Preaching the Gospel to Homosexuals

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Romans678

Romans678

Puritan Board Freshman
Greetings! I would like to know if anyone has experience preaching the Gospel to homosexuals, calling them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Because of their so called "pride" worship this month, I believe the time is perfect for confronting their sin.

What are your stories? What scriptures did you use to bring to light God's holiness and man's depravity? Any success stories? Any regrets? Thanks in advance and God bless.

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A few years back I had more than a few email exchanges with Doug Pinnick from Kings X. A great guy, but totally burned out on Christianity and the inner struggle. I never got to get into the Reformed faith as much as I wanted to. He was caught up in a physical change of desire, which brought him to an end to himself but in a bad way, concluding with a rejection of the faith. Very sad. I think he knows fact from fiction but refuses to go ‘There’ anymore
 
Anthony W. Brown II said:
Greetings! I would like to know if anyone has experience preaching the Gospel to homosexuals, calling them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Because of their so called "pride" worship this month, I believe the time is perfect for confronting their sin.

What are your stories? What scriptures did you use to bring to light God's holiness and man's depravity? Any success stories? Any regrets? Thanks in advance and God bless.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
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I wouldn’t place too much pressure on the pride month time frame. That lady whose name I cant recall, Butterfield, says it starts with hospitality and actually forming relationships and a true concern for the whole person. Build a trust and love for the person in a more personal way I believe....
 
A.Joseph said:
A few years back I had more than a few email exchanges with Doug Pinnick from Kings X. A great guy, but totally burned out on Christianity and the inner struggle. I never got to get into the Reformed faith as much as I wanted to. He was caught up in a physical change of desire, which brought him to an end to himself but in a bad way, concluding with a rejection of the faith. Very sad. I think he knows fact from fiction but refuses to go ‘There’ anymore
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Kings X? Like, the band "Kings X"?

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  • “Back in the 50's when I was growing up, the preachers preached hell fire and brimstone. Everyone was going to hell.... And homosexuality was the worst sin against God, even more than rape and murder. I seldom heard about the love of God."

    "If all straights were subjected to having to deal with what the average gay man does daily, they would be more sympathetic. Gays don't commit suicide because they are gay; they do it because society gives them no way out! I once fasted and prayed for a week...for God to change me. I begged, cried, prayed, pleaded, and starved. And nothing happened. I thought about suicide, and took a bunch of sleeping pills once, also. I began to think I was a vessel made for destruction like the bible says. That was when I was 24 years old."

    "Two things that there will never be a compromise on is gay marriage and abortion. There is nothing you can do to fix this. Nothing! As long as there is a scripture in the bible that says it's an abomination to God, there will NEVER be a compromise from the church." -DP

I would think we should start with regeneration before orientation, not fixing orientation as a precondition. I would think that would be a part of mortification. Not sure Doug was ready for that message.
 
A.Joseph said:
  • “Back in the 50's when I was growing up, the preachers preached hell fire and brimstone. Everyone was going to hell.... And homosexuality was the worst sin against God, even more than rape and murder. I seldom heard about the love of God."

    "If all straights were subjected to having to deal with what the average gay man does daily, they would be more sympathetic. Gays don't commit suicide because they are gay; they do it because society gives them no way out! I once fasted and prayed for a week...for God to change me. I begged, cried, prayed, pleaded, and starved. And nothing happened. I thought about suicide, and took a bunch of sleeping pills once, also. I began to think I was a vessel made for destruction like the bible says. That was when I was 24 years old."

    "Two things that there will never be a compromise on is gay marriage and abortion. There is nothing you can do to fix this. Nothing! As long as there is a scripture in the bible that says it's an abomination to God, there will NEVER be a compromise from the church." -DP

I would think we should start with regeneration before orientation, not fixing orientation as a precondition. I would think that would be a part of mortification. Not sure Doug was ready for that message.
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That is facinating and heartbreaking to say the least.

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On a more serious note from my previous post (which I was still serious) I would like to dispel the notion many have about those who have lustful desires for the same sex. Many Christians believe that if one believes in Jesus the desire for such a temptation will disappear. This in my opinion is far far from the truth and has lead to a many a ruin by giving up on the faith altogether. We as Christians ought to encourage all who have this sinful desire to cease and desist the practice of homosexuality even in the mist of said temptation. Yes it will be hard and that desire may never totally diminish, but it will diminish in time. Take for instance the sinful desire of many men, if not all, toward the opposite sex. This battle I have waged all my life and with discipline that sinful attraction has greatly diminished as I grow older. BTW it gets a lot easier when one grows old. :)

All sin is bad, but certain sins are so egregious one must fight tooth and nail to the death.
 
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earl40 said:
On a more serious note from my previous post (which I was still serious) I would like to dispel the notion many have about those who have lustful desires for the same sex. Many Christians believe that if one believes in Jesus the desire for such a temptation will disappear. This in my opinion is far far from the truth and has lead to a many a ruin by giving up on the faith altogether. We as Christians ought to encourage all who have this sinful desire to cease and desist the practice of homosexuality even in the mist of said temptation. Yes it will be hard and that desire may never totally diminish, but it will diminish in time. Take for instance the sinful desire of many men, if not all, toward the opposite sex. This battle I have waged all my life and with discipline that sinful attraction has greatly diminished as I grow older. BTW it gets a lot easier when one grows old. :)

All sin is bad, but certain sins are so egregious one must fist tooth and nail to the death.
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Very well said, I would tend to agree - how public such a struggle should be is an interesting thing to consider. The pastor should be involved , what a challenge it must be for the pastor as well
 
Like what if Christian friends try and fix him/her up? I’m not saying the struggle has to be put in the bulletin, but it shouldn’t have to be front and center either. I guess ‘private struggle’ would be the best way to phrase it. I have some Christian friends who are so pushy though. If you say struggle they either want to commiserate or try and fix, it usually comes from a good place though.... but not always
 
No matter what we identify ourselves as, we all need the same gospel to save us from our sins. I would say though, that there is a certain stigma in the eyes of homosexuals in the way they generally view Christians, so we should be extra careful to make sure we are not creating a stumbling block to them coming to faith. This tends to be a very sensitive area for homosexuals, so we have to tread carefully and show them that Christians are people of love and grace, while at the same time honoring God.
 
The only thing preachers know for certain is the sin that is in their own heart. I just assume all my hearers are struggling with sexual sin of one form or another.
 
Anthony W. Brown II said:
Greetings! I would like to know if anyone has experience preaching the Gospel to homosexuals, calling them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Because of their so called "pride" worship this month, I believe the time is perfect for confronting their sin.

What are your stories? What scriptures did you use to bring to light God's holiness and man's depravity? Any success stories? Any regrets? Thanks in advance and God bless.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Anthony,
Unfortunately, I do have some experience with homosexuals and the Gospel. I say unfortunately because one of them is a close relative, raised in church with Christian parents, and is in a same-sex marriage. I pray that God one day opens her eyes and brings her to repentance.
The difficulty for evangelizing homosexuals are numerous. First, the desires of the flesh are very powerful, especially if they have given in to the temptation or embraced the "lifestyle." Secondly, once in the lifestyle, there is an underground subculture in most communities (and also online) where they find support, affirmation, and encouragement (not to mention promiscuity) to continue in their sin. There they find normalization and non-judgmental acceptance. Third, due to the "movement" of the past 30 years, their sin is encouraged publicly and considered noble, brave, and special. Whatever a society rewards, you will get more of and, as evidenced by pride month and numerous other examples, homosexuality is lauded in our current age. Additionally, there is a stigma attached to this sin that isn't attached to others sins, like greed or pride. Because of that stigma, church people may be suspicious of and distant from a known homosexual. I say "known" because there are more than a few people who engage in homosexual behaviors who are very good at hiding it behind marriages, family, and even church membership. Finally (I could go on, believe me), a major difficulty in reaching the homosexual is the redefinition of hate. Hate now means to disagree with someone or disapprove of one's life choices. This is used to silence and dismiss anyone with an opposing viewpoint, effectively slamming the door shut on any conversation that would confront one in their sinful lifestyle.
All of these conditions present in our current age compound the difficulty of evangelizing the homosexual. It is my experience that in one-on-one "witnessing" or "sharing the Gospel," establishing relationships and trust are key. They must know that we don't hate them, want to stone them, or think they are monsters. At the same time, they must know that the root of their lifestyle is sin, and the Gospel is the antidote for sin. We must show them that we love them and are concerned for their eternal souls. It is a challenge for sure, but the confidence I have in the sovereignty of God in salvation emboldens me, as does the Spirit of God.
When the subject comes up during the course of our expositional preaching of Scripture, I remind myself of the anguish the parents of my relative feel, how they beg God for the soul of their child to be saved, how they mourn over her sinful life, and how they trust a good God who is sovereign and makes no mistakes. There is no gleeful condemnation of a particular sin, but rather a stern, fearful, unequivocal, uncompromising presentation of the Gospel, including certain judgment for all who continue in sin.
I could go on, but instead I ask for your prayers for my sister's soul.
 
Chad Hutson said:
Anthony,
Unfortunately, I do have some experience with homosexuals and the Gospel. I say unfortunately because one of them is a close relative, raised in church with Christian parents, and is in a same-sex marriage. I pray that God one day opens her eyes and brings her to repentance.
The difficulty for evangelizing homosexuals are numerous. First, the desires of the flesh are very powerful, especially if they have given in to the temptation or embraced the "lifestyle." Secondly, once in the lifestyle, there is an underground subculture in most communities (and also online) where they find support, affirmation, and encouragement (not to mention promiscuity) to continue in their sin. There they find normalization and non-judgmental acceptance. Third, due to the "movement" of the past 30 years, their sin is encouraged publicly and considered noble, brave, and special. Whatever a society rewards, you will get more of and, as evidenced by pride month and numerous other examples, homosexuality is lauded in our current age. Additionally, there is a stigma attached to this sin that isn't attached to others sins, like greed or pride. Because of that stigma, church people may be suspicious of and distant from a known homosexual. I say "known" because there are more than a few people who engage in homosexual behaviors who are very good at hiding it behind marriages, family, and even church membership. Finally (I could go on, believe me), a major difficulty in reaching the homosexual is the redefinition of hate. Hate now means to disagree with someone or disapprove of one's life choices. This is used to silence and dismiss anyone with an opposing viewpoint, effectively slamming the door shut on any conversation that would confront one in their sinful lifestyle.
All of these conditions present in our current age compound the difficulty of evangelizing the homosexual. It is my experience that in one-on-one "witnessing" or "sharing the Gospel," establishing relationships and trust are key. They must know that we don't hate them, want to stone them, or think they are monsters. At the same time, they must know that the root of their lifestyle is sin, and the Gospel is the antidote for sin. We must show them that we love them and are concerned for their eternal souls. It is a challenge for sure, but the confidence I have in the sovereignty of God in salvation emboldens me, as does the Spirit of God.
When the subject comes up during the course of our expositional preaching of Scripture, I remind myself of the anguish the parents of my relative feel, how they beg God for the soul of their child to be saved, how they mourn over her sinful life, and how they trust a good God who is sovereign and makes no mistakes. There is no gleeful condemnation of a particular sin, but rather a stern, fearful, unequivocal, uncompromising presentation of the Gospel, including certain judgment for all who continue in sin.
I could go on, but instead I ask for your prayers for my sister's soul.
Click to expand...
Brother, I cannot imagine what you and your family are going through. It breaks my heart to hear it. I will pray for your family and especially your relative. My God be merciful and grant her repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Be encouraged brother, the prayers of the righteous person has great power as it is working. We know that in regards to praying for brothers and sisters in James 5. Imagine how much more the Lord rejoices in one sheep returning to the fold rather that the many that are kept safe in the pasture. May God be with you in the work of your hands regarding this effort!

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Jake said:
If you're looking from the other side (one who was converted), I really appreciated Christopher Yuan's story, which he told in Out of a Far Country.

There's an abbreviated version of his testimony on the GPTS podcast here: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=341917263898
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I'm watching his testimony now. He isnt one of those so called "Gay Christians", is he? The type that forgets Paul's admonishment "such wer some of you"?
 
Anthony W. Brown II said:
I'm watching his testimony now. He isnt one of those so called "Gay Christians", is he? The type that forgets Paul's admonishment "such wer some of you"?
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He discusses in the linked interview on Sermonaudio how now he does not find his identity as being gay but in Christ. I think he has matured to this view (largely due to influence from Rosaria Butterfield) so if you are listening to an older video he might say something different.
 
This is tricky. As has already been mentioned several times before, there is a guttural reaction to this sin which causes many Christians to shrink for engagement.

Many of us have undoubtedly had to look at this issue square in the face because of its proximity. It is no longer an "out there, out of sight, out of mind," issue. With its celebration in culture, you can be sure that we will rub shoulders with more in the years to come.

I myself am wrestling with this situation on two fronts.

First, I was exposed to gay p0rn at age 11. I have battled attraction ever since. Where do I stand? Having read a great deal (Butterfield, Hill, Shaw, Zuniga, DeYoung, etc) and counseled with my pastor, I stand with Scripture that the affections themselves are sinful, not just acting on them as some would have you believe (looking at you Revoice), and must be mortified in every form they try to sneak in. Thankfully, God has been exceedingly gracious and long-suffering. Further, He has worked in my heart to love righteousness and His created design. Providentially, he brought me a good thing while in the mission field; we will be getting married in 29 days. (She is aware of this and ever points me to Christ in her tenderness and compassion)

Second, two friends of mine from Bible college have relocated to Seattle and been encouraged to succumb; one lives closeted and one lives quite openly with his second boyfriend. Granted, the presence of these issues did not just magically appear when they breathed the Seattle air. Both friends experienced abuse as children and have been wrestling with it ever since (not that that is exclusive to this issue - though it is very common).

Many from our Bible college days have cut them out altogether (it was an IFCA - Independent Fundamental Church - college, so no surprise there). I am their remaining contact. Prior to moving to the mission field, I intentionally paid them a visit to Seattle to assure them of my love and burden for them. They in turn traveled to visit me in Ukraine last August; no one else has traveled to see me, so I take that as some indication of God's continued work in this friendship.

They know where I stand, know of my own battles, but also appreciate my love for them. I pray that God uses this connection to yet call them out. Yet I often feel as though I screaming from the wilderness trying to overcome the cacophony of affirmation and temptation in Seattle. God be praised if through my own battles I can point their eyes to Christ; may he yet have mercy and save them.
 
In my opinion, whenever I am bearing witness, I have no problem in speaking with whomever as my focus is always on my sin. After describing how I fall short and detailing that in light of a Holy God, the message is evident. I see no reason calling out anyones sin; I have my hands full dealing with my own. Hence, the message is the same, no matter the circumstances. I offer the problem and then the solution.
 
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