As our Life Group continues to develop, I begin to notice some major issues arise in the students' thinking. While talking about our weeks, one student raised his hand and said that he had a serious question. He was concerned because a new club called The Gay-Straight Alliances had recently formed at his school. A good chunk of the other guys in the room began to call out, "Mine too!" and "It's so gay!". I could tell that these guys didn't have a clear understanding of the Christian view on homosexuality.
The student's question was simple, "What do we do about this club?" My initial response was simple, "What do you guys think you should do?" We went around the room one by one and got the same basic answer from each guy, "I wouldn't do anything". A few of the guys added, "To be completely honest, I would probably make fun of them and not do anything." I was troubled by this response, but expected it. I have to keep reminding myself that they're still young and get a lot of their views from TV and the kids around them.
As I wrote in my last post, our group is notorious for tangents. I used this conversation veering to my advantage. After about five minutes, we drifted into a conversation about people with diseases. I told the guys that I wanted to test them on their morality. I drew this picture on the white board:
I told them that the area labeled D was a pool where sick people would go in hopes getting better. They believed that the water would somehow get rid of their illness. I told the guys in the group that they work in the same area around all the sick people. For the sake of the example, no one had anything contagious or disgusting.
I then drew a building and said it was about 15 miles away. It's a hospital and in the hospital is a doctor who can help anyone. I then told them that the sick people have never heard of this doctor.
With that scenario in place, I then asked another very simple question, "Do you take any of these sick people to the hospital?" Every guy in the group was confused by how easy it was to answer, "Well... of course we would." It almost sounded like they were trying to figure out if it was a trick question.
I then relabeled the picture to this:
I explained that Jesus was the doctor and the church was the hospital. The group of sick people were the members of the GSA and the pool was their school. It was amazing how willing they were to help someone who needed help physically, but not someone who needed help spiritually.
I will explain to you as I explained to the group: homosexuality is not a sickness nor is it a disease. The analogy was speaking of an issue with spiritual health. Are the members of this club seeking something? Absolutely. They're seeking a community where they're accepted. They have formed a group where their emotional and social needs are met. They are safe. But do they have a relationship with Jesus? Probably not. Will they meet Jesus in this club? Most likely no. That is, unless Christians live like they are supposed to live.
Every guy in my group said that they would do nothing about this club. I'm sure some groups out there would say they want to protest it. I say NO! Join the club! Be bold! Get over your insecurities and all the junk the world has taught you. Don't ask, "What would Jesus do?" Ask, "What DID Jesus do?" He spent time with prostitutes, tax collectors, and sick people. He served those who the world deemed different. He showed love and compassion to the people who were mocked and scorned.
One guy in the group made a good point, "We can't just go in there and start talking about Jesus. They'll just get mad and kick us out."
He's absolutely right. Then I used on of my favorite quotes, "Preach the gospel always, if necessary use words." ~ St. Francis of Assisi.
So join this club. Hang out with the people. Serve them. Care about them. Laugh with them. Listen to them. Talk with them. Learn about their lives. Love them. Do all this with a sincere, Christ-centered heart and wait for them to ask you about Jesus. Then invite them to church and show them a community of broken people who live in Christ's love.
We are all sinners. We are all hurting. We all need Christ. Simple.
Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:17
6 comments:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." This clearly states that gays will not be able to go to heaven and are doomed to spend eternity in hell, but the following verse says "And that 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." Were you saying that the boys in your Life Group should try and witness to the homosexuals because they're going to be sent straight to hell if they do not get saved?
I'm a little confused by your question. Let me clarify that the Bible teaches that all of us are sinful and in need of a savior (1 John 1:8). The Bible also teaches that living in your sin is a sign that you're not following Christ (1 John 1:6). I taught my guys to not view this club at school as a group of gay sinners who are going to hell for being homosexual. That's not true at all. Hell is reserved for people who choose to live for their own desires and not God's.
You can be an alcoholic and follow Christ. You just abstain from drinking. You can be porn addict and still be saved. You just don't look at porn. You can be homosexual and be saved, you just don't give into your fleshly desires. The same goes for unmarried heterosexuals. Sin is sin and Christ covers it all.
I hope that makes sense.
Sorry for my question being lacking in clarity.
So what you're saying (in your reply) is that they can still be what they are as long as they're saved?
I see it that they must give up their old sinful habits and start following God and doing His will. My view can be compared to 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away..."
Note: I'm not trying to correct you or anything. I'm just trying to see this through your point of view, but I need some help understanding it.
Thanks for clarifying. We're pretty much saying the same thing. I'm not condoning homosexual behavior, nor am I condoning any sinful behavior. We are made new in Christ, but we still battle our fleshly desires. Lust (hetero and homo) is a fleshly desire. We are to put the sin of lust to death when we follow Christ.
I guess the confusion comes as to whether or not you'd identify someone as homosexual if they've been saved and have put that sin to death. I would say no. When we're saved, we're identified by Christ and not our sins. Does that mean the fleshly desires of lust still exists? Absolutely. However, now that we're with Christ, we do not live by our sins, but struggle with them. That's a battle worth fighting.
Let me know if you see anything wrong with what I said or if you need me to clarify something. I hope I answered your question :)
p.s. Correction is a good thing and always welcome :)
Okay now I get what your saying. Thanks for clearing that up for me. :)
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