If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for

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We settle for far too little
If there lurks in most modern minds the notion
that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope
for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit
that this notion has crept in from Kant and the
Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith.
Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of
reward and the staggering nature of the rewards
promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our
Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too
weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling
about with drink and sex and ambition when
infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant
child who wants to go on making mud pies in a
slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by
the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too
easily pleased. C. S. Lewis, The Weight of
Glory and Other Addresses (Grand Rapids
Eerdmans,1965), pp. 1-2.
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PAIN
The
of sexual immorality
Why the apostles said to abstainfrom it in Acts
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The Decision by James and others Acts
1519-21 19It is my judgment, therefore, that we
should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who
are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to
them, telling them to abstain from food polluted
by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat
of strangled animals and from blood. 21For Moses
has been preached in every city from the earliest
times and is read in the synagogues on every
Sabbath.
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Why did the apostles include this sin? Whats
the big deal?
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Why did the apostles include this sin? Whats
the big deal? Acts 1521 21For Moses has been
preached in every city from the earliest times
and is read in the synagogues on every
Sabbath. hints that Leviticus 17 and 18 were the
passages that James is referring to
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Why did the apostles include this sin? Whats
the big deal? Ephesians 53 3But among you
there must not be even a hint of sexual
immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of
greed, because these are improper for Gods holy
people.
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Why did the apostles include this sin? Whats
the big deal? 1 Thessalonians 43-5 3It is
Gods will that you should be sanctified that
you should avoid sexual immorality 4that each of
you should learn to control his own body in a way
that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate
lust like the heathen, who do not know God.
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Why did the apostles include this sin? Whats
the big deal? 1 Corinthians 613b-20 13bThe body
is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the
Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14By his power
God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will
raise us also. 15Do you not know that your
bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I
then take the members of Christ and unite them
with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know
that he who unites himself with a prostitute is
one with her in body? For it is said, The two
will become one flesh. 17But he who unites
himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
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Why did the apostles include this sin? Whats
the big deal? 1 Corinthians 613b-20 18Flee from
sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits
are outside his body, but he who sins sexually
sins against his own body. 19Do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God?
You are not your own 20you were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God with your body.
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What is the purpose of sex? What was God thinking?
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What is the purpose of sex? What was God
thinking? Genesis 126-27 26Then God said, Let
us make man in our image, in our likeness, and
let them rule over the fish of the sea and the
birds of the air, over the livestock, over all
the earth, and over all the creatures that move
along the ground. 27So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God he created
him male and female he created them.
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What is the purpose of sex? What was God
thinking? Genesis 215-25 15The LORD God took
the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work
it and take care of it. 16And the LORD God
commanded the man, You are free to eat from any
tree in the garden 17but you must not eat from
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for
when you eat of it you will surely die.
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What is the purpose of sex? What was God
thinking? Genesis 215-25 18The LORD God said,
It is not good for the man to be alone. I will
make a helper suitable for him. 19Now the LORD
God had formed out of the ground all the beasts
of the field and all the birds of the air. He
brought them to the man to see what he would name
them and whatever the man called each living
creature, that was its name. 20So the man gave
names to all the livestock, the birds of the air
and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no
suitable helper was found.
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What is the purpose of sex? What was God
thinking? Genesis 215-25 21So the LORD God
caused the man to fall into a deep sleep and
while he was sleeping, he took one of the mans
ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22Then
the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had
taken out of the man, and he brought her to the
man.
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What is the purpose of sex? What was God
thinking? Genesis 215-25 23The man said, This
is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh
she shall be called woman, for she was taken
out of man. 24For this reason a man will leave
his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and they will become one flesh. 25The man and
his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
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Summary of our observations
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• Summary of our observations
• Sexuality is a gift from God, not something bad!

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• Summary of our observations
• Sexuality is a gift from God, not something
  bad!
• Proverbs 518-19 (from The Message)
• 18Bless your fresh-flowing fountain! Enjoy the
  wife you married as a young man! 19Lovely as an
  angel, beautiful as a rosedont ever quit taking
  delight in her body. Never take her love for
  granted!

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• Summary of our observations
• 2. We were created, by God, for loving
  relationships

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• Summary of our observations
• 2. We were created, by God, for loving
  relationships
• a. First and foremost (and not to be filled any
  other way) is our relationship with Jesus. We
  are never to use sexuality (moral or immoral) as
  a substitute for our relationship with Jesus
  Christ.

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• Summary of our observations
• 2. We were created, by God, for loving
  relationships
• First and foremost (and not to be filled any
  other way) is our relationship with Jesus. We
  are never to use sexuality (moral or immoral) as
  a substitute for our relationship with Jesus
  Christ.
• If God leads us into marriage, then sex is a
  beautiful metaphor of that intimate relationship.

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• Summary of our observations
• God created sex to be in the confines of a life
  time, permanent relationship (leave, cleave,
  one-flesh)!God is a genius! He created
  sexuality, and designed us to fully enjoy it.
  However, it is to be an expression of a total
  nakedness in EVERY area of life, not just
  physical.

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• Summary of our observations
• God wants us to experience sex without shame.

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• Summary of our observations
• God wants us to experience sex without
  shame.Therefore, he has commanded that we
  abstain from any forms of sexual immorality.

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• Summary of our observations
• 5. There is something about sexual immorality
  that uniquely causes relational pain when misused.

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• Summary of our observations
• 5. There is something about sexual immorality
  that uniquely causes relational pain when
  misused.God is NOT a killjoy! His command is
  for our ultimate joy. Waiting makes it sweeter!