Now, there are, tonight, a number of scriptures we'll try to take enough time. It'll be quite the, maybe a Bible drill, but we'll try to be slow enough, but we need to cover this part of the confession of faith. The subject tonight is threefold. It concerns marriage, fornication, and sodomy, and we're going to take it in that order. I had things kind of flipped around. It was hard to do it, but finally I think we got it organized a bit to take it in that order. It is article number 62. Number 62 in our confession of faith is a very, very difficult one. Marriage, fornication, and sodomy. Scripture defines fornication as any perversion of the marriage bed, including but not limited to incest, sodomy, and bestiality. Even the land is defiled for these sins. Sodomy is the sin of Sodom, for which it is named. When Abraham's nephew came to Sodom, the men of the city wanted to know, and that word know is in quotation marks, they wanted to know him. That is, to commit sodomy with him. The city of Sodom was exceeding wicked before the Lord. Sodomy is worse than other sins in that It dishonors the bodies of people between themselves. It is a vile affection. It is against nature. It is unnatural. Sodomy, otherwise known as homosexuality or lesbianism, is men lying carnally with men, and women lying carnally with women. Sodomite marriages are wrong. Such wicked marriages pervert the pattern which God established in the beginning between one man married to one woman." And there are a string of scriptures that we have supporting these statements that our doctrine of faith sets before us. So you can see it's a difficult, it's a dark thing. Let me start by saying God has appointed that all human society live on this earth in a certain way. It was under Article 61, the worldwide flood, We read that those of Noah's day had corrupted his way. In Genesis chapter six, verses seven and verse 12. We shared it then, I wanna share it now. Genesis chapter 6 beginning at verse 7 and then down to verse 12. I want you to listen carefully because we want to know the mind of God about these things. We don't care what the world thinks. I don't care and we might unknowingly be affected by what the world thinks. And we need to put that stuff away, whatever we think, if it disagrees with the Word of God, we must change our mind as children of God. That's the right thing to do. So beginning at Genesis chapter 6 verse 7, And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have made them. Verse 12 tells us why he's destroying them. And God looked upon the earth and behold, it was corrupt. for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth." Now that's an important statement because God has a way for men and women to conduct themselves on the earth. They knew that way. Every man knows that way, quite frankly. This way applies to every soul, whether or not they are Christians. This way of God has been understood by man since the beginning of time and has universal witness in the earth. I want to cite just a few things here about a universal witness in the earth. The law of God is universally comprehended. Romans chapter 2 verse 6 it says that the Lord will render his judgment meaning his judgment he will render to every man according to his deeds based on what God has revealed to man in verse 1 verse 19 chapter 1 verse 19 of Romans he will render in Romans chapter 2 verse 6 he will render to every man according to his deeds In chapter 2 verse 15 it says the law is written in their hearts. We just read in Genesis chapter 6 verse 12 that that antediluvian world that corrupted his way upon the earth, they knew that way. I thought it interesting that the Gentiles in Jonah's day They knew enough so that God sent that prophet to this Gentile city and he commanded of them, repent us, because they knew the right way to conduct themselves. It had nothing to do with salvation. It had to do with repenting from the way that they were living on the earth. He commanded that they repent. You remember that. Now, a universal rule, another, the rule of government is universally comprehended. In Genesis, we read that, I think Brother King brought that just recently in Genesis 9, verses 4 through 6. But I want to give you Romans chapter 13, verse 1. It's not a Christian precept, it's a precept for every human being. And what does it say there in chapter 13, verse 1? Every soul be subject unto the higher powers. That doesn't accept anybody. That's a it's a universal rule there. There is no power, but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God. All men know that they just don't like it. And there are a number of scriptures we go to. Another universal rule that men universally comprehend is the rule of marriage is very important in We'd find that and we're going to deal with it in just a little bit. In Genesis chapter 2, the Lord had brought this woman that he had made and formed from his side, that rib, and he made this woman and he brought her to the men. And they understood that to be marriage. There's no question about it. It's a universal rule. But Paul says, in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, verse 2, again, universal rule, Every man have his own wife. How much clearer can that be? And let every woman have her own husband. Universal rule. Universal, Hebrews 13, four. Marriage is honorable in all. Everyone sees marriages as a good thing. But they've corrupted it, the world has or is. Another universal rule is a rule of family order. In 1 Corinthians 11 verse 3, Paul said, I would have you know that the head of every man, I don't care if he's a Christian or not, but the head of every man is Christ. And the head of the woman is the man. The head of Christ is God. It's a universally understood rule. Children are subject. Two, it's understood that they should obey their parents because it's right. One more is the rule or order of society, universally understood. And it's really, it's thread to all. You know what? There are always gonna be masters and there are always gonna be servants. Man doesn't like that, do they? And they're trying to change that so that there's no more masters and no more, we're all the same, there's no differences, right? You see that everything that God has established as a universal rule, man is changing, trying to change it and corrupting it. Man in his fallen estate rejects God's way. That's what we were talking about here, why we brought that up. God has a way for man to conduct themselves. man in his fallen estate rejects God's way and seeks to change it, which results in countless numbers of destructive judgments upon the earth from the Lord. I'm telling you, I believe it's a biblical fact that the reason that this is because this is what results in all the droughts The famines, the earthquakes, volcanic activity, the floods, the storms, diseases, pestilences, and wars is because God is constantly judging men for sin. And there's a reason why he does this. It's not for nothing. The old preacher said in Ecclesiastes 7, 29, you know, man is just, he's out to change the way of God and he's corrupting it. That man said, lo, Solomon said, lo, this only have I found. There was no dispute about, no contradiction. This only have I found that God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions. They're all always devising things that are contrary to the will of God, always. They think that what they're doing is right, it's better than what God had ordained. And I believe that we live at the apex of man's rebellion against the Lord and his way for man. We live in that day now. Not since the days of Noah has man so corrupted his way. This has reached a scale of global proportions. It's global. It's shameful. And only the watchful Christian has a sense judgment looming over the earth. I'm telling you, human society is ripe for the coming of the man of sin and the things that he's going to do. I want you to notice a significant thing this man's going to do. In Daniel chapter 7 verse 25, just this one verse, the things we've said this is what that's why the world's right they want it to be otherwise other than the way God has ordained it they want it otherwise and this man he shall speak great words against the Most High and shall wear out the Saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws and And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of a time, 42 months, 1260 days, three and a half years. That's a fact, it's coming. So tonight, we wanna consider this, probably one of the darkest messages I've ever brought before you. But it is necessary. It's a part of the word of God. And so I'm going to bring it. It's my turn. Brother King could have had this. It's mine. I don't mind him taking it. We kind of divvied these things up and I got it. It was the Lord's lot for me. But I hope everybody in the house tonight can receive it and gain something helpful from it. I need to say this, if you know Christ as Savior, you'll be helped. If not, whether or not you know it, you're a part of the problem. You're a part of what's going on in the world. You're a part of this despicable anti-Christ system. And you'll think that I'm over-exaggerating the situation. You'll think I'm sounding a false alarm and that I'm and we, the people of God, are part of the problem. And that's all right. The will of God will be done. My hope is not in this world. I have no hope in man improving. He's not evolving. He's devolving. He will become worse and worse as the time of the Lord Jesus Christ draws nearer, as his time of his coming. And my hope, and if you're a child of God, your hope is in him. And in the end, we are going to another world where this stuff has never taken place, and it'll never take place again. It will never be there. We're in a world which is only righteousness. Tonight, this touches on the greatest social blight in human society, the emphasis upon sexual sins. First marriage. Marriage was given to man by God. Genesis chapter 2 verses 21 through 23. Marriage was given to man by God. We mentioned it, now I want to read it and see it. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. And he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof. Ended the place. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and brought her to the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of the men. Now Moses understood this union to be a marriage and so did the Lord Jesus Christ. In that next verse in Genesis 2 24 is the narrative of Moses. He says, therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife. and they shall be one flesh. Jesus referred to it as marriage in Matthew chapter 19, verses four through six. Matthew chapter 19, verses four through six. Jesus answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife? That's a marriage. And they twain shall be one flesh. Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. We need to consider marriage in light of the word of God and perhaps be reset in our thinking. And only the word of God can give us a correct view, a correct understanding of marriage. It is the most beautiful relationship that there is between a man and a woman. Marriage is the bedrock of human society. It, in my estimation, it inaugurates the human family. By it, every other relationship in society is ordered and strengthened, if it's good. In fact, I'd say that marriage is the glue of human society. To corrupt this ordinance marks the beginning of the end. of any society, every time. As it relates to sexual activity, marriage is the means by which men and women honorably use their bodies. To do so outside of the marriage relationship is always to sin against the body and to dishonor it. In Matthew, 1 Corinthians 6, verse 18. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 18. Paul writes, we know it's the Spirit of God communicating through him to every child of God. He says, flee fornication. Flee it. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but He that committeth fornication sins against his own body. In Romans chapter 1 verse 24, It tells us that by this relationship, illicit relationship, we want to notice the statement, they dishonor their own bodies between themselves. So sexual sins is a crime against the body. It is a dishonor to it. Now, it's necessary to be clear about sexual activity. There are only two ways, and only two, to avoid sexual sins. Either remain unmarried and pure, or enter into the marriage bond and be faithful. That's it. That's how simple it is. Paul says, And the same in 1 Corinthians 7, verse 2. Chapter 7, verse 2. Nevertheless, understanding to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. That's it. That's how clear it is. Until marriage, every soul was to be celibate. Both men and women were to be virgins until marriage. It's true. We know in Revelation chapter 14 verse 4, I use this scripture simply to show that men are virgins and ought to be unless they become married. They wouldn't be after that, of course. Referring to the 144,000 in Revelation 14, these are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. with women in Genesis chapter 24, verse 16. We could have referred to other places. The Bible interprets itself and what that means. For a virgin here, in Genesis chapter 24, verse 16, Genesis 24, 16, the damsel was very fair to look upon, says a virgin, neither had any man known her. So it explains what that means. Now, marriage is for, one man and one woman for life. In Matthew chapter 19, go there and we want to read from verse three to verse nine. Well, let's just follow this through. I think it'll explain all that we need to say. In Matthew chapter 19 verse 3, the Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause, for just about any reason? And he answered, Jesus did, and said unto them, have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore? They are no more twain, but one flesh." Notice, what therefore God has joined together. Let not man put asunder. God is in this. He ordained it. They say unto him, why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement to put her away? He said unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away, allowed you to put away your wives. But, and that's important, that conjunction brings us back to God's original intent. It doesn't matter what men do. God's original sin, but from the beginning, it was not so. And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, we want to explain something about that in just a moment, and shall marry another commits adultery, and whoso marries her which is put away doth commit adultery. In the Bible, the marriage bond or commitment was taken very seriously. It is. Whether it preceded, whether marriage preceded the conjugal act or not, it required a writ of divorcement to become disannulled. Even before two had come together, They were considered husband and wife. Now, we might think it different, but that's how seriously the Lord took it in the Bible here with his people. Whether they had come together, they were considered husband and wife. The text of Matthew 19, 9 that we just read shows that the marriage bond preceded the conjugal act. He brought them and they were. But when they came together, This one found that she had been unfaithful, he could divorce her. That's what the scripture here is teaching. In the instance of Joseph and Mary, she, Mary, began showing signs that she was with child, which Joseph interpreted as being, and reasonably so, that she was unfaithful. And so, he was gonna put her away, privileged. divorce her. Now, the marriage bond was enacted in scripture. You can see it was enacted prior to coming to the marriage bed in Matthew 1 18 and verse 19. In Matthew 1 verse 18, we're going to read a couple of four scriptures here and go to Genesis chapter 29. Here, I want you to notice Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, it was in this way. When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph before they came together, she was found with a child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband, They hadn't come together, but he is considered her husband. She is considered his wife. You see how seriously they took this matter. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to do what Moses said here, put her away privily. Verse 24. Then Joseph, after the Lord, being raised from sleep, after the Lord had revealed what was going on here, Joseph being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and what? And took to him his wife. But they still hadn't come to the marriage bed, and knew her not, till she had brought forth her firstborn son, and called his name Jesus. In Genesis chapter 29, verses 18, verse 18, and then 20 and 21, so we just get right to it. Verse 18 of chapter 29 in Genesis, Jacob loved Rachel and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel, thy younger daughter. verse 20. Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to her. And Jacob said unto Laban, give me My wife, she was my wife, that's what he said. For my days are fulfilled that I may go in unto her. So that marriage relationship was even considered before they had come together. But it could also, by scripture, be enacted by the bed itself. In Deuteronomy, chapter 22, verse 14. Deuteronomy, we wanna be clear about marriage, and then we'll move into the next couple of, two topics. Deuteronomy chapter 22 verse 14 it could be enacted by the bed itself just verse 14 and give occasions of speech breaking into it it's a this guy took his wife took this this woman and to her his bed and oh there's something wrong here give occasion of speech against her and bring up an evil name upon her and say, I took this woman and when I came to her, I found her not a maid. She wasn't a virgin. And so he was slandering her, he was lying, and so the Lord had a way of resolving that. Evidently, as a custom would be, it appears that the girl, the wife, would actually on that night then take the evidence that she had been a virgin and give it to the parents who then had secured her testimony in the event that, in this case, she would be misrepresented as having been unfaithful and they could say, you're a liar. And the Lord would take, and the law of Moses would punish this man in several ways. Men are wicked. They'll do what, you know, and that's what we have there. In any case, there was no, and this is the main point, there was no sexual activity between them until the time that they should come to the bed. God's intent for marriage is for life. It is a monogamous relationship, meaning one marriage is a marriage for life between one man and one woman. Notice this, that the servants of the church, pastors, deacons, and that widow, that is a widow indeed, are held to the strictest interpretation of marriage before the church may assume to care for them. We remember that in earlier studies in 1 Timothy 3, verse 2, and verse 12, Titus 1, verse 6, and 1 Timothy 5, verse 9. That's the strictest sense of the word. I think it's proper to understand what God's intent for marriage was. Now, for a number of reasons, it's a matter of fact Okay? It's not to hurt anybody's feelings or anything like that. It's not. We don't mean anything ill. But for a number of reasons, it's a fact. Most marriages will not last a lifetime. They just won't. Either because of the death of a spouse or sin. The Bible does allow remarriage without sin in instances of death. In Romans chapter seven, verses two and three. Romans seven, verses two and three. For the woman, we wanna emphasize this, God's intent, marriage for life, but there will be the necessity of remarriage. But there is a way to remarry without sin, and that only way is when the spouse dies. I'm not recommending anybody kill their beloved, okay? That's not what's going on here. That's not But that's the point. They must die. In order for remarriage to take place, there must be the death of the spouse. For the woman which has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as she lives. But if the husband be dead, she's loose from the law of her husband. So then, if While her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she's free from that law, so that she is no adulteress. She doesn't commit the sin of adultery, though she be married to another man, if that one dies. Now, while there can be remarriage, we know that from what we just read in Moses, in Deuteronomy. There can be remarriage, It cannot be without committing sin as long as that spouse that we entered into the covenant of marriage with is alive. That's just the way it is. In Matthew 5 verse 32, Jesus said that much. And listen carefully because it's very important. Just maybe a couple of statements along the way. But here, Matthew 5.32, Jesus said, I say to you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery, and whosoever shall marry her, that is divorce, commits adultery. And it seems to me that in light of what we said about just a few minutes ago about finding out perhaps before we had come to the bed that there's been unfaithfulness, that it can be disannulled. And in that instance, you may go on, but. Otherwise, as long as the, if you've come to the bed, there's no way to break this covenant without sin. In Matthew chapter 19, verse nine, I want you to understand my view here, and some differ. And I think it's not right. My view here is that adultery, this sin that we're talking about, is not a lifestyle, but it is, there cannot be remarriage without breaching that covenant, period. but it is not a lifestyle. In other words, to remarry doesn't mean that you are an adulterer and an adulteress. You have committed the act and as with all sin, you may be forgiven and you go on with your life and serve the Lord. A lot of people won't say that, but that's just the way that I understand it. Here in Matthew 19, 9, we've read a part of this already. Whosoever shall put away his wife, except fornication, and marry another, commits adultery, and whoso marries her, which is put away, doth commit adultery. His disciples say unto him, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. That's true, because he can't without committing sin. But he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying. say they to whom it is given there are some eunuchs which were so born from the mother's womb and there are some eunuchs which are made eunuchs of men and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake he that is able to receive it let him receive it but it's better to what i'm thinking of paul it's better to marry than to burn and and and what live as a fornicator, perhaps that would be the thing that would result for lacking, for not going in and to remarriage. So considering the things we've all said, beyond question, God, beyond question, same-sex marriages are sin, even though it might become the law of the one world society. It's fast coming to that point. I want you to know that on June 26, 2015, same sex marriages were legalized in all 50 states in the United States of America. It's fast becoming legalized in the world over. And the attitude that comes with this against all those that would oppose it is quite remarkable. To quote one man that is running a 2020 campaign for the President of the United States of America, he said this about those that oppose same-sex marriages. I want you to hear what he's saying because this is the attitude that's growing in our country. There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, anyone or any institution any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us. And he goes on to say, and so as president, we are going to make that a priority. And we're going to stop those who are infringing upon the rights of our fellow Americans. Wow. Forget anything about what God thinks. That's where we're headed. His statement, brethren, just falls short of making the denial of same-sex marriages a capital punishment. To this man, those that deny same-sex marriages for any reason should lose everything but their lives. This man could, that he could express this sentiment publicly and be applauded for it, tells us just where we are today as a nation. So now move to fornication. In Athlete's Brief, fornication is translated from the Greek nouns pornea and pornos. Hornea is always translated with the English word fornication, 26 times in the New Testament. Pornos is also translated, beside fornication, is translated a whoremonger. And I think that well describes one who lives in sin as a fornicator. Monger at the end means one who peddles in it, who lives in it. You shacking up with somebody, they're a fornicator. People that live like that, that's what they are. They're whoremongers. Serious business. The verb pornuo is translated to commit fornication. We need to understand what the Bible, how the Bible defines it. And it's a number of ways, so we want to be clear. Fornication can refer to any shameful or dishonorable use of the body to commit a sexual act, in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13 and 18. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13. Stay in that area, I think, for a number of these. Kind of keep your thumb there, and we'll hit a couple other places. But here, It can refer to any shameful or dishonorable act, dishonorable use of the body to commit a sexual act. Here in 1 Corinthians 6, 13, meat's for the belly and belly for meads, but God shall destroy both it and them. Now, the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body, verse 18. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. but he that commits fornication sins against his own body." In fornication, the body is the object against which the sin is committed. The body becomes defiled and dishonored by it. Fornication refers to sexual acts between, clearly, between unmarried people in 1 Corinthians chapter 7. We've read it, but let's read it again in light of this. It refers to sexual acts between unmarried people. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 2. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. So none of that is to be going on in an unmarried state. And yet the world thinks absolutely nothing about it. You see it, I mean it, it's everywhere. Thinking nothing about it. In 1 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1, most of you know this, it refers to one committing a sexual act with his father's wife. It's a hideous thing. It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." And we could go into that. It can refer to acts other than adultery and homosexuality in Matthew 15, verse 19. Notice that. It can refer to sexual acts that are other than adultery and homosexuality. We'll see this in Matthew 15, 19. It refers to other sins besides adultery. For out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. It can also exclude Homosexuality, here both in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9, fornication excludes adultery and homosexuality. In 1 Corinthians 6, 9, know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators. nor adulterers, and homosexuals, the feminine side, nor effeminate, and the masculine side, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. But fornication, in Romans 1 29, fornication may refer specifically to the sin of homosexuality. Fornication refers to that which is up in verse 26 and 27, I believe those were the verses, which talks about men with men and women with women being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness and so forth, refers back to homosexuals. Finally, fornication can revert to all sexual immorality. In Acts chapter 15, verse 20, Acts 15, verse 20. I don't care what the world does, we don't care. We take this very seriously. In Acts 15, 20, that we write unto them, to the Gentiles, they were settling an issue for them in conference at the Jerusalem church, but that we write unto them, here's what we need to write to the Gentile churches, that they abstain from pollution, the vitals, and from fornication, all manner of sexual impurity, and from things strangled, and from blood. One more time, in 1 Corinthians chapter five, verses nine and 10, It would just be all sexual sins. 1st Corinthians 5 verse 9, I wrote unto you an epistle not to company with fornicators, yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters, for then must ye needs go out of the world. It's so common among men, but our concern is that we would not company with fornicators that are of the brethren. And that's a real problem. And finally, the issue of homosexuality. Some don't like my use of this word. I think it's proper. The word homosexuality refers to those that commit sex acts with others of the same gender, female with female, male with male. And that's just exactly how Paul describes it in Romans chapter 1, verses 26. See this in Romans chapter 1 verse 26 through 28. For this cause God gave them up unto vile afflictions. For even their women did change to the natural use of into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was meat. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over. to a reprobate mind, a mind that is incapable of making sound moral judgments." And I'm going to show you something here in just a moment. He gave them over. As a matter of judgment, the judgment develops. As they turn away and begin to worship the creature, he gives them over some other further, they further in their depravity. And then as they progress in this, they move into homosexuality. And as they move into this, they lose all sense of being able to make moral, sound moral judgments. They have a reprobate mind. It's an indication that God has given them up. That's their judgment. And in this time, you see this, is taking place all around us. You say, how can people say these things and think these things? How? they've been allowed to go to that extent. God has judged them, given them up to that end. Even as they didn't like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. They're not fit, they're not meet. They're improper. And the Lord calls this sin a very grievous sin. In Genesis 18 verse 20, I don't know what will come of this for saying these things, but it's the truth. I can't take it back. I will not. In Genesis 18 verse 20, the Lord said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, It's multiplied, it's increased. And because their sin is very grievous, it is exceeding heavy. You see, he said it's exceeding, very grievous, exceeding heavy. In Genesis 13, 13. Genesis 13, 13. The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord. Notice the word again, exceedingly. That sin was the sin of homosexuality. Jude tells us that in verse 7. Jude, and stay with Genesis 2. Jude, verse 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth, for example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. You know, their fire didn't stop when they got burned off the face of the earth. They're still burning. They're still punished. forever and ever and ever in a burning fire. In Genesis 19, we wanna see this even more so. In Genesis 19, four, the grievousness of this sin and what lot does, it seems so, it's like you can't explain it. In Genesis chapter 19, verse four, But before they lay down, Lot and those two visitors, which were angels from the Lord, those two that had come down into the city of Sodom, before they lay down that night, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom compassed the house round, both old and young, and all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot and said unto him, where are the men which came into thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them. They wanted to have sexual activity with those men. That was their intent. And Lot went out at the door to them and shut the door after him. He didn't want the visitors to hear what they were saying and what he was about to say in this conversation. He said, I pray you, brethren, do not sow wickedly. Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man. Let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. And all I can say is this, when you're talking about an exceeding grievous sin, Lord even saw that rape was above that. That's the only thing I can say about this, how terrible it was in that day. And it's that way today. Homosexuality even surpasses that horrendous act. People say it's not a sin. It's a lifestyle. No, it's not. It's a sin, and God says it is. Historically, this sin has served as a demarcation. for the sudden destruction of some societies of men by the Lord. The society of Noah's day, that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Zeboam, Admah, were judged when they sank to the depraved act of homosexuality. Seven nations that had occupied the land where Israel was coming were called to them, the promised land. There were seven nations that lived in that land, and you know why they were driven out? because of the sin of homosexuality. It climaxed, all that they did climaxed, or should I say went to the very depths of depravity with the acts of homosexuality. In Deuteronomy 9 verses 1 through 4, see it, notice it, and what the Lord thinks about this terrible thing. Hear, O Israel, thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the children of the Anakims, which thou knowest and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anakim? Understand therefore this day that the Lord thy God is he which goes over before thee as a consuming fire. He shall destroy them and he shall bring them down before thy face. So shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly as the Lord has said unto thee, speak not thou in thine heart after that the Lord thy God has cast them out before thee saying, for my righteousness, the Lord has brought me in to possess this land, but notices. But for the wickedness of these nations, the Lord doth drive them out from before thee." For their wickedness, he did that. Particularly noted as a wicked practice among these ethnicities, nations, and an abominable practice. Notice that before the Lord, it was the sin of homosexuality. First Kings, chapter 14, verse 24. First Kings, chapter 14, verse 24. Notice, and there were also, this is talking about the Lord, people, nation of Israel. There were also sodomites in the land, and they, Israel, they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel." They were doing just like those nations that he had driven out before them. There's good reason to add that The societies of Babylon, Greece, and Rome were also brought to destruction because of this very thing. They come to this end. The judgment which God brought upon these men, what about that? By judging, by bringing these judgments, it served to discourage men from following so hard ever sin and collectively into one corrupt global society. In Noah's day, when that one world society finally reached a predetermined watermark, God suddenly destroyed them all, but it wasn't without warning. My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh, yet his day shall be in 120 years. Peter called Noah the preacher of righteousness. He preached against their sin. He did it. He was a lone voice, as it were, in a wilderness, but he preached it. They had corrupted the way of the Lord, and he was telling them, repeat. And like that, it's going to be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. There is coming a sudden destruction from the Lord, but not without good warning. Why? That destruction is going to come because mankind has so thoroughly corrupted itself. Corrupted the way of the Lord. And I don't know how anyone that is a Christian and loves the Lord and the truths of his word can deny that that's not exactly what we're seeing taking place today. We must live in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. It seems like every day you hear something new. Man is pushing further, pushing God further from their daily lives, out of the schools, out of the courts, out of the language of everyday talk, out of politics, out of every public place. And it seemed like every day there's more overt displays of moral corruption. And in turn, it's just clear that God's given him over to a reprobate mind. There's no more objective standard of right and wrong once you move away the word of God. It's not there. Right and wrong becomes what I think and what you think and what we all think and whatever works out, what we like. Whatever's right in my own eyes or ours. But as a result, we see men and women, tell me it's not so, flaunt their sin before others and then blame God for it. Doesn't it just make you sick? They say it all the time. I'm going to give you a quote. God made me like this. A homosexual man, another one running a 2020 campaign said this. That's the thing that I wish the Mike Pences, interesting he'd bring his name up. That's the thing that I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand. That if you have a problem with who I am, meaning as a homosexual, your problem's not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator. And this man says he's a church man. And another one said, I really don't think it's a question, concerns about, you know, churches receive tax exempt status. He says, I don't think it's a question for these churches or these institutions about should they be worried about the IRS. He says, I think they should be having a bigger conversation with their maker. He says, I grew up in a church my entire life and the one thing that God taught, notice this, What I was taught from day one is that Jesus is love, and his love is limitless, and so if you're going to limit Jesus, I think you're doing more harm to your faith than good by excluding a certain group of people. So I want to consider that. I think it's necessary. This man's last objection here. that somehow we have harmed our faith by rejecting homosexuality as a lifestyle choice. Did that man accurately represent the truth? He sure did not. I want to consider what Jesus said. When it came to sin, what did Jesus command? Matthew 4, 17, what do we do? We go to scripture. Matthew 4, 17. Yeah, I'm not sure the last time that these guys ever looked in their Bible. From that time, Jesus began to preach what? Repent. For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Prepare yourselves. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. When Jesus commanded the men to repent, he commanded that they acknowledge their sins. That they were drunkards. adulterers, homosexuals, fornicators, murderers, coveters, blasphemers, idolaters, tax evaders, and on and on and on, that they had sinned against God and that they in turn should turn to faith in Christ. That's what Jesus commanded. He didn't overlook the sin. Repentance is a turning away from a former manner of life and following hard after Christ. Loving the truths of his word and loving those that are of like minds. Jesus said, except you repent, what? Oh no, Jesus never said that, yes he did. Ye shall all likewise perish. Except you repent, before God. One day, a bunch of hypocrites, religious hypocrites, brought an adulterous woman to the Lord Jesus to tempt him. After he dealt with them, he turned to her and said this. Woman, in John 8, 10, woman, where are those nine accusers? We need to give this good thought. Hath no man condemned thee? And she said, no man, Lord. And notice this. Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Go, it's a commandment, it's an imperative, proceed and sin, another imperative, and do not commit sin again. Sin no more. And what does he mean? In effect, Jesus commanded her. to go in the justification that he had justified her with and do not return to a life of sin again. Not that you won't commit sins, but you won't live it. What kind of a repentance is it that repents and goes right back to it? It's not. That's not what repentance is. Now, contrary to what the world says, She hadn't been condemned because of the color of her skin or because of her ethnicity. To my knowledge, God never condemned anyone because of that. He condemned sinners because of sin, and homosexuality is one of those sins. Every sinner, homosexual, adulterer, fornicator, liar, and such, is condemned already because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God. The standing imperative of Christ is repent. Believe that he has come to die in the sinner's place before God. Now I know that this isn't a popular message. But think about this, it's the goodness of God which gave to mankind holy matrimony. It is holy when it's done by the Bible. He gave it to us as a way to avoid every sexual sin. And by this, man has enjoyed, whether or not they know the Lord, They have enjoyed one of the most meaningful relationships that can be had between a man and a woman on earth. He says marriage is honorable and all, and a bed undefiled, but God will judge whoremongers and adulterers. Outside of this, outside of this, which is God's way, that's all we've done tonight is show God's way, there is nothing but sin and misery. You know, you don't come into these casual sexual acts and walk off unscathed. It's not like that in Hollywood. They show that like that in Hollywood. It's not like that. You hear anybody that's ever done those kinds of things, they're hurt. They spent a life hurt. You know what they really need is a commitment between one another. A man and a woman married, that's right. they'll find that kind of pleasure. The Lord gave it. The goodness of God gave it. But Christians especially ought to honor the Lord in every part of their lives. And we read these two scriptures and we're done. In 1st Corinthians 620, you're bought with a price. Never forget that. Jesus Christ died and shed his blood to save us from our sins. Why live in it any longer? You're bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. And 1 Thessalonians 5, 23. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, completely, in every part of your life. I pray, God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is an important matter, so important. Amen. Thank you for your attention.