Sermon Tone Analysis

This night is a really important night.

If you remember when we started this series, I said we were going to be talking about a three-letter word:

SEX

sex.

Now, like I said in our first week, I know some of you

giggled

uncomfortable

rolled your eyes

paid attention

All of those responses I just outlined are completely normal and completely understandable.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Why are we talking about this at church?”

There are a lot of reasons it is important for us to talk about sex, but here are two big ones.

God has a lot to say about it.

God has a lot to say about it.

We’re going to really dive into this more in a bit, but this topic is big deal to God.

You are being bombarded with messages about it.

You are being bombarded with messages about it.

What I mean here is you are being bombarded with messages about this.

Think through what you’ve watched, read and listened to in the past week; I’m going to guess this topic was somehow mentioned (TV show with romance, song about love/ music about “doing something” for each other/ scandals in the news).

And to be honest, a large amount of these messages do not match up with what God has to say about it.

So, if all of these are true, why would we not take time to talk about it in church?

Sex is a big deal to God.

Handling sex God’s way should be a big deal to us.

SEX IS A BIG DEAL TO GOD:

Let’s take a moment to dive in and pick apart that first statement: Sex is a big deal to God.

How do we know this?

For starters, God created sex.

I told you that these verses are showing the moment God created sex.

I know it may not seem like that.

But that line, “and they become one flesh;” that is an Old Testament way to talk about sex.

So God created it.

Not only did He create it, he had a purpose in it.

There’s this really smart guy name Dennis Hollinger who wrote a book about 4 reasons why God created sex.

1.

To make babies.

1. Make Babies.

This Hollinger guy calls it procreation, but that’s just a fancy word for making a baby.

God created sex as the way for us to continue populating the world.

In Genesis 1:28, God gives His first command to the man and woman He created.

God looks at Adam and Eve and says, “Hey, go make babies!”

How do you make babies?

You have sex!

2. To make marriage official.

2. Make Marriage Official.

Smarty pants Hollinger uses another big word for this: consummation.

Look at this verse again.

The idea is that the wedding ceremony (exchanging of vows, the ring, etc.) is the commitment to marriage, and the wedding night is the confirmation of the marriage.

3. To build love and intimacy.

3. Build Love and Intimacy.

God created it to be a very intimate act.

It creates a connection in a way that is completely unique.

It is meant to be something that brings a couple closer together.

4. Pleasure

4. Pleasure.

God could have made it something robotic.

Instead, He set this act up to be something that is really enjoyable.

Sex is a big deal to God.

Handling sex God’s way should be a big deal to us.

Sex is big deal to God.

Do you see it?

There’s another aspect to this all that helps us grasp how big of a deal it is.

Handling sex God’s way should be a big deal to us.

Let’s talk about God’s boundaries for sex.

Throughout Scripture, God gives some clear instruction and guidelines when it comes to how we should handle sex.

I don’t want to over complicate this all, so let me try to boil it down into two clear parameters:

The time and place for it is marriage.

1.

The time and place for it is marriage.

He set this in motion right away with Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:24.

Let’s look at it one more time:

They are united in marriage, and then it happens.

In Hebrews, Paul says this:

These verses (and many others) paint a pretty clear picture that this should only happen between a man and a woman who are married, and anything else is out of bounds.

Flee from sexual immorality.

2. Flee from sexual immorality.

Did you catch that phrase “sexually immoral” in the Hebrews verse?

The Bible uses it, a form of it … like sexual immorality… a lot.

That phrase basically means any sexual activity outside of the marriage.

Let’s check out two other verses that talk about this whole sexual immorality thing.

The phrase I want you to lock in here is… Flee from sexual immorality.

Next week we will be talking more about what it means to flee from sexual immorality, but I can’t emphasize how important this is in the life of Christians of ALL ages.

If I was standing here before a group of Christian adults I would be telling them the same thing.

God designed marriage to exist within a committed marriage.

It is important to make sure you hear this, but I want to be clear about something.

God views sex as good.

You see, I’m afraid some of you may be under the impression that God says, “Sex is bad.”

And if you buy into that idea, you are going to be frustrated with God.

Sex is good when it is handled the way God designed it to be.

That’s why these parameters are here.

Let me give you one more illustration to help you see what God is saying and why this matters.

Sex is like FIRE.

everyone likes fire.

But as smokey the bear has taught us, fire can be dangerous!

If fire is not handled properly, it can lead to massive destruction!

House fires, forest fires, etc.

Sex belongs in marriage like fire belongs in a fireplace.

Everyone loves the warmth of a fire in a fireplace.

It’s calming, comforting, pleasant.

It’s still powerful and awesome, but safe!

Being reckless with sex brings destruction like a house fire destroys a house.

Being reckless with sex is like running through your house pouring gasoline everywhere and then dropping lit matches every few feet.

Seriously, don’t do that!