And truly that's what we need is our eyes to be open, our ears to be attentive to the word of God, to see the things that God would have us to see. And to do that, we need to open our heart. The Bible talks so much about the heart and the heart to be soft and tender and open to the things of God's word. And so in the message this morning, One of the great needs in our society today is to have our eyes open and our ears open and our hearts receptive to God's word. We're going to go to Leviticus chapter 18. Leviticus chapter 18 and verse 22. The Bible is very clear here in stating Leviticus chapter 18 verse 22, thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is abomination. Then it's repeated again in chapter 20 and verse 13. If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, Both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." There's just recently an article that came out in the New York Times, July the 21st, 2018, called The Secret History of Leviticus. And Dr. Aydin Dershowitz He is, the article said, Dr. Showitz is a biblical scholar. They didn't give any credentials, nothing, just said he's a biblical scholar. And here's what he said, quote, about this secret history of Leviticus. He said, quote, like many ancient texts, Leviticus was created gradually over a long period and includes the words of more than one writer. Many scholars, and he doesn't say who they are, many scholars believe that the section in which Leviticus 18 appears was added by a comparatively late author, editor. Perhaps one who worked more than a century after the oldest material in the book was composed. An earlier edition of Leviticus then may, notice the may, then may have been silent on the matter of sex between men. A lot more that he said in the article, but his thing is that we really can't depend upon the book of Leviticus to be from God because Some man may have written this part in Leviticus 18 based upon his own prejudices. Well, it's a well-established fact that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. That's very well established. I just want to read you, and I'm going to read the whole thing. I hope you'll bear with me because of the fact that this is going out over the Internet. So I want the whole thing to be there, so I hope you'll do that and listen attentively. This is from J. Sidlow Baxter and his Explore the Book that he wrote in 19, well it was published in 1960, but J. Sidlow Baxter, he was trained for the ministry in Spurgeon's College. And here's what he says, again and again in these studies, and starting out here in the first of his book to go through the book of Genesis, he says, again and again in these studies, we shall briefly but carefully consider questions of authorship relating to different parts of scripture. In the long drawn out battle between theological modernism and evangelical conservatism, The biggest, as it was the first, of Bible authorship controversies has been about the authorship of the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible which is well established were written by Moses. He goes on to say, is it mosaic or is it a mosaic? You know, a mosaic is where they take these pieces of glass, marble, precious stones, and they take the little pieces and stick them, glue them together, and make a mosaic. Well, that's what he's asking. Was it written by Moses, or is it just a book of bits and pieces? He goes on to say, to attempt a commensurate review here is beyond our scope. Perhaps, however, it is scarcely needful for a point is now reached historically where the controversy may be seen in a comprehensive silhouette and results may be safely judged. We believe it fair to say that the main arguments for the mosaic authorship remain unshaken. Those for composite and later authorship are now largely fallen to pieces. This is forcibly indicated in the following quotation from Sir Charles Marston. And he says, quote, it is quite possible that portions of some of the books of the Old Testament are derived from either document. but to suppose that a cut and dried method could be found of isolating them, which nevertheless was entirely useless for our contemporary literature, imposed a considerable strain on anyone's credulity. It raised the questions as to how and when the original books of the Old Testament were written. And above all, it raised questions of the literary facilities possessed by the Israelites from the time of Moses onward. The critical methods met these questions by assuming that the Hebrews were more or less illiterate. The assumption has completely broken down. It will be seen from the archaeological evidence that the Israelites had, from the time of Moses onwards, at least three alphabetical scripts. First, what is known as the Sinai Hebrew. Next, what is known as the Phoenician Hebrew. And lastly, after the captivity in Babylon, what is known as the Assyrian Hebrew. Those facts entirely changed the whole literary problem. Oral transmission becomes inadmissible. And the theory of the institution and adoption of the Mosaic ritual many centuries after the time of Moses becomes grotesque and absurd in the light of what we now know of this time. So Joe, period, E period, and P period, The supposed authors of the Pentateuch are becoming mere phantom scribes and fetishes of the imagination. They have made Old Testament study unattractive. They have wasted our time. And they have warped and confused our judgments on outside evidence. It has been assumed that they possess some sort of prescriptive right and authority superior to the sacred text. In the clear light that science is casting, these shadows that have dimmed our days of study and devotion are silently stealing away. Basically what we see there is that it's well established that Moses wrote the first five books. I was watching a debate between a homosexual who claimed he was a Christian and he's written a book and another man who's a Christian and believes in the literal interpretation of the Bible. We must take the Bible for just what it says. And so he would ask the other man, he would say, but the Bible says very clearly here and here and here and the words of Jesus and what Jesus taught is very clear. Well, the other man, he would say, well, yes, yes, but In the day and time that we live, we have to kind of rationalize what he was saying. We just need to go beyond what the Bible says and go along with our own feeling and how we feel. And that is not the case in the Bible. Well, Dr. Deshowitz says that We don't know about the authorship of this book and he's taking it as though this is the major passage in this sure on the issue. Well we need to realize that Leviticus does come down very hard on the sin of sex of homosexuality in verses 24 if you go back to verse 18 chapter 18 pardon me of Leviticus. In verse 24, it says, defile not yourselves in any of these things. In any of these things, there's many things that he mentioned there in this chapter. It comes down to the sins of pornography, the sins of incest and adultery, and all these things are covered in this chapter. And he says, defile not ye yourselves in any of these things, for in all these things and nations are defiled which I cast out before you. And the land is defiled, therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself abomineth out her inhabitants. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments and shall not commit any of these abominations. neither any of your own nation or any stranger that sojourneth among you. For all these abominations have the men of the land done which were before you, and the land is defiled, that the land spew not you out also when you defile it as it spewed out the nations that were before you. For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations Even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people. Therefore shall you keep mine ordinance that you commit not any one of these abominable customs. This abomination keeps coming up. Which were committed before you and that you defile not yourselves therein. I am the Lord your God. Now I've read the book of Leviticus time and time again. I can't tell you how many times. been multiple times that I've read the book of Leviticus through the years and the book reads very well to me that it's all following by one author and that God is speaking in this book in the things that he desired for his people and that he wants us to do. Very clear. It doesn't read as it's a piece together, that it's a mosaic in the sense that it's little bits and pieces put together. It is a book that is written to us from God. But it's not the only writing in the scripture that we have concerning this issue. There's much more. It's not the only book. Let's look at some other scriptures. Let's go to Genesis chapter 13. And we'll look at some things this morning in Genesis chapter 13 and verse 13. It says, but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. Now the Bible in this passage doesn't say what the sin is, but the best interpreter of the Bible is to let the Bible interpret itself. These men of solemn were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. So let's look in Chapter 19. Let's see what their sin was in Chapter 19 verse 1. And there came two angels to Sodom and even and lot sat in the gate of Sodom and lot seeing them rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. Remember now these angels are coming to warn lot that God is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wicked sin. And notice it says in verse two and he said behold now my Lord's turn and I pray you into your servant's house and carry all night and wash your feet and you shall rise up early and go on your ways and they and they said nay but we will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house. And he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, come past the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter. And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us that we may know them. Now, if we stopped right there, we could say that the men of Sodom just wanted to meet these men and know who they were. But we read on in the context here, and Lot went out at the door unto them and shut the door after him and said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. Now, if we just want to know somebody to get acquainted with them, That's not wicked. The wickedly here, this word no has the meaning of they wanted to know them sexually. Behold now, Bot says, 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 it is good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. We often think about why could Lot offer his two daughters. That's so sad that he would turn his two daughters over to these wicked men and let them abuse them through the night. Why, that's terrible. But you see, Sodom was so wicked that Lot felt he had to do something here to save their lives. Because if he didn't do something, these men would probably have killed Lot and his family. and tried to take those men, the angels that came in. Well, Lot also was not at peace. close to the Lord as he should have been. We know that from reading the scripture. But we see here that the wickedness was homosexuality. That was the wickedness that we read of Genesis chapter 13 and verse 13 where it says, the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. This is an exceeding sin, this sin of homosexuality as it is written in the scripture. Let's go back to the book of Jude in chapter 7. We're looking now at many scriptures that bring to light the danger of homosexuality. Look in Jude chapter 7, Jude verse 7, there's only one chapter, Jude verse 7. And here the Bible brings out to us very clearly in 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 an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. God destroyed them as an example of what he will do to nations who submit to this horrible sin of homosexuality. Second Peter, that's what you think, preacher. No, I'm just reading you what the Bible says. The issue is not between the homosexual and me. The issue is between the homosexual and God. Second Peter, chapter 2, and verses 6 through 8. Second Peter, chapter 2, verses 6 through 8. Here it says, and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample, and that's an example, unto those that after should live ungodly. So the sin that Sodom and Gomorrah was involved in is ungodly. homosexuality is ungodly, according to the word of God. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation, that old word conversation there, the old English word means manner of living, the way he lived. Lot had developed a lot of the sins of Sodom, and if you read in Ezekiel 16, it was not only the sin of homosexuality, but it was also the sin of pride, and fullness and selfishness. And Lot had developed a lot of those things, the sins that are mentioned there in Ezekiel 16. A filthy conversation wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them and seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. And so the Bible tells us here that, again, ungodly comes out very clearly. History records that any nation or empire that has developed homosexuality, when homosexuality has become prevalent, it's always been around. Since the fall of man, we have dealt with this sin of homosexuality. But when it becomes more prevalent, those nations have declined. That's historical fact. Any nation that yields to homosexuality and it becomes prevalent, those nations decline. And those empires, that is history. Let's look at some more scriptures. We're not done. Deuteronomy chapter 23. Deuteronomy chapter 23 and verse 17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel. Notice. Reference to the daughters nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel Notice the difference there that the sodomite was the sons that given to homosexuality men with men Doing that that is not right first Kings chapter 15 first Kings chapter 15 In first Kings chapter 15 verse 11 and And Isa did that which was right. Notice that he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David, his father. And so he's doing the right thing. So what did he do? He took away the sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And so what appears to us here in the scripture, you realize that we live in the period of grace. We're not under the law, we're not under grace. We don't advocate killing the homosexuals. We advocate winning them to Jesus Christ. And that will change your life. And notice here, it says, he took away the sodomites. So, if he did that which was right, then the sodomites here, by him taking them away, they were wrong. That's right clear in the scripture. They were wrong. Look in chapter 14. First Kings here and verse 24 First Kings chapter 14 and verse 24 and there were also Sodomites in the land and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and So all those things were mentioned in Leviticus 18, the sodomites did. They were wrong. Chapter 22. Chapter 22 and verse 46. There is no way in the word of God Not any way, shape or form that you can justify lesbianism or homosexuality. You cannot justify it in the scripture. It is wrong. It is sin. Not a disease. It is a sin according to God's word. And notice here in chapter 22 verse 46. and the remnant of the Sodomites which remain in the days of his father. This is Jehoshaphat King Jehoshaphat the remained in the days of his father Asa. He took out of the land that Jehoshaphat was one of the kings that tried to do right before the Lord. He did have some compromising problems but he did that was right. And so in doing right. He takes out the sodomites. That means that the sodomites were wrong. Very clearly in the scripture. Look in 2 Kings chapter 23. 2 Kings chapter 23 and verse 7. This is King Josiah who is another king who tried to do right and do the right thing before God. It says in here in chapter 23 verse 7 and he break down the houses of the sodomites that were by the house of the Lord where the women wove hangings for the grove. Verse 3 up there says and the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord. to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. So he was trying to do right before the Lord and doing right before the Lord. He breaks down the houses of the Sodomites again clear scripture that this sin of homosexuality is Wrong mean that's clear in the script can't get around it. Let's go to Amos chapter 4 Amos chapter 4 Hosea Joel Amos Chapter 4 verses 11 and 12 I Have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning, yet have ye not returned unto me. So they weren't following the Lord. And so he overthrew them like he did Sodom and Gomorrah, which is clear then that Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't following the Lord. Sayeth the Lord, verse 12, therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel, and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel, Someday, we are all going to stand before God. And God's Word is very clear that He will judge us according to His Word. And in His Word, He's made it clear that homosexuality is a sin. It is wrong. And every reference that we come to, it is never justified. It is wrong. Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 and beginning in verse 21. It says because that when they knew God They glorified him not as God neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and Their foolish heart was darkened professing themselves to be wise They became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature More than the Creator. Boy, that's sure an apt description of evolution right there. Who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. Not good affections. Vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. Likewise also the men Leaving the natural use of the woman you study the New Testament Jesus made it very clear that he in the beginning It was one man one woman. That's the way God did it. He created Adam and Eve. He didn't create the man and then say I'm going to give you some more men to choose from and we give you some women I'll give you women some to know it was one man one moment and they too shall be one place that's the way God set it up that's the way he created us and that's what we are supposed to follow it says in verse twenty seven likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their last one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was me. Oh, we hear so much today about how the homosexuals are being so mistreated and so misjudged. And why don't we hear about the chicken hawks? The hawk is a reference to the homosexual. The chicken is a child. He's, what he's doing is he's hunting and seeking children to pervert the chicken hawks. Why don't we hear about the crimes that homosexuals are committing? Many, many crimes committed by the homosexuals. They are an evil group. But we hear about, oh, it's just love. Why don't we hear more about AIDS? And you can, there are a lot of people who have AIDS who got it innocently. But AIDS is a disease that came about through homosexuality. There's no getting around that. And we don't hear these things. We don't hear this unseemly part, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was meat. Receiving in themselves that recompense of their error. Boy, that brings out about AIDS. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and that's just the way it is, you try to tell a homosexual today that this is what God's word says, and they're going to rationalize around it, they're going to try to get away from it, and they're going to think that you are being too harsh and judgmental. That's what the Bible says here, that even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. Reprobate mind is a mind that won't endure the truth. You can give them proof, you can show them what the Bible says, but they will reject the truth. I gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, and that word has the meaning of not to be appeased, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. I know that not all homosexuals are evil people. I understand that. And I will be criticized as a hate monger for bringing this message. But I'm just telling you what the Bible says. The word of God is very clear in what it says. And I don't hate homosexuals. I hope that they can be reached with the gospel and be saved and not have to spend an eternity in a lake of fire. 1 Corinthians chapter 6, 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 9 and 10, in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, 9 and 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God." The Bible is very clear. One of the Major reasons that I believe we are living in the last days and we're living in the days when Jesus Christ could soon return is this very thing of how the sin of homosexuality is not only a national sin for us in America, it's around the world. The city of Tel Aviv in Israel is considered by some to be the homosexual capital of the world, right in Israel. Around the world, the problem has become that the homosexuals are surfacing and demanding, just like they did back in the days there of Lot, they're demanding their rights. They're demanding that everybody bow to them. They're demanding that if you say anything against it, You are a hate monger. And they're demanding that we succumb to their wishes and allow them to take our children and abuse them if they want to. Well, I believe that's a major reason that we are in the last days. Let's look at another scripture in the book of Luke, chapter 17. Luke chapter 17. And verse 28. The Bible says here, Jesus was speaking. He said, likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. Everything was going along okay. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Like it was in the days of Lot, it will be in the days of when Jesus returns. Well, when we look at the way it was in the days of Lot, that's the way it is today. And the homosexuals are coming more and more demanding to be recognized, demanding to be accepted, demanding. Now we've come to the point where we have same-sex marriage. Just listen here to a couple of things. And this has been going on now for some time. This article was written a few years back. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, deacons of the Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church have recommended the church license to the gospel ministry and admitted homosexual. The church's deacon body voted on February 3, 1547 against and one abstention. To recommend the church license John Blevins, 24, a third year divinity student at Duke University in nearby Durham. The church council now will consider the matter and set a date for a congregational meeting according to Pastor Linda Jordan. That's the Baptist church. And Chapel Hill Church's announcement comes on the heels of of news in January about a neighboring Raleigh Church, Poland Memorial Baptist, which is considering sanctioning the relationship between two gay men akin to marriage. The congregation is meeting in small groups to determine whether to act on the two men's request. This has been several years ago, and of course now we know back there in 2015, I think it was, when they Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. It's all coming down the line. We're getting further and further in this thing. Here's another one back in 1975. New York, the Episcopal Bishop of New York says that many clergymen in his church have been homosexual and that the ordination of an avowed lesbian as a deacon in the church is a sign of a healthy change. You see, we've been moving in this direction for some time, and it has escalated to now where we are not supposed to say anything against same-sex marriage, we're not supposed to say anything against homosexuality. But when I was called into ministry, I was called to preach the Word of God, and that's what I'm going to do. This is not what Floyd Radebaugh says this morning, this is what the Bible says. Homosexuality is a sin, it's an abomination, and God will judge the nations that give heed to it and allow it to prosper and allow it to be placed as a human right thing, civil right, instead of a sin that it is. And when we get back to the word of God, which is the need for America, the Bible is very clear. God will bless us, 2 Chronicles 7, 14. I want to take you to one last scripture in 2 Timothy chapter 3. Dr. Dershowitz needs to come back to this scripture. 2 Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect through the furnished unto all good works. We have the, I didn't bring a copy of it up here, but we have on the CDs the eight messages that I preached on how we got our Bible. And when you go through that and you hear how we got our Bible, you realize that these 66 books of the Bible stand as the Word of God. There's no question about that. This is the Word of God. And it stands. The grass withereth, the flower thereof fadeth, but the Word of our God shall stand forever. And this is the Word of God. It's given to us to guide our lives. And if you're going to be pleasing to God in this area of homosexuality and lesbianism, then it must be rejected. It must be rejected and turned from. First John 1, 9, if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The Bible is very clear that homosexuality is a sin. And no, we will not allow homosexuals to be a member of our church. They can come, very welcome to come and to hear the word of God preached in hopes that they will see the sin and repent and turn from it. And most of all, that they will see their need of Christ and to ask him to forgive them of their sin and to save them and to be washed clean from their sin through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 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. So there you have the scripture, and I just felt led of the Lord to do that when I heard about Dr. Deshowitz's article of the secret history of Leviticus. There is no secret history. It's out in the open for all of us to read. was written by Moses under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and God's word is true, and we need to stand by it. Let's pray. Father, we do thank you for your word to guide us. Thank you for the blessings that we have in Christ Jesus. And Father, we do not hate, as you well know here at Calvary, we do not hate homosexuals, lesbians. It's our hope and desire that they will see the truth of God's word. and repent of the sin and turn from it, they might have God's blessings upon their life. Most of all, that they might know the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive him as Lord and Savior. Father, we are so thankful for your word to guide us. We're thankful that all the things that we have, the life that we're able to live, been given to us by you, that you have given us all of these good things and to sustain life. And then you gave us your word to guide us through this sin-darkened world and to bring us through and to give us eternal life. You did it all through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We thank you for it. We pray that each one here will make sure that they know Christ as their Savior and will get it settled today. We thank you, we love you, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's stand together. We're going to sing an invitation song. Maybe you're here with us this morning and you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior. The Bible teaches that hell is real.