SEX IN THE CITY

							                          SEX IN THE CITY
                                 4
                           Righteous Romance


GOD’S ORIGINAL INTENT
“very good”
      Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very
      good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
       Genesis 1:31 (NKJV)
“naked and not ashamed”
      And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
       Genesis 2:25 (NKJV)
“find a wife”
      He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.
       Proverbs 18:22 (NKJV)

Battle for the Body
      There is a battle for the physical body of humans. God wants
to indwell us by the Holy Spirit and fulfill His good will through us,
bringing blessing to the world;
      But the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, abusing our
bodies and attempting to use us to bring a curse upon ourselves and
those around us.

1 Cor. 6:13
   Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord
   for the body.
       1 Cor 6:12-13 (NKJV)

Sexual Immorality Flood
When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a
standard against him. Isaiah 59:19 (NKJV)

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For
as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, Matt 24:37-38 (NKJV)

So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that
he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Rev 12:15 (NKJV)
  • Advertising- newspapers, television commercials, internet
    spam, shopping malls windows, mail
  • Cartoons- e.g. The Simpsons,
  • Web sites- emails
  • Television ratings- love of money
  • TV Shows- Queer Eye; Will and Grace; Wedding shows
  • Same Sex marriage battle
  • Music TV- Hip Hop music- lyrics
  • Hollywood mentality and philosophy
  • Schools sex education; curriculum
  • Scandals- Military, Priests, Teachers, Coaches, CEOs,
    Politicians

It is against this backdrop, Christians must live and stay pure.
Romantic relationships can be righteous, but the temptation is to yield
to the standards and concepts of the world.

What does the Bible say?
Many apostolic warnings (which we have been preaching)
      Every book of the New Testament warns of these issues (and
this was 21 centuries ago)
Specific warnings about this world’s ungodly standards:
     Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
     transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
     and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
       Romans 12:2 (NIV)
     You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is
     hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world
     becomes an enemy of God.
       James 4:4 (NIV)
     Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world,
     the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the
     cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has
     and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and
     its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives
     forever.
       1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
     so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault
     in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in
     the universe
       Phil 2:15 (NIV)
      With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save
      yourselves from this corrupt generation."
       Acts 2:40 (NIV)



DECEPTION
     Jesus warns His disciples four times in His prophecy about the
end of the age to beware of deception.
      And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives
      you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will
      deceive many.
       Matt 24:4-5 (NKJV)
      "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and
      wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
       Matt 24:24 (NKJV)

      Thinking we can call ourselves Christians and still live lives of
fornication, adultery, lust and lewdness is deception.

      Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
      Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
      homosexuals… will inherit the kingdom of God.
        1 Cor 6:9-10 (NKJV)
      Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." Awake to
      righteousness, and do not sin
        1 Cor 15:33-34 (NKJV)
      Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he
      will also reap.
        Gal 6:7 (NKJV)
      For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
      various lusts and pleasures
        Titus 3:3 (NKJV)
      But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and
      enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,
      when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved
      brethren.
        James 1:14-16 (NKJV)
      put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt
      according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
      and…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true
      righteousness and holiness.
        Eph 4:22-24 (NKJV)
      Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the
      faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking
      lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
    1 Tim 4:1-2 (NKJV)
  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will
  be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than
  lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from
  such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into
  households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins,
  led away by various lusts
    2 Tim 3:1-6 (NKJV)
  For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure
  through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have
  actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them
  liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption
    2 Peter 2:18-19 (NKJV)
  These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts;
  and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
  But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the
  apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be
  mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly
  lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the
  Spirit.
    Jude 1:16-19 (NKJV)
  For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man,
  who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the
  wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
    Eph 5:5-6 (NKJV)
  Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their
  hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves…For this reason God
  gave them up to vile passions…exchanged the natural use for what is
  against nature…And even as they did not like to retain God in their
  knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things
  which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual
  immorality,
    Romans 1:24-29 (NKJV)
  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and
  being deceived.
    2 Tim 3:13 (NKJV)

Let’s say it plainly:
1. It is sin to have sexual intercourse before marriage.
2. It is sin to defraud one another through foreplay before
   marriage
3. It is sin to live together in an unmarried state
4. It is sin to engage in mental immorality before or after
   marriage.
   5. It is sin for a married Christian to flirt with someone of the
      opposite sex.
   6. Experimenting with sexual experiences – whether
      heterosexual, homosexual or bi-sexual is sin.

    The world sees no other options. It defines love in terms of
sensual and earthly lusts. Therefore, when it attempts to portray love
it always does so in these immoral terms. Because the system of the
world has rejected any sense of morality and right and wrong (or
have at best defined their own), they see nothing wrong with sex
before marriage, personal gratification or telling our young people
how to have “safe sex” (the only safe sex is no sex until marriage).
They assume that since they have compromised their own standards
for sexual behavior that their children will do likewise.

FIRST BIG ISSUE
PARENTS MUST HELP RAISE UP A GODLY GENERATION
      But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why
      one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And
      let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
        Malachi 2:15 (NKJV)

Christian Parents must hold to God’s standards in raising their
children!
   1. Don’t live vicariously through your children
        a. “Oh isn’t that cute?”
   2. Don’t apply worldly standards to your own children
        a. Dating issues
   3. Don’t set them up for failure
        a. Don’t think that their youthful desires will be any
           easier to control than yours were!
        b. “here’s the keys”; “have a good time in the
           basement”; “see you at midnight,” etc.

But it is the daunting challenge of believers, who live 21 centuries
after Christ, to live by standards that will keep them pure, virgins until
marriage and faithful after marriage.

SECOND BIG ISSUE
YOUNG CHRISTIANS SHOULD LEAD THEIR GENERATION
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example
for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
  1 Tim 4:12 (NIV)

Christian young people must live by God’s standards and
believe that they will produce the happiness and fulfillment they
are seeking!
   1. Be a Christian- lose your life for Christ (vision is the
      strongest deterrent to sin)
   2. While living for Christ- let God bring someone into your life
      (someone who is running in the same direction)
   3. Don’t base a relationship on physical things (how the skin
      is stretched over their skeletal frame)
   4. Fellowship with the church and the right kind of people and
      you will discover your soul mate!
   5. Flee youthful lusts- don’t put yourselves in situations you
      cannot handle
   6. Keep yourself for your future marriage partner
   7. Glorify God in your body

THIRD BIG ISSUE
THE CHURCH MUST BE COMMITTED TO GODLY
RELATIONSHIPS

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in
sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
 1 Peter 1:22 (NKJV)

The Christian community of the church must live by the high
standard of God’s Word in holiness and interpersonal
relationships.

   1. Love God more than people
        a. Stand firm on the foundation of God’s Word
        b. Love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength
   2. Develop friendship and fellowship around Christ
        a. Live a life of purpose
        b. Lose our lives for Christ’s sake
        c. Make church the center of your social life
   3. Cover one another with love, prayer and forgiveness
       a. Love one another fervently with a pure heart
       b. Speak the truth in love
       c. Encourage one another to walk in truth
       d. Restore those overtaken in a fault or weakness
  4. Model love in relationships
       a. Godly and holy marriages
       b. Pure-hearted relationships
       c. Discretion and respect between sexes
       d. Perfect holiness in the fear of God

Only with the help of God Almighty (our faithful Creator) can we do
this. Through faith in the Word of God and the powerful help of the
Spirit of God, we can do this!

WHICH MODEL WILL WE CHOOSE?
 • Worldly model- anything down here has been tainted and
    corrupted (“evil, wicked”)
 • Heavenly Model- we want His Kingdom to come and His will to
    be done on earth as it is in heaven (“very good”)