2/2/2020

The scripture for this morning comes from Hebrews chapter 2 verses 14 through 18. It's talking about Jesus.

Since therefore the children share flesh-and-blood. He himself like why I shared the same things so that through death. He might destroy the one who has the power of death. That is the devil and free those who are who all of their lives. We're held in slavery by the fear of death.

For it is clear that he did not come to help Angels but the descendants of Abraham therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect so that he might be merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people because he himself was tested by what he suffered. He is able to help those who are being tested the word of God to the people of God. the spring

almighty God

the meditations of our hearts and the words of my lips be pleasing in your sight our Rock and Our Redeemer. amen

this is the second in a three-part sermon series on pornography if You're here you find yourself surprised by that. All right.

The topic is never really one that's easy to talk about especially in the church and we talked last week as a foundation for this sermon series is the understanding that there need not be any feelings of Shame here. Meaning that a lot of times the church has responded in the history of the church has been either silent on this issue, especially this issue of pornography issues around sex or they've said things that were less than helpful and left people feeling ashamed.

We are a fallen people, but that doesn't mean that we weren't created to be much better than that. And so those of

who been impacted by pornography who has who is either consumed it or made it or promoted it or supported it or even deny his existence God's love. abounds This morning. We're going to talk about pornography and relationships next week. We're going to talk about pornography and youth and children and its impact their of fair that we should probably mention that today is the Super Bowl many of us will be enjoying food and watching the game. It is also one of the highest weekends for human trafficking in our country for young women and children who are trafficked to the to the Miami area, but it goes wherever the game goes and so it says something about the culture when that happens.

The issue last week. We talked about quite a few statistics. I want to apologize. I give you a wrong statistic. I said that every hour. New content was uploaded that was equal to a day's worth. It would take you a day to view 24 hours of video is uploaded every hour and I was wrong. It's at every 9 minutes. If you started watching last year's content 2019 content in 1850, you'd still be watching it today. And that is just new content. What is new content? So people are searching for something right like they're searching for? Community they're searching for satisfaction. There's they're searching for a feeling or an experience.

I can't answer a question this morning when we talked about couples in pornography. I'm not here to provide guidance on marriages whether they use it or not. I am here to tell you that the negative consequences of it are pretty apparent. But that's not where we end up. Let's talk about how we get there to the sermon series is on pornography, right? Case of pornography is sexual like material right if you guys ever heard the word foodporn. I don't want to watch the Food Channel. 4 hours on end and just stared lustfully at the TV. Like I could cook better than Alton Brown. Maybe you could but you get called into that idea or maybe you've redecorated people's homes in your head you watch that channel and you're convinced that everyone has a love affair with shiplap. Whatever that is. I've no idea right or maybe maybe you've been consumed by having to have the most recent the most new and so you find yourself Google searching or Amazon searching for rose gold silverware, right? So the whole idea is that that we are impacted by these images that we have right and these images that we have that food that Alton Brown cook side rolling around at any of those now look amazing, right? Like the onions are so perfectly chopped. They didn't get that one little piece of skin in the chili on accident. Right like the idea that our expectations of what we consume are based on what would see others try to sell us. Impacts how we live but the reality is someone on Alton Brown Show who's the head onion slicer and he is like making sure that every single one is perfectly form. So if you zoom in on it, you know that he is just the perfect person. There's some things that videos and end in pictures. They they don't show us. That's the imperfections right that they take out all of those things. So we find ourselves comparing ourselves to what others want us to see and it starts with advertising right starts with just a little bit of Photoshop write a few extra pounds off of the model is Photoshop and that's to sell people makeup. Until we begin to see the world around us because we have these expectations of the images that we see, right. I met up with a friend this last week. I hadn't seen in a couple months. We sat down to get a drink you're having those friends that you're friends with for like decades. I can say that now for decades and it just kind of jumps to that same point, right? So here we are. Friday's sitting at Friday's we ordered our appetizers. He looks me in the eye and it goes Is your life is perfect as it looks on Facebook. I was like, what did he just say? And so I retort I can't say what I retarded. But anyway, I retarded and so

I was offended that he had said that first off. but we only have so many people in our lives that can speak truth, right? And so how do we respond to the world around us? When everything of everyone else is speaking is this facade and not reality, right? like with the consumption of pornography

There's no touch. There's no smell there. There's no breath. There's all these things that just make it becomes something that you consume but it's not an experience. There's a problem with this people are consuming it as an experienced. So then they have that expectation on others. And that's how pornography can impact marriage is, right? So you're impacted by what other people expect of you, right? So then you're not competing with yourself you're competing with everyone else. And nobody wins in that game.

I am I am new to the educational world. I understand that Illinois has a 7th grade Constitution test. 8th grade about leaving wrong on that. Alright, so 8th grade Constitution. You have to pass it, right? To be able to get through. I'm so glad I'm from Iowa. I'm really glad I would have never passed that test not in a heartbeat. I took science twice. The second time I took it I think that the teacher she decided that I to study hall. And so she said I want you want you come down and and I'll talk you through the test and I thought she was going to give me the answers. I was so happy finally a teacher that cared and so like I was ready and I get down there and she's like what let's just talk about this and so like here she was she didn't like help me with the answers, but she was a source of support and help me talk through things and help me share with her how I could share with her how I knew how it worked, right?

Many of us feel like life is a series of tests. Maybe you feel tested on a daily basis. And when the important things in these tests self of life that you may feel is I wanted to share with you this morning that what we read in the scripture up there. The Giver of that test isn't God God isn't the one that tests us. That's the rule of the tempter. The devil remember him and Jesus went out. So Jesus could be tempted it. It's not God's rule. temptress God supports and loves and encourages us as we are faced with Temptations in life. And were the Temptations that we all face is the comparison of ourselves to others. It impacts what we buy it impacts how we view ourselves, right? And it impacts how we share love.

There is a growing divide. in our understanding of culture between intimacy And and sex, right? the research suggests that when people

Looked it looked at pornography. It's not because they're unhappy. Because they're bored. p****** had a tagline the largest Archive of nothing What are you looking at? Nothing? The largest Archive of nothing, right? So the idea is is not that it's something that's hurt in a relationship that's coming out through this.

But still the relationships are impacted. How we view those that we love?

is important

we live in a consumerist culture. A culture that tells us that people are good. Just as long as we can use them to our benefit and on either side of the aisle, you could see it this week. The reality of our broken World in our consumer culture is felt even in the church.

So, how do we sure Jesus is Love and God's love with others in a world that tells us that it should look just picture perfect before it's put out. That that it has to be just perfect. You're just so in order for others to appreciate it. I'd it means that we have to be real in our relationships. Do you know what drives people to church? It's not Pastor Rob? South Pastor at all your relationships your relationships have a relationship with seven people in this congregation. That means you're more likely to show up and be part of the church. So the question response to how do we how do we address these issues in our world like pornography where people are searching for it? Not because they think that's the end all be all. Because they're lonely. Through lonely, they're bored. They're looking for fulfillment.

The reality of this world is relationships matter. intentional relationships matter we need these relationships in our lives that are comfortable enough to say is your life is perfect as it appears on Facebook.

We need those kind of relationships for honesty with ourselves and with others. and connection Is the basis of good evangelism? Connection and relationship is essential to personal growth and development. When we start acknowledging the reality of responsibility that we have to those that we love. Then all of a sudden we have a responsibility to pay attention to it.

this morning

the reality is that we as a people. Are searching for something? You know, I thought on the way here, you know, people say I saw some lady it was at Toledo and she was like walking her dog and her pajamas right and like you could tell she was expecting the car to come by cuz she was like this. That's a good dog food. That was hilarious. Anyway, it was kind of one of those things where I was like man, you know, people say like, oh, well, we just didn't have time or people give all kinds of reasons why they they don't, the service is too early or or whatever. But have you ever been in a traffic jam at 5:30 in the morning on the way to a 5K race or any kind of marathon Race the idea that people don't come to church because they don't have time. Cuz I don't value it. blunt talk I don't know what it says to them. Or they feel like they have to show they have to compete with other things in their life and some of those other things.

are good things to

the reality of church in the world today is that there are people who are searching for God's love.

You know someone came up to me a couple Sundays ago. And when I was talking about judgment and people feeling judged by the church. and they said I think

I think if you give everybody a pen and a paper and told him to write down there since I think we'd all agree. We'd all run out of ink.

Probably true. Meaning that we don't necessarily judge others. We have an agreement that we're all broken. Here's my response to that. It doesn't make us love them either though.

It doesn't make us love others either. So what are we doing to intentionally love people to care for people in this world where they just like us are constantly barrage by these images.

better nothing of reality, right? And it's not just the sex stuff. It's it's everything that we consume everything that's marketed to us. It's not reality. You can go to Bed Bath & Beyond everyday and spend five hundred bucks on pots and pans. It doesn't make you a good cook. Did those you can't come?

the reality is

Our ministry area is greatly impacted by the way, we view ourselves and the way we view others. and by how that drives our actions

tell me when courage you this week.

To reach out to one person that you haven't reached out to in awhile.

And it just check up on them.

Just to create relationship with them to be intentional. To share some love with them. Cuz people are looking for love. My confuse it with sex. But what you're looking for is relationship. What I'm looking for is connection. What are looking for his purpose? What are looking forward to you? But what they really looking for?

That's Jesus. butter spray

Lord

as we

Come together and worship and it praise.

We thank you. For your presence with us?

through all struggles

we ask that you might guide us to love others as you have loved us. Jesus name we pray. amen