Sunday 05:20:12

No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke NT era Corinth like our society – known for drunkenness, sexual immorality, and religious tolerance. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “That is what some of you were…” Somehow these “sinners” in Corinth became followers of Jesus. Those sinners came to faith through relationships with believers. It is hard to know what to do with people who are steeped in sin. The church has a difficult time knowing what to do with substance abusers, sexually promiscuous, homosexuals. The Bible makes it clear that these are sins. We do not need to apologize for it. It is true, these are sins. These sins have a damaging affect on a person – these sins affect their • Relationship with God • Relationship with other people • Their minds – all sexual immorality has a warping affect on the mind. • Their souls – they are seeking something in a substance or in a sexual relationship. Sexual immorality is a lousy substitute for significance and love. Substance abuse is a lousy substitute for peace. • Their bodies Sin is a legitimate need met in an illegitimate way. Sin is a person looking for significance or love or peace outside of God’s loving path for us. Having these needs fulfilled outside of God is always damaging to us, our relationship with God and others, our souls, our minds, even sometimes our bodies. In fact, many people who are caught in these kinds of sin is because they were sinned against – sin has a damaging affect. This generation has had many sins committed against it. The sexual revolution – our society decided that biblical ways of thinking about sex was too stifling. What needed to happen, was that sex needed to be more casual – it did not need to be only in confines of marriage. Sin always has a damaging effect. What did the sexual revolution create: • Greater abuse of children • Addiction to pornography – which trains the mind. • Today’s kids grow up with a broken view of themselves – esp. girls think their identity is found primarily in their looks. Me-first This generation has grown up more in broken homes than any past generation. Kids have been left alone at home as their parents worked. Kids have suffered as parents divorced. • From 1962 to 1981, the number of divorces tripled. • In 1962, 50% of adults believed tough marriages should stay together and work on it. By 1980, 20% • Less than 50% of the emerging generation reached 17 with both biological parents living with them in the same house. • In 1987, more than 50% of all children of divorce had seen their fathers 3 times or less in the previous year. Everclear song: father of mine, tell me where have you been? You know I just closed my eyes, my whole world disappeared… I will never be safe, I will never be sane, I will always be weird inside, I will always be lame… Daddy gave me a name then he walked away. This generation bears the scars of increased abuse, greater sexual immorality in our culture, and increased divorce. The sins of our society left them broken. Why do they struggle with sins? Because in their brokenness, they are looking for love or acceptance through sex, they are looking for peace or wholeness in alcohol or drugs. The church cannot walk away from the truth: There really is sin in the world. It is in you and me, and it needs the solution of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ has real hope for healing for them. The unconditional love that they seek is found in Jesus Christ. The healing that they seek is found in Jesus Christ. The forgiveness that they need is found in Jesus Christ. The guidance that they need for their lives is found in Jesus. There is hope for their brokenness – just like you and I have found hope for our brokenness. Romans 10:9-15 How can they know unless someone tells them? Where is the best place in the world to be if you’re sick? A hospital. Where is the best place in the world to be if you’re broken with sin? A church. What if the people in church don’t want you there? Where would you go? If people who are broken cannot be loved and welcomed by believers, and be in a place where they can hear and see the gospel in action – healing brokenness, restoring relationships, bringing forgiveness. If they can’t be a part of the healing that is going on in church, what hope do they have? We need to remember: • We cannot judge, nor can we fix people. • Remember where they came from and where they are. • Healing comes through relationship with Jesus. • We came to Christ based on his grace, not our worthiness. • God was (and is) patient with us. • We are all in process. • It is okay not to be okay here, but it’s not okay to stay there. Many in this generation believes the church is full of judgmental, self-righteous, intolerant people. We cannot argue that away, it has sometimes been true. The only way to overcome that is by demonstrating to others the love, grace, patience that we received from Jesus. When God’s people show God’s love, there is real hope for the broken to find his love, grace, patience, healing.