I want to read one verse right at the outset. It's found in Psalm 86. Psalm 86, verse 15. But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Let me read that again. But thy, O Lord, art a God full of compassion and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. And God will bless the reading of his word. In recent days, whether on the news or social media, we have been bombarded with the issues of gay rights and gay marriage It appears that everyone has an agenda and has an opinion on what is right and what is wrong. It seems that with the large vote for the support and adoption of gay marriage in the Republic of Ireland, I think it was 62%, if memory serves me right, also the success of Gareth Lee against the MacArthur family and Asher's Bakery, and of course, there's an appeal pending. It seems that Christians and the church have their backs to the wall. when it comes to this issue. And yesterday, thousands marched in Belfast calling for civil marriage for same-sex couples, and they shouted that Northern Ireland is out on a limb because it's the only part of these islands that still bars it. What should our response be? Because on one hand, we want to be faithful to the inspired word of God, and we want to be also faithful to God who delights to seek for and save sinners of whatever creed and color and class or sexual orientation. And I would have to say right out at the front that some of the things said by professing Christians, whether on radio phone ins or on the Nolan Show or letters to the local press, have not helped the cause of Christ at all. I know some comments were maybe made in the heat of the moment in reaction to provocation. But the loudest message that the gay community hears from Christians and the church seems to be one of hatred and intolerance. For me, that can be a wee bit hypocritical. because the church is very good at turning a blind eye to the mistakes and the frailty and the sin which are rife within our ranks. We tolerate it, we ignore it, sometimes we make even jokes about it, while at the same time, you're releasing venom and hatred on one section of the community that we feel that we have little in common with. Is it acceptable to threaten those we disagree with? Is it acceptable to attack their homes or vandalize their cars? What would God say to the gay community? That's my title. What would God say to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual community? And not only to them, but tonight it's directed at all of us. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what God would say in these very difficult days that we live in, to this particular vocal section of society. First of all, I think he would say this. He would say that it is a matter of devotion. You see, Psalm 86 reminds us that we have a God full of compassion, gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. That is the God that we serve. And David the Psalmist sensed his sin, and he doesn't justify it, he doesn't condone it, but he recognizes that in spite of it, that the God of heaven loves him. He's full of compassion. And I think God right at the start would say to the gay community, it is a matter of devotion. God looks into this world that is full of sin, full of mistakes, full of people that have fallen short of God's standard, and he looks on the whole population of earth, and he said, you're all guilty, you're all sinners. I tell you the Christian message is the ultimate inequality. because it puts every single one of us right. On the same level, the Bible says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But he goes further. He says, even though you've all sinned, even though you've all made mistakes, yet he says, I love you with a perfect, unwavering love. He loves us even when that love is not appreciated, or when that love is not returned. And so amidst the referendums, and amidst the shouting opponents, and amidst the angry protesters, God does not want his message drowned out. It is a message of devotion. He says, I love you, and I love you exactly the way that you are. God's love, dear friend, tonight in our meeting is not dependent on you changing. God's love is not dependent on you conforming to his ideal. It's not even conditional on you believing on him or agreeing with him. God loves you, no matter who you are. or no matter what lifestyle you choose to live, God's love is guaranteed. I could turn to verses like John 3 and 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I could turn you to Romans 5 and 8, but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The excitement that I have in church, the excitement that I have to be a Christian minister of the gospel is that even when we hate God, he still loves us. Even when we hate God, he still woos us and pursues us to win us. Christian, can I remind you tonight, if I need to remind you? that our primary task in this ungodly environment is to reflect the love of God. That's what we've got to do. Even when we don't like the lifestyle of people and don't like the choices they make, and they mightn't like the choices we make, but we are duty bound if we claim the name of Christ, we have to love them. Love everyone. reflecting the love of God, even those whose lifestyle we find objectionable, distasteful, and abhorrent to us. So what would God say to the gay community? He would say, it's a matter of devotion. I love you, period. Regardless of the way you've chosen to live, my love for you is guaranteed. because he loves us when we were yet sinners. Ah, but there's something else. As I thought about the meeting tonight, I realized that God would not only say it's a matter of devotion, he would say it's a matter of identification. Now, this is gonna get me into trouble tonight. because some of you are thinking, Pastor, how could God, who is perfect and holy, how could the sinless Lord Jesus identify with the gay community? Oh, I think he can, you know. You see, this isn't only a matter of devotion, God saying, I love you, but it's a matter of identification. The Lord Jesus was despised and rejected of men. Isn't that right? The religious authorities who should have loved him and embraced him, turned it up and they hated him and they sought to kill him. The Lord Jesus knew what it was to be a social outcast. He knew what it was to feel the pain of misunderstanding and rejection. In fact, our Bible says he came onto his own and his own received him not, John 1 11. In fact, you could turn, if you had time, to Mark 3, and you'll find that there, as the scribes and the Pharisees were ganging up on him, we find that his own family thought that he was unbalanced. His own family. What would God say to the gay community? He would say it's a matter of devotion. I love you, I am full of compassion, I'm gracious, I'm patient, long-suffering, I am merciful. He would say, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. But he would say it's a matter of identification. And the gay community would say to me tonight, Pastor Kennedy, you don't understand us. You've never felt the rejection that we felt. You've never felt the exclusion that we felt. And they're absolutely right. I've never felt it. But I know one who did. I know one who did. I tell you, the God that I serve was rejected by the very people who should have embraced him. The whispers behind your back, the Lord Jesus knew all about it. hate, the hatred, and the misunderstanding. Jesus Christ understands. People who turn their back on our cruel. The Lord Jesus knew exactly how you're feeling tonight. Your closest friends turn their back on you. Sell you out. Oh, I tell you, I could take you to Matthew twenty-seven. The story of sells out the Lord Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and turns the mob on him. Oh, the Lord Jesus understands. He was the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. What would God say to the gay community? You feel rejected by parts of society and particularly the church. You feel the exclusion and the repulsion every day. Oh, you'd say, but Jesus Christ understands. I understand. I've been there. In fact, God's heart breaks for the rejected and the despised and the mistreated and the discarded of this world. Jesus Christ wants to gather you in his arms and assure you of his love, which was demonstrated when he died for mankind at Calvary. I say to the gay community, do not reject Jesus Christ because he has not rejected you. hasn't. Why he would say it's a matter of devotion. I love you even the way that you live and the lifestyle that you've chosen that wouldn't be the ideal but I still love you. He would say it's a matter of identification. I know exactly what you're going through. I was rejected. I was despised. They turned their back on me. My friends rejected. I know exactly what it's like to be despised and rejected of men. Something else. If God was speaking to the gay community, he'd say it was a matter of devotion. He loves you. No question about that. Nobody could argue with that. Not a No, no, God loves the sinner. God loves everyone. And I don't think anybody could argue with the question of identification. There's a community of people who feel that they're being unfairly treated and rejected and despised. And the Lord Jesus could say, I know exactly how you feel. I've been there. I've been there. habit. God would say it's it's it's also a matter not only of devotion and identification but it's a matter of temptation. Listen to Hebrews four. Verse fifteen, for we have not an high priest, speaking of the Lord Jesus, we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Isn't that amazing? You see, God loves us, God identifies with us, but also he understands this area of temptation. Jesus Christ was tempted in all points like as we are, but yet did not sin. God understands the struggle of temptation. God understands whenever part of us is pulling us in one direction away from what would be acceptable. God understands whenever there are things that pull us away from that which would be wholesome. He understands. He was tempted. And as he looked on his creation, he knew that we would never cope And so he sent his Son to be our substitute and Savior. Some people, you know, maybe sitting beside you, give the impression that they never struggle with temptation. You know, they're only fooling you. If I was to stand up here and say, well, because I'm a preacher, I don't suffer from the problems of temptation, I would be telling you a lie. It is common to us all. We all struggle. Some have no financial worries, some have no career worries, but there's always a worry, a problem, there's always an area of weakness and vulnerability, a temptation to carry us away from what is right and embrace what's wrong. Sin comes in all kinds of guises, and every one of them carries with it the judgment of God. that hell is real. Judgment on sin is real. But he understands the temptation. He knows what you're going through. The Lord Jesus's life on earth was no easy street. He faced the temptations of life that God is not focused in punishing us. His heart is to help us. God is not focused in isolating us, but in loving us. God is not interested in abandoning us, but rather to have a personal relationship with us. What would God say to the gay community? He would say, it's a matter of devotion. I love you. Period. My church mightn't love you, but I love you. Secondly, it is a matter of identification. You feel rejected, you feel nobody cares or understands. I've been there. I was despised and rejected of men. It is a matter of temptation. Jesus Christ was tempted in all manners such as we, yet without sin. He understands temptation. Thirdly, it's a matter of perfection. You see, God wants to take each of us from where we are tonight whatever our sin, whatever our problems, whatever our temptation, and he wants to take us from there, wipe the slate absolutely clean, and give us a new start under his power and his guidance. That's what the Christian message is all about. He wants to perfect us. He wants to complete us in him. God designed marriage and sex for our enjoyment and he designed them in that order by the way He designed it that we would enjoy marriage and in marriage we would enjoy Sexual relations it was designed for one man and one woman Within the covenant of marriage. That's how it was designed That is God's blueprint. And anything, anything outside of that blueprint is sinful. And that's the perfect equality of the gospel. Because it doesn't pick out one particular group, no matter who that group happens to be. Rather, it sets the standard and says, if you don't conform to the standard, no matter who you are, then you're a sinner. Sin is anything that we do that displeases God. And God's blueprint for marriage and sex is clearly given. Let me read to you Matthew 19 verse 4. asunder. That's God's blueprint. That is God's standard. Young people, if you deviate from that standard, it's a sin. I care not what society says. I care not what the norm is. I care not how much you love your boyfriend or girlfriend. I care not how close you become. Once you break this pattern and break this blueprint, it is sin. Equality right round. If you deviate from God's plan, then it is sinful. Now, that's a big problem. Because God says that every sin causes a barrier between you and God. Every sin bars us from entering God's heaven. God's desire, as he looks at mankind, as he sees all the sin, as he sees the effect it's had on all of humanity, his burden is to come, remove all the sin, and impart life to be lived as he planned it. That's his ideal. That's what becoming a Christian is. It's not becoming religious. It's not becoming a Baptist. It's not becoming a narrow-minded kind of person. No, becoming a Christian is saying, I have fallen short of God's ideal. Therefore, I am a sinner. That sinner brings a barrier between me and God, and the only way to have that removed is trusting in Jesus Christ as my savior. And he comes and he removes the sin, and he comes inside our heart, and all of a sudden, there is a new life and a new beginning. The sin is washed away, and he gives us a new power to live. for him. The Lord Jesus in John 10 and 10 said, I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. And so that is why God sent Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. And that's why Jesus died on the cross, shedding his blood. It's because he wants the best for you and the best for me to remove the sin of whatever color, whatever shade, whatever depravity. To wipe the slate clean so that he can perfect us and complete us in himself. I say to you, ignore the politics, ignore the placards, ignore the protesters. Jesus Christ wants you tonight to turn from sin and trust him with all your heart so that he can wipe the slate clean and start pouring into your life all the fullness of God. What would God say to the gay community? He would say, well, it's a matter of devotion. I love you. Period. He would say it's a matter of identification. You feel that you've been sidelined and rejected. I know exactly how that feels. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows. His life wasn't easy. He would say it's a matter of temptation. temptation. You face temptation. You've fallen to that temptation. But Jesus knows about temptation. He was in all points tempted. Like as we and it's a it's it's about it's a matter of reflection and perfection. As he tries to mold us to the pattern for life. And society today, in all kinds of ways, have decided to throw the instruction manual out. We'll go our own way, we'll do our own thing. God says, no, you'll never be in my heaven. Rather, we have to get back to following the pattern. We have to get back to living according to the instruction manual. And so I sent my son to die for you. And if you repent and trust him, he will remove the sin and we'll have a brand new start and we'll give you the strength and the power to live it according to the blueprint. Isn't it an amazing thing that God can wipe away all our sin? All of it. and he can bring into our life a fullness, a completeness by his power. And finally, not only is it devotion and identification, temptation, perfection, it's a matter of invitation. You see, God would say to the gay community that you may disagree with my thoughts on sin, and you might disagree with God's thoughts on sex and marriage, and you maybe enjoy the lifestyle that you have chosen, but the Lord keeps knocking on the door of your heart. That's what he does. You can shout at him. You can ignore him. You can run from him. You can argue against him. You can march against him. You can protest about his standards but with a loving patience, he keeps on knocking at the door of the heart. That's what he does. He's a god who seeks and that outside of Jesus Christ, there is no permanent, lasting joy. And so in our meeting tonight, he comes again and he knocks. In the words of Revelation 3 and 20, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him. That's what he does. And so tonight he knocks again. And it leaves you the responsibility of deciding what to do. What does God say to the gay community? I think you'll agree he says a lot. He says it's about devotion. I love you. He says it's about identification. I know exactly what you're going through. He says it's it's about a matter of temptation. He knows all about temptation. He says it's a matter of perfection. He says, I have set the blueprint down for all mankind. Male and female. And there's no inequality. There's no and my standards for marriage and sex are clearly put, you mightn't like it, but that's my blueprint. And he wants to perfect us. He wants us to trust him and surrender our life to him. And when we do, he removes the sin and he gives us a whole new start, a new, that's why it's called a new birth. Have you been born again? That's what it means. The old life washed away and a whole new start under his authority. And it's a question of invitation. No matter who you are. No matter what you've done. No matter how deep the sin. No matter how shameful the past. He knocks on the door. And he says, trust me. Surrender your life to me. I sent my son to die for you so that I could wipe the slate clean and give you a new start, a new part, a new salvation. I think not only does the gay community need to hear that message, we all do, don't we? We need to know he loves us. We need to know that he can identify with us. We need to know that he was tempted like we are, but he was victorious. We need to know that he can perfect us and make us the people that he wanted and designed us to be because of Calvary. And it's about invitation. No matter who you are, No matter what you've done, He invites you to open the door of your heart. Let Him in. Let Him in to take control. Trust Him with all your heart.