Lust

Donte Sumpter

7 Deadly Sins • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

1 Samuel 13:1–22

Lust

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Lust is a destructive desire that doesn't who or what is in its way.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction:

In the Netflix series “Midnight Mass” an old sickly Priest was attacked by a vampire. He returned to his parish rejuvenated and years younger. There was a scene where he revealed the secret of how his youth was restored during a counseling session. His transition into a vampire intensified his senses and need for human blood. He could hear a human heartbeat and smell their blood from a distance. Can you imagine the temptations of a celibate priest and blood thirsty vampire?

Have you ever desired something so much that you would not let anything or anyone stand in your way to get it?

What is lust according to the Bible?

Any desire motivated by our sinful nature, that is contrary to the will of God or the nature of God.

There is a difference from physical attraction towards someone and lust.

Marriage does not magically make other people become ugly in the world, but this doesn’t mean that it is in you desire have relations with those people.

Galatians 5:17-21 “17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

lust is self serving, self absorbed, self centered, and seeking its own pleasure.

Proposition: Every Christian should be aware of the dangers of lust

We will investigate 2 Samuel 13:1-22 to get a clearer picture of how the Bible describes lust:

2 Samuel 13:1–23 NRSV

Some time passed. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; and David’s son Amnon fell in love with her. 2 Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah; and Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 He said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ” 6 So Amnon lay down, and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.” 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9 Then she took the pan and set them out before him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, so that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do anything so vile! 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the scoundrels in Israel. Now therefore, I beg you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. 15 Then Amnon was seized with a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing was even greater than the lust he had felt for her. Amnon said to her, “Get out!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her.” 18 (Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in earlier times.) So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her. 19 But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went. 20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar remained, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he became very angry, but he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn. 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister Tamar. 23 After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

2 Samuel 13:1-22 shows us 3 reasons every Christian should be aware of the dangers of lust

Lust Disregards the Truth ( 2 Sam 13:4 “He said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.””)

I remember when I was in college at a christian school and I made a commitment to God to pursue singleness until He gave me the green light to start dating. I was one of the star football players at Charleston Southern University, and it wasn’t long before my dm’s were flooded with messages from girls who had seen me play ;). In all seriousness it was only one, and she was good with her words. I went to seek counsel with another devout Christian teammate and he answered, “its simple dude (he was a surfer from Cali) honor the commitment you made to Jesus.” Long story short, I did not listen and started getting into the dating scene. My way of feeling better about myself was to lighten the truth, “Did God really say that I should not date?”

Lust is Deceitful (2 Sam 13:5 “Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ””

300 Illustrations for Preachers Student Keeps Tuition Money and Drops out of School

It started simply for Danielle Shea, a Quinnipiac University student. When her tuition money from her parents arrived, she kept the money but dropped out of school. Her scheme worked until it was time for graduation. To keep her parents from discovering her dishonesty, she went a step further. She called in a bomb threat to the school in the hopes of stopping the graduation ceremony. Police arrested her and filed charges.

Shea was “corrupted with the lusts of deceit,” and was led deeper and deeper into the deception.

Lust Destroys Lives (2 Sam 13:18-19 “(Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in earlier times.) So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her. But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.”

I just recently watch a documentary about three men who were abused by a priest. The man that stuck out to me was 62 years old and still dealing with the trauma of the event as if it happened yesterday. He battled deep rage and sadness. The priest that abused him and the other men died. Therefore, they were unable to get closure and did receive the much needed support from their families and the church. In his own words, “I am 62 years old and the lust of this evil man completely ruined my life.”

Conclusion:

God gave us the remedy for lust

Galatians 5:22-26 “22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.”

Though FR. Pruitt had intense desires as a celibate priest and the thirst for blood as a vampire, he held the love for God in his heart. He refused to feed on human blood, causing him to become sick.

When we have vampire like lusts that tempt us to act contrary to the God who lives in us, it is the Holy Spirit, our best friend, our helper, who bears fruit in our lives. When we are guided by Him, he will ensure that we live in the will of God

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