Mark Driscoll calls them “Bread Truck Mondays.” A Sunday that was so difficult or draining that the day after makes a pastor wish he were anything but a pastor – even the driver of a bread truck. Not every pastor wants to quit all the time, but from time to time, discouragement sets in, and often, it’s hard for pastors to find a safe, anonymous place to talk about it.

I took an informal poll of my friends in pastoral ministry. “What recently has made you want to quit?” These are their top responses:

1. “To Protect My Family”
Sometimes, the pastor’s family will sacrifice in ways that make the pastor want to give it up for an easier or, frankly, more lucrative job. One pastor, discouraged by his young church’s inability to pay him a decent salary, responded that he feels like he is being a “terrible provider.”

Another friend who has moved into a difficult neighborhood to be an incarnational presence there cited drug dealers in his neighborhood as a reason that he’s wanted to quit. Difficult days can make you question your call to take the gospel to the hard places.

2. “Criticism”
Often, pastors feel attacked on all sides. One friend of mine replied to my question with simply the words “sinful criticism,” which he later described as “criticism that is nit-picky and comes from a consumeristic church culture.”

3. “The Hard Work of Shepherding”
For one church planter, it was the difficult realization that after you “launch” the church, you have to actually pastor people.

His response:

“Coming to the reality that we can’t just make cool Web sites, network in the community, and launch a church. We actually have to do the hard work of shepherding.”

4. “Restlessness”
Some of the time, the issue is simply that entrepreneurial church-planting pastors have a hard time staying in one place for very long. “Restlessness and feeling a desire for another city,” was one pastor’s response to my question.

5. “Coveting Others’ Gifts”
Even though only a small percentage of the churches in the world see rapid numeric growth, it is these stories of fast-growing churches that get promoted the most in the church world. Add to this, because of the connectivity of the Internet, that everyone has access to the most gifted preachers and teachers around.

One pastor named his struggle for what it is: “coveting others’ gifts, leadership, fruitfulness.”

If you are a “normal” pastor of a “normal” church, this can lead to great discouragement. It can cause you to question if you alone are struggling with difficult people or a difficult context.

One pastor responded (ironically via Twitter) to my question on what’s made him want to quit recently:

“Twitter. Following people who always seem to have the momentum and success and few struggles. Seriously – it has gotten to me.”

6. “Lack of Change”
“Stagnation in the church that won’t change gets me down a lot,” was one pastor’s response to my question.

The single most discouraging issue for pastors is a sense that things in the church are not changing or progressing.

One pastor cited a “lack of change…doing the same things the same ways without vision for the why behind it all.”

Pastors are pouring out their lives in order to see transformation – change in people, a neighborhood, or an entire city. When things seem stuck, it can feel like it’s time to throw in the towel.

One pastor described it as a “lack of mission: Feeling as if we’re just spinning our wheels. Spiritual apathy among leaders who were ‘with’ us.”

What about you? Pastors, what things have made you want to quit recently? How do you get past “Bread Truck Mondays”?

                                       The Age of Accountability

The phrase “age of accountability” is often used to denote the age at which a child is considered under the saving care of God until he becomes responsibility for his own sins.  This phraseology is not the best choice for defining this act because it implies that there is a certain age when a person becomes responsibility for his own sins.  If this is the case, then what is the age?  Many in the Christian dome hold to the belief that this age is twelve years old, based on the fact that this was the age that Jesus was found in the temple teaching (Luke 2:41-49).  It was traditional among the Jews that at twelve the Jewish male began his attendance at the three great religious feasts in Jerusalem.  If we hold to this principle, then only the male children would be covered under God’s saving care.  The female children would be left out. 

I don’t believe there is a certain “age” when a child reaches accountability; rather I believe it’s a certain “ability” when a child reaches accountability.  When a child reaches the mental ability to understand his need for the saving grace of God in his life because of his sins then he becomes responsible for his own sins.  This mental ability comes early in life for some children and later for others.   The implication is because of the mental deficiency of the child’s inability to exercise personal faith in God, he is granted, in the event of death, entrance into the kingdom by the sovereign operation of God’s grace.  When children die before reaching this mental ability, they go into the presence of the Lord because they are under the special protection of the sovereign Lord.  God’s mercy is graciously extended to those children and through sovereign regeneration, they are granted entrance into heaven.

Such was the case with David’s son he lost who was born to Bathsheba (2 Samuels 12).  "I shall go to him," David said, "but he will not return to me" (2 Sam. 12:23).   Although this statement conveys that he must visit the grave as his son has visited the grave, there is a deeper meaning to the statement.  John Macarthur shares that “the personal pronouns I and him, as well as David's confident belief in the life to come (see Acts 2:25-28; Ps. 16:8-11), lend credence to the idea that he was confident of personal consciousness and identity in the life to come. David knew that he himself belonged to God and would one day enter His presence, and he had equal confidence that, when he entered the Lord's presence he would meet the little son who had preceded him”. 

 

Job shares several statements that give credibility to the saving care of God to children.  Look what he expresses in his depression and desolation in Job 3:1-17;  " ¹ After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. ² And Job spake, and said, ³ Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived. ⁴ Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. ⁵ Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. ⁶ As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. ⁷ Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. ⁸ Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. ⁹ Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: ¹⁰ Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. ¹¹ Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? ¹² Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? ¹³ For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest, ¹⁴ With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate places for themselves; ¹⁵ Or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver: ¹⁶ Or as an hidden untimely birth I had not been; as infants which never saw light. ¹⁷ There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest (Job 3:1-17)”.

Job is expressing in his misery that being still-born would put him in a place of rest rather than having to face this life of trouble. He certainly didn't believe that infants that die go to hell and some eternal torment, but rather had the confidence that they entered into rest.  This rest would only be found in the presence of the Lord.

 

Also in Ecclesiastes chapter 6:3 to 5, Solomon shares as he laments that a still-born child is better off than a person who lives a thousand years twice and doesn't enjoy the right things. He says, "What's the point of living two thousand years if you don't ever enjoy true goodness, you'd be better off a still-born child."

Jesus in several passages likens the kingdom of God to children (Matt. 19:13-15; Mk. 10:13-16; Lk. 18:15-17). Let’s look at several principles taught in these passages.

Firstly, the kingdom of God is the sphere of God’s rule in Christ through His saving grace.  Secondly, the children are those who range from the age of infancy through perhaps toddler age based on the Greek word used for children, paidia.   Thirdly, the children are the participants and the portrait of the kingdom of God. They make up the kingdom of God and serve as a model of the kingdom of God.  The children are under God’s saving care.

In conclusion, to add to the validation of this principle, look at the flip side of the coin.  Does Scripture support infant damnation?  Does Scripture teach damnation of those with the inability to exercise personal faith?  Children who are still-born; children who are infants and toddlers who are not able to comprehend; children who may even be in their adolescent or teens who are mentally impaired; or even adults who are physically fit but lack in the mental capacity!  Although in Revelation chapter 20, verses 11 and 12, damnation is taught,  nowhere in the Scripture can support be found concerning damnation to those with the inability to exercise personal faith.  Notice that all the people who are sent to hell forever are sent there based upon a record that God has kept and it is a record of their...what?...their sins. 

Have you ever wondered why so may are unemployed in God's House? Have you ever wondered why so many Christians in the church are parked on the pews rather than serving in ministry? On the other hand, have you wondered why so many Christian serve for a minute and then go AWOL (absent without official leave)? Well, I have and I believe I have discerned why. I am of the persuasion the major reason is because they have not discovered their spiritual gift(s). Many Christians sit, soak, and sour in the pews rather than stand, shine, and serve through ministry participation.

God has gifted every believer with at least one divine God-given ability for the purpose of perfecting the saints, doing the work of the ministry, and edifying the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Spiritual gifts empower us to do God’s will and God’s work He has assigned to us. Each of us may be unique but yet a part of each other. I need you, and you need me, we are all a part of God’s family. When those in the local congregation sit on what God has given them to help perfect others, then others become unhealthy spiritually in that congregation. Remember, your gift was given to edify others, to perfect others, to build up others, so we together can do the work of the ministry.

* Evaluate your effectiveness — Get feedback from those who observe you or those who are the benefactors of your ministry. Evaluate how your spiritual walk is growing as you “labor in love” for our Lord.

Warning! These steps may reveal you are working in an area where you are not spiritual gifted! If this is the case, what will you do? Surely you won’t continue to operate outside the will of God for your life.

I believe these four steps along with the preaching and teaching of God’s Word on spiritual gifts will cause many in the body of Christ to make the move from membership on the pew to ministry participation and others will make the move from doing a good work to doing God’s work. Remember, I need you, you need me, we are all a part of God’s family!

Brothers, I would love to hear your input on this topic. Are we biblically correct in our pastoral leadership process? Here is what I have discovered from personal study of this topic.

Biblically, the focal point of all church leadership is the pastor/elder. From recent studies of this position, I am of the contention that this office consists of a plurality of biblically qualified men who jointly shepherd and oversee a local body of believers. Several words are used in the New Testament in reference to this unique group of leaders who have responsibility for overseeing the people of God.

As numerous passages in the New Testament indicate, the words “elder” (presbuteros), “overseer” (episkopos), and “pastor” (poim¯en) all refer to the same office. In other words, overseers and pastors are not distinct from elders; the terms are simply different ways of identifying the same people. The qualifications for an overseer (episkopos) in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and those for an elder (presbuteros) in Titus 1:6-9 are unmistakably parallel. In fact, in Titus 1, Paul uses both terms to refer to the same man (presbuteros in v. 5 and episkopos in v. 7). All three terms are used interchangeably in Acts 20. Inverse 17, Paul assembles all the elders (presbuteros) of the church of Ephesus to give them his farewell message. In verse 28 he says, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos], to shepherd [poimaino¯] the church of God.” First Peter 5:1-2 brings all three terms together as well. Peter writes, “Therefore, I exhort the elders [presbuteros] among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd [poimaino¯] the flock of God among you, exercising oversight [episkope¯o] not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God.” The different terms, then, indicate various features of ministry, not varying levels of authority or separate offices.

The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that each local body of believers is shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained elders. Simply stated, this is the only pattern for church leadership given in the New Testament. Nowhere in Scripture does one find a local assembly ruled by majority opinion or by a single pastor. The Apostle Paul left Titus in Crete and instructed him to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5). James instructed his readers to “call for the elders of the church” to pray for those who are sick (James 5:14). When Paul and Barnabas were in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, they “appointed elders for them in every church” (Acts 14:23). In Paul’s first epistle to Timothy, the apostle referred to “the elders who rule well” at the church at Ephesus (1 Tim. 5:17; see also Acts 20:17, where Paul addresses “the elders of the church” at Ephesus). The book of Acts indicates that there were “elders” at the church in Jerusalem (Acts11:30; 15:2, 4; 21:18). Again and again, reference is made to a plurality of elders in each of the various churches. In fact, every place in the New Testament where the term presbuteros (“elder”) is used it is plural, except where the apostle John uses it of himself in 2 and 3 John and where Peter uses it of himself in 1 Peter 5:1. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a reference to a one-pastor congregation. It may be that each elder in the city had an individual group in which he had specific oversight. But the church was seen as one church, and decisions were made by a collective process and in reference to the whole, not the individuals parts.

A. In the Old Testament
In spite of Jewish tradition, the Old Testament did not teach that women are inferior in spiritual matters. The Old Testament teaches that women are spiritually equal to men, but have a separate role.
1. Their spiritual equality
a) They had the same responsibilities as men:
(1) To obey the law
In Exodus 20 the Ten Commandments are given to both men and women.
(2) To teach the law
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us that both men and women are responsible to teach their children to obey God's law, and to love Him with all their heart. Proverbs 6:20 says, "My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.”
(3) To participate in the festivals
We read in Exodus 12 that both men and women were involved in the Passover, one of the greatest celebrations of the Jewish calendar.
b) They had the same protection as men
Penalties given for crimes against women are the same as those for crimes against men (cf. Ex. 21:28-32). God values equally the life of a man and the life of a woman.
c) They took the same vows as men
The greatest vow a person could take was the Nazarite vow. It was a vow of separation from the world, and devotion to God. Women as well as men could take the Nazarite vow (Num. 6:2). The highest level of spiritual commitment was not restricted to men.
d) They had the same access to God as men
God dealt directly with women in the Old Testament; He didn't go through men every time He wanted to communicate with them. For example, the angel of the Lord (a pre- incarnate manifestation of Christ) appeared to Hagar (Gen.16:8-13), and the mother of Samson (Judg. 13:2-5).
e) They had the same privileges as men
Women as well as men served God in special ways. Nehemiah 7:67 tells of a choir made up of 245 singing men and women. They led the people to praise God through music. According to Exodus 38:8 women served at the door of the Tabernacle, possibly to instruct women who were coming to worship or to clean the Tabernacle grounds. From such passages as Deuteronomy 12:10-12, 1 Samuel 1, and 2 Samuel 6 we learn women shared in the great national celebrations of Israel.
2. Their separate role
Although women shared spiritual equality with men in the Old Testament, that does not mean they had the same role as men. Nonetheless that does not in any way diminish their spirituality.
a) They did not serve as leaders
• There were no women rulers in the history of either Israel or Judah. (Deborah, who we read about in Judges 4-5, was a judge. She acted primarily in the role of an arbiter, not as an ongoing leader, which explains why she called on Barak when needing military leadership against the Canaanites.
• Queen Athaliah, who we read about in 2 Kings 11, was a usurper and not a legitimate ruler. ) There is no mention of women priests in the Old Testament. As far as we know, no woman wrote any portion of the Old Testament.
b) They had no ongoing prophetic ministry
There is no woman in the Old Testament who had an ongoing prophetic ministry such as that of Elisha or Elijah. There are five women in the Old Testament who are referred to as prophetesses.
(1) Miriam
Miriam was the sister of Moses, and is called a prophetess in Exodus 15:20. She is called a prophetess perhaps because she gave a very brief revelation in verse 21. We know of no other occasion when she ever acted in the prophetic office.
(2) Deborah
Deborah is described as a prophetess in Judges 4:4 because she was used by God to give a direct revelation to Barak. We know of no other occasion when she engaged in any kind of ongoing prophetic work.


(3) Huldah
Huldah gave revelation from God to Hilkiah the priest and other men about the coming judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (2 Kings 22:14-22; 2 Chron. 34:22-28). There is no other recorded instance of her speaking as a prophetess.
(4) Noadiah
Mentioned in Nehemiah 6:14, Noadiah was a false prophetess who opposed the work of Nehemiah in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
(5) The wife of Isaiah
Isaiah's wife is called a prophetess in Isaiah 8:3 because she gave birth to a child whose name had prophetic meaning. There is no record of her ever speaking a prophecy. This passage indicates that the term "prophetess" could be used in a general way.
The Old Testament differentiates the role of women from that of men. That doesn't indicate women are in any way inferior to men; it's just that God has different roles for each
B. In the New Testament
1. Their spiritual equality
This is clearly set forth in Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. " In the context of Galatians 3, the oneness spoken of here is the oneness of salvation. That is clear from verses 13-27. Paul's point is that all people, Gentiles as well as Jews, slaves as well as free men, and women as well as men, have equal access to the salvation that is in Christ
a) They had the same responsibilities as men
All the commands, promises, and blessings of the New Testament are given equally to men and women. We all have the same spiritual resources, and the same spiritual responsibilities.
b) They had the same access to Jesus as men
The first person Jesus revealed He was the Messiah to was a woman (John 4). Jesus healed women (Matt. 8:14-15), showing them just as much compassion as He did men. He taught them (Luke 10:38-42), and allowed them to minister to Him personally (Luke 8:3). At His cross, after all the men had fled, the women remained (Matt. 27:55-56). The first person to see the resurrected Christ was a woman (Mark 16:9; John 20:11-18).
2. Their separate role
a) They did not serve as leaders
There is no record in the New Testament of a woman apostle, pastor, teacher, evangelist, or elder. Nowhere in the New Testament is any sermon or teaching given by a woman.
b) They did not have an ongoing prophetic role
Some would argue that the daughters of Philip are said to have prophesied (Acts 21:9). However they are not referred to as prophets, nor is there any indication of how often they spoke. It may be that they spoke on only one occasion, as Deborah and Miriam apparently did in the Old Testament. The New Testament records other occasions when women spoke the Word of God.
• Mary, the mother of Jesus, did so in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
• 1 Corinthians 11:5 says that women who prophesy are to have their heads covered.
• Acts 2:17 speaks of women prophesying. The Greek word translated "prophesy" simply means "to speak forth" or "to proclaim.
• “There are times and places when women speak the Word of God, but that is distinctly different from being identified as a pastor, teacher, elder, evangelist, or apostle.
Some Practical Considerations
1. When can women proclaim the Word of God?
• At any time and at any place, except when the church comes together for the worship service.
• Anna spoke the truth (Luke 1:36-38).
• Mary spoke it in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).
2. Can women share what they've learned at Bible studies?
Yes. In the right environment, under the direction of the leadership of that study, there is nothing wrong with a woman sharing what the Spirit of God has taught her out of the Word.
3. Can women pray in public if men are present?
Yes again. Acts 1:13-14 describes a prayer meeting where the disciples of Jesus as well as several women were present. There is a time and a place when it is perfectly appropriate for a woman to pray in public.
1. They are to learn in silence (1 Cor. 14)
1 Corinthians 14:34 echoes the thought of 1 Timothy 2:11. Paul writes, "Let your women keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. "
a) The reason for women's silence
The reason women are not to preach in the church has nothing to do with their psychological makeup or intellectual capabilities. The last phrase in 1 Corinthians 14:34 tells us women are not to teach in the church because God's law forbids it (cf. Gen. 3:16).
b) The meaning of women's silence
The context of 1 Corinthians 14 indicates that the silence Paul commanded was not intended to preclude women from speaking at all, but to keep them from speaking in tongues and prophesying in the church.
1) The corruption
At Corinth, as in Ephesus, were women who were flaunting their sexuality. Perhaps being influenced by the Delphic religion (which was headed by a woman) they sought prominent positions in the Corinthian church by abusing the gifts of speaking in tongues and prophesying.
(2) The correction
In response to that problem Paul wrote, "How is it, then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying" (1 Cor. 14:26). He went on to tell them that no more than two or three were to speak in tongues, and never without an interpreter present. Only two or three prophets were to speak, and others were to evaluate them to see if they spoke the truth (vv. 27- 29). Paul's point was that God is not the author of confusion (v. 33). Finally, Paul instructed the women to keep silent (v. 34). They were not to speak in tongues or prophesy in the public assembly of the church.
First Timothy 2:11-12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 tell us that when the church comes together, women are not to speak in tongues, prophesy, or teach the Word of God. When the church comes together it is the appointed men who are to do the talking.
(3) The concession
That women are precluded from speaking authoritatively in the church assembly doesn't mean they can never speak God's truth. God used women such as Miriam (Ex. 15:20- 21), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-22), and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) to speak for Him on occasion. Paul dialogued with various churches and synagogues during his missionary journeys, answering questions from women as well as men (cf Acts 17:2-4). I think there is a time and place as well for women to publicly offer a testimony of praise to the Lord. I don't think Paul is saying they can never do that. What he is forbidding is women taking on the leadership roles in the church.
2. They are to learn in subjection (1 Cor. 11)
In 1 Corinthians 11:3 Paul says, "The head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. " That verse teaches that women are to be in submission to men in the sense that they are not to usurp the role of leadership in the church, which belongs to qualified men only.
a) The source of subjection
No one argues that the head of every man is Christ. There is no Christians' Liberation movement demanding equality with Christ! Also, everyone understands that God the Father is the head of Christ. Philippians 2:5-8 teaches that Christ took upon Himself the form of a servant during His Incarnation. Since Christ is the head of the man, and the Father is the head of Christ, why do we debate about whether the man is the head of the woman?
b) The symbols of subjection
In Corinth it was customary for women to cover their heads. That was how a woman displayed her modesty. It was a sign that she was committed to a man and not available. Men, on the other hand, had their heads uncovered. That was a mark of their masculinity. Somehow in the Corinthian church those cultural signals were getting inverted: women were praying and prophesying with their heads uncovered, thus identifying themselves with the women's liberation movement in Corinth. The men, perhaps because of a Jewish influence, were covering their heads while praying. Paul rebukes the men for doing that in verse 4: "Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. " Does that mean it's a sin to put something on your head when you pray? No, not unless your culture perceives that as something feminine. In verse 5 he rebukes the women: "Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head, for that is even all one as if she were shaved. " (A shaved head was a symbol of shame in Paul's day. )
Paul was saying we should identify with our society's symbols of masculinity and femininity unless they violate Scripture or God's design for morality. Such symbols in our society can be readily discerned. We can tell a woman who looks like a woman from one who looks like she is rebelling against everything that womanhood stands for. We can look at a man and tell by the way he dresses and carries himself if he is effeminate and denying the symbols of masculinity.
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Does 1 Corinthians 11:5 Permit Women Preachers?
Some people teach that the praying and prophesying the women were doing in 1 Corinthians 11:5 took place during the worship service. However the text doesn't say that. Perhaps Paul is talking of prayer and prophecy in general. It's not until verse 18 that Paul first speaks in this chapter of the formal gathering of the church: "First of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there are divisions among you. " Prior to verse 18 he apparently hasn't been talking about the worship service.
In verse 5 Paul is perhaps speaking of women praying and sharing the Word of God in a home Bible study or family prayer time. His point is that whenever Christians get together, women are to maintain the decorum of submission, and men that of headship. If a woman is veiled when she prays or speaks the Word of God, she attests to her womanhood, and affirms her role of submission to her husband. She is acknowledging that man is the image and glory of God and she is the glory of man (v. 7). Man in a sense is the sun and woman is the moon that reflects the light of the sun. Man is symbolic of the glorious dominion of God, and woman is symbolic of the one who follows.
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c) The significance of subjection
God has designed all of human life to revolve around relationships. Everyone is involved in a relationship, and within those relationships are differing roles. However in our society the emphasis is not on relationships, but on individuality. People focus on their rights and seek to satisfy themselves. In such a society there's a tendency to view everyone as having equal roles. But when women refuse to accept their God-ordained roles in the church and family, they undermine the foundational design of God for those institutions. The stability of society is at stake.

The following are some helpful thoughts about dealing with members who are bound by homosexuality:
1. Expect the presence of homosexuality to be in the church. It was in the church at Corinth. (1 Cor. 6:9-11).
2. Express the pure love of God toward the homosexual in the church. (Matt. 22:39).
We must love the homosexual more than they love their homosexuality. Remember, “you can dot every I and cross every T and still misspell the Word”. Many of us are misspelling the “Word” in our preaching because we are preaching deliverance without the process of transformation. Transformation is a process. We are transformed to the image of Christ. Salvation is step one and transformation is step 2. Deliverance from the penalty of sin takes place at salvation (Rom. 6:23) but the deliverance from the power of sin takes place daily (Rom. 7:15-25).
3. Examine your purpose for addressing the homosexual in the church.
What do you want to happen in the lives of these individuals? The homosexuality should not be the focus; the state of the soul should be the focus as it should be with any person living in sin.
(Rom. 6:23, 2 Pet. 3:9, John 3:16)
4. Expound upon the principles of God on God’s creative plan for human sexuality between male and female because the creative plan for human sexuality is to procreate within the context of marriage. Homosexual behavior violates God’s original plan for heterosexual monogamy. (Gen. 1:27-28, 2:18-24, Mark 10:9-9, Eph. 5:31)
5. Expound upon the principles of God on healthy same-sex relationships such as David and Jonathan, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and the beloved disciple John-to name a few. These individuals did not hide their affection for same-sex companionship. They expressed it within the context of God’s divine plan for true friendship. (1 Samuel 18:3, 2 Cor. 2:12, 13)
6. Expound upon the principles of God on unhealthy same-sex relationships such as the men in Sodom and Gomorrah, members of the church at Corinth. Homosexuality is a consequence of rejecting the created order of God. Homosexuality is a sin that results in the judgment of God. (Lev. 18:1, 22, 20:13, Gen. 19, 2 Pet. 2:6, 7, Jude 7)
7. Expect resistance from without and within the church after taking a stance against homosexuality. Continue to preach the unashamed gospel of Jesus Christ with love. (2 Tim. 4:1-5)