Three Forms Of Greed

B. As I was preparing for this message I came to the conclusion that I didn’t need to study and tell you about all of the sexual immorality in our world. There was a lot of sexual immorality in the times of the NT and it is not much different today. As a matter of fact, (Eph 5:12) For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

C. (Prov 5:18 NIV) May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. (Prov 5:19 NIV) A loving doe, a graceful deer-- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. (Prov 5:20 NIV) Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?

D. Yes, adultery is wrong but premarital sex is alright. To answer the Bible says that sex is wonderful. We must make that clear. Ephesians 5:4 tells us not to joke about sex but to give thanks for it. It is wonderful and good in a marriage relationship. Outside of a marriage relationship sexual relations are destructive. It destroys individuals, friends, families, churches, communities, and nations. On an individual level it destroys us physically, socially, and spiritually. Sex is a powerful force. In marriage it is for the good. Outside of marriage it is for the bad.

E. Sex is like a fire. Many of you may have fireplaces in your homes and when the fire is contained within that structure it provides warmth and enjoyment. But if that fire escapes from the fireplace, it can become uncontrollable and burn down your house.

E. Many people like to see how far they can go in this area. How far is too far? A man can watch the swim suits on Miss America, have a few nude pictures on internet, have a playboy; a woman can fantasize with romance novels and soap operas. Let me tell you a story- When the Federal troops occupied Cheraw, South Carolina, the Confederates left so much gun powder behind that the Union troops decided to dump most of it in a little creek. Some of the Union troops were looking for some entertainment so they scooped up handfuls of the powder and carried it to their cooking fires a few hundred yards away, where they exploded it amid much shouting and laughter. With each handful they grew more careless, and left numerous crisscrossing trails of powder running back to the ravine. Sergeant Theodore Upson of the 100th Indiana had just started his coffee boiling when he saw “a little flash of powder running along the ground.” A moment later he noticed that the powder flashes had multiplied and were running in all directions. Someone yelled, “Look out for the magazine!” Upson and his comrades “made some pretty quick moves” in putting as much space between themselves and the creek bed as the burning powder trails would allow. “Then there was a tremendous explosion,” Upson recorded. “The dirt and stones flew in every direction.” The ground shook for miles. The force of the blast destroyed several houses and shattered nearly every window in town. A storm of shell and shrapnel rained down for a half-mile in every direction. One officer and three enlisted men were killed as a result of the blast, and more than a dozen were wounded. Rumor had it that Sherman at first believed the explosion was an act of sabotage, and was on the verge of issuing orders to burn the rest of the town and execute the mayor in retaliation. He relented, however, when he learned that it was the carelessness of his own men that had caused the devastation. Don’t flirt with sexual temptation. It may seem fun for a while but eventually it will burn you and others. (Prov 6:27-28 NIV) Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?