Culture Shock - Human Sexuality: The Search for Truth About Sex, Part 2

What is your view of sex when you peel back the media-outrageous images in the lifestyles of people in the news in the movies. What is sex all about and why are we so obsessed yet so ignorant about human sexuality today. I'll cover five of the most common myths that people have about sex don't want to miss.

Welcome to this Wednesday a vision of living on the shipping Living on the Edge features the Bible teaches shipping on this daily discipleship program and ship today's message actually comes with a warning. This all about. Well Dave be talking about human sexuality and due to the nature of the content. If you have smaller children nearby, you might want to listen to this at a different time. I'm to cover some very important and sensitive information. This message is very frank, it's very straightforward. You may want to screen at first and decide personally when and how might you want to share this information with your kids. But here's what I can tell you, your kids are hearing this information everywhere all the time and they need to hear God's word and God's truth from you in the right environment and I want to equip you to do that by strip again the message is available online that LivingontheEdge.org. Another option is to download the chip and remap. It's free and you can hear Living on the Edge when it's convenient for you now in our last broadcast chip covered the first two myths about human sexuality with number one God is anti-sex and myth number two Christian sex lives are dull in their views on sex are completely out of touch with today. Chip begins his teaching with myth number three. The third method most of us have heard is as long as people love each other sex is okay with God. I actually get college ministry for a number of years and I have college students. I don't think anywhere in the Bible it really says that sex outside of marriage is wrong.

I don't really says anywhere you probably heard that.

And if we really love each other. I think you know why does God care what sheet of paper, marriage, why can't we just be committed to another new/you're not committed and what she married, you can say you committed that anybody can walk out any time in that relationship and if you're really committed and get married, get married, but listen carefully. This is what the Bible says in terms of the truth. The truth is the Bible actually prohibits all sexual relationship outside of marriage. Exodus 2014 you shall not commit adultery.

That's when people have sex that are married with someone else other than their mate flee from sexual immorality for scripting 618.

We should not commit sexual immorality for scripting's 10 eight but among you, there shouldn't even be a hint of sexual immorality. Ephesians 53 and it is God's will for you that you should avoid sexual immorality.

Six direct commands 23 other inferences in the New Testament now.

The root word for immorality is a very broad word. Are you ready to Greek word is Cornelia.

Can you imagine any words we get from that Cornelia what cornea means it's a broad word, it means that adultery, fornication, homosexuality, when it says I can't.

It means fantasizing, thinking, lusting in your mind cornea immorality. It means heading heavily to bring arousal to a person of the opposite sex that can't be fulfilled righteously in marriage. It says all of that is prohibited. And it's wrong and it's a sin not just before you go home while the I knew the Bible strong. You are right you ever wonder why you know why because God doesn't want you to just lie with people he doesn't want you just to go into or receive someone he wants you to know and be known.

The great majority of unbelievers and believers are experiencing desperately second RightFax God already knew when these commands came down he knew about AIDS in gonorrhea and herpes can do about a mostly scars. He knows about flashbacks and having sex with someone you had with four other people he knows about the emotional scars he knows about sex once at the insensitivity about all the pain that it brings. He knows that when you're loose before marriage. The probability of an extramarital affair really goes up.

These are the boundaries of the fireplace would say what you get past to protect you want to provide for you to give you the highest in the past because sex matters to me.

It's not just an action it matters.

It's important. It's about who you are.

Your sexual being. In fact, it leads to the next myth the next myth is simply this, only a cosmic killjoy totally out of touch with today's culture and people's needs would prohibit all sex outside of marriage. Have you ever thought that it had someone say that you coming this is my testimony.

I didn't come to Christ until I was 18 I never read the Bible. I grew up in a in a moral home, but not a Christian home and the church that I got to experience it must loose far from God's are rejected church rejected God, I come to Christ after my senior year and and I go away to college where there's four girls for every guy you can be ugly and get great dates and it's it's the early to mid 70s so everyone sleeping with everyone I meet is like free love make love not war, and as I start crying every my Bible I come across all these crazy commandments. No no no no hunting and there's this great fence all the good stuff on that side of the fence and God says no, and I'm just thinking he is the biggest cosmic killjoy in the world. I never tell a God like even in school like a 70/100 is a C 80 out of the hundreds of the 90's you like in a I think I could do like 10 commands I could be an 80% or I'd be willing to be a 90% I think the world can you tell me all these girls and everyone that here's the truth God prohibits all immoral behavior outside of marriage because of his desire to protect you. Romans six $0.23 for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life wages what to wage a wages if I do something if I work so long. That's what I get for the wages of doing something wrong, sexually his death in Scripture, death isn't just physical death asked that the separation when our first parents send. They didn't fall over dead. They were separated from God to God's heart. Here's what I had to learn that it's not a fence it's not.

I'm over here and all the good stuff over there. And God is on the fence. The light came on to me when the spirit of God showed me through his word and then when I watched how it was working out for the people that instead of offense. It was God over here with his arm around me sink chip that's not a fence with all the good stuff there.

The good stuff there.

That's a guard rail. I just want to keep you inside the guardrail so you get first right sex so it's not about lying or going into it's about knowing I will you have sex without guilt, don't have sex without shame on which sex with flashbacks. I don't sex with scars. I want to get the highest best I when you have the kind of sex were, you know, I'm looking down on the marriage bed and rejoicing with you. That's biblical but here's a guardrail it's too protect you but it's also to provide for you. God knows your needs.

He created you with the hormones that you have. He knows the longings of your heart understands the loneliness that you have in Jeremiah 2911 when it seems impossible for Israel. They had worshiped idols.

They were far from God and any other just like there's no hope in God sent Jeremiah to say look, it may be difficult right now.

You may be single and without dates you might be hooked on pornography, you might be in the midst of an affair today and you feel like I could never break it off, you might have all come issues God would save a you come to me. I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil to give you a hope in future. God wants to provide spiritual reward and intimacy with him sexual immorality.

Whether it's visual, mental or physical puts a barrier between you and God. It puts a barrier between you and yourself in a puts a barrier between you and other people.

He says I want to give you spiritual reward. I want to give you emotional peace, to protect you from sexually transmitted diseases. All I want I want to reward your life with the very best. I want to give you sexual fulfillment think that's there's a heavenly father who understands the media in the last 40 or 50 years, and the silence of the church and when you meet other Christians in their living together and you know he logs on her. She logs on, you know what what happens is what we do we start looking at other people and we start adopting the practices.

I think God would just say Dr. Phil, could you can ever second sure Lord, could you just tell my entire church would you ask them the big question that you asked people in your TV show just Lord will do it how's that working for you. How to be a fair work out in terms of financial how to work up for your kids. What's what's it feel like to log on and feel like you can't wait to know your work and you just looking for time and you're hiding what if you like to read romance novels and feel like your sexually unfulfilled in your marriage and have dreams and fantasies about people that don't exist. But what's what's what's it feel like always feel like you got sexual thoughts all the time and you don't like yourself and there's a shaman there's a guilder what's it like to have a which happens in many Christian marriages come with a lot of baggage. All of a sudden it was exciting because it was illegal. It was exciting because you had to hide in. Now it's boring. I think I would say how's that working for you.

Don't you want better, don't you want the best she so often, when churches talk about sex so much of it is shame on you don't do this don't do that.

Don't do this we need to start doing some really good things. The really right way for many of you today is the first day of a new beginning of your new sexual identity before good and loving father where it can be clean and holy and wholesome and fulfilling it and you have to break some things and yes it's going to be hard and yes you need help and it will take courage and a lot of faith in you be swimming upstream. Even in the church. I will tell you, you will experience the rich quality of life, but the Jesus who died for you on the cross and was risen from the dead, died to pay for your you not and never will be loved by anyone more than Jesus and he's not embarrassed by sex knows where you think he was to forgive clans strengthen and help his church to be a model passionate sexuality in the right place and the right time with the right person. Number five is everyone needs to sow their wild oats and experiment sexually before they settle down a long-term relationship I mean is, you know I got this and people so far to get it get it. I get it I get it get it, you know, understand, and I'm to do that like everything you said so far. Believe me I am really going to do that in about three years before because I mean you got you got for getting right, so forgive me all the stuff I'm to go out and and then all sorta come back around some day, some way, here's the truth. Sexual sins have uniquely devastating impact on people's lives. Listen to that sexual sins unlike any other sin is uniquely devastating impact on people's lives because it's a sin against yourself. Paul would write to this sexually confused church.

The Corinthians, yet again, and almost in astonishment, he says, do you not know that the man who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her body. Fort said the two will become one flesh, but he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Did you see how sexuality and spirituality. They always are so close.

Then the application flee from sexually Matt immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he was sin sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you who have received from God. You are not your own. You have been bought at a price.

Therefore honor God with your bodies listen carefully. This is this is the part where I mean the stakes get so much higher, and so much more important.

I'm reading a little book called the epic of Eden.

Right now it's it it's an overview of all the Old Testament how God is working. Prof. talks about how really and even the whole goal of God.

He just wanted to be with his people. He wanted to be with them in a perfect environment to talk and share and be close to them and bless them, and then sin entered in and then you have the story and then over time have Moses and the 10 Commandments and then what's God say he hasn't built this tabernacle and the Shekinah glory does what you know there's this out-of-court there's a holy court and there's a holy of holies in the can move whenever his but he wants to plow with God wants to be with his people.

He wants to enjoy the fellowship he wants to bless them and later David raises some money and Solomon built the temple.

The temple built like the tabernacle, there's our court. Then there's this holy place in this holy of holies and got a Shekinah glory fills this placing was to be with his people and today he lives in the temple, made without hands. If you are a follower of Jesus's temple is your physical body. The holy sure awesome all-knowing powerful creator of the universe in the person of the Holy Spirit dwells inside of every child of God.

And so when you decide to have sex is like going into the most beautiful church you've ever seen with stained class and taking a hammer and breaking it all up is like taking a bright red Ferrari and driving on the road and deciding him to go off-road with it like a Jeep boom boom boom and messing it up. That's what happens when you have sex. That's what happens when you fantasize. That's what happened when you log onto porn he puts to dwell with you is holy and what you do is you cut yourself off from him.

There's a reason why some of you in this room.

Your prayers don't get answered. There's a reason why that certain things that you're asking God to do.

He doesn't do that. There's a there's a reason why you open you read the Bible and you think it's dead, it doesn't pop out.

There's not promising you know why sexual sin causes God to close his ears and he does it out of mercy.

He does it with a velvet device that you would realize this is unacceptable. What scares me today is that sexual immorality in all of its forms, and whether it's living together 25 or 30% Christians whether slogging on whether to the fair weathered soft porn it's become so acceptable in the church today with we don't know what were missing is a reason why the church is important you talk we are spiritually important in a decadent culture because were not like the culture were worse than the culture and you the beautiful bride of Christ. Your physical bodies holy to God.

Well, he's not against sex. Some of you are getting such second rate Lane sex. He's nice out today suspect it's devastating. It's a sin against your own body psychologically, physically and spiritually, and not only that it's a sin whose roots are in spiritual rebellion and idolatry to the end of the day. There's part of the success was gonna tell me what to do with you not at these impulses I got strike. This was a freshman in college bring a Christian I started reading these verses are to hang in the God you know you know you can run the universal you not run as part of my life. When you say to God I'm doing my thing, my way linking a definition for that rebellion in the Bible when you rebalance real serious listen with the apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 5 makes the connection between rebellion sexual sin and idolatry and this is a sex saturated the temple of Diana there. There is a prostitute. These people have come to Christ in a decadent sexual world, but among you. He says there must be a hint of sexual immorality or of any kind of impurity or of greed and the word is sexual greed. Las Palmas because these things are proper for God's holy people and he goes from their behavior to even even their speech, nor should there be any obscenities are fully stalker course joking, which are out of place. Rather, the giving of thanks for this. You can be sure.

Listen listen to how serious this gets no immoral, impure or greedy person.

Such a man is a idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. Now I want you here very carefully what I'm saying and what I'm not saying this gets really really serious when your sexual practice in your mind out of your lips with your body is opposed to what God says at the end of the day what he want you to understand is your worshiping you it's using people viewing things you are the center and you are dominated by lust seeking for in the words of GK Chesterton every man who walks into a brothel is taking a first step toward God. It is a false intimacy. It's a searching for but it is what it's worshiping yourself spiritually about rejecting God's spirituality and sexuality are so closely linked.

Then notice what he says. No immoral, impure or greedy person, habitually doesn't mean you don't slip doesn't mean you have a problem, but this is the practice ongoing of your life that he says there's basically the rest of Scripture. It said there's two options number one is that you are genuinely born again believer of Jesus, and over time you compromise. Compromise compromised in your tracks and sexuality in need of repentance that you can but he says the other is is that maybe you prayed a prayer raised a hand intellectually creole. I believe in Jesus. Intellectually, I believe God rose from the dead, and I prayed a prayer wants actually come to church but when the Holy Spirit comes inside of your mortal body creates a desire for holiness and if habitually your sexual sin demonstrates no desire for holiness or for God's word, or to move the direction he has told you that he says examine yourself to see if you in the faith, because Jesus said it, a tree will be known by its fruit, and if the fruit of your life is progressive habitual sexual morality, then you need to really ask yourself does the Holy Spirit.

And that's what Paul say the final myth is one where I'm imagining some of you are right now. The final myth is in the heart of maybe something like you know what, I'm not sure I should come today. I've been logging on for years. Am involved in an affair right now. I'm so deep in sexual sin member playing basketball one summer with a guy from USC great athlete play ball for USC.

This was 30 years ago. One good looking surfer type guy member. One night as we were after game is until I had you come to Christ.

He said you know he looked like some guy that should be on the poster. He said I had to have sex every day. I had sex multiple times a day with as many women as possible in high school and throughout college and I remember when I got where I got so numb. I had sex and I didn't feel anything at all I knew was I was a script of his deathly afraid because I realize the only thing that could give me the buzz was perversion and I looked at perversion and it scared me and said I member cried out to God and said I'm a prison.

Will someone please help me but I didn't think it was any help and God brought Jesus to my life and for some of you. You think there's no hope you think that I'm too far gone you not been in this it is you have no idea where I've been and what I've done.

Here's what I want you to understand. Here's the truth. Look at it, read it with me. Christ died to pay for the penalty of your sin and break its power in your life while you were yet a sinner while I was yet a sinner. Christ died for you before you committed any sins. He loves you he loves you he loves you. I hope you here. Yes, the standard is clear the fire in the fireplace, but there is a heavenly father who loves you, and no one is too far gone.

But in order to receive that love and to be cleansed and to be forgiven and to begin to experience the kind of sexuality God wants one. You got to be honest, someone 4518 says the Lord is near to those who call upon him, to those who put call upon the truth. In truth, I'm pretty passionate. I remember those early years of college. I was stuck stuck stuck stuck in lost and I would have it all got I'm sorry I know what I did tonight was really terrible one.

Sorry sorry 3 o'clock morning the next day. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Three days later.

I'm sorry I'm sorry I meant this. I was went on and on and on. I was trapped. Remember, praying, telling God how sorry and how much I really wanted to change and I heard a strong whisper from the Holy Spirit. Chip shop literally shot you like what you doing true, get honest if you really want to change will give you the power but stop playing games so have where you really right now this may be one of the most pivotal moments of your life. You may turn a corner and make a decision at a crossroads in this room right now to change the course of your life. Are you willing to be honest, the second step is to repent and confess repentance needs a change of mind.

This way I'm living what I'm doing is not good anymore I'm changing my mind and confess means you just agree with God and the promises. If we agree with God, we confess our sin. In this case, sexual sin of thought were dirty. He is thankful to forgive us of our's but not just forgive but to cleanse you. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. You will have a power in your prayer life. You have a power in a conference with people. It will be a journey you have to renew your mind, you probably need to get help. Some of you will need to go to a counselor. Okay, what's the alternative living where you're living. And then finally you need to forsake you conceals his sin will not prosper. Proverbs but to the one who makes it known who forsakes it the hand of God and the blessing of God. That means if you're having an affair you don't slide out of it. You tell the person today were done. If the porn issue you find another man or another woman and you say I need help. I'm going to address it and you unplug your computer what ever you need to do be as radical as you need to be. That was what Jesus meant when he said if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Figure hand because he didn't cut it off and mean it literally. You can pluck out this I'm lost without one season be as drastic as you need to be to do whatever God called you to do because your heavenly father has desire plan to love you, give you what's best. Don't miss out for you but know that your life is a series of dominoes that impact every person in your world, your mate girlfriend, your kids, your friends as you go. So go I want to stop right now and ask you to evaluate where you at your sexual life even as you hear my voice.

Are you living with someone in the spirit of God said this is not a good situation, but you're afraid you'll loosen do you have a pornography habit or issue do you find yourself fantasizing or having struggles in this area are you flirting at work or are you in the midst of an affair.

Here's what I can tell you God loves you there is hope. He wants to rescue you. You have been bombarded with the lies of sexual satisfaction outside the framework of God's highest and best which is with a person of the opposite sex to whom you're married and when people violate God's prescription for sex the way he set it up. There is pain there is fallout there is an emotional devastation that occurs there is disease that occur God wants you to know that today is the day for you to get honest to repent, to own what you're doing and turn from it.

It is ruining your testimony. It is blocking your relationship with your heavenly father. It's producing guilt and shame for many of you here in my voice right now you know exactly what's right and you know you need to respond. I'm gonna ask you in this moment right now to stop to tell God that you're sorry to turn around to change to repent, to tell one person that you can really trust. I have a problem with.

I want you today to confess it to name it to own it and come before God personally and telling that you're sorry telling you want him to deliver you and then you need to find a friend of Pastor someone mature someone you can trust and say I need help. I've made a decision today to be sexually pure. I need to move out or I need to break this addiction. God wants to help you, but today's the day would you make that commitment would you take the next step would you experience the freedom and get the very best from God and Lord right now. I pray for those that are just feeling so torn and pulled inside they need to understand and believe that you are good and that you are a kind and that sex is a great gift and you want them to have great relationships and great sex in the right way at the right time with the right person.

And so, Lord, I pray you would purify your church you give people courage and boldness to follow you to obey you and get the help that they need. Chip will be right back. But if you just joined us. You're listening to living on the judge with Chip Ingram chips message today, human sexuality, the search for truth about sex is from his series culture shock in this bold series trip addresses fundamental yet controversial cultural issues from a winsome biblical point of view. Parents help equip your children to know the truth about these important topics and consider using this series as devotional study with your teens and preteens. Culture shock is also a popular study for Sunday schools, youth groups or neighborhood Bible studies.

Chip does the teaching and brings the issues to the table in a way that promotes discussion versus debate light versus heat the small group study is currently discounted. So take advantage of this opportunity and order your study today. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org well here.

Strip with a final word about the resource I just mentioned. As we close today's program. We've talked today and in the last few days about most important things that are going impact the culture, your family, your kids and I just want to say thank you to a very special group of people that have been very generous and gave us the money to create the small group DVD resources gave us the resources to put on the radio, podcast and allowed us to create an app you are enjoying the fruit and tools of people that have been extraordinarily generous so that Christians could live like Christians and make a difference in America and I just want to pause to say thank you, thank you very much to each person who's been on the team and maybe just close by saying if you'd like to join the team. We could certainly use your help and would appreciate it deeply. Well, as we wrap up today's broadcast. If you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge, but have never supported us financially, would you consider sending a gift today. You can donate online at http://livingontheedge.org or by calling us at 1-888-333-6003. Thank you in advance for your partnership with us will be sure to join us again tomorrow as Chip continues his current series culture shock.

Until then, this is the thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge