Singleness And Sex Series

SEX AND THE CITY

Lesson 2

Singleness and Sex

1 Cor. 7

August 22, 2004

THE SAYING GOES, NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE.

HOW TRUE IT IS. THERE IS A COST FOR EVERYTHING.

EVEN IF I AM GIVEN SOMETHING AS A GIFT AND IT IS FREE TO ME, IT STILL COST THE GIVER SOMETHING.

EVEN OUR SALVATION FALLS UNDER THIS PRINCIPLE. IT’S FREE TO US, BUT IT COST THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST.

I REPEAT NOTHING IS FREE.

LAST WEEK WE STARTED A SERIES CALLED, SEX AND THE CITY.

I’M USING THE TITLE OF THIS T.V. SHOW FOR THIS SERIES BECAUSE THE SHOW CLEARLY STATES THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF OUR SOCIETY.

WE TALKED LAST WEEK ABOUT THE SEXUAL SATURATION WE FACE EVERYDAY.

EVERYWHERE FROM THE T.V. TO THE GROCERY STORE. WE CAN’T GET AWAY FROM IT.

HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH WE CAN’T GET AWAY FROM IT WE CAN RECLAIM GOD’S CREATION.

SINCE GOD CREATED SEX AND SEXUALITY WE MUST NOT LET SOCIETY THINK THEY CAN DICTATE THE WAY WE THINK AND ACT REGARDING GOD’S CREATION.

TODAY’S TOPIC IS, SINGLENESS AND SEX.

FIRST OF ALL, SOCIETY SAYS, WHETHER YOUR SINGLE OR MARRIED SEX IS AVAILABLE.

A WEDDING RING OR A MARRIAGE LICENSE DOES NOT DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT TWO PEOPLE CAN HAVE SEX TOGETHER.

I’M NOT GOING TO SPEND MY TIME THIS MORNING TALKING ABOUT THAT PHILOSOPHY, BUT I WILL SAY THIS . . .

SEX OUTSIDE OF THE BONDS OF MARRIAGE IS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF GOD’S WORD AND THE PRICE FOR THAT VIOLATION CAN BE HUGE.

TEEN PREGNANCY, DESTROYED MARRIAGES, USED AND ABUSED BODIES AND EMOTIONAL SHIPWRECKS ARE THE COST FOR SEX OUTSIDE THE BONDS OF MARRIAGE.

ALL OF US HAVE SEEN IT AND SOME OF US HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH THE AFTERMATH OF IT.

NOTHING IS FREE.

SINCE THE CHILD OF GOD KNOWS THIS AND SINCE THE CHILD OF GOD SHOULD WANT TO OBEY GOD’S WORD I WANT TO ADDRESS THE COST OF SEX FOR THE SINGLE BELIEVER WHO IS LOOKING FOR A MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE SEX.

LET ME PIGEON HOLE THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE.

MUCH OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY THIS MORNING IS ADDRESSED TO A CERTAIN GROUP OF SINGLES LOOKING FOR A MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP SO THEY CAN HAVE SEX.

I AM TALKING MAINLY TO SINGLES IN THEIR LATE 30’S AND ABOVE AND THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY MARRIED, BUT ARE SINGLE AGAIN.

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT TO THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE.

THE PRICE FOR COMPANIONSHIP INCLUDING SEXUAL RELATIONS IS EXTREMELY HIGH AND VERY FEW PEOPLE IN THE BRACKET I DESCRIBED ARE ABLE TO PAY THAT PRICE.

LET ME MAKE SOMETHING CLEAR.

I BELIEVE IN MARRIAGE. I BELIEVE IN THE DIVINE INSTITUTION OF A MAN AND A WOMAN BEING JOINED AS ONE FLESH, UNDER GOD.

I PERFORM MARRIAGE CEREMONIES FOR PEOPLE IN THE GROUP I JUST DESCRIBED AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, BUT OVER THE YEARS I HAVE COME TO REALIZE VERY FEW OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE COUNTED THE COST OF MARRIAGE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF SEX.

I KNOW MARRIAGE IS FAR MORE THAN SEX, BUT NO ONE WILL EVER BE ABLE TO CONVINCE ME THAT HAVING SEX ISN’T A BIG PART OF WANTING TO GET MARRIED.

LET ME READ TO YOU SOME SCRIPTURE.

PLEASE LISTEN TO I COR. 7:1-9; 32-35; 39-40.

V. 32 SAYS, “BUT I WANT YOU TO BE FREE FROM CONCERN . . .”

PEOPLE OF GOD, SINGLE PEOPLE OF GOD, I’M GOING TO MAKE A SAD BUT TRUE STATEMENT. I HAVE SEEN MORE PAIN IN LATER IN LIFE MARRIAGES AND SECOND MARRIAGES THAN I HAVE SEEN JOY.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE THROUGH THE APOSTLE PAUL AND HE SAYS, “BUT I WANT YOU TO BE FREE FROM CONCERN . . .” AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

FREE FROM CONCERN FOR WHAT? CONCERN FOR ALL THAT COMES WITH MARRIAGE.

THERE IS NO PROHIBITION AGAINST MARRIAGE, BUT THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, WAIT A MINUTE. THINK THIS WHOLE THING THROUGH AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO.

I WANT YOU TO BE FREE FROM CONCERN.

IN SOME OF THE STATISTICS CONCERNING DIVORCE THE RATE SEEMS TO BE DECLINING.

IT WAS 50% AND NOW THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS IT AT ABOUT 43%.

HOWEVER, THEY ALSO SAY ABOUT 33% OF THOSE IN THE AGE BRACKET I’M REFERRING TO LIVE TOGETHER WITHOUT GETTING MARRIED.

FOR THIS REASON THE CENSUS TAKERS HAVE RAISED THE FIGURE BACK TO 50% TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE SPLIT FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERS.

THE RATE FOR DIVORCE IN SECOND MARRIAGES IS EVEN HIGHER. ONE STATISTIC I HEARD WAS 60%, BUT A WHILE AGO I HEARD 70%.

I WANT YOU TO BE FREE FROM CONCERN.

FOLKS, I DON’T HAVE CHAPTER AND VERSE FOR THIS, BUT I DO HAVE MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO DRAW UPON AND I WANT TO SAY A FEW THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE.