The United States Supreme Court gave a landmark ruling last month to allow same-sex couples to have a constitutional right to marry nationwide. Since the decision was announced, most people have turned to their pastors to seek their views on this issue.
Bishop T.D. Jakes, the founding pastor of The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas informed his worshippers at his Church that he had been “bombarded” by various people who were eager to know his thoughts on the recent Supreme Court’s ruling that has now made state bans on gay marriage unconstitutional, Christian Post reports.
Jakes gave an unapologetic response on the nationwide same-sex marriage ruling during a service on Sunday, June 28, 2015, reminding the congregation that there’s a difference between the constitution and the Word of God, and the world will always behave like the world. “The world is gonna be the world and the Church is gonna be the Church, and you have to understand the difference.”
“I’m not really as concerned about this as a lot of people are,” said Jakes during service on Sunday, according to a video excerpt of his remarks published online. “I’m really not as concerned about it. I think that we should not lose our mind about the world being the world and the Church being the Church. This is not a news flash. The world is going to be the world and the Church is going to be the Church, and you have to understand the difference.”
The influential mega-church pastor, best-selling author and film producer went on to explain to his congregation that the Supreme Court, as a worldly institution, has one job: to uphold the rights of all Americans.
“The Supreme Court is there to make a decision based on constitutional rights and legalities that fit all Americans. They are not debating Scripture,” he said, which led to applause from the congregation.
“They are just not debating Scripture,” Jakes repeated. “I guarantee you that they were not in there looking at Romans 1 and First Corinthians this and weighing it against the policies.”
“We have bought into all this rhetoric about America being a Christian nation,” Jakes said.
He went on to suggest that indeed America has a lot of Christians in it, but the country is governed as a democracy and not by theocratic principles.
“But what we do need to watch is that our religious freedom is also respected and protected so that we don’t have to get caught up in the winds of the world and go the way the world is going,” Jakes added. “So we need
to watch that as we grapple with an ever-changing society, and our society is becoming more and more pluralistic.”
“There’s nothing to say that Christianity will be the dominant religion in this country. I hope it will. It’s up to us,” he added, going on to say that Christians have “stopped witnessing” and “stopped winning souls” and continue to isolate themselves from people who do not “believe like we believe.”
That runs against what Jesus commanded His followers to do, he insisted, adding, “Jesus said go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature.”
“So we need to change as a Church too. We need to start reaching out to all types of people and preaching to them and ministering to them and sharing our faith with them. I don’t mean on Sunday morning. I mean in the mall, I mean in the grocery store, I mean while you’re getting your hair done. It’s time for you to be a real Christian. I mean a real Christian, and win people to Jesus Christ. And you can start in your own house,” Jakes admonished his flock and the countless others watching the service via livestream.
Jakes, 58, rounded up his remarks by informing worshipers that “God is still in control” and giving them a stern warning about God’s judgement.
“The Supreme Court makes its decisions based on the Constitution, debating the constitutionality of any particular issue. But I must warn you, God does not judge you by the Constitution. He judges you by the Word of God. So while the Supreme Court is looking at the Constitution, you better search the Scriptures …,” Jakes said.
