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Birthday Celebration
I’m 42, but just don’t feel or look like all my 42-year-old friends! So many of them have settled. My soul has and always will be restless. That’s not always necessarily a good thing for me. But if the spirit of restlessness can keep moving us toward healthiness and true fulfillment than I’m totally there! What a ride my life has been! I can only be thankful to Jesus for never giving up on this restless soul…
The Day Jesus met a Gay Man
We have two more weeks of connecting our hearts and our minds theologically. (On homosexuality)
We know there is so much more to the Holy Scriptures than just what meets the “eye”
This morning I want you to take in consideration several different elements of interpreting Scripture.
The Authors, The original writings- Hebrew and Greek, the context/culture in which it was written in and that all of Scripture is God inspired.
I believe Scripture is extremely misinterpreted at times! Not because the holy Scriptures is not God inspired, but rather, humanity is imperfect. For instance, Scriptures were used to endorse slavery for hundreds of years. That was humanity’s fallibility not the Scriptures.
our quest as followers of Christ, is to go beyond what lies on the pages and read between the lines, of culture/context. And applied the story/ God’s story, to our stories so that we may be true followers of Jesus
With that said, let’s look at one word eunuch.
Matthew 19:4-12
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh 6 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. (That it was about a committed and loving relationship/partnership, not property) 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.
· Here, Jesus was literally revolutionizing a cultural norm
· He was reestablishing God’s principal, and empowering women/ literally saving their lives
Now this is where the story gets really interesting!
“10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others have been made eunuchs; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
Here Jesus identifies three classes of men who are unable to marry a woman.
Taking his categories in reverse order,
· First, there are those who have made themselves “eunuchs” for the kingdom of heaven, i.e., those who foreswear marriage to better serve God.
· Second, he mentions those who have been “made eunuchs by others,” an apparent reference to castrated males. The word Eunuch comes from the Greek, which means literally “guardian or keeper of the couch.” The term refers to those who were placed in positions of highest trust in royal palaces and wealth.
But Jesus mentions a third category — eunuchs who were born that way. Some might argue that Jesus was referring to males born without testicles, but this would be extremely rare. Moreover, this interpretation ignores how the term “born eunuchs” was used in other literature of the time.
In the ancient world, including ancient Jewish culture (as reflected in the Talmud), “natural” or “born” eunuchs were not associated with missing testicles. Rather, they were associated with stereotypically effeminate characteristics and behavior (just like modern gay men), and were thought by the Great Rabbi Eliezer to be subject to “cure” (just like modern gays). Moreover, as we have also seen, eunuchs were commonly associated with homosexual desire.
Eunuchs “born that way”, was a reference an ancient biblical times of: Those born not attracted to the opposite sex.
Jesus would have been aware of this common view of eunuchs. Yet he very matter-of-factly asserts that some people are simply born that way. The implication of his statement is profound — God created gay people the way they are! Jesus says so.
· Unlike the great Rabbi Eliezer, Jesus feels no need to “cure” these born eunuchs. He speaks no words of condemnation. Rather he lists people born gay alongside another honored class (eunuchs for the kingdom), and accepts them as a natural part of God’s creation order.
Which leads me to our story this morning… Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7
We go into this story with the openness of how the Gospels show Jesus dealing with so many socially outcast
According to the text from these two passages, this Roman Centurions cared very much for the Jewish people, he was close to the religious leaders… very financially supportive. In a good way.
The purchasing of a spouse was common:
In Roman ancient times; Centurions were known for having/purchasing males to be there lovers. As it was the same custom for heterosexuals. Many relationships started with a commercial purchase. Often these lovers were younger than their masters, even teenagers. One who was “his master’s male lover.” Many heterosexual marriages took place at the age of 13-15! Ancient biblical times. Things have evolved for the better!
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.
In the original language, the importance of this story for progressive Christians is essential.
The Greek word used in Matthew’s account to refer to the servant of the centurion is pais.
In the language of the time, pais had three possible meanings depending upon the context in which it was used.
· It could mean “boy” it could mean “servant,” or most likely for this story, particular type of servant,
But in Luke’s account of the story, another key word to describe the servant was that used. Entimos Doulos; which means beloved and special servant
Luke says this pais (servant) was the centurion’s entimos doulos.
Taken together, the three Greek words disqualify the possibility the sick person being an ordinary slave, leaving only one possible option — he was his master’s male lover
The Roman centenarian hears of this miracle worker, yet he knows how the Jewish rabbis looked down upon his sexual orientation. Thinking to himself, I’ve listened to him tell of a new Kingdom; have seen him look right through people… he will know I’m lying! I have nothing to lose. I would just come OUT to the Son of God with an open heart of honesty
It is time for the gay community to come OUT to God!
To stop living in a world of facade practices/ unhealthy patterns that maybe our culture has placed them in!
If this story is true, we can freely come and kneeled down before Jesus and be loved and accepted!
7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
Jesus didn’t say, “Are you kidding? I’m not going to heal your pais so you can go on living in sin!” Nor did he say, “Well, it shouldn’t surprise you that your pais is sick; this is God’s judgment on your relationship.
· “I do not deserve” for too long the gay culture, have believed misinterpretation/prejudice Christianity, were you’ve come to believe it. You my think don’t deserve Christianity, God’s grace, living in healthy committed relationships.
· Noticed in the story Jesus did not turn away in disgust, he did not talk about sin as he did with so many others in the Gospels. ( woman at the well) But rather, his response was sure I come and heal him?
· Shall I come and heal the man you are truly in love with? Shall I come and lay my hands on the person that you would fight religious bigotry, hate and oppression to find me!
If many progressive theologians are correct on this theory… it is time for change!
9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Those who were already dumbfounded that he was willing to heal this man’s male lover. Jesus didn’t just tolerate this gay centurion. He said he was an example of faith — someone we all should strive to be like.
“I have not found faith this great anywhere in Israel.” In other words, Jesus holds up this gay centurion as an example of the type of faith others should aspire to.
· Many will come from east to west, and take their place in the kingdom of heaven!
· Even a gay Roman Centurions! Straight and gay/East and West! The two sexual extremes coming to the table of grace, the kingdom of God!
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
As most of you know, I never really talk about me concerning this issue. But what if… I would have heard this story at 13. What if, the new Evangelical church stands up and screams, the East and the West/gay and straight are all to experience the kingdom of heaven
It is time, as it was for the Roman Centurion, to believe in this Jesus! Gay community, you can and should live in God’s saving and life-changing grace!
For the last several weeks at Missiongathering Christian Church we have been taking a theological look at homosexuality. to say the least, it’s been absolutely amazing for us as a community of faith! As we have re-examine the God inspired Holy Text, and found that many scriptures over the years have been misinterpreted. Many of you have asked that I would make available my sermon notes. so here you go! Use freely but with responsibility to your community of faith. Much LOVE!!
Spirituality and Sexuality Part One
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah
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Missiongathering is a very unique community of faith… so let me start with this disclaimer; we are not a gay church! With that said, were not a straight church either (though the majority here are straight men and women) but rather, we are Church that is more about of one’s spirituality rather than their sexuality.
So many have asked if I would as your pastor theologically look into the subject of Christianity and homosexuality.
PC versus Mac mentality
The city of Sodom and Gomorrah… no more than 1000 people. Cities were more like villages then.
Genesis 18:32-33 (The Message)
31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?” He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it. 32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?” He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” 33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
I need to start with dropping us right in the middle the story
God and Abraham were having a serious conversation of grace!
God and Abraham having an honest dialogue… Questioning, probing each other. But during that whole time God wanted Abraham to know, “challenge me to be a God of grace!” Let’s go find your 10 Abraham! I want to find your 10! If 10 whole and healthy individuals can not be found, the city will continue hurting themselves and eventually destroying all of creation!
Lot was Abraham’s nephew. He moved out the large metropolitan city of Horan with Abraham when God told Abraham to leave and start nation.
Genesis 19
1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.
· By reading Genesis we see Abraham and lot were men of intense hospitality. In fact, it was something that God was installing within their spiritual journey as followers of Yahweh. Which today is still considered an essential part than Middle Eastern Jewish tradition, hospitality to foreigners.
· Throughout the Scriptures old and new this is the heartbeat of God. Hospitality to all no one should be left out
4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
Since the Middle Ages, many Christian theologians have viewed this story is a blanket condemnation of homosexuality. Sodom, “sodomizing”
· Let’s break down the story, and see what God is really trying to say to us… his story, our story
All the men: Homosexuals are a minority, not a majority. The probability of all the men of this village/city being gay is impossible.
Please take another look at two words found in this vs. young and old
If children as young as eight or nine years of age were thinking this was a normal way of life, this was a city that literally was taking children and having sex with them! The child’s perception of sexuality and wholeness was being destroyed. Children that have not even come through puberty yet!!
· There is healing through God’s love… it may be a very reason why so many of us are living in such sexual promiscuity.
· It is what is keeping you in unhealthy relationships and sexual practices.
If there’s one thing God hates, is children being abuse!
Matthew 18:5-7 (New International Version)
5″And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Also in these two versus is where the story takes a turn to what many think is about homosexuality
Let’s define the story/crime
· The first thing to notice is the mob plans to have sex with the two men without their consent. Therefore we can immediately label that as rape. (In this case, attempted rape.) It’s also clear that this is gang rape. Gang rape is a horrible crime of physical assault and torture and degradation and violence.
· Many times, in ancient days, soldiers of the winning army would rape the soldiers of the losing army — not because they were gay, or because they wanted sex. –
· But because rape was the ultimate act of domination, humiliation, and degradation. Rape isn’t sex. Similar to what takes place in our prisons today.
· Sex, by definition, requires consent. Without consent, sex is, by definition, rape.
This is a story that breaks God’s heart-a story of rape and child abuse, it is not about sexuality!
Still not convinced?
Another Biblical Perspective
Judges, chapter 19,
It was the same demand… “Let us have sex with him” same situation in Sodom! It was a display of dominance and humiliation, absolutely nothing to do with being gay!
You haven’t heard the story of Gibeah much, probably because the rapists are men and their victim is a woman. It is important to recognize, however, that the gender difference does not make this any less horrible in any way. In both Sodom and Gibeah, the issue is rape, one of the most brutal and cruel crimes imaginable.
Why is this Biblical story found in Judges is not as popular as Sodom and Gomorrah? Because it is about men having sex/raping with men (homosexuality the unthinkable sin) as if raping a woman isn’t one!
· Notice the difference how the men in Sodom and Gomorrah are evil corrupt homosexuals. But in all actuality, these two stories are the same… it is about abuse, control, and perversion not sexuality! God does not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality but rather the exact opposite!
· The village’s inability to accept foreigners/others not like them!
· Complete gross perversion!
If the religious institutions where a bit more focus on Judges chapter 19 in the last hundred years? Then more women would have been freed and empowered to leave abusive husbands and situations behind!
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
We have been talking a lot about hospitality; well this is what we would call unhealthy hospitality!
Giving up your daughters to be raped to keep your guests safe is extremely unhealthy! But we do the same…
· We are willing to give up so many precious God-given gifts to try to please the crowd/culture knocking down at our door!
· To be accepted by our culture, we become like our culture, like Lot became. He was willing to give up one perverse act in exchange of another.
· So many of us are selling out ourselves because we don’t believe in ourselves… we allow our culture to rape us on a daily basis
9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
10 But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.
12 The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13 because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”
14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry [a] his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.
· This is what you call a responsive community action! Reached out and pulled Lot inside the house.
· Many times GOD will “reach out and pull you back in the community” while others will be left behind groping in the dark.
But his daughters’ would-be husbands treated it as a joke Not everyone is going to understand why you have a faith in today’s culture of pleasure. It is extremely hard for people to understand it takes work to be healthy today.
15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”
16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
· Healthy Christian friends are willing to be the Angels in reach out/ grab you when you don’t want it.
· Healthy Christian friends are willing to say the things that need to be said even if you don’t want to hear
Don’t look back! Don’t stop anywhere on the plain–run for the hills or you’ll be swept away.”
Christians stop looking back! What you’re looking for you already have!
18 But Lot said to them, “No, my lords, please! 19 Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can’t flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I’ll die. 20 Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it—it is very small, isn’t it? Then my life will be spared.”21 He said to him, “Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22 but flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it.”
· I would rather be a normal yet growing healthy church community of healthiness. Then a large unhealthy church that we see so much of San Diego.
· Many of you need to be running to a community to experience healthiness, healing, and safety. We don’t have all the programs as a big church/community/village. But maybe some of you need less programs, less “discipleship” and more authentic accountability and face-to-face interaction!
23 By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24 Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the LORD out of the heavens. 25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.
The Amazing Story of Sodom, today specifies the archeological and geological findings that give great interest. In it, we learn of the large sulphur deposits, the burnt-out oil fields, the deposits of, salt, sulphur in the area, the fault lines about the evidently slipped or fallen enclave near the region of the lower Jordan River and the Dead Sea. We gain from this source, the fact that early A.D. writer Josephus noted the remains of Sodom and Gomorrah in his own time, as still visible.
26 But Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.
· Lot’s wife turn back to look at the smoldering city of Sodom-clinging to the past she was unwillingly to turn toward healthiness and leave unhealthy patterns behind. She became a useless pile of salt!
· Like Lot’s wife you spent a lot of time looking back on past mistakes and failures
Luke 17: 32-33
Jesus said; remember Lot’s wife! 33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Stop trying to save the life you have now and give it up to God and allow him to save you… we cannot save ourselves by trying to find security in the arms of so many different people
In closing:
Message version
27Abraham got up early the next morning and went to the place he had so recently stood with GOD. 28He looked out over Sodom and Gomorrah, surveying the whole plain. All he could see was smoke belching from the Earth, like smoke from a furnace.
29And that’s the story: When God destroyed the Cities of the Plain, he was mindful of Abraham and first got Lot out of there before he blasted those cities off the face of the Earth.
As Abraham was standing on one side of the Valley, maybe God in his two friends ( the Angels, that were in the story) was standing on the other side looking over the destruction. God saying out loud, “how many times do I have to destroy their unhealthiness before they destroy everyone and everything that I’ve ever created for them?” how many times will I flood their selfishness burned their wickedness. Then he stops in middle sentence, and then and Angel says go on Lord. God, with tears running down his face, I will have to become one of them to save them.
God from an open smoking plain of a burning city… to a small manger in the hills of Bethlehem. A carpenter who lived with the sinners, just as wicket as the Sodom and Gomorrah sinners. The God of trying who never gives up, in saving us. Ends up on a cross to save us all!
Is their 10 Christians straight and gay or more who will strive to be healthy sexually, in our relationships? Not a fake perception of healthiness like lot, willing to do anything to be accepted. Is their 10 of us in our church that will stop selling our souls to this culture?
We must do Jesus commanded us to do to stop looking back! And move onto a more spiritual and sexual healthy
Wow! What a question! But I will try to answer that question, with another question. When did we (the body of Christ) stop believing we could redeem God’s world back to him?!
As a church we have begun asking ourselves, what does it mean to really be a revolutionary community of faith… some of the answers have actually become more questions. But we can’t stop asking nor trying to be agents of change.
We just had to become visionary in our new skin and wine, as Jesus talked about…
(Matt. 9:16-17). NIV
16“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
God is doing a new thing!! The church just has to catch up! So discover your God-given abilities of grace and love! Journey with us, as we, a community of faith decide to understand what it means to “preserve” the life changing power of God’s grace, that is for ALL of God’s creation…
Concerning the photo! I’ve been on a lifelong journey to find the real Jesus… it so happens he vacations down in Orlando, Florida! And he actually found ME!!!
Rich
