SEX AND THE CITY
Lesson 1
Reclaiming Sexuality
August 15, 2004
SEX AND THE CITY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE CABLE T.V. YOU PROBABLY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
IT STARTED OUT ON HBO AND HAS NOW MOVED TO A NON PAY FOR VIEW STATION.
I HAVE ONLY SEEN THE COMMERCIALS, BUT IT’S OBVIOUS THE TITLE OF THE SHOW SAYS IT ALL.
THE PRODUCERS ARE TRYING TO SEE HOW MANY SEX SCENES OR SEXUAL CONVERSATIONS CAN BE PUT INTO A 1 HOUR PROGRAM.
I AM USING THE TITLE OF THIS SHOW TO GET ATTENTION FOR THE SERIES, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT STATES SO CLEARLY THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF OUR SOCIETY.
SEX IS EVERYTHING IN OUR SOCIETY.
EVERYTHING FROM T.V. SHOWS TO SELLING UNCLE BEN’S RICE INVOLVES SEXUAL CONTENT.
BILLBOARDS WITH BIKINI CLAD WOMEN SELLING BEER AND RIPPLED MUSCLED MEN SELLING TOOTHPASTE.
EVERYWHERE WE TURN WE SEE HALF NAKED BODIES TRYING TO ENTICE US TO GO SOMEWHERE OR BUY SOMETHING.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAD SEX AND THE CITY, SEX AND THE T.V., SEX AND THE BILLBOARDS, SEX AND THE GROCERY STORE, SEX AND THE COMPUTER - SEX AND EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE.
SO, FOR THE NEXT 3 WEEKS WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT SEX AND THE BIBLE.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS FIRST LESSON IS RECLAIM WHAT GOD CREATED.
YOU SEE, SEX WAS GOD’S IDEA. SEX AND SEXUALITY IS HIS CREATION.
SOCIETY HAS TWISTED AND PERVERTED HIS CREATION, BUT THAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT IT’S STILL HIS – HE OWNS THE PATENT.
BECAUSE OF SIN AND PEOPLE’S LUST FOR FRUIT OF SIN, SEX AND SEXUALITY WILL NEVER BE WHAT GOD INTENDED, EXCEPT FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
DID YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID?
SIN HAS PERVERTED SEX, BUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ALL ABOUT RECLAMATION.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ALL ABOUT TAKING WHAT SIN HAS MESSED UP AND MAKING IT BEAUTIFUL AGAIN.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ABOUT PURIFYING THE POLLUTED, REGENERATING THE DEGENERATE, STRAIGHTENING OUT THE TWISTED.
THIS SUNDAY WE ARE GOING TO RECLAIM SEXUALITY FOR THE CITY OF GOD, THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
NEXT WEEK WE’RE GOING TO DEAL WITH SEX AND SINGLENESS AND FINALLY HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE.
FOR OUR GUESTS THIS PROBABLY ISN’T WHAT YOU EXPECTED WHEN YOU DECIDED TO ATTEND REZ THIS MORNING, BUT I BELIEVE IN BEING RELEVANT AND WE ALL MUST ADMIT THAT SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL PREFERENCE ARE NOW EVENING NEWS STORIES.
IF PETER JENNINGS IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SEX AND GAY BISHOPS AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO AM I.
OKAY, HOW DO WE RECLAIM SEXUALITY FOR THE KINGDOM.
1. RECLAIM SEXUALITY BY ACKNOWLEDGING GOD AS THE CREATOR OF IT.
GEN. 1:26-28; 2:21-25
PEOPLE OF GOD, WHAT OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN CREATED IS NOT EVIL.
WHAT PEOPLE DO WITH IT MAY BE EVIL, BUT THE HUMAN BODY AND WHAT GOD INTENDED THE HUMAN BODY TO DO IS NOT EVIL.
DR. RICHARD DOBBINS SAYS, SOME PEOPLE THINK GOD CLOTHED ADAM AND EVE AFTER THE FALL TO COVER UP THE EVIL PART OF BEING HUMAN.
HE CONTINUES BY SAYING, IF GOD WANTED TO COVER UP THE MOST EVIL PART OF THE HUMAN BODY HE WOULD HAVE COVERED OUR MOUTH.
JAMES 3:6 SAYS:
“AND THE TONGUE IS A FIRE, THE VERY WORLD OF INIQUITY; THE TONGUE IS SET AMONG OUR MEMBERS AS THAT WHICH DEFILES THE ENTIRE BODY . . .”
GOD CLOTHED ADAM AND EVE TO PROTECT US FROM TEMPTATION, NOT BECAUSE THE HUMAN BODY IS EVIL.
FOR THOSE PARENTS WHO HAVE TAKEN MY CLASS ON TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT SEXUALITY YOU WILL REMEMBER THIS.
THIS POINT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS WHEN YOU TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT SEX AND SEXUALITY – YOU BETTER TALK TO THEM – DON’T LET SOMEONE ELSE DO YOUR JOB.
THINK ABOUT IT. WHAT DO WE OFTEN DO?
WE TALK ABOUT “DOWN THERE” IN WHISPERED TONES.
WE GET ALL SHY AND EMBARRASSED AND AGITATED, EVEN ANGRY WHEN WE’RE FORCED TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING SEXUAL WITH OUR KIDS.
PARENTS, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE’RE SUBTLY TELLING OUR KIDS THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH SEX AND SEXUALITY.
WE’RE GIVING THEM THE IMPRESSION IT’S SOMETHING THAT CAN’T BE OR SHOULDN’T BE TALKED ABOUT.
IT’S TIME TO RECLAIM WHAT GOD CREATED AS BEAUTIFUL AND IT’S TIME TO SEE WHAT GOD CREATED AS BEAUTIFUL.
IT’S TIME TO STOP VIEWING WHAT GOD GAVE US AS EVIL AND START SEEING IT AS BLESSED AND A GIFT FROM GOD.
SEX WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES GOD CREATED IS A BLESSING FROM HEAVEN AND OUR KIDS NEED TO KNOW THAT – SOME ADULTS NEED TO KNOW THAT.
WITHIN THE BONDS OF MARRIAGE THE EXPRESSION OF GOD’S CREATION CAN BE ENJOYED.
WE MUST RESPECT GOD’S CREATION, PROTECT GOD’S CREATION, ONLY USE GOD’S CREATION AS HE HAS ORDAINED IT TO BE USED, BUT WITHIN THESE GUIDELINES WE MUST ALSO TEACH THE WONDERFUL BLESSING OF GOD’S CREATION.
PEOPLE OF GOD RECLAIM SEXUALITY BY REMEMBERING A HOLY GOD CREATED IT.
2. RECLAIM SEXUALITY BY BOYCOTTING THE PERVERTED.
PHIL. 3:16 SAYS, “. . . LIVE BY THE STANDARD WE HAVE ATTAINED.”
WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS, LET US KEEP OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF CHRIST.
BY BOYCOTTING THE PERVERTED I DON’T NECESSARILY MEAN BOYCOTT DISNEY.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THERE WAS A BIG PUSH TO BOYCOTT THEM BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE THINGS M. EISNER WAS DOING.
YOU CAN DO THAT IF YOU WANT, BUT I’M THINKING ALONG THE LINES OF A MORE PRACTICAL BOYCOTT.
THIS BOYCOTT IS MORE FOR OUR PROTECTION THAN IT IS TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY.
EVERY TIME WE WATCH A T.V. SHOW THAT PERVERTS GOD’S CREATION WE HAVE JUST ENCOURAGED THE IMPROPER USE OF GOD’S CREATION.
ACTUALLY, IN A SENSE, WE HAVE VALIDATED THE PERVERSION BY PASSIVELY SITTING THERE ABSORBING WHAT WE HAVE SEEN.
RECLAIMING SEXUALITY FOR THE KINGDOM WOULD BE REFUSING TO LET WHAT THE SOCIETY CALLS APPROPRIATE POLLUTE MY MIND.
SOME OF WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT IS A NO BRAINER.
IF YOU WATCH SEX AND THE CITY YOU HAVE TOTALLY GIVEN INTO SOCIETY’S PERVERSION AND YOU ARE MOCKING GOD’S CREATION.
OR IF YOU ARE ON THE INTERNET LOOKING AT PORN OR IF YOU BUY MOVIES OR MAGAZINES YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDN’T. . .
OR IF YOU GET LOST IN ROMANCE NOVELS AND FANTASIZE ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE WITH THE HERO THEN YOU HAVE PERVERTED GOD’S CREATION AND IT MUST STOP.
THIS MESSAGE ISN’T ABOUT SEXUAL ADDICTIONS, BUT IF YOU ARE IN THAT SITUATION, CALL ME. THERE IS HELP FOR YOU.
OTHER THINGS, HOWEVER, AREN’T QUITE SO BLACK AND WHITE.
MAYBE THERE’S A PLACE YOU JUST SHOULDN’T GO OR PEOPLE YOU JUST SHOULDN’T LET BE YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS OR MUSIC YOU JUST SHOULDN’T LISTEN TO OR SOME ENTERTAINMENT THAT IS TOO CLOSE TO THE LINE.
WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IF PARTICIPATING BEGINS TO POLLUTE WHAT GOD CREATED THEN RECLAIM IT FOR THE KINGDOM BY BOYCOTTING, BY NOT PARTICIPATING.
RECLAIM SEXUALITY BY ACKNOWLEDGING GOD AS CREATOR AND BY BOYCOTTING PERVERSION.
MY LAST POINT IS TAKEN FROM GENESIS 2 WHICH DEALS WITH SEXUALITY, BUT I WANT TO BROADEN ITS APPLICATION.
GENESIS 2:25 SAYS, “THEY WERE NAKED AND NOT ASHAMED.”
3. RECLAIM INNOCENCE.
I SAID EARLIER THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS ALL ABOUT PURIFYING THE POLLUTED, REGENERATING THE DEGENERATE, STRAIGHTENING THE TWISTED.
BEFORE THE FALL, ADAM AND EVE LIVED IN INNOCENCE. THEY LIVED COMFORTABLE WITH THEMSELVES.
THEY ROAMED THE GARDEN UNAWARE OF THEIR NAKEDNESS. THEY CARRIED NO BURDEN OF GUILT OR SHAME.
THEIR CONSCIENCE WAS CLEAR AND THEIR HEART WAS AT EASE.
BEFORE THEY SINNED THEY LIVED IN PEACE AND HARMONY AND IN OPEN AND CONSTANT COMMUNION WITH GOD.
NOW, ALTHOUGH SIN HAS INFECTED THE WORLD AND THAT SAME SIN INFECTS OUR LIFE, IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD THERE IS RESTORATION AND REJUVENATION AND DELIVERANCE.
ALTHOUGH WE LIVE IN A WORLD SO DEFILED BY SIN WE CAN LIVE OUR LIFE WITH THE JOY OF THE INNOCENT.
BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS WE CAN LIVE UNASHAMED.
BECAUSE OF THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST THE SIN THAT INVADES MY BEING CAN BE REMOVED AND I CAN BE RESTORED TO WHOLENESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE GOD.
IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE I CAN WALK BEFORE GOD NAKED AND NOT ASHAMED BECAUSE HE HAS FORGIVEN ME AND ACCEPTS ME.
I WONDER HOW MANY HERE TODAY LONG TO HAVE A CLEAR CONSCIENCE.
I WONDER IF THERE ARE THOSE WHO LIVE LIFE WEIGHTED DOWN WITH GUILT AND SHAME FOR THINGS IN THE PAST.
MAYBE THEY’RE SEXUAL, MAYBE THEY’RE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT YOU’RE HEAVY IN YOUR HEART AND GUILTY IN YOUR MIND.
IF THIS IS YOU, YOU CAN RECLAIM INNOCENCE.
IF YOU WILL REPENT OF YOUR SIN AND TURN YOUR LIFE OVER TO GOD YOU CAN WALK PURE BEFORE HIM.
YOU DON’T NEED TO LEAVE HERE ASHAMED. LET JESUS CHRIST TAKE AWAY YOUR SHAME BY TAKING AWAY YOUR SIN.
BELIEVER IN CHRIST I’M TALKING TO YOU AS WELL AS ANYONE WHO HAS NOT EVER SURRENDERED TO CHRIST.
ALTAR CALL
BELIEVERS ON ONE SIDE
SALVATION ON THE OTHER.
