Tag: truecolors

TRUE COLORS: The Only Way

The Most Offensive – week 8

Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this eighth and final sermon in his series, True Colors.

Your citizenship in the kingdom of God makes all the difference in your salvation. There is only ONE way to go to Heaven and it is by totally trusting in Jesus.

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.”

5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:1-6 NASB1995

That is a pretty exclusive statement. When Jesus made that statement you could say one of three things about Him, He’s delusional, He’s a liar or He’s telling the truth.

If He’s delusional or a liar, then He’s not worthy to be followed. But if that statement is true, you’d best stake your life and eternity on who Jesus Christ is.

1. Jesus alone can restore our broken relationship with God.

Jesus is the Way to God

Our sin has made a separation between us and God. And Jesus says I am THE WAY, I alone can restore the broken relationship with God. No other religious leader, no other prophet can do that and you certainly can’t do it on your own.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5 NASB1995

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12 NASB1995

He gave us only ONE way to heaven, but we deserve NO way. Your citizenship in the kingdom of God is your salvation. There is one way to spell salvation and it is J E S U S!

2. Jesus alone can reveal the truth about God.

Jesus is the Truth

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 NASB1995

Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 14:9 NASB1995

What about those who have never heard the Gospel? Our natural light is not enough to save you, but it is enough to condemn you.

A. The revelation factor: All people have some light
    1. through the witness of Creation
    2. through the witness of conscience
         Romans 2:14-15
B. The refusal factor: Light refused increases darkness
You can’t stay morally neutral toward God. You either refuse or accept.
         Romans 1:21
C. The reception factor: Light obeyed increases light
Anyone who wants to hear the Gospel, will hear it because God will make it happen. He will move Heaven and Earth to get to you. He does it through His church. It’s our responsibility to pray, give and go!
         Romans 1:16

Every other religion is a false religion. Biblical Christianity is the only true faith and it is the only way to know God and to go to His heaven. Full stop. Period.

3. Jesus alone can give you the life you are longing for.

Jesus is the Life in God

Most people who seek God feel that something is missing. There’s guilt, shame a sense of loneliness and isolation.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

John 10:10 NASB1995

I came to give you the abundant life. This promise is not about abundance of THINGS. It’s about the abundance of Jesus in your life that helps you cope with problems. We are not promised a life with no problems. It’s the abundance of His power, His presence and His peace in the midst of all that’s going on in a world that’s gone nuts!

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Galatians 2:20 NASB2020

The abundant life is a life of confidence in God knowing that no matter how this world goes, you’re going to heaven. And Jesus offers it to you.

Watch the full sermon here:

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TRUE COLORS: The Promise of FREE

Socialism – week 7

Listen to this! Surprise included.

Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this seventh sermon in his series, True Colors.

32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. 36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),

Acts 4:32-36 NASB1995

Venezuela is proof that socialism is a bad idea with 96% of the citizens living below the poverty level. Socialism is more than a bad idea, but the Bible does have something to say about it.

Although socialism has never actually worked over a sustained period of time, many Americans seem to embrace, especially people under 30. Right now surveys say that 40% of the American public has a somewhat positive view of socialism, but startlingly the under 30 group 60% say it is very positive.

What is drawing a younger generation to socialism? First, the promise of FREE: free health care, free college tuition, ect. Let’s confront that with reality: nothing in life is free! It is an immutable law of the universe. It’s free to you because someone else paid for it.

Secondly, we need to face the reality that the church as failed the poor. When many people under the age of 30 look around, what they see many times is churches that seem to have plenty that don’t do anything to respond to the plight of the poor. Jesus talked about the poor and the Bible repeatedly tells us how to respond to those who have less.

1. What is Marxism?

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Acts 2:44-45

Some say the church is a socialist organization, based on Acts 2, but here are a couple of reasons why this argument is faulty.

  • They sold THEIR property. Private property is a protected right in the Bible.
  • They were GIVING is strictly voluntary. Socialism takes whereas Christianity gives.

Socialism is a softer word for Marxism. This philosophy is incideous It is beginning to work it’s way into every facet of our lives.

  • Marxism is anti-God. Marx was an atheist, calling religion the opiate to keep the masses from rising up. “He had the devil’s view of the world and the devil’s malignity. Sometimes he seemed to know that he was accomplishing the work of evil.” ~ Robert Payne
  • Marxism leads to dictatorship. Freedom and Marxism can not coexist for long. Socialist countries always move to stifle disagreement and dissent with the party line. They offer you free stuff, but the price of that free stuff is your freedom.
  • Marxism is divisive. Divide and conquer is a Marxist idea. Marx believed the only way he could succeed with his philosophy was to create a division between the oppressors and the oppressed. “In todays cultural Marxism in our country, the exploited divide is race. It is one of the reasons race relations are at a low ebb. No matter what the issue, when a Marxist can not logically confront an issue, when they realize their arguments are hollow and pointless, the always, and I mean always cry ‘It’s racism’.” ~Dr. David Jeremiah
  • Marxism is deadly. A conservative estimate of Marxism’s victims easily totals over 500,000,000 people, half a billion people, in the last century. There is no sustained example of a successful Marxist Socialist country.

Socialism has such a poor record of success that only an intellectual can accept it.

2. What is Cultural Marxism?

Dismantling the biblical family

They believe children belong to the state not parents.

Redistribution of wealth

The money belongs to the ‘people’ ie:government,  not individuals.

The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops.

2 Timothy 2:6 NASB1995

The goal is to centralize everything at the federal level.

  • Rejection of private property.
  • Defunding the Police
  • Re-writing History

4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. 5 He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

Joshua 4:4-7 NLT

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Isaiah 5:20 NASB2020

3. What does the Bible say about Marxism?

  • Christianity affirms the right of private property.
  • Marxism confiscates possession; Christianity cultivates generosity.

You shall not steal.

Exodus 20:15 NASB1995

18 Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink, and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every person to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also given him the opportunity to enjoy them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 NASB2020

Christianity affirms the dignity of work.

The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need.

Ephesians 4:28 NASB2020

Christianity teaches an equality of opportunity; Marxism creates an equality of misery.

Eventually, you run out of other people’s money.

Marxism removes people’s trust from God to government.

16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Revelation 13:16-17 NASB1995

If you want a utopia, Socialism will never deliver it, but Jesus will!

Watch the full sermon here:

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TRUE COLORS: Our Common Ancestry

Black and White – week 6

Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this sixth sermon in his series, True Colors.

Racism is rooted in ignorance. It is a reaction without facts and a prejudice based on outward appearances, but it is a reality in a sin-cursed world. A racist says that my ethnicity is superior to yours.

7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:7-10 NASB1995

1. God created one race – the human race.

There is only one race! We have a common ancestry.
The Bible doesn’t speak of different races, ethnos is ethnic groups.

There is no one who is beyond the scope of God’s grace. If you don’t get the beginning right,  you won’t get the ending right. We have a common family heritage in Adam and Eve.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27 NASB1995

Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.

Genesis 3:20 NASB1995

Racism is not compatible with the Christian life.

25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,

Acts 17:25-26 NKJV

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 3:14-15

2. Christians are responsible for bridging the racial divide.

Saying you are not a racist is the lowest possible bar you can set. The church is a preview of what heaven is going to be like. We are supposed to actively pursue unity, but we as a church aren’t doing a good job on that.

Root out and reject any lies that we have believed. These lies are demonic.

  • The curse of Ham: The only curse we are under is the curse of sin and that effects us all.
  • Interracial marriage is sinful: The prohibition was never racial, it was religious. We are to marry people who are spiritually compatible to you.

Learn to listen and show some compassion and empathy. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.

This is how you say it, I affirm, believe, and support the statement that black lives matter unequivocally, nevertheless I do not support the BLM organization. John 13:35.

A. B. Vines

We, as Christians, are called to actively seek to reconcile the differences between races. Racial reconciliation is not the gospel, but it is an outgrowth of the Gospel.

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 ESV

3. Biblical justice is a matter of equity.

Equality is different than equity.

Equity in Hebrew means level or straight.  It is rooted in truth and in fact. The Bible does not promise an equal outcome, which is equality.

And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.

Psalms 9:8 NASB1995

4. Racism flows out of sinful hearts, not systems.

Racism will not be eradicated by a system change. There may be systemic racism, but it flows from the sinful hearts within the system. All the regulations in the world can not change the human heart.

We don’t have a skin problem, we have a sin problem.

Tony Evans

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

1 John 2:2 NASB1995

Watch the full sermon here:

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TRUE COLORS: He Gave Them Over

The Rainbow Revolution – week 5

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Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this fifth sermon in his series, True Colors.

We are living in the midst of a seismic shift, a very real revolution in attitudes on the homosexual lifestyle. In 2004, 60% of the American public said they oppose same-sex marriage. Fast forward 15 years to 2019, and over 60% now favor same-sex marriage. That is a gigantic leap in cultural attitudes. Typically, cultures don’t change that fast.

Some of us now find ourselves on the visiting team and we have lost home field advantage. The culture is not with Evangelical Conservative Bible believing Christians on this topic.

There is a true generational gap in this particular sphere of thought. Those who came of age when this was perfectly acceptable look at it as a civil rights issue, not a scriptural issue.

Let’s explore what is happening in our world and explore this issue Biblically so that we thoroughly understand it. The best place for us to turn is Romans chapter 1 which is about the wrath of God.

The wrath of God is his righteous justice toward those who deserve eternal punishment. Sometimes that wrath is demonstrated actively like in Sodom and leads to destruction. But sometimes God’s wrath is passive and He takes His hand off of it. It’s not destruction, it’s disintegration. He abandons them and things just get worse and worse.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Pay attention to the phrase “God gave them over”.

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

Romans 1:18-28 NASB1995

We are in God’s wrath of abandonment.

We shall soon be in a world in which a man may be howled down for saying that two and two make four, in which people will persecute the heresy of calling a triangle a three-sided figure, and hang a man for maddening a mob with the news that grass is green.

G.K. Chesterton

Homosexual behavior is a sin before God. But you ask, what right do we have to say that it is a sin? Where does right and wrong come from?

1.  Who gets to say homosexuality is a sin?

Morality is rooted in the nature of God. God is good, loving, merciful, and just. His moral law is written into the fabric of creation. Somewhere deep inside you, you know right from wrong.

Morality is written in the Word of God. God allows His law to flow out of His righteous character and He reveals that to us in His written Word. He is a good God who wants His creation to have a good, joyful, meaningful and purposeful life. God says it and we affirm it.

Morality is not what the polls say it is, it’s what the Bible says. You surrender your own personal morality when you become a Christian. Right and wrong are not a matter of opinion, they are a matter of fact. Only God gets to say what is right and wrong.

Homosexuality is not the core of our rebellion against God; a desire to be God is. A desire to be the one who gets to declare good and evil, and play judge rather than be judged.

Rosaria Butterfield, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

We want to make up the rules for ourselves. When said I am a follower of Jesus, you surrendered your right to make moral choices for yourself. Jesus is the one who guides our choices and we don’t get to make it up as we go along.

2. How did we get here as a culture?

Th attitudes of our culture have been transformed in the last 50 years. You don’t get to a rainbow revolution unless you first have a sexual revolution.

It began in the 60’s with free love. The essence of the sexual revolution was to unhinge the Biblical order of love. The God ordained order is Marriage, Sex and Babies. The sexual revolution changed the order and diminished the sacred institution of marriage.

Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

Hebrews 13:4 NASB1995

God says marriage is a holy sacred institution. Marriage is the picture of Christ and the church, so diminishing marriage cheapens Christ’s relationship with us. We cheapened marriage and the church willfully went along. When we did, we opened the door for God to give them over.

3. What does God say about homosexuality?

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Romans 1:26-27

You have to do some serious gymnastics to say that this verse does not communicate to us that God rejects homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle. There are four words in this passage; degrading, unnatural, indecent and error; that all communicate to us where God is on this issue. And this is not the only verse that speaks about this.

You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination.

Leviticus 18:22 NASB1995

If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them.

Leviticus 20:13 NASB1995

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NASB1995

The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching

1 Timothy 1:10 NLT

The Bible is VERY CLEAR that homosexual behavior is a sin. But this is not a new sin. In Rome at the time that Paul wrote Romans, there were a large number of homosexual couples. And he still spoke against it.

It is not what you are drawn to that is the sin, it is the behavior that is the sin. No one chooses the sin they struggle with.

Some of us struggle with addictions, anger, anxiety and others struggle with same sex attraction. It is not what you are tempted by, it is your behavior that becomes the violation of God’s moral code.

There is a difference between struggling against temptation and surrendering to it. Just because you are drawn toward an action doesn’t make it right.

APPLICATION:

  1. All sex outside of biblical marriage is a sin.
  2. Lesbians and Gays are not a “problem to be solved”, but people who need love.
  3. It is not a sin to be tempted, it is a sin to give in to temptation.
  4. Don’t give up on a friend who says they are LGBT.

God still changes hearts and lives and can change sexual desires.

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 NASB1995

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TRUE COLORS: Gender Identity

Pink and Blue – week 4

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Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this fourth sermon in his series, True Colors.

So how we as a church and Christians speak to these hot button topics? We want to think like God thinks. So are we going to compromise or stand on your conviction? The world is saying you either compromise or we will cancel you and crush you.

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 NASB1995

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:18-25 NASB1995

Your unique DNA determined your gender.

1.  The creator determined my gender at conception.

The two distinct binary genders are God’s design. Sex and gender are not two separate things.

  • From the moment of conception, your DNA determined your gender.
  • Every cell of your body has your gender chromosome (XX or XY)
  • This agenda is a satanic assault to undermine your trust in your creator.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Isaiah 5:20 NASB1995

God made you and God doesn’t make mistakes!

God made you a boy or a girl. Rejoice in that! You are deeply loved by your creator! Much of the pushback against that very thought is our rebellion against God. You were fashioned by the creator of the universe on purpose for a purpose! He love you and formed you AS YOU ARE.

On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

Romans 9:20 NASB1995

“Follow the science”

2. The culture that cries “follow the science” denies science when it comes to gender.

How did we get here? For centuries gender has been treated as simple anatomy. The shift in the culture is that gender has moved from biology to psychology in this culture.

Gender is no longer biology, but rather psychology

Gender Dysphoria Disorder was considered a mental illness until 2014. The American Psychiatric Association dropped the “disorder” because it “hurt peoples feelings”. At best, if you were born one gender and think you are another, you are confused. Let’s be compassionate toward those who are confused, because the teenage years were confusing for all of us on some level.

It is a mental illness to believe you are something you are not. We should treat people with mental illness with compassion not ridicule.

During puberty, it’s normal to be confused and that’s when the Devil pounces and draws those away. If they are left to grow through puberty, they will ultimately settle into their own skin. (98% in boys and 88% in girls)

And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

Matthew 19:4 NASB1995

There are only two binary genders; not a wide spectrum.

Genetics can’t be changed but feelings will change. Hormones and surgery may change the outward appearance, but it doesn’t change you at the cellular level.

3. God made each gender distinct, but equal.

God said I will make Adam a ‘helper’. The Hebrew word for helper means to come alongside.

God made Eve from a rib in Adam’s side. She was not made from a bone in his foot so that he would trample over her. She was not made from a bone in his head so that she would be superior to him. She was taken from his side, that she might to walk side by side with him.

~ Anonymous

Even though there are two distinct genders, they are different but equal in value.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28 NASB1995

4. Transgender people are not enemies to be destroyed, but people who need love.

Transgender transitioning does not heal the hurt in people’s hearts

  • We need to respond to transgender people with compassion. 
  • They want to escape pain and hide from the past.
  • The answer is not surgical it’s a Savior.
  • They don’t need transition, they need transformation.

Transgender people may be deeply confused, but they are not criminals

Many are stigmatized, people correlate transgender with child molesters. Don’t assume they have committed a crime. As Christians we need to treat people with compassion and dignity.

Are you trying to win the argument or are you trying to win over the person to the truth of God’s love? It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance and just maybe it is our kindness that opens the door for someone else to repent.

Transitioning doesn’t change the person inside. It’s not a journey to a different person, the trauma and hurt don’t leave because you look differently. What we need is not transition but transformation! These are people who desperately need love.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB1995

These are people who do not need a transition of their gender, but a transformation of their soul and the gospel is the answer! The love of God will change everything.

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TRUE COLORS: Why Life Matters

Abortion – week 3

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Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this third sermon in his series, True Colors.

13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Psalms 139:13-16 NASB1995

1.  Because ALL human life has intrinsic value.

  • Intrinsic value is the value of something or someone in and of itself. Every person has innate value and potential.
  • All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.
  • We are made in the image of God. We are stamped by our Creator with His image.

Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.

Genesis 9:6 NASB1995
  • Every person, regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability has value.
  • God thought you were worth it to send His Son to die for you.

2. Because a baby in the womb is a human life.

  • From the moment of conception, a fetus is a complete human being.
  • ‘Fetus’ in Latin means little one. It’s a term of endearment in Latin.
  • It’s hard to convince someone that what they believe is a lie.

‘Fetus’ in Latin means little one.

  a. We have believed the lie of abortion as population control.

  • It’s not that there are too many children, it’s that there are far too few parents.
  • The children are not the problem, they are the victims.
  • The answer is not abortion, it is adoption. Christians need to activate to take care of these children.

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Psalms 127:3 NASB1995

  b. We have believed a lie that unborn babies are less than human.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

Luke 1:39–44
  • Jesus is still a zygote at this point and yet Elizabeth calls Him my Lord.
  • From the moment of conception, the DNA is already established for that specific human being, from their sex to their hair and eye color.

  c. We have believed the lie of “my body, my choice”.

  • A baby is not a body part. It’s not like a liver, kidney or appendix.
  • There is not a single cell in that child that matches the mother’s DNA. It has it’s own unique DNA.

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB1995

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Proverbs 31:8-9 NLT

3. Because God has a purpose for every life.

  • God created every human life on purpose for a purpose.

4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 NASB1995
  • You were in the heart of God before you were ever conceived.
  • God has a purpose for you. Life matters because God has a purpose for every single life.

It’s NOT a sin that God can’t forgive

4. Because only God can remove the guilt and shame of abortion.

  • There are people who have made a very bad choice or encouraged someone to make the choice to abort a child. But God loves those who have made the choice for an abortion.
  • Abortion may be a sin you can’t forget, it is NOT a sin that God can’t forgive.
  • Abortion has two victims, the baby who’s has been killed and the mother who made the choice.

He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Micah 7:19 ESV

It is a sin that lingers, but there is mercy and grace for you. God says “I will remember it no more”.

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 8:12 ESV

Jesus died on the cross not just for all kinds of sinners, but also all kinds of sins.

Watch the full sermon here.

Here is another resource for anyone who needs it… https://fbcwf.org/recovery/

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TRUE COLORS: Authentic Self

Identity – week 2

Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on current social issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. Here are my notes from this second sermon in his series, True Colors.

The deepest truth about you what is God says about you. We all live with absolute truth except in the area of morality where we want it to be negotiable.

1.  We were created on purpose for a purpose.

  • The God who created the universe also created you. You are not an accident. He planned you from the foundation of time itself.
  • You have a unique stamp on you, the image of God. It’s not about your appearance, but your character.  Every human life has dignity.
  • Your life has meaning because God formed and created you.
  • You have a purpose. You are an integral part.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:26-27 NASB1995

2. We are deeply flawed and fallen in sin.

  • Sin is always self destructive. It is always pleasurable, but the pleasure of sin is short lived but the regret lasts much longer. God says don’t do that, you’ll hurt yourself.
  • Sin separates us from our creator, God. We are helpless and hopeless to do anything to fix it. Only Jesus can bring us back into His presence.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Romans 5:12 NASB1995

But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Isaiah 59:2 NASB1995

3. We are lavishly loved beyond measure.

  • I can not adequately express how much God loves you. He made you unique and special with great potential.
  • God translated His love into action by sending Jesus to die for us sinners.
  • He gave up His most precious Son to save you!

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:6-8 NASB1995

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:1 NIV

On a cross, God gave His very best so that people like us, rebels like us, sinners like us, could be forgiven and set free. That’s what God did for you.

You want to know the truth about yourself? You were created in the image of God. Your life has worth and meaning and dignity. God created every race, every skin color, every language group and every ethnicity. There is only one race on this planet and it’s the human race.

God made you and we made the choice to rebel against Him. You’re fatally flawed and fallen in sin. And you need somebody to help you, to rescue you. God himself took the initiative to do just that by sending His Son to die the death that sin demanded so you could have a relationship with God.

Find your true authentic self in Jesus. Admit you are a sinner, Believe that Jesus died in your place and confess He is your Savior.

Watch the full sermon here.

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TRUE COLORS: The Gold Standard

Absolute Truth – week 1

LISTEN to TRUE COLORS; The Gold Standard with Pastor Bob McCartney

Many churches today are not brave enough to answer the tough questions about life, culture and scripture. How do we follow Christ in a society that is collapsing?

A generation is begging that the church would speak to issues like gender, abortion, LGBTQ, racism and socialism. They are desperately seeking answers on how to honor Christ and walk with Him in this century? How do we navigate life in this culture as a Christ follower?

Therefore I love Your commandments Above gold, yes, above fine gold.

Psalms 119:127 NASB1995

Pastor Bob McCartney gave a sermon series on these issues this fall highlighting the truth found in the Bible. He stated that we need to start at the beginning, the gold standard of truth. He shows us that the Bible speaks directly to all of these issues. Here are my notes from this sermon.

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

John 17:14-17 NASB1995

1. The current culture is hostile toward anyone who affirms truth.

We are at odds with the world, the controlling culture, around us. He gave us the word and the world hated us.

“We have lost home field advantage.”

Pastor Tony Evans
  • You are going to be outnumbered when you are on the visiting team and you will be booed.
  • The culture defines truth as personal perspective. – “Speak your truth. “

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25 NASB1995
  • The culture defines truth by the collective community.
  • Truth of the collective community is the tyranny of whoever has the microphone.

2. Followers of Jesus embrace the stand of absolute truth.

The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.

Psalms 119:160 NASB1995
  • Biblical truth is universal.
  • It is true for all people,  every culture,  all the time.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

John 8:32 NASB1995
  • Biblical truth is unchanging.
  • Some things are always right and some things are always wrong.  The Bible should guide every response  to a culture in chaos.

Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 14:6 NASB1995

Watch the full sermon here.

Pastor Bob McCartney, Senior Pastor – First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls, TX
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