Forbidden Pleasures
2/6/05, Sunday a.m. service
Ridgeway Assembly of God
Pastor Greg Tabor
Introduction
I was at someone’s house one day when I noticed on a shelf in the bathroom a container of lotion from Victoria’s Secret with the title ‘Forbidden Fantasy.’
If you think about it, that is what the world sees as exciting and thrilling, those things that are forbidden. One commentary states that “Pleasures are attractive because they are forbidden” (Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament. Electronic Edition STEP Files Copyright © 1999, Findex.Com. All rights reserved.). We live in a culture in which people get their kicks from those things that are off limits in God’s book.
Let’s read today’s text: Proverbs 9:13-18 NIV
The Advertisement
“Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” (v.17 NIV)
Who’s saying this? The personification of Folly which is depicted as a prostitute in this passage. What does folly mean? Stupidity.
What is her claim? She claims that a forbidden fantasy is the best fantasy. This meal she offers is referring to stolen pleasures, pleasures had in the wrong way. And in preceding chapters we find a lot of emphasis on one of man’s chief problems, sexual immorality.
Okay, so stupid is telling us that we should do something. Why do people listen?
I’ll tell you why, because the food she offers looks good.
“For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil.” Proverbs 5:3 NIV
If it didn’t look good, then it would hardly be seen as the marketable commodity it is. I believe the Victoria’s Secret brand of sexuality is vividly depicted in these verses. Its advertising is meant to lure men into a sort of soft porn adulterous affair with someone they wish their wives were.
Let me read you a passage that rivals any modern cinema love story or romance novel.
Look at Proverbs 7:6-21. Sin rarely comes with an evil gothic-like appearance. Especially perverse sexuality comes as ‘sugar and spice and everything nice.
The sad part about it is that we’ve been duped. All the time we give in to the false advertisements. We watch movies with sexuality plastered on the screen, we patronize stores like Victoria’s Secret that doesn’t mind parading nude bodies for our children to grow up seeing, etc. I dare say Christians today live at standards lower than the world in our grandparent’s generation. We are buying into the advertisements and we are raising a generation desensitized to and poised for sexual immorality.
People left and right are buying into the lie that reaching over the proper boundaries is not only acceptable but it is fun and the best kind of fun. But did you forget to read the fine print?
The Disclaimer
“But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.” Proverbs 9:18 NIV
Isn’t it interesting that Folly doesn’t tell us this? No retailer would want you to know that their product is deadly. Most folks don’t pay much attention to the disclaimers anyway. But listen to what Folly’s wonderfully advertised meal real does.
It has a bad after taste
Proverbs 5:4-5
Remember how Solomon told us that an adulteress’ lips drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil? Well, in verses 4-5 he says, “in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edge sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.” Yuck! If only you’d checked that out before you took a drink, eh?
Its negative affects could be long term
Proverbs 5:9-14
Many times sexual immorality will leave behind a lifetime of regret. In any case it leaves behind regret.
It could cause a negative chain reaction
Proverbs 5:16; 6:32-35
Sexual immorality is not victimless. One spouse’s immorality may lead to the other being immoral as well. Kind of a chain reaction. Also, many times the jealousy incited by this kind of sin leads to even bigger problems when you trespass a marriage bed.
It is almost certainly fatal if swallowed
Proverbs 7:22-27
Solomon describes the man being seduced like an animal ready to be killed by the hunter. The wages of sin is death folks. In the end sexual immorality will take you down.
Again we get the eerie picture of the old mansion in the horror movie filled with many victims. It says, “her slain are a mighty throng” (v.26 NIV). Unfortunately even when men know her secret they rationalize that they will be the exception to the rule. They feel they will be the one person that can tango with a mass murderer and not get their throat slit.
The Victoria’s Secret version of sexuality will never expose you to the families hurt by a husband’s fantasies, the children embarrassed, the wife shamed, the other party ruined as well. Unfortunately that’s the Secret, the pain, guilt, shame and ruin.
The Deterrent
What is a powerful deterrent from buying into the lies of Folly? The Fear of God.
Why is that?
It is when one truly fears God, that is totally acknowledges the majesty of God and submits to His will and His way obeying His commands that one begins to listen to wisdom.
It is the fear of God that made Joseph make a wise choice to refuse his master’s wife.
“My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9 NIV
It is the fear of God that will help you continue to make wise decisions on the days of your life.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15 NIV
And what will wisdom bring you? In the case of our study today, it keeps you from making devastating sexual decisions so that you in turn will instead enjoy sexual blessings. You won’t fall for the Victoria’s Secret lifestyle, but rather you will embrace God’s design for sex.
Speaking of wisdom and understanding, Solomon wrote:
“they will keep you from the adulterous, from the wayward wife with her seductive words.” Proverbs 7:5 NIV
Read: Proverbs 5:15-19
God not only wants you to not sin sexually, but He wants you to experience sexuality in its intended way. Put bluntly, God doesn’t want you to miss out on the fun. If you are in doubt of my words, simply read the Song of Solomon. I did this past week. To me sex God’s way sounds pretty exciting.
Conclusion
Folks, we live in a world that is telling us that things God forbids is okay. Sexual immorality is at the top of that list. You don’t see any lotions entitled “Marital bliss,” but you do see lotions called “Forbidden Fantasies” and Tv shows entitled “Temptation Island.” The question posed to you this morning is are you going to choose the fear of God over the voice of Folly? Are you going to be wise or stupid this morning?
And if you say, ‘I’m not being sexually immoral!’ than I ask you to consider where you shop, what you watch, and what other ways you entertain yourself. Impurity begins in the mind friend, long before it is acted out in the body.
If you are married, how is your sex life? Honestly. Does the world seem more alluring than your marriage? If so, then you’ve got some work to do, because Solomon tells us that we should be satisfied with our spouse.
If you are single, then you need to realize God’s plan for you is to be pure sexually in every way. Sex right now is off limits to you because it is only designed for married folks. Song of Solomon should be a future joy for you to look forward to, but it will not have that affect for you if you cross the line now.
If you have been impure sexually, you know you are wrong. But you must also know that while God wants the marriage bed kept pure, He also wants to cleanse and forgive those who have messed it up when they have truly repented.
Let’s pray that God will give us a true fear of God so that we can have the wisdom of God so that we will be discerning and will avoid forbidden pleasures. They’re deadly.
