[Watch the sermon here; sermon video ]
Recently I asked
you in a sermon-what makes you curious? I told you how transgenderism makes me
curious. Then I actually showed you’d you a trailer from a ritenow media tool
on the topic. I had watched that one and then took a deep dive into another
resource. This one is called “Identity and Sexuality.” You should check it out.
This is where I
heard Dr. Andrew T. Walker (you can look him up later for his credentials if
you wish)-he gave a talk titled “Responding to the transgender debate” and it
inspired and equipped me to share this message. I’d never heard someone talk
about the complex issue of transgenderism and the solution the church
can and should offer the world, so clearly. Here’s the point to ponder:
Gender confusion
has a solution-seeing our God ordained sexuality as a gift to the world.
I want to be
upfront-lots of Andrew’s research overlapped with what I’d heard from other
sources and even my own study but he helped me the most-credit where it is due
for Andrew. I also would say his primary resource was the Bible, and that will
be mine too. The Bible can still give us the answers to our world’s most
perplexing questions- so let’s dig in. Now get to the easiest book in the Bible
to find: Genesis
Open your bibles to
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our
likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,
over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move
along the ground."
27So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them.
v.26-27 our
sexuality is a reflection of God’s image
Human sexuality is
revealed in creation as male and female-as a reflection of God’s own image.
Until we grasp the significance of this we can’t fully understand or appreciate
our sexuality. The world views sexuality as a toy or a tool for purely human
purposes. God created it as a representation, even manifestation of his image.
Have you ever
looked at a kid and said-you look just like your daddy… this is what we should say
about others all the time-you look just like God!
In our masculinity
and femineity, we get a complete and beautiful picture of God. Utterly
complimentary and yet contrasting in nature-as men and women we are little
pictures of God. Have you ever had an image of someone fade? In your memory or
on paper? Maybe it got lost or deleted on your phone?
We need these
pictures of God so we don’t forget him. We are God’s image-little pictures of
him. This image of God is a gift! But, it goes much further than that-we are
not just show ponies-we have a job to do-and only as men and women can we do
it.
28God blessed
them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth
and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over
every living creature that moves on the ground."
v.28 We are blessed
to be fruitful and powerful.
God calls us to be
fruitful and multiply-this is a core calling attached to our sexuality.
Only people can
make more people-we are, as male and female distinctly designed to bring more
people into the world. Modern science and medicine has improvised and modified
the process to some extent, for better and for worse-but there still is no plan
B. Men and women are needed to make babies. Talk to your parents for more info
on that!
God gave us the
ability to create more little pictures of God-rooted in our sexuality. There is
a deep need in every child for a mother and a father-I know this sounds so base
but from creation, the formula for children has been and always will be a man
and a woman. We have been entrusted with this gift no matter what the world may
say… but this gift goes beyond reproduction-we are to be fruitful and
powerful.
This text not only
reveals our sexuality but also our supremacy! Man and woman are placed at the
top of the food chain. We are called to rule over the earth-together-as
partners in this great endeavor-I love that we rule over roosters, spiders and
snakes and other scary creatures.
I know you love
your doggy and kitty-and I’ve seen animals train their people well-but people
are still to be in charge. The man and
the woman rule supreme over all other creatures. WE alone bear the image
of God and have His authority over creation. It’s the distinct yet balanced nature
of our sexuality that makes ruling the world possible.
Men and Women are
powerful in different ways, this is b/c we are different at a deep level-one
that is unchangeable-namely our sexuality. This is what seems to be up for
debate. Can men be women and women be men? By created design the answer is no.
To distort or even discount the value of our
God given sexuality as men and women really degrades our image of God and how
he wants to be revealed to the world. b/c our created sexuality is a very good
thing as we’ll see in v.29-31…
29Then God said,
"I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and
every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30And to all the
beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that
move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every
green plant for food." And it was so.
v.29-31 You need to
know as men and women/boys and girls you are made VERY GOOD!
I love that God
gave us the earth as one big salad bar-I’m a fruits and veggy guy. But v. 31 is
the kicker-read it again: God saw all that he had made, and it was very
good. And there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.
I believe it’s good
for us to note the distinction between this day and the others. You can go back
and look at the end of each day before, and what’s God say-it was good… but
then he created and commissioned us and it was good? pretty good? nope-VERY
GOOD.
Just think about
that-all the wonders of the universe he created-stars and planets, of the
earth, oceans and mountains, breath taking right? Then the animal kingdom-the
moose, bear, elephant and lion, whale or honey bee-these creature are wow! But
it wasn’t till people were created that it was all very good.
As God’s image
bearers we have a unique role in creation that can’t be underestimated. As men
and women we show the world who God is. This should be celebrated! As men and
women we each have God ordained sexuality. This is a very good thing and
shouldn’t be altered-mostly b/c it can’t be.
God
has created us male and female on a chromosomal level. In high school bio you
learn about the XY chromosomes. Our Bibles and biology point to this truth.
Science confirms what God designed-males have XY chromosomes females have XX.
Someone might be thinking but what about…
others??? There are those who have “disorders of sexual development” (DSDs)
who chromosomal make up varies and they are very rare. If you look up this, the
physical issues these folks deal with go far beyond their sexual identity. We
should have the utmost compassion for them and seek to help them as we would
anyone with a physical disorder.
Jesus
even refers to this in Matt. 19:12 where he notes eunuchs. These were men who
had Disorders of Sexual Development -if you want to do a Bible study on that
verse let me know-it a heavy one! Disorders are part of living in a fallen
world-but they are not the original created design. This is an actual physical
difference not just a mindset.
The
bottom line is this: Jesus was aware of these variations-yet he still affirmed
the created pattern of man and woman before that. He affirms God’s very good
gift of male and female sexuality.
Now open your
bibles to Matt. 19:4-6, Let’s hear the words of Jesus
4"Haven't
you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them
male and female,'
5and said, 'For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh' ?
6So they are no
longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not
separate."
Matt.19:4-6 Jesus confirms
our created sexuality.
To be clear, the
context of this passage is the topic of divorce, but first, Jesus takes us back
to the foundation of our God given sexuality-in the beginning. We should not,
and in reality, cannot alter our sexuality. Has there been and will there
always be disorders and disfunctions-of course. But that doesn’t mean there is not
a general order to creation-that involves male and female biological sexes.
Sadly, we have not
celebrated enough, our created gift of masculinity and femineity in the church.
In fact the church has often been guilty of highlighting the distorted dominance
or brokenness of our sexes. The idea that men must always be in charge of
everything simply b/c they are men. Or that women are the only ones suitable to
care for children, or cooking or cleaning.
This is where the
rise of gender comes from. Biological sex is what we are physically. This
is the biblical principle that aligns with science. Remember XY chromosomes? But
gender is what we THINK we are. This is a social construct that can and has
shifted. Gender roles (what we think men and women should or should not do-“that’s
women’s work or that’s a man’s job”) is a part of this construct. The difficulty
is when sex and gender clash.
What we see today in
the transgender movement is the idea that our sexuality can be altered-and even
should be altered. Instead of celebrating being a boy or a girl-our
created sex is treated like it’s a disorder! Who you (or someone else) thinks
you are conflicts with your created bio sex-so the world says change it!
This is not only untrue but harmful as it gives people the illusion that they can change something they can’t. Sadly, there are several loud influencers around who enable this illusion to perpetuate. More sadly is there are medical procedures that are being done to physically alter people-but it’s just changing the wrapper, not what’s inside at the deepest level. Am I a banana? [to see this illustration watch sermon video at minute 54]
Last night Kaiden
gave me this verse after we prayed about this sermon. 1 Corinth 12:18 But in
fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he
wanted them to be. Amen to that!
What is real is
what was defined in the DSM-5, that is the manual on mental illness for mental
health workers. Gender identity disorder, that is when you think your body sex doesn’t
match your brain gender, has now been changed to gender dysphoria. It’s still a
disorder but the term has been softened. Why? So it gets normalized.
I want you to think
about mental disorders that affect our bodies. Imagine someone with anorexia
(when a person believes they are over weight but they are dangerously thin) would
we say-embrace that view of your body-you think you are fat so even though you
are an 85 lbs 18 year old and 5’7-just keep thinking that-don’t eat-it’s who
you are…
I HOPE NO ONE WOULD
DO THAT-but people are doing it every day with kids sexuality. Gender identity disorder
is real and shouldn’t be normalized.
Gender dysphoria
will probably be erased soon. Just as homosexuality was removed in 1973 as a
disorder from the DSM. Now that term has been all but erased and replaced with
LGBTQ and the disorder is now seen as healthy. Note our Bibles still say
homosexuality-and I hope they always will as it is accurate and true. Now I need
to give you 3 steps we should take toward a Biblical solution to gender
confusion. Jot this down.
This is the
first step is understanding that people who struggle with this disorder are not
evil but ill. Jesus gives us a clear witness as to how he responded to ill
people. He saw them as people not problems. He had compassion on them. And he
helped them heal.
Some churches
really blew it for the most part with homosexuality. They made it into the
worst sin ever. They drove ill and hurting people out and were glad they went. This
is a worse sin than homosexuality. It’s called pride and according to the bible
that’s the worst sin of all. Again, if you want to do a bible study on that let
me know!
Step 2 is to affirm
and even celebrate our created sexuality. Tell our boys they are great
guys-no matter what they like to do or look like. Boys
come in all shapes and sizes. Even though your voice is a little higher or you
like to cook with mom in the kitchen-you are a boy and that’s how God created
you-VERY GOOD- Boys can grow up to be great chefs!
Tell our girls they
are great gals-no matter what they like to do or look like. Girls come in all shapes
and sizes. Even though your voice is a little lower or you like to work with dad
in the garage-you are a girl and that’s how God created you-VERY GOOD- Girls can
grow up to be master mechanics!
We must be careful
our own gender bias don’t make our kids question their sexuality or value. Boys
and girls can have all sorts of gifts and interests that doesn’t make them less
who they are.
I will go out on a
limb here-I miss boys club-I ran it as a YP-once a month we did activities with
9-12 year old boys and it was just a riot. We celebrated boy hood and it was
beautiful. I did this b/c of the boys club experience I had as a kid.
I never knew how
much it meant to me but it helped establish my sexuality as a boy. I even
remember Dave Smucker running the BCJamboree which as a massive celebration of
boyhood-and we didn’t even know it-but it was. Do we need this today for our
boys? If you want to help make this happen-let me know.
The third and last step we can take is to simply know the truth of scripture about our sexuality. There are many text besides the ones I gave you today. Look at the resources I’ve listed on the bulletin. If you want more, I’ve got more to give. This way when God brings a confused, hurting or even ill person to you, you’ll be equipped to give the Biblical solution to gender confusion, perhaps even today-let us pray…
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