WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:22.719 Today we're talking about Jesus and sexuality. 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:29.440 And it is a big subject, a lot way more than what we can cover in one sermon. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:32.399 And so I want to go ahead and point you to a great resource. 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:37.520 Rich Velotis did an eight-part series called God in Our Bodies. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:39.200 He's a pastor in New York City. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:42.640 And if you're wanting to dive in more, I'd highly encourage you. 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:47.520 It's a great, I already said it's a great series, but I'll say it again, it's a great series, and you should listen to it. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:50.399 And so as we dive in there together. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:01:03.280 To begin our conversation today, I want to start with just an observation about Jesus and who Jesus is and things and the way he behaved while he was on this planet. 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:15.920 One of the things, if you read the gospels, that you'll notice when you look at the life of Jesus is that people who were nothing like Jesus were drawn to Jesus. 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:23.519 Like people who were nothing like him in any way, shape, or form were absolutely drawn to him. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:26.400 In fact, the religious leaders hated this about Jesus. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:29.040 Jesus broke all sorts of societal norms. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:37.280 In fact, we're studying the book of Matthew, his account of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the life of Jesus Christ. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:42.560 Now, Matthew, if you don't know who Matthew is, his original name was Levi the tax collector. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:47.359 Now, Levi the tax collector, he was not just ostracized from his community. 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:50.959 He was excommunicated from the temple because of his profession. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:57.280 He was not allowed even to worship because he was a corroborator with Rome and exploiting his own people. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:01:59.920 And he sat down at this tax table. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:01.680 That's where Jesus saw him, by the way. 00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:06.959 He is in the middle of his profession, and Jesus looks at him and says, Come follow me. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:09.919 Not come fix up your life. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:11.680 Come follow me. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:17.919 And what's amazing is in that moment, and Levi says, Really? 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:19.039 Even me? 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:22.479 And he throws a huge party. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:24.479 He throws a huge party. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:26.000 Jesus attends the party. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:28.479 Now here's what's so controversial about that. 00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:37.599 In the ancient day, to sit at a table, a meal, to break bread, to share a meal, was a sign of acceptance of that person. 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:40.960 An enemy is someone you would not share a meal with. 00:02:41.360 --> 00:02:44.240 That was the like dividing line. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:51.840 So Jesus sat with these people, and to the Pharisees and the religious leaders, they looked at him and said, What are you doing? 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:53.280 How could you? 00:02:55.599 --> 00:03:02.080 And he said this: it's not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:12.879 Now, what was fascinating if you follow the order of Jesus and the way he engaged with people, there was a progression. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:21.919 And we'll talk a little bit more about it further on in the sermon, but but something that was so profound was with Jesus, you belonged first. 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:23.759 Like you belonged. 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:25.039 He sat with them. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:25.919 You belonged. 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:27.360 You were accepted. 00:03:27.520 --> 00:03:28.800 You were loved. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:35.840 And as you felt your belongingness and space and acceptance, then you believed in him. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:41.840 In fact, you'll find in parts of the gospel where people were following him, but they had not yet believed in him. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:46.479 And in belonging, and following him, they started to believe in him. 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:54.000 And as you follow, you belong, you believe, then all of a sudden you become who you are made to be. 00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:03.039 Now, religious leaders, and this is where I think we do this as the church as well, religious people, we we invert the order. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:06.080 And I say, we, because I've done this before. 00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:12.560 You believe first, and you have to get everything right, and then you behave. 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:19.120 And if you believe the right things, behave the right way, then you belong. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.519 The way of Jesus is acceptance. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:27.360 The way of Jesus is deep transformation. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:38.639 The way of religion, believing, behaving, and then you belong, not only is prideful elitism and creates deep hypocrisy, and we all go into hiding. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:47.360 I want to set up our time, not only in the way of Jesus, but then I want to I want to give you it's a provocative question. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:52.319 It's a friend of mine who leads a church in San Diego. 00:04:52.560 --> 00:05:00.079 They're doing incredible work, and they do house these house of learnings, and it's like our school of faith. 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:07.120 And and one of them they just did was called uh How Our Church Cares About Sexuality. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:17.279 And in their description, they had this question, and I know it's for some uh, regardless of where you're coming in from, it may be a provocative question. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:18.480 I just want to set it up that way. 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:21.600 And I asked that you would just listen the entire sermon. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:22.879 Or you can get up and leave. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:23.920 That's fine too. 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:25.680 Um it's not really fine. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:27.040 Okay, here we go. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:51.839 What would it look like to be a church that supports and encourages gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other same-sex attracted Christians, as well as those who love them, so that all in our church might be empowered to live in gospel unity while observing the historic Christian doctrine of marriage and sexuality? 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:57.839 That is a great question and one that we want to wrestle with. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:04.079 And today we want to ask the question: what does Jesus have to say about sexuality? 00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:07.600 If you got your Bibles, would you open up to Matthew chapter 5? 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.319 We've been journeying through the Sermon on the Mount. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:15.439 The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus' manifesto for what life in the kingdom of heaven is like. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:21.920 It's Jesus outlining to us, if you really want to flourish, this is the flourishing life. 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:29.360 And he now turns his attention to our desires and our sexuality, and he bless you. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:33.600 And he begins this way. 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:40.639 Matthew 5, verse 23 and 27. 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:44.240 You've heard it said, you shall not commit adultery. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:50.000 That's the seventh of the big ten commandments in the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:58.000 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 00:06:58.240 --> 00:07:02.319 Now, something that's really profound here is two things. 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:05.839 Um, Jesus is getting down to the heart issue. 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:20.720 He's like, it's not just about behavior modification, it's about life transformation, it's about the heart right here, but also he's doing something that in their day didn't happen a whole lot, actually, ever. 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:23.279 He's calling men to account. 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:30.800 This he's talking predominantly to men, it's for all of us, but he's like, you've heard that adultery is bad. 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:41.920 The minute that you look lustfully, you objectify, you you make someone a commodity to be used for your own gratification in your mind. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.319 It's the same thing as committing adultery. 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:47.759 Well, seriously? 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.399 How how Jesus, how how serious are you? 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:56.720 Well, let me tell you, if your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out, throw it away. 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:01.839 It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.680 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, throw it away. 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:12.000 It's better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:16.240 Whew! Jesus is serious about this. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:25.120 Now, he's clearly using hyperbole to make a point, and there are some Christians who have taken him literally as well. 00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:27.759 We don't have the time to go into that. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:32.399 But here's the interesting part, and we'll get to this. 00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:41.200 We have this tendency to make certain things really bad and other things just okay. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:52.480 And we build it upon our own natural tendencies and proclivities, and we okay the things that we struggle with while we demonize the things that someone else struggles with that feels worse than us. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:09:00.080 And if we see someone that was a home wrecker that tore apart a family, like, yeah, how could you? 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:03.840 See someone struggling with lust, oh, poor person. 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.200 Now, where does Jesus get this idea from? 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:14.000 Where does he begin to build this idea that it's not just your actions? 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:20.960 Think about this, it's not just your actions, it's your desires and your thoughts that are just as important. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:36.000 I want to help us in our time together to build a theology of sexuality for us to understand, okay, what is the big framing for us of what sexuality and gender is for us as followers of Jesus? 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:40.960 And to do that, uh, we're gonna go all the way back to the beginning, to Genesis chapter one. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:47.840 And as we build a theology of sexuality, the first thing I want you to notice is that every single person is made in God's image. 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:50.720 Every single person is an image-bearer of God. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:56.399 Genesis 127, the creation account, said, So God created mankind in his own image. 00:09:56.559 --> 00:10:00.639 In the image of God, he created them, male and female, he created them. 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:10.720 God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky over every living creature that moves on the ground. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:14.480 First thing I just want you to see is God created. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:24.960 Like he created you and every single person, which means you have intention, you have purpose, you have design. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:34.159 And as the one who created you, he knows how you are best to be functioning and designed and operating. 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:38.559 He created you, you have design and purpose and meaning. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:50.320 Secondly, he created you in his image, different than every other creature on the planet, like imprinted into your DNA and my DNA is the very image of God. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:52.559 The Latin for that is Imago Day. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:11:04.399 You have the Imago Day on you, which means you have intrinsic worth and value and dignity. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:13.919 Like when Jesus says, when you lust after someone, you're objectifying my creation that carries the imago day. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:18.960 And how you treat his creation reflects on how you feel about the creator. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:24.399 This is where the roots of all that Jesus is teaching is coming from. 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:39.600 And then notice this that you not only that you're created, that you have meaning and purpose, and that you have dignity and value, that he says that they're male and female and be fruitful, male, female, and fruitful. 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:47.600 And so out of one God came two bodies that you are sexual long before you were ever sinful. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:51.840 In fact, you are sexual and spiritual at the same time. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.080 He created your gender and your sexuality. 00:11:56.320 --> 00:11:58.399 By the way, God invented sex. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:00.879 We kind of forget that. 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:02.000 It was his idea. 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:03.679 He's like, this is gonna be fun. 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.279 And yet at the same time, you're more than your sexuality. 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:16.960 In an identity dysphoric society, we have attached ultimate value, meaning personhood to our gender and sexuality. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:23.840 And the gospel says that your sexuality and gender gender is an important part of you, but it's not the most important. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:32.320 Your identity in Christ, your image-bearer identity is the most important thing about you. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:37.200 Deborah Hirsch wrote an incredible book uh called Redeeming Sexuality. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:41.039 Uh, and she uh just I please read it. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:42.240 Great book. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:48.320 She writes if we are created in the image of God, then our sexuality reflects something of who God is. 00:12:48.639 --> 00:12:56.320 How we understand and live out our sexuality is profoundly important because we'll either reflect our creator or not. 00:12:57.279 --> 00:13:02.720 One of the things that I love that Jesus does, and he does this through this section of the Sermon on the Mountain. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:08.080 He did it with anger, and he does it uh here with adultery, and then he does it later on. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:12.080 He says, You have heard it said, but I say to you. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:17.120 You have heard it said, here's the framing, but I say to you. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:22.159 What have you been hearing it said? 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:25.919 See, you have heard it said, live your truth. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:33.200 You have heard it said, you know, self-actualization and self-fulfillment, and do whatever feels good. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:38.720 You have heard it said to limit or hinder your desires is the ultimate evil. 00:13:38.879 --> 00:13:41.120 You have heard it said over and over. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:43.360 What have you heard it said? 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:49.840 Do what feels good, define your reality, hook up, shack up, if it makes you have it. 00:13:49.919 --> 00:14:00.240 You have heard it said, and Jesus says, but I tell you, there's lots of things that you have heard, but have you heard the voice of Jesus? 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:05.600 The question is, who are you listening to? 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:07.840 Who's defining reality? 00:14:08.879 --> 00:14:13.279 Who gets the final say of your personhood and who you are? 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:20.799 Jackie Hill Perry, in her book, Gay Girl, Good God, great book, another one you should read, she wrote this. 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:29.200 I need someone smarter and not created to tell me who I was, for he would be the one who'd know best. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:35.759 As we're building a theology of sexuality, the first thing is that every single person is made in the image of God. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:38.639 The second is every person is marred by the fall. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:43.279 Now, the fall is a theological term, and let me unpack it for you. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:51.600 Genesis 1, God created all that we know, uh, man and woman, the creation account, and it's all good. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:54.960 It's all really good, a perfect world. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:15:01.919 And he places Adam and Eve in the center of this garden with incredible plants and trees. 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:05.759 And he says, everything around here is for you. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:07.279 Enjoy. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:10.159 Everything's good and amazing and abundant. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:11.279 Enjoy. 00:15:11.440 --> 00:15:15.279 But there's one tree, the knowledge of good and evil. 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.799 Do not eat from that one, everything else. 00:15:19.039 --> 00:15:23.519 See, Adam and Eve understood good, but they had no concept of evil. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:25.919 What a beautiful reality, by the way. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:28.879 He says, Don't eat of that. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.120 And then the serpent comes. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:38.399 Crafty, and and he's always casting doubt on the character and the goodness of God. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:39.519 That's fundamental. 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:46.159 His role in your life is I don't want you to believe that God's ways are good and that his character, like that he actually is good. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:49.840 The serpent said, Did God really say you must not eat? 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:51.279 Did God really say? 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:52.720 And then notice what it says. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:16:02.080 When the woman saw the fruit of the tree was good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:05.519 She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:09.360 By the way, Eve tends to get a bad rap here. 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:11.519 Where was Adam? 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:14.240 Right next to her. 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:23.840 Okay, back to then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.840 And this is where shame entered the story of humanity. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:34.240 We are relational creatures, and by nature that means we must then be vulnerable. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:40.879 And they were able to be naked and unashamed, completely vulnerable. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:48.960 And all of a sudden, then shame entered the story, and humanity went again to hiding. 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:55.440 This is what we call the fall of humanity. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:06.160 And every person is made in the image of God, yes, and every person, every single one of us has been marred, has been marked. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:13.119 Live under the destructive power and force of sin and brokenness. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:18.559 And so as a result, we all are sexually broken. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:20.960 Not some of us. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:28.319 We all have disordered desires. 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:35.359 All of our orientations are disoriented. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.880 They are marked by the fall. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:43.200 In fact, um, Eve, notice this because this is what happens. 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:44.480 This is what we do. 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.599 Um God said, This is gonna cause harm. 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:49.440 This tree is gonna kill you. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:53.599 Eve saw, and she looked at it, and she said, No, it looks good. 00:17:54.240 --> 00:17:59.920 Eve saw what God said would kill her, and she saw and said, It looks good. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:03.920 And that's what we've been doing ever since, defining good on our own terms. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:06.240 And God says, No, no, no. 00:18:06.400 --> 00:18:08.960 Listen, friends, I'm not doing this because I'm down on you. 00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:10.480 I'm not saying this because I hate you. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:18.079 In fact, I love you so much, and yet we keep looking like it looks kind of fun, it looks good. 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:20.559 We're all sexually broken. 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:25.519 In fact, in the Hebrew scriptures, the Old Testament, there's a word, specific word for sin. 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:27.039 It's called iniquity. 00:18:27.279 --> 00:18:28.799 It's such a helpful word. 00:18:29.039 --> 00:18:31.279 It's to grow crooked or twisted. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:44.079 It's the picture of a tree, and if you ever you know see a tree that's you know, we naturally put up some sticks and rope to hold it so it grows straight, it's the tree that grows crooked. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:49.200 It's our natural bent away from God. 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:51.519 And all of us. 00:18:52.400 --> 00:18:59.279 Every single one of us has a natural bent away from God. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:09.200 Now, the way this has worked in the church in America and the way is the same way it worked in Jesus' day with the religious types. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:16.880 And all too often, here's what happens: religious people create a hierarchy of sin to excuse hypocrisy. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:22.400 We create a hierarchy, there's big sin, and then there's little sin. 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:26.319 There's bad sin and then there's my sin. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:32.160 Notice what Jesus did here. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:39.680 But I tell you, anyone, so I wasn't, I maybe, should we all raise our hand if we've ever lusted? 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:41.440 No, that's probably a bad idea. 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:42.640 Uh next slide. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:48.480 Uh anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:52.319 There's big sin, there's adultery, yeah, that's bad. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:54.880 There's murder, yeah, that's bad. 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:57.759 There's all these things, and then he's going back here. 00:19:58.079 --> 00:19:59.920 Anger, lust. 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:01.599 He's like, no, no, no. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:04.720 There isn't a hierarchy of sin. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:08.240 Where we just begin to go, Jesus, you know what he called it? 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:08.720 Sin. 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.599 And it had all has the same consequences. 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:29.839 We as the church would regain our voice when we stop trying to hold the world accountable, hold ourselves responsible, and begin to live winsome lives and own our own junk and say, you know what, here's my sin. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:44.640 Because the church was never intended to be this place with perfect people putting on smiley, shining faces is meant to be broken people like me and you. 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:56.319 That are simply falling to this rabbi who radically accepted us and brought us in and is transforming us. 00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:02.720 But I tell you, anyone who commits adultery lust. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:13.599 When I was um eight years old, I was first exposed to nudity. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:23.599 My brothers were watching a movie, and I've shared this story before, in the basement of my uh uncle's house, and I can still tell you to this day the name of the movie, I can recall the picture. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:34.160 My natural bent away from God and my own disorientation is in the area of what Jesus is talking about, lust and pornography. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:43.440 Uh the internet was just coming around in my high school years, and trying to learn how this newfangled technology worked. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:47.920 Um, and so it began to type and look. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:50.960 Thank God it was the AOL days, right? 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:54.000 Many of you have no idea, but let me explain. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:59.200 There was a day where it took 10 minutes to upload one video. 00:21:59.359 --> 00:21:59.839 No, no, no. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.519 Sorry, there was no videos. 00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:03.839 One um picture. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:13.200 Now, today we have VR, virtual reality, AI, with where our minds are spammed with this stuff in an instance. 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:18.160 Where I had to go do and then it was like downloading. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:22.559 That began my addiction, my stuckness. 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:30.319 I was thankful that I got caught like my senior year of high school, but it didn't bring the healing I needed. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:34.799 And honestly, I it created this identity of shame. 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:38.640 Remember taking it into Bible college with me. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:45.119 Struggling even with suicidal thoughts because I just felt like I'm just such a bad person. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:46.319 Why can't I break this? 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:49.759 God, I really want to follow you, and you must hate me. 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:52.319 And I just keep going back and keep going back. 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:56.960 And I even then brought it into a marriage which brought so much pain and heartache. 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:02.960 And God's grown me a ton, but I don't ever want to say I still lust to this day. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:07.119 It's not like, oh, Ryan the pastor, he's like, he doesn't struggle. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:11.759 I remember the day that healing, though, did begin. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:14.720 Not perfection, but healing of my heart. 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:18.319 It was a um it was a dream I had. 00:23:18.480 --> 00:23:20.559 God speaks to us sometimes in dreams. 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:41.839 Uh and I was in my dorm room, and um I remember in my dream, I'm coming into the door of my room, it's completely black, and there's that eight-year-old blonde boy sitting at my desk, the computer laptops up, and all you can see is the blue hue on his face. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:47.119 And my heart broke, and I remember going, no, please don't. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:58.880 You have no idea the pain and the consequences that, and all of a sudden I began for the very first time to see myself the way God actually saw me. 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:02.960 Not as broken, damaged. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:06.079 Just, who are you? 00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:06.960 What could you do? 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:07.359 No. 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:11.599 As a father looks and says, No, I love you. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:13.599 I I'm not down on you. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:15.599 My heart breaks for you. 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:21.200 Like, like I understand why you're going down that path, and I just want to protect you. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:28.559 I'm so sorry that you're experiencing that and you're experiencing the pain and the devastation, and I want to bring you in. 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:32.240 You don't have a father who's angry at you or down on you or abusive at you. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:38.319 You have a father who loves you so very much and whose arms are open wide. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:48.160 Which brings us to the third theology of sexuality. 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:53.519 Is that every single person is being lovingly pursued by God. 00:24:54.799 --> 00:25:01.599 It doesn't matter where you are, what you've done, where you've been, what's been done to you. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:05.519 It doesn't matter whether you're single or married. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:15.119 It doesn't matter whether you're in the LGBTQ, heterodel, heterosexual. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:25.440 Every single person on the planet is being lovingly pursued by God right now at this moment. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:33.839 Many of us know the most famous verse in all of Scripture, John 3.16, for God so loved the help me out. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:41.039 In the ancient Near East, that was a scandalous thought because God didn't love the world. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:42.880 You had a God that loved your nation. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:51.759 You had a God that loved your city, a God that loved your people group, and your God would protect you from all the other people groups and all the other nations. 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:54.240 And so gods didn't love entire worlds. 00:25:54.319 --> 00:26:00.400 They loved themselves, yeah, and they loved you or protected you, or you appeased them to, you know, love you. 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:17.440 And God, Jesus says, and and the gospel says that God so loved every single person on the planet that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him begins to say, I place my full trust in you, Jesus. 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:20.880 I long for you to be my Lord and Savior. 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:26.640 I long for a new life that only you can give, shall not perish, but have eternal life. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:29.519 Now, eternal life is a technical term in John's gospel. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:32.480 It's not just like life one day, someday. 00:26:32.559 --> 00:26:35.440 It's not heaven later, it's not paying for fire insurance. 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:44.240 Eternal life is this technical term that is life now in the kingdom of heaven through the power of the Holy Spirit and forevermore. 00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:54.880 Like the minute you place your faith in Jesus, you have stepped into the eternal kind of life that is being worked out through this process of growing to become more and more like Jesus. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:56.480 That's called sanctification. 00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:58.000 That's eternal life. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:27:00.640 It's now starting now and forevermore. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:07.839 Now, here's what's interesting is that's the most famous verse, John 3.17 might be the forgotten verse. 00:27:08.079 --> 00:27:11.279 It says, for God did not send his son into the world to what? 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:16.319 Condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:26.160 The Apostle Paul would pick up the same theme in Romans chapter 2, verse 4, where he'd say, It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:32.400 It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. 00:27:32.480 --> 00:27:37.680 Remember, I talked about the Pharisee way, the Jesus way, you belong, you believe, and then you become. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:38.640 That's the Jesus way. 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:47.119 The Pharisee way was, and the way of religious people is believe, behave, and then belong in this exclusivity and this hypocrisy. 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:57.200 And the gospel is no matter where you've been, what you've done, what's been done to you, the shame you carry, the pain you're holding, the anger that has a hold of you, Jesus loves you. 00:27:58.720 --> 00:28:02.559 I know we're not a talking church yet, but that was a really good place for an amen. 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:10.640 And I wouldn't, I wouldn't, I wouldn't mind us becoming a talking church because that would help me out a lot. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:14.960 Tim Ross said this. 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:26.720 No one is safe until they know how to sit with people and their humanity and extend true grace. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:38.559 Philip Yancey says, rather than judging them, Jesus loved and honored them and in the process brought them to, brought to the surface a thirst that only he could satisfy. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:46.240 I believe the church should be the safest place in the world to wrestle with all of life's questions. 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:52.000 Theology of sexuality, every person's made in the image of God. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:55.680 Every person has been marred by the fall of sin and brokenness. 00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:57.759 We are all sexually broken. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:05.200 Every single person is being lovingly pursued by God, and every person can experience sexual wholeness in Jesus. 00:29:06.079 --> 00:29:17.440 Every single person, whether single, married, divorced, heterosexual, homosexual, LGBTQ plus a victim of abuse, or have caused abuse. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:25.119 Jesus said it this way The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:31.119 I have come that you might have life and life to the full. 00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:44.000 Life to the full is including your sexuality. 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:49.680 The thief comes to kill and distill and destroy. 00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:57.759 I gotta explain that one. 00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:01.039 My son has a poise AEU. 00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:04.240 He had a tournament in Vegas and went there with him. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:06.640 I use it as a little bit of a writing retreat. 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:11.200 I'd never been there before, and and I went on the strip. 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:12.799 That that's an experience. 00:30:13.119 --> 00:30:15.680 And then I went through some of these casinos. 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:18.640 I don't know if you've been there, but if you haven't, let me tell you about them. 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:20.160 They're big. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:23.039 Like I can't tell you, they're big, big. 00:30:23.119 --> 00:30:24.160 Not like little big. 00:30:24.240 --> 00:30:26.319 They're they're they're yeah, thank you. 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:27.680 They're huge. 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:31.759 They are cities in and of themselves. 00:30:31.839 --> 00:30:33.759 The the scope, I can't even explain. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:46.960 I mean, they're like uh one, you know, the Venetian, you're walking through, these gondolas and this whole mountain or night sky, and I mean there's there's 30 some odd restaurants, there's 50 shops, there's a circus. 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:49.920 I can't even say it, you know, in there. 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:51.920 Like you don't ever have to leave. 00:30:52.079 --> 00:30:53.839 And everything is screaming. 00:30:54.079 --> 00:30:55.279 This is for you. 00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:57.599 We created it for you. 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:02.960 We want you to have the best time, it is for your happiness. 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:05.839 But we all know that's not true. 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:11.599 Casinos don't build casinos to make you happy. 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.680 They build them to make themselves wealthy. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:28.640 And the reason they build them in such a way that you have every restaurant you could want, you have every shopping you so desire, you can see any show you want, bowling, no problem, which was awesome. 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:39.920 Um so that you will not have to leave there, and they know if you don't leave there, you will lose your money while you're there. 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:48.240 See, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but everything, the packaging around it is this is for you. 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:49.279 This is for your good. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:51.519 This is like like this is fun. 00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:58.799 But but as long as you stay here, it is just draining the account and causing devastation and pain. 00:31:58.960 --> 00:32:02.160 You're getting sucked into it. 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:05.359 Jesus says, I've come. 00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:12.160 My purpose and my way of life is for life to the full. 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:33.039 Even to the extent, yes, of saying, not even just the external acts, but dealing with the heart issues of lust is the prayerful integration of our spirituality and sexuality, resulting in deep, satisfying relationships with others that roots out shame, cultivates vulnerability, and leads to healthy bonding. 00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:34.400 Let me read that again. 00:32:34.559 --> 00:32:50.240 Sexual wholeness is the prayerful integration of our spirituality and sexuality, resulting in deep, satisfying relationships with others that roots out shame, cultivates vulnerability, and leads to healthy bonding. 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:53.039 Sexual wholeness is not moral perfection. 00:32:55.279 --> 00:33:04.480 It's this idea of realizing I have a disordered desire, but all my desires are actually pointing to the ultimate one who fulfills them, Jesus. 00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:10.640 And only he will fulfill the deep longings of your soul. 00:33:17.839 --> 00:33:22.160 Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves. 00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:27.279 Take up their cross daily and follow me. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:30.079 Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. 00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:33.519 Whoever loses their life from me will save it. 00:33:33.759 --> 00:33:38.000 Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves. 00:33:39.200 --> 00:34:04.079 Like there's there's there's something you go that recognizing I have a disordered desire, and I have to say no to that, to say yes to you, and I'm just gonna begin to follow the one who right now fully accepts me and loves me and wants to transform my heart into the kind of person that responds the way he would to others. 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:20.639 See, what Jesus is inviting is every person to submit their secondary identities to him and to receive from him their new primary identity of uh of love child of God. 00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:28.079 That would take whatever identity, and we have so many of these, and we all attach, they they they are idols in our lives. 00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:34.239 You say, whatever that identity is, and I'm gonna simply submit it. 00:34:34.719 --> 00:34:40.480 And my new primary identity is beloved child of God. 00:34:40.719 --> 00:34:48.800 Deborah Hirsch again says, repentance involves accepting our broken condition, looking to the Savior, Jesus, to fill our gaps. 00:34:49.119 --> 00:34:51.760 We can't have it on our own terms. 00:34:52.159 --> 00:34:56.400 We have to accept God's perspective on the human condition. 00:34:57.920 --> 00:35:04.159 Sam Alberry, who's a Christian, he's gay, he is honoring God and his sexuality, writes this. 00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:08.320 We need to recognize the cost for discipleship for everyone. 00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:15.119 For many in our churches, the cost of discipleship for the LGBTQ plus background people looks cruel and unusual. 00:35:15.360 --> 00:35:21.679 I suspect in most cases that's because we're not counting the cost of discipleship in other areas of life. 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:27.760 Jesus says all of us have to say a profound no to some of our deepest longings and intuitions. 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:30.000 That is discipleship. 00:35:30.159 --> 00:35:31.679 Jesus says it up front. 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:34.000 He doesn't bury it in small prints. 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:42.079 The wonderful paradox of the Christian faith is as we deny self, we become our real self. 00:35:43.199 --> 00:35:59.679 Jesus says my invitation and my offer for every single person, I want to bring wholeness to every part of your life. 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:03.440 That includes your sexuality. 00:36:04.559 --> 00:36:24.559 And the thing we have to do, and I'm just going to invite you to do this, and as the band comes up and as we close and worship, is we got to take the things, the identities, the secrets, the shame that we're holding tight to. 00:36:27.840 --> 00:36:31.920 And just begin to lay them at the foot of Jesus. 00:36:34.239 --> 00:36:36.239 And say a profound yes to Jesus. 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:38.800 You know what, Jesus, I I'm going to follow you. 00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:40.559 I don't fully understand all of it. 00:36:40.639 --> 00:36:46.320 I'm going, I, but I'm going to begin to follow you and follow your ways. 00:36:47.119 --> 00:36:51.039 I've heard a lot of things said, but I want to begin to follow what you say. 00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:54.639 And all of us need to respond this way. 00:36:56.079 --> 00:36:58.480 And so as we close, would you just simply do this? 00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:05.119 Would you take your hands, tight fist, and begin to examine what are the areas that you are holding tight to? 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:10.000 The areas that are identities for you. 00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:17.760 The areas that are secrets that have kept you stuck. 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:30.320 And where you would then begin to go, Jesus, I'm going to bring this to you. 00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:34.880 The most safe person who ever walked this planet. 00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:49.679 I just open your hands and begin to give it to you. 00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:54.079 Jesus, I pray for our friends, my friends here. 00:37:58.239 --> 00:38:00.320 As we wrestle with deep waters. 00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:11.119 And the call is a profound no to some of the disordered desires that we have. 00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:19.599 But the invitation is a profound yes to life, life to the full. 00:38:19.920 --> 00:38:20.880 Your life. 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:27.599 In that tension, in that struggle, would you meet us? 00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:38.800 In the safety of your love and grace, would you draw us out into the open to bring the real us to you. 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:52.159 To let you bring healing and wholeness. 00:38:52.880 --> 00:38:54.480 In Jesus' name. 00:38:55.360 --> 00:38:57.599 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:38:57.840 --> 00:39:02.239 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:04.480 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:10.480 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.