1. Sexual Identity and the church
You Asked For It

3. How does church respond?
We are all in the same boat
We all have the same hope
Our Christian response to that hope
What it means to be the church in light of that hope

4. We are all in the same boat
Romans 1:21–25 (ESV) 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

5. We are all in the same boat
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 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.

6. We are all in the same boat
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

7. We are all in the same boat
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

8. We are all in the same boat
Romans 2:1 (ESV) 1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

9. We all have the same hope
John 3:16–17 (ESV) 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

10. We all have the same hope
Romans 6:6 (ESV) 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

11. Our Christian response to that hope
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV) 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. 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.

12. Our Christian response to that hope
Galatians 2:19–20 (ESV) 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

13. What it means to be the church
We will not cling to the old culture of fear and rejection – We will be patient, loving, and merciful.
We will not be carried away by the new culture of affirmation – we will speak truth and be guided by the authority of scripture.
We will not presume that a person’s struggle with their sexual identity requires immediate confrontation upon entrance to the church or regular participation in worship - We will start at the center : the gospel, God’s love for them, and let that power work outward through their lives.
We will not presume their SSA is the only or even most important aspect of their spiritual growth – We will address the whole person and work within the leading of the Holy Spirit with them.

14. What it means to be the church
We will not allow a culture of silence or special discrimination against this type of struggle - We will cultivate and ease and fearlessness in confession and conversation on this topic. With people coming in, with our kids, with each other so that the power of the gospel and the light of God’s truth can take effect.
We will not label and identify people by their struggles or presume there is one easy answer – We will treat everyone as unique persons in the image of God and join them in their unique struggle.
We will not place a greater burden on those with SSA by our words, action or inaction, or presume that their burden can be removed – We will in every way attempt to bear their burden with them.

15. What it means to be the church
We will not push sexual minorities out of the church and into the embrace of the world – We will offer equal and greater support with a greater love for them in the church than they can find in the world.
We will not elevate heterosexual identity through marriage as superior to identity in Christ through singleness – We will celebrate singleness and celibacy as complete and fulfilled lifestyles honouring to God.
We will not love anyone less than we love our own children or ourselves – We will be a family, who loves everyone just as we love ourselves and our own

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