A really hard conversation.

[In Awe of Him]

I hope I posted in the proper thread... Someone will have to move it IF it is in the wrong location.

I stumbled upon this due to being reminded of one of my favourite pastors. As you all know... when someone presses something on Youtube... AI watches and loads similar feeds. So... I had NO idea that there was controversy over this man whom I love and respect.

I am posting the sermon that Alistair Begg gave the following Sunday after the media had a SNACK of him. I know it's long.. I listened to most of it... but I will highlight the two places where he talks about how he came to counsel this grandmother ( whom he had never met but kindly responded to after a very long, anguished letter from her ). The topic was Should I attend my grand-daughter's non-traditional LGBTQ wedding?

If you forward to 15:00 minutes.... Alistair gives the context of the conversation
at 22:00 minutes.... He explains more.

Those two small pieces of the clip will give grounds for a discussion.

If I have broken any rules by starting this thread... I give permission for its removal... however... .I think this is a wonderful place to start a discussion on HOW do we cope with a MESSY... BROKEN WORLD? Do we condemn and hide?? or do we "with great courage" show up and LOVE the sinner outside of hating the sin? Somehow... so many think that we cannot do both.

I fully understand that this is going to be a topic with a large variety of views. I TRUST everyone HERE to participate ( or not ) with absolute RESPECT for one another. I have seen this time and time again... I have full confidence that we can fruitfully discuss this very HARD TOPIC.

As a side-note...I have a daughter who is living in sin. SHE absolutely knows that I do not agree with her living situation.... and by her own admittance... she will say that she understands her situation is NOT ideal. I failed at teaching my daughter the DEEP WORD of the BIBLE because I did not yet have it myself. I depended on church and youth group to provide any kind of teaching regarding sexuality. Fast forward 12 years of her living on her own and away from home.... and she is now the product of what they call "progressive Christianity".

It breaks my heart. But I tell you what... In those five months that we were estranged this summer... and we did not speak.... my heart was ever more broken. I am of the belief that a parent only has to say their opinion ONCE. Part of the process of cutting those apron strings is truly trusting that GOD takes care of His own.
I do not desire to get into the topic of Is my daughter even saved??? I am not interested in that. I believe DISOBEDIENCE does not equate LOSS of SALVATION and I am not open to what anyone might want to say about this... just being honest. This is a heart-felt confession.

LIFE is happening like this all around us... constantly on a NON-STOP basis. If anything has to change... I believe it has to start with us. We need to get with the times also ( and I don't mean by watering down scripture )... I mean by thinking about... praying about... TALKING about what do we do with this mess??? How do we approach the SINNER? This sermon has quite literally made me stop in my tracks. It has given me a lot of food for thought.

Do we shun and ignore... with a violent declaration of DISGUST??? or do we SHOCK with the statement that we are not afraid to confront the issues that are arising at an alarming rate???

Anyways... this has really really touched a nerve with me. BEWARE of the PHARISEES' approach to the sinner.

 

[In Awe of Him]

Well... I decided I should listen to this entire sermon and I have to say.... I am humbled... and this beautiful man's thoughts have brought me to my knees. WOW.... That is CHRISTIANITY.

 

[In Awe of Him]

It is not my intention to post this so that it will show up in the feed.... as a matter of fact... I am most grateful that NO one replied. I knew the minute I posted this... it was not the wisest choice ( for me ). My reason for posting this is so that I can basically close the thread.

I remember when my favourite apologist ( Ravi Zacharias ) was exposed as a fraud... and a sexual predator. Oh my goodness... one would have thought that it was my own family.... but it was my own family... He was a TRUSTED teacher who came into my home on a daily basis via the radio for a period of about 3 years before the programming changed. I was GUTTED!!! I was SHOCKED..... I was DEEPLY HURT.... I was ANGRY... and I was left QUESTIONING.... HOW did it get to that??

Ravi died WITHOUT repenting... ( when I say this... I mean... he allowed death to take him without a public confession of his very serious hidden sins. I imagine he deceived a lot of people.

This controversy over yet another of my favourite pastors is something that really made me think these last few days.

I would not have given that kind of counsel. I do not believe that it was wise or even proper counsel to give... For the record... I have rehearsed this scenario for years now and my answer has been written in stone before even understanding that there would be a huge revolt with the entire LGBTQ community. I would NEVER attend a same sex marriage or ANY marriage that is not with one man and one woman. I also would never attend a secular wedding for the same reasons. I am one who believes that by attending a wedding... I am bringing with me my consent and blessing. So for anyone who thinks I was on the other side due to my original comments... HA... SURPRISE.

I feel that I recognize the why of this event... and that is the part that hurts me so deeply. An anguished grandmother that didn't ask for any of it... perhaps not very long left to live... simply NOT knowing what to do... and a pastor who gave her a very compassionate answer. I believe that's all there was to this event... NOT to mention... it was done privately... not as a public act.

Regardless... it did not stay private and the swarms of JUDGEMENT have fallen. I am heart broken that ONE wrong decision has led to being taken off the air in some places... as in my opinion... this is not at all a case of a man who has fallen... but rather a man who
acted as a human being. I will not... I cannot fault him for that. WE are to work out our OWN salvation with trembling and fear... and I believe that Alistair acted with COMPASSION upon the compulsion of ministering to a grandmother's broken heart.

John MacArthur ( who is a very good and close friend to Alistair ) made a comment on this controversy and he said.... DO NOT judge a man by his weakest moment. I think I am going to heed his warning and forgive this as an error of circumstance and REACTING rather than ACTING upon a belief.

I am not going to ask the Moderator Team to close this thread... but I will ask my brothers and sisters here to kindly NOT comment and simply allow this thread to play through the feed. I just needed some closure on this topic. I should have simply private messaged one person to ask if I could talk about this topic. In the future... I will remember to do that.

God bless you all.