A Different Approach to a Difficult Story (My take on the Phil Robertson GQ interview)

It's all over the news today, Phil Robertson speaks out against homosexuality and as a result has been suspended from the "Duck Dynasty" show that features him among other family members of the Robertson clan.

Those who disagree with Phil's words are applauding A&E over this decision.  They are calling for boycotts and more of the whole Duck Commander brand.  I would not be the least bit surprised if in the fallout from this we see companies such as
Wal-Mart and others that carry Duck Commander products begin to pull these items from their shelves.  Although I find that to be a ridiculous thing for them to do.

On the other side we have two groups in Phil's corner.  Those who may or may not agree with him but recognize his right to hold his own views and voice them when asked and those who both agree with his views and recognize his right to have them.

After reading the GQ Article for myself I am lead to the following conclusions:

It seems fairly clear from the article that the reporter had an anti-God agenda.  Were it me who was in Phil's spot being interviewed by GQ and things went this way, I would like to think I would handle my responses a little better but that's easy to say when it isn't me who was in that situation.

Controversial quote #1:
“It seems like, to me, a v---na—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s a--s. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.” (source) (redacted letters mine)

I have said from my pulpit that homosexuality is clearly defined as a sin from Scripture.  It is clear that it is a sinful practice.  However, the above reasons given by Phil as to why it is illogical are not ones that I would every employ.  Whether he is right or not in his assessment of what is more desirable is irrelevant.

The issue of body parts is not the most compelling argument against homosexuality.  Phil's response forgets the Gospel.  Homosexuality is a sin because it is not how God created things to be.  He designed man for woman and woman for man and He did so for the purpose of illustrating the Gospel (see Gensis2:24; Matthew 19:5; Ephesians 5).

I don't believe his remarks to be in keeping with wisdom and speaking the truth in love.   Is it true that the physical benefits of the male female relationship are more enjoyable than male male or female female?  Sure it is.  How do I know?  Because God created it that way and His ways are always best. (Genesis 1:27).  Secondly, He created us in that way for the purpose of filling the earth. (Genesis 1:28).

But as I said, his response or at least the part of it that was published, leaves out the Gospel.  The sin of homosexuality is NOT the only sin a homosexual person has in their life.  So in making an appeal to a homosexual about the truth about homosexuality I would include all sin.  (see Exodus 20:1-17).  If am homosexual were to become heterosexual without repenting of that sin and all other sins in their lives then they would still be just as much headed for God's judgment and wrath as they were when they were a practicing homosexual.

Now the last remark about sin being illogical, I agree with completely.  That's where he should have started!  Sin is illogical.  In fact the Bible says that it is when man begins to think himself wise that he becomes a fool.  (Romans 1:22-25).  Begin their and then unfold what Scripture says about homosexuality and all forms of unrighteousness and I do realize that Phil quoted Scripture to support his view.  He did it in context too.  I'm just contending that for at least what we are told in the article he missed the mark of the Gospel and maybe spoke some words that lacked the wisdom of having thought them through before saying them.

As I have already stated, I fully support Phil Robertson's right to say what he said and think it is an ugly thing to see the liberal intolerance in this country get its way so easily with a little tantrum.  While the liberals scream that they want diversity, they are really terrified of real diversity that allows differing views to exist in the same world.

Controversial quote #2:

“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.” (source)

I do not agree with his view that "blacks" didn't want the civil rights that were held by "whites".  This quote seems to have been pulled from a broader context so more comment is not wise on my part but suffice to say while we do have entitlement and welfare abuse problems these days, it is not only the "blacks" or any one ethnicity that abuses those things.  We have a whole generation of young adults and children of all skin colors who feel themselves entitled to many things.  Thus the reason our country is in the trouble that it is in.

What would I like to see happen from this?

1.) Christians, voice your support for Phil, that's fine, but a whole load of Christians supporting Phil may get A&E to overturn their decision but it will NOT save one soul from their sin.  Let this incident be an every present reminder that a.) were it not for God's grace you and I would be just as lost as any lost person ever has been b.) we need to preach the Gospel!  We need to take to the streets and proclaim repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone!

2.) This was sort of said in number 1, but I do NOT want to see boycotts... For crying out loud... if you are going to boycott A&E for this, then go through your pantry and throw out all the foods from companies that support gay rights organizations, abortion clinics, or any other social ill you do not align with.  Unless you grew your vegetables from a seed yourself and you got that seed from the plants your family has grown for hundreds of years and never purchased that seed from a non-believing farmer, most of your food will be thrown out.  Turn off your electric service and stop using your cities water/sewage/trash services since most cities these days have taken some anti-Jesus stance of some sort... for our town it is "Happy Holidays" displayed almost everywhere this time of year instead of "Merry Christmas".  Oh and good luck with your clothing, you'd better learn to make your own because most clothing companies are very tied to the homosexual movement.  Your now a hungry, stinky, and naked.  Have fun with that.

3.) I would like to see the family vocally support Phil because right or wrong, wise or unwise they are family and family sticks together.  They talk about how the show is only good for them insomuch as it aligns with their faith and values. Now, the rubber meets the road, a stance from the family on this would do much more good to Phil's case than any amount of public support.

4.) I do not want to see Christians too bogged down in 1st Amendment arguments with unbelievers.  Have them to a limited degree brethren, but only inasmuch as it is a springboard for you to share the Gospel with someone!  If you only win the argument and convince them why Phil had the guaranteed right to say what he said, you have not done anything to lead that person to Christ!  Don't miss the forest for the trees.  Today alone, 150,000 people will step out of this world and into eternity.  Many of them doing so without having repented and trusted in Jesus Christ.  How much urgency do we sense for that need?  Many are posting "Standing w/Phil Robertson" photos/statuses and that's good.  We should speak up over 1st Amendment Rights violations.  But how many people have you shared the Gospel with today?   Do you care? Where is the passion for proclaiming the Gospel of repentance and faith?  Where is the passion for spreading the Name of Christ?  It seems it pales in comparison when we have the opportunity to jump on a hot and pressing social issue. 

Comments on this are welcome, keep them free from profanity or they will not be published. 

**If you are helped by this article or even just found it irritating, please feel free to re-post it to your facebook, twitter, google+ or other social media outlet. Thanks!

Jesus loves the little Children!

Just a short 27 verses into the book of Genesis we learn that God not only made man.  More specifically Moses is careful to tell us that God made man “in His image”.  That caring act of creation set man apart from all of the rest of God’s creation.

In Psalm 139 we learn that God has continued His loving act of creating man by uniquely creating each individual person.

Psalm 139:13-14 - For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

We were formed by God’s own hand.  Knit together.  And the Psalmist says that our having been created by God in such a way that we were created to praise Him.  He says, I praise you BECAUSE I am wonderfully made.

Made in God’s image, we were created to praise God.  That is man’s chief purpose.  God created us so that we would freely praise His Name!  Yet, the Bible tells us in Genesis 3 that man has a dire problem.

Romans 3:23 says that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  In other words, because we have all sinned, we have all failed to meet God’s standard of perfection.  And we are not just a little below the mark; we are woefully short of giving God the glory He deserves.

Our job as Christian parents is to teach our children what they were created for.  They need to understand that they were created to worship God. But our job is not a simple one.  We compete with their attention against TVs, iPods, video games, and a culture that increasingly pushes them to grow up quickly and grow up focused only on themselves.

Every human being was created to worship, and every human being worships something.  Our job is to point our children towards the only One who is worthy of our worship; urging them to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The question then becomes one of how?  How do I lead them towards Christ?  How do I show them their need for and the value of a life lived for the glory of God?

Well, the key is to teach them God’s Word.  Use the principles from God’s Word to train them.  For example, the 10 Commandments.

It is so important that you teach your children the 10 Commandments.  God’s Law, the 10 commandments, is there for a myriad of purposes.  Chiefly, it shows that which God requires in order to be properly worshipped.

However, as we examine our hearts in light of each commandment we quickly realize that we have not perfectly met any of God’s requirements.  But in doing this the Law shows us WHO we are.

We are a people prone to give room in our hearts to other masters besides Christ.  But the Bible says in Luke 16:13 that our hearts can only have one master. 

The second thing God’s Law does is show us WHAT we need.  The Law commands us to do good, and then proves that we cannot and have not.  To do what the Law requires we need righteousness.  A righteousness that we obviously do not possess given our frequent transgression of it.

Next, the Law reveals WHO God is.  He is our Lord and our Savior!  His giving of the Law was intended to point us towards our need for CHRIST because HE and HE alone is the perfect fulfillment of all of those Laws that we could not keep.

Being perfectly righteous Jesus kept every Law perfectly on our behalf!  As we teach our children God’s Law they should see that they need Christ!  That God sent Christ to lovingly rescue them from their sin!

As we teach our children the 10 Commandments God will show them that their every violation of it or any one that they will ever commit has been absorbed by Christ on the cross!

The world tells our children that people should accept them just as they are, but the reality is that the world creates systems that force them to earn any acceptance that they may want. 

But teaching our children God’s Word teaches them that God will truly accept them just as they are.  Not because they are good, not expecting them to be perfect. 

No, the Bible teaches that God will accept them because He is satisfied by His Son’s sacrifice that was made on their behalf.

Not only that, but God’s Word teaches that God will put His very Spirit within them and that Spirit will begin to work in them so that sin’s reign in their life is broken as He begins to transform their lives! 

He transforms them and frees them from the burden of their guilt and sin and it frees them to be the worshipper that God has created them to be!

Remember our text in Psalm 139, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!  We have to teach them the beauty in having been created by a good and holy God.

But it will not do to simply teach these things to them.  That is the quickest way to produce self-righteousness in them.  We must not only teach them God’s Word, we must also model it for them.

Our kids have to see that we too love Christ and His law.  They need to see in us a wholehearted response to God and His Word to us.   Our lives must not only demonstrate the pursuit of obedience to God but they must also demonstrate the response we should have to disobedience.  Our children need to see us striving to obey Christ, and when we sin and fall short they need to see us repent. 

When your children observe your sin.  Maybe you blow your top and scream at them.  Maybe you speak harshly to your spouse in front of them.  Maybe you get cut off in traffic and they witness you saying terrible things about the person who has offended you. 

When those things inevitably come up, be transparent with them about what you’ve done, why you know it was sinful, and why you need to repent of that sin.  Make it your goal to not only tell them about the importance of trusting Christ but show them how that looks in your own life.

Psalm 1:1-2 - Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.

When you pass one day, and your children inherit your possessions… what will you pass on to them that is of lasting value?  What will they remember about you?  The greatest legacy you can leave your children is one that teaches them to flee from their sin and trust in the sufficient grace of Jesus Christ.  They need to see and know that your delight is in the Lord alone!

Don't ignore the warning!

Showing the 180 Movie to our church - Part 1

Last night I showed the 180 Movie to our church.  I will be posting some video responses below of people who volunteered to share their reaction after viewing.  There were times when jaws were wide open watching the film, there were tears as the pictures of the Holocaust were shown.  Nearly all of them admitted that they had never correlated the two events together. 

Our prayer is that this will serve to help our church be more vocal about the Gospel primarily so that those who are in favor of abortion will come to know Christ (if they are in fact not born again) and see abortion as the vile sin that it is.

What strikes me about the two atrocities, that being the Holocaust of the Jews and Abortion, is that it was people who were already born who were being murdered in Germany.  So they had a voice, you could see pictures of them emaciated and starving.  With abortion, the children can't make a sound, no one cares to watch the sonogram in 3D that shows their face grimace with pain as the process begins.

I once wrote that abortion is nothing more than modern day Molech worship.  How true... how true... the only difference is that we don't worship the false god of Molech when we murder a child, we are worshiping the god of self.

Next week we will be showing this video to our students and praying for their reaction.  Many of them who will view it are unconverted.  My pastoral prayer is that God use this video next week to finally break their hearts over their sin and draw them unto Himself.  At the same time, I pray that as the future voters of this country this would help them to discern between a good political candidate and a bad one.

Sometimes the liberal left accuses evangelicals of being "single issue voters" because we discount a candidate who is pro-choice.  That is a bit of a straw man argument because most of us certainly consider more than simply their abortion stance, however, life and the protection of it is more important to me than tax structure or foreign and domestic policy for sure.  How can you expect ANY candidate to make wise decisions that affect the protection of the American people when they have already showed a lack of concern for the sanctity of human life to begin with?  If they see an unborn child as disposable, imagine how they view other life... just a thought...

Now, having said all that, I want to be clear.  If you are reading this and you have had an abortion.  I am not condemning you.  There is forgiveness available to you from God even for that sin.  If you are feeling guilt over having had an abortion, I know that you likely feel like you can't be forgiven for something so awful.  But you can.  God will forgive you.  If you will ask Him to forgive you He will.  Here's the thing though, you (and everyone else in this world) need forgiveness for more than just the singular sin of abortion.  Oh no, we need forgiveness from God for ALL our sin.

I do not want to isolate the sin of abortion as if it is unforgivable and everything else is forgivable.  That's not true.  There is forgiveness for you not just for abortion, but for the lies you've told, the things you've stolen, the hate in your heart towards others, the lust in your heart that you've acted on... He is a good and kind God and even now He bids you come to Christ that you might be saved!

Without forgiveness of sins you will spend eternity in Hell, not because you failed to trust in Christ, but because you died in your sins and therefore are accountable to pay for your own sin.  God so loved this world that He sent Jesus Christ, His only Son, to live a perfect life free from sin even though He was tempted, then He died on a cruel Roman cross where He endured the physical pain and scorn of the cross and death but He also took the full wrath of God for the sins of all those who would repent and trust in His Name.

So that you do not have to spend eternity in Hell.  So that you CAN have eternal life!  Christ paid the fine!  Turn from your sin (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ today and God will forgive you and grant you eternal life!

'Unashamed' Piper Sermon Jam