TEACHING NOTES ‌ Introduction‌ How did our culture become so sexually driven? Why is there suddenly an obsession with sexual preferences and gender? In the first chapter of Romans, Paul lays out the process of how culture drifts from the rejection of truth into the acceptance of lustful passions. ‌ Romans 1:18 ESV 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ‌ Step 1: Reject God and suppress truth. When we reject God as Creator and Lord, we begin to suppress logic and truth. This is why our culture has drifted toward a rejection of objective truth (reality). If there is no absolute truth, we can justify any desire and behavior. ‌ Romans 1:24–25 ESV 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. ‌ Step 2: Embrace lies and idolatry. When we reject God and suppress truth, we begin to embrace lies and live according to ideas and beliefs that are destructive. This inevitably leads to idolatry or worship/obsession with created things. This is why our culture has become obsessed with things of our own making. ‌ Step 3: Embrace sexual immorality. When truth is exchanged for lies the next logical step is to redefine morality. This inevitably leads to acceptance and promotion of sexual immorality. In the United States, this process began in the 1960s era of “free love” and has progressed to the point that government and medical agencies are now defending the practice of sex-change hormones and surgeries for children. ‌ Disclaimer: The following section will cover the controversial issues of homosexuality, gender dysphoria, and the LGBTQ+ movement. Before we begin it is important to realize that the Bible does not single out specific forms of sexual immorality. Both homosexuality and adultery are called sexual immorality in the Bible. One is not worse than the other. Therefore, anything said in this session about homosexuality also applies to living together unmarried, adultery, polygamy, pornography, etc. The Bible teaches that any sexual activity outside of biblical marriage is sexual immorality and equally sinful. Pastors who preach against homosexuality without also addressing other forms of sexual sin are guilty of being hypocrites. ‌ Romans 1:26–27 ESV 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. ‌ God gave them up = This is Paul’s definition of God’s wrath. The Greek word for “gave up” here is paredoken, which means to hand over to another’s authority. God’s wrath is not adding punishment to people, but letting people get what they desire. He is handing them over to what they want. ‌ Dishonorable passions = Grk. atimia pathos - shameful sexual lust. ‌ Exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones = The result of humans being given over to their “dishonorable passions” is unnatural sexuality. Paul describes the actions of these women as “contrary to nature” or unnatural. ‌ Men committing shameless acts with men = Not only did the women turn to homosexuality, even the men did the same. The Greek word for “shameless acts” here is aschemosyne, which is indecent sexual behavior that is shameful but is done without any shame. ‌ Receiving in themselves the due penalty = In other words, they received the natural consequences of their behavior. Since Paul does not explain what he means by this phrase, he apparently assumes that his readers already know the natural consequences of these behaviors. Paul may be referring to diseases that are in fact more prominent in homosexuals. The CDC found that “in 2014, men who have sex with men accounted for 83% of all primary and secondary cases of syphilis in the United States.” The CDC also states that “men who have sex with men are 17 times more likely to get anal cancer than heterosexual men.” The CDC also states that “more than half of all new HIV infections occur among men who have sex with men.” ‌ Other similar passages from Paul: (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:18-21) ‌ The State of Sexual Immorality in America ‌ Redefining Marriage: On June 26 in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struct down all bans on same-sex marriage, legalizing it in all 50 states. This action redefined the definition of marriage that had been in place for centuries. The logical problem with this—aside from the biblical issues—is the problem of what may happen next. If marriage can be redefined to accommodate a minority group, where is the limit? What if polygamists want their marriages to be legal? What if pedophiles want to marry children? Many accuse this line of questioning as an imaginary “slippery-slope” argument. Guilty as charged. We absolutely should be worried about the slippery slope of unintended consequences of redefining marriage. ‌ Redefining Gender: The transgender agenda has increased exponentially in recent years. In America, there has been a 400% increase in transgender children in the last three years. Medical “experts” are now claiming that gender and biological sex are separate and mostly unrelated. Biological sex is now being called “gender assigned at birth.” Public schools are now allowing boys who identify as female to use the girl’s restrooms and loclkerooms and force everyone else to accept it. Sports teams are being forced to allow males to compete and dominate female sports simply because these males claim to be female. ‌ Sexualization of Children: The most evil issue that has recently increased exponentially is the sexualization of children. This is happening in numerous ways and is promoted and defended by numerous groups of power. Here are the facts: ‌ - In 2007, America had only one gender clinic (specializes in cross-sex hormone treatments and sex-change surgeries). Today, there are now over 300 gender clinics, most of which are performing these methods on children. Planned Parenthood gives out cross-sex hormones to minors on the first visit without parental consent in some states. Some states also perform double mastectomies (top surgery) on girls as young as 12-15 without parental consent. ‌ - Komodo Health Inc. reported a 70% increase in gender dysphoria diagnosis in children ages 6-17 between 2020-2021. Minors taking puberty blockers more than doubled from 2017-2021. Over 1,000 minor girls received double mastectomies in 2016-2019, not counting surgeries that were not reported. In September of 2022, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) removed all age requirements for gender-affirming treatment and surgery. The medical and pharmaceutical community at large are promoting these practices as the profits are exponential. They claim that allowing children to change their gender/sex prevents them from committing suicide. However, the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) says there is no scientific evidence that gender-affirming treatments reduce the risk of suicide. ‌ - Drag Queen shows for children is now a growing trend. This is now happening across the country and in some cases these events are held in public or even at hospitals. Drag queen events are often funded with tax dollars and promotes free tickets for children. If you think this only happens in big cities far away from our small town, this happened recently in Tallahassee. At our own Downtown Trunk-or-Treat event in October, drag queens were promoting a drag show to everyone at the event—adults and children alike. ‌ - Journalists and authors who are calling attention to these issues are being doxed, canceled, and receiving daily death threats for exposing the truth. Those who simply report the facts by directly quoting the leaders of gender clinics or drag shows are immediately removed from public view. We are now not allowed to question this issue. ‌ - These practices—both “gender affirming medicine” and drag shows for children—are promoted and defended by medical and government establishments across America. Legislation is now being attempted to protect these practices and punish those who disagree. Some states are already prosecuting parents who will not let their children change their gender. This problem will only increase as Democrat politicians promote it and Republicans simply ignore it. ‌ - Public universities are the training ground for redefining sexual ethics. Several university professors have been promoting the idea that pedophilia should be redefined as merely a sexual preference. Even in the 1980s the “Man-Boy Love” group was already in existence at Florida State University. Such groups that promote pedophilia exist across America. Most public universities promote gender studies and enforce pronoun rules on campus. ‌ The Real Problem is the Church While this information may be shocking, we might expect the secular world to drift into immoral chaos. What’s worse is that the church in America is silent. Pastors in the largest churches in America simply do not talk about these issues. The result is a dramatic increase in sexual immorality in the church. ‌ Two Extremes: 1. Avoid teaching about sexual issues. 2. Only teach on certain sexual sins of unbelievers, while avoiding sins that would offend church members. ‌ Do we really have to teach this? ‌While it may be tempting to take the easy route and avoid these issues, the Scripture warns us that living in unrepentant sin has eternal consequences. ‌ It is deceptive and unloving to avoid biblical passages that call people out of their sin and self-destruction. ‌ Who should we teach this to? ‌To be clear, the church has no business telling unbelievers how to live. However, the Scripture is clear that the church must teach all truth and hold all believers accountable to the truth. Here’s what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth who were accepting of a man living in sexual sin: ‌ 1 Corinthians 5:12–13 ESV 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” ‌ The New Testament contains strong warnings about living in sin. ‌Here’s one example from Paul to the church in Galatia: ‌ Galatians 5:19–21 ESV 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ‌ Those who do such things = In Greek this phrase says, “those who make a practice of doing such things.” This refers not to people who committed these acts in the past, but to people who are unrepentant and continue living in sin. ‌ Will not inherit the kingdom of God = This means that they will not inherit eternal life. People who live in unrepentant sin are not following Christ and are rejecting Him and His kingdom. ‌ Notice: In Paul’s list, notice that sexual immorality is one of many lifestyles that will shut us out of the kingdom of God. Therefore, we should not elevate some sinful lifestyles above others as more sinful or more condemning. Anyone who lives in any unrepentant sin is choosing not to follow Jesus. ‌ Conclusion ‌ Immorality is the result of rejecting God, suppressing truth, and embracing lies. ‌ When the church suppresses truth out of fear, the church helps people embrace the lies that will destroy them. A church that suppresses truth is lying to its people. ‌ The sins we avoid teaching about become the sins that increase within the church and eventually ruin the church.