This weekend, in our Can’t Believe series, we’ll be looking at those who “can’t believe” because of sexual sin. I can hardly imagine a more relevant topic for our sex-crazed culture.
Sex is a great thing—a wonderful gift of God. God created it, and He wasn’t surprised that we liked it so much. Our separation from God threw everything off, and powerful things like sex perhaps most of all. For many people, now, obsession with sex is driven by soul thirst. Our cravings for sex are often driven by the vacuum left by the absence of God. Sadly, many of you know from painful experience that sex fails to quench that thirst.
Only through the gospel can we be freed from the bondage of sexual sin—both sins that you have committed and sins committed against you. I want to commend two excellent resources to help you lay hold of that freedom, put together by Brad Hambrick, the Summit’s head counselor.
True Betrayal – Overcoming the Betrayal of Your Spouse’s Sexual Sin
False Love – Overcoming Sexual Sin from Pornography to Adultery
First I would like to commend you on this morning’s sermon…well thought out. From my perspective though, it seems that when you preach on this subject, you are addressing primarily the college age crowd. Since most people generally are married by their late twenties to early thirties and while some may struggle with adultery and pornography, for most of them sex becomes almost a mute point. But what about folks like me that seem to be in the minority of the congregation?
Those of close to forty and have never been married? Not by choice but partially through the consequences of my youthful ignorance for I came to know the Lord late in life and had several partners in my early to mid twenties, and yes, there was a lot of wreckage that had to be dealt with before I could even think of moving on. Now, as I have been patiently waiting on the Lord while He redefines my live with Christ in it, I have been abstinent for almost fifteen years and I have come to a point in life where I am consumed by thoughts of sex almost daily and daily I am tempted to just give up and give in. I have discussed this with several pastors and mentors of mine but atlas the desires grow stronger on a daily basis. Currently there is only one thought that keeps me from going over the edge and that is without Christ being at the center, there is nothing I am likely to find that will satisfy. And the flip side to that same coin is the thought that sex is a lot like breathing air, you don’t think about it much until you’re not getting any.
In the following article that appeared in today’s N&O about the advent of e-bibles in the churches and hotels, there’s the following note related to J.D.’s Illustration:
“Another hotel – the Damson Dene, in England’s Lake District – replaced Bibles on nightstands with the popular novel “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/09/02/2307007/digital-bibles-popping-up-in-pews.html#storylink=cpy
J.D. – I am so thankful for podcasts – been listening off and on for the last several months and especially now in Hawaii it’s getting pretty regular. The last two were great; the last one being particularly timely…
One question – what was the series you preached on in which your wife would come up and speak for part of the sermons?
Pastor JD,
Your sermon has helped me. I liked when you mentioned if your sexual cravings lead to more and more sin your fear of God is not great enough.
I know if a Navy Seal father came rushing unto the scene, I would shape up and straiten up. God is greater then the Navy Seal, yet personally I wonder why my fear of God is so low?
Its something I need to pray and repent of.
Thanks JD for your encouraging sermon on Sunday. My life bears testimony to one of your points “The problem is not that your desires for sex is too strong,IT’S THAT YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS IS TOO WEAK”. There was a point in my life as a single that I struggled greatly with lust and I idolized sex. It got to a point where I was near depression and I cried out to God for help. The response I “heard” was a voice asking if I loved Jesus. It made me realize I was living a Christian life out of duty (while loving other “things”) and not out of a relationship with God and preeminent love for Jesus. It’s been 3 years now and God has been changing my life and reminding me that He’s my first love. God is great and is always faithful.
Ps 84:11 – For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
As a never married 42 year old virgin he’s recently brought a special beautiful Godly woman into my life.
Whatever happens, God has brought me to a greater knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of His love and forgiveness. Jesus alone is enough for all that I need. Soli Deo gloria.