Adultery, Lust, And Divorce

Scripture: Mt. 5:27-32; Luke 10:11; Lu.16:18; Mt. 19:3-9 Date: 5-30-99- GNBC

Intro: Today's message discusses three relatively unpleasant matters. Very serious issues. Very serious message. That's why I thinkI will start sermon w/humorous antedote: "A lady had gone thru 4 marriages: 1st- millionaire, 2nd film producer, 3rd butler, 4th a funeral director. Someone asked: "Why did you marry all those guys?" She said: "Well, I married 1 for the money, 2 for the show, 3 to get ready, and 4 to go!" Thank you for indulging me, because topic is pertinent. Even this past week found out another minister drummed out of church (rightly so) for these very issues.

Prop: Today we will see Christ clearly address three manifestations of sexual sin.

BG: 1. Mt. 5:27-32 is cont. of SOM, Xst expounds the 7th command, Thou Shall not Commit Adultery.

2. In this passage Xst addresses 3 sensitive subjects: adultery, accomodating sinful desires, and divorce. I hope you don't expect me to address every aspect exhaustatively, don't have that expectation!

3. Yet, sexual sins of adultery, lust and divorce is major problem in the church today, and few willing to address. Doesn't help to hide out on the issue.

Prop: Today we will examine three issues Xst addresses in relation to sexual sin.

I. 1st Issue: Xst's Prohibition Against Adultery - vv.27-28

A. In this passage we see Xst clearly affirming the 7th Commandment.

1. In Ex. 20:14- 7th Commandment stated- "Thou shall not commit adultery."

a. Without a doubt the most serious violation of marriage is adultery, which was excoriated in the OT 2nd only to idolatry, and in NT 2nd to none. By definition, adultery is the physical union of a spouse with someone other than the spouse.

b. Marriage of a man and woman (only legitimate form of marriage) regardless of all this liberal theology's mickmash of "loving/consensual/affirming/covenantal relationships" is the fabric of society, it is the 1st institution ordained of God, preceding even the Church.

2. Yet, adultery is being advised as allowable by advocates w/in our society.

a. Illust- Has emerged out of "free love generation" a whole tribe of psychiatrists, psychologists, as well as theologians affirming familial aberrations. Saying such a lifestyle is beneficial therapy for boring marriages, exhilirating for those mutually agreeing! Illust- Robertson McQuilkin quick to note: "Adultery has come full circle. First it was seen as self-consciously illicit, then justified in "true love" b/t paramours, next justified ideologically as good thing, and dinally total promiscuity so long as love is not involved!" (p. 207)

b. Illust- result= USA today poll several years ago, 39% of male respondents and nearly 30 % female respondents said anonymously they had cheated on spouse. Pollsters assume actual higher.

c. Illust Lewis- "The monstrosity of physical union outside of marriage is that those who indulge in it are trying to isolate one kind of union, sexual, from all the other kinds of union which were intended to go along w/it and make up the total union."

B. In This Passage Xst Makes a deeper application of the moral law of God.

1. Jesus Clearly Condemns Mental Adultery.

a. In time of Christ, Pharisees one was acceptable spiritually as long as abstained from act even if mind was filled with lustful perversion and adulterous thoughts of another woman than wife.

b. Thus, it is not merely the act, but the desire that constitutes sin. The former deals w/actions, the latter attitudes; the former w/deeds, the latter w/desires; the former w/means, the latter w.motives; the former w/the hand the latter w.the heart!"

2. Clearly this teaching is being despised and reviled today!

a. Illust- Jimmy Carter- 1976 election, Dem. cand. Jimmy Carter asked if ever unfaithful. Said sadly, he had committed "adultery in his heart". Press howled and scoffed. Honest, sensitive, religious man. Twenty years later, Pres. from same denomination commits adultery in Oval office and that same press defends him. God help us as a nation!

b. Illust- Abigail Van Buren- people have read her grandmotherly advice for a generation. Yet, senior sage regularly advises readers to practice fantasy w/in phys/ relationship of marriage. Was even once quoted as saying the following about this teaching of Xst: "This is one of the most damaging religious teachings ever perpetrated on human race." Excuse me!

C. Applic: Adultery, whether physically or mentally is entirely outlawed by Jesus Christ.

II. 2nd Issue: Christ's Prohibition Against Sin's Helpers to Lust- vv.29-30

A. Christ Takes a Much more Serious View of Sin then We do!

1. Christ never trivialized Sin, nor should we.

a. Possibly if we had to endure the agony and pain and separation of Calvary we would not trivialize sin! For Christ certainly never trivialized sin.

b. Read seriousness of Christ's statements herein: pluck out eye and cut off hand. Why the eye? Why hand? "The eye is the gateway to the mind, the hand represents the instrument for doing evil."