Best of 2020: God's Plan for Sex & Marriage: Experiencing His Blessing

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org K NOW know God.org it would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear it. Sometimes people think God disapproves of. So ridiculous.

God created so culture has hijacked Greg Laurie says we need to get back to God's original plan word job is something that can be enjoyable and pleasurable.

Even only boundaries and safety of a marriage relationship God is like taking the principles advise on how to have a fun day of school. There Greg Laurie reminders God created and sex was his idea see that as we follow his guidelines were findable. We long. It's one of our series of top 10 most requested messages past year a copy go to harvest my message. God plan for sex and marriage. How many of you are glad to give the church today okay. So yes, I use the word sex and talk about the got is a lot to say about the subject and I want to grab your Bible and turned to Ephesians chapter 5 God takes us back to the very beginning. Verse 31. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery that I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife as himself about the wife see that she respects her husband. There know it's interesting operetta. Many were married.

The Bible says God called their name Adam.

He saw them as one flesh to become what and so when you're married, your note technically one flesh, but it's a lifetime no discovering what that means the first to leave and then you cleave what is the word cleaving what does it mean to divide is in the meat cleaver it actually means to bring together the suggested determine action. There's nothing positive about the act of cleaving. It's like climbing a mountain you're hanging on, I see these people who go and stay over the sides of mountains and their good little tools in their in their little hammers and nails and in the lines of thinking. I can't believe what these people do you know they can apparently reach up and in the thinking thinking thinking that they put a little but the group to swing up. That's insane to me but that's what marriage should look like you're holding on your clinging to each other doesn't mean you're stuck together.

It means you're sticking together give her work with superglue, I've got some bad experiences with it actually. I was always a bad model builder when I was a kid, but I love models I think was because I was impatient you know because I would wait for the glue to dry and then I would want to peanut before was ready and all that but then superglue came along and you know the first time I pulled another that walks like there's nothing really even there it's almost like it's invisible. And so I did something they told me not to do.

Don't put it on both your fingers and I glued my thumb to my finger like this and so people thought it was saying okay for about a month so something stuck to its holding on to each other and one of the ways that we express that love. One of the ways that we demonstrate that love is through the sexual union.

You know I think sometimes people think that God disapproves of sex. How ridiculous God created sex clearly in the Bible, we can see that he gave it to us to be fruitful and multiply.

So yes it's for procreating exit for bringing children into the world, but God and say you couldn't have some fun while you're doing it and you can have fun and sex. It doesn't have to be a dirty word. It doesn't have to be a taboo subject. It's something that can be enjoyable, pleasurable, and listen to this even blasts but only in the boundaries and safety of a marriage relationship.

That's the only place God will bless outside of marriage actually said to be an extremely destructive thing. It's sort of like dark, rich soil is beautiful in the garden not so nice of you bring it in on your white carpet in the house so we need to keep sex in its proper place. But casual sexual encounters are made to look harmless and fun in sitcoms and in music today and celebrated about all these things that people are good due to each other and and you know you think of the impact it's had on our culture. Think of how different our world would be if we just obeyed one of the 10 Commandments, just one that also not commit adultery. That means that families would be together so many families are broken up because of adultery. And then there are people that are premarital sex and never get married so the child is conceived out of wedlock. I was conceived out of wedlock by the way, so I know little bit about this.

I know what it's like to never have a stable father figure in my life. I know what it's like to make a lot of bad choices and face the consequences for them. That was my trajectory until Jesus Christ came and turned my life around. But so many kids today haven't heard about Jesus Christ. There's no doubt there's never been a dad mom just got pregnant and maybe it even happened two or three times so they get all yours. Or maybe it's even different dads if you want to call him dad's. The really not much of a father in my book. So you have a bunch of kids that are stepbrothers to each other, stepsisters, and so forth.

And then you have this kind of lifestyle that's been live and you could take almost every social ill in America today and specifically break it down to the breakdown of the family and to the absence of father. There's a lot of steps to back that up.

By the way, 63% of teenagers to attempt suicide live in fatherless homes 71% of high school dropouts are from fatherless homes. 90% of all runaways and homeless children from fatherless homes 85% of all youth sitting in prison grew up in a fatherless home fatherless sons are 300% more likely to be incarcerated in state juvenile institutions all my we would just do what God said it, we would just get back to what he tells us about a husband and a wife and a father and a mother, it would change our country, but we say all will know God doesn't know what he's talking about, you know, I want to go out there and I want to have fun and I want to have sex with whoever I want to have sex with them.

Besides, what's the problem as long as their consenting adults.

Why is got evenly down a law like this it does they know we are raging hormones godly those laws done for your own good, like traffic laws.

You know when you're back up for 2 miles in traffic and then you see the ongoing Lane in the other direction is empty it can be tempting sometimes to leave your lengths are like the Way They Dr. in Italy.

Last time I was there I had an afternoon off and I rented a Vespa scooter. So I said come on Kathy let's is right around and wrong and she was really excited about this idea but I was.

I rent a motorcycle do so I feel pretty confident in commandeering a little scooter and so we got on it, but I realize people in Rome Italy drive differently than we do here in the United States.

They see lights as I just a suggestion. I'm not even sure that they go around. They go into oncoming traffic.

I it's crazy so there's so many scooters there that they're like little swarms of bees that just gonna go to those lanes and they go to the oncoming lane to come on the front. At first I thought this is crazy doesn't say this is fine I like this terrified when she was holding a very tightly so it was good to know. But see, that's a crazy weighted have a road system we need order.

We need structure.

People get killed when you live that way and the same is true of marriage. If we would just obey what God says in his word. Because you see when you engage in a sexual relationship with a person you enter into a state of oneness. Sex is meant to show oneness upon so if you say will it meant nothing yet was a one night stand know it wasn't actually the apostle Paul said, if you're even a ball with a prostitute UN ritual oneness with her first Corinthians 616 don't you know that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her for the Scripture says that you are united into one but the spirit is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. So run away from all sexual sin and be joined to the Lord and because sexual sin affects the body and it's a sin against your own body, so there's no such thing as a one night fling. There's no such thing as some little hookup you God that you think is meaningless. It means a lot to God that you mean a lot to you so you need to do it God's way won't come on now Craig doesn't really hurt anyone get hurt a lot of people.

What about innocent babies killed through abortion.

What about that that alone is mind blowing how many millions of children have been eliminated. Who knows. Out of all those millions of children cut up and aborted. If we would've not had the next doctor who would've found the cure for cancer. We not, it would have none of had the next. Who knows great preacher to reach our country. Whatever. But all those lives needlessly thrown away and then doesn't hurt anybody.

What about the mother that contends with the abortion.

Years later, sometimes the pain of the abortion doesn't fully sink in until that young girl who may have got it in her teens now realizes what she did and as the years passed by and she sees other little children who would've been the age of her child if she had brought the little one to term.

She realizes the significance of what she's done. What about that, what about venereal disease.

What about the AIDS virus.

Yeah it does hurt people. God is laid these laws down for our own good. So we want to pay careful attention to them because God will bless this as you come together in his perfect plan master Greg Laurie will have something special. Today's program continues in just a moment. We hear from so many people find Christ through harvest ministries and it's a blessing to know that God is using his word to touch hearts are leading me to Christ. Three years ago and hard although I'm not perfect.

I realize that Christ in all his glory has made me want to become a better man because of everything Lord God, I am now. I struggle my whole life I've only overcome that battle. Everything you want you to know you Adrian on my life and I can't thank you enough.

God bless you and harvest and encouraging story about God's word is changing lives through the ministry of harvest do you have a story to tell of how Pastor Greg's teaching has touched you. Call us and let us know 866-871-1144. That's 866-871-1144. What were talking about the sexual aspect of marriage relationships today and recently Pastor Greg was part of a panel discussing the subject alongside a couple of his associate pastors at his home church.

It's a frank discussion and parents.

If there are younger ears listening, you might want to consider another activity for them for a few minutes. Sex outside of marriage is destructive. So there's somebody listening right now they're saying like having sex outside of marriage is a lot of fun and they're enjoying themselves in any of the Bible even says that there can be pleasure in sin for a time were not denying that fact. But there's repercussions people think about the long-term. Why don't we talk to so moment. How can sex or why is sex outside of marriage destructive. But what do you think Jason wanting obviously it's a direct disobedience to God. Yummy. God designed it so I said you shouldn't run so your separating yourself from God is just sin before God and this is what God says about its ascent and it's wrong now. On top of all of that, you reap reaping what you sow. Here you are to get as I mentioned, you know thoughts and you might even reap repercussions as less as a pregnancy or an STD. But even more than that I think I just your relationship with God you really becomes. I'd say in jeopardy because of your your decisions here in in sex outside of marriage. Yeah that's right you know since you know must be compared to being drunk drunk people don't always know their drunk they think they're funny. They think they're cool they think their control and their out of control when you come under the power of sin. It's amazing how stupid you can be so you know sin makes you stupid. And so if someone's listening right now and there like having sex and they somehow rationalize this is outside of marriage. Of course they somehow rationalize it and said no. I think in my case it's all right. The Lord spoke to my heart.

It said it's cool. My child have fun or some like that.

Okay, first of all that was in God because God will never contradict his word.

But if you got into a state where you managed to rationalize it and you feel okay about it that sexy an indication you are under the power of sin in your not thinking clearly. So that's why will become at the Scripture sort of realigns us like old right. This is what is true because our emotions and culture and so many things are there at war with the word of God is a reality what you think Jonathan absolutely is is so easy to feel like a lima I'm a special case.

God made us a special exception for me I can have sex with my girlfriend or hey I'm I'm viewing pornography and so is not the same as going out and sleeping with different girls, this is okay with God. This is special listen. First Thessalonians 434 this is the will of God or sanctification that you abstain from sexual immorality.

This is the word of God.

This is what the Bible says and that's what it comes down to you and a lot of times people will take I need to know the will of God, which is will in the start with the no-brainers the Bible actually has some things very clear is very clear and certain topic like this is the will of God. And this is one of them there and Thessalonians. This is the will of God to abstain from these things, you know, David fell into adult with Bathsheba and after he was confronted he he lived in sin for quite a long time. He was confronted about the prophet Nathan and he finally repented and after that he wrote Psalm 51 and among other things, he said I created me a clean heart of God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Restore to me the joy of my salvation. And then sinners will be converted to you. So really what David is saying is Lord, I blew it. Give me a new heart change me, help me and so it's an acknowledgment of that and I do think that once there's been a breakdown in one of these areas, you, it's easier to fall in that area again to be very careful. You could almost like liking it may be due. You broke your arm once and maybe there's a vulnerability. There may be a little more vulnerability than if you'd never broken your arm before. Having said that doesn't mean that now you can follow whatever because God will never give you more than you can handle and something to we think there's no way I could resist it was because you put yourself in a situation that was insane you know like oh yeah, I put this all hotel room with this girl that I'm not married to where he lay down on the bed in talking and then we kind of got tempted.

Got your an idiot. Okay what are you talking about so of course you fell into sin doing something like that so sometimes the best way to get out of the sinful situation is literally walked out the door not pray for the strength to resist it would literally save I'm walking out. I'm kidding the off button.

I'm terminating the phone conversation.

I'm not in I'm I'm not can. I'm in a block.

You are not going to talk anymore via text or whatever it is, but put a stop to it and and you don't see up to take a practical step and then you need pray in and fill your mind and heart with the word of God so you don't get into that situation again. I think of Joseph when is your talking about a way of escape. Look at literally what Joseph did on Parker's wife tried to pull him down and have sex or listen. There is nobody around this and then maybe all this is maybe my way up to climb the corporate ladder. Joseph my thought be know what he honored God and Joseph ran out of that room. Sherry ripped his cloak off anything and ran out of there make it and it's like, hey he was doing what was right and he did what was embarrassing and made what the culture, what is that you're an idiot for doing now. But God provided a way of escape, and sometimes I way of escape is literally an off button, a doorknob, or literally a window that you need to climb out of get out of that situation as studies have been done that show that people who live together before marriage actually have far higher divorce rates than people that don't so you think all you were practicing work in the checking that out know actually what you're doing your sabotaging what you're going to come when the movant of this house. But before I do I want to take a know about: tear the foundation apart as I'm living in it. Yeah, that's a way to ruin your marriage in the future not to set the stage for a successful marriage and you know sex is a wonderful part of marriage but that someone marriage is all about and there's a lot more to it. It's really for you know as time passes and we been married well over 40 years. Kathy and I you know we we come to value each other so much as not you know it husband-and-wife yes but that's just friends. The closest friends to and in partners in every way and and it's so wonderful.

I must say, as we look back in our life we have memories going back decades. Remember this time.

Remember that in and watching our children grow.

Watching her grandchildren grow all of this lesson comes from honoring the word of God Greg Laurie speaking with his associate pastors Jason Powell and Jonathan Lori about God's plan for sex within marriage. An important addition of a new beginning. One of our top 10 most requested messages of the year. The title of the study is God's plan for sex and marriage. You can get a replay of what you may have missed by going to harvest.org you can stream the study while you're online or download MP3 for later, or for a permanent CD copy. Just call 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime 24 hours a day, again at 1-800-821-3300 people are talking about Pastor Greg's new film rush of hope by cinematic crocheting. After viewing the film more than 17,000 people make decisions for Christ just watched rush of scenes from the movie times oh, how I cried tears streaming down my face for most of the shop the way he explains it.

It's so simple yet so they hold so much weight is very well done and our family watched and shared about all of our social media platforms as well. Thank you for all you do Pastor Greg because of listening to their sermons and watching the trailer for aggression treat my like a rush of cinematic crocheting viewed by more than 1.8 million people now is available on DVD exclusively from a new beginning great people been asking about 75 people abashed me once a rush of hope coming out on DVD. Yes, Dave.

I've heard the same thing. The people would would come into my social media. I loved it.

I watched it 5678 times because as you know, over a given weekend. Labor Day weekend we sold showed up multiple times and people just kept watching it and watching it and then wanting to share it with friends, but of course we never archived that you couldn't watch it on demand. You can only watch it for one of the showings, but now you can watch it when ever you want wherever you want with whom ever you want to watch it with because a rush of hope is on DVD and not only that, but we vented some special resources to this offer were including a special little book called a rush of hope, a little booklet where we answer life's most difficult questions that you can give out to somebody who is not yet a Christian is also a little piece that we wrote on how to host a watch party we saw thousands of people make a profession of faith.

After we showed this on Labor Day weekend well over 17,000 people and now we believe thousands and thousands more will come to Christ as well and so working to put this research in your hands.

I got to do is order is the order I need to do is send it to you for your gift of any size and it's right in your investment couldn't come at a more strategic time so contact us today for the DVD of a rush of hope along with the booklet on life's most important questions and the resources to help you host a watch party plus will send you a digital download code so you can watch online right from your computer or tablet or smart phone. That way you can take it with you and share it with a friend, a cinematic crusade in your pocket or purse to write us today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and we can take your call 24 seven or just go online to harvest.org everybody Greg Laurie here personally inviting you to join us for what we call Harvest at Home. It's a Bible study.

It's a worship service. It church in your home, you're not able to get out your church right now.

If so, join us for Harvest at Home people are listening this from around the world listen to this. We have seen thousands of people commitment to follow Christ. Join us this weekend harvest@home.o will Pastor Greg has more counsel from his message called God's plan for sex and marriage good insights on helping our marriages go to district much time on a new beginning.

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