Upper Path Valley Presbyterian Church

     Is it okay to ignore the whole counsel of Scripture and instead just point to an incident here or a compassionate phrase there that then provides a brand new standard for what it means to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ in terms of our sexual expression?

     Oh my.  I've had a tough week thinking about how I should preach this today. The trouble for me (for all of us) is this:

     Sitting here today are people who have fallen into all kinds of sexual sin and temptation.  Most of it no one knows but them, and maybe one or two other people.

     Sitting here today are people who know and care about people who are involved in same-sex relationships.  Some of us might even struggle ourselves with such a temptation.

     Sitting here today are people who have family members involved in relationships and living arrangements such as I have been describing.

     This teaching is not an easy one for me to speak about, or for many if not
most of us to hear.  It makes us uncomfortable.  Should we really talk about
such things in the house of God?  And I say, "Yes."  We must address these hard issues because these issues are in front of us every day.  I just happened to turn on Oprah on Friday afternoon when she was interviewing people who are "swingers."  In other words, regular, supposedly normal married couples who are going out and engaging in sexual behaviors with other couples as a way to "spice up" their own sexual relationship.  One couple said, "We're religious.  We go to church.  We take our children to Sunday School."  And yet they are "swinging" on every other day of the week!  Ever since biblical times, people have struggled with sexual purity - and we need to know that God has instructions for us that work for us today. God's Word is full of love and compassion.   God's Word brings true freedom but God's Word also provides boundaries to his people who forever battle between giving in to the desires of the flesh and living freely in the fullness of the Spirit.

     Our denomination has just passed a new authoritative interpretation of how
it is we determine standards for those ordained to the offices of pastor andelder.  We have always had national standards.  Everyone had to abide by those standards or risk disciplinary action by a higher governing body.  Now, authority has been given to individual sessions and presbyteries to be able to determine on a case by case basis whether a person seeking ordination meets acceptable standards according to our constitution.  An individual session or presbytery can now determine whether they think a person will be a good leader based on something other than agreed upon biblical standards.  Perhaps a person is living in a same sex relationship, a relationship that has been long term and completely monogamous.  Doesn't that qualify as being a faithful relationship?  Doesn't that measure up to the standards of a committed marriage?  An individual session, or Presbytery could say, "yes" to such questions if that session or Presbytery had a majority of voters who voted on the basis of something other than biblical standards.  Needless to repeat, but I'm repeating it anyway: our denomination is now in crisis.

     This past week, at least 4 very large conservative Episcopal churches have stated their intention to leave their denomination.  I don't know how long it will be until Presbyterian congregations begin doing the same; it all depends on how quickly individual sessions and presbyteries begin living and voting by the flesh instead of by the Spirit.

     From Genesis 1 and 2, we learn that sexual expression is meant to be between one man and one woman in a committed, life-long relationship.  After Genesis 3 and the entrance of sin, sexual promiscuity and abuse became the norm rather than the exception.  From Leviticus 18, "You shall not lie with a man as with a woman, it is an abomination," to Romans 1:24-26, "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.  For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.  Then there is the 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 passage, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived:  Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God."

     From the beginning to the end of the Scripture, God's Word is clear:  Sexual immorality is not to be taken lightly.  We are to love each other, and gently but firmly help people who are caught in the trap of gratifying the flesh.  We are not to judge.  Let me re-read a couple verses from the Galatians passage: Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves.  All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride.

     If any one of us started getting all puffed up, judging others, saying things like, "Oh, I would NEVER do something like that."  "Watch out," Paul says.  If you or I think I'm that much better than another, I better get on my knees and ask God to humble me - because before long I will be humbled one way or the other.

     For 240 years this congregation has stood with what we believe the Bible clearly teaches:  that sexual expression is to be reserved for the marriage relationship between one man and one woman.  Those who choose to live outside God's standards for whatever reason are more than welcome to be part of this church family, but in obedience to God's instructions, we will not put that person in a position of spiritual leadership.  If we do, it sends a mixed message.  "Do as I say, but not as I do."   Leaders must lead with words and with actions in order to be effective leaders.

     Paul says, "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.  If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.  So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.  So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

     I know this has been a heavy-duty message this morning - this 4th of July
weekend.  But it fits, you know, because ultimately what Paul is talking about is FREEDOM - and that's what we celebrate on the 4th, isn't it?  Paul is expressing God's heart that people live freely within God's good boundaries.  Paul wants us to know that what God has set up is not for our harm, but for our good, our family's good, for the good of the family of faith, and for the good of society.  As a true pastor, he also wants us to know that even though we have messed up in these areas, it is never too late to step out of the bondage of guilt, shame, and disobedience, into the freedom of God's forgiveness and  newness of life.  Let's look for a moment back at the 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 passage I read earlier.  This time I want to read the whole verse:

     "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived:  Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God.  Andthat is what some of you were, 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."

     It is never too late to break out of bondage into the freedom that living in faithfulness to God's Word brings to us.  And when we do, we can walk with our heads held high, knowing that God loves us so much that he sent Jesus to die with our sin so that we wouldn't have to live with it.

     As fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, as difficult as it is at times, we must choose to live by the Spirit, not live by the flesh.  We must choose to love each other, which includes holding each other accountable to biblical standards.  We must choose to refrain from rejecting others from our church family who do not know the freedom of living within God's boundaries, (because who knows why they are stuck there), but we must also choose to refrain from giving spiritual leadership responsibilities to those who will not repent from behavior that is contrary to God's Word.

     These biblical principles are the principles on which our country was founded: Loving God and loving others in faithfulness to God's Word.  Who else but people like you and me, whether in Spring Run, or out there in Kansas City,will continue to fight the only fight that really counts for winning souls to eternal life?  Who else but you and me will stand for the truth that gives true liberty and true justice for all? People who engage in all sorts of expressions of their sexuality outside of the marriage covenant think they are the ones who are truly free.  They aren't.  They are in bondage to the god of physical pleasure - and that god will stop at nothing to devour the ones who bow down before it.