Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Last week we discussed the importance of moral instruction as long as its rooted in Jesus Christ from 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2.

This week we will begin one of two sermons that will address Paul’s first moral instruction on sexual immorality.

This sermon will be focused on explaining what exactly sexual immorality is from 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6a.

The next sermon will address why we should refrain from sexual immorality in 1 Thessalonians 4:6b-8.

Before we dive into the text at hand, first, I want to issue a parental advisory.

This sermon will be discussing sexual immorality.

I will not be attempting to shock you with sexually illicit images or language (I will try to avoid it); however, parents should gauge the age appropriateness and maturity level to determine if their child should listen to this or not.

Second, I want to drive the importance of this issue home for us.

A lot of times we can think of sexual immorality as an issue “those people out there” have, but we’re not doing so bad.

In 2019, a huge Houston Chronicle article came out depicting the sexual abuse scandal within the Southern Baptist Convention, that is our church’s denomination.

Sexual abusers were using churches to prey on women, children, and even men.

Whenever these predators were discovered, they would quietly leave and find a new church.

Even more sad, a lot of these predators were church leaders: pastors, Sunday school teachers, etc.

Whether it was from ignorance, lack of wisdom, or some sort of arrogant self-reliance, a lot of these cases were not reported to the law enforcement (which is deplorable).

Because of the lack of reporting, and lack of vetting process some churches have in hiring, these predators would continue moving from church to church.

Furthermore, some of these cases were reported to the Executive Committee of the SBC and they refused to take proper responsibility in handling these things.

It’s not the Executive Committee’s responsibility to govern us as a local church (unlike how other denominations are set up); however, I would argue that if sexual abuse is reported to anyone that person or entity is thus responsible to report the abuse.

Sexual sin can occur in our mind and by our actions.

It can occur by failure to take action to work against it either in our minds or by our actions.

All of us, every single one of us is just one single slip away from committing heinous sexual sin.

And if we refuse to recognize that danger we are more likely to fall into this sin.

1 Thess 4:3-6a “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter,”

God’s Will

First, Paul begins by discussing “God’s will.”

This is something I remember being obsessed with in my teenage years.

Everyone was asking me if I knew what God’s will was for my life.

And especially since I desire to be a pastor since at least third grade, people would question me on my calling.

They expected me to have some sort of supernatural experience to know that I know that I’m called to be a pastor.

This obsession with God’s will has not ceased for many Christian young people.

People are still obsessed with it: “Where does God want me to go to college?” “Who does God want me to marry?” “What job does God want me to have?”

Sometimes this fear of not knowing what to do freezes people into not taking any action at all.

They stop pursuing a relationship because they are unsure if it’s the guy that God wants for them.

Or they don’t apply to any colleges because they just expect God to write it in the sky or something.

To combat this fear mentality, I will often quip to Christian young people, “Do whatever you want as long as it’s not sin.”

This phrase sounds freeing, and its meant to be.

It’s not meant to free people from God’s expectations, but from this idea that God is going to dictate all their life choices to them.

I firmly believe that God gives you the good desires that you have.

And as long as those desires are not sin or rooted in idolatry, then God gives us the freedom to act on those desires.

The problem is that sometimes we can be so consumed and obsessed with discovering God’s secret will for our lives that we fail to obey his obvious moral will for our lives.

What is God’s will for your life?

“Your sanctification.”

Sanctification takes the word holy and makes it into a verb.

The word holy we normally think of in terms of separation.

And it certainly does imply that.

We are to be separate from the things, the ideas, the practices, the behaviors that God hates.

But not only that , we ourselves should be wholly, or completely devoted to God.

The vessels in the temple were known as holy things.

Not because the vessels carry some sort of capacity to sin.

But, because they were completely devoted to God, they were considered holy.

In the same way holiness is separation from sin and complete devotion to God.

And sanctification is the process by which we become more separate from sin and grow more and more devoted to God.

Instead of obsessing over God’s secret will for our lives, we should focus simply on, “Am I obeying God?” Whatever comes our way, times of sorrow and affliction or times of jubilee— God intends for our good.

And what is our good?

Rom.

8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Rom.

8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Our good is to be conformed to the image of his Son, our good is to be more like Jesus, our good is our sanctification.

God’s will is not our financial stability, our mental health, our American dream.

God’s will is our sanctification.

Our faithfulness.

Now, Paul gives three subordinate clauses to explain what he means by our sanctificaiton .

Each of these clauses are marked by infinitives in the original language, and most English translations (ESV, NKJV, NASB, NIV) mark them by using the word “that.”

Look at the text again to mark these phrases:

1 Thess 4:3-6 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter,”

We will spend our time looking at each of these three phrases.

Abstain from Sexual Immorality

The term that Paul uses for sexual immorality is πορνεια from whence we get the term “porn.”

The term πορνεια originally derives from the Greek word for prostitute.

Pornography was originally writings about encounters with prostitutes.

Of course, nowadays this refers primarily to images and videos of sexual acts.

So what exactly qualifies as πορνεια?

Cultures have changed over time in defining which behaviors are illicit or sanctioned.

Ancient Egyptians seemed to have been more okay with incest unlike surrounding cultures.

The Greco-Roman world seemed to be more okay with male promiscuity than female promiscuity.

Some areas in the Roman empire would have been okay with certain male homosexual activity as well.

For the longest time, our Western culture based our sexual ethic on the Bible.

Sex was seen as more than just a physical act.

But when social Darwinism took the scene in the eighteen hundreds, sex began to be seen as merely a physical act.

If we were to create a sexual ethic out of Darwinism it would ultimately be disastrous.

Why?

Because the greatest goal for Darwinism is the survival of the species.

If the greatest goal is the survival of the species, then rape should be allowed because a strong man should have the right to have his way with beautiful women in order to perpetuate the survival of strong and beautiful genes in the human society.

Of course Freud messed up every modern’s thinking about sex.

He determined that we were primarily sexual beings, even at the youngest of ages.

He traced most psychological disorders to a lack of sexual fulfillment.

So in terms of trying to determine what exactly qualifies as πορνεια, we cannot use culture or human philosophy.

We need something greater.

Thankfully, God does not stay silent about this issue.

1 Cor.

6:8-10 “But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

The Bible speaks through and through that sexual acts, thoughts, and desires outside the confines of traditional marriage is sin.

Jesus teaches to this:

Matt.

5:27-30 ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away.

For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.