Ephesians 4:11-13

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Revelation 1:4-7

Nobody expected Jesus to rise from the dead, not even his disciples and those closest to him expected him to get up and walk out of the tomb.  Nobody, except the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Angels, of course.    Jesus warned that he would “suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” (Mark 8:31)  Although Jesus told his disciples, multiple times, that he would die, his statements fell upon deaf ears.  His death wasn’t in anyone’s play book for Jesus’s life.  On the day of the Jesus’ death, everyone believed that Jesus had lost and evil had won.  In the minds of all who watched him die, there was no coming back. 

Maybe they had some hope while Jesus hung on the cross gasping for air.  Maybe if felt like the ball was on the 2-yard line with only 5 minutes and 32 seconds left on the clock, with a seven point deficit.  Maybe it felt like the bottom of the 9th with 2 outs and the only hope being an injured pinch hitter at the plate with 2 balls and 2 strikes, and down by one run.  As Jesus’ mother and John watched from the foot of his cross, as his hemorrhaging and torn body hung on that cross, I suspect that with each fading breath of the savior, their hope was swallowed up by their despair.  Like the last three fading beats of the heart: “My God, my God, why have your forsaken me?”  Then came what sounded like defeat: “It is finished!” Then a final breath. Jesus died.  His body was taken down, respectfully prepared, laid in a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea, and then the stone was rolled in front of the entrance to seal the tomb. 

Some of you are feeling defeated today.  Some of you are feeling like the disciples did when they woke up on Sunday morning: stuck, afraid, angry, and hopeless.  What the disciples saw as defeat, but the angels were on the edge of their seats. If Peter and the rest could have heard them, maybe they would have heard: “You just wait and see what’s coming!”  You think the AFC championship is lost, but there is still 5 minutes and 32 seconds left on the clock and only 98 yards to go!  You think the first game in the Pennant is over, but there is still a player on second and one more pitch to go over the plate. 

When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to Jesus’s tomb, they went to anoint a decomposing and dead Jesus to cover up the stench of death.  What these women were expecting was a very stiff and swollen dead body.  When they arrived at the tomb and found the stone moved, however, they were alarmed. Not because they expected the resurrection, but because they thought someone messed with the body.  A young man, who most likely was an angel, told them: “Do not be alarmed.  You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has risen; he is not here” (v. 6). 

Even with the assurance of the angel and the many times Jesus said he would not only die, but rise again, these women were terrified of Jesus’ empty tomb.   After they were told that Jesus went ahead of them to Galilee, the NIV translated verse 8 in the following way: “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.  They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” 

When the women and the disciples learned that Jesus rose from the grave and that he defeated death, the Bible doesn’t tell us everything about the disciples reaction, but it does tell us they were filled with fear and amazement, and that they worshiped him. 

Some of you remember the drive when John Elway, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos led his team to tie and then win the AFC Championship.  One of his teammates said that Elway looked at his offensive line, gave a little smile, and said: “If you work hard, good things are gonna come.  We’ve got a long wat to go, so let’s get going.”  Fifteen plays later, they scored a touchdown and an extra point to tie up the game, and then went on to win in overti

Romans 5:1-11

What does the cross mean to you? Historically, it was the most brutal and inhumane form of capital punishment which was invented by the Persians and perfected by Rome.  An ancient Jewish historian called crucifixion, “the most wretched of deaths” (War VII, 202ff.) and rightly so, for the victim was hung naked to a cross fastened with nails in both his hands and feet.  The mode of death was a slow, extremely painful suffocation.  The nails not only pierced the hands and feet, but also pierced the Medien nerve, which would cause severe sciatic-like-pain through the entire body which would only intensify every time the victim pushed his body up to get air into his/her lungs.  Eventually the person would become so fatigued that he/she could no longer thrust his body up, thus leading to a slow, agonizing suffocation.  Mostly males were crucified, but when a woman was nailed to a cross, she was nailed facing the cross because few wished to see a woman die in such fashion.

It would take about three days for a person to die.  As if the physical suffering that came with crucifixion were not enough, often birds of prey would perch themselves on the cross of the dying victim to feast while they hung dying, yet still alive.  What dropped was left for the wild dogs to eat.  Typically, the body was left to hang on the cross and then latter thrown into the city dump.  Did you know that the word “excruciating” literally means: “from the cross”?  The word we use to describe pain at its highest level is a word originally derived from the most horrible form of capital punishment.  So why the cross?  Why was it necessary for Jesus, who loved the unlovable, healed the sick, raised the dead, and lived a life without sin, to die in such a horrible way? 

The crucifixion of Jesus is really a picture of the ugliness and the seriousness of our sin against a perfectly good and infinite God.  I heard an illustration this week that may help you understand why God takes sin so seriously.  If you take a key and scratch a rock, there is really no offence.  If you take that same key and scratch a dilapidated care in a junk yard, there really is no great offence.  If you take that same key and scratch a scratched up and beat up 20 year old car with over 200k miles on it, it may be of some offence.  However, if you take that same key and scratch a brand new Ferrari, your offence is all of the sudden far greater than the scratch you made on the old functioning car, the dilapidated junkyard car, or the rock.  Your sin against God is great and infinite because that sin is against a great and infinite God.  This is why the prophet Nahum states in the Bible: “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies” (Nahum 1:2). 

If God is a perfect God, he must be perfect in every single way.  He must be perfect in his holiness, his goodness, his love, and even in his justice.  If God is perfect in every way then his perfect and sincere love requires that he hate evil (Rom. 12:9).  Here is the problem: we are all born into sin and therefore stand before God as sinners and are therefore evil from the moment we take our first breath.  From the moment of birth, the Bible says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God” (Rom. 3:10b-11).  In another place the Bible says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked… and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:1, 3b).

One of the most popular Bible verses in the world is John 3:16.  I heard a story that when one unreached people group heard it in their own language for the first time, they wept.  You know it and have heard it dozens of times: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”   So how does John 3:16 work for you and for me if God’s perfect love requires of him

Romans 4:13-25

Everyone has expectations. Some expectations are legitimate, such as the expectation that my furnace will do its job during the cold nights of winter and heat my home.  Another expectation that I have, that I feel is legitimate, is the expectation that when I go home to eat my lunch that the food on my plate was not poisoned by my wife.  A not so legitimate expectation to have is that Cheyenne weather will be consistent during the Spring, or that my wife will prepare filet mignon every night for dinner to ease my suffering caused by the quarantine.

After fourteen years of marriage to his wife Mileva Marić, Albert Einstein was convinced that there was no hope for the romance to return to their marriage.  So, he drafted a list of expectations that, he believed, would allow the two of them to remain together at least until their children grew up.  The following is the list Albert drafted and his then-wife agreed to honor:

You will make sure:that my clothes and laundry are kept in good order;that I will receive my three meals regularly in my room;that my bedroom and study are kept neat, and especially that my desk is left for my use only.You will renounce all personal relations with me insofar as they are not completely necessary for social reasons. Specifically, you will forego:my sitting at home with you;my going out or traveling with you.You will obey the following points in your relations with me:you will not expect any intimacy from me, nor will you reproach me in any way;you will stop talking to me if I request it;you will leave my bedroom or study immediately without protest if I request it.You will undertake not to belittle me in front of our children, either through words or behavior.

A few months later, Albert’s wife Mileva moved out of their home and moved with their children to from Berlin to Zurich.  They eventually divorced five years later in 1919.  I think that as intelligent as Albert Einstein was, it was foolish to believe that his expectations were reasonable. 

I have three questions that I think can help you know whether your expectations are legitimate or reasonable:

Are your expectations attainable?  Planning a family trip is a reasonable expectation to have depending on where you are planning to visit for your family vacation.  Spending the weekend in Estes Park is probably attainable for many families; expecting that you and your family will be the first colonist to live on Mars is not.Are your expectations reasonable?  One of my expectations of my children is that they make their bed before they start their day in the morning.  All three of them have the physical means to meet that one simple expectation; I am convinced that this is a reasonable expectation.  An unreasonable expectation is if I believed that my 9-year-old son should pay rent every month for his bedroom.Are your expectations dumb? If your expectations are not legitimist or reasonable, then they are dumb. If those affected by your expectations are convinced that they are either impossible or irrational, then your expectations are dumb and should be rethought.  As intelligent as Albert Einstein was, his list was just plain stupid.

Before entering Jerusalem one more time, Jesus instructed his disciples to find a colt that he would ride into the city as any king would do for his coronation.  While on the colt, people spread out their cloaks and palm branches before Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem. The people did this because it was their expectation that Jesus would take his rightful spot as a descendant of  Abraham, who was also in the line of the kings after David, but because it was unreasonable to the crowds that Jesus was really entering Jerusalem to attain what they could not by purchasing a righteousness they could never gain on their own.  For the king and messiah to endure a cross before receiving the crown was foolish even though it is what the scriptures foretold.  Jesus entered Jerusalem on what i

Romans 3:21-26

Leprosy is a highly contagious debilitating disease that causes severe disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms, legs, and body.  The disease has been around for thousands of years and a cure was only discovered in the 1950’s that is a multi-drug treatment that takes 6-12 months to administer; if leprosy is diagnosed early enough without, the affected person can be cured without long-term disability. 

Because the leprosy bacterium attacks the nerves, which then affects the skin, it is not so much a skin disease as it is a disease of the nervous system.  One of the symptoms of leprosy is the loss of the sensation of pain due to the extensive damage it causes to the nerves.  Those suffering from leprosy experience “disfigurement of the skin and bones, twisting of the limbs, and curling of the fingers to from the characteristic claw hand.  Facial changes include thickening of the outer ear and collapsing of the nose.”[1]

Leprosy was, and continues to be, a feared disease because of the deformity it causes to a person as it remains a highly contagious disease spread by physical contact as well as by droplets from the upper respiratory tracts that can be transmitted from person to person.  For the person who contracted leprosy among the Hebrews, that person was to be driven outside the community of Israel to protect the rest of the people from becoming infected.  The Mosaic Law in the Old Testament gave special instructions for the way a leprous person was to be treated: “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45–46).  In Numbers, we are told why the leprous person was to be put out of the community of Israel:

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the people of Israel did.” (Numbers 5:1–4, ESV)

Of all that would make a person unclean, leprosy served also as a reminder of the dangers of sin and the consequences of it if left unaddressed or treated.  It has catastrophic consequences on our relationships, especially on our relationship with God.  Sin often seems small, but it spreads, and it destroys. 

The dangers of the Coronavirus is not that it will kill 100% of those who contract the virus, but how contagious it is as a super virus that can be spread airborne within six feet and remain on most surfaces for upwards to 17 days.  Although the Coronavirus is treatable, the danger we face is its ability to overwhelm hospitals and medical staff to the point of some who need medical treatment most, unable to receive it.

Videos are surfacing of people defying the recommendations of the CDC and WHO by licking toilet seats, ignoring recommendations of social distancing, and deliberately pretending to have the virus for the purpose of scaring others.  I was in Hobby Lobby the other day and saw a person coughing and visibly sick; everything in me wished that the person would have cried out:“Unclean, unclean!”  One thing is for sure, when this is all over, I will never look at a coughing, sneezing person the same way again. 

For the first time in my life, I am able to relate to days of Leviticus, Numbers, and Jesus when leprosy was a legitimate threat to entire communities.  Today, if a person has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus, that person is legitimately quarantined for at least 14 days.  Like all diseases, COVID-19 is reminding us t

Romans 12:9-21

I want you to think for a moment about the ways God pursued you.  Each person who has placed their faith and trust in Jesus has been wooed into salvation by a loving God who has pursued you until the day you surrendered through faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  Before surrendering to the unrelenting love of God, the Bible says that your name was a collection of adjectives:

Spiritually Dead (Eph. 2:1)Follower of the Prince of the Power of the Air (Eph. 2:2)Child of Wrath (Eph. 2:3)An Enemy of God (Rom. 5:10)Unrighteous (Rom. 3:10)Blind (2 Cor. 4:4)

But, through Jesus Christ, you received a name change that reflects a new identity.  Now you are:

Alive in Christ (Eph. 2:4)A Disciple of Jesus (Matt. 28:19-20)A Child of God (1 John 3:1)A Friend of God (John 15:15)Righteous (2 Cor. 5:21)Seeing (2 Cor. 4:6)

God has given you a new name; that new name is Christian, which means Christ-within.  When you placed your faith and trust in Jesus, the Bible says something happened; it says that you went from being an enemy of God to being reconciled to him.  What happened the moment you became a Christians is that you were redeemed from your sins by the blood of Jesus (Rom. 3:21-26)?  You were justified before a holy God and made righteous through faith in Jesus (Rom. 4:13-25). You who were once an enemy of God were reconciled to God (Rom. 5:6-11).  You were liberated from the slavery of your sin to the Lordship of Christ (Rom. 6:15-23).  What happened was that you, who were once far from God, were brought near to God because Christ is now in you (Rom. 8:9-11), this is why the apostle wrote:

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:11–15, ESV)

In Romans 12:9-21, we are provided with five marks of a Christian.  I believe that what we are told in this passage is God’s wisdom for following Jesus in COVID-19 world.

We Were Redeemed to Love (v. 9)

The word that is used in verse 9 is the Greek word agape, which is an unconditional love.  It is the kind of love that says and practices: “I am going to love you no matter what.”  Our English translations make love into a verb, when, in this case, it is really an adjective.  Verse nine should begin with the phrase: “Authentic love,” but that would make no sense in English, so it has been made into a verb: “let love be genuine.”  I don’t want to make a big deal out of something that really is not a big deal, but the point is simply this: Genuine love abhors what is evil and it clings to what is good.

We were once spiritually dead, but now we have been made alive in Christ.  We once followed the devil, but now we follow Jesus.  We were once children of wrath, but now we are children of the living God.  We were once an enemy of God, but now we are a friend of God.  We were once unrighteous, but now we are covered under the righteousness of Christ. We were once blind as we walked in darkness, but now we are seeing as we have been called into the light!  Why?  Because “God, who said ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).  The result is that we can now love as we were made to love; we abhor evil and cling to what is good. 

We Were Justified to Care (vv. 10-11)

The next word that is used for love in this passage is philio, which is a brotherly love.

Psalm 139; Romans 11:34-36

We are experiencing something that we have not experienced since 9/11, when the terrorist attack orchestrated by Osama bin Laden resulted in the shutting down of our country.  The emotional response was one mixed with both fear and resolve.  Although the Coronavirus is different than the terrorist attack of 9/11 we suffered nearly two decades ago, it feels like we have been hijacked by an enemy of equal proportions that has paralyzed so many with fear. 

The stockpiling of toilet paper and hand sanitizer that has literally cleaned out the shelves where they once could be found, has more to do with a fear of the kind of suffering the pandemic could bring then anything else.  The fact that people are afraid should cause the Church to serve our neighbors in tangible acts of love along with the intentional sharing of the good news of the Gospel.  The Gospel is simply this: “that Christ died for our sins accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Because Jesus walked out of the tomb on the third day, we are promised a day that will come to pass when we will be able to sing: “‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”(vv. 54-57). 

As those who believe in the Christ, who died for our sins and defeated the grave when his rose from it, we can agree and celebrate with the apostle John: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1).  This belief is the reason the apostle Paul could encourage a group of Christians, who experienced horrific persecution for their faith in Jesus, that resulted in death for many of them by reminding them of the reality of every follower of Jesus who has been touched by death: “We do not grieve as others who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13).

With the time that we have this morning, I want to briefly point out two realities that the world rejects.  These have been the two themes of our sermon series, “Who Am I?”  As I bring this series to an end, my hope is for your heart to soar over who you are in light of who God is.

You Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made in the Image of God

The two conclusions David made in Psalm 139 are as follows: (1) God is who he is and there is nothing that I can do about it, and (2) I am who I am because of who God is.  The world may hear this as bad news, but it is good news.  It is good news in an age of global pandemics because of who God is.  So… who is God?  According to Psalm 139, God is all-knowing (vv. 1-2), all-present (vv. 7-8), and all-powerful (v. 13).  Because God is all those things, he is a God without limits (Rom. 11:33). 

We are told of who God is in the Bible.  We are told, in Romans 11:33 that he lacks in nothing because he is completely and perfectly sufficient (see also Job 41:11).  There is nothing we can take away from God, or add to him; this is the Apostle Paul’s point in Romans 11:34-35, “‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?  Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be glory forever. Amen.”  Because God is sufficient and lacks nothing, he does not change, he is not fickle, he does not get frustrated, and he never has a bad day (James 1:17). 

Because God does not change, we can be sure that he is perfectly and fully righteous, loving, and good (Psalm 103:6-10).  If God is sufficient then he is not lacking in being a God of righteousness, love, or goodness; there is nothing that you can add to him nor is there anything you can take from him.  All of his actions flow out of who he is as a God that is all-knowing, all-present, all-powerful, a

Psalm 8; Genesis 2:4-25

What makes you, you? That is the question I have tried to help you answer throughout this sermon series on identity.  I said that if we are going to answer the question, “Who am I when I am same sex attracted?” we need to first define marriage. 

I began my sermon a couple weeks ago with some statistics on the significantly higher suicide rate among those in the LGBTQ community than of those who identify as heterosexual.  I told you that I believe that there is a reason for that statistic.  The reason suicide rates are higher among those in the LGBTQ community is because of their struggle with being same sex attracted is legitimate, their experience of being dehumanized is tangible, and search for a safe place where they can be heard is limited.  The stories of Robin and Brady (from the two previous sermons), who once identified as belonging to the LGBTQ community,  began with both of them seeking help from the one place they should have found it right from the beginning, but initially were driven further away from the Church. 

I am convinced that at the heart of the conversation over same-sex attraction is the question of what it means to be a person.  The philosopher Judith Butler, who is also credited as being the founder of queer theory, said the following about being male or female: “We act as if that being of a man or that being of a woman is actually an internal reality or something that is simply true about us, a fact about us, but actually it’s a phenomenon that is being produced all the time and reproduced all the time, so to say gender is performative is to say that nobody really is a gender from the start.”[1]  The goal of philosophers of queer theory like Butler is to promote the breaking down of, “the link that connects biological sex to gender desire.”  

The picture that comes to mind when I think of Judith Butler’s statement about biological sex verses gender desire is the Mr. Potato Head toy with his arms where they should not go, his eyes where they should not go, and his legs where they should not go.  In her excellent book, Love Thy Body, Nancy Pearcey critiqued Butler by commenting: “Queer theory defends non-heterosexual behavior by the chopping up the human being into disconnected parts that are said to have nothing to do with each other.”[2]  

What I want to do for you, is try to explain the philosophical underpinnings behind the LGBTQ culture and the briefly touch on how those same underpinnings can be found in our culture’s understanding of sex, marriage, abortion, and even euthanasia.  My primary goal this morning is to offer you a biblical response that I believe makes sense.  The influential pastor, W. A. Crosswell, once said the following about pastoral ministry that I think many of you will appreciate:

When a man goes to church, he often hears a preacher in the pulpit rehash everything that he has read in the editorials, the newspapers, and the magazines. On the TV commentaries, he hears that same stuff over again, yawns, and goes out and plays golf on Sunday.  When a man comes to church, actually what he is saying to you is this, “Preacher, I know what the TV commentator has to say; I hear him every day. I know what the editorial writer has to say; I read it every day. I know what the magazines have to say; I read it every day.  Preacher, what I want to know is, does God have anything to say? If God has anything to say, tell us what it is.”

What I would like to spend most of my energy doing this morning is to show you that God, through the Bible, does have something to say.  I am going to do it by answering the question of what it means to be a human being.

Do you remember what I said two weeks ago in my sermon: “Who Am I When I Am Same Sex Attracted?”  I said for us to answer the question of “Who am I when I am same sex attracted?” we have to answer three questions: (1) What is marriage? (2) What does it mean to be a human being? And, (3) how can hu

Guest speaker, Brady Cone with Calibrate Ministries, shared his testimony and challenged us with four ways to reach those struggling with same-sex attraction:

Be safe people, and create safe environments. (Ephesians 4:29)Practice what we preach when it comes to marriage.Judge rightly. (Matthew 7:1)Enter the mess.

The post Part 2 – Who Am I . . . When I Am Same-Sex Attracted? appeared first on Meadowbrooke Church.

Psalm 139:13-18; Genesis 2:4-25

For the sake of clarity, what I mean by “Same-sex Attracted” is anyone who identifies in the LGBTQ community.  LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning.  What I do not include in the category of “Same-sex Attracted” are the 1in1500 humans born every year with intersex conditions that include both the anatomy of a male and a female in varying degrees. 

This sermon is probably one of the more difficult that I have ever prepared as a pastor, and it is not because I am unsure of what the Bible says about the subject, but because of the pain many in the LGBTQ community have experienced or are currently experiencing primarily do to being dehumanized by other communities… particularly by those who belong to the Christian Church.  Let me share with you some statistics that I have learned so far about how the LGBTQ community is suffering:

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 to 24; same-sex attracted youth are three times more likely to contemplate suicide then heterosexual youth.

Same-sex attracted youth who felt rejected by their family because of their perceived sexual orientation are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide then those who felt accepted by their family members.

83% of the LBGTQ community were raised in the Church.

51% have left the Church

And only 3% of those who left the church, left for theological reasons.

Same-sex attraction, or gender identity, is something that has caused youth and adults more pain and trauma then it has created a sense of well-being and wholeness, and instead of the Church helping, it has contributed to the pain and trauma.  There is a genuine sense of loss and suffering that many same-sex attracted people have experienced and/or continue to experience because of the Church. 

I also want to be transparent regarding where I am on the debate between the view that those in the LGBTQ community are born same-sex attracted and those who believe that the culture, circumstances, and/or past trauma shapes a person’s same-sex attraction.  I am not sure a person is born same-sex attracted or not; some call this nature vs nurture.  In fact, I think the whole nature vs nurture argument is not all that relevant in answering the question of what it means to be a human being.  The fact is that there is no real consensus among scientists and doctors for why some people are heterosexual and fewer identify as being LGBTQ.  In fact, the official statement of the American Psychological Association is the following:

There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles; most people experience little or no sense of choice about their sexual orientation.[1]

In preparing for this sermon, I have listened to eight different stories of individuals who were fully engaged in sexually active same-sex relationships; five are no longer sexually active, two are now married to a person of a different gender, and one still remains sexually active in same-sex relationships.  As far as interacting and learning from those who are same sex attracted, I still have much to learn and I certainly need to do a better job loving and listening to those in the LGBTQ community.  

To answer the question: “Who am I when I am same sex attracted?” We have to answer three questions: (1) What is marriage, (2) What does it mean to be a human being, and (3) how can human beings flourish? I will answer the first question today with some concluding thoughts then answer the two remaining quest