We are ALL broken people born into a broken world.
The evidence of that brokenness often shows up most obviously in the area of our sexuality.
So many people—professing Christians included—are willing to give their heart to God, but it seems like they want Him to stay out of their bedroom and out of their thought-life.
Even though we are ALL born with natural biological desires and tendencies,
the Apostle Paul makes it that
we are not obligated to act on these desires.
We are not slaves to these desires.
We have a choice to make.
That is why Paul issues this clear warning:
“Flee from sexual immorality.” - 1 Corinthians 6:18a (NIV)
Paul did not say, “be careful” or “watch out”.
He said FLEE!
Run away from sexual immorality!
There was a day when families on television were portrayed as practically perfect.
For instance, Father Knows Best communicated wholesome family values in the 1950s.
In many ways, Father knows best was about the ideal family.
In some ways, they held up an unattainable standard that no family could meet. They were the perfect family.
Father Knows Best might have gone a little over the top in portraying what was real in American households, but as a Christ-follower, I really do believe our Heavenly Father does know best.
That is why it is wise to listen to what He has to say.
QUESTION - Do you truly believe your Heavenly Father knows best?
Some must have their doubts because they seem to struggle to trust Him completely.
Satan has been trying to get people to doubt and question God from the beginning.
Remember how he sowed seeds of doubt with Adam and Eve?
“Did God really say, don’t eat from the tree in the garden?”
That question caused them to second guess what God had said.
Today, it seems like people doubt or question what God has to say about sexuality and morality, our topic for today.
"Did God really say it's wrong to have sex outside of marriage?
Why would He have given us sex if He didn't want us to experience it?
Why would He give me these desires if I'm not supposed to act on them?"
But I love him.
Doesn’t God want me to be happy?
So many people fall for the deception that leads to the fall into sin later on.
Anytime we second guess God, we are vulnerable to the enemy's lies.
That is why it is so important to stay rooted in God’s Word.
We are often DECEIVED because we are blind to the TRUTH.
God’s Word provides a standard of truth that is unchanging and eternal.
It is like having a compass that points to true north to helping us find our way.
Healthy sexuality, as expressed between a man and his wife in a faithful in a committed marriage relationship is a GIFT from God.
But sexual immorality, or sexual sin—which may be defined as sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, is destructive and it wreaks havoc in our lives.
Even married couples can engage in sexual immorality by engaging in sexual activity that is not glorifying to God.
When it comes to morality…
Some people are blind to God’s truth,
While others are living in outright defiance to God’s Word/will.
This morning, I want you to hear the truth, not according to culture, or popular opinion, or my opinion, but according to God’s Word.
I must warn you, there is a stark contrast between culture and scripture.
One of the clearest indicators of rebellion against God is the blatant rejection of God's guidelines for sex.
When we sin sexually (violate God’s holy standard), we hurt ourselves, we hurt others, and we break the heart of God.
Let that sink in for a moment.
TV, music, movies, and other forms of media constantly bombard us with attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that stand in direct opposition to Biblical standards.
That is why we need to be careful about the influences we allow to shape our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
No matter what society says,
or what everyone else is doing,
or what we have tried to conjure up in our own mind as our own truth,
God’s Word is truth, His Word still speaks, and He is the final authority.
His Word tells us, in no uncertain terms, to flee ALL sexual immorality.
But in today’s culture, it is not easy to flee sexual immorality.
Culture has drifted so far that now even professing Christians are deciding to disregard the clear teaching of God’s Word to do whatever they want.
Sexual sin is one of the most volatile and most alluring temptations we face.
That is why God provides such specific boundaries.
He does this for our protection.
Paul goes on to tell us why we should listen to what God has to say
“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NLT2)
Think about how exclusive this is.
There are all kinds of other sins, but Paul is placing sexual sin in a category all its own.
Why did he do that?
I believe it is because of the way sexual sin impacts a person, physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
It impacts us on every level of our lives.
That is why we need boundaries and guardrails to protect us.
The consequences of sexual sin are different than any other sin.
There are physical consequences in the form of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, or infections, many of which are incurable and some that can even lead to death.
There are relational and emotional consequences.
People often struggle with emotional issues and memories stemming from sexual sins for the rest of their lives.
Paul understood where sexual sin can take us.
There is a dangerous progression that often takes place when we are faced with temptation. James, the brother of Jesus, tells us all about it.
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” - James 1:14-15 (NLT2)
Do you see the progression?
DESIRE -> Gives birth to SIN -> which leads to DEATH.
Desire often begins with the eyes.
We see something we want.
That creates desire.
For example…
Eve SAW the fruit…she desired it.
David SAW Bathsheba…he desired her.
Do you remember the children’s song, be careful little eyes what you see?
I’m talking about the movies you see.
The kind of TV shows you watch.
The things you read.
If you want to honor God, you need to carefully manage these inputs that can have such a massive impact on your life.
That’s also why we need to make sure we have a daily input of truth from God’s Word. That’s just one of the safeguards that can help us overcome the sinful desires of the flesh.
A TOXIC EXAMPLE – When you are exposed to pornography, in any form, that is a hazardous input that will lead to DESIRES, that give birth to SIN, which leads to DEATH.
Do you see why this is so serious?
PORNOGRAPHY is defined as sexually explicit videos, photographs, writings, or the like, whose purpose is to elicit sexual arousal.
At one time, porn came in the form of a magazine, or film purchased in a drugstore, at the airport, or adult bookstore.
Unfortunately, today it could be a movie or TV show you watch in the comfort of your own home via cable, satellite, or streaming TV.
James tells us, DESIRE (which often begins with the eyes and is rooted in our brokenness as human beings) -> Gives birth to SIN -> which leads to DEATH.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)
Let’s be clear…
• Desire isn’t sin.
• Temptation isn’t sin.
• Sexual orientation isn’t sin.
• Feelings and even sexual attraction aren’t sin.
The decision to ENGAGE is where we cross the line.
It is good to be reminded that we don’t set our own rules for sexuality.
November series - MY LIFE MY RULES
I can’t live God’s life, by my own rules.
God’s life must be lived according to God’s rules.
In case you haven’t noticed, culture and scripture speak of two SEPARATE STANDARDS.
So many people have opted for sinful behavior, claiming that this is what makes them happy, and surely God wants them to be happy, so it must be His will.
God NEVER leads us contrary to His Word.
ALL sexual sin SEPARATES me from God.
Preacher, it sounds like you are a killjoy – You are trying to take away our fun.
NO! I just can’t find any other way to interpret the scriptures with integrity.
There is no way around it.
All sin, things like pornography, cohabitation, same-sex relationships, adultery, etc., separate us from God.
That is why our Sexuality must be SURRENDERED to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Are you willing to surrender your sexuality to Jesus and allow Him to lead you in the decisions you make about what you do with your body?
We live in a culture that is tirelessly working to redefine morality.
More and more people like the idea of, what I call, a customized Christianity.
They attempt to cut and paste the Word of God and redefine terms to accommodate their chosen lifestyle.
But Paul tells us; “When it comes to sexual activity or sensuality, outside the context of marriage, there is one solution. RUN! You must flee. Stay away from it.
Young people today are struggling with questions about their sexual identity. It is a confusing topic so many people are facing.
What do you do with the issue of Same-Sex Attraction (which is the temptation, not the sin, by the way)?
Remember, the temptation is not the sin.
Desire gives birth to sin, which leads to death.
Sin is what happens when we ACT on the temptation.
So, what is the biblical approach to issues like same-sex attraction?
First, we need to understand that generalizations, labels, and stereotypes, and pat answers are easy…until it involves someone you love.
You’ll view this scene differently when a conversation like this has taken place in your home, with your son, or daughter, or grandchild.
That does change THINGS.
But what it does not change is GOD’S TRUTH.
People are often afraid to speak God’s truth for fear of offending someone.
By NOT speaking the truth, I believe the One we offend is God.
We shouldn’t be afraid to proclaim His truth.
Because God’s Truth has the power to change lives.
He is in the business of transformation.
He lets us know there is a better way.
Truth must be spoken, but as Ephesians 4:15 tells us, we are to speak the truth in love.
And speaking truth is one of the most loving things we can do.
Jesus always spoke the truth in love.
There was never a question about His love.
John 1:14 tells us that “Jesus is full of grace and truth.”
Jesus never dumbed down truth and He never dialed down grace.
In truth, He called sin “sin”, and in love, He laid down His life for our sin.
The Church has to learn to approach LGBTQ issues and Same-Sex Attraction biblically, lovingly, and compassionately.
Our role is not to judge.
If you are wrestling with any kind of sexual sin, we are here to love you, to uphold truth, and to do our best to walk with you through the process of overcoming temptation, addiction, and sexual sin.
We want everyone to experience God’s grace and redemption on a firsthand basis.
For that to happen, Christians must do a better job of approaching people from a place of humility and understanding.
At the same time, we cannot disregard the fact that God has clearly established SEXUAL boundaries.
God’s design is for sexual intimacy to take place between a man and a woman within the confines of marriage.
Any other activity—straight or otherwise—is outside of God’s plan.
This is the foundational teaching from the first book of the Bible.
“This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” - Genesis 2:24 (NLT2)
Again, truth is rarely found in PUBLIC OPINION.
Truth comes from the Word of God.
And it applies to every single one of us.
For instance, Jesus said, even if you have had even one lustful thought, you are guilty of adultery.
Jesus sets the standard.
He is making it clear that none of us are without sin.
Our struggles may be different, but please don’t make the mistake of believing that someone else’s sin is greater than your own.
We are all in the same boat.
When our focus is on judging, we do a poor job of loving.
Judging is not our job.
Billy Graham once said, “It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge, my job is to love.”
It would prevent a lot of hurts if Christians would refrain from trying to play the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of others.
When we attempt to do the convicting, it almost always comes across as condemnation,
And so often when it comes to matters of sexual immorality, you’ll hear people say, “Love the sinner, hate the sin”.
People don’t realize it, but even that statement is condescending and so judgmental.
The person who says it implies they don’t wrestle with any sin or at least no sin that is as bad as the ones you are dealing with.
Do you know who NEVER said, “love the sinner, hate the sin”?
JESUS.
But He did tell us to love the sinner.
And the sin He wants you to hate is your own.
So, here is a Clarifying Question for all of us, when it comes to the natter of sexual morality:
Have I completely surrendered my SEXUALITY to Jesus?
Maybe you have said yes to Jesus as your Savior.
But is He your Lord?
I am inviting you to say yes to Him as your Lord today.
When Jesus is Lord of every aspect of your life,
He has full access to your entire life.
You no longer say things like…
God, you can have my heart, but He needs to stay out of my bedroom.
Jesus, I will follow You, just don’t interfere with my thought life.”
God, you can have my heart, just stay away from my checkbook.
Or, I want to keep you out of this secret area of my life.
That is not surrender.
Surrender means I go all in and the Spirit of God has complete access to every corner, every aspect of my life.
As we wrap things up, I have some good news.
If you have broken any one of God’s commandments,
If there is sexual sin in your past, or even in your present,
• I want you to know God loves you,
• Christ died for you,
• He wants to cleanse you,
• He wants to forgive you.
The question is, are you ready to repent of your sin?
Are you ready to quit making excuses?
Are you done sidestepping the issue?
Your Heavenly Father is ready to cleanse, heal, empower, and forgive.
That is the good news of the Gospel for those who repent.
Repentance simply means "I’m not only sorry, but I am sorry enough to change.”
I was going my way, now I am ready to go God’s way.
In repentance, my life does a full 180.
Taken seriously, this could mean some significant lifestyle changes for some.
Some may have to get rid of the Internet at home.
…do away with that cable subscription.
…quit hanging out with certain people.
…quit going certain places.
You may have to decide to stay home on the weekends.
You may have to change your living arrangements.
I believe life will look different going forward because God has spoken to you today.
Repentance means you are willing to do whatever it takes to make things right because you hate the sin that has separated you from God.
But Steve, why should I consider such drastic measures?
Because this is so dangerous!
That is why Paul said, FLEE and run away from sexual immorality in any form.
This could open the door to a new level of intimacy in your marriage.
This could open the door to a new level of intimacy in your relationship with God.
Don’t you want to live with nothing between your soul and your Savior?
“God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” - Hebrews 13:4b (NIV)
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT2)
There are two right responses to sexual immorality and sexual sin
The first is RUN.
The second is Repent.
The way we honor God is when we TRUST what He says and when we choose to OBEY His Word.
That is a decision you will never regret.
CLOSING PRAYER
