Pastoring People with Sexual Issues

Transcript:
 
Pastor Sijo: Greeting and Welcome to Church Talk podcast. This platform is exclusively for pastors, leaders, counsellors. This morning we have Apostle Priji in our midst. Thank you Apostle for bringing clarity in so many areas.

Apostle Priji: This podcast is focused more on giving practical help rather than giving teachings and doctrine. I hope todays podcast will help our listeners.

Pastor Sijo: Every time we come up with a new topic, we have new understanding. There is an aspect that we see in relationships, where people come with different background, they have different opinion about sexuality. I wanted you to throw some light on what sexuality is and also how we can train our pastors and leaders and equip them to handle this issue.

Apostle Priji: Every issue we face in the church or community or culture is because the church has not done a good job in shining the light in that area. We are not teaching God’s original plan and design for a particular issue. That is why world around us is suffering. It has to be the church that shines the light. God is the one who created our sex drive , sexuality; and when God created it, He intended it to between a married couple, between a husband and a wife, one man and one woman. That’s how God originally planned for sexuality to be a blessing; to be within marriage.

The church has not spoken on this and when people make mistakes, we wonder as to why they are making mistakes. The church has not done a good job of expressing the heart of God.
The responsibility is more on the pastors and leaders of each church to accurately teach their people of what God says of sexuality. If we don’t teach them then their cultures, colleges, internet, friend circle will teach them. The church needs to become a primary place where people learn about sexuality; how sexual intimacy needs to be practices. If you want to teach young people, then we need to be well informed.

Pastor Sijo: How do we deal with people who are attracted to same gender? How should we respond as pastors and leaders? Is it ok for them to be part of the church and give them roles to serve in the church?
Apostle Priji: It is an issue that is diving the world at this present time. As a church we need not exaggerate homosexuality over other sins. All kind of perversion is sexual sin. Sin is sin. When we have this perspective it will help us to help somebody and embrace somebody. When someone is struggling with pornography in the church, do we kick the person out? Absolutely not!! We would want to help them, teach them, give them all the resources to help them. This is the same for all kinds of sexual sin. You can give them responsibilities like putting up the chairs, carry equipment’s, but do not ask them to go and lead worship or preach or teach. Not because we underestimate of what God can do in their life but because we want to give them time to overcome and heal before they can start pouring into other people.

Pastor Sijo: Also, we have seen as pastors and leaders as we journey with people going through sexual sin, they still want to be in that sin, they do not want to come out of it! How can we help?

Apostle Priji: Everyone has open doors in their hearts because of which the enemy can use them to hurt and attack them. For some people it might be an abuse in childhood, exposure to pornography; Our jobs as pastors and leaders are to help people connect back to the original places where the enemy opened a door in their hearts and spirits and shut those doors and help them to receive healing on those areas.

Pastor Sijo: Sometimes we try to correct people telling them that they could have certain things better; how important it is for us to address in our local church?

Apostle Priji: People are being abused at all ages. It is very important in the church to put safeguards. All church activities are to be done in community. We need to talk in the church, expose the people to sexual education.

Pastor Sijo: There are people who have been sexually abused or are struggling with sexual temptation; those people identity might get affected because of those incidents. How can we help people?

Apostle Priji: We keep bringing them to the cross of Jesus. That is where we find healing and forgiveness, restoration. It is at the cross that everything is finished. It is not in our will power to overcome; so it is necessary that we bring people back to the cross. At the cross we find deliverance; at the cross Jesus won the victory, He nailed everything at the cross.
We have to journey with people over and over again. Some of these sins are repetitive. We need to talk about the cross. Any advise devoid of the cross is empty. We need to expose our people to the power of the cross.
It is our job to journey with people. It is the Holy Spirits’ work to convict people. There is nothing that Jesus cannot restore. It is not just about forgiveness, healing and deliverance; it is also about restoration.
We need to constantly give hope to people. The gospel is that Jesus heals, Jesus forgives, Jesus delivers and that Jesus restores.

Pastor Sijo: Thank you Apostle. I truly believe that this is something that has to be addressed in our local church. Thank you for joining us. Write to us at [email protected] for any queries or questions. We will see you in the next episode.