On Sunday, I shared with the youth group at Northside Community Church for the first time. I was going to talk about cults, but some issues came up and I decided to follow up on that topic. Here is the notes I shared from…
Introduction
Last week, John talked about us being the Temple of God.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defilec the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Tim also talked about Romans 6
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
Today, we’re going to talk about sexual temptations and how can we stay pure.
A powerful temptation
Sexual temptation is one of the most powerful tools of the enemy. And it’s even more powerful in today’s culture. And also, it doesn’t make it particularly easy with all those teenager hormones in your system.
We are all prone to this temptation. Even if you’re a mighty preacher of God, you can fall to this. Even if you listen to Focus on the Family every day, you can fall into sexual immorality. Even if you’re the President of the US, you can fall. Nobody is immune.
“The flesh of the godliest saint is no more dependable than that of the vilest sinner.”
How can you practically stay pure?
Flee
Let’s look at Gen 39 and see how one person in the Bible stayed pure.
What can we learn from the story of Joseph?
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Amputate and Avoid
You can’t stay on a diet if you have chocolate laying around everywhere in your house. Likewise, if there is anything in your life that stimulates sexual temptations, they need to be gotten rid of.
We should also avoid whenever possible any bad situations.
Proverbs 5:1-8
Fill yourself with the Word and recite it
Matthew 4:1-4 – Jesus and the devil
Feed the spirit, not the flesh
Galatians 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting
Crucify the flesh
Romans 6:6-7 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.”
Prayer
Relationship with Christ, not a relationship with the law
Accountability
Find someone that can hold you accountable if you are prone to fall.
Conclusion
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraudb his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. 8 He therefore that despisethc, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Illustration of cutting the flower
Like this flower, you have a precious gift. And like this flower, it can only be cut once. (cut the flower) And when you cut it, it’s a precious gift to give to someone. But be very careful, once it is cut, it can’t be uncut. My prayer for you is that you prayerfully consider who you will be cutting the flower for and who to bless with your gift.