HOW TO DEAL WITH HOMOSEXUALS IN THE CHURCH

You hear this more and more lately, pastors who are saying that they are proud to have homosexuals in their church. Like Hillsong Senior Pastor Brian Houston, who the other day responded to the rumor that the New York City Campus has an openly gay couple directing the choir. He said:

"Hillsong's position on homosexuality and gay marriage has not changed and is consistent with Scripture. As I have stated previously, I believe the writings of Paul are clear on this subject. Several months ago when one of our choir directors made an unexpected public statement regarding his engagement to a man who sometimes sang in the choir, it was a complete surprise to us as well," Houston says.

"It is my understanding that they have not been involved in an active leadership or ministry role since," he continues. "That said, we still love them and acknowledge that they—like all of us—are on a journey, and our role as a church is to assist them on this journey with grace and compassion."
But the writings of the apostle Paul says, that instead of being proud of having practicing homosexuals in the church and assisting them on their journey with grace and compassion, we should be mourning in sorrow and shame, because those who are insisting on living in the sin of homosexuality, which falls under the category of sexual immorality, must be removed from the church fellowship and handed over to Satan!

The purpose of church discipline is to save the sinner: "That his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus returns." It is designed to "wake the
sinner up" to the eternal death he is facing unless he repents!

We should realize that sin like this is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough. That is why we need to get rid of the old “yeast” by removing wicked people from among the church. Then the church will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast! Christ is our Passover Lamb that has been sacrificed for us. Therefore we celebrate Him, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth! The church will be without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault!

For this reason, the apostle Paul also wrote:

“I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.  I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

“Don’t you realize that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit the Kingdom of God?”

The church should have homosexuals testify that once they were sinners like that. But now they are cleansed, made holy and made right with God because they called on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Spirit who saved them and set them free!!!

1. Corinthians 5:1-13, Ephesians 5:27, 1. Corinthians 6:9-11