Gospel Gender and Identity

Speaker: Kris Martens Title: Gospel Gender & Identity Date: May 15, 2011 Texts: Romans 1, I Peter 2, Genesis 2 & 3, Ephesians 2:1-10 ...although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ...Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, Romans 1:21,24-25 In this 2nd week of our series on the Gospel & sex in our culture, we'll unpack the state of our culture's confusion related to gender, roles & identity. We'll look at the church's historical understanding of, and response to gender & identity - and spend time addressing the reality of homosexuality and varied orientations influencing our culture. It is my great conviction that the church has to get this one right - if it is to have a relevant & effective Gospel response in our city. We need a robust theology of identity that is biblical, gospel-centred, God-glorifying, fully-satisfying - and that doesn't elevate particular sins & sinners into separate categories. Starting with the creation story in Genesis and moving through the New Testament, we'll see how God's design for our identity & roles in relationships was always rooted in Him, as Triune. We were made for so much more than our culture suggests, and we so easily settle for cheap counterfeits. Let's live in the freedom, joy & expression that Jesus calls us to - and in doing so - be Good News to our city. There is so much brokenness in the world of sex, much of it coming from confusion surrounding our understanding of gender. The gospel of Jesus brings us badly needed clarity.