A special note before we begin - Unlike radical Islam, the Bible never encourages us to kill because someone made fun of Jesus. Hebrews 10:30 says, "For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." Eventhough the radical Muslims were supposed to be avenging Muhammad in the recent terror attacks, the Koran doesn't encourage Muslims to kill someone who made fun of Muhammad. However, the Koran encourages Muslims to kill people who refuse to convert to Islam. Christianity, on the other hand, encourages Christians to pray for those who refuse to become a Christian.
Opening Prayer - Heavenly Father we thank you for the oppertunity to worship your Son this morning. We know that if He hadn't died on the cross for our sins and arose from the dead, we would have no way to have a future home in Heaven or the privilage of worshiping Him this morning. Please bless us indeed and give us the strength and wisdom to live the way the Bible says we should live. We pray that everyone who reads this sermon who are not saved will become saved before it is too late. Please comfort the friends and families of those who were killed and injured in the recent terror attacks, and help these people to forgive the terrorists and have the love of Jesus in their hearts. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Worship music - Please click the links and sing along if you know the words (You can also click skip ad to go straight to the songs) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbE3Rmfhtz4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ClwsynwVrI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePPOaX6HTPI
It is well known that homosexuality is very popular in our day and time. Gay marriage continues to be allowed; even preists are allowed to practice homosexuality. With all of it's popularity and acceptance today, what does the Bible say about it?
Romans 1:24–32 says, “Wherefore God also gave them up (These people had refused to turn from their sins and receive Christ as their Lord and Savior so many times, that God lost His patience and quit giving them opportunities to receive salvation. A similar verse is Proverbs 29:1, and it says, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Someone can refuse or put off their decision to become a Christian a certain number of times, and their heart can become too hard to receive salvation because each time they say no to Christ, their heart gets harder than it was before.) to uncleanness (thinking about and loving dirty and perverted things and thinking something perverted about everything seen) through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up (See note at the beginning of this paragraph (Romans 1:24).) unto vile affections (women having sex with other women and men having sex with other men): for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly (Clearly after reading this, practicing homosexuality is sinful, and those who are guilty of it need to repent and refuse to live that lifestyle anymore.), and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge (They refused to listen to God.), God gave them over to a reprobate mind (This is referring to people who have said no to the Holy Spirit urging them to repent of their ways and get saved a certain number of times, and their hearts have become too hard. As a result, they are unable to get saved.), to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (If you enjoy when other people do these types of sins, you are just as guilty as people who do them.)."
There are several Bible verses that teach that men who have sex with other men and women who have sex with other women aren't really saved. Even if these Bible verses don't mean that, if you lust (imagine having sexual acts with another person) over anyone (even a male lusting over a female) you are practicing sin. Jesus said in Matthew 5:27–28, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." Those who continually commit adultery aren't going to Heaven (Galatians 5:19). 1 John 5:18 says, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not (continually sins on purpose, isn’t bothered by it, and doesn’t repent (turn from) of it); but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”
People claim that they were born gay, but all of us were born as sinners. In the same way, people who commit idolatry (those who spend more of their time, thoughts, and effort on anything or anyone other than witnessing to and/or helping others and spending time with God) would claim that they were born as an idolater, and they would be right. So, if you were born gay or born an idolater, you need to get saved. If you truly repented of your sins and trusted Jesus to save you, you would no longer practice homosexuality, lust (over anyone), or commit idolatry on purpose without repenting.
(If you have prayed or made a decision to trust Jesus’ death on the cross and His shed blood to erase your sins and let you into Heaven, but you are guilty of these sins, please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/makingsure)
The Bible teaches that if someone claims to be a Christian and continually commits the sins that were just listed (or any other sins) on purpose, and they don’t feel sorry and/or try to not do them again, that person is not a Christian. A Christian can and will very likely commit some of these sins repeatedly, but that Christian will feel really bad about it and will ask God to forgive them and try their best, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to not do them again. (If you continually commit sins on purpose, and you aren't bothered and upset because of it (Hebrews 12:5–11), then you need to pray or make a decision again to become saved. Please follow this website - http://chriswaug5.wix.com/howtogotoheaven)