I Corinthians 6:12-20
Notes
Transcript
Read I Corinthians 6:12-20
Pray
Hook - Sex in marriage in wonderful!
Sex outside of marriage is Immoral.
1.Sexual expression is only for marriage.
Vs. 12
All thinks are lawfulLawful /= helpful
All things are Lawful =/ dominated by anything
How are “All things lawful?” That doesn’t make sense.
The Corinthians were living by the law of their customs of their culture. The law of their culture said that sex outside of marriage was perfectly fine.
The Corinthians thought that sex was something that was amoral - not immoral -, but amoral.
What does Amoral mean?
Without a right or wrong.
So, sin or wrong cannot be attached to it. Amoral.
Strange example - It’s like a candle.
A candle cannot be either good or bad. It’s just a candle.
Sex outside of marriage for the Corinthian was amoral.
For the Corinthians & especially for Greek men.
-Sex before marriage, or outside of marriage with either a male or female prostitute or slave was Amoral.
It was perfectly fine and acceptable. Neither good nor bad.
John MacKarthur, “Like most ancient Greek cities, Corinth had an acropolis (literally. “a high city”), which rose 2,000 feet and was used both for defense and for worship.
The most prominent edifice on the acropolis was a temple to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Some 1, 000 priestesses, who were “religious” prostitutes, lived and worked there and came down into the city in the evening to offer their services to male citizens and foreign visitors.”
-There were also many male prostitutes that were available to the Corinthian men.
To add- in the Corinthians and Greek culture of the Roman empire...
-Pedophelia with underage boy slaves was widely considered normative. It was seen as Amoral. Not a moral issue. Simply something one did, with no moral connection.
-Nero the emperor of the day was married to a young boy.
This loose sexuality was not forbidden until the 3rd century when the Roman Empire became more Christianized. Even then, it took centuries to begin to clean up.
-If a Christian man lived by these cultural rules of Corinth, of sexual indulgence, instead of by God’s law, this Christian man would engage in what is forbidden.
In our passage today, Paul has to make this point.
There are somethings that are Amoral, like food.
There are other things that are Immoral. Sexual expression outside of marriage.
We see this in verse 13. Read 13
Vs. 13
Food -> stomach
stomach -> food
Food in and of itself is not-moral. It’s just a thing.
body /-> Sexual immorality
-Note that our first point is Sexual expression is only for marriage.
The first point is not - Sex is only for marriage.
Why is this? The answer is found in how we define sexual immorality as seen in verse 13.
What is sexual immorality - The King James says “fornication” better translation - Sexual Immorality.
Sexual immorality has a very broad definition.
Sexual immorality is Any sexual expression outside of marriage or before marriage. Includes, touch, pictures, words, or audio that is sexual in nature. It also includes pornography.
Why does sexuality so powerfully impact humankind?
A person’s sexuality is not just physical.
-It reaches into the soul.
-It powerfully effects our feelings.
-It taps into our carnal instincts of reproduction and selfishness.
-It takes up part if the space in the area we know as love.
-For many it speaks in the language of defining our value
- our meaning and worth.
-Wars have been fought due to the influence of sexual impulses.
-Our current culture has elevated sexual expression as the greatest of all human experiences.
I would argue that our culture speaks of experience of sex like the Christ follow speaks of the worship of God in heaven.
Having nothing else to prescribe glory to our culture has made an idol out of sex and glorifies it to a place of worship. Pause
We as believers understand that our sexuality is powerful.
-In the Bible the Lord uses sexuality in marriage to give us hints of how intimate our relationship with Him is to be.
-There is an entire book of the Bible written about sexual interplay. - Song of Solomon
-Satan has taken something beautiful and powerful that God created for good and has twisted it to become evil.
Sexuality has so much power primarily because our hearts are looking for something to worship.
One church leader said, “Our hearts are idol factories.”
Our hearts are always looking for something to worship, something to be enslaved to.
Who or what do you worship?
You will always worship something.
You will always be enslaved to something.
If God does not have your greatest affections, than you are in bondage.
-If your greatest affections are not on God than you are by default worshiping something other than God.
-It is only when God has our greatest affections that we are truly living a free life.
It begs this question -
Does God have your greatest affection or is there something or someone else that your heart yearns for more than your creator? pause
-Do you have a tendency to be draw to worship sexual expression outside of marriage?
???
Regarding anything you experience in lifeThis should prompt the questions:
“Does God allow this?
"Will this activity enslave me?"
Something is not a moral issue:
Like fishing, social media, or enjoying your college football team
However - amoral things can enslave.
-We’ve all know of the man who neglected family for the outdoors.
-The young woman who was over focused and controlled by social media.
-The college super fan...
Tnansition - 2nd we see that
II. My body is made for the Lord, vs. 13-17
vs. 13-17, Your body was made for the Lord.
Your body belongs to the Lord.
If my body was made for the Lord, What does the word “Lord” mean?
Lord = one who exercises supernatural authority over mankind—Ruler, One who commands
The one of highest authority
When we say that, “Jesus Christ is Lord”
Or that Jesus is my Lord and Savior.
We are saying - That Jesus is not only The Ruler, The King, but MY Ruler and King.
So, when you hear someone say,
-”This is my body and I can do with it want I want to.”
- there is a big hole in their understanding about God.
-This is fundamentally unbiblical.
-This person doesn’t have an understanding of what it fully means that Jesus is Lord of their body.
-When your body is the Lord’s (it belongs to the one with the greatest authority),
-God tells us what we can do with our body sexually and what we cannot.
You ALSO have to wrestle with the scriptures when you desire to make unnecessary changes to your body.
What do you mean, “Unnecessary changes to my body?”
With abortion, If my body is not my own and if the child inside of me is not my own, but The Lords.
Do I have permission from God to remove and throw away the child?
The Lord (the one of supreme authority) tells us that all human life is valuable, from conception.
If my body is the Lord’s (the one of supreme authority) do I have the right to physically change my gender?
-I would argue that scripture does not allow that.
PAUSE
Let me give you 2 areas of body change that even mature Christians are going to disagree on.
Question, If your body is “The Lords”, then can you just go and get any elective cosmetic surgery you want?
-You need to wrestle with the scripture on this. Beyond the scope of our sermon today.
-If your body is not your own. Do you have freedom to go and ink it up with tattoos?
-You need to wrestle with scripture on this.
You say, I hear all these restrictions.
Where is the positive the encouragement in God being the Master of my body?
Verse 14 gives us this incredible encouragement.
Read vs 14
Vs. 14
God raised Jesus (the Lord) -> will raise you.
You will live on this earth 90 years (if you are fortunate).
-After you die, when He returns, He will take your broken worn out body and exchange it for a new body.
-The same kind of body that Jesus had when He was raised from the dead.
-A supernatural body.
-A body that will not get sick, will not get COVID or Cancer.
-A body that will not be susceptible to addiction or chemical dependance.
-A body that will not be enslaved to addictive sexuality.
-A body that will not wear out, but will live forever with Him in heaven.
Because your body is the Lord’s, He will take it and make it perfectly new, causing it to undergo a supernatural change - an eternal change.
When Jesus saved you, He made a promise to not only fully save your soul, but to also redeem your body as well.
Transition to verse 15, even right now for the Christ follower, your body has a supernatural connection to Jesus.
Vs. 15A, says this,
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?...
-Your body is united with Christ.
-The Spirit of God dwells in you.
Illustration
-In the Old Testament, God resided in a place called the Holy of Holies. The presence of God dwelled on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant.
-A priest could only visit this holy place once a year.
-Now, There is no longer a Temple, Ark of the Covenant or Holy of holies.
-For the Christ follower, the Spirit of God dwells in you. His person the Holy Spirit resides in you.
-God’s Spirit is in you. You are His!
Pause
So far we have seen in our passage
-Sexual Expression is for marriage
-My body is the Lord’s
3. How am I to respond to sexual temptation?
Verse 18-20 tells us,
Flee Sexual Temptation.
Glorify God with your body
-It is fascinating that every temptation mentioned in scripture a believer is told to stand and fight, but one - sexual temptation. The Christ follower is told to flee. sexual temptation.
Why? Sexual Temptation has a unique power.
Joseph - An old testament spiritual hero - When caught by the adulterous wife of Potifer fled away from her.
Prov 7:21-27, Speaking of the Adulterous woman says ...
21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast
23 till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,
26 for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
Pause
Illustration
-Samson The Strongest Man - Did not flee Sexual Temptation and had his eyes gauged out.
-David, The Man after God’s Own Heart, did not flee Sexual Temptation and he committed adultery & murder due to his lust.
-Solomon, The Wisest Man, did not flee and worshiped foreign God’s.
To resist sexual temptation and keep sexual expression inside marriage - you must flee.
How Do I Flee Sexual Temptation?
1st -Spend time with God in His Word everyday. You will be aware of your need to flee.
2nd -If you are married, when you feel an attraction to someone else you stay away from them and don’t allow your mind to dwell on them. Avoid unnecessary conversations with them.
3rd -If you are unmarried & dating, stay away from dating an unbeliever.
4th -Guard you internet and smart phone use from pornography & sexual images.
-If you are single or alone, don’t ever bring your cell phone into your bedroom. Buy a $10 plastic alarm clock.
-Turn on Safe Settings on all your devices.
-Buy pornography filtering software for your phone and computer.
-Set your wifi router to safe with parental controls.
-Understand your sweet 10 year old girls are susceptible to impurity on the internet as well.
5th -Be very discerning as to what movies & what kind of music you take in.
6th -Have an accountability partner that asks you how you are doing with purity on a weekly bases.
7th - If you are someone for whom sexual impurity isn’t an issue. Help those around you find purity. Help your friends. Help guard your grandchildren from the deadly effects of this world. If this message does not apply directly to you, then it applies to someone you dearly love.
These are all things that will help keep you pure spiritually & your loved ones.
-God is worth keeping yourself pure for.
-While sexual expression inside marriage is a wonderful thing, it can never be what the world has elevated it to be. Sex cannot do what God can do.
-Better is one day with God, than a thousand elsewhere.
-Pause
Closing/Gospel
If you are someone who has elevated all the wrong things...
If you are someone who has given themselves to be satisfied by what this world has offered - you will find that it just doesn’t work.
God at this very moment is brining you to a place of decision.
For some, God is convicting your soul that there are areas of impurity that you need to repent from.
For others, you are realizing that this great God of Purity you do not know.
-You are realizing that you need Him.
-You need Him to forgive your sin and you need that forgiveness now.
-Here is a beautiful hope for you.
-God has set this very moment up for you to have your sins forgiven.
-You can be saved today.
-You will be saved right now if you give your life to follow Jesus.
-Will you believe right now that Jesus paid for your sins on the cross?
-Will you believe right now that your will give all of our life to following Jesus?
-If this is you, will you right where you are say in your heart,
“Jesus, I trust you and follow you”
-Will you tell someone what you’ve done.