Jesus Loves Homosexuals - Part 2
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Skip Heitzig
1 Corinthians 6 (NKJV™) | |
9 | Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, |
10 | nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. |
11 | And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. |
New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.
Be assured that I didn't select the topics in this series because I am equating homosexuals with murderers; nor am I suggesting that addicts or homeless people are to be seen the same as terrorists. It’s simply that the church has historically been unkind to these groups, and we believe it is time to make the statement that Jesus loves all people. In today’s text, we see it clearly: everyone has some kind of past, and everyone can be freed from sin.
Jesus loves people—all people: prostitutes, drug addicts, abusers—and you. This profound truth is at the very heart of the gospel. Jesus loves the unlovable and touches the untouchable, and during His time on earth, He was compassionate and merciful toward people from all walks of life. What would it be like if you personally encountered Him? Join Pastor Skip Heitzig in this series to learn more about God's radical love for you and fall more in love with the living Savior.
FREE - Download Entire Series (MP3) (Help)
|
Buy series
| Buy audiobook
We are all aware that homosexuality has become the cause du jour of our culture. From elementary school curriculums to television and films to political talking points, there is a massive effort to redefine and reclassify homosexuality as acceptable. People are no longer expected to change this behavior; rather, we as Christians are expected to change our classification. Our culture says it should be seen as an alternate lifestyle, a sexual orientation, a genetic predisposition, or a personal preference, but definitely not a sin. In response, let's consider God's perspective and three truths regarding all people from all walks of life who come to Jesus Christ, including homosexuals.
The first truth is that everyone is on a list (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). These verses in 1 Corinthians conclude the previous section that dealt with immorality in the Corinthian church. This is not an exhaustive list of sins, but it is a list of sins typical of the Greco-Roman world and Corinth. Much like our society, Corinth was permissive and sexually promiscuous. In these verses, we read, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites" (v. 9). These are sins that represent a moral divide: sexual immorality is the one sin that you commit against your own body (see 1 Corinthians 6:18). As Pastor Skip stated, "All sins are equal in spiritual consequence, but not all are equal in moral equivalence." Lying to someone is not the same as killing someone. Moreover, Jesus made it clear that there are degrees of sin when He said during His trial, "The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin" (John 19:11).
Sean McDowell pointed out these five biblical truths about homosexuality: 1) Not a single passage in the Old or New Testament supports homosexual behavior. 2) Not until the mid-twentieth century did a Christian leader affirm homosexuality as acceptable. 3) Every regulation regarding marriage in the Bible assumes the male-female sexual relationship, starting in Genesis 1, where God made humans male and female so that they would be fruitful and multiply. It takes a man and a woman to reproduce. Genesis 2:24 says that "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." 4) Every wise saying in the Bible assumes a male-female sexual relationship. 5) The Ten Commandments assume heterosexuality in the commands to honor your father and mother, to not commit adultery, and to not covet your neighbor's wife. A few pointers from Skip: Be aware of what our culture thinks about this issue so you understand where people are coming from. Make a determined effort to love those with whom you disagree. Be ready to suffer because you disagree and will be labeled negatively.
Next, everyone has a past (see 1 Corinthians 6:10-11a). The list in 1 Corinthians concludes with thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers (slanderers and gossips), and extortioners. Ultimately, we can all find our own conduct on this kind of list, because "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Look at what Paul continued on to write: "And such were some of you" (v. 11a). We should be merciful to others, because we committed these same sins before coming to Jesus. As saved people, we do not keep living like unsaved people, but we should remember that every Christian is an ex-something: an ex-adulterer, ex-thief, etc. When we approach people caught in sin, we need to drop our stones and remember that we too were once in bondage to various sins. We must be humble and cautious as Paul instructed: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted" (Galatians 6:1, ESV). How do you discover the balance between loving the sinner and hating the sin, and how will you apply that balance? What are some good practices in this regard? What are some bad practices?
Lastly, everyone can have the best (see 1 Corinthians 6:11b). The word washed refers to new life that comes from new birth. Sanctified indicates the new behavior that comes from new life. And finally, justified signifies our new position of honor before God. All three terms tell us what God does to believers in relation to our sin. He washes us, polishes us, and gives us a new status before Him. God calling sin sin is beneficial for two reasons: it frames how He views our wrong actions, and it clarifies that sin is forgivable. Sinful people are redeemable! God is in the business of cleansing sinners and making saints. He offers His forgiving love so that we can experience His unending love. Remember that God always has bigger plans for you than you have for yourself, so don't settle.Adapted from Pastor Skip’s teaching
The BIG Idea
Whatever list you’re on, you can have the best—from the ash heap of sin to a free ticket to heaven.
Figures referenced: Ruth Graham, C.H. Spurgeon, William Barclay, Socrates, Plato, William McDonald, Caesar Nero, Sporus, Sean McDowell, R.T. Kendall
Greek words: pornos, anamartétos
Cross references:Genesis 1:27-28; 2:24; 19; Leviticus 18; 20; Judges 19; Matthew 19:4-6; 23:23; Luke 18:9-14; John 8:1-11; 19:11; Acts 5:29; Romans 1; 3:23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 18; Galatians 6:1; 1 Timothy 1; Jude 1:7
Date | Title | Watch | Listen | Notes | Share | Save | Buy | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6/28/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves People, BUT... Romans 2:1-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary In this last message of our series Jesus Loves People, we want to bring equilibrium to the series itself. It’s true that God loves people. It’s equally true that He hates evil and the practice of it. Today we want to show how both the wrath of God and the love of God are integral parts of the nature of God Himself. This is crucial so that we don’t distort Him to the world and mislead people eternally. Let’s consider three requirements for representing the God who loves people. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
6/7/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Addicts Luke 4; Matthew 11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary When a person ingests a substance or engages in an activity that provides temporary pleasure and then such acts become compulsive and interfere with ordinary life responsibilities, he or she is said to be an addict. Addictive behavior is widespread and is one of the reasons many addicts turn to Christ for help. Jesus has a special message for them and a special plan to help them. As the body of Christ to our generation, shouldn’t the church be part of that plan? |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
5/17/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Terrorists Acts 9:1-16 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary One magazine noted that "religious terrorism is the communism of the 21st century, the most serious international threat to human rights." I am aware that the title of this sermon is a strange one, and it's even stranger to think we should be told to love terrorists. Today we consider the stark reality of terror in our world and what a proper biblical response to it is, and we see the conversion of a terrorist who became Christianity's most celebrated cleric. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
5/3/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Criminals Luke 23:33-43 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary A lengthy seventeen-year study in Washington, D.C. by psychiatrist Samuel Yochelson shows that crime cannot be traced to environment, poverty, or oppression but to people making wrong moral choices. Corresponding to that is another report showing that the lack of proper moral training by parents has a direct correlation to crime, especially to children in their formative years. But when parents and their offspring fail, Jesus can step in to rescue. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
4/26/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Murderers Luke 23:33-34 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary A Jewish proverb reads, "Blood that has been shed does not rest." And yet there is rest that is possible for even the worst murderers of all time—those who killed Jesus Christ—if they would be willing to receive it. In two verses of Scripture, we will examine how Jesus loves murderers, even those who murdered Him. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
4/19/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Prostitutes Luke 7:36-50 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary It was Blaise Pascal who noted, "There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus." In our text today, we find a woman, the city prostitute who acutely felt the need to have the vacuum of her heart filled. She discovered that Jesus loved her with a wholesome love—the kind of love every woman is searching for. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
4/12/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Atheists John 18:28-38 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Yes, Jesus loves people who don't believe in Him or who aren't sure what they think about Him. Pontius Pilate was the cynical Roman governor of the district of Judea. He was unsympathetic to religious Jews and religion itself. He had no room for the superstitious claims of prophets, priests, or would-be messiahs. He was a secular pragmatist concerned about Roman order and personal advancement. Pilate also represents how Jesus loved and handled atheists—and how we should. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
3/29/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Traitors Matthew 26 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a traitor as "one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty." On this Palm Sunday, I've chosen to consider in contrast the two traitors seen side by side in the New Testament accounts of the Passion of Christ. Though we may see some similarities in Judas and Peter, they are separated by one giant factor—the cross of Jesus Christ, the one thing that still offends most people. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
3/22/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Haters Matthew 5:43-46;Luke 9:51-56 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary One of the worst things to ever hear or say are the words "I hate you." And since Jesus is the One who God sent to show love to the world, how He handled haters is significant. Today we will explore and hopefully apply two important lessons. Hatred can flow in two directions: hatred towards you and hatred from you. Jesus shows us what to do about both. Get ready by turning to two passages: Matthew 5 and Luke 9. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
3/8/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Homosexuals - Part 1 John 8:1-11 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary There is not a hotter or more controversial subject being discussed today in our country than homosexuality. Voices are loud and tempers run hot whenever this subject is mentioned. Although the text before us doesn’t deal specifically with homosexuality, it does show us how Jesus approached a woman caught in sexual sin and what He had to say to those who were quick to condemn her. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
2/8/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves the Broken John 5:1-16 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Just about everyone who has ever lived has experienced a broken heart to some degree or another. But then there are others who have been affected so adversely by events in their lives that they can be described as broken people. We can respond by questioning why God allows bad things to happen or by loving the broken in His name and thus being part of the solution. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
2/1/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves Doubters Matthew 11; John 20 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Jesus never turned away the questions of a sincere searcher. I have personally wrestled with issues of faith and doubt on a number of occasions. Oswald Chambers quipped, "Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong; it may be a sign that he is thinking." Today we will see how Jesus loved two doubters—both of whom were friends of His. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |
1/25/2015 completed
|
Jesus Loves People Mark 10:21;Philippians 1:8-10 Skip Heitzig |
Info Message Summary Welcome to our new weekend series, Jesus Loves People! For the next many weeks, we will observe how Jesus' love for people was displayed and conveyed to a cross section of society. We will see Him as He loves the most religiously devout folks to the weak and doubting, from the prostitutes to the priests, from the bewildered to the brokenhearted. We will marvel at His love for thieves, murderers, and atheists. In each message, we will consider how we as God's people can show authentic love to people within each group. |
Message Trailer Watch Watch and take notes |
Listen - Mini Player Listen and Take Notes Listen in Spanish |
Outline Detailed Notes Study GuideTranscript |
Facebook |
Video (MP4) Audio (MP3) Spanish (MP3) |
Buy CD |