WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:21.900 Hi, and welcome to the Willow Ridge Church weekly podcast. 00:00:22.400 --> 00:00:25.500 This is where you can find audio for our current and past sermons. 00:00:25.740 --> 00:00:30.040 We hope that you enjoy this week's installment, and be sure to check back next week to hear 00:00:30.040 --> 00:00:30.880 the latest message. 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:32.080 Thanks for listening. 00:00:44.260 --> 00:00:45.220 Hey, good morning. 00:00:46.020 --> 00:00:50.340 If you've got your Bibles, go ahead and open them up to 1 Corinthians chapter 7. 00:00:51.120 --> 00:00:52.740 That's where we're going to be this morning. 00:00:54.300 --> 00:00:57.400 As you turn there, you heard about our marriage conference that we're going to be doing at 00:00:57.400 --> 00:00:58.380 the end of the month. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:00:59.880 We're excited about that here. 00:01:00.440 --> 00:01:04.640 I'm excited for Aaron and I to have an opportunity to go through that along with you guys. 00:01:05.180 --> 00:01:10.220 Marriage conferences have played a role and a piece in our marriage from the very beginning. 00:01:10.720 --> 00:01:15.360 And what we're excited about for this one is a lot of times marriage conference or marriage 00:01:15.360 --> 00:01:16.560 retreats, you've got to go away. 00:01:16.880 --> 00:01:21.520 And so what we've decided to do is how can we bring that here to Willow Ridge Church and 00:01:21.520 --> 00:01:24.480 have that amongst our body, our congregation. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:29.120 And so the last weekend, that Friday night and Saturday morning, we'll be gathering together 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:34.980 as married couples to hear wonderful teaching that's going to be provided to us through Right 00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:39.300 Now Media and then have the opportunity to discuss and work through some of those. 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:45.620 And so we want all of you who are married, or maybe you're dating, or maybe you're engaged, 00:01:45.720 --> 00:01:50.060 maybe you're having conversations, whatever that is, it'll be a wonderful time for us to 00:01:50.060 --> 00:01:54.240 continue to build on God's expectation of marriage for us. 00:01:54.320 --> 00:01:57.840 And so we'll be selling tickets all the way through the end of the month and so you can, 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.920 or next month and so you can, we're still in February, I think, right? 00:02:01.180 --> 00:02:05.880 And so we'll be selling tickets back here and would love for you to join us and go and purchase 00:02:05.880 --> 00:02:06.380 some tickets. 00:02:06.740 --> 00:02:11.960 Have had people ask, can couples that don't go to our church, maybe they go to another church 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:15.060 or they don't go to church at all, can they be a part of this with us? 00:02:15.100 --> 00:02:15.820 And absolutely. 00:02:16.140 --> 00:02:19.240 And so if you've got someone that you want to invite, that you want to bring with you, 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:22.000 we'd love for them to be a part of this. 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:30.340 Before we get into our message this morning, as you guys, I'm sure, are all aware from watching 00:02:30.340 --> 00:02:34.600 the news and what's taking place, I just wanted to kind of take a moment and speak to the war 00:02:34.600 --> 00:02:40.900 and the conflict going on in Ukraine and what we're, sorry, what we're going to be doing 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:42.700 and how we're responding as a church. 00:02:43.260 --> 00:02:49.340 First off, as you leave, I shared this on social media this week, our SEND relief team, a part 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:53.900 of the Southern Baptist Convention, which does a lot of things but really prides themselves 00:02:53.900 --> 00:02:59.560 on being the first on ground in areas of natural disaster, destructions, war, famine, 00:02:59.660 --> 00:03:05.600 all those that put together prior to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, this prayer guide. 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:10.140 And we've printed some copies off and they're also at this blue table as you leave. 00:03:10.660 --> 00:03:15.200 And if you follow me on, if we're friends on Facebook, and I hope we are, you can print 00:03:15.200 --> 00:03:21.500 it there and we'll make this available through our church's social media as well. 00:03:21.500 --> 00:03:26.040 And so we'd love for you to be able to pray through, wonderful guide, 10 ways that we can 00:03:26.040 --> 00:03:30.380 be praying for the people of the Ukraine and what's happening and what's taking place there. 00:03:31.160 --> 00:03:39.680 As far as just some thoughts on this situation, number one, what we're discussing and praying 00:03:39.680 --> 00:03:44.240 through as church leadership, how we can respond and how we can help, all right? 00:03:44.260 --> 00:03:46.200 There's a humanitarian crisis. 00:03:46.480 --> 00:03:51.080 There's going to be a gospel need and a gospel presence for what's going on. 00:03:52.200 --> 00:03:57.060 Refugees, that's been a term that I don't know that I heard too often growing up, but it 00:03:57.060 --> 00:04:01.840 is definitely a term that my son and daughter grow up in a world where they hear the term 00:04:01.840 --> 00:04:03.560 refugee constantly. 00:04:04.480 --> 00:04:11.160 And oftentimes when we hear the word refugee, our brain is taking to political matters concerning 00:04:11.160 --> 00:04:11.700 refugees. 00:04:11.940 --> 00:04:15.820 And I would just like to maybe say for a moment that I'd like for your brain to maybe go somewhere 00:04:15.820 --> 00:04:17.740 else when you hear the word refugee. 00:04:18.400 --> 00:04:24.160 Always associated with any refugee crisis is also the crisis that comes with human sex 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:26.100 trafficking, all right? 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:33.960 As people flee, there are men and women who want to rally around and support and love and 00:04:33.960 --> 00:04:34.280 share. 00:04:34.980 --> 00:04:35.980 And you see that happen. 00:04:36.860 --> 00:04:41.780 The refugee crisis creates a wonderful opportunity for the church to step in to help men and women 00:04:41.780 --> 00:04:47.900 who are broken and hurting, but it also raises to the top in many instances, some of the lowest 00:04:47.900 --> 00:04:49.740 of the lows of humanity in this world. 00:04:51.100 --> 00:04:54.240 And sex trafficking will be prevalent in these areas. 00:04:55.320 --> 00:04:59.400 I mean, if you just think about what's happening right now, and this is not a political statement, 00:04:59.460 --> 00:05:00.320 it's a statement of fact. 00:05:01.280 --> 00:05:04.020 Women and children are allowed to flee and leave the Ukraine. 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:10.040 And what is happening as a result of that is the men stay behind and it makes them even 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:16.420 more vulnerable to those who seek to take advantage for their own sexual desires, gratifications, 00:05:16.540 --> 00:05:18.420 or even monetary means. 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:25.420 So as you pray through everything that's going on, I pray that that would be on the forefront 00:05:25.420 --> 00:05:26.080 of your mind. 00:05:26.980 --> 00:05:31.740 I want to tell you the work of the Lord that is being done as I've already had one of our 00:05:31.740 --> 00:05:37.620 church members reach out to me already who has some connections in surrounding countries 00:05:37.620 --> 00:05:42.900 around the Ukraine, who's working with gospel-minded brothers and sisters in Christ to help 00:05:42.900 --> 00:05:46.040 these women and children find a safe harbor. 00:05:47.580 --> 00:05:51.140 But I also had a friend of mine who's a pastor in the upstate who called and said, man, I don't 00:05:51.140 --> 00:05:56.700 know if you have any connections, but I do as he's done missions work in Moldova and in 00:05:56.700 --> 00:05:58.740 other areas around there as well. 00:05:58.880 --> 00:06:02.840 And so we're just praying through what God would have for us as a church. 00:06:03.860 --> 00:06:09.440 And we don't know what that is yet, but I do know that what God would be calling us to, 00:06:09.800 --> 00:06:11.680 especially during this season of time, right? 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:13.600 We are to be people of prayer. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:19.580 We are to pray without ceasing, but so much rides on what is happening and what is taking 00:06:19.580 --> 00:06:21.180 place in this right now. 00:06:21.940 --> 00:06:27.060 And so I want to challenge you to join me not only as we pray for the people of the Ukraine, 00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:28.500 but also people of Russia. 00:06:29.980 --> 00:06:35.920 There's believers right now in Russia who are facing persecution as they stand up for what 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:41.940 they believe to be right in the sense of the gospel, even if it goes against what their 00:06:41.940 --> 00:06:42.680 government says. 00:06:43.760 --> 00:06:46.140 Let's ask that we pray for them as well. 00:06:47.280 --> 00:06:50.100 And so what I'd like to do, and I know this is a little different than how we normally do 00:06:50.100 --> 00:06:55.820 things, but we're just going to take some moments of silence where we can just gather 00:06:55.820 --> 00:06:58.120 together as a church and pray. 00:06:59.440 --> 00:07:02.460 And then I'll close this up, and then we'll get started on our message, all right? 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:07.120 So let's all just bow our heads, close our eyes, and go before the Lord in prayer. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:14.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:18.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:20.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:20.800 --> 00:07:22.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:24.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:28.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:30.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:32.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:34.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:36.800 And then we'll get started on our message. 00:07:36.800 --> 00:08:06.480 Lord, we come to you this morning with heavy hearts. 00:08:06.480 --> 00:08:16.320 Lord, it is the people of God who turn on the TV and find death and destruction. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:19.460 Lord, it just hits us at our core. 00:08:21.840 --> 00:08:29.300 Lord, I pray for the people of the Ukraine this morning who woke up again 00:08:29.300 --> 00:08:46.920 to air raids, sounds of rockets and bullets, or just lift them up to you in their fear and in their uncertainty. 00:08:48.980 --> 00:09:02.420 Lord, I pray for the leaders, Lord, I pray for the leaders of the Ukraine, Lord, but the leaders of all the nations, Lord, involved in this, whether directly or indirectly. 00:09:04.420 --> 00:09:16.180 Lord, God, Lord, I pray for the leaders of all the nations, Lord, that they would seek your counsel. 00:09:16.180 --> 00:09:31.780 Lord, I pray for the salvation of those who were blatantly, obviously lost, separated from you. 00:09:31.780 --> 00:09:38.100 Lord, that the truth of the truth of the truth of the gospel would be made done. 00:09:40.500 --> 00:09:43.760 Lord, I pray for the boldness of believers. 00:09:45.220 --> 00:09:53.040 Boldness of believers in Russia, boldness of believers in the Ukraine, boldness of believers in surrounding countries. 00:09:54.140 --> 00:09:55.820 Lord, to stand for the gospel. 00:09:57.400 --> 00:10:08.800 Lord, I pray for us as a church. 00:10:10.520 --> 00:10:17.960 As we evaluate, Lord, what you would have for us, how would you have for us to respond, to partner, Lord, what this looks like. 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:34.520 Lord, I ask that you even remind, that you remind all of us, myself included, Lord, that in the midst of the chaos that is this world, to remind us that you are the God who is not chaos. 00:10:36.280 --> 00:10:38.520 But you are in control, and Lord, you're on your throne. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:41.880 And Lord, may we rest in that. 00:10:44.940 --> 00:10:50.120 Lord, and in this situation and everything, may your will be done. 00:10:52.520 --> 00:11:00.500 Lord, for the families of our church that have sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives that serve in the armed forces. 00:11:02.900 --> 00:11:06.240 And don't know what today or tomorrow may hold or may look like. 00:11:07.620 --> 00:11:09.280 Lord, I pray that you'd give them peace. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:16.360 Lord, to all the soldiers who are involved, I pray that you'd give them protection. 00:11:18.060 --> 00:11:27.960 Lord, for the church in the Ukraine, as we just sang, above all, may the light of Jesus shine through. 00:11:30.180 --> 00:11:41.800 And may, as a result of this terrible season that we find ourselves in, may men and women and children come to know you. 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:44.640 And it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:11:45.660 --> 00:11:45.940 Amen. 00:11:48.300 --> 00:11:53.980 We're going to go ahead and begin in 1 Corinthians 7, starting in verse 1. 00:11:56.620 --> 00:12:05.960 Paul writes, as he continues in his address to the church at Corinth, dealing with them and some of the problems that they're facing. 00:12:06.180 --> 00:12:11.380 Problems that are detrimental to the unity that Paul would have for them. 00:12:11.380 --> 00:12:20.880 And the understanding of the gospel and the right application of that in their life as individuals, as a family, and as a family of God. 00:12:21.520 --> 00:12:25.320 And so Paul writes in chapter 7, verse 1 of 1 Corinthians, he says, 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:31.740 Now concerning about, I'm sorry, now concerning the matters about which you wrote, 00:12:32.640 --> 00:12:38.640 it is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. 00:12:39.360 --> 00:12:46.140 So what I want us to look at this morning and try to understand is the problem that Paul is addressing here. 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:58.360 And as we try to understand the problem, it'll help us be able to unfold and unpack and apply the proper context of the solution of what Paul has given him. 00:12:58.420 --> 00:13:04.400 Now, there's a lot of debate as in verse 1, and a lot that is happening here. 00:13:04.400 --> 00:13:09.940 And I want to kind of share with you through my study, and as the Holy Spirit teaches this to me, 00:13:10.060 --> 00:13:19.760 what I feel like is happening, is taking place here in Corinth, and what Paul is particularly addressing here in chapter 7. 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:24.200 Now, the Corinthian society was very sexual. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:31.140 I tried to think of how we could compare that in U.S. terms, and I'll be honest with you, 00:13:31.340 --> 00:13:37.340 my brain couldn't begin to wrap around a specific comparison that lines up fully, 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:43.540 because of some certain details that we're going to find out about what is happening and what is taking place in Corinth. 00:13:43.540 --> 00:13:48.320 All right, so if you go all the way back to like middle school and high school, right, 00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:53.900 we learned about Greek gods and goddesses and Roman gods and goddesses, 00:13:53.940 --> 00:13:57.680 and we get to understand the nature that existed for all of those. 00:13:57.900 --> 00:14:02.280 And so this was the culture in which we find the Corinthian church. 00:14:02.540 --> 00:14:06.120 And for these gods and goddesses, they would build temples, 00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:10.860 and these temples would be in different cities throughout the empire, 00:14:10.860 --> 00:14:18.240 where men and women and children would come to these temples to worship these specific gods and goddesses. 00:14:18.520 --> 00:14:24.180 Well, in Corinth was a temple that was dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite. 00:14:24.560 --> 00:14:27.800 And if you don't remember from a long time ago about Aphrodite, 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:32.640 Aphrodite was the goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:38.440 And that was embraced in Corinth and in the temple. 00:14:39.340 --> 00:14:43.960 As a part of the practice of worship of Aphrodite, 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:50.740 in the temple was temple prostitution, consistently practiced there. 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:58.740 Both heterosexual and homosexual practice there in the temple was prevalent there 00:14:58.740 --> 00:15:01.560 and all throughout the culture. 00:15:02.400 --> 00:15:07.300 And what we see when we look back into chapter 6 is that Paul felt the need 00:15:07.300 --> 00:15:11.520 to address that in context for the church, 00:15:11.640 --> 00:15:15.360 but he also felt most because what was happening in the context of the community. 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:19.880 I want you to look back for just a second at 1 Corinthians 6, verse 9. 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:22.340 It should be on the page there right beside you, right? 00:15:22.760 --> 00:15:28.920 And Paul's instructing the people of Christ to be different than the people of the world, 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.000 to be different than the people of society. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:32.900 And here's how he addresses it. 00:15:33.100 --> 00:15:33.940 He says, 00:15:34.100 --> 00:15:39.360 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 00:15:40.220 --> 00:15:41.700 Do not be deceived. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:50.340 Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 00:15:50.560 --> 00:15:58.740 nor thieves, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 00:15:58.740 --> 00:16:01.840 And so, Paul says, there's this defining that we need to understand. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:06.480 Now, Paul gives other lists in other letters that he writes as well. 00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:13.980 So, each one of these lists that we see, we come to understand that these lists both oftentimes reflect the society, 00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:22.960 and also, more than likely, some of the struggles, both practically or theologically, that are existing in the church. 00:16:23.400 --> 00:16:28.400 And so, Paul says, look, those who practice these, this is who they are. 00:16:28.580 --> 00:16:29.860 This is what they do. 00:16:30.260 --> 00:16:33.560 They will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:16:33.780 --> 00:16:35.880 And then we looked at this last week, verse 11. 00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:36.600 He says, 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:40.520 Past tense. 00:16:41.900 --> 00:16:43.600 And such were some of you. 00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:48.660 And this is the beauty and the hope of the gospel, of what God does. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:58.400 And such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit of our God. 00:16:58.440 --> 00:17:00.760 And this is what we talked about last week. 00:17:00.820 --> 00:17:03.960 And so, if you miss this, go back and listen to this. 00:17:04.260 --> 00:17:18.180 They cannot inherit the kingdom because of who they are, but you, because of Christ, and because of his work, you've been washed, you've been sanctified, you've been justified, is what we see here. 00:17:19.800 --> 00:17:23.440 And there's some verses we're going to come back and look at in just a second. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:33.140 But because this is such a big thing that's happening and taking place, Paul looks and says in verse 18 of chapter 6, to the church, flee from sexual morality. 00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:40.820 Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:43.460 In just a minute, we're going to look at the tail end of this verse. 00:17:43.460 --> 00:17:49.240 But right now, I want us to focus in on this four-word strategy that Paul gives. 00:17:49.840 --> 00:17:50.240 Flee. 00:17:51.800 --> 00:17:52.200 Flee. 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:56.200 What do we do when we face sexual morality? 00:17:56.500 --> 00:17:57.000 We flee. 00:17:57.760 --> 00:17:59.120 What would Corinth say? 00:17:59.560 --> 00:18:00.080 Explore. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:07.080 Now, I think there's some close correlations that we can begin to connect with Corinthian society and American society. 00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:13.280 I heard an author say this a few weeks ago, and I loved it. 00:18:14.020 --> 00:18:18.820 He said, God never gave you and I the right to determine what is and what isn't sinful. 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:21.060 He sets the standard. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:25.140 And so, in this context, he says flee. 00:18:26.540 --> 00:18:27.880 The Corinthians want to explore. 00:18:28.040 --> 00:18:28.960 They want to find out. 00:18:29.040 --> 00:18:33.140 They want to live in that hedonism that we talked about last week. 00:18:33.340 --> 00:18:34.420 Well, what feels good to me? 00:18:34.560 --> 00:18:35.400 What do I like? 00:18:35.580 --> 00:18:36.220 And Paul said, no, no. 00:18:36.300 --> 00:18:38.500 We're not exploring this. 00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:40.300 We're fleeing this. 00:18:40.520 --> 00:18:41.840 We're running from this. 00:18:41.900 --> 00:18:45.200 Because this will lead us to our destruction. 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:46.920 We don't want that. 00:18:46.960 --> 00:18:50.600 So, we run, we run, we run, right? 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.520 So, how does this bring us back to verse 1? 00:18:54.020 --> 00:18:56.960 Why do we take this detour back into chapter 6? 00:18:57.020 --> 00:18:58.300 Look back at verse 1 of chapter 7. 00:18:59.100 --> 00:19:05.900 Now, concerning the matters about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. 00:19:06.140 --> 00:19:07.400 Here's what I think is happening. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:10.880 Here's what I believe is taking place. 00:19:12.100 --> 00:19:26.940 Because society in the Corinthian church, and in large part society here, has a view on sex and sexuality that is far removed from God's standard. 00:19:27.820 --> 00:19:42.540 And what has happened during the time of Paul, and what has happened in many senses here, is that this standard of society removed from God's standard has invaded the church in many areas. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:46.060 It's why Paul felt the need to address it in the church. 00:19:46.660 --> 00:19:56.620 We've got to talk about this because we've got to make sure that this is what we are, that this is what we're understanding, that we know God's design and God's purpose for this. 00:19:56.620 --> 00:20:02.540 And so what I think is happening here in the church, I've labeled the Corinthian pendulum, all right? 00:20:03.300 --> 00:20:04.440 And here's what I mean by that. 00:20:04.860 --> 00:20:10.200 Sinful Corinthian society has taken the pendulum and swung it on this side. 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:15.420 To sexual freedom, sexual liberation, sexual exploration. 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:22.320 And the church, in response to that, the Christian church, those who aren't embracing it, have said, 00:20:22.320 --> 00:20:25.700 well, we're going to swing all the way on to the other side. 00:20:26.620 --> 00:20:31.880 And they've covered this other view of sex outside of biblical marriage that is wrong. 00:20:31.940 --> 00:20:32.720 They've admitted that. 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:38.980 But they begin to have a distorted view of sex within the context of marriage. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.880 And that sex, even in the context of marriage, is lesser. 00:20:47.140 --> 00:20:48.160 Is lesser. 00:20:48.740 --> 00:20:50.400 Which isn't God's design at all. 00:20:51.540 --> 00:20:52.680 So that's what we want us to begin to see. 00:20:52.880 --> 00:21:02.480 Paul wants to bring them back square into God's understanding of sex, sexuality, and the standard for marriage. 00:21:02.560 --> 00:21:03.160 Look at verse 2. 00:21:05.740 --> 00:21:21.920 Now, in this verse right here, what we're going to see and understand is God's standard. 00:21:22.060 --> 00:21:25.400 And we're going to unpack that throughout the rest of this message. 00:21:26.060 --> 00:21:29.200 Paul's doing a couple things here in the words that he uses. 00:21:29.340 --> 00:21:33.520 Number one, Paul defines the only marriage that is pleasing to God. 00:21:34.520 --> 00:21:37.520 The only marriage that is pleasing to God. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.560 One man with one woman. 00:21:43.360 --> 00:21:47.160 If you look at the tail end of verse 2, each man should have. 00:21:47.800 --> 00:21:48.900 Right there, that word have. 00:21:49.280 --> 00:21:50.280 His own wife. 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.180 And each woman have her own husband. 00:21:53.180 --> 00:21:58.020 And that word have is always used in connection with marriage. 00:21:59.260 --> 00:22:00.340 And Paul's going to explain that. 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:02.120 One man, one woman. 00:22:03.260 --> 00:22:04.700 Not a homosexual relationship. 00:22:05.460 --> 00:22:07.240 Not a polygamous relationship. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.700 Not an adulterous relationship. 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:12.960 Not any other relationship. 00:22:13.380 --> 00:22:15.140 One man, one woman. 00:22:15.140 --> 00:22:17.680 It's the beauty of God from the garden. 00:22:19.500 --> 00:22:19.580 Right? 00:22:21.420 --> 00:22:31.580 And then secondly, Paul begins to lay the groundwork here in verse 2 for the battle against sexual morality. 00:22:32.300 --> 00:22:32.420 Right? 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:37.720 What I want us to understand, and this is hard for us. 00:22:38.620 --> 00:22:41.360 This is a difficult thing for many of us to grasp. 00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:48.440 But sexual desire is given by God to humanity for good. 00:22:49.900 --> 00:22:50.100 Right? 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:51.360 For good. 00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:58.780 Now, my wife and I, the desire that I have for her, it's good. 00:22:59.700 --> 00:23:02.680 The desire she has for me, it's hard to believe. 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:04.420 Thank you. 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:06.480 I appreciate that y'all finally laughed at some point in time with this. 00:23:06.540 --> 00:23:06.740 All right? 00:23:07.780 --> 00:23:08.520 It's good. 00:23:09.380 --> 00:23:09.520 Right? 00:23:09.880 --> 00:23:10.900 It's what's there. 00:23:11.080 --> 00:23:12.880 It's what God gives us. 00:23:13.040 --> 00:23:14.820 It's what God has for us. 00:23:14.820 --> 00:23:27.000 Now, what happens in sin is that sexual desire that turns to lust, that turns to sexual immorality is not what God has for us. 00:23:28.020 --> 00:23:29.360 But I'll be honest with you. 00:23:30.080 --> 00:23:33.320 Let's go all the way back to the beginning of our relationship. 00:23:33.420 --> 00:23:35.660 We talked about this this past week with our kids. 00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:40.940 The night that I met my soon-to-be at that point in time, not soon-to-be because it's 18 months later. 00:23:41.080 --> 00:23:44.920 The night I met Aaron, we went to the same college we never met. 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:48.160 We were set up on a blind date. 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:53.020 A blind date at church to watch a Christmas church pageant, right? 00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:56.040 Like, that was just awkward and uncomfortable. 00:23:56.460 --> 00:23:59.520 I mean, it was great that we met at church, but that's where we were, right? 00:23:59.840 --> 00:24:03.420 And I'll never forget First Baptist North Augusta, the church that I grew up in. 00:24:03.540 --> 00:24:06.200 I'm standing at the bottom level. 00:24:06.360 --> 00:24:12.600 And when you enter into the sanctuary area, you actually enter in on the second floor if you come from one of the parking lots. 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:16.860 And Aaron had parked at that second parking lot, and she was working her way down the stairs. 00:24:16.860 --> 00:24:22.180 And I remember standing there thinking to myself, this is before social media, all right? 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:25.040 I know for some of our teenagers and even 20-year-olds, that's hard to believe. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.360 I'd never seen her. 00:24:26.620 --> 00:24:27.500 True blind date. 00:24:29.140 --> 00:24:32.760 And I'll never forget black pants, black and white sweater. 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:42.040 And I saw her walking down the stairs, and I thought, I don't know if that's her, but I hope that it is. 00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:46.700 And then she came walking up, and the friend that introduced us introduced us, 00:24:46.760 --> 00:24:52.080 and then I was, y'all find this hard to believe, but I don't know that I spoke for like an hour and a half, two hours. 00:24:52.960 --> 00:24:54.660 Just blown away by your beauty, babe. 00:24:54.760 --> 00:24:55.080 Like that. 00:24:56.260 --> 00:24:56.540 Yeah. 00:24:57.120 --> 00:24:57.840 Emma's uncomfortable. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:01.960 Grayson's serving in kids' ministry, so he's glad he's over there this morning, all right? 00:25:02.900 --> 00:25:03.180 Right? 00:25:04.180 --> 00:25:06.220 But in that, I'm attracted to her. 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:08.260 We date. 00:25:09.120 --> 00:25:10.320 We get engaged. 00:25:11.040 --> 00:25:20.440 And can I tell you what is going on in the mind of a man who loves the Lord in preparation for his wedding night? 00:25:20.840 --> 00:25:29.300 Looking forward to God's design for sex in my life and in her life, and for that moment that we can be together. 00:25:29.360 --> 00:25:30.500 And that's good. 00:25:31.560 --> 00:25:32.660 That's what God intended. 00:25:33.700 --> 00:25:35.400 Removed from lust. 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:37.560 Removed from immorality. 00:25:37.560 --> 00:25:45.220 But sexual desire can be used by Satan to tempt people into being sexually immoral. 00:25:46.260 --> 00:25:48.120 I read this this week, and I loved it. 00:25:48.380 --> 00:25:51.640 An author said, Satan does not produce sexual desire. 00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:54.480 It is good, and he never produced anything good. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:59.560 His aim is to ruin what God created to be good. 00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:07.100 And so what Satan does, he says that in this desire of what God gives a man and what God gives a woman, 00:26:07.100 --> 00:26:13.000 and is meant to be celebrated on their wedding night together that Satan wants to say, 00:26:13.300 --> 00:26:20.480 and Satan wants to take and break and abuse and twist and turn it into something that it's never been intended to be. 00:26:22.180 --> 00:26:24.940 And when we think about it, he does that with so many different things in our life. 00:26:26.060 --> 00:26:31.900 But primarily, this is what we see in marriage and in sex. 00:26:32.820 --> 00:26:37.540 It's a beautiful picture of God's plan for marriage in Genesis 2, verse 24 and 25. 00:26:38.700 --> 00:26:43.300 Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife. 00:26:44.580 --> 00:26:46.120 And they shall become one flesh. 00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:51.540 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. 00:26:52.800 --> 00:26:55.220 There's beauty, so much beauty in this verse. 00:26:56.120 --> 00:27:00.740 What we see in Genesis 2 is we see the formation of the family, the husband and the wife. 00:27:01.320 --> 00:27:07.440 We see the design for sex that God gives of the husband and the wife, and even more beautiful. 00:27:08.560 --> 00:27:15.900 What we see in the relationship between the husband and the wife is we see two people freed from shame. 00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:18.000 They're not embarrassed. 00:27:18.120 --> 00:27:19.200 They're not filled with shame. 00:27:19.360 --> 00:27:19.660 Why? 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:21.420 Because that's not who God is. 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:25.820 And we see the husband and the wife. 00:27:26.820 --> 00:27:37.020 And what's going on, why I believe the marriage is so important, is because unlike any other picture that we see of relationships, 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:42.020 different than the relationship I have with my daughter, different than the relationship I have with my son, 00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:46.000 different than the relationship I have with you, different than the relationship I have with my parents, 00:27:46.320 --> 00:27:47.960 different than the relationship I have with my friends, 00:27:48.280 --> 00:27:50.440 different than the relationship I have with my lost friends, 00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:55.180 that the picture, that the gospel picture that exists in marriage. 00:27:56.140 --> 00:28:02.060 When men and women come together for the beauty and the glory of God in marriage, 00:28:02.180 --> 00:28:04.380 there's a picture that's being displayed. 00:28:05.060 --> 00:28:10.060 And we see this evident all throughout the New Testament, primarily in Ephesians chapter 5, 00:28:10.560 --> 00:28:17.220 where God gives marriage a unique purpose, and God gives marriage a unique passion. 00:28:17.560 --> 00:28:24.000 And if you're married, and you do not know this, if you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, 00:28:24.440 --> 00:28:28.320 there's a greater good for your marriage than raising great kids. 00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:34.300 There's a greater good for your marriage than having a wonderful retirement plan and bank account. 00:28:34.300 --> 00:28:38.820 There's a beautiful picture for your marriage that is found in Scripture, 00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:43.240 and the purpose of marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. 00:28:44.380 --> 00:28:48.860 You and I, we are referred to the body of believers, 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:52.160 make up the church, which Scripture refers to as the bride of Christ. 00:28:53.540 --> 00:28:59.640 And since we are the bride, Scripture tells us that Jesus is the bridegroom. 00:29:01.560 --> 00:29:07.200 So Aaron and I have this unique calling within our marriage that is unique to every marriage 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:13.140 that is found under the Lordship of Christ, to reflect the gospel in that. 00:29:13.800 --> 00:29:20.900 That I serve her, and that I love her, and that I seek her best for her, as Christ did for the church. 00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:25.560 And that she, in response to my leadership in the home, 00:29:25.560 --> 00:29:28.800 that she, in response to my care for her, 00:29:29.020 --> 00:29:35.180 that she, in all of those aspects, responds as Christ, as the church responds to Christ. 00:29:35.380 --> 00:29:36.880 And this church loves Christ. 00:29:37.060 --> 00:29:38.820 There's the unique design that's there. 00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:42.460 And every time that we have the opportunity to live that out, 00:29:42.520 --> 00:29:47.220 both positively and negatively, it reflects on who Jesus is. 00:29:48.180 --> 00:29:53.760 But there's a greater good for your marriage than anything else. 00:29:54.320 --> 00:29:55.360 And it's Christ. 00:29:56.360 --> 00:29:57.240 And it's Christ. 00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:00.600 And so Paul, jump back to 1 Corinthians 6, 15. 00:30:01.180 --> 00:30:03.480 So Paul connects this with sexual morality. 00:30:04.420 --> 00:30:04.880 And he says, 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:07.640 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? 00:30:08.540 --> 00:30:12.120 Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? 00:30:12.620 --> 00:30:13.060 Never! 00:30:13.760 --> 00:30:19.820 Or how do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? 00:30:20.500 --> 00:30:25.140 For as it is written, two will become one flesh. 00:30:26.100 --> 00:30:30.060 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 00:30:31.280 --> 00:30:35.380 So Paul talks about the spiritual connection between us and the Lord 00:30:35.380 --> 00:30:40.680 and the spiritual and physical connection between a husband and a wife within this. 00:30:41.420 --> 00:30:44.120 It's a beautiful design that he's laying out. 00:30:44.780 --> 00:30:51.920 And so when sexual immorality invades culture and invades the church of all places, 00:30:52.040 --> 00:30:53.500 like what in the world are we doing? 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:58.180 When it shows this, 00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:00.820 and when we see this, 00:31:02.120 --> 00:31:05.680 and whether we see it at Corinth or we see it at Willow, 00:31:06.380 --> 00:31:10.240 when we are broken from God's standard of marriage, 00:31:10.720 --> 00:31:13.420 we are broken from the Lord as well. 00:31:15.040 --> 00:31:17.100 Removed from what God desires for us. 00:31:18.360 --> 00:31:20.660 So we can see how this continues to play out. 00:31:20.700 --> 00:31:21.360 Look at verse 3. 00:31:24.060 --> 00:31:24.860 Scripture says, 00:31:24.860 --> 00:31:29.520 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, 00:31:30.740 --> 00:31:32.640 and likewise the wife to her husband. 00:31:33.800 --> 00:31:36.720 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, 00:31:36.900 --> 00:31:38.060 but the husband does. 00:31:39.040 --> 00:31:42.760 Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, 00:31:42.940 --> 00:31:44.120 but the wife does. 00:31:44.860 --> 00:31:46.700 Do not deprive one another, 00:31:46.860 --> 00:31:49.980 except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, 00:31:50.500 --> 00:31:53.900 so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, 00:31:54.520 --> 00:31:56.600 but then come together again, 00:31:56.780 --> 00:31:59.380 so that Satan may not tempt you 00:31:59.380 --> 00:32:02.280 because of your lack of self-control. 00:32:03.400 --> 00:32:05.800 What I want us to look at here in these few verses 00:32:05.800 --> 00:32:09.100 is an understanding of sexual selfishness. 00:32:10.860 --> 00:32:13.740 What we saw, what we read in Genesis chapter 2 00:32:13.740 --> 00:32:16.840 is that in marriage, two become one. 00:32:17.540 --> 00:32:23.560 This has physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual applications. 00:32:24.460 --> 00:32:25.960 In verse 4, 00:32:26.580 --> 00:32:30.020 does it mean that I tell Aaron what to do 00:32:30.020 --> 00:32:32.160 and that I have control over her? 00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:37.480 Verse 4 also doesn't mean that Aaron tells me what to do 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:39.720 and that she has control over me, 00:32:40.220 --> 00:32:43.480 but what it does mean in the context of marriage 00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:50.360 is that she and I are not two independent beings on this earth 00:32:50.360 --> 00:32:54.300 doing what pleases me and doing what pleases her, 00:32:54.620 --> 00:32:59.480 but we are one joined together and unified by Christ. 00:32:59.480 --> 00:33:02.940 And so what is for her good is for my good. 00:33:03.180 --> 00:33:05.260 When she hurts, I hurt. 00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:08.020 When I rejoice, she rejoices. 00:33:08.260 --> 00:33:10.900 And this is what this begins to see in marriage. 00:33:11.160 --> 00:33:12.480 And practically speaking, 00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:15.900 I believe that what this looks like is that in marriage, 00:33:16.300 --> 00:33:18.420 and maybe this will be for some of us here today. 00:33:19.780 --> 00:33:21.260 There is not my money, 00:33:21.940 --> 00:33:22.920 my time, 00:33:23.340 --> 00:33:24.280 or my agenda. 00:33:26.460 --> 00:33:27.240 It's ours. 00:33:29.780 --> 00:33:30.920 On that day, 00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:34.000 June 19th, 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:35.380 2004, 00:33:36.160 --> 00:33:38.100 at Matlock Baptist Church 00:33:38.100 --> 00:33:41.060 with Aaron's dad officiating the service, 00:33:41.780 --> 00:33:42.080 right? 00:33:43.160 --> 00:33:44.920 In the commitment of that, 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:46.840 it was no longer me, 00:33:47.120 --> 00:33:48.980 but it was always going to be we 00:33:48.980 --> 00:33:54.080 as we go forward to becoming one. 00:33:54.840 --> 00:33:55.140 Now, 00:33:56.180 --> 00:33:58.580 this doesn't mean I don't have possessions. 00:33:58.720 --> 00:33:59.000 I do. 00:34:00.600 --> 00:34:02.040 It doesn't mean I don't have hobbies. 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:02.480 I do. 00:34:03.840 --> 00:34:05.920 It doesn't mean I don't have money in my wallet. 00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:08.740 I do less now than I did. 00:34:09.520 --> 00:34:10.840 But that has nothing to do with Aaron 00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:12.540 and everything to do with two teenagers, right? 00:34:13.160 --> 00:34:16.120 I do. 00:34:17.740 --> 00:34:18.760 What it means 00:34:18.760 --> 00:34:21.020 is I have these 00:34:21.020 --> 00:34:21.940 and so does Aaron 00:34:21.940 --> 00:34:23.120 under the agreement 00:34:23.120 --> 00:34:25.400 of what we do 00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:27.120 is for the betterment, 00:34:27.340 --> 00:34:28.080 not just of me, 00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:29.720 but for our family 00:34:29.720 --> 00:34:30.860 and our marriage. 00:34:31.260 --> 00:34:33.080 And the moment any of those things 00:34:33.080 --> 00:34:35.180 distract me from what we're working toward 00:34:35.180 --> 00:34:35.660 in that, 00:34:36.460 --> 00:34:37.440 they need to be removed. 00:34:38.720 --> 00:34:40.020 They need to be removed 00:34:40.020 --> 00:34:41.680 within there. 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:44.340 There's no room 00:34:44.340 --> 00:34:45.900 for selfishness 00:34:45.900 --> 00:34:46.900 in marriage. 00:34:48.540 --> 00:34:49.100 Lose 00:34:49.100 --> 00:34:50.140 the my 00:34:50.140 --> 00:34:51.820 and the I 00:34:51.820 --> 00:34:52.560 in that. 00:34:53.580 --> 00:34:54.440 There's no room 00:34:54.440 --> 00:34:55.540 for selfishness 00:34:55.540 --> 00:34:56.000 in marriage. 00:34:57.060 --> 00:34:58.000 But in context 00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:58.440 for here, 00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:00.100 what do I mean 00:35:00.100 --> 00:35:01.440 about sexual selfishness? 00:35:02.860 --> 00:35:04.340 what was used 00:35:04.340 --> 00:35:04.800 then 00:35:04.800 --> 00:35:05.720 is used today. 00:35:06.820 --> 00:35:07.160 Sex, 00:35:07.240 --> 00:35:07.620 a gift 00:35:07.620 --> 00:35:08.340 by God 00:35:08.340 --> 00:35:09.480 given to a husband 00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:10.180 and a wife 00:35:10.180 --> 00:35:10.900 and his design 00:35:10.900 --> 00:35:11.920 is never meant 00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:13.120 to be a leveraging tool 00:35:13.120 --> 00:35:14.380 or a tool of manipulation. 00:35:15.680 --> 00:35:16.760 So a couple ways. 00:35:18.760 --> 00:35:19.360 Number one, 00:35:20.520 --> 00:35:21.680 stop treating sex 00:35:21.680 --> 00:35:22.280 like a reward 00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:22.780 to be won. 00:35:24.080 --> 00:35:24.380 Right? 00:35:25.040 --> 00:35:25.420 What do you, 00:35:25.520 --> 00:35:26.320 what do I mean by that? 00:35:27.640 --> 00:35:28.240 All right? 00:35:31.020 --> 00:35:32.020 Have you ever 00:35:32.020 --> 00:35:34.100 done nice things? 00:35:35.380 --> 00:35:36.120 Have you ever 00:35:36.120 --> 00:35:37.420 sought to serve 00:35:37.420 --> 00:35:38.460 your spouse 00:35:38.460 --> 00:35:40.640 with an end goal? 00:35:41.260 --> 00:35:42.040 not to be 00:35:42.040 --> 00:35:42.900 their betterment, 00:35:43.500 --> 00:35:44.200 not to be 00:35:44.200 --> 00:35:45.060 for their kindness, 00:35:45.700 --> 00:35:46.260 not to be 00:35:46.260 --> 00:35:46.960 for their good, 00:35:47.260 --> 00:35:48.380 but in the hopes 00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:49.640 that as a result 00:35:49.640 --> 00:35:50.180 of that, 00:35:50.340 --> 00:35:51.240 that you would get sex. 00:35:52.680 --> 00:35:53.660 That's selfishness 00:35:53.660 --> 00:35:54.280 and manipulation, 00:35:54.720 --> 00:35:55.320 not the way 00:35:55.320 --> 00:35:56.120 that God designed it. 00:35:57.520 --> 00:35:57.980 Number two, 00:35:59.200 --> 00:36:00.300 stop using sex 00:36:00.300 --> 00:36:00.820 as a punishment. 00:36:02.620 --> 00:36:03.460 Have you ever 00:36:03.460 --> 00:36:04.460 thought to yourself, 00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:06.460 they didn't do this, 00:36:06.540 --> 00:36:07.380 they didn't do this, 00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:08.320 they didn't do this, 00:36:08.340 --> 00:36:09.180 so I won't do that. 00:36:10.600 --> 00:36:11.400 In both 00:36:11.400 --> 00:36:12.440 of these instances 00:36:12.440 --> 00:36:14.340 is an abuse 00:36:14.340 --> 00:36:15.900 and a misuse 00:36:15.900 --> 00:36:16.940 of sex 00:36:16.940 --> 00:36:17.920 in the context 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:18.380 of marriage. 00:36:18.600 --> 00:36:19.560 Both of these 00:36:19.560 --> 00:36:20.240 are forms 00:36:20.240 --> 00:36:20.840 of manipulation, 00:36:21.480 --> 00:36:22.500 both of these 00:36:22.500 --> 00:36:23.140 are forms 00:36:23.140 --> 00:36:23.980 of selfishness, 00:36:24.100 --> 00:36:24.580 and they were 00:36:24.580 --> 00:36:25.620 never a part 00:36:25.620 --> 00:36:26.520 of God's design 00:36:26.520 --> 00:36:27.020 for marriage. 00:36:27.620 --> 00:36:27.940 But, 00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:30.600 Paul does say 00:36:30.600 --> 00:36:31.560 there is a reason 00:36:31.560 --> 00:36:33.520 to not have sex 00:36:33.520 --> 00:36:33.940 in marriage. 00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:35.560 Look back, 00:36:36.580 --> 00:36:36.820 he says, 00:36:36.940 --> 00:36:37.840 do not deprive 00:36:37.840 --> 00:36:38.660 one another 00:36:38.660 --> 00:36:39.940 except 00:36:39.940 --> 00:36:41.640 perhaps 00:36:41.640 --> 00:36:42.620 by agreement 00:36:42.620 --> 00:36:44.480 for a limited time 00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:45.760 that you may 00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:46.600 devote yourselves 00:36:46.600 --> 00:36:47.260 to prayer 00:36:47.260 --> 00:36:48.320 but then 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:49.180 come together 00:36:49.180 --> 00:36:49.760 again 00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:50.820 so that Satan 00:36:50.820 --> 00:36:52.140 may not tempt you 00:36:52.140 --> 00:36:53.180 because of your 00:36:53.180 --> 00:36:54.340 lack of self-control. 00:36:54.540 --> 00:36:55.160 So here's what I want to say 00:36:55.160 --> 00:36:55.480 about this. 00:36:55.680 --> 00:36:56.020 Maybe 00:36:56.020 --> 00:36:57.440 there comes a time 00:36:57.440 --> 00:36:58.640 in your marriage 00:36:58.640 --> 00:37:00.880 where a season 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:02.400 needs to be placed 00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:04.620 on an emphasis 00:37:04.620 --> 00:37:06.260 on spiritual 00:37:06.260 --> 00:37:07.300 matters 00:37:07.300 --> 00:37:08.180 that are 00:37:08.180 --> 00:37:08.680 different 00:37:08.680 --> 00:37:09.080 than what 00:37:09.080 --> 00:37:09.480 you've gone 00:37:09.480 --> 00:37:10.060 through before. 00:37:10.160 --> 00:37:10.480 And I'm going to give 00:37:10.480 --> 00:37:10.980 some examples 00:37:10.980 --> 00:37:11.620 of these 00:37:11.620 --> 00:37:12.240 in just a second. 00:37:13.300 --> 00:37:14.440 And Paul says 00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:15.640 when that 00:37:15.640 --> 00:37:16.600 happens 00:37:16.600 --> 00:37:18.180 it's okay 00:37:18.180 --> 00:37:19.220 in the context 00:37:19.220 --> 00:37:20.180 of your marriage 00:37:20.180 --> 00:37:21.300 to take 00:37:21.300 --> 00:37:22.160 a break 00:37:22.160 --> 00:37:23.080 from sex. 00:37:23.580 --> 00:37:24.520 I would equate 00:37:24.520 --> 00:37:25.340 it to the call 00:37:25.340 --> 00:37:25.920 that we have 00:37:25.920 --> 00:37:26.600 on our life 00:37:26.600 --> 00:37:27.420 in fasting. 00:37:28.360 --> 00:37:28.400 Right? 00:37:28.660 --> 00:37:29.540 God calls us 00:37:29.540 --> 00:37:30.240 to fast 00:37:30.240 --> 00:37:31.620 and to fast 00:37:31.620 --> 00:37:32.400 from food 00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:33.720 and I don't like 00:37:33.720 --> 00:37:34.380 it that he says 00:37:34.380 --> 00:37:35.200 that but he says 00:37:35.200 --> 00:37:35.400 it. 00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:36.580 Alright? 00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:37.820 And when he says 00:37:37.820 --> 00:37:38.420 it it's not 00:37:38.420 --> 00:37:39.340 that we're fasting 00:37:39.340 --> 00:37:40.240 so that we can 00:37:40.240 --> 00:37:40.880 lose weight. 00:37:41.660 --> 00:37:42.460 It's not that 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:43.060 we're fasting 00:37:43.060 --> 00:37:43.740 so we can tell 00:37:43.740 --> 00:37:44.440 people about it. 00:37:44.740 --> 00:37:45.520 It's that we're 00:37:45.520 --> 00:37:46.700 fasting for a 00:37:46.700 --> 00:37:47.700 purpose that we 00:37:47.700 --> 00:37:48.600 can cry out 00:37:48.600 --> 00:37:49.060 to him 00:37:49.060 --> 00:37:50.520 depend on him 00:37:50.520 --> 00:37:51.700 focus completely 00:37:51.700 --> 00:37:52.340 on him 00:37:52.340 --> 00:37:53.500 and hear from him. 00:37:53.980 --> 00:37:54.940 And so Paul says 00:37:54.940 --> 00:37:56.100 there may become 00:37:56.100 --> 00:37:56.700 a time 00:37:56.700 --> 00:37:57.520 and an opportunity 00:37:57.520 --> 00:37:59.000 in your marriage 00:37:59.000 --> 00:37:59.800 where you need 00:37:59.800 --> 00:38:00.760 to address 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:01.800 some spiritual 00:38:01.800 --> 00:38:02.780 things that are 00:38:02.780 --> 00:38:03.380 going on 00:38:03.380 --> 00:38:04.220 in the context 00:38:04.220 --> 00:38:04.900 of your marriage 00:38:04.900 --> 00:38:06.280 and so as a result 00:38:06.280 --> 00:38:06.700 of that 00:38:06.700 --> 00:38:07.360 you may need 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:08.000 to break 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:08.800 from sex 00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:09.600 for a season. 00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:10.720 And so some 00:38:10.720 --> 00:38:11.740 illustrations that I give 00:38:11.740 --> 00:38:12.340 maybe there's some 00:38:12.340 --> 00:38:13.180 big decisions 00:38:13.180 --> 00:38:14.040 that you need to make. 00:38:15.140 --> 00:38:16.100 And so you as a couple 00:38:16.100 --> 00:38:16.640 decide 00:38:16.640 --> 00:38:17.920 before we make these 00:38:17.920 --> 00:38:18.980 it may be a career 00:38:18.980 --> 00:38:19.440 decision 00:38:19.440 --> 00:38:20.500 it may be a decision 00:38:20.500 --> 00:38:21.440 about a home 00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:22.400 it may be a decision 00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:23.320 about a child 00:38:23.320 --> 00:38:24.180 it may be a decision 00:38:24.180 --> 00:38:25.160 about a relationship 00:38:25.160 --> 00:38:26.400 and so the two of you 00:38:26.400 --> 00:38:27.180 come together 00:38:27.180 --> 00:38:28.060 and you agree 00:38:28.060 --> 00:38:28.620 that we're going 00:38:28.620 --> 00:38:29.600 to come and pray 00:38:29.600 --> 00:38:31.340 and seek the Lord 00:38:31.340 --> 00:38:33.000 this is what we're 00:38:33.000 --> 00:38:33.440 going to do. 00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:35.620 Number two 00:38:35.620 --> 00:38:37.440 there may come 00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:38.400 a time of sickness 00:38:38.400 --> 00:38:41.020 where a spouse 00:38:41.020 --> 00:38:42.840 is battling 00:38:42.840 --> 00:38:43.960 going through 00:38:43.960 --> 00:38:46.080 a time of poor health 00:38:46.080 --> 00:38:47.460 a time of poor sickness 00:38:47.460 --> 00:38:49.180 and it's discussed 00:38:49.180 --> 00:38:50.380 and it is agreed 00:38:50.380 --> 00:38:51.880 that during this 00:38:51.880 --> 00:38:52.800 because of the physical 00:38:52.800 --> 00:38:53.380 condition 00:38:53.380 --> 00:38:54.560 of the spouse 00:38:54.560 --> 00:38:55.140 that we're going 00:38:55.140 --> 00:38:55.540 to break 00:38:55.540 --> 00:38:56.280 and instead 00:38:56.280 --> 00:38:56.600 we're going 00:38:56.600 --> 00:38:56.860 to spend 00:38:56.860 --> 00:38:57.440 that time 00:38:57.440 --> 00:38:57.980 in prayer 00:38:57.980 --> 00:38:58.680 before the Lord 00:38:58.680 --> 00:39:01.060 there's a third 00:39:01.060 --> 00:39:01.600 aspect 00:39:01.600 --> 00:39:03.540 that I think 00:39:03.540 --> 00:39:04.040 unfortunately 00:39:04.040 --> 00:39:04.920 is all too often 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:05.660 in many marriages 00:39:05.660 --> 00:39:07.380 where I think 00:39:07.380 --> 00:39:07.820 this passage 00:39:07.820 --> 00:39:08.240 of scripture 00:39:08.240 --> 00:39:08.760 applies 00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:10.900 and it's when 00:39:10.900 --> 00:39:11.320 sin 00:39:11.320 --> 00:39:12.760 and brokenness 00:39:12.760 --> 00:39:13.780 has invaded 00:39:13.780 --> 00:39:14.380 the marriage 00:39:14.380 --> 00:39:16.180 and reconciliation 00:39:16.180 --> 00:39:17.140 needs to happen 00:39:17.140 --> 00:39:20.880 a spouse 00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:22.800 has hurt 00:39:22.800 --> 00:39:23.360 a spouse 00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:28.300 and in that 00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:30.200 reconciliation 00:39:30.200 --> 00:39:32.200 needs to be 00:39:32.200 --> 00:39:32.700 in place 00:39:32.700 --> 00:39:35.020 there's a spouse 00:39:35.020 --> 00:39:35.960 who feels abused 00:39:35.960 --> 00:39:37.620 there's a spouse 00:39:37.620 --> 00:39:38.200 who feels taken 00:39:38.200 --> 00:39:39.000 advantage of 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:40.440 there's a spouse 00:39:40.440 --> 00:39:41.000 that's hurt 00:39:41.000 --> 00:39:43.160 and we can try 00:39:43.160 --> 00:39:43.940 to force through 00:39:43.940 --> 00:39:44.320 that 00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:45.180 and act 00:39:45.180 --> 00:39:45.780 like nothing's 00:39:45.780 --> 00:39:46.200 wrong 00:39:46.200 --> 00:39:47.800 in the bedroom 00:39:47.800 --> 00:39:49.960 and in the world 00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:51.780 but what needs 00:39:51.780 --> 00:39:52.260 to happen 00:39:52.260 --> 00:39:53.080 is reconciliation 00:39:53.080 --> 00:39:56.360 and so a time 00:39:56.360 --> 00:39:56.840 is dedicated 00:39:56.840 --> 00:39:57.340 to that 00:39:57.340 --> 00:39:59.880 here's what I see 00:39:59.880 --> 00:40:00.920 this take place 00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:02.060 number one 00:40:02.060 --> 00:40:03.320 it happens 00:40:03.320 --> 00:40:04.080 for a season 00:40:04.080 --> 00:40:06.080 it happens 00:40:06.080 --> 00:40:06.720 for a season 00:40:06.720 --> 00:40:09.320 what do we want 00:40:09.320 --> 00:40:10.100 this to look like 00:40:10.100 --> 00:40:11.740 what does this 00:40:11.740 --> 00:40:12.380 need to be 00:40:12.380 --> 00:40:13.620 how long 00:40:13.620 --> 00:40:13.860 does this 00:40:13.860 --> 00:40:14.620 need to last 00:40:14.620 --> 00:40:15.860 where do we 00:40:15.860 --> 00:40:16.360 feel like God 00:40:16.360 --> 00:40:17.100 is drawing us 00:40:17.100 --> 00:40:18.580 number two 00:40:18.580 --> 00:40:19.320 it's agreed upon 00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:21.180 it's agreed upon 00:40:21.180 --> 00:40:26.100 it is never 00:40:26.100 --> 00:40:26.900 her will 00:40:26.900 --> 00:40:29.600 nor mine 00:40:29.600 --> 00:40:31.400 it's his 00:40:31.400 --> 00:40:33.940 and in unity 00:40:33.940 --> 00:40:34.680 of the spirit 00:40:34.680 --> 00:40:36.120 we walk in that 00:40:36.120 --> 00:40:38.040 and we agree 00:40:38.040 --> 00:40:40.200 and the third 00:40:40.200 --> 00:40:40.800 that we see 00:40:40.800 --> 00:40:42.460 is that we 00:40:42.460 --> 00:40:42.760 need to be 00:40:42.760 --> 00:40:43.040 careful 00:40:43.040 --> 00:40:44.960 because what 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:45.600 Satan chooses 00:40:45.600 --> 00:40:46.180 to do 00:40:46.180 --> 00:40:47.580 what Satan 00:40:47.580 --> 00:40:48.420 wants to do 00:40:48.420 --> 00:40:49.780 is to find 00:40:49.780 --> 00:40:50.440 a foothold 00:40:50.440 --> 00:40:51.780 in the marriage 00:40:51.780 --> 00:40:53.080 so that he 00:40:53.080 --> 00:40:53.620 can break it 00:40:53.620 --> 00:40:53.940 apart 00:40:53.940 --> 00:40:55.080 by taking 00:40:55.080 --> 00:40:55.740 what is good 00:40:55.740 --> 00:40:57.180 and replacing 00:40:57.180 --> 00:40:57.660 it with what 00:40:57.660 --> 00:40:58.060 is filthy 00:40:58.060 --> 00:41:01.660 as we look 00:41:01.660 --> 00:41:02.120 and as we 00:41:02.120 --> 00:41:02.800 see 00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:03.300 and as we 00:41:03.300 --> 00:41:04.040 understand 00:41:04.040 --> 00:41:06.180 so much 00:41:06.180 --> 00:41:06.520 of what 00:41:06.520 --> 00:41:07.200 is happening 00:41:07.200 --> 00:41:08.360 here in the 00:41:08.360 --> 00:41:08.800 church of 00:41:08.800 --> 00:41:09.220 Corinth 00:41:09.220 --> 00:41:11.280 so much 00:41:11.280 --> 00:41:11.520 of what 00:41:11.520 --> 00:41:12.120 is happening 00:41:12.120 --> 00:41:12.520 in the 00:41:12.520 --> 00:41:13.180 society 00:41:13.180 --> 00:41:13.440 of 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:14.180 Corinth 00:41:14.180 --> 00:41:15.980 is so much 00:41:15.980 --> 00:41:16.240 of what 00:41:16.240 --> 00:41:16.860 is happening 00:41:16.860 --> 00:41:18.520 in so many 00:41:18.520 --> 00:41:18.920 churches 00:41:18.920 --> 00:41:20.700 and in so many 00:41:20.700 --> 00:41:21.180 marriages 00:41:21.180 --> 00:41:22.800 and so many 00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:23.540 societies 00:41:23.540 --> 00:41:24.520 today 00:41:24.520 --> 00:41:26.600 that we 00:41:26.600 --> 00:41:27.040 have the 00:41:27.040 --> 00:41:27.400 right 00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:29.000 to determine 00:41:29.000 --> 00:41:29.720 what is right 00:41:29.720 --> 00:41:30.460 and what is wrong 00:41:30.460 --> 00:41:30.820 and God 00:41:30.820 --> 00:41:31.320 says that's 00:41:31.320 --> 00:41:31.600 not the 00:41:31.600 --> 00:41:31.900 case 00:41:31.900 --> 00:41:32.760 it's my 00:41:32.760 --> 00:41:33.120 plan 00:41:33.120 --> 00:41:34.160 one man 00:41:34.160 --> 00:41:35.380 one woman 00:41:35.380 --> 00:41:36.360 together 00:41:36.360 --> 00:41:38.640 for a unique 00:41:38.640 --> 00:41:39.180 purpose 00:41:39.180 --> 00:41:41.900 to reflect 00:41:41.900 --> 00:41:42.700 the glory 00:41:42.700 --> 00:41:44.020 and the 00:41:44.020 --> 00:41:44.360 goodness 00:41:44.360 --> 00:41:44.760 of the 00:41:44.760 --> 00:41:45.040 Lord 00:41:45.040 --> 00:41:47.040 and it's 00:41:47.040 --> 00:41:47.560 my prayer 00:41:47.560 --> 00:41:49.580 that as you 00:41:49.580 --> 00:41:50.100 see my 00:41:50.100 --> 00:41:50.560 marriage 00:41:50.560 --> 00:41:52.300 that as we 00:41:52.300 --> 00:41:53.060 examine our 00:41:53.060 --> 00:41:53.560 marriage 00:41:53.560 --> 00:41:55.220 what is 00:41:55.220 --> 00:41:55.780 resembled 00:41:55.780 --> 00:41:56.220 is the 00:41:56.220 --> 00:41:57.020 serving of 00:41:57.020 --> 00:41:57.380 Christ 00:41:57.380 --> 00:41:57.800 to serve 00:41:57.800 --> 00:41:58.240 the bride 00:41:58.240 --> 00:42:04.940 and in 00:42:04.940 --> 00:42:05.200 areas 00:42:05.200 --> 00:42:05.540 where I 00:42:05.540 --> 00:42:05.920 failed 00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:07.040 I'm 00:42:07.040 --> 00:42:07.320 sorry 00:42:07.320 --> 00:42:10.240 and that 00:42:10.240 --> 00:42:10.760 in turn 00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:12.540 what we 00:42:12.540 --> 00:42:12.980 see from 00:42:12.980 --> 00:42:13.240 that 00:42:13.240 --> 00:42:14.700 is the 00:42:14.700 --> 00:42:15.140 bride 00:42:15.140 --> 00:42:16.820 who loves 00:42:16.820 --> 00:42:18.440 and follows 00:42:18.440 --> 00:42:19.300 Christ 00:42:19.300 --> 00:42:21.460 and that 00:42:21.460 --> 00:42:21.640 it's 00:42:21.640 --> 00:42:22.160 reflected 00:42:22.160 --> 00:42:23.380 for all 00:42:23.380 --> 00:42:23.720 the world 00:42:23.720 --> 00:42:24.140 to see 00:42:24.140 --> 00:42:25.700 that it's 00:42:25.700 --> 00:42:26.100 shared 00:42:26.100 --> 00:42:27.040 and that 00:42:27.040 --> 00:42:27.240 he's 00:42:27.240 --> 00:42:27.640 proclaimed 00:42:27.640 --> 00:42:29.900 stop 00:42:29.900 --> 00:42:30.320 letting 00:42:30.320 --> 00:42:30.800 Satan 00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:32.380 determine 00:42:32.380 --> 00:42:32.800 where the 00:42:32.800 --> 00:42:33.060 pendulum 00:42:33.060 --> 00:42:33.480 is 00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:35.840 and find 00:42:35.840 --> 00:42:37.640 what God 00:42:37.640 --> 00:42:38.600 has called 00:42:38.600 --> 00:42:38.920 us to 00:42:38.920 --> 00:42:40.420 would you 00:42:40.420 --> 00:42:41.200 pray with me 00:42:41.200 --> 00:42:51.980 where does 00:42:51.980 --> 00:42:52.220 I look 00:42:52.220 --> 00:42:52.500 out in 00:42:52.500 --> 00:42:52.700 this 00:42:52.700 --> 00:42:53.340 congregation 00:42:53.340 --> 00:42:55.560 I see 00:42:55.560 --> 00:42:55.920 a lot 00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:56.060 of 00:42:56.060 --> 00:42:56.660 couples 00:42:56.660 --> 00:42:56.900 in 00:42:56.900 --> 00:42:57.140 here 00:42:57.140 --> 00:42:59.340 a lot 00:42:59.340 --> 00:42:59.460 of 00:42:59.460 --> 00:42:59.780 husbands 00:42:59.780 --> 00:43:00.080 and 00:43:00.080 --> 00:43:00.580 wives 00:43:00.580 --> 00:43:03.100 Lord 00:43:03.100 --> 00:43:03.280 and 00:43:03.280 --> 00:43:04.120 while I 00:43:04.120 --> 00:43:04.380 know 00:43:04.380 --> 00:43:04.920 some 00:43:04.920 --> 00:43:06.820 Lord 00:43:06.820 --> 00:43:07.080 I don't 00:43:07.080 --> 00:43:07.600 know all 00:43:07.600 --> 00:43:09.420 but you 00:43:09.420 --> 00:43:09.720 do 00:43:09.720 --> 00:43:12.100 Lord 00:43:12.100 --> 00:43:12.440 and as 00:43:12.440 --> 00:43:12.820 they go 00:43:12.820 --> 00:43:13.140 through 00:43:13.140 --> 00:43:13.620 as they 00:43:13.620 --> 00:43:14.040 battle 00:43:14.040 --> 00:43:14.500 as they 00:43:14.500 --> 00:43:15.080 face 00:43:15.080 --> 00:43:17.080 Lord 00:43:17.080 --> 00:43:17.500 I pray 00:43:17.500 --> 00:43:17.900 that they 00:43:17.900 --> 00:43:18.140 would 00:43:18.140 --> 00:43:18.760 seek 00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:20.260 your will 00:43:20.260 --> 00:43:20.700 for their 00:43:20.700 --> 00:43:21.140 marriage 00:43:21.140 --> 00:43:23.180 for your 00:43:23.180 --> 00:43:23.700 glory 00:43:23.700 --> 00:43:25.180 for your 00:43:25.180 --> 00:43:25.620 name 00:43:25.620 --> 00:43:27.180 for your 00:43:27.180 --> 00:43:27.520 now 00:43:27.520 --> 00:43:29.920 Lord I 00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:30.340 also see 00:43:30.340 --> 00:43:30.800 couples in 00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:31.180 here who 00:43:31.180 --> 00:43:31.640 are dating 00:43:31.640 --> 00:43:32.080 who are 00:43:32.080 --> 00:43:32.700 engaged 00:43:32.700 --> 00:43:35.080 Lord and 00:43:35.080 --> 00:43:35.600 the struggle 00:43:35.600 --> 00:43:36.000 that they 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:36.500 face 00:43:36.500 --> 00:43:38.880 is a 00:43:38.880 --> 00:43:39.240 difficult 00:43:39.240 --> 00:43:39.920 one 00:43:39.920 --> 00:43:42.080 Lord I 00:43:42.080 --> 00:43:42.700 pray that 00:43:42.700 --> 00:43:43.620 through the 00:43:43.620 --> 00:43:44.420 strength of the 00:43:44.420 --> 00:43:45.120 Holy Spirit 00:43:45.120 --> 00:43:45.860 in them 00:43:45.860 --> 00:43:47.460 Lord 00:43:47.460 --> 00:43:47.700 that they 00:43:47.700 --> 00:43:48.200 would not 00:43:48.200 --> 00:43:48.800 succumb 00:43:48.800 --> 00:43:50.640 to the 00:43:50.640 --> 00:43:51.000 sexual 00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:51.700 temptation 00:43:51.700 --> 00:43:52.500 that Satan 00:43:52.500 --> 00:43:52.760 would 00:43:52.760 --> 00:43:53.700 cast at 00:43:53.700 --> 00:43:53.940 them 00:43:53.940 --> 00:43:56.300 but they 00:43:56.300 --> 00:43:56.740 would remain 00:43:56.740 --> 00:43:57.560 strong 00:43:57.560 --> 00:44:00.060 in their 00:44:00.060 --> 00:44:00.460 faith 00:44:00.460 --> 00:44:03.200 they would 00:44:03.200 --> 00:44:03.500 be willing 00:44:03.500 --> 00:44:04.000 to take 00:44:04.000 --> 00:44:04.740 the desire 00:44:04.740 --> 00:44:05.520 that you've 00:44:05.520 --> 00:44:06.660 given them 00:44:06.660 --> 00:44:09.520 and restrain 00:44:09.520 --> 00:44:09.940 for that 00:44:09.940 --> 00:44:10.680 wonderful day 00:44:10.680 --> 00:44:13.240 where they 00:44:13.240 --> 00:44:13.780 look at each 00:44:13.780 --> 00:44:14.180 other and 00:44:14.180 --> 00:44:14.740 say I do 00:44:14.740 --> 00:44:17.340 and pledge 00:44:17.340 --> 00:44:17.760 and commit 00:44:17.760 --> 00:44:18.400 themselves 00:44:18.400 --> 00:44:22.220 Lord also 00:44:22.220 --> 00:44:22.600 in this 00:44:22.600 --> 00:44:22.940 room 00:44:22.940 --> 00:44:26.400 is the 00:44:26.400 --> 00:44:27.100 single man 00:44:27.100 --> 00:44:27.380 and the 00:44:27.380 --> 00:44:27.940 single woman 00:44:27.940 --> 00:44:29.800 the single 00:44:29.800 --> 00:44:30.400 girl and 00:44:30.400 --> 00:44:30.740 the single 00:44:30.740 --> 00:44:31.140 boy 00:44:31.140 --> 00:44:34.100 Lord I 00:44:34.100 --> 00:44:34.440 pray for 00:44:34.440 --> 00:44:35.040 their purity 00:44:35.040 --> 00:44:35.740 as well 00:44:35.740 --> 00:44:38.160 as their 00:44:38.160 --> 00:44:38.860 standard as 00:44:38.860 --> 00:44:39.360 they wait 00:44:39.360 --> 00:44:42.720 and if you 00:44:42.720 --> 00:44:43.520 provide them 00:44:43.520 --> 00:44:44.080 a spouse 00:44:44.080 --> 00:44:44.520 Lord 00:44:44.520 --> 00:44:47.440 and we 00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:47.900 celebrate 00:44:47.900 --> 00:44:48.180 you 00:44:48.180 --> 00:44:51.220 but if 00:44:51.220 --> 00:44:51.520 what you 00:44:51.520 --> 00:44:52.040 have for 00:44:52.040 --> 00:44:52.600 them is 00:44:52.600 --> 00:44:53.840 singleness 00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:56.000 Lord what 00:44:56.000 --> 00:44:56.260 they would 00:44:56.260 --> 00:44:56.620 embrace 00:44:56.620 --> 00:44:56.940 what your 00:44:56.940 --> 00:44:57.700 word tells 00:44:57.700 --> 00:44:58.000 us 00:44:58.000 --> 00:44:58.420 Lord if we 00:44:58.420 --> 00:44:58.620 were able 00:44:58.620 --> 00:44:59.040 to continue 00:44:59.040 --> 00:44:59.400 on 00:44:59.400 --> 00:45:01.040 is the 00:45:01.040 --> 00:45:01.820 beautiful gift 00:45:01.820 --> 00:45:02.540 of celibacy 00:45:02.540 --> 00:45:06.080 where they 00:45:06.080 --> 00:45:06.600 can focus 00:45:06.600 --> 00:45:07.360 in on you 00:45:07.360 --> 00:45:08.440 even more 00:45:08.440 --> 00:45:08.900 fully 00:45:08.900 --> 00:45:10.360 and Lord 00:45:10.360 --> 00:45:10.640 what you 00:45:10.640 --> 00:45:11.000 have for 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:11.460 them 00:45:11.460 --> 00:45:22.620 look up 00:45:22.620 --> 00:45:23.040 real quick 00:45:23.040 --> 00:45:28.060 I left 00:45:28.060 --> 00:45:28.420 this out 00:45:28.420 --> 00:45:28.620 and I'm 00:45:28.620 --> 00:45:28.900 sorry 00:45:28.900 --> 00:45:33.760 but if 00:45:33.760 --> 00:45:34.140 you 00:45:34.140 --> 00:45:35.400 are a 00:45:35.400 --> 00:45:35.800 person 00:45:35.800 --> 00:45:37.920 whether 00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:38.160 you're 00:45:38.160 --> 00:45:38.500 married 00:45:38.500 --> 00:45:38.740 whether 00:45:38.740 --> 00:45:38.960 you're 00:45:38.960 --> 00:45:39.260 single 00:45:39.260 --> 00:45:39.560 and whether 00:45:39.560 --> 00:45:39.720 you're 00:45:39.720 --> 00:45:40.020 dating 00:45:40.020 --> 00:45:44.680 and you've 00:45:44.680 --> 00:45:45.000 struggled 00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:45.480 and you've 00:45:45.480 --> 00:45:45.820 fallen 00:45:45.820 --> 00:45:48.980 and sexual 00:45:48.980 --> 00:45:49.520 morality 00:45:49.520 --> 00:45:52.680 and adultery 00:45:52.680 --> 00:45:55.380 and lust 00:45:55.380 --> 00:45:58.460 and homosexuality 00:45:58.460 --> 00:46:03.700 there's 00:46:03.700 --> 00:46:04.280 goodness 00:46:04.280 --> 00:46:05.600 and forgiveness 00:46:05.600 --> 00:46:06.280 at the cross 00:46:06.280 --> 00:46:08.460 and he 00:46:08.460 --> 00:46:09.000 pours it 00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:09.240 out 00:46:09.240 --> 00:46:10.140 and pours 00:46:10.140 --> 00:46:10.260 it 00:46:10.260 --> 00:46:10.500 out 00:46:10.500 --> 00:46:11.320 and pours 00:46:11.320 --> 00:46:11.400 it 00:46:11.400 --> 00:46:11.600 out 00:46:11.600 --> 00:46:14.820 and another 00:46:14.820 --> 00:46:15.360 lie that we 00:46:15.360 --> 00:46:16.140 feel sometimes 00:46:16.140 --> 00:46:18.200 is that when we 00:46:18.200 --> 00:46:19.040 fall in short 00:46:19.040 --> 00:46:20.220 of God's 00:46:20.220 --> 00:46:20.580 standard 00:46:20.580 --> 00:46:22.960 we have to 00:46:22.960 --> 00:46:23.640 live and carry 00:46:23.640 --> 00:46:24.060 the shame 00:46:24.060 --> 00:46:24.380 that comes 00:46:24.380 --> 00:46:24.800 along with 00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:25.240 it 00:46:25.240 --> 00:46:26.940 and Jesus 00:46:26.940 --> 00:46:27.380 says I've 00:46:27.380 --> 00:46:27.980 come to set 00:46:27.980 --> 00:46:28.300 you free 00:46:28.300 --> 00:46:30.200 so that we 00:46:30.200 --> 00:46:30.740 live in hope 00:46:30.740 --> 00:46:32.060 and glory 00:46:32.060 --> 00:46:32.600 and goodness 00:46:32.600 --> 00:46:34.720 and so if 00:46:34.720 --> 00:46:35.040 that's you 00:46:35.040 --> 00:46:35.520 this morning 00:46:35.520 --> 00:46:38.740 you may have 00:46:38.740 --> 00:46:39.040 some stuff 00:46:39.040 --> 00:46:39.340 that you need 00:46:39.340 --> 00:46:39.680 to walk 00:46:39.680 --> 00:46:39.900 through 00:46:39.900 --> 00:46:40.360 and we 00:46:40.360 --> 00:46:40.600 want to 00:46:40.600 --> 00:46:40.760 walk 00:46:40.760 --> 00:46:40.900 through 00:46:40.900 --> 00:46:41.020 that 00:46:41.020 --> 00:46:41.440 with you 00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:44.680 but there's 00:46:44.680 --> 00:46:45.140 fullness 00:46:45.140 --> 00:46:45.900 of redemption 00:46:45.900 --> 00:46:46.380 that's found 00:46:46.380 --> 00:46:46.840 in Christ 00:46:46.840 --> 00:46:49.100 he takes 00:46:49.100 --> 00:46:49.600 what is old 00:46:49.600 --> 00:46:49.920 and makes 00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:50.300 it new 00:46:50.300 --> 00:46:50.600 he takes 00:46:50.600 --> 00:46:51.200 what's dead 00:46:51.200 --> 00:46:51.760 and makes 00:46:51.760 --> 00:46:52.120 it alive 00:46:52.120 --> 00:46:52.400 again 00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:54.600 and there's 00:46:54.600 --> 00:46:54.860 beauty 00:46:54.860 --> 00:46:55.120 and there's 00:46:55.120 --> 00:46:55.620 hope in that 00:46:55.620 --> 00:46:57.640 let's go back 00:46:57.640 --> 00:46:57.860 to the Lord 00:46:57.860 --> 00:46:58.220 in prayer 00:46:58.220 --> 00:46:59.680 God if 00:46:59.680 --> 00:46:59.860 there's 00:46:59.860 --> 00:47:00.600 anyone here 00:47:00.600 --> 00:47:04.040 and that's 00:47:04.040 --> 00:47:04.320 what they're 00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:04.900 struggling with 00:47:04.900 --> 00:47:05.160 Lord 00:47:05.160 --> 00:47:07.140 we pray 00:47:07.140 --> 00:47:07.700 that today 00:47:07.700 --> 00:47:08.140 they find 00:47:08.140 --> 00:47:08.580 forgiveness 00:47:08.580 --> 00:47:09.200 and hope 00:47:09.200 --> 00:47:10.960 through the 00:47:10.960 --> 00:47:11.460 gospel of 00:47:11.460 --> 00:47:12.080 Jesus Christ 00:47:12.080 --> 00:47:12.600 the foot of 00:47:12.600 --> 00:47:13.060 the cross 00:47:13.060 --> 00:47:14.720 to walk 00:47:14.720 --> 00:47:14.960 in the 00:47:14.960 --> 00:47:15.220 newness 00:47:15.220 --> 00:47:15.640 of life 00:47:15.640 --> 00:47:16.460 free from 00:47:16.460 --> 00:47:16.880 shame 00:47:16.880 --> 00:47:18.060 Satan 00:47:18.060 --> 00:47:19.320 defines them 00:47:19.320 --> 00:47:19.760 by their 00:47:19.760 --> 00:47:20.080 sin 00:47:20.080 --> 00:47:20.360 Lord 00:47:20.360 --> 00:47:20.680 but you 00:47:20.680 --> 00:47:21.160 define us 00:47:21.160 --> 00:47:21.680 by Christ 00:47:21.680 --> 00:47:23.560 and we 00:47:23.560 --> 00:47:23.940 live in 00:47:23.940 --> 00:47:24.400 him alone 00:47:24.400 --> 00:47:26.400 because we've 00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:27.000 been washed 00:47:27.000 --> 00:47:27.940 we've been 00:47:27.940 --> 00:47:28.520 sanctified 00:47:28.520 --> 00:47:29.400 and we've 00:47:29.400 --> 00:47:29.940 been justified 00:47:29.940 --> 00:47:30.200 God 00:47:30.200 --> 00:47:32.760 so you're 00:47:32.760 --> 00:47:32.880 going to 00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:33.180 pray 00:47:33.180 --> 00:47:33.460 man 00:47:33.460 --> 00:47:36.760 just a 00:47:36.760 --> 00:47:36.920 moment 00:47:36.920 --> 00:47:37.100 we're 00:47:37.100 --> 00:47:37.200 going to 00:47:37.200 --> 00:47:37.400 stand 00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:37.580 and we're 00:47:37.580 --> 00:47:37.660 going to 00:47:37.660 --> 00:47:38.100 respond 00:47:38.100 --> 00:47:39.320 we've got 00:47:39.320 --> 00:47:39.620 prayer 00:47:39.620 --> 00:47:40.140 encouragers 00:47:40.140 --> 00:47:40.480 on either 00:47:40.480 --> 00:47:40.820 side of 00:47:40.820 --> 00:47:41.480 auditorium 00:47:41.480 --> 00:47:44.600 a husband 00:47:44.600 --> 00:47:45.000 and wife 00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:45.400 team 00:47:45.400 --> 00:47:47.780 loving each 00:47:47.780 --> 00:47:48.080 other for 00:47:48.080 --> 00:47:48.440 the glory 00:47:48.440 --> 00:47:48.840 of God 00:47:48.840 --> 00:47:51.540 maybe you 00:47:51.540 --> 00:47:51.900 want to 00:47:51.900 --> 00:47:52.380 pray with 00:47:52.380 --> 00:47:52.660 one of 00:47:52.660 --> 00:47:52.880 them 00:47:52.880 --> 00:47:55.460 maybe you 00:47:55.460 --> 00:47:55.640 want to 00:47:55.640 --> 00:47:56.000 come down 00:47:56.000 --> 00:47:56.600 front and 00:47:56.600 --> 00:47:56.820 pray 00:47:56.820 --> 00:47:58.260 maybe you 00:47:58.260 --> 00:47:58.360 want to 00:47:58.360 --> 00:47:58.700 pray right 00:47:58.700 --> 00:47:59.040 where you 00:47:59.040 --> 00:47:59.300 are 00:47:59.300 --> 00:48:00.400 maybe you 00:48:00.400 --> 00:48:00.580 want to 00:48:00.580 --> 00:48:01.020 stand and 00:48:01.020 --> 00:48:01.220 sing 00:48:01.220 --> 00:48:02.660 we just 00:48:02.660 --> 00:48:03.000 ask that 00:48:03.000 --> 00:48:03.520 this morning 00:48:03.520 --> 00:48:04.160 as you 00:48:04.160 --> 00:48:04.840 respond 00:48:04.840 --> 00:48:06.380 respond as 00:48:06.380 --> 00:48:06.720 God's 00:48:06.720 --> 00:48:07.280 leading you 00:48:07.280 --> 00:48:08.260 would you 00:48:08.260 --> 00:48:08.560 stand as 00:48:08.560 --> 00:48:08.880 we worship 00:48:08.880 --> 00:48:09.140 him 00:48:09.140 --> 00:48:26.180 thanks again 00:48:26.180 --> 00:48:26.700 for listening 00:48:26.700 --> 00:48:27.060 to the 00:48:27.060 --> 00:48:27.500 Willow Ridge 00:48:27.500 --> 00:48:27.840 Church 00:48:27.840 --> 00:48:28.640 weekly podcast 00:48:28.640 --> 00:48:29.580 we hope 00:48:29.580 --> 00:48:29.820 that you 00:48:29.820 --> 00:48:30.160 enjoyed 00:48:30.160 --> 00:48:30.660 listening to 00:48:30.660 --> 00:48:31.100 this week's 00:48:31.100 --> 00:48:31.460 message 00:48:31.460 --> 00:48:32.340 if you'd 00:48:32.340 --> 00:48:32.640 like to 00:48:32.640 --> 00:48:33.000 learn more 00:48:33.000 --> 00:48:33.440 about who 00:48:33.440 --> 00:48:33.840 we are 00:48:33.840 --> 00:48:34.500 or explore 00:48:34.500 --> 00:48:34.920 additional 00:48:34.920 --> 00:48:35.460 resources 00:48:35.460 --> 00:48:36.460 visit us 00:48:36.460 --> 00:48:37.240 online at 00:48:37.240 --> 00:48:40.500 www.willowridgechurch.com 00:48:40.500 --> 00:48:41.720 or by searching 00:48:41.720 --> 00:48:42.380 for Willow Ridge 00:48:42.380 --> 00:48:43.000 Church on 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:43.700 Facebook and 00:48:43.700 --> 00:48:44.080 Instagram