7. Communicate hope and healing, not just hatred.

Preachers happen to say some of the dumbest or meanest things when they mention sex in their sermons. I can tell you stories of what people have told me. The one I wish I could personally undo was a comment I once made incidentally about homosexuality. I said “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” My congregation chuckled and of course, I felt kind of proud of myself. Looking back, I now ask God to forgive me for how I said what I said. I was not thinking of how it was heard by some who struggle with that temptation who were listening. What was a homosexual person feeling inside when my congregation now laughed at them? Did I offer any hope? No, I offered a simplistic and negative comment. Would they have come to me for counseling, based on what I blurted out casually? No way.

Most sermons on abortion, homosexuality, promiscuity, or pornography leave the impression that God is totally and utterly disgusted with the person who does it. Rarely is there any mention of mercy for molesters, forgiveness for fornication, purity from pornography, or hope after homosexuality. It’s usually only negative.

For some reason, preachers publicly denounce sex as the worst sin. Why? God hates all sin, not just sexual sin. Why do we choose to be so hateful about sex? Richard Gere plays the role of a wealthy businessman with Julia Roberts playing the role of a sleezy prostitute in the movie “Pretty Woman”. Remember what he said as he reflected on his life as compared to her life: “ You know, we do have a lot in common after all, don’t we? Both of us screw people for money.” Oh, how I wish preachers would remember that! Why do we ignore non-sexual sins in preaching? Why do we elevate sexual sin above all the rest? God doesn’t, so why do we? We have a variety of people in churches who screw people for money in lots of ways.

In John 4, Jesus preaches to the woman at the well. He doesn’t rant and rave on and on and on (as we do) about her previous and current sexual sin – but He also shares the good news that she can be forgiven, changed, and made new again. Jesus offers hope to the promiscuous woman in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus was totally different in His approach towards the sexually wounded and addicted people in His time compared to the typical religious leaders who shunned them. Jesus ministered to sexual sinners but most preachers would never do that today. Yes, Paul told the church to expel the man guilty of incest but also to forgive him once he repented and that they were still being too harsh on him (1 Cor. 5 and 2 Cor. 2:5-11).

In 1 Corinthians 6, remember how the Apostle Paul reminds the church that there is mercy and victory available for those who were willing to repent from sexual sin. Sexual sin never has the final say. Only God does and He offers transformation. Do we preach this gospel of hope, change, and forgiveness for sexual sin, too?