yeah, so we're gonna have some fun today. I asked the team if we could call today Sensitive Sunday, and they told me no. But that really is what today's gonna be. We're gonna be talking about some really sensitive subjects. In fact, the things that we're going to talk about today are extremely divisive in the world today. And sadly, I don't even just mean between Christians and non-Christians. These things are divisive within the church. They're divisive between Christians.

And so we're going to tackle some really sticky, messy, just complicated things today. But just because these things are difficult for us to discuss doesn't mean that we can skip them. This is stuff that we have to talk about because it's stuff that the Bible talks about.

And so the risk today is that I will offend you with something I have to say today. But I would rather risk offending you than offend God by not taking my role as pastor seriously and teaching you the whole counsel of God, not just the parts that you like, not just the parts that make you feel all warm and fuzzy and make you all happy and all of that. No, no. We're going to have to talk about some of the offensive things. And guess what? The gospel is offensive. It just straight up is.

Right? It calls all of us sinners in need of a savior. And then it has the audacity to say that relationship with God and eternal life is exclusive to the people that follow him in spirit and truth. That's offensive. It's also true. And so we have to talk about some of these things that are true, but also offensive towards people.

And so buckle up because here's the three questions we're going to answer today. And just remember, we're doing this because you asked for it, okay?

All right. So here's our questions:

1. How should we approach politics and vote responsibly?
2. What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
3. What does the Bible say about abortion?

What could possibly go wrong today?

Now, we did actually have several questions in addition to these three. And so here's the deal. In the 35 minutes, more like 45, 50 minutes that we're going to steal today, we're not going to be able to fully answer everything about this. This is just too big, right? And so we're going to actually answer those specific questions and talk about this more on our podcast this week, Between Sermons. So make sure you check that out. It usually goes live on Wednesday nights, maybe Thursday morning, depending on how all of that gets edited and all that fun stuff.

But before we jump into the weeds here, I want to bring you back to the beginning of the year. We started 2024 with a series called Kingdom. And in that series, do you remember we talked about how you are part of a kingdom that has a king that isn't you? And sometimes we try and live like we're the king of our own little kingdom. But the reality is you are a citizen of another kingdom that already has somebody ruling.

Okay. And so our job as citizens of that kingdom is to honor the king, to submit to his rule. And that's what we do when we make Jesus Lord of our lives, right? We're telling Jesus, I submit to you. It's not my will. It's not what I want. It's you. You are in control. You are in authority.

In fact, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom, right? So kingdom first means that our kingdom identity actually influences or even overrides every other identity we might have, including your cultural identity, your political identity, your sexual identity. All of that is submitted to you. And so we're going to talk about that. Submitted to the kingdom identity. It overrides everything.

And so it doesn't matter what's popular and it doesn't really matter what culture around us embraces. Our job, our identity is found in Jesus Christ as citizens of his kingdom. And so we put kingdom over everything, including our feelings, including our emotions, including our desires. We put kingdom first.

And that means we submit every area of our lives to King Jesus, including politics and sexuality and the issue of abortion. So as we look at these three topics today, what we need to understand is that how God feels about these things is infinitely more important than how Brent feels about these things or even how you feel about these things.

And so I'm going to do my best in the time that we have together to give you our biblical stance here at CLC, our biblical reasoning for that stance, and then our biblical response. How should we treat people or how should we respond to these different issues? You ready for that?

All right, here we go.

Question number one: How should we approach politics and vote responsibly? And really, this is kind of a twofer. This is two questions in one. And so we're actually going to address the second half of the question. How should we vote responsibly? We're going to address that first. Then we're going to come back to the first part of this question.

Okay. So this question is actually a little bit challenging to answer from a biblical perspective, simply because the Bible was written for you, but it wasn't originally written to you.

Okay. The Bible is 66 books or letters that were written to a specific audience at a specific time. And the audience it was written to did not have the ability to vote. They didn't have the freedom to vote. So you're not going to find a place in the Bible that says in 2024, vote for the old white guy. It's just not in there.

Okay. But we do have a really interesting comment from Jesus in Matthew 23 that I think does help us navigate how to do this voting responsibly. And this is what Jesus says in Matthew 23, verse 23.

There's a pause right there. Usually when we talk about Pharisees, we talk about them as religious leaders, and they are, but they're also political leaders. Because for Israel, politics and religion were interwoven. And so as religious leaders, they were also political leaders.

So Jesus is stepping into the realm of politics with a pretty awesome statement. You're hypocrites. How many of you want to say that to your politicians today? But anyways, Jesus continues. He calls them hypocrites. For you tithe mint and dill and cumin. They're taking the little things from their garden and they're tithing out that. However, they have neglected the weightier matters of the law.

And this might be a new concept for you, but there's actually different weights and measures for the law, right? That the Bible says a lot of things, but some things carry more weight, have more impact than other things. And so, yeah, they should be doing the tithing part, but they're neglecting something that actually carries more weight in the kingdom: matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

And as we talk about this, we're going to talk about the tithing part. And so, when we talk about politics, this is what's interesting to me. As somebody just looking at our political system, it's made up basically of two parties, right? You got Republicans, you got Democrats, you got the right, you got the left. I don't think either party does a great job in all three areas, okay? And I don't think that's all that inflammatory, but they just don't.

But I do think that each side kind of excels a little bit more, does a little bit of a better job in one area than the other does. And this is broadly speaking, okay? I'm going to make a generalization. So, please understand what I'm doing here, okay? This is a generalization.

But in general, I would say that the right, the Republicans, do a little bit better on matters of justice. Not always, but generally speaking. And I think that the left, the Democrats, do a little bit better in the area of mercy. Not always, but in general.

And so, they're kind of split on mercy and justice, and then they both fail on faithfulness. Because when's the last time you met a faithful person? And they both fail on faithfulness, right? They will promise you whatever they need to say to your face, but how faithful are they to keep that promise down the road?

Okay, so they fail at faithfulness, but then with justice and mercy, they're a little bit split, which means we have a challenge. Who do we vote for in that system? Who do we vote for when both sides have Christian values, and both sides fail at Christian values? How do you vote when both sides can be supported by the Bible, and yet both sides fail to live up to that biblical standard?

And so, what we have to do is, when we come to vote, we have to look at the issues, the weights, right? Jesus calls them the weightier issues. And since faithfulness, they've already failed at, we're just going to look at justice and mercy.

And what we have to do is, we take every issue that we need to vote about, and we have to weigh it against Scripture. And say, okay, when it comes to matters of immigration, are we going for justice, or are we going for mercy? And it's complicated. And then we look at, you know, taxation, and budgets, and all that. Do we want more justice? Do we want more mercy? When we look at the healthcare system, are we looking for justice? Are we looking for mercy?

And we have to actually address each individual issue in light of Scripture. What does the Bible say? And then, what do I view as the weightier matter in this? Okay? So, I've got personal convictions on the issues that I think are most important. And I've got convictions from the Holy Spirit.

But I believe that the same Holy Spirit that's bringing conviction to me is also bringing conviction to you. And you've got convictions on what you believe is most important. And so, we have to take those convictions with us when we go and vote.

The only thing I'm going to ask of you today is to measure your convictions against Scripture. Because sometimes, we can be guilty of having a conviction for something, even when Jesus or the Bible takes an opposing stance to our conviction. Sometimes, and it's getting real quiet now, but sometimes, we have convictions because of feelings on things, not convictions because of Scripture on things.

And when that happens, what do you do? When you realize that your conviction is feelings-based and not Scripture-based, will you submit those feelings, will you submit in that area of politics to Jesus? When that happens, what do you do?

See, our Christian values should influence our political views, not the other way around, okay? So, we have to vote with our convictions according to what the Bible values most.

Now, before we move on to how we should respond to people in this area of politics, which I think is actually the bigger issue right now, I want to just make a clarifying statement that here at CLC, politics is not our priority, okay?

Please hear me, though. That doesn't mean that we don't think politics are important, because they absolutely are. How many of you know that the difference between North Korea and South Korea is politics? And I don't want to live in one of those two places. Neither do you, okay? Politics makes a huge impact. In fact, the freedom that we have to gather here today to worship God freely, for me to be able to stand on a stage and say things that people are going to disagree with is a freedom we have because of politics, right?

So, it's absolutely important. It's just not our priority here at CLC. And that may be very different than the church you came from, or maybe the church you came from, there was politics being discussed from the pulpit on a regular basis. That's just not who we are, okay?

So, you're never going to hear us endorse a political party or promote a candidate from this stage. It's not going to happen because I'm way more concerned with who is king of your heart than I am with who is president of our country, okay? So, that's my priority. That's my focus. Because our hope is in a king, not in a president. And politicians are not your savior. Jesus is your savior. So, this stage is used to promote and declare the name of Jesus, okay?

Now, when scripture and politics and political issues kind of overlap, we are absolutely going to teach on the biblical side of it, okay? That's what we're going to do. But we will never tow party lines. We're not going to promote a candidate from this stage. We're not going to promote a candidate from this stage, okay? Agreed?

All right. Haven't offended anybody yet, I don't think.

Now, back to the first part of that question, right? We want to know not just how we should approach voting, but how should we approach politics in general? How should we treat people in this?

And so, I've got three quick tips for you on this.

Number one, you need to treat the other side with respect. You should have given me a whole lot more amens, because you look guilty when you don't say amen to this statement, okay? We need to show the other side respect. Why do we do that? Well, because there are Christian values on both sides. There are biblical stances on both sides. There are Christians on both sides.

In fact, I read a stat that said 82% of Republicans self-identify as Christian, 63% of Democrats self-identify as Christian, which means more than 50% of both sides claim Christianity. Jesus has united us. Don't divide over politics, okay? You can still have your views. You can still have your stance. You can still even try and convince people that you're right and bring them along, but show respect, which means don't resort to name-calling. It's childish, and it's not a good look for Christians.

Don't resort to name-calling. Not everyone who votes differently than you is an idiot. Not everyone who votes Republican is a racist. Not everyone who votes Democrat is ungodly, and yet I have heard both claims from the mouths of Christians recently. Do not resort to name-calling. The Bible says be slow to speak and quick to listen, so why don't we put that into practice before we go off on somebody for their political views. Sound good?

Okay, instead of name-calling, you know what you can do? You can ask questions. You can ask the question, what is, in your opinion, the most important thing that we're voting for? What is the most important thing that we're voting on in this election season? What's the issue that you view as most important? Because it may just be that you're voting in different ways because you view something as most important, and they view something else as most important, and you won't know that until you talk with them to learn from them.

And then you can ask a follow-up question. Why do you hold the view that you hold? And you're just learning more about them instead of just labeling them based on who they voted for, okay? So treat them with respect.

Number two, don't turn politics into an idol in your life. And that can happen when your political party becomes your personal identity. And when you put more faith in what a politician can do to solve problems than you do what King Jesus can do to solve problems.

Biden and Trump both make horrible gods. So don't worship them, okay? And I know some of you are like, I would never. But think about this for a second. Have your conversations lately, has your social media history, has your thoughts this last month revolved more around politics than it has around Jesus? Because if it has, I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but you are probably worshiping the wrong God.

So don't turn politics into an idol.

And number three, you're going to love this. Pray for the winner regularly. Again, y'all need to give me more amens or it makes you look guilty. But Brent, I don't want to pray for the guy that won. I didn't vote for the guy that won. I don't like the guy that won. If I did, I would have voted for him. Too bad.

This is what scripture tells us to do. 1 Timothy 2 says, first of all, I ask that you pray for which people? All people. Not just the people you like. Pray for all people. And some of you are like, no problem. David prayed, knock out their teeth, oh God, rain judgment down on them. I got you. Except for he continues, ask God to bless them and give them what they need.

Some of you are like, I'm praying what they deserve, right? That they'd fall down a flight of stairs. No, give them what they need. Pray these blessings over them and give thanks. And then Paul doubles down. He says, you should pray for rulers and all who have authority. Aren't they already included in the all? Yes, but he doubles down because who's in authority at this time? Rome. And they're persecuting the church. They murdered Jesus. They're killing Christians. And he's saying, pray for them.

Pray for these leaders so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives. Some of you have been robbed of the quiet and the peace in your life because you've been arguing about politics instead of praying for your politicians. Live lives full of devotion to God and respect for him.

So we're going to pray. Not angry prayers. We're going to pray blessings. We're going to say, God, I didn't vote for him, but he's the one in authority. And I just pray that you would bless him today. God, I pray that you would give him a good night's sleep so that tomorrow he would wake up clear-headed, able to make good decisions. God, I pray for the right people to be around him, to give him wisdom. God, I pray that you would give him a good night's sleep so that tomorrow he would get nice counsel and input. God, I pray that your favor would be on him, that he would walk into rooms and God, you would open doors and amazing things.

Because if you are praying that he fails, you're praying that your own country fails. That's just silly.

Okay, so pray blessings on the guy that won. Can I say it? Even if it's Trump in a few months.

All right, move on.

So you're like, man, Brent, you were doing so good until that moment.

All right, here's the thing. All right. So when it comes to politics, we are going to let the Bible and the Holy Spirit lead us, not political parties.

Okay, we're going to keep Jesus as our focus, not a politician. We're going to treat everyone with respect, regardless of who they voted for. And we're going to pray for whom and how the Bible tells us to. Sound good?

All right. So when it comes to politics, we got a pretty neutral stance here at CLC. Probably not all that inflammatory. That's not going to be the case with the next two topics. Let's jump in.

All right. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? And so for this one, we actually, two years ago, we did a series called In His Image. And in that series, I took the second and the third message. And for two hours, I looked it up. It's like an hour and 58 minutes or something like that. But for about two hours, I laid out for us, what does the Bible say about this area and what our Christian response should be in this area?

Okay, I'm going to give you the eight-minute version of those two hours. Okay, which means I'm going to not be able to cover everything. I'm going to leave you needing more and wanting more. And so in the podcast this week, we're going to talk more about this. But then I would also just encourage you to go back to our website and look up In His Image, specifically the second and the third message in that series. We actually put a link to it in the app notes for today's sermon. And so take a look at that.

But here's the eight-minute version. According to Scripture, full stop. There's no way around that. There's no justification in Scripture to say anything but the practice of homosexuality is sin. And the reason why we come to that conclusion is that there are six direct passages and several more indirect passages that declare it so.

Okay? Now, when I say direct passages, these are six places where the Bible explicitly says that sex between two people of the same sex is a sin. And so I'm going to take a look at that. The indirect passages still have to be considered in this conversation because the Bible is very clear that any sexual act outside of the marriage between one man and one woman is sin. And it's labeled as sexual immorality.

And so anytime the phrase sexual immorality comes up, it's an umbrella statement that still includes this area as well. Okay? So in the third message in this image series, I actually walked through all six of those direct passages. I gave you the strongest argument I could find from the pro-gay theology side that says, hey, these scriptures don't apply. And here's why. I gave you their best arguments. And we looked at why they're still weak. It's bad exegesis. It's bad interpretation of Scripture. It's trying to force things onto the text, not taking things from the text.

We walked through in great detail all six of those. Not going to do that to you today because this is the first time I've done that. But I'm going to walk through all eight-minute version. I'm already down to four.

So here's what we're going to do. I want to look at just one of those passages today. 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10 says, or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? And then he goes on to describe who the unrighteous are, just in case we're unclear. In fact, he starts by saying, do not be deceived. Because there was a problem then that we're repeating today, where there's deception that has set in and we're trying to declare the truth.

And we're trying to declare things that God says as sin, as not sin. We're trying to change the narrative and we're being deceived. The Scripture lays this out clearly. So neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Here it is, plain as day, clear in Scripture, men who practice homosexuality, that is sin according to Scripture. And so for those of you in the room or watching this video online right now, that are practicing in that activity, that you're engaging in that activity, I love you. Genuine love for you. Get to know me. Let's have coffee. Let's talk. You will learn that I love you.

But at the same time, I need to tell you that your sin separates you from God. But don't get offended because it's the exact same way that my sin separates you from God. It separates me from God without Jesus. Because this is an all of us problem. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. This isn't about you. This is about all of us. And we're in need of a Savior because sin carries with it a punishment. There is a consequence to the sin that is described as our separation from God.

And with that separation from God comes eternal death in a place called hell. But hell is not a you problem for yourself. It's a you problem for yourself. It's a you problem for your sexuality. Hell is an all of us problem because we are all guilty of sin and deserving that punishment in hell.

As a pastor, I live my life with this personal conviction that I want to make it hard to go to hell for my city. I want to make it hard for people to go to hell. But in that endeavor, I cannot change the requirements for getting into heaven. I can't begin to declare things that the Bible calls sin. I can't start saying that those things are okay. I cannot change scripture. I do not have the authority to do that. And none of us do.

Okay. Now, for anyone in the room that still feels like it's mean of me to single out one group of people, I'm not. Because ultimately, this is not an issue of gay or straight. It's a sexual morality issue. Because any sexual act committed outside of the marriage between one man and one woman is sexual sin. That is what the Bible tells us repeatedly.

So, for those of you that think this isn't about you, straight guy in the room looking at porn, this is about you too. Girl that's living with her boyfriend, this is about you too. To the guy that's enjoying some casual hookups, this is about you. To the woman that's been cheating on her husband, this is about you too. Because this is about all sexual sin, not just one sexual sin.

This is what 1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us. It says to run from sexual sin. Because no other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Scripture says that our bodies are the temple of the Lord, that the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Do not corrupt the temple of God with this sin issue. Run from it. This is a serious issue that we need to take seriously.

But guess what? We can actually take it a step further. We can actually say this isn't even just a gay or straight issue. This isn't even just a sexual morality issue. You know what this is? This is a submission issue. Because it's about submitting to King Jesus. And anything that the Bible calls sin is going to separate me from the one I'm trying to get closer to.

And so I have to take my desires, my passions, my feelings, my emotions, my wants, even my needs. I got to take everything and submit it to King Jesus. To say to him, I'm not going to follow my feelings or my emotions or my desires. I'm going to follow you. Even if it's uncomfortable. Even if it's difficult. Because the whole point of Christianity is to get as close to Jesus as you can so you can become more like him. That's the goal.

And so if there's sin in our lives, it's got to go. A moment ago, we chose to read 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10. And that list of eight things that keep you from inheriting the kingdom of God. And let's be honest. Those eight things, those are challenging. Not just for people in a same-sex relationship or with same-sex attraction. That's a hard list for everyone to follow.

But then that list is actually followed up by one of the most hope-filled passages in the entire Bible. It's why of the six passages I could have chosen today, it's the one that we picked. Because this is what the next verse says. After he gives the list of the eight things that disqualify him, he says, and such were some of you before you believed.

But you were washed by the atoning sacrifice of Christ. His death on the cross washed away your sins. You were sanctified, which means you were set apart for God and made holy. He says you were justified, which means you were declared free of guilt in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit of our God, the source of the believer's new life and changed behavior.

This is the beauty of the gospel. That yes, you were a sinner in the path of death. You were heading towards hell because you were a sinner. But Jesus, in his great love and his mercy for you, came and sacrificed his life to pay the debt that you couldn't pay on your own. And then through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are given new life. We are transformed, first on the inside, and then it affects our outward behavior. You are made new.

And so, the Christian that told you that because you're gay, you're going to hell, they were technically wrong. Because you have unrepentant sin, you're going to hell. That applies to every single person in this room. It's our default destination. But Jesus loves you so much that he was crucified for you. His blood that was shed is washing away your sins, making you white as snow.

It says that he has separated your sin, your iniquity, and your sin, and your sin, and your iniquity as far as the east is from the west. He paid for your freedom today so that today you could walk in that new life with him.

Is that walk easy to do? Not really. That walk with Jesus, it is hard. It requires submission. It requires sacrifice. Jesus says you've got to put sin to death in your life. You've got to crucify your flesh. Jesus says you've got to pick up your cross to follow him. None of that is easy.

But it's better than anything else. So the Bible does give us a very clear stance on this issue. But then how should we as Christians respond to the topic? And I'm going to give you the same two words that I gave you two years ago, okay? How should we respond? How should we treat people? Love them.

So how should you act around your LGBTQ co-worker? Love them. Your new next-door neighbor is trans. What do you do? Love them. Your child comes out to you. What do you do? Love them. Because that's what we are commanded to do as Christians, to love people regardless of the sin in their life, just as Christ loves us.

In John 15:12, Jesus says, this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Then in 1 Corinthians 16:14, it tells us to let all that you do be done in love. We don't even have to evaluate which things do we do in love and which things do we not do in love. No, we just do all of it in love.

Jesus said in Matthew 22, love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important command. And then he follows it up. The second command is like the first. Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.

Over and over and over again in scripture, we are told to love others. Now, loving others does not give us permission to abandon the first command. First command is love God. And so we cannot break loving God in our efforts to love people.

So we still have to keep that clear. Okay. So that means love doesn't mean it's a blanket approval for everything that someone does or even total agreement for every issue. Okay. And we know this in life. Like I love my kids deeply. They're amazing. But I do not approve of a lot of things that they do.

I love my wife. We celebrated 17 years of marriage yesterday. Yeah, look at that. I love my wife. You know how often we disagree? Daily. Does that mean that I don't really love my kids or I don't really love my wife? No, that would be silly. I absolutely love them. My disagreement or my disapproval of things in their life does not negate my absolute love for them.

But love doesn't mean that I have to celebrate everything about them or everything that they do. So that's what love isn't. You know what love is? Love is action. Love is sacrifice. Love is being the kind of person that anyone can come and talk to. Love is carrying each other's burdens, whatever those burdens may look like. Love can be as simple as buying a cup of coffee for somebody. It could be inviting them to come into your home for dinner. Love is looking for ways to sacrificially serve the other person.

Jesus washed Judas's feet. What can you do to serve people you disagree with? We look at how Jesus loved people and then we go and do likewise for all people. We did a whole series, like Jesus, love like Jesus loved. If you're still not really sure how to do that, just look at the golden rule and try and do likewise, right? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Now, so much should be said, could be said, needs to be said about this subject. We're going to talk about it more in the podcast. Please go check out the In His Image message, but I've got, on my clock, I have one minute and 13 seconds left to answer the third question. You're not leaving here on time.

But this last question, I do have to answer it because this is the one that I actually feel the greatest burden for. Of the three questions, this is the one that I deeply regret not being more vocal about. My stance on it hasn't changed, but I recognize that we talk about politics enough. I don't want to talk about it anymore or any less. It's just enough.

I think we've talked about the homosexuality issue enough. We've done our due diligence. There's one thing that I have not talked about enough, and that is, what does the Bible say about abortion?

And so here's the deal. What does the Bible say about abortion? Not much, but more than enough. We're going to start with a very direct command. Exodus 20 verse 13 says, "You shall not murder."

And in Hebrew, this word murder actually carries a bigger definition, I guess, than we do. Like for us, murder is the unlawful, premeditated ending or killing of one human being by another human being. That's murder. Well, in Hebrew, this word murder also carries with it this idea of somebody that causes a human death either because of carelessness or because of negligence as well.

So it has a little bit of a broader sense. But I think all of us, regardless of the Hebrew or the English, we look at this and we go, yeah, it's not good to kill people. It is morally wrong to murder.

So then we come to this conversation of abortion. And the debate in the world today is, is murder the right term, the right language to use to describe what happens in an abortion? And from a scriptural stance and from a biological stance, the answer is no. The answer to that question is absolutely yes. 100%. An abortion is murder.

No matter how much one side of the argument tries to reframe the language as it's just a choice, it's fetal tissue, it's an embryo, it's a fetus, not a baby, it's the ending of a pregnancy. You can use whatever language you want to dress it up. But when you intentionally kill a human being, it is murder. This is what the Bible says.

Psalm 139:13-16 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

David is talking about how intimately God was involved in his creation. But this isn't even just exclusive to David. He says, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. I know that full well. That's not just because David is special. That's what happens in every single pregnancy. God is fearfully and wonderfully making this child.

David continues in verse 16. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book. When? Before one of them came to be. Before David was born, God put value on his life. And we see the same thing in Jeremiah. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated you." Before he's even born, God sets him apart. He says, I appointed you a prophet to the nations. Before Jeremiah breathed his first breath, God put value and purpose on his life.

Exodus 21 gives us a bunch of laws for Israel. These are civil laws that don't necessarily apply to us today. However, they do give us an insight into the mind and the heart of God. And this is what I want you to know what it says. It says, "When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman." That's weird language, I admit. But striving together, that's not like, hey, we're trying really hard to do something good. No, that's fighting. They're hitting each other. They're wrestling. They're punching. But they're striving together. They hit a pregnant woman so that her children come out.

Again, weird language. This isn't talking about she had other kids in the house. And they're like, oh, there's a big commotion. What's going on? No, no, no. She's pregnant and the child comes out. So this is a premature delivery because of being struck by another man.

If there's no harm to the child, we know the woman's already been hit. It's already caused the delivery. Now we're concerned with the product of that delivery, the human being. The one who hit her shall surely be fined as the woman's husband shall impose on him. So in other words, it's not good to punch pregnant women. But if the baby's okay, there's going to be a fine that the husband's going to determine. And then it's going to be determined by the judges what the fine is going to be.

But if there is harm to that child, then you shall pay life for life. The law prescribes the same penalty, death, for someone who causes the death of a baby in the womb as for someone who murders an adult. This law and its punishment, to me, it clearly shows that God considers a baby in the womb to be just as much of a punishment as a punishment for a baby in the womb.

And so that's the question. That's the key. That's the key to the truth. Now, the only place where God... But it isn't even just through the authority of the Bible. And we'll talk more about this in the podcast, but it's not even just the authority of scripture. It's just biology.

Biologically speaking, human life begins at conception. It's the only logical place to place life because it's at conception when a woman's egg and a father's sperm are combined. Guess what's created? A new, unique string of different parts of the human body. It's the only place where God DNA, something that is completely unique to that child that no one else in history will have identically the same.

And that DNA determines already what the hair color is going to be, what the eye color is going to be. That DNA is the life of that child. At conception, a unique human being has been created. And so while the Bible does not use the word abortion anywhere, we can use logical reasoning and scripture to conclude that abortion is wrong.

Logical reasoning says A plus B equals C. So let's look at it. A, it is morally wrong to take the life of an innocent human being. We agree. We see it in scripture. A fetus is an innocent human being. That's the statement that the world's trying to get rid of. But according to scripture, it's still true.

So A plus B equals abortion is morally wrong. And I cannot see a way out of scripture to say anything other than abortion is murder. And I know that it's not the language that some people like to use for it because it's ugly and it's brutal and it's cruel, but it's truth. That's what abortion is. It is murder.

And the reason why we have to talk about this is that abortion is a very serious issue that needs, something has to be done now. In 2023, over 1 million children were murdered through abortion. More than 1 million. That's not a choice anyone should be making.

And I recognize it's been framed as a women's rights issue, but it's not. It's a human rights issue. Because no one, no human being should have the authority to murder another human being. That's not okay.

But as the pastor of a multicultural church, in my studies this week, I came across something that, it broke me. I think it is the only way that I could say it. I sat at my desk for a couple hours after reading the stat. And honestly, I didn't know if I needed to cry or punch something. Because it just, it broke me.

The stat was that in the last 50 years, more than 20 million black babies have been murdered through abortion. 20 million. That is not okay. That upsets me. I think that it should upset our church. I think it should upset you. But I know that it upsets God.

Proverbs 6 says that there are six things that the Lord hates. Seven, they're an abomination to him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. There's nothing more innocent than a human child.

So how do we respond? What do we do with this issue? Because it is heavy. So our response is, we stand for the Lord. We stand for the Lord. We stand for the Lord. We stand for the life of the innocent. And we care for the woman who's facing this decision. We do both. We have to do both. Because there's people on this issue that need help. And we need to be there for them.

Before I talk about how we help, I need to address the person in the room that maybe you've had an abortion. Or maybe you're here today and you pushed someone, you even pressured someone else to have an abortion. I hate what you did. But I love you. And I can separate those two things. I hate what you did. But I love you. And I can separate those two things. I can separate the person. I can hate the action. And I can still love the person.

But more importantly, because how I feel about this doesn't matter. What really matters is how God feels about this. And God loves you. This is not a sin too big for his grace or for his forgiveness. And I don't know your story. I don't know the circumstances that you were going through that led you to this place. All I can imagine is that wasn't very easy. It must have been a challenging, difficult moment.

And I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you, that this church wasn't there for you to provide support and care and counsel. If you're feeling the weight of that decision right now, I just want you to know that I'm not condemning you. I love you. Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. God doesn't condemn you either. He views you with love and mercy and grace.

And when Jesus was hanging on the cross, he was paying to set you free today. Not just of the guilt of your sin, but also of the shame associated with your sin. I wish I could go into the Old Testament and show you how that works, but it's the guilt and the shame that Jesus bore on the cross for you. He loves you. And because of the cross, he set you free from that thing today.

At the same time, I do have to plead with every single person in the room, everyone watching this video online. I got to plead with you. If you're facing this decision to get an abortion, please don't do it. Please, please, please do not do it. Don't do it. It is not the answer to your problems. Let us help you.

We partner with an organization right here in Tinley Park called PASS, Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs. Talk with us. Let us connect with you. Their website is passpregnancycarecenters.org, Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs. You can just type it into Google. There's a location here in Tinley Park that we partner with.

But there's also several others in the area. But let us help. I'm 11 minutes over time. So we're going to close this message with prayer in a moment. We're going to have our altar ministry team down here. And if you need prayer for anything, it's heavy in the room. I get that. And maybe you need prayer for one of the things we talked about today. Maybe you just need prayer because you got a sick relative. Whatever you need prayer for, we're going to be here to pray with you.

But before I close this service with prayer and a blessing, I do have to ask you one thing. You may disagree with me on one of these three subjects that we talked about today. You might even disagree with me on all three of them. I'm just going to ask you one thing. Why?

Why do you disagree? Do you disagree with me because of feelings? Or do you disagree with me because of clear teaching from God's Word? This conversation is really for believers. It's for Christians. And so I don't expect somebody that isn't a Christian to care what the Bible has to say. But for those of us in the room that do call ourselves Christians, we do care what the Bible has to say about these things.

So do you disagree with me on these subjects because of feelings or because of Scripture? Do you side with a political party because of the promises they've made you? Or are you voting biblical convictions? Are you pro-LGBTQ because it's mean to tell somebody who they can love and who they can't love? Or maybe you've got a relative or a friend and you've got all this feeling wrapped up into it. Is that why you disagree? Or do you disagree because there's clear teaching from God's Word that tells you it's okay?

In your eyes, is abortion a woman's right to choose? And that's why you disagree with me. Or is there clear teaching from God's Word that leads you to the beliefs that you have? In other words, is it me you disagree with today? Or is it God?

Because you can disagree with me and it's no big deal. I'm okay with that. I disagree with myself all the time. But God doesn't take the same stance. We don't get to disagree with Him. He's God, not us.

So Father, we just, oh, we just say thank you that you gave us such a beautiful time in worship today, that your presence was here. You are encouraging us and strengthening us because this message is heavy. This message is hard to hear. But God, we just thank you that in all things, there's grace, in all things there's mercy and in all things there's love.

We thank you that we can find forgiveness for every sin issue in you. Father, we thank you that you are a good king and you left us the Bible so that we could navigate these difficult issues. We didn't have to go with what the people around us think just because they think it. We don't have to be swayed by our emotions or our feelings, but we can be grounded in your word and your truth.

So Father, I just pray for every single person that's been offended today, that they would just know my heart, that I love them, but I love you more and I want to honor your word every time I set foot on this stage.

So God, we just ask that you would just give us all a recognition and a hunger for your word, that it would be the thing that guides our lives, not our emotions. Give us the strength and the wisdom to truly make you king of kings, lord of lords, the one that is the supreme king, being in our lives that we submit to in all things.

In Jesus' name, amen.

I'm going to invite you to stand to your feet. I want to pray a blessing over you before you leave, but I'm going to invite our altar ministry team to come down to the front so they can be here to pray for you.

This Wednesday at noon, we've got corporate prayer right here in the room, and then at seven, we've got our encounter night where we're actually going to be recognizing the National Day of Prayer. We're all of this, and so I'd love for you to join us Wednesday for that as well.

If you're ready for the blessing, why don't you just put out your arms to receive all that God has for you.

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May he lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. In Jesus' name, amen, amen. Love you. God bless.

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Our job as citizens of that kingdom is to honor the king, to submit to his rule. And that's what we do when we make Jesus Lord of our lives, right? We're telling Jesus, I submit to you. It's not my will, it's not what I want, it's you. You are in control, you are in authority." [40:22](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



2. "Instead of name-calling, you know what you can do? You can ask questions. You can ask the question, what is, in your opinion, the most important thing that we're voting for? Because it may just be that you're voting in different ways because you view something as most important, and they view something else as most important." [51:29](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



3. "We're going to treat everyone with respect, regardless of who they voted for. And we're going to pray for whom and how the Bible tells us to. So when it comes to politics, we got a pretty neutral stance here at CLC." [56:12](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



4. "Jesus washed Judas's feet. What can you do to serve people you disagree with? We look at how Jesus loved people and then we go and do likewise for all people." [01:09:43](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



5. "God, I pray that you would give him a good night's sleep so that tomorrow he would wake up clear-headed, able to make good decisions. God, I pray for the right people to be around him, to give him wise counsel and input." [54:45](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



### Quotes for Members

1. "This is a submission issue. Because it's about submitting to King Jesus. And anything that the Bible calls sin is going to separate me from the one I'm trying to get closer to. So I have to take my desires, my passions, my feelings, my emotions, my wants, even my needs, and submit it to King Jesus." [01:03:26](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



2. "The Bible does give us a very clear stance on this issue. But then how should we as Christians respond to the topic? And I'm going to give you the same two words that I gave you two years ago, okay? How should we respond? How should we treat people? Love them." [01:06:34](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



3. "But in that endeavor, I cannot change the requirements for getting into heaven. I can't begin to declare things that the Bible calls sin. I cannot change scripture. I do not have the authority to do that. And none of us do." [01:24:07](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



4. "It is morally wrong to take the life of an innocent human being. We agree. We see it in scripture. A fetus is an innocent human being. That's the statement that the world's trying to get rid of. But according to scripture, it's still true. So A plus B equals abortion is morally wrong." [01:17:28](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



5. "Our hope is in a king, not in a president. And politicians are not your savior. This is a submission issue, because it's about submitting to King Jesus." [48:31](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)