INTRODUCTION
For the last two weeks, we have heard about the evolving context in which we live in and how we are assailed by explicit images and messages at every turn—television, movies, magazines, and even at car shows. If you turn on the TV, you see scantily clad women on MTV, and HBO. You can go to the super market to see magazines with half naked models and articles about sex. The internet is full of pornography sites and pop-up adds that take you to adult personal sites.What Bugs Me Posted on 14 Sep 2011 singaporeseen.stomp/china_models_strip_to_promote_cars.html
Is this even legal? China models strip to promote cars
Posted on 18 Sep 2011
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SERMON PROPER
In today’s modern world, everywhere you look, there’s sex and very rarely is it between two married people. It’s seen as an indispensable component to make an event popular, an item desirable.
In 1 Timothy 4:12–16, the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy, the young preacher, to strive for purity in all areas of his life—including speech, conduct, love, and faith—so that Timothy’s ministry would not be despised by his hearers. Today’s generation of young believers and also those who are not so young desperately needs to be inspired to live pure lives—to be a remnant of purity in their generation and bring glory to their Creator and Savior.
Even the most committed Christian experiences pressures to barter off purity—of thoughts, media choices, conversations, and actions—for popularity and acceptance. But God takes purity very seriously - and so must we.
What constitutes sexual immorality? According to the Bible it includes adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, prostitution, rape, and lust. The popular culture around us is suggesting with a loud voice that anything short of sexual intercourse is not sex and therefore not sinning. But that definition of sex does not line up with the Bible. Jesus said, "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). Sexual sin ranging from lustful thinking to perverted behavior is rampant in the world today.
Reflection Question:
1. How much of sexually explicit material are you exposed to?
2. How much of these materials do you make available in your life/household?
Biblical values such as
What constitutes sexual immorality? According to the Bible it includes adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, prostitution, rape, and lust. The popular culture around us is suggesting with a loud voice that anything short of sexual intercourse is not sex and therefore not sinning. But that definition of sex does not line up with the Bible. Jesus said, "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt. 5:28). Sexual sin ranging from lustful thinking to perverted behavior is rampant in the world today.
Reflection Question:
1. How much of sexually explicit material are you exposed to?
2. How much of these materials do you make available in your life/household?
Biblical values such as
· Virginity until marriage
Song of Songs 4:12 “ 12 You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.” Song of Songs 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 “4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you're ready.” This advice is repeated 3 times through the Song of Songs to demonstrates the urgency and seriousness of this charge. Why? Because love is a very powerful emotion. Song of Songs 8:6-7 says, “Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it.” We must not underestimate the intensity of this emotion known as love. It is a dangerous thing to love. She knows now what the demands of love will be, and she is ready to wait until his love comes to demand her. Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” God often compares his relationship with his people as that of a marriage. When their devotion turns to Baal and other idols, God’s passion burns with rage. He accuses his people of adultery, spiritual adultery. How important it is then for His people, us, to keep from being devoted to many different partners throughout our lives. We are to reflect his single-minded devotion to his people in our relationships.
Song of Songs 4:12 “ 12 You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.” Song of Songs 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 “4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires. Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you're ready.” This advice is repeated 3 times through the Song of Songs to demonstrates the urgency and seriousness of this charge. Why? Because love is a very powerful emotion. Song of Songs 8:6-7 says, “Love is invincible facing danger and death. Passion laughs at the terrors of hell. The fire of love stops at nothing— it sweeps everything before it.” We must not underestimate the intensity of this emotion known as love. It is a dangerous thing to love. She knows now what the demands of love will be, and she is ready to wait until his love comes to demand her. Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” God often compares his relationship with his people as that of a marriage. When their devotion turns to Baal and other idols, God’s passion burns with rage. He accuses his people of adultery, spiritual adultery. How important it is then for His people, us, to keep from being devoted to many different partners throughout our lives. We are to reflect his single-minded devotion to his people in our relationships.
· celibacy in the single life, "To the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried . . . But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion [engage in immoral behavior]" (1 Cor. 7:8,9). Sexual relations outside of marriage is forbidden because it destroys personal relationships and a secure society.
· faithfulness during marriage "Since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband" (1 Cor. 7:2). Prov 5:15-20 “15 Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. 20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?”
There are many situations that can test the faithfulness of couples during the marriage. In Song of Songs 2:12 are these words, “Catch the little foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.” The blossoming love like the vineyards, can be threatened by unwelcomed parties. It takes both parties and their supporting network of families and friends to make their marriage a successful one. We want to catch “the little foxes”, seemingly insignificant yet clever parties that can ruin a marriage.
These values are considered ridiculous and old fashioned - even to some Christians.
Remember that God created sex to be a beautiful expression of love between a man and a woman who are joined in marriage. Since sexual activity can result in the creation of a precious, eternal, human soul, it is obviously very important and valuable; therefore, Satan does his best to pervert it.
EXPOSING THE LIES THE DEVIL USES:
1. "God gave me these drives and desires so it must be okay to satisfy them." - We are not helpless animals who must yield to every thought and feeling and desire, we control our desire because we realize the consequences of an act would be harmful for any number of reasons. This principle of expressing and/or controlling our natural desires and drives also applies to sex. The desire for intimacy is certainly not sinful in itself, but for an unmarried Christian, it is an area where we must exercise the fruit of self-control and yield to the Lord's will. I Thessalonians 4:3-5 says: "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God..." That verse is about as clear as it could be regarding God's will. (See Psalm 37:4-5, Psalm 5:11-12, Psalm 32:8-11, Psalm 37:3-5, Psalm 119:1-7, 9-16, 97-105, Proverbs 3:5-7, I Thessalonians 4:1-7, Galatians 6:7-9, Jeremiah 29:11-13).
2. "It's just too hard to follow God's commands. No one is perfect." - When we allow ourselves to believe that it is too hard to walk in God's Ways we deny the power of the Holy Spirit who is with us always to convict, comfort, and empower us to walk an upright life. (See Philippians 4:13, Psalm 1:1-6, Psalm 19:7-11, Psalm 111:7-10, Psalm 112:1, Psalm 119, Proverbs 3:1-8).
3. "Everyone is doing it so what's the difference?" - The difference is Jesus. If you call yourself a Christian then you have decided that you want to follow the ways of God - not the sinful ways of this world. The only person we should be influenced by is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our example and the standard we should measure our lives by. We are not to be dragged down by those who follow the ways of this world, we are supposed to be lights and witnesses wherever we go so that we cause them to follow Jesus and His Word! Walking the path of righteousness and purity is not always easy but it is the ONLY way for any Christian who seeks to obey God and receive His blessings and rewards both now and for eternity. (See 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 12:2, Psalm 1:1-6, Proverbs 2: 6-8, Galatians 6:7-9, Proverbs 3:1-8, Proverbs 12:26, Hebrews 11:6, 2 Timothy 4:7,8, James 1:12).
4. "I cannot stop the thoughts that come into my head." - The most basic thing we can do to maintain purity is guard our hearts and minds. Lustful thoughts and images are often the first weapons Satan uses in the battle for our minds. Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - think about such things." Through Christ we receive a renewed mind and this verse makes it clear that we can control our thoughts. (See Romans 12:2, 1 Peter 1:13-19, Psalm 19:14, Colossians 3:1-3, Romans 8:5-8).
5. "We are getting married anyway." - Great!! Then surely you must want to build your marriage on a foundation of obedience to the Lord and respect for one another. A healthy Christian marriage consists of two people who are committed to obedience to Christ above all. God cannot bless sin so if you choose to build your marriage on sin rather than on obedience to Christ, you will reap the consequences of that sin rather than enjoy the blessings of God.
In God's eyes, sexual intercourse is a privilege belonging only to a man and a woman who have committed their lives to one another in marriage. They share their bodies because they have first vowed before God to permanently share their lives, hearts, and spirits. This is not something to take lightly. (See II Corinthians 6:14-18, Hebrews 13:4, Romans 6:11-23, Galatians 5:13-25, Galatians 6:7-9, I Thessalonians 4:1-7, I Corinthians 9-20).
6. "What goes on between two consenting adults is their business." – This lie implies that once we reach adulthood we have the freedom to do whatever we want regardless of what God thinks. But the opposite is true because some of the indicators of maturity and adulthood are that we are able to be responsible, consider the consequences of our behavior, exercise self-control, and use wisdom. Which adult problem would you be willing to trade for temporary satisfaction to the flesh - unwanted pregnancy? Abortion? sexually transmitted diseases? AIDS and the probability of death? As Christian adults let's commit to yielding our rights, freedoms and desires to Christ instead, and our awesome God will reward our obedience both now and when we stand in His presence for all eternity. (See James 1:12, Romans 6:22-23, I Corinthians 6:12-20).
7. "I love and need the person I am involved with so much that I could never leave this relationship even though I know that what I am doing is not pleasing to God." - If you are a Christian, participating in a relationship built on sin will never bring you the love and satisfaction you desire, no matter how happy you think you are now. If you have been living with or sleeping with someone out of wedlock, or even if you are heading down that path by dating an unbeliever, I am sure you have felt the gentle tug of His love and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. (See I Corinthians 6:13-20, II Corinthians 6:14-18, Colossians 2:9-10, Galatians 6:7-9).
8. I have gone too far to come back now." - We can never go beyond the reach of God's grace and forgiveness when we repent and turn from our wicked ways. He promises that when we repent, the Blood of Jesus washes us white as snow. If we do not believe that we must believe that Jesus died on the cross for nothing and His Blood is not powerful enough to cleanse us. As Christians, we always have the opportunity to face our sin, repent, and start over when we fall. (See Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13,14, Isaiah 55:7,8, Titus 3:3-7, James 4:7-10, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:12, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 12:1,2).
9. "I just can't stop." - The devil is very good at convincing human beings that they can never change but that is true only as long as we believe that lie. As soon as we realize that through Jesus Christ we can do all things, the lie no longer has power over us and neither do the bondages and sins that accompany it. As you go through this process, remember that you are healed, cleansed, and set free through the Blood of the Lamb. Trust in Him and ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower you as you forsake the sins of the past. You are a new creature in Christ and He will bless you and enable you to walk the path of purity. (See Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, James 4:1-10, Romans 8:1-13, 1 Corinthians 6:13-20).
THE ROLE OF PARENTS, SIBLINGS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE LORD
Song of Songs 8:8-9 “8 We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for? 9 If she is a wall, we will build towers of silver on her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.” If she is assessed as being like a wall, strong and sturdy, and resistant to the appeal of impurity, then they can build on her a tower of silver (a symbol of strength and purity). She is totally trustworthy. But if she is assessed from her behavior as being like a door that opens itself to all who call, then she must be protected from herself and ‘enclosed in boards of cedar’ (kept under lock and key), ensuring that no one can take advantage of her. We have been placed there like lifeguards on the beach. Lifeguards are supposed to watch and prevent accidents from taking place near the water. The Lord continually calls out to us, “You are your brother’s keeper”; your sister’s, your son’s, your daughter’s keeper… you are your date’s keeper. Do not become desensitized to the impact of sexually irresponsible behaviour on them. Time spent teaching future husbands and wives about God’s design for sex is surely a priceless commitment.
CONCLUSION /WHAT CAN WE DO?
1. How can you stay pure and re-commit yourself to sexual purity? Find a friend to hold you accountable.
2. As a parent, how can I avail myself to attend to any question or doubt young people may have regarding their choices in these areas? Is there a situation I need to address at home?
3. What separates me from atheists and agnostics in this area of sex? Am I distinguishable from agnostics and atheists that I follow Christ?
1. How can you stay pure and re-commit yourself to sexual purity? Find a friend to hold you accountable.
2. As a parent, how can I avail myself to attend to any question or doubt young people may have regarding their choices in these areas? Is there a situation I need to address at home?
3. What separates me from atheists and agnostics in this area of sex? Am I distinguishable from agnostics and atheists that I follow Christ?
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