Sermons--Corinthian Series Flee Immorality

                             FLEE IMMORALITY

1 COR. 6:12-20

INTRO: (EX: BOY & SNAKE)  THIS PASSAGE TAKES UP THE PROBLEM OF INCEST RELATIONSHIP THE CHURCH WAS TOLERATING—WHICH PAUL ADDRESSED IN CH.5—MANY IN THE CHURCH WERE STRUGGLING WITH FORMER LIFE-STYLES—PROSTITUTION IN TEMPLES WAS COMMON—HAVING MISTRESSES (SLAVES) WAS COMMON—GRKS FELT WHAT WAS DONE WITH OR TO THE BODY DIDN’T MATTER—SEX WAS A BODY FUNCTION LIKE EATING. MANY HOLD THAT BELIEF IN OUR SOCIETY  (EX: PORNOG IS A $57 BILLION INDUSTRY WORL-WIDE---$12 BILLION IN U.S.—MORE THAN ALL THE PRO SPORTS COMBINED & MORE THAN ALL MAJOY T.V. NETWORKS—100,000 WEBSITES WITH CHILD PORN--$3 BILLION YR)  MANY TEENS ARE SENDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PICTURES THRU CELLPHONES—THIS IS SERIOUS ISSUE—SEXUAL SINS CARRY PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL DAMAGES THAT CAN LAST A LIFETIME—BUT THRU GODS LOVE & GRACE THERE CAN BE HEALING/RESTORATION.  THERE IS NO DOUBT THIS MAT’L DESERVES OUR ATTENTION.

I.                  THE TRUTH ABOUT IMMORAL BEHAVIOR (V.12,13)

A.   SEXUAL SIN BRINGS DESTRUCTION:  PAUL USED A POPULAR COR. SAYING WHEN HE WROTE “ALL THINGS ARE LAWFUL”—HE WAS USING A PLAY ON WORDS TO REDIRECT THEM TO THE TRUTH—SOME HAD MISUNDERSTOOD HIS PREVIOUS TEACHING—GAL.2:16—NOT JUSTIFIED BY OBSERVING LAW BUT BY FAITH IN CHRIST—AND GAL.5:1 “FOR FREEDOM CHRIST HAS SET US FREE”—SOME WERE TAKING THIS OUT OF CONTEXT.  WE HAVE OUR PHRASES TOO—“GRAB ALL THE GUSTO”—“IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS” “I GOTTA BE FREE”  “I DID IT MAY WAY”—PAUL WROTE, “THAT IS WHAT YOU SAY—ITS POPULAR—BUT NOT EVERYTHING IS HELPFUL OR PROFITABLE---YOU ARE NOT TO BE CONTROLLED BY THOSE DESIRES—THERE IS NEVER A PROFIT ON SIN’S INCOME/LOSS STATEMENT & LIABILITIES ALWAYS OUTWEIGH ASSETS.  (EX: SIN IS LIKE FIRE—INSIDE A FIREPLACE ITS WARM & ENJOYABLE—BUT TAKEN OUTSIDE THOSE BOUDARIES ITS DESTRUCTIVE—IN 6:10 PAUL LISTED SEVERAL ACTIONS THAT WERE OUTSIDE GODS BOUNDARIES—GODS WORD HAS MADE THOSE THINGS CLEAR---WE KNOW SEXUAL SINS LEAD TO MANY OTHER SINS—LYING, STEALING, KILLING, EMOTIONAL SCARS, BROKEN MARRIAGES—THERE IS OFTEN A LOSS OF HEALTH, LOSS OF RESPECT—IT IS A NO-WIN SITUATION (PROV. 5:3-6).  GRKS THOUGHT BODY WAS PRISON FOR THE SOUL—SO THIS CONCEPT WAS TAKEN TO EXTREMES—EITHER CONTROL EVERY DESIRE (LAGALISM) OR SATISFY EVERY DESIRE (TOLERANCE, FREEDOM)---“FOOD FOR STOMACH”—SO EAT UP—YOU HAVE SEXUAL APPETITE—SO SATISFY IT—“LOVE ONE YOUR WITH”

B.   SEXUAL SIN IS CONTROLLING:  JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING FEELS GOOD OR JUSTIFY AS BEING RIGHT DOES MAKE IT RIGHT—OUR EMOTIONS CANT BE TRUSTED—GODS WORD SAYS THE HEART IS DECEITFUL.  PAUL WENT ON TO SAY “DON’T BE MASTERED BY ANYTHING” SEXUAL SIN IS  DECEITFUL—IT NEVER DELIEVERS WHAT IT PROMISES.  NOW GOD IS NOT AGAINST SEX DRIVE. HE CREATED IT GOOD & BLESSED IT (PROV. 5:18—REJOICE IN THE WIFE OF YOUR YOUTH)  (HEB. 13:4—MARRIAGE SHOULD BE HONORED BY ALL & MARRIAGE BED KEPT PURE—GOD WILL JUDGE ADULTERER & SEXUALLY IMMORAL)  JOSEPH REFUSED THE EFFORTS OF POTIPHAR’S WIFE—CONTINUALLY—AND FINALLY HAD TO RUN AWAY FROM HER.  WHEN ISRAEL SINNED WITH MOABITE WOMEN—23,000 DIED IN A PLAGUE IN ONE DAY! PHINEAS (PRIEST) HAD TO KILL THE MAN & WOMAN BEFORE IT STOPPED—(NUM.25)-- THEN THERE WAS DAVID’S SIN—YES HE REPENTED BUT CONSIDER THE HORRIBLE CONSEQUENCES IN  HIS FAMILY!  WHEN GOD CREATED US HE ESTABLISHED MARRIAGE TO BE BETWEEN MAN & WOMAN—TO BECOME ONE FLESH—PARTNERING TOGETHER IN BODY, MIND, SPIRIT---HOMOSEXUALS CLAIM THEY WERE CREATED THAT WAY—ITS THEIR RIGHT TO MARRY AS WELL—BUT THAT ISNT TRUE—NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT—GOD SAID THAT BEHAVIOR IS STEPPING OUTSIDE CREATED BOUNDARIES—ROM.1:26-28—NOTICE THEY “ABANDONED NATURAL RELATIONS”  AND GOD GAVE THEM OVER OR ALLOWED THEM TO DO WHAT SHOULD NOT BE DONE”---FOLLOW THIS.  SPIRITUALLY WE ARE WEDDED TO CHRIST—SO OUR BODIES BELONG TO CHRIST—AS IN MARRIAGE BODIES BELONG TO OUR MATES.  WE ARE A LIVING SACRIFICE FOR HIS SERVICE AND HIS GLORY.  JESUS PURCHASED US—PAID THE RANSOM PRICE—WE ARE BONDSLAVES TO HIM—THAT’S GOOD BECAUSE HE IS THE BEST MASTER.  HOLY SPIRIT IN US HELPS US FULFILL HIS PURPOSES AND MAKES HIS WHOLE.

II.               THE ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BODY (V.14-17)

PAUL WENT ON TO EMPHASIZE THE BODY’S IMPORTANCE—WE WILL HAVE A RESURRECTED, GLORIFIED BODY (PHIL. 3:20,21)—THE WHOLE BODY WILL BE RAISED—NOT JUST THE SPIRIT OR SOUL. THE BODY IS IMPORTANT NOW!  WHAT WE DO THRU THE BODY AFFECTS OUR WHOLE BEING—CONTRARY TO GRKS BELIEF & GNOSTIC VIEW (BODY IS NOT REAL).  IF WE ARE “LIVING SACRIFICES” THEN OUR BODIES CONTRIBUTE TO SERVING LORD NOT OURSELVES IN SELFISH WAYS. WE ARE CALLED TO HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST & TO LIVE AS H E LIVED! THE SACRED BOND OF MARRIAGE UNITED A MAN & WOMAN AS ONE FLESH & SPIRIT.  (EX: C.S. LEWIS WROTE: “JOINING TOGETHER TWO BODIES IS EITHER ETERNALLY ENJOYED OR ETERNALLY ENDURED”)  NOW NOTICE PAUL SAYS TO COMMIT SEXUAL IMMORALITY IS TO BRING CHRIST INTO THE ACT---GOD FORBID!  SEXUAL SIN CORRUPTS THE SPIRIT AND DAMAGES RELATIONSHIPS—READ DAVID’S PS. 51—HE WAS A MESS PHYSICALLY/SPIRITUALLY UNITL HE SOUGHT GODS FORGIVENESS.  V.15 LIT. SAYS “SHALL I TAKE AWAY THE MEMBERS OF CHRIST & UNITE WITH PROSTITUTE?”  NO WAY! NEVER!  SEXUAL IMMORALITY IS ROBBERY—IT IS TAKING AWAY FROM CHRIST WHAT BELONGS TO HIM—THERE IS TO BE NO PHSICAL COMMUNION WITHOUT COMMITMENT. 

III.           THE SOLUTION TO AVOIDING SEXUAL SIN—FLEE!

PAUL MADE IT VERY CLEAR THE WAY TO AVOID THIS TRAP IS TO RUN FROM IT---GET OUT!  LIKE JOSEPH DID WITH POTIPHAR’S WIFE—NOW THIS COMMAND IS IN PRES. TENSE SO THE IDEA IS “KEEP ON FLEEING TILL THE DANGER IS PAST”—DON’T STOP TO RATIONALIZE OR DEBATE---JUST GET AWAY QUICKLY  (EX: 16 YR OLD GIRL LED TO CHRIST FROM SEXUAL SINS)---WHY IS THIS SO SERIOUS?  THE SEXUAL ACT INVOLVES THE WHOLE PERSON MORE THAN ANY OTHER SIN—WHAT WE DO IN THE BODY AFFECTS THE WHOLE BEING—MANY OTHER SINS COME FROM OUTSIDE BODY—BUT THIS ONE BEGINS FROM INSIDE—OTHER SINS INVOLVE SOMETHING EXTERNAL TO BODY (FOOD, DRINK, DRUGS, ETC.)—BUT THIS SIN INVOLVES THE BODY ITSELF.

WHEN WE CAME TO CHRIST THERE WAS A TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP—WE ARE NEW CREATURES WITH A NEW MASTER—OUR BODIES BECOME GODS TEMPLE—DWELLING PLACE OF HOLY SPIRIT—HE IS NOT IN BUILDINGS OR OBJECTS BUT IN US!  NOT HIDDEN BEHIND SOME CURTAIN BUT IN US!  (1 PET. 1:18,19)---OUR BODIES BECOME PLACES OF WORSHIP—NO NEED TO STAND OUTSIDE AS ISRAEL DID & WATCH SOMEONE ELSE. CHRIST HAS BROUGHT US NEAR TO GOD---THE CHAINS ARE GONE & WE ARE FREE TO SERVE THE ONE WHO PURCHASED OUR FREEDOM—WE HONOR HIM THRU THE USE OF OUR BODIES (LIVES)—AND WE BRING THE PRESENCE OF GOD TO THE WORLD (MATT. 5:16—LET THE LIGHT SHINE SO PEOPLE CAN SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS & PRAISE GOD)  IT WOULD BE DISGUSTING TO USE CHURCH BLDG OR BAPTISTRY TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL SIN—BUT HOW MUCH MORE OUR BODIES! (EX: LADY IN SCOTLAND HOTEL SHUT DOOR & TURNED ON GAS TO END HER LIFE BUT SHE SAW BIBLE ON TABLE & OPENED IT & READ ONE SENTENCE—SHE THEN TURNED OFF GAS & OPENED DOOR—SHE READ 1 COR. 6:19,20)

CONCLUSION:  (EX: LICK THE BLADE—ESKIMO KILLS WOLF)  THE ANSWER TO AVOID THIS SIN IS RUN! KEEP RUNNING TILL ITS PAST ---DON’T NEGOTIATE—SEXUAL SIN IS A TRAP TO ESCAPE FROM.  HONOR GOD WITH  YOUR BODY!