One Man, One Woman, One Family - The Biblical Standard

Good morning, family.

Please turn to Matthew chapter 19, just short detour.

Matthew 19 · chapter mention

I try not to get into topical sermons, though they're not biblical.

Topical sermons have a tendency to be very, kind of, I don't know, topical.

But it doesn't mean that we can't be expository in it.

So we're going to be dealing with a subject that needs to be dealt with.

Over the last couple weeks, Christendom has been rocked with some very bad advice, in

my opinion, concerning how we need to handle the family, marriage, and whether a Christian

should participate or not participate in such celebrations.

I did not want to have to answer this question.

I wanted to expound on that as we went through the Scripture.

But because of the days we live in and the times that we live in, it has to be addressed,

for one, so that everyone knows where we as a church stand.

I've already spoken to the elders about this particular message, and they agreed.

And where we stand as elders and where I stand as a pastor, what my responsibility is as

a pastor, and what your responsibility is as a believer.

It is a straight-to-the-point message.

This is not a matter of opinion.

This is a matter of Scripture.

So I will tell you, it's going to be hard for some.

It's just like it's not really, in a sense, hard for me to talk about, because I have

no problem talking about God's Word.

But me as a shepherd and caring for your heart, I know that this can cause some uneasiness,

and it's not what I want for you.

But in all growth, growth requires growing pain, so I'm okay with that.

That being said, I'm not going to bring up the individual's name who really kind of started

us – not really started us on this issue, but really brought it home for many of us.

I said we're going to answer a lot of questions, deal with it directly and biblically, and

then I have to leave it to you that you submit yourself to the authority of God's Word.

It's not an issue of me.

It's an issue of God's Word.

It's not an issue of opinion.

It's an issue of truth.

So that being said, let's address it.

Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.

The Lord has asked that as we deal with this issue of the family and of marriage, that

you would give me wisdom, that the full counsel of your Word would be taught, that your people

have prepared their hearts, and the importance of marriage and the reflection of Christ in

His church.

Lord, we thank you.

There are many ways we could go about this, Lord, but we are asking for your guidance

and your wisdom in dealing with this concisely for your honor and glory.

In Jesus' name, amen.

As many of you have heard, there has been a major stir in Christendom.

The issue of where God's people should stand concerning marriage and family has been in

the courts of public opinion, and I will tell you that God does not care about your opinion

or mine.

So let's deal with that right away, okay?

This may be something that affects people and it hurts their feelings, but God does

not care about my opinion.

He cares about His truth and my aligning to His Word.

We all have a lot of opinions, but opinions do not matter when it comes to the reality

of the conviction of the Word of God.

The Word of God is concise to the point, and we have everything for life and godliness

in it.

So God deals with this very clearly.

So it's not an issue of opinion, it's an issue of fact, it's an issue of truth.

I have decided to address this issue to clarify where we as a church and I as your pastor

stand concerning the sanctity of marriage and what God clearly states on this issue.

This will be a very clear and biblical statement on what God says about marriage, what it is,

what it is not, what you should and should not do as a child of God concerning marriage

outside of God's standard.

It is a very straight to the point message, so I'm just letting you know that.

I am open for any conversations or if you want to meet and have a conversation about

these issues, I am open to do that.

My job is to shepherd you through this time and also walk in wisdom and love and in kindness,

but yet in truth with conviction.

And I think that was the main issue and the failure of this particular man.

So I will not address his name, but I will address his issues.

First you would think it's a no-brainer and that it is true if you're holding to biblical

standard concerning the reality of marriage and family, but we live in a very corrupt

world and confusion is at the top of the list.

If you have any question about the reality of the spirit of confusion, and I use that

loosely, not actual spirit, it is everywhere.

It is everywhere concerning migration, it's everywhere concerning family, it's everywhere

concerning a man's role and his responsibility in the family, it's concerning the issue of

women, it's concerning the issue of feminism.

Everywhere is confusion.

Everyone has an opinion on everything, even to the point of abortion.

And God does not care about our opinions on these issues.

There are very clear distinct truths and that's what matters and that's how I'm going to address

this.

So we need to eliminate this issue of confusion because God does not give us the spirit of

fear nor of anything else but the power of love and of sound mind and His Word is true

and we can bank on that.

So the first thing we need to understand is the standard of all things is Christ and He

has created and established that standard.

God did this from the beginning, He said it, He established it, it doesn't change because

of what we think or feel.

Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 2, Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 2, here is the principle,

Deuteronomy 4:2 Deuteronomy 4:2

no one should add or take away from what God has commanded.

We don't break God's commandment or take away from God's commandment because it doesn't

fit my life.

God's standard will never fit your life apart from Jesus.

That being said, this is what He says in Deuteronomy 4 2, you shall not add to the word that I

command you nor take from it that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God

that I command you.

So we don't have the authority to take away or add anything to God's Word besides what

God's Word says, regardless of what we think we imply.

It's one of the reasons why we are an expository church.

An expository church, as Dr. Steve Lawson says, is a biblical church.

When you expound on the reality of the truth of the Word of God verse by verse, context

upon context, precept upon precept, you can be sure that God will speak through His Word.

It's not me speaking, I am speaking what He says.

Pretty simple.

In Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 through 19 says this, do not think that I have come to abolish

Matthew 5:17–19

the law or the prophets.

I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota and not a dot will

pass from the law until all is accomplished.

So I want you to get that.

It does not matter what we think or say, what the Supreme Court or anyone else says.

I don't care.

I follow Christ and Christ alone in His Word.

It's important that you understand that.

So if the Supreme Court decides they're going to approve gay marriage, that does not mean

that it's a marriage.

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to

do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

Rule number one for the individual who did not think through as he gave advice.

Whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So our responsibility as believers is to do the commandments, to follow His Word and we

will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.

We will hold true to the Word of God.

And we will willingly give our lives for the freedom that Christ gives through His gospel.

Alright second principle, the commandment of marriage and the establishment of the institution

of marriage is God's and God's alone.

Man does not have the biblical or God-given authority to redefine what God has ordained

or established, period.

I will clarify this so that you know this is all biblical.

Matthew chapter 19 verse 4 through 6 says this, He answered, have you not read that

Matthew 19:4–6

He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?

So I want you to get this very important statement here.

God created them and He created them male and female.

So anybody who decides that they're not a man because they feel like a woman does not

matter.

As a matter of fact, God has made it very clear He created you as a man.

You may not like it.

Well sin doesn't like God anyway.

But that doesn't change anything.

As a matter of fact, if you're in the medical field, you know it doesn't change anything

because your chromosomes clearly tell you what you are.

Your delusion does not change the reality of God's truth and the reality of your life.

So, have you not read that He who created, God is the one who made you.

He made them male and female, period.

Secondly, He said, therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast

to his wife and the two will become one flesh.

First, very important thing, God has ordained genderism through the DNA.

You are a man or you are a woman.

That is a God-ordained created creature.

Number one.

Number two, God has ordained and established the family and marriage.

For this reason, a man shall leave his mother and father and hold fast to his wife and the

two will become one flesh.

There is the family and there is marriage.

It is not for you to self-define.

Does not matter.

God has made this very clear what it is.

As a matter of fact, Jesus then states in verse 6 of Matthew 19, so they are no longer

two but one flesh.

And what God has joined together, let not man separate.

Notice He doesn't say you cannot separate.

He says you should do your absolute best to avoid it.

Don't let it happen.

If you can avoid it, avoid it.

God has joined that institution and those two people together to create a family.

The family is specifically designed for two reasons.

To exemplify the love of Christ for His church.

Number one.

Number two, to procreate godly children.

If there is not a family unit committed to the reality of the gospel of Christ, the family

will die.

Welcome to America.

That's exactly what's happening today.

Based on those two truths, well three truths really, I want to give some clarity on our

response to those truths.

These are very clear distinct truths that God has given concerning the reality of our responsibility

according to His word and that will never change.

And His creation of the institution of marriage and of the family and the creation of His

creatures.

Your responsibility, principle number three.

Compassion without conviction leads to compromise.

You do not participate in unfruitful deeds of darkness.

Compassion without conviction leads to compromise.

That was problem number three for this particular pastor.

He let his compassion overrule his conviction which led to compromise and now he can't take

it back.

In Romans chapter 12 verse two, which I read last week, I'm going to use it again because

Romans 12 · chapter mention

it's very clear.

So if you want to understand the mind of Christ and walk in the truth of Christ, then you

need to be transformed in the renewal of your mind.

What is the opposite of the transformation of your mind?

The conformity to the world.

If your mind is not being changed to be like is, then you cannot test and approve what

God's will is.

It's good, pleasing, and perfect will.

You will automatically conform to the ideals and the philosophies of the world and think

it's okay.

When it's not.

Proof Ephesians chapter five verse three through 13.

This is going to be hard, but I say it in love.

This is God's word, not me.

The sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among

you as is proper among the saints.

Do you hear that?

Can't even be named among us.

Let there be no filthiness or foolish talk nor crude joking which are out of place, but

instead let there be thanksgiving.

Here it is, for you may be sure of this.

This is a guarantee.

When Paul says you may be sure, it is a declarative.

You can bank on it.

That everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who is covetous is an idolater has no inheritance

in the kingdom of God.

That's his word.

It's not mine.

This is not for me to decide on my opinion what I will accept and not accept.

This is the reality of the situation.

This is the truth unadulterated straight from the word.

Anyone who practices sexual immorality, impurity, or is covetous has no inheritance in the kingdom

of God.

That's hard because we have loved ones that we want in the kingdom of God.

That does not mean that our compassion for them and the reality of the lostness isn't

there.

Absolutely, it's there.

My aunt is a homosexual.

She's a lesbian.

She lives with a woman in union with a woman named Michelle.

Going to her wedding was never an option.

Made that very clear.

I love you, Anna Reen, and I love Michelle, but I cannot agree nor participate and say

it's okay that what you're doing is okay because it's not.

But understand something.

I will sit down with them and have a meal and love them and tell them I love them like

I do all the time.

My love for them doesn't change.

My heart is heavy for them because they're living in a deceitful, living in a fake relationship.

It's not a God-ordained relationship.

It's heartbreaking, but that's the truth.

That doesn't mean that God doesn't have compassion for them either.

I mean, he gave his son.

How much more compassion do you want?

Let there be no...

Let's continue reading.

I'm sorry, verse 6.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God

comes upon the sons of disobedience.

The reason why God will judge the world is because of sin.

It's coming.

You either accept God's wrath being poured out on his son on your behalf, or you will

experience the wrath of God for your sin.

One way or another, you let him be your substitutionary atonement for it, or you're going to have

to deal with it yourself.

But guess what you don't get?

You don't get the free gift of eternal life.

This is God's word.

It's not an issue of opinion.

Therefore, do not become partners with them, for at one time you were darkness, and now

you are light in the Lord, walkers children of light.

My compassion and heart for people doesn't change my conviction.

If anything, my convictions to solidify my compassion in order to tell them the truth

and warn them that they're going to walk into a forest fire and burn to death.

But what do we do?

We classify and say, it's okay, go ahead and walk into the fire and burn to death because

I love you just the way you are when I have to be made a new creature in Christ Jesus.

God makes me new.

He doesn't keep me old.

Focus children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good, right, and true,

and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

This is what Paul is saying here.

Your responsibility, if you are being transformed in the renewing of your mind, so you can test

and approve what God's will is, good, pleasing, perfect will, you need to be able to discern

what is good.

What is the right thing to do?

Call a grandmother to go to a transgender wedding and put a Bible on her lap?

I get it.

I understand.

I said this on Wednesday.

I totally get why he would have said that.

But the one thing he wasn't taking into consideration is she wasn't his sheep.

He didn't belong.

She didn't belong to his church.

He should have never given advice to a sheep that didn't belong to him.

Send her to her pastor.

That's the problem with celebrity pastors.

They think they shepherd everybody.

I will address this in 2 Timothy chapter 2 in a minute.

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

But when anything is exposed, for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in

secret, but when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible for anything that

becomes visible as light.

Principle number 4.

Test everything.

Hold on to the truth and walk as children of light.

When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak

on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak and He will declare to you the

things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you.

John chapter 16 verse 13 through 14.

John 16:13–14

That's the other issue.

As pastors, we have a responsibility to listen to the Spirit of God as He guides us in His

truth, not guides us in our opinion of compassion.

First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 19 through 22.

1 Thessalonians 5:19–22

Do not quench the Spirit.

Do not despise prophecies, but test everything.

Hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil.

Your responsibility is to test everything, to hold to the good for the sake of the lost.

If we give in at one little moment, they will miss the grace of God and walk in their compromise.

Responsibility as a pastor.

My final thoughts, faith that the men of God must have.

This is what Paul says to Timothy, and I want you to hear clearly, you then, my child, be

strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus and what you have heard from me in the

presence of many witnesses and trusted faithful men.

What have you heard?

Not what you think or what your opinion is or what your advice would be.

What have you heard?

Because these faithful men must be able to teach what they've heard.

Who will be able to teach others also?

Verse 2.

Verse 3.

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Verse 4, no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one

who enlisted him.

He's saying this to Timothy.

Timothy, don't get involved in everybody's issues that doesn't belong to you.

That's what he's saying here.

That was the problem that this particular pastor did.

He got involved in a situation he should never have been involved in because he is not her

pastor.

His responsibility was to tell her to go to your pastor.

And if she decides that she doesn't want to go to that pastor anymore but is willing to

come under his shepherding, then that's a different story.

But either way, there is something called confidentiality.

That what you give, advice or counsel to someone doesn't mean that you go onto a radio show,

the third largest radio show in all of the world and proclaim it to everyone for them

to hear.

Because you don't know the realities of what's happening in everyone's life who listens to

you.

Give Biblical truth.

Teach the Word in its full counsel.

But don't give advice.

That's your opinion.

You can't give opinion.

And if I do give an opinion, for example, I will let you know this is my opinion.

Don't take my opinion.

Because sometimes I'm very opinionated.

This is not one of them.

This is not an issue of opinion.

It's an issue of truth here.

So as your pastor, I have counseled several people and I continue counseling people.

If those individuals are willing to come under my shepherding as their pastor and under the

elders as their shepherds, as shepherds for him or them or her, then we can deal with

issues like that.

But if you're already under the shepherding of someone else, don't come to me and ask

me my opinion for you to use it against me in the future.

Because that's not going to be good.

Number one.

Number two, I'm hoping I'm wise enough to deal with the issue of confidentiality.

I'm a counselor.

That's my degree, that in the Bible.

When they talk to me, it stays with me.

It doesn't go anywhere else.

That's called good counseling.

So ethically he failed and morally he failed because he got involved with a situation that

wasn't for him to get involved in in the first place.

Wisdom must prevail.

This is what Paul says, continues to say, he says, an athlete is not crowned unless

he competes according to the rules.

In other words, everyone who's involved must follow the rules.

You don't get to make up your own rules.

It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.

Think over what I say for the Lord will give you understanding.

This is what it means.

Don't get involved in people's business and do your own work.

Pretty simple.

Mind your business.

That's what should have happened here.

And if he was going to give counsel, it should have been confidential.

Never brought up in the reality of a radio show.

Lastly, he says, remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the offspring of David as preached

in my gospel for which I am suffering bound with chains as a criminal.

But the word of God is not bound.

That's the one thing I think he forgot.

It's the one thing I think a lot of us forget.

Priest the truth of God in love and let the word do the work.

Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the elect.

Here it is again.

Can never outrun that doctrine.

It just shows up everywhere.

And they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The saying is trustworthy.

For if you died with him, you will also live with him.

And if we endure, we will also reign with him.

And if we deny him, he will also deny us.

And if we are faithless, he remains faithful regardless of whether we're faithful or not.

Why?

Because he cannot deny himself.

And then he says to Timothy this, remind them of these things.

Timothy gives us, Paul gives us very clear, distinct responsibility as a pastor and as

men as elders.

I'm speaking to our elders too.

We have to be reminded of these things.

We have more at stake.

The gospel is at stake.

The picture of Christ's love for his church is at stake.

And the truth is at stake.

And he says, and I charge them and charge them before God not to quarrel about words.

In other words, opinions don't matter here.

Which does no good, but only ruins those who hear it.

That's exactly what's been happening on YouTube and everyone's quote unquote opinions.

I am not going to throw out this man's amazing ministry of truth and sound doctrine over

a failed advice.

Nor am I going to slander or say things that are belittling in order to prove my point.

One of the things that's driving me nuts about this.

I got to commend Dr. John MacArthur.

He has not said a single word.

Wise man.

We have to be thoughtful and kind and thinking through the reality of the impact of these

moments and not on a whim because we are moved by compassion to miss the point of what's

at stake.

This is what he says, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker

who needs no needs, has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

But look what he says, but avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more

and more ungodliness, which is what we're seeing.

And their talk will spread like gangrene and it has.

That's why I have to address this issue because it's even, even our people here have heard

what's been happening.

If I don't address it and kill the gangrene, then people will come up with their own opinions

and walk around going, it's okay.

And I can't do that as a pastor.

I have to address it.

And make a clear, concise statement because I didn't have enough time on Wednesday.

Among them, two particular individuals who have, who are gangrenous, Hemenius and Phaletus,

their names in general sound, sound contagious.

Just saying.

I figured you guys would find that funny.

Who have swerved from the truth.

You ever notice that?

That's the issue.

When someone swerves from the truth, it's because they got involved with everyone's

opinions.

That's the problem.

Verse 19, but God's firm foundation stands bearing this seal.

What is God's firm foundation?

His word.

This firm foundation stands bearing a seal.

What's that?

That the Lord knows those who are His and that everyone whose name, who names the name

of the Lord, depart from iniquity.

Quote unquote.

That's what Paul's giving a quote here.

That's the one thing I think that this particular individual wasn't thinking.

It doesn't matter if the granddaughter was going to be saved.

It will happen because God will make sure it happens.

Grandmom doesn't have to show up.

The reality is we as God's people must depart from iniquity.

Now in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay.

Some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel

of honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every

good work.

What's that mean?

We were all dishonorable vessels.

All of us were dishonorable vessels.

He's made us honorable.

That's the point.

It's kind of confusing when you read it, but that's what it means.

So flee useful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who

call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart.

Have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant controversies.

This should not be even something that we...

If we're teaching the full counsel of God's word and God's people are growing in the truth

of his word, this should not be an issue on YouTube.

The problem is there are not enough pastors teaching the full counsel of God's word, and

they're lazy in the pulpit.

And some of them probably even shouldn't be in the pulpit.

So what do they do?

They get involved with these ignorant controversies over and over and over again when they're

missing the point.

Where is Jesus in all this?

That is the main issue here.

Where was Jesus in this advice?

Why?

These particular ignorant controversies you know breed quarrels and fights.

Verse 24, and the Lord's servant, you hear this?

He's talking to Timothy, the pastor.

This is for all of you, but especially for the elders and the deacons.

I want to give this to the deacons.

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently

enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.

This particular individual is not my opponent.

He's my brother.

My wife and I watched a lot on this issue, and trust me.

She knows I get extremely passionate about God's truth.

She goes, why are you yelling at me?

I said I'm not yelling at you, I'm yelling at the TV.

Why can't they get it?

She goes, I don't know.

Verse 26, oh sorry, God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of

the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after

being captured by him to do his will.

I'm not going to get into the terminology of the, or the words of this, the word study

of this particular last verse, but the reality is, is when we get involved in these things,

we participate in the evil things, and as a result of us participating in the evil things,

we are captured by them, and we end up doing exactly what our sinful nature wants us to

do.

So, what do I want to leave with you?

This is not an issue of public opinion.

This is an issue of biblical truth.

Marriage is marriage.

It's between a man and a woman.

There is only two people, two genders, male and female, and he has established the family

as the institution to continue to propagate the gospel, to proclaim the truth of Christ's

love for his church, and to bring about godly children.

That is the only means by which the church continues to survive and live.

One day he will return, and all of these opinions and things will go out the door.

Because, when I see face to face perfection, and I will know even as I am fully known,

the reality is, it doesn't matter.

The only thing that matters is him.

My promise to you as your pastor is, I will absolutely do my best to not get involved

in public affairs that are not my responsibility.

My responsibility is, if anyone comes to me and they have no church, and I counsel them,

it stays there.

If they want to come under my shepherding and the shepherding of the elders, praise

God, we have had that happen several times, and I am thankful.

But if they are under the shepherding of someone else, I'm going to tell them, go to your pastor,

and work this out.

And if you can't, no problem.

I understand.

But it's not my job to shepherd someone else's sheep.

So that's my promise.

I will shepherd you.

And anyone who God brings to us becomes part of our family, as I have continued to do for

the last two years.

Where do we stand on this issue of marriage?

Marriage is between a husband and a wife, between a man and a woman.

This is God's biblical standard.

I can't change that standard, nor will I.

And I will not apologize for that standard.

It makes a lot of people uncomfortable, it makes a lot of people very unhappy.

But you need to work that out with God, not me.

I will help you walk through the truth of God's Word so that you can come to the conviction

of the reality of God's Word.

I will absolutely love to do that with you.

I will love you through it.

I have done it for several people who have at one time had same-sex attraction and now

don't, just through letting God's Word do the healing in their life.

Where do we stand concerning marriage?

I mean, concerning the family.

There is only a family.

A family is a husband, a wife, and children.

And in some cases, because of sin, that family gets broken.

And then there's a mom who raises kids or a dad who raises kids or there are blended

families.

God in His grace handles all that anyway.

Lastly, what is your responsibility?

I cannot tell you what you should and should not do.

I can tell you what the Word of God says you should and should not do.

I would tell you that if there is sin in your life and we have to deal with that as a church,

then we would deal with that through church discipline.

But that being said, you have to decide.

I've given you the truth.

It's your responsibility to work that out.

I will not go to a same-sex wedding, transgender wedding, at all.

That does not mean that I do not love them, nor does that mean that I do not want them

to come to Christ.

But my presence there supports a false reality for them in that they are a family ordained

by God and they are not.

God has defined marriage.

It does not matter what we say concerning what we think marriage is.

A union between a man and a man and a woman and a woman is not a marriage.

That's not the definition of marriage.

So that being settled on those things, I think it's important that we as a church love people

deeply and that we stand in the gap, warning them of the impending doom and giving them

a hope called the gospel.

But if they continue running headlong into a forest fire that's fully engulfed, regardless

of your warning, there's nothing you can do.

But pray that God would be merciful and by His grace snatch them out.

That's the whole point of soteriology.

God is the one who saves out of His wrath.

Not you.

We answered this question, we dealt with it, had to deal with it, and if you guys ever

want to get together, if you guys ever want to meet and discuss these things, please schedule

time with me.

I will sit down with you, we will open up the Word of God, we will talk about it, I

will help you to work through those feelings.

Here's the reality.

My aunt and her friend, when they die, will die and go to hell.

I have warned her and she believes the opposite of God's Word.

Well, God's love.

That's right, God is love and God warns you that if you don't repent, His wrath is going

to be poured out upon you.

That's a loving God warning you of what's to come, not saying it's okay to go out and

run in the middle of the street and play in traffic.

It's not love.

So we have to lovingly care and warn and guide and help, but the only help you can give is

the gospel.

Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.

Thank you Lord for your Word and thank you Lord for our time together.

Thank you Lord that you have helped us to get through this very hard issue.

Help us to walk in wisdom and love and in grace.

To stand not in compassion without conviction, which leads to compromise, but to stand in

conviction because of compassion, which leads to grace.

Lord we thank you in Jesus name, amen.