Oftentimes, we have this question or this debate
about whether or not the place that we find ourselves
is truly a safe space to be.
Now, I wonder what for you is a place
that you feel is safe in your life?
Whether it might be your house,
the place that you have a bedroom or a study
or someplace in the backyard,
or maybe if you've got a bunch of screaming kids,
a car in the driveway to try to step out from there,
or maybe those kids still find you
and you have to go to the local coffee shop,
whatever it might be,
or even one would hope the church itself.
That it's always important to find a safe space
that you can be.
And fortunately, I have found a place
that I believe is a safe space
where I feel I can relax and enjoy things
and be able to finally unwind,
and that place is Ireland.
So I've decided I need to go to Ireland every month
for my mental health.
It's gonna be very, very important,
the green grass, the music, the food, everything else.
So I've decided that I'm going to declare Ireland
my emotional support country.
And because emotional support animals
can ride with you for free on the plane,
therefore, I should be able to ride
to Ireland and back for free once a month.
I've decided this.
For some reason, the airlines have not quite approved it yet.
I'm gonna work with the ACLU.
I'm sure it's happening very, very soon.
It'll be great.
But you see, the thing is, is that it's always important
to be able to know that there is a place
that you can be able to let things go,
be able to relax, unwind,
but also to feel that you're safe being who you are.
More than that, though, is it's not always just the space.
It's also a question about the people that are there.
And are the people that are there accepting of you
while you're there?
I find it interesting.
I'll be looking online at different people posting.
One of the things that I see a lot
is whenever I see, hey, I was supposed to go
to a party last night, I managed to get out of it,
phew, or I was invited by some people to go to this place.
I managed to tell them that I was too busy.
I really narrowly missed one right there.
Oh my goodness.
And why is that?
Because oftentimes, if you think about it,
when people think of what is their safe space away,
how often is it that it's someplace
where we're away from everybody else?
How often is it that the place that we're trying
to get away and be ourselves
is a space where nobody else can be?
Because oftentimes, when we're around other people,
how often do we feel like we can't really relax
and be ourselves?
How often is it that we try to open up or share things
and immediately we wonder if they're already judging us?
But now imagine a place where you're always allowed
to be there, but when you're there,
you always feel a little bit on edge.
Because you're always wondering at what point
you're gonna say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing,
something's going to slip, and then no longer
do you feel like you're accepted there anymore.
There have been any number of times
that I know I've been in conversations with somebody
and they'll say something and I'm like,
that doesn't sound right.
I know that that doesn't, and I'll say,
well I disagree with that, I see something different,
and immediately, like that, they'll turn on you.
And that just because you didn't see it
or say it the same way, that all of a sudden
they're angry at you and you don't even know
if you're even allowed to be their friend anymore.
The thing is, is that when we think of a safe space,
is that it's not just the physical location,
it's also a question about who's there.
And you see, that's also what we need to pause
whenever we're asking about the presence of God.
God's presence, is it safe?
See, we've been talking as we look at Hebrews,
and we've been thinking about the tabernacle of God.
And as we think about the tabernacle,
what we were taught about it,
is that we were understanding these two different rooms,
these two different spaces.
And the front part, well you can go and put the bread there
and light the candles and you have some incense
that makes everything smell really, really great,
that back room, that one place, or once a year,
someone has to go in there and make the sacrifice.
That place was not always safe.
See, that's the thing about it,
is that they would have to tie a rope
around the high priest's ankle
and have little bells on that rope.
Because if at any point the bells stopped jingling,
then they knew that somehow
that high priest had done something wrong.
The sacrifice wasn't quite right.
Something was wrong and that he was no longer with them.
And the rope was because they'd have to drag him back out.
The thing about it is that they saw the presence of God
as something to be frightened,
sacrifice after sacrifice year after year.
But is this, the one, is this going to be enough?
And are we really safe with this God?
But the thing about that is that God wants us
to be safe in His sanctuary.
God wants it to be a place for all people.
So that's the thing about what God has done,
is that God giving His Son on the cross
is to provide that safe space for all people.
Is that God is making sure it is the one perfect sacrifice?
It covers everything.
You're not frightened to be in the presence of God anymore.
But the question is, do we do the same?
Do we make sure that the sanctuary of God
is a safe space for everyone?
People come here, they need Jesus,
but when they come here,
do we try to hurt them the moment
we realize they're not like us?
MLK said that Sunday morning is the most segregated day
of the week in America.
Because we make sure that we've found people
that are the most like ourselves.
The thing is, is that whenever we think about
being in this place, being in the presence of God,
and we wonder if we're safe,
the question is no longer about whether or not
it's safe because of God.
The question is, is it still safe because of us?
See, the thing is, is asking this question
of who is truly your safe space?
Not just where is your safe space,
but asking the question of who is your safe space?
And that's the thing about this, is are we people
who that others can be honest with, to be open with?
Because the world out there, they do not abide
by the things that God would desire,
but the second that they come here,
do they feel that they have a place here?
Do they feel like they have a place
where they can be open and honest about the fact
that they do go through things that maybe we understand,
or maybe they go through things that we don't?
Does it even matter?
Would they still be welcome here?
But more than that, is a place where we're willing
to be honest with them too.
Is this a place where people are so afraid
that if they end up revealing what they're really going
through that no one would accept them anymore?
Do you feel that this is a place
that if people knew what you were really going through,
that they wouldn't actually accept you anymore?
See, that's the thing about this,
is that this place is meant to be a place of safety,
not because we stop changing or growing,
but because it's only a place that we can grow
if it is a safe space.
That's the whole point of mercy and grace.
You cannot grow as a person without knowing the safety
and comfort of the mercy and grace of God.
Because if you don't know that,
if you don't see that and experience it,
then you're always going to be trying to hide
a part of yourself.
There will always be a part that you don't want to admit
that you may be struggling with.
How many times is it that we have to admit
that we're dealing with things emotionally,
psychologically, physically, mentally, all these things,
and we try our best to make sure that people don't see it
and people don't hear it or know it,
because we're afraid as soon as we do,
we might lose everything.
We might lose our friendships.
We might lose the people that we think
are the ones that we want to impress.
But you see, once we know that this is a place
of safety and compassion,
that is when we can truly become better and grow.
That is when we can actually hear God's word
and know what things we need to change.
If we don't start with knowing that no matter what may be,
this is the place we belong,
then we'll never be able to truly face the things
that we need to grow through.
And that's the thing about the perfect sacrifice,
is that that high priest is walking in there
so scared and making sure that everything is covered.
But the perfect sacrifice of Christ is saying,
you can truly be open and honest,
because this is where you belong.
That's also the thing that we need to understand
about gathering together.
It's said in Hebrews that people were neglecting
the need to gather together.
They were neglecting that time.
Let's be honest.
How often is it that we just kind of push that off
to the side, we get busy with things, we really, really do.
Or even more than that,
is that sometimes we think that just spending the time
with each other, that that's all that's really needed.
How many of us are here making sure
that we've spent our time in worship,
and then, well, we're done.
We're gonna go back into our life, everything's fine.
We put in our Jesus hour, good, Jesus hour and five minutes
if that preacher talked way too long, and whatever it may be,
and then we're just like, okay, now back to life.
Instead of realizing the time that's needed
for us to gather with other believers,
to talk through what we're reading in the Word of God,
to ask each other, what am I missing?
What have I not seen that I need to face?
Would you pray with me?
Would you live life alongside me?
Or to serve people, to care for them,
to be there when they need you?
Y'all, we put on some great different events,
and y'all cook some amazing food, okay?
I really love it.
I had some cherry colerjol the other day.
Oh my gosh, it's still haunting my dreams.
That was amazing, and the shrimp, oh my goodness,
cannot even, okay?
We've got some great gatherings,
but if the time we spend together is not to wrestle
and to grow and to become more of what God desires
and we've missed the point,
if we're not spending the time to truly challenge each other
with love and compassion,
but also to be challenged ourselves,
then we've missed out on a huge part.
Y'all, we do not always do things
the way we're supposed to,
but the thing that we're meant to do is to continue
to bring out the best in each other,
not because everything's easy,
and not because we're trying to pretend
that people are perfect or everything's great,
but because we're willing to look at whatever it is,
we're willing to deal with it together,
because then that asks the question,
are you a safe space?
Not just where are the safe spaces
or who else is a safe space, are you?
Are you a place of compassion,
of mercy, of understanding somebody who's able to listen?
Not listening because you're jumping at the chance
to try to fix people,
but listening because you need them to know that they matter
and to know that they're truly welcome,
but the thing is with that is that oftentimes
we react so poorly because we're afraid.
We react and we try to push
and we try to deal with things with anger, frustration,
sometimes because we're afraid of things
that we don't wanna face ourselves,
but if we are in a place that we know
we can be open and honest,
then how much better can we deal with the issues
that we're struggling with
and how much more can we help others to do the same?
See, that's the thing.
This is not meant to be another club.
This is not just a place that we go where we come in
and we go out and we're the same from day to day.
It's supposed to be something where we're meant to try more
and to become more,
but it's not because we've managed to cover it all up.
It's not because we've managed to look perfect,
but because of what God is doing in our hearts,
in our minds.
The sacrifices, they weren't changing people.
They were just covering it over,
but we in Christ Jesus,
we're truly meant to be changed inside,
so that the things that we're struggling with,
but the ways that we also meet things,
and we're not always merciful the way we need to be,
we're meant to be changed by that.
See, God is sending His Spirit as we read and grow together
so that we can change,
not because we're afraid,
but because we're in the safest space to do so,
the arms of God.
You know, we promote to you all the opportunities
that there are to be engaged,
but if we don't do so with God's word
and coming back to His Spirit,
then nothing about us will ever be different.
So that's my question to you.
Are you willing to become what God has wanted you to be?
Because forgiveness and forgetting the sins,
it's not because we just pretend that they're not there,
but it's also because God is changing us each and every day.
Not because now we've got it figured out,
but because each day we're continuing to lead
where He is guiding us.
Because our safe space, it's not out of ignorance
or pretending, it's out of a peace
of knowing that we are welcomed.
So that when the day of the Lord comes,
the point is not just to say that God is gonna fix it,
or to avoid fear,
but rather to take joy in being safe
and being safe for others.
We've seen what the church can do
whenever it lets the worst side come out.
My hope and prayer is that we can be the example
of what the church is meant to be.
A place where we know we can grow and serve
because we are welcomed and loved and forgiven,
because that's the only way that any of us
can truly change for the better.
May God continue to lead us and guide us
as we confess our faith to gay and forevermore.
Amen.