Heart of Desire

Review

Last week we learned about anger.

We were challenged to pray through our anger.

Did you do it?

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Introduction

Today we are going to learn what Jesus teaches about adultery.

Who here can tell me what ‘adultery’ is?

Engaging in sexual activity outside the bounds of a marriage relationship.

Our American culture idolizes sexuality.

Handouts

Passage

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

ADULTERY BEGINS IN THE HEART

27 “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.

28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Main Points

1) God designed marriage to be between husband and wife.

Contrary to popular belief, marriage is not between man-and-man or woman-and-woman.

Just because American law says its okay, does not mean that God is okay with it.

When Jesus was questioned about marriage from the religious leaders, He said...

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 19

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that he who created them in the beginning made them male and female,,

5 and he also said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?,

Since God made humans and designed marriage, anything outside of His design is sinful.

This does not mean way mistreat the LGBT+ community.

We are all sinners and Christ died so that anyone who follows Him may be saved from their sin.

Therefore, we ought to love our neighbors and teach them about God.

How else will they be saved if no one shares the good news of Jesus Christ with them?

2) Christians must guard their eyes.

In the Garden of Eden, when Satan was tempting Eve...

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 3

6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

She “saw” the fruit, then she “desired” it, and then she “ate” it.

Remember King David? He wasn’t so different...

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 11

2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

3 So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hethite?”

4 David sent messengers to get her

David “saw” her, then he “inquired” or desired her, and then he sent messengers to “get” her.

See it

Want it

Have it

We must be careful of what we look at.

This does not mean that being ‘attracted’ to someone is wrong.

But if our imaginations get out of hand, those feelings quickly lead to sin.

Sexual feelings are not wrong, but they must only be practiced inside the covenant of marriage.

3) Christians must “cut off” habits that lead to lust.

Social media stirs up our desires.

If going on certain apps or websites stir up any of the feelings we have discussed, I would encourage you to leave it.

Again, these feelings are good and nothing to be ashamed of because God gave them to you.

But this must be practiced within marriage.

Broken gift poem.

Application

The principle of this passage is to do all that we can to flee from sexual immorality.

God designed marriage, knowing what is best for us, and desires us to live accordingly.

This week I will ask God to guard my heart against sinful desires.