Don't Excuse Sin

Introduction:

4 Things to Say To Yourself When You're Tempted: (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

  1. I can't EXCUSE sin. (1 Cor 6:12-14)

  2. I am ONE with Christ. (1 Cor 6:15-17)

  3. God says to RUN from sexual sin. (1 Cor 6:18)

  4. My body BELONGS to God. (1 Cor 6:19-20)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

  • 00:43-00:45

    What kind of a church is this?

    00:46-00:48

    We are a church that sits on four pillars.

    00:50-00:53

    We proclaim the authority of God's Word without apology.

    00:55-00:58

    We lift high the name of Jesus in worship.

    00:59-01:01

    We believe firmly in the power of prayer.

    01:02-01:05

    And we share the good news of Jesus with boldness.

    01:09-01:19

    Speaking of that first pillar, we're going through a series here Corinthians, and we go where the text takes us.

    01:21-01:23

    And today we're going to talk about sexual immorality.

    01:26-01:28

    I'm going to be direct but not explicit.

    01:28-01:33

    The question comes up, "Should my child listen to this?" But parental discretion advised.

    01:33-01:36

    Again, direct but not explicit.

    01:37-01:44

    I would encourage you parents, whether you're sitting here or whether you're streaming somebody's going to be talking to your kids about this.

    01:44-01:54

    You should be, but they're going to be hearing a lot of different opinions regarding matters of marriage and sexuality.

    01:54-01:56

    I think it might do them good to hear God's opinion of it.

    01:58-02:10

    So I'm just going to ask you would please pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's word clearly, and I will pray for you to have your heart open to receive what He wants to tell us today.

    02:17-02:30

    Father in heaven, let this not just be another sermon sat through, but let Your Word transform our hearts and minds.

    02:30-02:36

    Father, give us the faith to believe and act upon what You have already pronounced to be true.

    02:39-02:41

    Let this be the day of repentance.

    02:42-02:52

    Let this be a day of joy and celebration and truly embracing Your gifts.

    02:53-02:55

    Your Word says every good and perfect gift comes from above.

    02:56-02:57

    Father, we believe that.

    03:01-03:04

    And I thank You, Father, ahead of time for the work that You're going to do.

    03:05-03:12

    We pray in Jesus' name and all of God's people said, "Amen." Amen.

    03:12-03:33

    1 Corinthians chapter 6, we're in a series through 1 Corinthians called "Unified and Purified." Unified, that's the first four chapters, unified, where Paul says, "Church, collectively, get it together." Right?

    03:34-03:53

    In this next section that we're in, the church purified, Paul says, "Each of you, be who Jesus saved you to be." And today we are going to be talking about sexual immorality.

    03:54-04:14

    And those of you who have been going through this series with us might be saying at this point, "Oh, Pastor Jeff, maybe the cold is affecting your brain, but didn't we talk about that guy two weeks ago?" Oh, you think there was just one person in that church struggling with it.

    04:16-04:18

    Did you hurt your head when you fell off the turnip truck?

    04:19-04:19

    No.

    04:20-04:32

    There wasn't just one person at that church dealing with it, and I guarantee you there's There's not just one person in this church dealing with it.

    04:32-04:34

    Look down to verse 18.

    04:34-04:36

    This is the sermon.

    04:38-05:10

    Verse 18, Paul says, "Flee from sexual immorality." "Flee from sexual immorality." See, in Corinth, they were famous for their temple to Aphrodite, And their priestesses were actually prostitutes, and they would by those means help men worship according to their religion.

    05:12-05:14

    That was their context.

    05:16-05:20

    But the principles in this passage aren't limited to that.

    05:20-05:22

    And you have to get that.

    05:23-05:37

    You know, we don't want guys sitting here going, "Well, I'm doing pretty good because I've never been with a prostitute." Flea, sexual immorality, that word sexual immorality covers it all.

    05:38-05:54

    Whether it's an affair, or pornography, or one of these apps that allow you to meet up with people, it's anything outside of God's design for marriage and sexuality.

    05:55-05:59

    And look, there is nothing new under the sun.

    06:00-06:06

    The problem that this church had is the same problem that the church has today.

    06:06-06:07

    We touched on this a couple of weeks ago.

    06:08-06:08

    Here's the problem.

    06:09-06:13

    It's not viewing sex as sacred.

    06:14-06:14

    That's the problem.

    06:17-06:24

    We've turned this gift from God into some gross form of self-gratification.

    06:27-06:30

    So what is the purpose of sex?

    06:31-06:32

    What is it?

    06:33-06:38

    Well, what is the purpose of everything that God created?

    06:41-06:44

    The purpose of everything that God created is to glorify Him.

    06:46-06:48

    So what is the purpose of marital intimacy?

    06:50-06:51

    You're like, "Really?

    06:51-06:53

    To glorify God?" Yeah.

    06:54-06:54

    Yeah.

    06:55-07:01

    Need I remind you that the whole idea of marital intimacy was God's idea.

    07:01-07:08

    The whole idea that this was to be a pleasure shared between a married couple, that was God's plan.

    07:10-07:12

    He designed that, right?

    07:12-07:15

    Genesis tells us male and female, He created them.

    07:16-07:19

    The two shall become one flesh, Genesis 2.24.

    07:20-07:30

    That's the purpose of intimacy, but what's the objective of sex?

    07:30-07:33

    What's the objective of sexual relations?

    07:34-07:45

    Well, some would say, "Well, the objective is procreation, that's it." That's not the primary objective.

    07:47-07:55

    And for some, they would say, "It's pleasure." There's that, but that's not the primary objective of sex.

    07:56-07:59

    The primary objective is intimacy.

    08:03-08:05

    And you need to learn this statement from God's Word.

    08:08-08:10

    Intimacy is for those in the covenant.

    08:13-08:15

    Intimacy is for those in the covenant.

    08:18-08:26

    See under the new covenant, God desires the closest relationship possible that He can have with His people.

    08:26-08:27

    So what does He do?

    08:28-08:31

    He lives inside the heart of a believer.

    08:34-08:40

    And the Bible tells us that marriage and sex is a picture of the gospel.

    08:41-08:45

    The man representing Jesus, the woman representing the church.

    08:45-08:47

    Ephesians 5, you can read that later.

    08:48-08:49

    Same point though.

    08:51-08:54

    God's relationship with man, man's relationship with his wife.

    08:55-08:58

    Intimacy is for the covenant.

    09:01-09:05

    And sex is the physical manifestation.

    09:05-09:08

    It's the illustration of such intimacy.

    09:13-09:19

    Because in the covenant of marriage, the man representing Jesus is initiating a love relationship.

    09:20-09:28

    And the woman representing the church is receiving an intimacy that the two exclusively enjoy.

    09:29-09:39

    And the fact right now that people would hear something like that and start to snicker and start to giggle shows you the problem.

    09:41-09:43

    That the whole idea of sex has been perverted.

    09:45-09:47

    Like obviously, right?

    09:48-09:49

    Like how did that happen?

    09:52-09:56

    Well the Bible tells us when Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately noticed what?

    09:58-09:59

    They noticed that they were naked.

    10:00-10:01

    Isn't that strange?

    10:02-10:06

    Because up until that point, they only ever saw each other naked.

    10:07-10:15

    Now all of a sudden that sin is in the world, now they cast a whole new light on this.

    10:18-10:22

    But all of the sudden they had to cover themselves up.

    10:28-10:33

    There is a shame associated with sexuality because of sin.

    10:37-10:46

    God's wedding gift to men and women has been misused and abused and perverted.

    10:48-10:58

    And like the Corinthians, the world's profane, disgusting view of sex has been brought into the church.

    11:02-11:10

    And like them, there are many people here that are indulging in some form of sexual sin.

    11:15-11:18

    So what's it going to take to get you to break free?

    11:18-11:18

    What is it?

    11:21-11:23

    I've been doing this a long time.

    11:23-11:24

    I know how sermons work.

    11:24-11:27

    This is the part of the sermon where you get the stats, right?

    11:28-11:36

    You get the statistics on pornography and usage in the church and out the church.

    11:37-11:39

    That doesn't make a difference to people.

    11:41-11:49

    Or this is the part of the sermon where I can tell you the effect that pornography will have on your marriage and your relationships.

    11:49-12:05

    And I can get, you know, line graphs up there or quotes from brilliant scientists talking about the effect that it has on your marriage and the effect that it has on your brain, and that's not going to move anybody.

    12:07-12:11

    We could talk about the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

    12:15-12:24

    I don't really think any of those things are very effective to get people on track with God's design for marital intimacy.

    12:25-12:27

    What we need is the power of the Holy Spirit.

    12:28-12:31

    What we need is the wisdom that comes from the Word of God.

    12:33-12:37

    So on your outline, that's what we're going after today.

    12:38-12:50

    That when you find yourself in a place of temptation, through this passage you're going to see, there's four things that you need to say to yourself when temptation shows up.

    12:52-12:52

    Alright?

    12:52-12:55

    Number one, break this down, I can't excuse sin.

    12:56-12:59

    I just can't excuse sin.

    13:04-13:12

    You see, the Corinthians, in their culture, they had some popular sayings that they used to excuse sin.

    13:12-13:14

    Look at your Bible, here's two of them.

    13:14-13:26

    Verse 12, "All things are lawful for me." Verse 13, "Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food." Stop there.

    13:26-13:32

    Those were two of the sayings of the culture, two of the, you know, secular proverbs, so to speak.

    13:33-13:39

    But when they wanted to excuse and justify their sexual sin, they would say one of those statements.

    13:39-13:44

    And what we have here in 1 Corinthians 6 is Paul systematically breaking them down.

    13:44-13:51

    He's like, "Your reasoning is really messed up here." So let's look at it.

    13:51-13:58

    First of all, verse 12, he says, "All things are lawful for me." Stop there.

    14:00-14:01

    Is that true?

    14:05-14:20

    Look, if you are a born-again believer in Christ, if you are truly regenerate, if you are truly saved, you have freedom in Christ.

    14:21-14:25

    Yes, nothing can separate you from the love of God.

    14:25-14:30

    No sin that you commit will disqualify you from being a child of God.

    14:30-14:31

    That is true.

    14:31-14:32

    All right?

    14:34-14:35

    But let's look at what Paul says.

    14:35-14:48

    He says, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful." Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

    14:48-14:49

    This is Paul's first argument.

    14:51-14:54

    Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

    14:57-15:01

    Can I have gummy bears and cream soda for breakfast?

    15:04-15:07

    Aaron, can I have gummy bears and cream soda for breakfast?

    15:09-15:11

    Yes, I can.

    15:12-15:15

    And you were all witness that she nodded her head yes.

    15:16-15:19

    Look, God's not going to condemn me for that.

    15:22-15:23

    Is it very helpful though?

    15:24-15:26

    What about, can I play the lottery?

    15:27-15:29

    Can I play the...oh, Aaron says no on that one.

    15:31-15:35

    For purposes of illustration, can I play the lottery?

    15:37-15:38

    Sure I can.

    15:40-15:44

    God's not going to send me to hell if I buy a scratchy ticket, right?

    15:45-15:49

    If I buy a scratchy lottery, Pastor Taylor, God's not going to send me to hell for that.

    15:53-15:54

    But does that make it a good idea?

    15:57-15:58

    It's not helpful, is it?

    15:59-16:00

    It's not wise.

    16:00-16:03

    The lottery is just a tax on people who are bad at math.

    16:06-16:11

    Okay, now how about sleeping with someone you're not married to?

    16:12-16:17

    If you're a true Christian, that is not going to send you to hell.

    16:21-16:29

    Saying that it is not helpful is one of the biggest understatements of all time.

    16:32-16:33

    I think that's Paul's point.

    16:35-16:35

    It's not helpful.

    16:37-16:39

    Sleeping with someone you're not married to is not helpful.

    16:40-16:44

    It can result in an unwanted pregnancy.

    16:47-16:50

    If she's married, you're going to deal with an angry husband when he finds out.

    16:52-16:56

    You're going to deal with shame in your workplace, in your church, in your community.

    16:59-17:03

    Your testimony, if you're a Christian, certainly not going to help that.

    17:04-17:10

    Oh, and if she's married, now you've destroyed two families, yours and hers.

    17:11-17:15

    And if you're not married, you've done damage to future spouses, yours and hers.

    17:18-17:19

    There's consequences.

    17:20-17:21

    So that's where Paul starts.

    17:21-17:25

    He's like, "All things are lawful for me." He's like, "Bag that excuse.

    17:26-17:30

    Not all things are helpful." Let's look at the next one.

    17:31-18:12

    Back in verse 12, he says, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved anything. Some translations, "I will not be dominated by anything." He goes, "Why would I mess around with something that could enslave me? Why would I do that?" It's just, it's foolishness, right? And sexual sin is addictive, right? Talk to the guy who struggled with looking at things on his computer that he shouldn't be looking at.

    18:13-18:14

    It's addictive.

    18:15-18:21

    Talk to the girl who's in that wrong relationship that she just keeps going back to.

    18:21-18:22

    It's addictive.

    18:25-18:31

    I mean, with any sin, one and done is bad enough.

    18:32-18:43

    But when you have a sin that just keeps drawing you back in, Paul says, "You really want to mess around with something that's going to consume your life?

    18:44-18:53

    I'm not going to be dominated by anything." He's like, "You can bag that excuse too." But there's another one.

    18:53-18:54

    Look at verse 13.

    18:55-18:59

    He says, "Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food.

    19:01-19:15

    And God, this is Paul's commentary on that saying, he goes, "And God will destroy both one and the other." The body's not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

    19:19-19:21

    See that was the other excuse for sexual sin.

    19:21-19:24

    Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach's for food.

    19:24-19:25

    You see that argument?

    19:26-19:37

    The argument is this, look, the act of physical intimacy, it's just biological, right?

    19:37-19:39

    It's just a biological thing.

    19:39-19:43

    I mean, you guys are a little too uptight about that.

    19:43-19:46

    It's just a biological function.

    19:47-19:49

    I mean, let me break it down for you.

    19:49-20:00

    and my tummy is hungry, and I see food, I'm like, well, I see a connection here.

    20:00-20:02

    You two were sort of made for each other.

    20:03-20:04

    Let's get this together, right?

    20:05-20:07

    It's obvious what needs to happen here.

    20:08-20:10

    The food needs to go in my tummy.

    20:15-20:18

    He applied that same logic to sex.

    20:20-20:28

    It's like, "Look, I have body parts and there is a woman, so it's obvious what needs to happen here.

    20:28-20:36

    These two were made for each other." You see, Paul shoots that one down, foolish thinking.

    20:36-20:40

    He goes, "Yeah, food and stomach, that's an appropriate match.

    20:41-20:46

    body doesn't match with sexual sin.

    20:48-20:52

    What body matches with is the Lord.

    20:53-20:58

    So your little analogy is fundamentally faulty.

    21:00-21:04

    And Paul says further, "More food for the stomach." That's a temporary thing.

    21:08-21:10

    That's just a temporary thing.

    21:10-21:12

    But your body is the Lord's.

    21:14-21:15

    That's an eternal thing.

    21:16-21:26

    In other words, Paul says your analogy breaks down because while digestion, yes, is a biological function, sex is not just a biological function.

    21:26-21:28

    It's not just a physical act.

    21:28-21:28

    It's not.

    21:31-21:34

    By the way, your body is not going to be destroyed.

    21:35-21:36

    It's going to be glorified.

    21:36-21:52

    14, Paul says, "And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power." Paul is saying, "Your body has a glorious destiny.

    21:54-22:01

    Don't use it for lust." Paul is like, "Bag that excuse.

    22:01-22:03

    It's just a biological function.

    22:04-22:06

    You are not a dog, okay?

    22:08-22:15

    This act of intimacy is more than just some biological function like eating or drinking.

    22:19-22:23

    That saying, "All things are lawful for me," boy, that one didn't go away, did it?

    22:24-23:18

    I think we all know people that are like the ultra-grace people that are like, "Hey, because Christ died for me, I can do whatever I want. I have freedom in Christ to do whatever I want." That mindset overtook the Corinthians, and so many Christians today have such a skewed view of God's Word. Look, liberty is not license. All right? Liberty is not license. And I want to say this with as much love and compassion as I can muster here, but you are either unregenerate or you're a toddler Christian if you think freedom in Christ is a green light for anything and everything that you want to do." Those were their sayings.

    23:20-23:25

    Boy, we could spend a lot of time talking about some of the sayings that we threw around in our day, right?

    23:26-23:30

    We have other popular sayings that we use to excuse sin.

    23:31-23:32

    I've heard them all.

    23:34-23:40

    Here's a big one, you've heard this one, when people want to excuse their sexual sin, they're like, "Everyone does it." You heard that one?

    23:40-23:41

    Everyone does it.

    23:41-23:45

    Oh, okay, that's the measure of what's appropriate, right?

    23:45-23:47

    As long as everybody's doing it, then it must be okay.

    23:50-23:52

    You can bag that excuse.

    23:54-23:55

    Here's one that I hate.

    23:56-24:08

    I've heard so many times people say, "Well, you wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, huh?" A problem with that analogy, we're talking about a human being, not a car.

    24:08-24:17

    If I go to a lot and test drive a car and decide not to buy it, that car isn't going to carry emotional damage with it for the rest of its life.

    24:21-24:22

    You use cars.

    24:23-24:24

    You don't use people.

    24:25-24:27

    Beg that excuse.

    24:28-24:37

    You hear people say, "Well, you know, come on, a man has needs." Yeah, yeah, a man does have needs.

    24:37-24:38

    A man needs Christ.

    24:39-24:41

    Let's focus on that need.

    24:41-24:43

    That's the most important need.

    24:43-24:44

    Let's go after that one.

    24:45-24:46

    Or how about this one?

    24:48-24:49

    "Oh, you don't understand.

    24:49-25:01

    We love each other." Okay, well if you love her that much, then you should enter into a covenant with her and honor the Lord with it.

    25:02-25:10

    But if you don't love her enough to enter the covenant with her in marriage, then you shouldn't be physical with her.

    25:12-25:13

    Beg that excuse.

    25:15-25:18

    Paul says, "Your body's not meant for sexual sin.

    25:18-25:20

    It's not meant for self-gratification.

    25:20-25:21

    It's meant for the Lord.

    25:21-25:22

    It has a glorious destiny.

    25:22-25:31

    And here's the bottom line, church, you are never going to repent if you're always looking for an excuse to sin.

    25:36-25:43

    So next time you are tempted, you need to stop and say, "I can't excuse sin.

    25:44-25:45

    I can't excuse this.

    25:47-25:51

    There's nothing I can say before God that would make this sin okay.

    25:53-25:54

    I can't excuse sin.

    25:56-25:56

    All right?

    25:56-26:05

    Number two, when you're tempted, you need to learn to stop and say this, "I am one with Christ.

    26:07-26:09

    I am one with Christ." Look at verses 15 through 17.

    26:11-26:18

    Paul goes on, he says, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?

    26:22-26:28

    Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?

    26:28-26:29

    Never!

    26:32-26:39

    Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?

    26:41-26:45

    Or, as it is written, the two will become one flesh.

    26:48-26:54

    But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.

    26:55-26:57

    I am one with Christ.

    26:57-27:05

    You see, Paul was talking to the Corinthians who were worshipping with the temple prostitutes.

    27:06-27:16

    Like you're taking a body, your body, the personal property of Jesus, and using it to gratify yourself in a relationship with a godless woman.

    27:19-27:25

    And this is equivalent to dragging Christ Himself into prostitution.

    27:26-27:29

    That is an absolutely horrible thought, but that's what He says.

    27:31-27:32

    Think about that.

    27:33-27:38

    Think about how repulsive and appalling this is.

    27:38-27:39

    Think about it.

    27:42-27:46

    I mean, would you call Pastor Taylor up and say, "Hey, a bunch of us are going down to the strip club.

    27:46-27:48

    You want to go with us?" Would you do that?

    27:52-27:54

    Not in a million years would I do that.

    27:58-28:05

    Or would you call up Pastor Rich and say, "Hey, we're going to go downtown and see if we can pick up some women.

    28:05-28:10

    You want to come with us?" You would never do that.

    28:14-28:18

    But see, the reality, according to God's Word, is far worse.

    28:20-28:29

    Because the Bible says we are one with Christ, and engaging in sexual immorality is joining Christ Himself in the act.

    28:33-28:36

    Be like asking Jesus to go pick up prostitutes with you.

    28:40-28:41

    Absolutely foul.

    28:43-28:50

    But you know, it's the same principle, men, when you're looking at things on your computer that you shouldn't be looking at.

    28:51-28:52

    It's the same principle.

    28:52-29:15

    It would be like calling Jesus up and saying, "Hey, why don't you come over and surf the net with me. Let's look at some stuff together. Would you do that? It's the same principle when you're sneaking around with a co-worker. "Hey Jesus, we're going to call my wife and say we're working late, but we're really going to meet up with so-and-so." Would you do that?

    29:17-29:21

    Or when you use an app to meet up with people for a physical relationship.

    29:24-29:28

    Look, if you're a Christian, the very thought of that's repulsive.

    29:28-29:30

    There's nothing funny about that at all.

    29:32-29:36

    So the next time you're tempted, you need to stop and say, "What am I doing?

    29:36-29:39

    I am one Spirit with Christ.

    29:39-29:44

    Why in the world would I drag the Lord into engaging in this garbage?

    29:48-29:56

    I'm one with Christ." Number three, four things to say to yourself when you're tempted.

    29:56-30:00

    Number three, God says to run from sexual sin.

    30:02-30:11

    Here it is, verse 18, "Flee from sexual immorality." Flee.

    30:12-30:13

    Get away.

    30:18-30:19

    This is how you win.

    30:25-30:26

    I grew up in the '80s.

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    And I, you know I never, I don't like bragging.

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    But I'm going to, for a couple of minutes if you'll indulge me.

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    But I grew up in the '80s, and one of my favorite things about the '80s was Mike Tyson.

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    Now some of you might remember, or might know of Mike Tyson, rather, seeing him in movies, or cartoons, or whatever.

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    That's not the Mike Tyson that I knew growing up.

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    Growing up, I could not wait.

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    HBO would show his fights, he'd come out with the ripped towel over his head, he had the coin laced in his boot, and he would just come out, and it would be like, "Ding, blaka blaka!" Like, "Ouch!" Look it up on the YouTubes if you don't believe me.

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    It was, he was an absolute monster.

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    You know, always the highlight, you know, to watch the usually 90-second fight or whatever.

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    But okay, I don't, but listen, like I said, I don't want to brag.

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    But I have never lost a fight to Mike Tyson.

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    And I know what some of you are thinking.

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    Some of you are thinking, "Yeah, Pastor Jeff, well, Mike Tyson probably didn't fight ten-year-olds." And I would say, "Look, my record speaks for itself.

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    I have never lost to Mike Tyson. Not one time. Do you know why I've never lost to Mike Tyson?

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    Because I wasn't stupid enough to show up to fight him. That's the principle here.

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    Look, it's the same thing with sexual sin. If you stay and try to fight, you will lose.

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    That's why you don't fight it. The Bible says you run from it. You run from it. And I got to tell you guys, that's why many of you are losing the battle with pornography today. You've isolated yourself again. You're on your computer or your phone again, and you lost again because you showed up.

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    That's why some of you continue to go too far physically with that person that you're not married to, because you ended up alone with her again, and you gave in to desire with her again.

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    You showed up again, and you lost again.

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    You will give in every time you show up.

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    That's why God says to run.

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    Run!

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    Why?

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    What's the urgency here?

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    Look at the rest of verse 18.

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    This is about as serious as it gets.

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    He says, "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

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    Please hear me.

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    Sexual sin is not the worst sin, but it is unique in its consequences.

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    The Bible says when you sin sexually, you are actually sinning against your own body.

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    Other sins don't affect you the same way that sexual sin does.

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    Other sins affect outwardly.

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    There's something different about sexual sin, it affects you inwardly.

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    Why is that?

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    Listen closely, please.

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    No other physical act that you commit in your body carries the spiritual weight that sexual intimacy does.

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    So no other sin is going to bring the impact that sexual sin brings.

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    It consumes, it destroys like no other sin.

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    You know, over the years I've seen a lot of preachers who have disqualified themselves for ministry because of sin.

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    Do you know what the most common reason is?

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    You could probably guess, huh?

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    I do a lot of counseling.

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    Do you know what's the most common area we find where people need help?

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    You probably guess.

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    We've lost ministry, we've hurt our families, we're doing damage control all because we didn't flee.

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    We showed up, we thought we could handle it this time, and we lost again.

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    Nobody's surprised but you.

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    So the next time you're tempted, stop, stop, and say, "This is so serious that God says I should run from it." All right?

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    And finally, number four, four things to say when you're tempted.

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    Number four, "My body belongs to God.

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    My body belongs to God." Look at verse 19.

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    He says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" Humans have a unique capacity.

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    are the only thing in creation that have the ability to be indwelt by God Himself.

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    No other creature can say that.

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    God lives inside you if you're a follower of Christ, if you're a believer.

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    You know, you are the temple of God.

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    In the Old Testament, the temple of God was a building, and when Jesus walked the earth, The temple, the tabernacle of God was in one man, Jesus Christ, but now under the new covenant, God's temple is in the heart of every believer of Christ.

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    You're the temple.

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    What would you think?

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    What would you think of someone who, during sermon time today, they were looking at explicit of the opposite sex on their phone during the sermon, what would you think about that?

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    Wouldn't you just sort of be appalled?

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    Like, I can't believe during the preaching of the Bible somebody was looking at that.

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    Wouldn't that be appalling?

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    Or what would you think if there was someone in this church that was having an affair, and they decided that this room was a perfect private place?

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    Some night through the week when nobody's here, they sneak in here and have an affair right in this room.

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    What would you think about that?

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    Wouldn't you be like, "What is the matter with you?

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    You did that in church?" I don't want to burst any bubbles, but this room, this room is really nothing special.

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    This is an office building.

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    That was a rumpus room before we moved in here.

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    And who knows what they'll do with it when we're gone.

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    This room is nothing special at all.

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    You are the temple of God.

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    You are holy property.

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    God says, "You are where I live." So every time you commit sexual sin, no matter where you do it, you're doing it in God's living room.

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    He goes on, look at verse 19, he says, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price to glorify God in your body." You have a holy obligation to Jesus.

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    You are not your own.

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    Listen, you have no right to yourself.

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    You have no right to yourself, because you were bought with a price.

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    What did it cost to buy you?

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    It cost the blood of Jesus Christ.

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    You know, everybody is so concerned about their rights.

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    "I have rights!

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    I'm going to stand up for my rights!

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    I know my rights!" You know, as Christians, we have no rights.

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    Did you know that?

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    As a Christian, all I can say is, I'm not my own.

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    I don't even belong to myself.

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    This body belongs to Jesus.

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    This body was heading to hell.

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    This body was going to be separated from God forever, and Jesus Christ bought this back with His own death.

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    So this belongs to Jesus.

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    He paid for it.

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    So, you know the saying that was so popular, and there's still remnants of it, people walking around going, "My body, my choice." That's not biblical.

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    You want to make it biblical, you say it this way, "Christ's body, Christ's choice." So, he says, "So, glorify God in your body." We are a wholly motivated church.

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    We are wholly motivated.

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    Our highest priority is to glorify God.

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    Physical intimacy in the covenant of marriage, the purpose for which God designed intimacy, When that act occurs, that glorifies God.

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    And refusing to allow your passions to control you, when you flee from sexual immorality, you glorify God.

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    So next time you're tempted, you need to stop and say, "No, no, no.

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    This belongs to God." You know, the church is called the Bride of Christ.

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    Jesus desires intimacy with His bride, so He entered a covenant with His bride, and He keeps His covenant because He is faithful to His bride.

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    And that is exactly what we are called to emulate as children of God.

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    I keep my covenant to my bride because that's what my Lord does." Her worship team would make their way back up front.

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    Look, when you leave here today, at some point you're going to be tempted.

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    You're going to be tempted to think of something you shouldn't, to look at something you shouldn't, to do something that you shouldn't.

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    going to be tempted. Some of you, it might be tomorrow or Wednesday. Some of you, it might be on your way to the car from church. I want to encourage you, if that's a struggle for you, keep this outline and make it a steady habit in your devotions to read and review These principles from God's Word.

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    If you're unmarried and you keep finding yourself tempted, sit down and read these together with your boyfriend or girlfriend.

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    How about you make these four statements the lock screen on your phone?

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    I can't excuse sin because there is no excuse.

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    Number two, I am one with Christ.

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    God says to run from sexual sin.

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    And my body belongs to God.

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    Let's pray.

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    Our Father in heaven, I pray, Father, again by the power of your Holy Spirit, by the wisdom of your Word that today would be the day of repentance.

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    That some people for too long have just made excuses or shrugged their shoulders or have just given up any thought that this is a sin that can be avoided.

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    I pray today, Father, that we reexamine the purpose of it and that we would be a people You are truly wholly motivated to enjoy this gift in the way which you told us to enjoy.

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    Thank you, Father, for this glorious picture that you've given us of Christ faithful to His bride.

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    Give us the faith to imitate that.

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    We pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Small Group Discussion
Read
1 Corinthians 6:12-20

  1. What was your big take-away from this passage / message?

  2. Explain the expressions the Corinthians used to justify sexual sin (1 Cor 6:12-13)?
    What expressions do people use today? How do you refute those?

  3. How exactly is sexual sin different from other sins (1 Cor 6:18)?

  4. How would you respond to a Christian that justifies their sin by saying, “I have freedom in

    Christ to live how I want!”? (See 1 Cor 6:19-20)

Breakout

Pray for one another.