Spiritual Warfare (SW-04)
The Pornographic Battle
Matthew 5:27-30
It is now a $57 billion dollar a year industry around the world - with the United States enjoying the lion’s share of that - a whopping $12 dollars. I am talking about pornography. $12 billion dollars a year! That is an average of almost $55.00 per person in the US. As a matter of fact, did you the US porn revenue now exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, & NBC (6.2 billion). It is bigger than the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball combined. To put this in perspective, Microsoft, who sells the operating system used on most of the computers in the world does about half the annual sales that the pornographic industry does. (Reported sales of 36.8 billion in 2004.) With 4.2 million web sites and 372 million web pages (12% of the entire World Wide Web,) daily pornographic search engine requests total about 68 million per day - that is 25% of all search engine usage. One quarter of all pornographic web-sites prevented users from exiting the site simply - a practice on the internet known as ‘mousetrapping.’ In 2000 there were 88 000 porn sites - today there are 4.2 million - a growth in 7 years of 47000%. Let me give you a relative picture of that - last year Hollywood produced about 400 movies - the pornographic industry released m ore than 11 000 titles in the same period.
General Motors, the world’s largest company, now sells more graphic sex films through its DirecTV subsidiary than does Hustler pornographer Larry Flynt, according to distributors of the films. EchoStar Communications Corp., the No. 2 satellite provider, makes more money selling sex films than Playboy does with its magazines, cable, and Internet businesses, records from the companies show. The United States is now by far the world’s leading producer of porn, churning out hard-core videos at the astonishing rate of about 150 new titles a week. As a matter of fact, did you know that there are more adult bookstores in this country than there are McDonalds.
Unfortunately, the church has not been exempt from this curse as many Christians are caught in the deadly attraction to pornography. George Barna says that 28 % of "Born Again" Christians feel it is acceptable to view pornographic pictures. As many as one in four pastors struggle with or are addicted to pornography. Josh McDowell’s website states that "virtually ALL" teen boys look at it! Each and every month there are about 50 million first time visitors to adult web-sites.
While this is not exclusively a guy problem, it is primarily a guy problem. The breakdown of male/female visitors to porn sites is 72% male and 28% female. However, despite the fact that it is primarily a guy problem, the girls and especially the wives normally end up paying the price in terms of shattered trust, broken homes, deadly comparisons, and even being sexually hurt by husbands or fathers who fell into this trap and ended up playing it out. By the way - one of the saddest victims of pornography are the actors - it is painful, dirty, degrading and disgusting for them. These actors often throw up during shoots, they self- medicate their shame and guilt with drugs and alcohol - but they are the saddest victims you will meet. There is zero pleasure or enjoyment for them in this industry that victimizes them, degrades then and with increasing ambivalence becomes more and more brutal and demeaning to them. The crude truth is that porn is made by men for men at the expense of women. It exposes women’s bodies for the pleasure of men. Women are physically hurt and emotionally scarred in the making of it - and it is degrading to them to know that men will buy or even look at material that reduces women to a thing to be penetrated. Porn eroticizes power, dominance and violence and fuses sexual desire with cruelty to women. And that does not seem to bother the men who buy it or view it on the internet.
The title of our series is Spiritual Warfare. I have come to realize that pornography in general, and internet pornography specifically, is the single area where we are taking our biggest hits and picking up our heaviest casualties - yes even in the Body of Christ. We are seeing, I believe, a renewed, intentional and specific attack on the church. What became popular in the first half of the 20th century - pornographic short stories and written books, soon gave way to black and white then color magazines and pictures. Then came ‘blue movies’ and seedy back-street theaters. After that came videos and ‘adult’ video stores. Then came premium cable or satellite TV that you could purchase - or it was available for free late at night or in hotels and motels around the world. And then came the tsunami of internet pornography - and it came free, fast, anonymous and with no immediate consequences - a digital tidal deluge. A staggering 53% of men who attended a Promise Keepers rally confessed to viewing pornography the very week of the Promise Keepers rally.
The good news is that as great as the problem is, God is greater still. As huge as the addictive power of pornography is, God’s power to deliver is greater still. As debilitating as the shame, guilt and fear associated with pornography is, the power of God’s forgiveness, cleansing and love is greater still.
Now listen up carefully if you would. Tomorrow morning is the men’s discipleship class at 6.30 at Mountain Java in the Westridge Shopping Center. I strongly encourage all men to be a part of that - the focus is going to be helping men get the victory over this sin. I cannot urge you strongly enough to do so. The church will even buy your coffee tomorrow - it’s on us.
Secondly - tomorrow evening - I want to invite all ladies to our house at 7.00 pm - Michele and I and the wives of the leadership team want to talk with you ladies about pornography. We will spend a little bit of time dealing with ladies’ addiction to pornography, but then we also want to talk about how you hold some of the keys to your husband’s victory. Now again, ladies and gentlemen, right now you are either falling, or you are tempted to fall, or you are targeted with this temptation. I cannot urge you strongly enough to participate in these meetings. If you do, I cannot guarantee that you will not fall, but I can guarantee that if you take the counsel you will be in a better place to position yourself and your family for victory. If the statistic were not as alarming I would not urge you as strongly as I am.
Please open your Bibles with me to Matthew 5:27-30.
While you are turning there, allow me to give you some context if you will. We are situated in Galilee. This is one of the most powerful sermons ever preached to a congregation in the history of mankind. We call it ‘The Sermon on the Mount.’ The disciples are at Jesus feet, and the crowds are gathered around them. Let’s pick it up.
Pray - Read - Matthew 5:27-30
Jesus starts off in our passage saying, "You have heard it said . . ." That is a technical phrase and here is what it means:- ‘You have knowledge on what I am about to tell you, but I am going to give you some wisdom and understanding.’ Knowledge is good - but by itself it will kill you. It will puff you up until it chokes you. Why? Because knowledge by itself makes you unteachable. So Jesus adds wisdom and understanding to the knowledge these people have.
Our passage literally says, ‘I say to you that everyone who looks repeatedly or consistently (that’s what the Greek literally says - ‘looks with ongoing looking’) at a woman with lust (here’s what the word lust literally means - ‘with passion rising up in you until it boils) - to that person he has already committed adultery in his heart.’
Guys - you are walking down the street and some woman passes you and you notice she is attractive, you may even have the flash of a tempting thought. Or you are at work and the secretary or client leans forward and intentionally or unintentionally - you see some cleavage - and something in your stirs. We are still good - there is still no sin. You go home and you are thinking of your day and your thoughts remind you of that event - you are still O.K. In other words, the first thought is not the problem - the first look is not the problem. That is something you cannot help. What happens next is the issue. Because right there, you have a choice to make. Either, you are going to shut it down, or you are going to ‘look with ongoing looking.’
1. Understanding the Nature of Pornography
What is pornography? Pornography is a mind-imagination-fantasy game played primarily in the secrecy of men’s minds - and it leads to the mental lusting after women condemned by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:27-29.
The real issue behind pornography is lust. Lust, I read somewhere, is the craving for salt by a man who is dying of thirst. There’s a touch of perversion there, isn’t there? It is the inordinate desire for something that may be legitimate in the right context, but is illegitimate because, unlike love which sacrifices self to meet another’s needs, it sacrifices others to satisfy its greed. It is indeed an invisible sin.
a. It is based Upon Deception
Men listen up - the pornographic industry is based upon deception. It promises you something it cannot deliver. Listen to me for a moment if you would.
I was at one of our fast food eating establishments recently looking at the fat and cholesterol content when this though occurred to me as I was looking at the menu and the health index - ‘How can you trust a system that wants to do business with you but puts its success before your welfare.’ Bottom line - you cannot! The builders of pornographic web-sites do not have your good in mind. They are not interested in your welfare or the welfare of your marriage. They are not interested in the impact on your children or your eternity. All they want is your money.
You may feel good looking at that video or that picture - but listen to me - if that girl saw you in real life she would not give you the time of day - would not even say ‘hello’ if you went and sat down across the table from her in a restaurant. She does not want you, does not like you and does not think you are cute. It is a completely one-sided relationship - all she wants is your money. As a matter of fact - if the truth be told - she despises you for your weakness. Now I know that is hard folks - but is it is straight up.
Based on Deception
b. It Feeds a Legitimate Appetite
Let me tell you how you can identify satan - he comes when you are tired and worn out - and makes the most reasonable requests of you that you know you should not grant him.
Your sexual desire is a legitimate - God given - and it is a good thing. And because it is a good, proper and right thing, we easily succumb to giving expression to it in a wrong context.
Here are some of the lies it will tell you:-
Nobody will ever know
This will not hurt anybody.
Just one more time - then you can say no.
You are not addicted - you can stop anytime you want.
It will make you feel good - nothing wrong with that
God understands because of your situation
I was watching a fellow this week on Discovery Channel with his cameraman standing waist deep in a shark tank surrounded by bull sharks or Zambezi sharks - man-eaters - 8, 10, 12 feet long - cameras all around him - above and under the water. He thought he was in control - he even said they would not hurt him. But sure enough, after a while - this scene was graphically replayed again and again - a shark swam over to where he was, opened its mouth and bit his entire calf muscle off his leg. It was awful, graphic, terrible, painful. Well they showed this same man one year later - with his medically engineered prosthetic calf muscle - and what was this fool doing? He was standing back in the same shark tank in the same place where he was bitten the last time. Before we laugh too loudly, the only difference between that and the person who goes back to a porn site is that this fellow in the shark tank is simply gambling with his life. You get into pornography and you are gambling with your marriage, your children, your children’s friends, the lives of those who posed to provide you with pictures or movie clips - their families - the list goes on and on.
Based on Deception
It Feeds a Legitimate Apatite
c. It Accomplishes a Satanic Purpose
What is the stated purpose of satan? To kill, steal and destroy! Listen to me precious believer - pornography will cost you your marriage and your children, it will cost you your ministry and your calling, it will cost you your job and your career, it will cost you your reputation and leave you with a criminal record that you will never wipe from your slate, to say nothing of your conscience. And don’t ever buy the lie that it helps with sex - do you want to be fantasizing with an imaginary girl that does not exist or do you want to be with your wife when you’re with your wife?
2. The Pattern of Addiction
While I grew up very sheltered when it comes to pornography, I feel a tremendous amount of compassion for today’s youth! They are forced to live in a world saturated with it.
Understand, there are 6 Steps to Pornographic Addiction.
Early Exposure - the first times you are exposed - you are still shocked and perhaps even sickened. And there is a mixture of shame and pleasure.
Intentional Pursuit - this is when you intentionally engage or pursue pornography - you want it and so you go after it. But you still believe you can stop. The indelible images of that anonymous girl filled your mind.
Primary Addiction - now you find yourself aggressively pursuing your secret habit - and you realize that it is not healthy, but suspect that there is nothing you can do about it. You tried and it failed. You have prayed many slobbery prayers for forgiveness - but it did not help.
Spiraling Bondage - You see yourself falling, going deeper and deeper into it - and your shame is suppressed only by your ever increasing appetite for more - and for worse. Understand that nobody is tempted less and less.
Lust journeys in only one direction. You cannot go back to a lower level and stay satisfied. Always you want more. A magazine excites, a movie thrills, a live show really makes the blood run. But it will not stop there. You will never get to the point where that hunger is satisfied.
Total Desensitization - emotionally, visually, spiritual - you are now bored with things that previously you would have been horrified by.
Acting Out Sexually. - this is the place of bondage that every one who gets there once viewed with abhorrence and disgust - but they got their anyway - excusing, repenting, justifying all along the way.
3. God’s Pathway to Victory
‘There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.’ Mark Twain.
I suspect that many cures do not deal with deliverance from the addiction, but simply suppression of the addiction. What I want to give you is what I believe is the best change for deliverance from this addiction.
a. Make a Heart Choice
Deliverance is, at the end of the day, a matter of the heart. While there are many practical things one can do to change and things one can out in place to help with that change, it must start with a primary recognition of the problem, and a principle the heart. If you do not have a genuine desire to be delivered, it will not happen.
Psalm 101:3 "I will set nothing wicked before my eyes"
Job 31:1 "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman."
b. Recognize the Triggers
Pornography normally has triggers that set a person going. These may be different for men and women, but that is not always the case.
For ladies the triggers can often be things like depression, boredom, loneliness, low self image - or giving up on the hope of a happy marriage - so they turn to the internet for alternatives. Ladies are twice as likely as men to connect through a chat room - it provides the emotional stimulation along with the rest.
For guys the triggers may be stress, financial pressure, anger, depression, or desire.
But for both guys and girls, the resulting emotions are the same - guilt and shame - a loss of self worth and self respect.
Recognize the triggers that set you off.
c. Identify the Patterns
Pornographic habits normally follow a pattern, a routine, in a regular place. First you go there, then you do this - then you click on that. Identify the pattern - so that you can interrupt it at the very start.
d. Create an Alternative Habit
On an old timey TV show "Hee Haw," Doc Campbell is confronted by a patient who says he broke his arm in two places. The doc replies, "Well then, stay out of them places!"
2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
Instead of spending all your energy trying to break this habit, use some of it to create a new habit. Listen to an encouraging message, read a good book, listen to some good music - but intentionally create an alternative habit. When the temptation comes or the regular pattern starts developing, jump out early while it is still easy.
e. Set-Up Genuine Accountability
"Do not expect God to cover what you are not willing to uncover." Duncan Campbell
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Just because you have made the decision to leave temptation, does not mean that temptation has made the decision to leave you. Accountability will provide the extra motivation you may need when you need the extra motivation.
Accountability is never something that is put on you, it is something you offer someone else - to hold you accountable.
f. Find your Victory in your Pursuit of God
We started off saying that the issue was an issue of the heart. God knows you and has the power to deliver you. Bathe your journey in prayer - cry out to God - and if you fall again - simply go back to God and start again - and He will bring you to deliverance if you really want it - and will trust Him to do it.
Conclusion
May I give you the greatest motivation for your purity, for your obedience, for your victory in this area? The ‘thou shalt not . . .’ sin list in Scripture is not a list of petty irritations drawn up for the sake of a jealous God with high control needs. On the contrary, they are a description of the impediments to spiritual growth, things harmful to our greater good. Unlike industries that put their profits before our good, God always has our welfare in mind - He is a good and a loving God - always. You see, we are the ones who suffer if we sin. We forfeit the development of character and Christlikeness that comes when we are faithful. We forfeit the blessings and fruit that come when we are obedient. We forfeit the rewards and victories that come when we listen to God.
Pornography is one of the most effective tools in the hands of satan as he came to kill, steal and destroy. We said at the beginning that the good news is that as great as the problem is, God is greater still. As huge as the addictive power of pornography is, God’s power to deliver is greater still. As debilitating as the shame, guilt and fear associated with pornography is, the power of God’s forgiveness, cleansing and love is greater still.
Victory is your birthright - victory is your choice.
A reminder as we close - tomorrow morning - Men’s Discipleship class at 6.30 at Mountain Java - I will be giving you some practical tools for your computer and other things you do not want to miss if you are serious about victory in this area.
Ladies - same thing tomorrow night - Michel and I, and the wives of the leadership want to talk with you - some very, very important things going to happen there - please do not miss those meeting if at all possible. These are there for your victory.
If you are serious about positioning yourself and your family for victory, you will want to be there. If you cannot be there, I will make the tools and the teaching available to you - not if you do not want to be there or do not want to get up early - but if you cannot be there.
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