Homosexuality and the Church

This past Sunday at Orangewood, we began an new Equipping Center series called UNTOUCHABLES.  The hope is to address a controversial topic each week that is often times avoided by the church.  For the first week we had Alan Chambers from Exodus International to address the topic of homosexuality and the Church.  It was fantastic.  I am posting the mp3 recording from the morning as well as some of my own notes I took while listening to Alan.  So here's the notes in, albeit a bit unorganized from me...

• Exodus International started in the 1970's during the "Sexual Revolution."  Good for them for getting in on the issue at the outset, not years later.



• In response to his own struggle with homosexuality, Alan Chambers said he did not choose.  This was unwanted.  It's not like he woke up one day and decided to be gay.



• Exodus has made a choice to reach churches, not just individuals.  They feel if they can reach the churches and unleash them then the issue can really see some redemption.



• Alan came to see God's ability and grace to love him in his darkest hour



• The church is a bunch of "FORMERS"--we all have something we "used to be."  We need to keep this in mind.



• Alan longed to be healed and free.



• His initial draw to the homosexual life was because of the gay COMMUNITY.  Though it was a "counterfeit" it was better than anything he had experienced up until that point. 



• The gay community, a bar, etc. sometimes meet people's needs better than most churches.  They offer some sense of connectedness and love.



• The church has not always married TRUTH and GRACE.



• We should be 100% truth and 100% grace.  Need both.



• Controversy for the sake of the Gospel is a mandate.



• Church is called to repent and recommit regarding this issue.
  • Repent of our own immorality
  
  
  
  • Repent of our hostility towards the homosexual community--anger can help, but hostility will only destroy
  
  
  
  • Repent of being intimidated by the gay rights movement and reclaim our prophetic voice in the world



• It is KINDNESS that leads to REPENTANCE. 



• The depth of our honesty is the depth of our healing and redemption--with all issues we face.



• Vulnerability is courageous and brave.



• Three types of homosexuals:
  • Militant--they do not represent the gay community, but like the "crazy" Christians that don't represent us, the militant types are the 1%.
  
  
  
  • Moderate--they are more like us than we want to admit.  We are called to be an ambassador.  These are our neighbors.  We should care for them and be friends.  Who will they turn to when a crisis happens?  Strive to be the person they would turn to.  Commit to the "long journey" with them. 
  
  
  
  • Repentant--those who want to find freedom.  Those in our churches who are looking for people to engage in their story and love them with grace and point them towards truth.



• Lastly, Alan shared why he left homosexuality, and it was extremely profound...HE DID NOT LEAVE HOMOSEXUALITY BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS SO BAD, BUT BECAUSE HE FOUND SOMETHING BETTER.

Download alan_chambers___exodus_international_1.mp3