No, this isn’t a talk about a boy-band but about where we get our direction and guidance. But having said that isn’t it kind of funny as one report said, “One Direction go their separate ways - is this a paradox?” Actually that paradox is very true of the church today. Deuteronomy 29:19 “When such a person hears the words of this oath and they invoke a blessing on themselves, thinking, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way,” they will bring disaster on the watered land as well as the dry.” We talked very briefly about politics yesterday and I cannot help but comment on some of the latest happenings. Let me just say that politicians, scientists and celebrities should not be your guide as a Christian. I remember showing a video of Oprah Winfrey denying Jesus Christ as the only way and I could just sense the shock. What do you mean she isn’t a Christian? The bible is clear there is only one way to God and that is through Jesus but she denies that. She said after a show one time “that there are many paths to what you call God,” “There couldn’t possibly be only one way” John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is amazing how many Christians hang on her every word. Spirituality and Christianity are not the same.
This is just one example of following celebrities. We need to be very careful where we get our direction and guidance. In our society today there is much diversity being talked about which usually includes something that has to do with the LGBTQ: “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, or Questioning.” I think they use the acronym to soften how these words sound. I could also talk about the magnitude of racism, violence and on and on but I will focus on this topic for now. This has become huge in our society but it is not new. We are not the only society to deal with this. Scripture makes it very clear as to why this is happening. Romans 1:24 “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV) “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. 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.” This shows us two things. One the church cannot support homosexuality but it also shows they can be washed, sanctified and justified by the power of the Spirit of God.
There is much approval of this depravity from society and from the church also. These topics have been all over the news with some endorsing while others are not supporting the practice, which is creating upheaval. Lawmakers are making headlines in the states like North Carolina and Mississippi. Meanwhile as one stated, “LGBTQ rights in Canada are some of the most advanced in the Americas and in the world.” Then you have celebrities giving their two cents worth. Ellen DeGeneres (some follow her like they did with Oprah) said, “I was fired for being gay, and I know what it feels like. I lost everything, but look at me now," she said to applause from the studio audience.” Another report said, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams protest North Carolina” and cancel their shows.
I am not going to spend time on the topic of depravity but just to say scripture is very clear as to what the result of becoming more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah will be. We do need to ask who decides for you as a Christian what you are going to believe. Will you live by the word of God or will you reject it? Do you believe the scientists who say the earth is billions of years old? Do you believe the celebrities and politicians who say there is nothing wrong with homosexuality and if you oppose you are committing hate crimes and discrimination. Do you listen to society who says live however you want, it is your life? Do you listen to those who say marriage is meaningless? Who decides for you? Yes in our culture politicians have to say what gets them elected but as a Christian you have to say what God says and then live by it no matter what everyone else is saying. They say evolution you say, Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Christianity means that you live according to God’s word and you follow it wholeheartedly.
Here is where the problem lies. Most churches have now rejected the word of God and have replaced it with their own wisdom but that is not how it is supposed to be. 1 Corinthians 2:10 “These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” Because we have the mind of Christ we see things differently. As a Christian we are supposed to stand for God’s word. No we do not hate people as they will say we do, we love them. Jude 17 “But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” We must follow the truth. Our direction and guidance should be from the Holy Spirit. John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
The church today has turned away from the word of God and has now placed their own reasoning, experiences and traditions equal to or higher than the word of God. Society says LGBTQ and all that goes with it is okay, so the church says we also will believe the same even though scripture says no. We will accept evolution, even though scripture says, no: God created the heavens and the earth in six days. Because we lack the power of the Holy Spirit, we are facing the results of the depraved mind and have accepted every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. No matter what you believe today it seems that there will be a church that will accept your beliefs. Much of the church is afraid to stand up and speak out. I do agree that we need to be careful at least until the power of the Holy spirit comes and the enemy is defeated then we too can say with Paul, that is what some of you were. You need to believe that this power can defeat the darkness behind the LGBTQ.
There are lots of voices trying to lead you astray but we must listen to the truth that guides us Psalm 23:3 “along the right paths for his name’s sake.” We do not want to be lead down the wrong path. Proverbs 9:18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead. We must be careful as Christians not to be guided by the world. James 4:4 “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides!” Be careful who you listen too. Do not be swayed by those who have been swayed already. Stand firm on the word of God. Acts 4:9 “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” As time continues our society will get worse as will the church without repentance and the power of the Holy Spirit. But for those in the remnant who are calling on God to shine His face on us once again Isaiah 37:31 “Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.” Psalm 119:35 “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Psalm 119:133 “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.”
