https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/WhoAreYou.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: I Timothy 4:1-2<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. The news has been filled with people who claim to be something different than what they\nare.\n A. Bruce Jenners, claims he always felt he was a woman. Yet, he married three times\nand has six children (two from each marriage). His words and his action are not\nconsistent.\n B. Rachel Dolezal, claims to feel she is African-American since she was a child,\neven though she is Caucasian and of European lineage. She used her “black”\nclaim to get a scholarship, but she also once sued Howard University because she\nwas discriminated against for being white.\n C. There is a core problem: These people’s claims do not match the facts of who they\nare. Feelings are claimed to triumph facts\n D. This has been going on for a while. After all, the homosexual movement is also a\ndenial of obvious facts – Romans 1:26-27\n 1. The natural design of the body is denied because some individuals insist\nthat they feel differently.\n
II. Denying the truth<\/p>\n
A. Think about it. If feelings trump facts, then there are no mental illnesses<\/p>\n 1. A woman suffering from anoxeria (thinking she is too fat when she is not)\ncould not be called misguided by this line of thinking.\n
2. If a person thinks he can fly, then no one should stop him from jumping.<\/p>\n B. The fact is that if you examine Bruce Jenner’s DNA, you will see that he is a\nmale. \n 1. All his medications and surgeries have done is put on a sophisticated\ndisguise. It doesn’t change who he is, only how he appears.\n C. Paul warned that in chasing after lust, people will reject truth and prefer myths – II\nTimothy 4:2-4\n
D. People not only deceive others, but they also deceive themselves – II Timothy 3:13<\/p>\n
E. This is nothing more than hypocrisy – the putting on of an act – I Timothy 4:1-2<\/p>\n
1. A disguising of their true state – Matthew 23:27-28<\/p>\n
III. Twisted Sympathy<\/p>\n A. It is more than just denial of truth for the individual, There is also an insistence\nthat all of society affirm and celebrate these personal lies.\n
1. Each group is portrayed as a helpless minority.<\/p>\n 2. Helpless because we are told these people cannot help feeling as they do.\nSomething has gone wrong. Exactly what has never been found:\nEnvironment, culture, genetics – all have been blamed and all disproved,\nbut still we are repeatedly told it can’t be helped.\n 3. And since they are a minority, then the “right” thing to do is advocate for\nthe helpless minority.\n 4. Morality is pushed aside in what is claimed to be a greater good – Isaiah\n5:20\n B. People feel good standing up for what seems to be an oppressed group, but what\nwe really have is people who are defining sin as their right and gaining sympathy\nas a result. \n
1. A form of godliness that denies the power of God – II Timothy 3:5<\/p>\n
C. Israel had a tendency to prefer lies when they liked the lies – Micah 2:11<\/p>\n
1. They preferred being told things that made them feel good – Isaiah 30:10<\/p>\n D. One oft stated lie is that to point out the obvious – that sin is involved – is called\n“hate speech.” Love we are told demands that everyone be accepted, even while in\na sinful state!\n 1. People claiming “love” while chasing gain and entertainment – Ezekiel\n33:31-32\n 2. Therein is a clue. Behind these movements are people profiting from sin –\nRomans 16:17-18\n
IV. Denying Change<\/p>\n A. Laws have been passed in several states that you can’t help a transgender return to\nrecognize his gender. \n 1. The conclusion then is that it is wrong to teach someone to recognize the\ntruth about themselves.\n 2. But then for years we’ve been told that is supposedly harmful for a\nhomosexual to be lead back to a heterosexual life.\n 3. But then, to allow people to change would deny that they are helpless in\ntheir current beliefs. \n 4. “When children who reported transgender feelings were tracked without\nmedical or surgical treatment at both Vanderbilt University and London’s\nPortman Clinic, 70%-80% of them spontaneously lost those feelings.”\n[Paul McHugh, “Transgender Surgery Isn’t the Solution,” Wall Street\nJournal, 6\/12\/2014]\n B. John Hopkins University stopped doing sexual reassignment surgeries because\nthey found that it did not fix the underlying problems.\n 1. For example, those who have surgery are 20 times more likely to commit\nsuicide\n
C. The philosophy of men is often wrong – Colossians 2:8<\/p>\n
D. Christianity is about change, a deep, vibrant soul shaking change – Acts 3:19<\/p>\n
1. It is a conversion that comes by the Word of God – Psalms 19:7<\/p>\n
2. People do change – I Corinthians 6:9-11<\/p>\n
V. What doesn’t change is God<\/p>\n
A. God doesn’t bend to human culture. The flood tells us that – Genesis 6:11-13<\/p>\n
B. In Sodom, homosexuality was common – Genesis 19:4-5<\/p>\n 1. But commonly accepted by men does not translate to accepted by God –\nJude 7\n
C. God’s word stands – I Peter 1:22-25<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 4:1-2 I. The news has been filled with people who claim to be something different than what they are. A. Bruce Jenners, claims he always felt he was a woman. Yet, he married three times and has six children (two from each marriage). His words and his action are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[35,38,305],"class_list":["post-45341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-homosexuality","tag-morality","tag-transgenderism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50191,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-i-do-a-friend-propositioned-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":45341,"position":0},"title":"What do I do? A friend propositioned me","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: One of my friends, who is also a male, has sexual desires for me. He says that he loves me a lot and this is something that will complete the cycle of love for him. He also says that he is not gay. He has never had sex with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33792,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-advise-someone-who-claims-to-have-gender-dysphoria\/","url_meta":{"origin":45341,"position":1},"title":"How do I advise someone who claims to have gender dysphoria?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day! I hope you are doing well. I have a friend who's a transgender atheist, though she did not surgically alter her body (since she's barely a teenager). She inwardly feels that she is a he. She has even demanded us to call her by a male name,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43846,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/am-i-being-selfish-and-covetous-in-marrying-a-woman-who-had-a-child-by-another-man\/","url_meta":{"origin":45341,"position":2},"title":"Am I being selfish and covetous in marrying a woman who had a child by another man?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Greetings, I met my fianc\u00e9e last year and we became friends. We go to the same church. Later we decided to pray and ask God if we should get married and we did get confirmation. So we went to our pastor and told him of our decision. We are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28246,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-my-husband-left-his-improper-second-marriage-could-he-marry-me-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":45341,"position":3},"title":"If my husband left his improper second marriage, could he marry me again?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 29, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have been reading a number of your \"questions-and-answers\" on your web site regarding divorce and remarriage. Could you please shed your thoughts and opinions on the following for me? I am very confused. First of all, I would like to say that I agree with your view of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36825,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-i-say-to-a-young-woman-who-thinks-that-if-she-doesnt-intend-to-have-sex-then-when-it-happens-she-hasnt-sinned\/","url_meta":{"origin":45341,"position":4},"title":"What do I say to a young woman who thinks that if she doesn’t intend to have sex then when it happens she hasn’t sinned?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 30, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, A young adult I know has become a Christian when she was 15 years old and is now nearly 20.\u00a0\u00a0 She lives her life in fornication with various sexual partners.\u00a0 She has been struggling with this sin since she was a preteen.\u00a0 Her excuse is that it's a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49132,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/my-daughter-claims-she-doesnt-have-to-get-married-to-have-sex\/","url_meta":{"origin":45341,"position":5},"title":"My daughter claims she doesn’t have to get married to have sex","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I came across your website and I have read several articles pertaining to the subject of premarital sex but I have a very unique situation for which I cannot find an answer. My daughter and her fianc\u00e9 have engaged in premarital sex. When I confronted her about this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45341\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}