Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. ROMANS 1:21-27 NLT
I am a sexual person
So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. GENESIS 1:27-28 NLT
My sexuality is complex
- Biology
- Background
- Beliefs
God’s commands for my sex life are simple
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, or God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:18-20 NLT
My sexuality makes a terrible God
And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself… ROMANS 1:23-25 NLT
How do we reach out to our LGBTQ community?
With love and respect
Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. 1 PETER 2:17 NLT
Homophobia can have no place in our church.
With biblical clarity and the power of the Gospel
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-11 NLT
With personal integrity
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ROMANS 12:1-2 NLT
My Notes
Personal Reflection Guide
Find a distraction-free place to sit and allow your thoughts and feelings to become calm. When you are ready, pray for God to guide your time. Contemplate the sermon’s message regarding the fact that people knew God but chose not to worship or give thanks to him, which led them into sinful practices. Ask yourself, “What feelings surface as I think about obeying God’s guidance on Christian sexuality? What do they reveal about my desire to honor him in this area?” Have a conversation with God regarding these questions. Ask him, “Do I need to change any of my thoughts or actions to better honor you in practicing Christian sexuality? If so, what can I do to partner with you in changing them?” Recall an experience you have had or observed in others that supports the wisdom of following God’s guidelines on sexuality. Ask God to bring to mind one action you can take this week to better honor him in your thoughts and actions in this area. Thank him for his guidance, and share your experience with a person you trust for prayer and other support.
Discussion Questions
- What have you been learning about yourself, God or others in your personal Bible reading time? What stood out to you this week?
- Read Genesis 1:27-28. How comfortable are you with the idea that God has created you as a sexual person? What are your feelings regarding the fact that the first command God gave to humans was a sexual one, and what do they reveal about your beliefs?
- Read Romans 1:23-25. As you think back over your life, was there ever a time when sex had been more powerful in your life than God, and what was your life like as a result?
- Read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. While it’s true that God’s commands for our sexuality are simple, sometimes our justifications can be complex. As you look at your current sexual behavior, is there anything you have been justifying that you need to repent of and get right with God about? If so, what is it, and what can we do to help?
- Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. In this list of sins, we see that homosexuality is no different than a host of other wrongs. When has your perspective on this sin been different than God’s in elevating or minimizing it? In what practical ways has this influenced your relationships?
- As you think past the problem and remember the people who are friends and family in the LGBT community, what is one practical thing you can do this week to show them the love of Jesus? What can we do to help?
