Things Our Culture Doesn’t Want You To Know

1. Read: Romans 1:18-25

2. About the Text:

1) It is not news that man has rejected God for his own wisdom in all ages.

2) Paul points out that this rejection of God results in immorality.

3) The truth of Paul’s words can still be seen today.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. The Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin against God and one’s fellow man.

1) Romans 1:26-27 “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”

2) 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

2. By listening to the popular culture one might think that the homosexual lifestyle is just as good as a heterosexual lifestyle. It is not.

1) Homosexuals are more impoverished than heterosexuals.

2) Homosexuals have more health problems than heterosexuals.

3) Children reared by homosexuals do worse in life than children reared by heterosexuals.

3. On June 10th, 2012, a study conducted by Dr. Mark Regnerus at the University of Texas challenged the popular notion that homosexual parenting is equal to heterosexual parenting.

1) In fact, the study found that such relationships resulted in disadvantaged children.

2) Consider data summarized from the report by the Washington Post.

1. The Bible teaches that Christians are to do good to all men.

1) Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

2) Hebrews 13:16 “But to do good and to communicate (share) forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

2. The prevailing notion seems to be that non-religious people are just as charitable or possibly more than religious people.

1) Non-religious are portrayed in the popular culture as being more compassionate, more concerned for the poor, and more interested in the welfare of all.

2) Again, the truth here is that the practices of non-religious do not match their words.

3) More religious people give; they give more money when they give; and a majority of the giving is done by those who attend religious services at least once a week.

3. In his 2006 book, “Who Really Cares,” Arthur C. Brooks concludes, “America is a land of charity…. From the outside, average American giving levels are unparalleled. However, as we now know, there is a bright cultural line inside our nation. On one side are the majority of citizens who are charitable in all sorts of formal and informal ways—so charitable that they make America exceptional by international standards. On the other side of the line, however, is a sizeable minority who are conspicuously uncharitable…. One group is religious, the other secular; one supports government income redistribution, the other does not; one works, the other accepts income from the government; one has strong, intact families, the other does not.”

1. The Bible teaches that those who seek God and His Son Jesus will have a good life.

1) They have the promise of the abundant life that Jesus makes in John 10:10: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

2) They also have the promise of great peace in their lives. In Philippians 4:7 Paul says, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

2. Humanists have challenged this notion over the years by saying that religion contributes nothing to human happiness.

1) They have made the claim that in order for humans to be truly happy, they must renounce God and seek to solve human problems with human solutions.

2) They primarily will point to advances in science to bolster their claim that godless humanism contributes more to human happiness than religion.

3. Once again, however, we point out that the statistics do not agree with the propaganda.

1) Psychologist Robert A Emmons, in his book, The Psychology of Ultimate Concerns, said, “The scientific and clinical relevance of the personal meaning construct has been demonstrated in the personal well-being literature, in which indicators of meaningfulness predict psychological well-being, while indicators of meaninglessness are regularly associated with psychological distress and pathology . . . . The conclusions that a person reaches regarding matters of ultimate concern – the nature of life and death, and the meaning of suffering and pain – have profound implications for individual well-being.”

2) He went on to say that a “religious or spiritual worldview provides an overall orientation to life that lends a framework for interpreting life’s challenges and provides a rationale for accepting the challenges posed by suffering, death, tragedy, and injustice.”

1. The truths that our culture does not want you to know are:

1) Homosexuality is a destructive lifestyle.

2) Religious people are more charitable than non-religious people.

3) Religious people live a better quality life than non-religious people.

2. Invitation