Did Jesus die on the cross for every sinner?
Is there anyone Jesus did not die on the cross for?
Jesus told us to go into what or where and preach the Gospel? Wait for the answer
Does God love everyone?
Are we obligated by Christ to love everyone?
2 Peter 3:9 says
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
If all of this is clear to you let’s look at the title to today’s teaching
Please don’t ask me…“Why do you condemn homosexuality when God obviously made gays and lesbians and that He loves all people the same?” Part 1
Last week we verified that Jesus is God and that was very clear and as Christians, it is our call to be obedient to Him and do what He calls us to do
Let’s look at a particular encounter Jesus had and go from there.
John 4:3-6
He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. 4 But He needed to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
Jesus bottom line was
Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
What compelled him to do this?
John 3:16,17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 4:7-9
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
I believe Jesus would fully affirm the last part of that question…God loves all people the same
1) We must affirm God’s love
As Christians we can’t afford to allow hate in our vocabulary we must love people through their prejudice, despite their sin, lifestyle, or whatever classification we want to place on them.
1 Timothy 2:3,4
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
.John 20:21 “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
Nothing cleanses us of prejudice faster than building a friendship with a type of person with whom we have prejudice
John 4:10, 13-15
Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”
2) We must extend grace to people especially when they do not understand
People need hope, they need love, regardless of the nature of their sin.
Jesus is explaining to her that there is love, hope, and a way out before he even brings up the idea of her sin.
What would be your approach when you see or meet a homosexual or lesbian?
Romans 5:6
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.”
Romans 4:5 ….God who justifies the ungodly,…
We all came to Christ with our own bag of messes and Christ reached each of us when we too were helpless to do so
Now Jesus moves from grace to truth
3) Jesus affirms God’s plan for human sexuality
John 4: 16-19
He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.
Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Paul also reaffirms this in 1 Corinthians 6: 15-20
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
It is easy to conclude that sex that doesn’t express this “one fleshness” between one man and one woman in marriage is wrong.