2 Samuel 11:2-5 (ESV)
29 March 2009
Fifth Sunday in Lent
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Fortress Chapel
Contingency Operation Site (C.O.S.) Sykes
Tall-afar, Iraq
BIG IDEA: Many members of the US military desire to have clean hearts, but unknowingly struggle with pornographic addiction.
REFERENCES: Exodus 20:14 ESV (The sixth commandment) You shall not commit adultery; Deuteronomy 5:18 (ESV) And you shall not commit adultery; Leviticus 20:10 ESV If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death; Proverbs 14:12 (ESV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death; Psalm 51:1-12 ESV (David’s Psalm of Penitence – Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God); 2 Samuel 11:2-13 ESV (The Sin of Pornography leads to the Sin of Adultery); 2 Sam 11:14-25 ESV (The Sin of Adultery leads to the Sin of Murder); 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 ESV (Flee sexual immorality) Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body; Matthew 5:27-28 ESV (Lust) You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart ; Job 31:1-2 CEV (Contemporary English Version) I promised myself never to stare with desire at a young woman. God All-Powerful punishes men who do that; 1 John 1:9 (God is Light) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness; Hebrews 13:4 ESV (Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous); Romans 12:1-3 ESV (I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God); Matthew 12:34b ESV (… For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks); Psalm 119:9-11 ESV (How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you; 1 Corinthians 5 (Sexual Immorality in the church is to be dealt with decisively by the Christian community); Psalm 32:5-6 (A Special Psalm of David – The Joy of Forgiveness) I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin;
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Psalm 51:1-4; 7-10 (ESV);
2 Samuel 11:2-5 (ESV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Psalm 51:1-4; 7-10 (ESV); 2 Samuel 11:2-5 (ESV)
III. READ THE TEXT: Psalm 51:10 (ESV) create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
IV. PURPOSE: To provoke the hearers to affirm to others that many US Military members desires to have clean hearts, but unknowingly struggle with PORNOGRAPHIC ADDICTION.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “PORNOGRAPHY: Top of CHU View”
VI. INTRODUCTION:
The Greek Word for “Sexually Immoral” is “Porn-os” from which we get the word – Pornography.
Porn-os … usually refers to “women”; “relations outside of marriage”; and often a professional prostitute.
All of which are forbidden by God.
The Good Book says in Job 31:1-2 (in the Contemporary English Version) I promised myself never to stare with desire at a young woman. God All-Powerful punishes men who do that.
Jesus, himself, said in Matthew 5:27-28 ESV: You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery.
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart;
Now, my brothers and my sisters, today (as you may recall), is the Fifth Sunday in LENT.
LENT is observed by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and many other churches of the Christian faith.
Lent in the Christian Religion is an Annual Season of fasting and penitence.
It is a time when many Soldiers give-up things they have come to love in order to become stronger spiritually.
In other words, Lent represents giving up something while remorsefully reflecting upon sins you have committed. The Lent Season begins on Ash Wednesday and last for 40 Weekdays to Easter.
Therefore … I submit to you today that many members of our US military desire to have clean hearts, but unknowingly struggle with pornographic addiction.
It’s my prayer that this sermon will stir up - both male and female - Soldiers to eventually come out of their SECRET CLOSET to seek help for their addiction to Pornography”.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 1: Now, before we proceed any farther, I have a disclaimer!
a. My disclaimer is that it would be theologically unsound, in poor taste, …
b. … And scripturally erroneous for me or anyone else to eye-se-gete (and read into the periscope of 2 Samuel 11) and derive from it that David – the Psalmist was addicted to Pornography.
c. Please hear me when I say, “there is nothing in Scripture to support such claim.”
d. However, the actions and behaviors of David (as depicted and portrayed in this periscope) are also actions and behaviors that are present in many Soldiers that maybe unknowingly struggling with pornographic addiction.
e. Again, there is no known scriptural passage or Biblical evidence that suggests that King David ever suffered from pornographic addiction!
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 2: Now, if you’re a Neuroscientist or if you’re studying Neuroscience and I get some of my facts wrong today, please have mercy on me.
a. It’s Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines whom maybe addicted and could be feeling helpless that I want to concentrate on and NOT the biological aspects.
b. For it has been said – according to the creator of NoPorn.com - that there is a part of the brain called “the mid-brain” that controls all of the basic survival instincts.
c. This part of the brain sitting atop of our Spinal cord isn’t very large, and it regulates subconscious behaviors such as breathing and pumping blood.
d. It’s also this part of the brain that releases a chemical stimulus that is responsible for the temporary sexual high that is provided; and the sexual addiction to porn that ultimately developed in both males and females.
e. Therefore, our sermonic theme today – PORNOGRAPHY: Top of CHU View - is intended to draw your attention to the topic from an elevated viewpoint – a point of view that allows us to fully see how our Soldiers and their love ones could easily and SECRETLY stumble into such a devastating and life altering situation.
f. The Top of CHU view (of Scriptures today) allows us to correctly observe the actions that leads to this sexual high, which often leads to destroying first the Soldier’s personal relationship with God, his career, his family, and ultimately alters his life; and the lives of those that are close to him.
g. Now, having said all of that, let us not forget that the Good Book also says (in 1 John 1:9): If we confess our sins, he (meaning God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness;
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 3: For who can ever forget the Story of David and Bathsheba, and their adulterous actions depicted in 2 Samuel 11:2-13.
a. Therefore, I submit to you 3 Things that occur in the life of David and caused him great trouble and to ultimately fall from grace which also occurs in the lives of many Soldiers before they are secretly tripped-up by the Spirit of Pornography and Sexual Immorality.
b. The FIRST THING that happened to King David, in our text, which also happens in the lives of our Soldiers is that this WEAKNESS OCCURRED DURING THE SPRING OF THE YEAR.
c. Likewise, the Spirit of Pornography often provides its greatest challenge to our Soldiers during this time of the year BECAUSE CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS ARE IN THE RELAX MODE.
d. FOR IT IS DURING THIS TIME OF THE YEAR THAT Girly Magazines proliferate THE MOST.
e. As a result, Soldiers hang posters on the walls on their CHUs.
f. For the spring time is when CHRISTIAN Soldiers should concentrate on strengthening their spiritual tenacity and steadfastness.
g. Spring Time is a time for Soldiers to display their combat skills and to demonstrate their war fighting skills TO THEIR COMMANDER.
h. It’s a time when Soldiers should be prepared for battle – knowing that the enemy of their faith is scheduled to attack at any moment.
i. It’s a time when all of us should be giving God the greatest amount of our time, BECAUSE WEATHER CONDITIONS USUALLY PROMOTE GOING OUT TO WORSHIP.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 4: The Second thing that happened to David which also happens to many Soldiers rest in the fact that (after a POWER NAP) DAVID should have been rejuvenated and revived.
a. But, HE WASN’T.
b. Because he took a SPIRITUAL NAP AWAY FROM HIS GODLY DEVOTIONS, HIS CHURCH AND BIBLE STUDIES …
c. … AND dropped God’s Armor for his life. Therefore, he allowed himself to go on a night stroll WITHOUT A BATTLE BUDDY.
d. this time he wasn’t, and he allowed himself to go on a night stroll without a battle buddy.
e. SO, IT WAS A LOT EASIER FOR THE ENEMY OF GOD TO TRIP HIM UP with Sexual Immoralities.
f. But it’s doubly hard for the enemy to trip-up two believers that are spiritually STRONG in GOD’s ARMY.
g. Therefore, it behooves us, in this sexually charged world that we’re living in, to avoid spiritually traveling along.
h. Everybody needs an accountability partner.
i. No man is an island.
j. David could have easily requested one of his wives to join him; but he didn’t. He chose to walk around on the CHU Top alone at night.
k. I don’t know if you know it; but most Sexual assaults occur at night.
l. Therefore, we need to guard ourselves; and ensure that we travel with a battle buddy.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 5: THE THIRD AND FINAL THING that David did that Many Soldiers also do is HE FIXED HIS EYES ON BATHSHEBA …
a. We can’t allow ourselves to lust after women; it’s nothing wrong with saying someone is beautiful but when we start undressing them that’s lust.
b. We have to avoid “fixing” our eyes on the “Girly Magazines” in the PX or BX which only leads to addiction, masturbation and or adultery.
c. David started lusting after - the young beautiful woman.
d. And once he started lusting after Bathsheba.
e. Everything changed for him. Once we start lusting after beautiful women (or handsome men if you’re a woman) everything changes.
f. Everything CHANGED for DAVID. Because, at that point, it didn’t matter to him that the BEAUTIFUL WOMAN was the wife of one of his Army leaders.
f. It didn’t matter to him that he was married and she was also married – he wanted her (Bathsheba).
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 6: IN THE HEAT OF DAVID’S SEXUAL DRIVE … IT DIDN’T MATTER TO HIM THAT God’s Sixth Commandment SAID – Thou Shall NOT Commit Adultery. So, it is also with us!
a. It didn’t matter to DAVID that BATHSHEBA was on her “period” – he wanted Bathsheba and he wanted her now.
b. For don’t you remember, the GOOD BOOK says that she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.
c. Likewise many Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines allow themselves to lust in their hearts after women that don’t belong to them; In fact, if the truth were told – some of the WOMEN that they maybe lusting after (in the PX/BX Magazines) may actually be transvestites (men that look like women).
d. As a result, the enemy and the Spirit of Sexual Immorality sneak into their hearts and minds.
e. And caused them to SECRETLY feed off of the internet; and the Porn Magazines in order to sustain their sexual high.
f. Now, my brothers and sisters, the preferred method of getting rid of Spiritual Immoralities is to sincerely REPENT TO GOD.
g. Ask God for forgiveness and seek professional assistance through YOUR CHAPLAIN OR PASTOR. IF YOU CAN’T FIND YOUR CHAPLAIN OR PASTOR, GO TO YOUR NEAREST Combat Stress Preventive Team (CSPT) OFFICE.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 7: The Good Book says (in 2 Samuel 12:1-12 TEV): The Lord sent Chaplain Nathan to David … and (using a Shepherd-like Parable) Chaplain Nathan said to his Commander: “There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor.
a. The rich man had many cattle and sheep, while the poor man had only one lamb, which he had bought.
b. He took care of it, and it grew up in his home with his children.
c. He would feed it some of his own food, let it drink from his cup, and hold it in his lap.
d. The lamb was like a daughter to him.
e. One day a visitor arrived at the rich man’s home.
f. The rich man didn’t want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him;
g. instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared a meal for his guest.”
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 8: At this point, in the parable, David became very angry at the rich man and said,
a. “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this ought to die!
For having done such cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.”
b. Chaplain Nathan said to David: “You are that man.”
c. “And this is what the Lord God of Israel says:
d. “I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul.
e. I gave you his kingdom and his wives;
f. I made you king over Israel and Judah.
g. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much.
h. Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands?
i. Why did you do this evil thing?
j. You had Uriah killed in battle;
k. You let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife!
****** TAKE 5 BEATS ******
MOVE 9: Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah’s wife.
a. I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you.
b. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man;
c. …. and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight.
d. You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see …
******* TAKE 5 BEATS ******
CELEBRATION: (2 Samuel 12:1-13; Psalm 51:1-12 TEV)
David’s Response to Chaplain Nathan was: “I have sinned against the Lord, …
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy … blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me …
You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Hide … your face … from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
CREATE IN ME … A CLEAN HEART, O GOD,
… AND PUT A NEW … AND RIGHT … SPIRIT WITHIN ME …!
Do not cast me away …
from your presence, …
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
