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What is it all about Let s be honest we are living in an ever changing society As never before it seems that we have become more inclusive understanding and even more embracing of lifestyles that have placed the traditional Church in a very tight position It has placed us in a position where if we hold fast to certain basic beliefs we can find ourselves being labeled by the greater society as out of touch unloving outdated legalistic and dare I say HOMOPHOBIC in our doctrines It seems that with this newfound sense of inclusion some of our doctrinal beliefs can leave us feeling excluded from the conversation among some of our fellow believers As societies and the collective consciousness have come to more fully embrace varied gender identities of those around us an ongoing debate has emerged regarding the use of pronouns Advocates for gender rights have argued that the traditional binary he she paradigm leaves many people out and forced others into a box they don t feel they fit into Companies have begun encouraging employees to put their preferred pronouns into their e mail signature blocks and or company profiles The idea is that this gives employees the power to define their own gender identity while making it easier for their colleagues to know how to refer to them In some states Schools force teachers to respect whatever whoever however a student chooses to identify themselves Society s attitudes toward gender identity are continuously evolving and the practice of specifying one s pronouns is relatively new This means many employers managers and employees are unsure of whether or how to encourage this practice As these new world views have taken hold on how companies deal with their employees so has these questions and challenges found their way into the Christian debate As never before we must be aware of and ready to answer these questions as they arrive in order to bring clarity regarding the hope of faith that lies within us 1 Peter 3 15 It s not enough for us to know what we believe we must also know why we believe it Again the Church has an equally important responsibility in the matter It our responsibility to as Jude says earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints Jude 1 3 We must do so understanding with love yet understanding that we will oftentimes be misunderstood by those we minister too However to compromise the fundamental principles of our faith in an effort to appease the greater society would be a betrayal of the commitment that we have made to GOD s command to be instant in season and out of season to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine 2Tim 4 2 The modern day evangelist has to be keenly aware of the argument of the sinner in order to effectively minister salvation to a dying world 1

The pronoun problem Gender identity is an individual s sense of who they are male female both or neither However in today s society some people might identify as cisgender This is when a person s gender identity is male or female and it s the same as the sex they were assigned at birth Or a person might identify as gender diverse which includes transgender your gender identity doesn t match the sex given at birth non binary your gender identity is neither male nor female or it s a blend of male and female gender fluid when you move between gender identities agender an individual doesn t identify with any gender Or a person might use another term to identify their gender They might discover or understand more about their gender identity over time This might mean they express this identity in new or different ways The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God created man and that He created him for His glory Isa 43 7 Therefore the ultimate purpose of man according to the Bible is simply to glorify God The challenge of the Church is to understand how to properly and effectively minister in an age of great offense overwhelming debate defense of personal liberties and a time when a lascivious gospel has become the dominant doctrine of the day Defining love Love is not just love Love is love This is the overwhelming mantra of those who support and those within the LQBTQ community Closer examination of what this statement means reveals that this love is selfdefining It implies that love means and does what it wants depending on the person defining the term A 2016 article from Bustle relates what love is love means to eight LGBTQ advocates in short for each person interviewed the statement translates to one of the following holding hands not hiding one s romantic love for a same sex partner sticking together no matter what being a powerful force believing in yourself feeling connected with other people not sexually shaming others and celebrating differences Christians recognize that as the creator of all things God is love The Christian perspective understands and accepts God as being the one who defines love First led by His example We love because he first loved us In addition John 13 1 17 recounts when Jesus washes the feet of His disciples a task that was at the time reserved for the lowliest of servants The act however teaches us that blessed are you if you act accordingly v 17 God does not wish to condemn humanity but to love and see them come to repentance The Ninevites deserved condemnation but God called Jonah to go to them and proclaim God s Word Then God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them and He did not do it God s love precedes repentance and it is an occasion He celebrates in heaven In the same way I tell you there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents 2

Nevertheless many people regardless of their worldview construe God s love and love more generally to be an endorsement of all behavior and choices This distorts His Word For example for those unwilling to repent Love read God is patient read tolerant love is kind read really tolerant In other words people do not need to turn away from sin to receive the greatest gift of His love salvation This understanding of love is not of God The verses that follow in this passage highlights God s disdain of sin just as he loathes lying It love does not envy it does not boast it is not proud It does not dishonor others it is not self seeking it is not easily angered it keeps no records of wrongs Love synonymous with God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth In the Biblical context love is not simply love as the the Greeks understood that there were various expressions that were excepted within a particular context of relationship but they were not all the same The Greeks understood love in eight 8 various forms of expression 1 AGAPE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE First we have agape love This is an altruistic selfless unconditional love The Greeks thought it was quite radical perhaps because so few people seem capable of feeling it long term We understand it as a GOD type of love 2 EROS ROMANIC LOVE Eros is named after the Greek god of love and fertility Therefore it is usually associated with romantic passionate and physical love It is an expression of sexual passion and desire the kind of love expressed between husband and wife 3 PHILIA brotherly love The Greeks defined this kind of love as brotherly or affectionate love In other words it is the kind of love that you feel for your friends It is from philia that we derive our definition of Philadelphia the city of brotherly love 4 PHILAUTIA SELF LOVE Philautia is self love In our modern day society most people associate self love with being narcissistic selfish or stuck on themselves However this is not what the ancient Greeks meant by selflove 5 STORGE FAMILIAR LOVE Storge can be defined as familiar love Although that s a strange term let me explain what it really means This type of love looks and feels a lot like philia affectionate love felt between friends However this love is more like the love that a parent would have for their child Just like philia there is not physical or sexual attraction But there is a strong bond kinship and familiarity between people 6 PRAGMA ENDURING LOVE The ancient Greeks define pragma as enduring love In other words it s almost the opposite of eros sexual love Eros tends to burn out quickly because of its passion and intensity However pragma is a love that has matured and developed over a long period of time The kind of old married couples who have been together since their teenage years and still hold hands well that s a great example of pragma Unfortunately this kind of love is somewhat rare to find especially in society today These days people seem to think the grass is always greener on the other side And therefore they don t have the patience or desire to watch love grow over time This type of love doesn t require a lot of effort in a relationship Both people are good at making compromises and each of them puts in equal efforts to make the other person happy 3

7 LUDUS PLAYFUL LOVE Ludus is known as the playful love However a better way to describe it is the feeling of infatuation in the early days of romance If you ve been in love before you know what I m talking about It s the butterflies in your stomach the giddiness you feel when you see your love walk through the door and the feeling of never wanting to be without them 8 MANIA OBSESSIVE LOVE Mania is not necessarily a good type of love because it is obsessive It s the type of love that can lead someone into madness jealousy or even anger That is because the balance between eros sexual and ludus playful is terribly off ____________________________________ So we see then that based upon the complexity of love we can never simply accept the notion that says love is love With the proper Biblical interpretation we come to understand the importance of context Without proper context we could argue that the love that one has for their pet is the same love that is expressed to their spouse Such an oversimplification would even have us thinking that the sexual relationship or expression of love eros between man and woman could also be expressed between man and animal brother and sister mother and son or a father and his daughter Therefore we must rightfully conclude that there is an expression of love between man and woman that is Biblically excepted and one that is forbidden because all expressions of love must be placed within proper context Proper context is what validates whether or not it is not an act of perversion or a relationship that is sanctioned by GOD Purpose Anything that moves outside of it s intended purpose is perverted The age old question of humanity is Why are we here Both collectively and individually we find ourselves trying to reach the ultimate place of purpose in order to make our lives more meaningful and complete Without purpose no one can achieve their destiny Purpose gives us our drive and passion It ensures that we do not waste opportunities or time In fact it helps to ensure that we never waste money knowledge energy our gifts investment etc Purpose helps us to prioritize our priorities It gives us a greater sense of perspective and helps us to recognize the proper placement of relationships We are able to define the who what when where and whys of our lives The simple prayer of the Psalmist Psalm 90 12a is that the LORD would teach us to number our days It is purpose that makes it certain that we take full advantage of our space in time When you understand purpose you realize that you don t have time to waste in trying to fulfill worldly desires Ultimately it is a lack of purpose that moves you into a sinful place because purpose always precedes creation Genesis 1 27 28 Jeremiah 1 5 All inventions or creations have an intended purpose that was established before the creation was ever made As problems are the mother of inventions mankind is the answer to a problem Created with a specific purpose in mind Therefore anything that moves outside of it s intended purposes is regally perverted 4

An even harder question to answer perhaps is what does it look like to glorify God In Psalm 100 2 3 we re told to worship God with gladness and know that the Lord is God It is he who made us and we are his we are his people the sheep of his pasture Part of what it looks like to glorify God is to acknowledge who God is our Creator for starters and to praise and worship Him as such We fulfill our purpose of glorifying God also by living our lives in relationship and faithful service to Him 1 Samuel 12 24 John 17 4 Since God created man in His image Genesis 1 26 27 man s purpose cannot be fulfilled apart from Him King Solomon tried living for his own pleasure yet at the end of his life he concluded that the only worthwhile life is one of honor and obedience to God Ecclesiastes 12 13 14 In our fallen state sin separates us from God and makes it impossible to glorify Him on our own But through Jesus Christ s sacrifice our relationship with God is reconciled our sin is forgiven and no longer creates a barrier between God and us Romans 3 23 24 Interestingly we are able to glorify God because He gave us glory first David writes in Psalm 8 4 6 What is mankind that you are mindful of them human beings that you care for them You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor You made them rulers over the works of your hands you put everything under their feet This is also repeated in Hebrews 2 6 8 This verse reveals another purpose that God has given man dominion over the earth Genesis 1 28 29 Again though this can only be properly fulfilled through a right relationship with God The more we get to know our Creator and the more we love Him Matthew 22 37 38 the better we understand who we are and what our purpose is We were created to bring Him glory God has unique plans and purposes for each person Psalm 139 13 16 but we can know that whatever those plans look like they will ultimately result in His glory Proverbs 3 6 1 Corinthians 10 31 Purpose teaches us 1 We do not live for ourselves Romans 14 7 None of us lives for ourself for our own benefit but for the Lord and none of us dies for himself but for the Lord 8 If we live we live for the Lord and if we die we die for the Lord So then whether we live or die we are the Lord s 9 For Christ died and lived again for this reason that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living 2 We do not belong to ourselves 1 Cor 6 19 What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own 20 For ye are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God s 3 We were created to reflect GOD s image in the Earth Genesis 1 27 So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him male and female created he them 28 And God blessed them and God said unto them Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth 5

1 Thess 2 12 That ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word pervert to debase devalue to use wrongly It is the alteration of something from its original course meaning purpose or state to a distortion or corruption of what was first intended Because we have been called into GOD s Kingdom we cannot live our lives as defined by our own standards We must live by the standards and definitions that GOD ordained from the foundation of the World Anything that moves or operates outside of its intended purpose is perverted For example a butter knife can be used as a screwdriver or to open a door or letter but that was not that purpose of its creation Therefore when you use it in such a manner you pervert its existence GOD has created us for a specific purpose and when we walk outside of that purpose we walk in perversion To attempt to identify as something or someone that is outside of what the LORD has said from the beginning is perverse Therefore walking in your divine purpose means to make daily decisions and thoughtful actions under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit with the intent of completing the divine will of God for your life Walking also implies movement preferably forward movement Much like the physical act the spiritual and mental act of walking requires effort energy strength and direction You cannot advance forward by remaining still or stagnant The walk can be fast or slow but it yet requires the action of taking one step at a time The walk of life towards your destiny is an active process Physically there must be strength in the leg muscles calf hamstrings quadriceps and continual training in order for muscle memory to develop Even toddlers must progressively learn how to walk They receive mobility support toys training sessions from family or even professional physical therapists if necessary To walk in your purpose means to live each day with progressive forward movement in your divine purpose We can effectively walk in our purpose by 1 Embracing the God s love in closing what appears to be good doors and follow His direction to advance through the God doors 2 Utilizing the divine tools and supernatural assistance God have given us in this world John 17 14 19 15 26 16 7 3 Taking one step at a time and daily applying the Word of God to experience is anointing and favor throughout life experiences whither good bad or ugly Final analysis Principles for addressing identity with the gospel Principle 1 Help people think by asking good questions Remember all ideas about creating or deciding our own identity come from a worldview denying God as Creator Even if that worldview is religious when boiled right down it locates the true source of our identity inside of ourselves Our task is to help people look outside of themselves As the prophet Jeremiah says The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure Jeremiah 17 9 One of the best ways to help a person begin looking outside themselves is to help them begin questioning their beliefs and views about the world Learning to ask good questions and listen is one of the best ways to begin this process 6

Principle 2 Learn and use the identity language of the gospel The goal of the gospel could be summed up in the first four words of the Lord s prayer Our Father in heaven Matthew 6 9 Jesus came so that his Father might become our Father plain and simple John 17 23 26 It s a story about our adoption Galatians 4 4 5 whereby the God of the universe makes lost and sinful souls his very own children Romans 8 16 part of his eternal family John 1 12 Mark 10 29 30 Hebrews 2 11 Father adoptions children family What more identity forming words could we use to express what Jesus has done for us Effective witness then involves not only knowing what words to say but living out the language of the gospel Making a careful study of these identity forming realities of the gospel will enrich our lives and witness Principle 3 Know your own gospel identity story and pursue God s help to live it out Learning to use gospel identity language is not just so we can be accurate in sharing the gospel but so that our witness is real After all we can t pass on what we don t possess The joy of knowing God as Father Christ as Brother and the church as family is not something we can fake or manufacture It ought to spill over into everything we do and say And because it s true it will so long as we learn to make it real The good news is that Jesus has already prayed this for us Jesus prayer to the Father in John 17 is one of the most beautiful passages of the Bible In it the Son of God actually prays for us And what he prays is marvelous 7

Maintaining your health in Ministry An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Ps 90 10 The length of our days is seventy years or eighty if we have the strength yet their span is but trouble and sorrow for they quickly pass and we fly away NIV Ps 91 16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation NIV I As believers we have been taught to trust God for our health There are many promises in the scriptures that affirm God s desire for His people to walk in divine health But despite these Biblical promises people of color tend to be quite unhealthy A African Americans are 50 percent more likely to have a stroke cerebrovascular disease as compared to their white adult counterparts B Black men are 70 percent more likely to die from a stroke as compared to non Hispanic whites C African Americans constitute more than 35 of all patients in the U S receiving dialysis for kidney failure but they only represent 13 2 of the overall U S population D Deaths from heart disease are higher in black Americans than in white Americans and other ethnic groups E Nearly 48 of African American women and 44 of African American men have some form of heart disease F Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in African Americans G White Americans have an average life expectancy of 77 8 years compared to African Americans who have a life expectancy of 72 years II We need to adapt a new attitude about our health Maintaining our health is part of the responsibility that accompanies any leadership position especially people who are engaged in ministry

A Your blood pressure must be kept under control 3 out of 4 African American men and women are likely to develop high blood pressure by the age of 55 High blood pressure is defined as systolic 130 and or diastolic 80 Take your meds every day By the time you feel like your pressure is up it has actually been elevated for a long time Maintaining good blood pressure control protects you against end organ damage stroke heart attacks and renal kidney failure B Your weight must be controlled According to the most recent data 47 8 percent of all African Americans are overweight Among African American women this figure is greater than 60 Chronic Obesity Leads to serious health issues later in life Chronic obesity leads to multiple complications including diabetes high blood pressure stroke and heart attacks and liver disease II You need to commit to an exercise regimen that will help you to maintain your weight 1 Tim 4 8 Workouts in the gymnasium are useful but a disciplined life in God is far more so making you fit both today and forever THE MESSAGE The Bible in Contemporary Language A Dieting alone often proves disappointing B Dieting must be accompanied by a commitment to exercising regularly C Walking 3 4 days a week for 30 minutes at a time can lead to sustained weight loss

III As we grow older we need to be proactive instead of reactive His involves keeping up with cancer screening A Men should have an annual prostate exam beginning at age 50 This includes at the very least blood test to measure the prostate specific antigen PSA level B Women should have a mammogram every other year beginning at age 40 and annually beginning at age 50 C All adults should have a colonoscopy every 10 year beginning at age 50 IV We must also keep up with our vaccinations A You should receive an annual influenza vaccine B You need to stay up to date on all COVID Vaccines C You need a Previnar 20 pneumonia vaccine D You need a Shingles vaccine V As men and women of the clergy we must remind ourselves that our bodies belong to God A Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost B When we abuse our bodies we are in danger of forfeiting those promises of good health and long life C Neglecting our health leads to catastrophic consequences that can leave us incapacitated and unable to serve D God s people become spiritually disenfranchised in the local church by the vacuum of leadership we left behind E Some people will never reach because we were not able to function in ministry

Matt 9 37 38 Then saith he unto his disciples The harvest truly is plenteous but the laborer s are few 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborer s into his harvest KJV John 9 4 I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work KJV

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