Navigating Sensitive Topics with Biblical Truth and Love

### 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 6:9-11** - "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. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."
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 in life?
2. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, what are some of the behaviors listed that prevent inheriting the kingdom of God? How does Paul describe the transformation of believers?
3. Psalm 139:13-16 speaks about God's involvement in our creation. What does this passage say about when life begins and the value of each life?

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does seeking first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) influence our approach to politics, sexuality, and other controversial issues? [40:23]
2. What does 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 suggest about the nature of sin and redemption? How does this passage provide hope for those struggling with sin? [59:39]
3. How does Psalm 139:13-16 inform the church's stance on abortion? What does this passage reveal about God's view of life and its sanctity? [01:13:00]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your political views. Are they more influenced by your personal feelings or by biblical principles? How can you ensure your political actions align with your Christian values? [47:34]
2. How can you show love and compassion to someone who identifies as LGBTQ while still holding to biblical truths? What practical steps can you take to demonstrate Christ's love? [01:06:54]
3. If you know someone who has had an abortion, how can you offer them emotional and spiritual support? What specific actions can you take to show them God's grace and forgiveness? [01:20:40]
4. How can you engage in difficult discussions within the church without causing division? What strategies can you use to ensure these conversations are productive and loving? [49:43]
5. Think about a time when your personal convictions clashed with biblical truths. How did you handle it? What steps can you take to align your beliefs more closely with Scripture? [46:51]
6. How can you actively support organizations that provide alternatives to abortion, like PASS Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs? What specific actions can you take to get involved? [01:22:20]
7. In what ways can you pray for political leaders, even those you disagree with? How can you incorporate these prayers into your daily routine? [53:43]

Day 1: Engaging Politics with Christian Integrity
Politics often challenge our spiritual values, but as believers, we are called to navigate this complex arena with a perspective that reflects the Kingdom of God. It's essential to remember that our political engagement should not be about aligning with a party but aligning with biblical principles of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This approach ensures that our actions in the political sphere are not just reactions to cultural or societal pressures but are thoughtful expressions of our faith. By evaluating political issues through the lens of Scripture, we maintain our spiritual integrity and contribute positively to society. [47:34]

Micah 6:8 ESV: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Reflection: How can you apply the principles of justice, kindness, and humility in your political discussions and actions this week?

Day 2: Compassionate Truth in Addressing Homosexuality
The topic of homosexuality is fraught with tension and division, yet as followers of Christ, we are called to address such issues with both truth and compassion. The Bible provides clear guidance on the matter, yet it also calls us to love each person as Christ has loved us—unconditionally. This dual approach does not compromise on biblical truths but emphasizes the need for empathy and understanding in our interactions. It's about loving the sinner without condoning the sin, guiding each one towards repentance and healing in Christ. [01:06:54]

Ephesians 4:15 ESV: "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."

Reflection: In what ways can you improve your approach to discussing sensitive issues like homosexuality to reflect both truth and love?

Day 3: Upholding the Sanctity of Life
Life is an invaluable gift from God, and the issue of abortion touches on the very heart of this belief. Scripture affirms that life begins at conception and that each life is precious to God. As Christians, we are called to defend the sanctity of life while also extending compassion and forgiveness to those who have experienced abortion. This stance is not about casting judgment but about offering hope and healing through the grace of God. It's crucial to approach this delicate topic with a heart of mercy and a spirit of redemption. [01:17:48]

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 both the sanctity of life and provide compassionate support to those affected by abortion in your community?

Day 4: The Church's Role in Difficult Discussions
As a church, we must not shy away from engaging in difficult discussions. It is our responsibility to teach and uphold the whole counsel of God, even when it challenges us or makes us uncomfortable. By addressing tough topics head-on, we equip our congregation with the biblical wisdom needed to navigate these issues with integrity and grace. This commitment to truth helps foster a more understanding and spiritually mature community. [37:50]

James 3:17 ESV: "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."

Reflection: What role can you play in fostering a culture of open and honest discussion in your church community?

Day 5: Aligning Personal Convictions with Biblical Truths
In a world where personal feelings and societal trends can easily sway our beliefs, it is crucial to anchor our convictions in the truth of Scripture. This alignment ensures that our faith is not merely a reflection of our environment but is rooted in the eternal and unchanging Word of God. By continually examining our beliefs against the Scriptures, we maintain a faith that is both authentic and transformative, capable of withstanding the pressures of the modern world. [01:24:55]

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

Reflection: What is one area of your personal convictions that you need to re-evaluate in light of Scripture? How can you begin this process today?

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 gonna 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 gonna 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, you know, make you all happy, and all of that.

No, no. We're gonna have to talk about some of the offensive things, okay? And guess what? The gospel's offensive. Like, 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 gonna answer today. And just remember, we're doing this because you asked for it, okay?

All right, so here's our questions. How should we approach politics and vote responsibly? What does the Bible say about homosexuality? And 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 gonna steal today, we're not gonna be able to fully answer everything about this. This is just too big, right? And so we're gonna 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 wanna 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 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 gonna do my best in the time that we have together to give you our biblical stance here at CLC on these things, 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 gonna address the second half of the question. How should we vote responsibly? We're gonna address that first, then we're gonna 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 answer is, 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 gonna 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.

This is what Jesus says in Matthew 23, verse 23. It says, "Hypocrites." All right, 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 wanna 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 politics, this is what's interesting to me. As somebody just looking at our political system is 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 gonna 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 politician, 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 gonna 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 for that. 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 gonna 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 wanna 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 wanna 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 gonna 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 gonna hear us endorse a political party or promote a candidate from this stage. It's not gonna 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 gonna teach on the biblical side of it, okay? That's what we're gonna do.

But we will never tow party lines. We're not gonna promote political parties, and we're not going to endorse candidates 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 wanna 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 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? Treat them with respect. Number two, don't turn politics into an idol. God makes it very, very clear. It's a really big deal in Scripture that idolatry is a horrible sin. And he passes some of the most extreme punishments on the nation of Israel when they dip into idolatry. It was like his number one, don't break this rule.

So 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, O 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. 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 wise 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.

Today, 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, the practice of homosexuality is a sin. Full stop. There's no way around that. There's no justification in Scripture to say anything but the practice of homosexuality. 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 gender is sin.

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 any time 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 In His 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. The 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 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 things that God says is 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 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 your sexuality. Hell is an all of us problem because we are all guilty of sin and deserving that punishment. And 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 gotta take everything. And submit it to King Jesus. To say to him, I'm not gonna follow my feelings or my emotions or my desires. I'm gonna 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 gotta 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 you, 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 in him. 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 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. How should we respond? How should we treat people? Love them.

So how should you act around your LGBTQ coworker? 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.

So that means love doesn't mean it's a blanket approval for everything that someone does or even total agreement for every issue. And we know this in life. Like I love my kids deeply. They're amazing. But I do not love them. 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' 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 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 exactly enough. I don't want to talk about it any more 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 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. "For you created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb." 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's 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 womb. Your 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 last 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 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. 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. Okay? So this is a premature delivery because of being struck by another man.

But 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, clearly shows that God considers a baby in the womb to be just as much of a human being as a full-grown adult.

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 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 one million children were murdered through abortion. More than one 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, and in my studies this week, I came across something that, it broke me. I think it is the only way that I can say it. It's not okay. It's, I sat at my desk for a couple hours after reading this 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 me. It upsets God.

Proverbs 6 says that there are six things that the Lord hates. Seven that are 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 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 can hate the action and I can still love the person.

But more importantly, can I love you? 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 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. But at the same time, I do have to plead with every single person in the room. Everyone watching this video online. I've 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've 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... 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 the 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 or a family member, or maybe you yourself have same-sex attraction 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 say thank you that you gave us such a beautiful time in worship today, that your presence was here, that 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, 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. That we didn't have to go with what the people around us think just because they think it. And 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 being in our lives. That we submit to in all things.

In Jesus' name. 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 7, we've got our encounter night. We're actually going to be recognizing the National Day of Prayer. We're going to be praying for a lot of different things around our world, our country. 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 he 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. "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. Don't divide over politics, okay? You can still have your views, you can still have your stance, but show respect, which means don't resort to name-calling. It's childish, and it's not a good look for Christians." [50:27](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



2. "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 me from God without Jesus. Because this is an all of us problem. We are all sinners in need of a Savior." [01:00:28](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



3. "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." [01:09:16](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



### Quotes for Members

1. "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. 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 on in this election season?" [51:40](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



2. "So how should you act around your LGBTQ coworker? 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." [01:06:54](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



3. "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 the political party because of the promises they've made you? Or are you voting biblical convictions?" [01:24:55](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



4. "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 can hate the action and I can still love the person." [01:20:40](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)



5. "And from a scriptural stance and from a biological stance, 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 murder, 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." [01:13:00](Make raw clip | Make vertical clip | Make vertical captioned clip)