2 /5 Mike Sersen: I inadvertently visited this church after having known it from years ago when it was downtown Sarasota. It seemed to be a good church and I thought it was exceptional since it fed the poor, which I was. So I went one day to its new location nearby where I now live, as my home church is going through changes. What I found was disturbing.
I found this church is promoting homosexuality. Its not just accepting it. Heard rants about another gospel and heard pro-gay testimonies and saw same sex couples coddling. In some respects, I understand. This behavior is acceptable to the world. But it isnt to the church and this based on the following scripture and my personal comments.
I Cor I 6:9-11 says it all. It speaks of sexually immorality. Being a past alcoholic, and Christian at the same time, I fell into this immorality. But I have been free from this for over 13 years. So I can only say this.
I Cor 6:9-11 says this kind of sexual immorality is WRONG. It conveys this by listing a slew of sins, especially sexual, and then concludes in past tense by saying ". . . And such were some of you. . . But you have been washed, you have been cleansed. . . ". In light of this, I was an alcoholic and now, no longer drink. I knew it was sin. What of the other sins then, particularly the sexual?
What was disturbing about this church was that these sins were seemingly condoned. More over, this church seemed to be extremely pro-gay. They still espouse their behavior.
I found, too, that Jesus was not mentioned even once while I attended here. It tells me the issue is deeper than sexual. Its sinful because Jesus is not Lord of their lives and they, seemingly recalcitrant, are still in sin.
Whats more, if this sin is acceptable, I e. homosexuality, then so is fornication. That is, unless they mean by gay that they have yet to experience this form of immorality. Otherwise, they imply theyre striving for same sex marriage. This, then, carries over to I Cor 7 and the concept of celibacy and sex outside of marriage, both which are areas this church would be well to take heed of even if they are gay and do espouse same sex marriage.
And yet all the genders used in I Cor 7 point emphatically that marriage is between male and female making one wonder, then, what of this same sex marriage and scripture? And what of another gospel?
In response, scripture says that "If someone preaches a gospel different from the one revealed in scripture, they should be considered under a curse".
