The difference between “invitational” and “open”.
Homosexuality has become one of the most divisive topics within local churches. Is it wrong? Who gets to choose right and wrong? Should we simply be tolerant? Where is the line?
Someone wrote me recently asking about where Elevate stands on this topic…
Hey, Pastor Ron.
So, I was wondering. I don't know if we have an official stance on stuff like this, but you casually mentioned something a few sundays back about marriage between a man and a woman. (I think it was Easter Sunday). Anyway, I know some people in our congregation are okay with or support gay marriage, or at the very least don't think it should be banned. I know others in our congregation are against it. The reason I'm bringing this up is because an old friend of mine recently sent me a FB message asking about our church. She asked about the children's ministry and if it was a contemporary service and if it was an open congregation. I didn't really know what to tell her about the last one. I also have friends whom I go to school with who have talked about coming, but who say they just "aren't ready to take that step yet". Some of these friends are gay or lesbian or have been raised by lesbian parents or grandparents or whatever… Anyway, I'm rambling. I guess what I'm saying is that I've invited people before and this is usually the question that comes up, partially because churches are known for their judgementalism in this area specifically, and some churches refuse to be tolerant of this lifestyle. I know we're an invitational church, but that's not exactly the same as an "open" church. I will still invite people and tell them about all the wonderful things we're doing at Elevate and how we're not majoring on the minor things, but in all reality, this is a huge political issue for me because it's such a personal one. I know families and have friends who deserve to have the same rights as every other American, and the LGBT community is going through a lot of the same treatment blacks did back in the 1940s and 1950s and such, a lot of which back then was justified by scripture and enforced by ignorant Christians. Anyway, I'm way off topic. I guess the issue for me is bigger than just a simple question, but back to that simple question: How should I answer if we're an open congregation when I'm asked?
This is someone who has a genuine concern for her friends and desire for them to take steps with God. And I want to acknowledge up front, that is awesome! So here is my response to your great questions…
Whether we are talking about homosexuality, abortion or even gluttony, it is important to recognize that what is right and wrong, what is natural and unnatural, is not determined by humanity, but by God alone. And unfortunately, more often than not, we try to determine this based on our own feelings and tendencies rather than on what God actually has to say about something.
For instance: God made food and it is good. Steak is really good! But there is a point where food is no longer good, it becomes more than food, it becomes a statement: I do not believe what God has given me is enough, therefore I will satisfy my own desire and I will decide how much is enough. We call that gluttony. God calls it a sin.
And before we get too weirded out by the “sin” word, let’s put it in a way that we all can take a step together: Sin is choosing my desire over God’s desire for my life.
When they align there is no problem, but when we miss the mark, there is a problem.
So the question on the table: Is homosexuality a sin?
Does it miss the mark?
What does God have to say about this?
In the New Testament we find clarity in the first chapter of the book of Romans. Paul, one of the eye-witnesses of Jesus and His teachings, seems to indicate that there are things that do not line up with God’s character and nature. These things are considered wicked and devoid of God…
Romans 1
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
What is interesting is that Paul seems to indicate that these matters of right and wrong, natural and unnatural aren’t really that difficult to grasp…
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Apparently folks back then knew God, knew what He desired for their lives, yet they chose to live differently than His desires. They exchanged the glory of God for their own human-made images of what God should look like…
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
So although God would continue to be ‘invitational’, to invite them back into a healthy relationship with Him and others, He was not ‘open’ to whatever humanity thought relationship should look like.
According to God they exchanged a truth for a lie, they began giving extraordinary amounts of attention to things created rather than the Creator…
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
Ok, but what is sexual impurity? How did these people degrade their bodies? What is perverted in God’s eyes? How do you exchange a truth for a lie?
26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
So, according to the Creator, the God of Love there are things that are lovely and things that are not. There are things that are shameful and look nothing like real love. There are things that are unnatural and indecent and these things come with consequence, with penalty.
BUT, practicing homosexuality isn’t the only thing that is unnatural and inconsistent with the love of God…
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Did God just say people who gossip or who are greedy have the same problem as practicing homosexuals? YEP!
Did God just put people who are arrogant and practice deceit in the same category as a lesbian? YEP!
Let’s be clear: Elevate Church has plenty of people who mess things up. Elevate has plenty of people who have at one time or another lied or gossiped or have been senseless. That doesn’t make it ok for them to keep doing it.
We are a group of people wanting to take steps in the right direction. And to do that requires we take steps away from sin, away from our own desires and move toward God’s.
God has been recklessly invitational with us and we want to be the same to ALL people! Therefore Elevate continues to invite people to take steps with God, no matter who you are, where you come from or what you have done, but we are not open to staying that way.
Consider this a personal invitation from Elevate. You will always be welcomed and challenged like everybody else to take another step away from the status quo and toward God.
-Ron
