Sermon On The Mount # 4 What Are You Looking At?

However, because adultery is widespread across this country, many pastors know that if they preach on such a subject, it may cause some serious problems in their church.

But a pastor that is called to preach the Word of God, does not make his decisions based on what the congregation wants to hear, but on what the Scripture says.

That is what I want to do in this sermon. I recognize this is a delicate subject, and I will try to be as gentle and loving as I know how. Let’s look at-

I. THE SIN OF PHYSICAL ADULTERY

At the risk of sounding simplistic, we need to ask ourselves, “WHAT IS ADULTERY?”

Many words today are being redefined. One of the words that is being redefined is sex.

Illus: We all remember when former President Bill Clinton was in office, and he looked into the television camera and said, “I did not have sex with that woman!”

Later when undeniable evidence (DNA) appeared, he still denied he had sex with her because of his definition of sex.

WHY DID HE DENY THAT HE HAD SEX WITH HER? Because what he did with her didn’t fit into his definition of having sex.

Another word that is being redefined is the word adultery.

WHAT IS ADULTERY?

• Adultery can safely be defined as a married person having any sexual experience outside the marriage relationship

• Franklin Dictionary and Thesaurus says adultery is, “Sexual unfaithfulness of a married person.” This includes fondling, oral sex, petting and etc.

With this definition of adultery, let’s look at-

WHERE DID MARRIAGE ORIGINATE? The idea and the institution of marriage originated with God. Marriage was deliberately designed by God as part of the original creation.

In Genesis 2:18-25 we read of the creation of man, but after the creation of Adam, God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him." The "help meet for him", means a helper that corresponds to him or is suitable for him.

Before creating the woman, God required Adam to survey the entire animal kingdom. In this way, Adam became aware that he was alone. Despite the abundance of other living creatures, he found none that corresponded to him (verses 19, 20).

Then God made the woman from the rib of the sleeping man. When Adam awoke and saw her, he immediately identified with her, "…This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh…." (verses 21-23).

The inspired writer then adds a divine commentary on this episode, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (verse 24).

Thus, man and woman were literally "made for each other." They do not stand separately as two independent and self-sufficient individuals. Together they form one whole, one flesh.

Man and wife actually become one LIFE as they share with one another their feelings, aspirations, desires, fears, weaknesses, strengths, possessions, and their very selves.

God designed men and women to marry, and only in this state are their lives complete.

HOW DID HE DESIGN MARRIAGE? Let’s look at two things, such as:

A. MARRIAGE IS A COMPLEMENTARY RELATIONSHIP

Neither man nor woman was made to live a solitary life.

• Each without the other is incomplete

• When joined together, each complements or completes the life of the other

Look at Matthew 19:4-6, we read, “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Notice, the Bible refers to marriage as a male and female relationship.

Look at verse 4, we read, “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,” You can not find one verse of scripture in the Bible to support SAME SEX MARRIAGE.

In the sight of God, the Bible makes it clear that any kind of marriage other than a male and female relationship, is an ABOMINATION in the sight of God.

• It does not matter if the supreme court legalizes same sex marriage, God’s Word says it is an abomination

• It does not matter if every liberal church in the world says it is all right

In God’s sight, such a relationship is an abomination.

Notice, the Bible says marriage takes place when God makes man and woman one. Look at Matthew 19:6, we read, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”