Faithfulness

August 5, 2007

Opening Text:  James 1:12-15

Title:  Faithfulness (10 Commandments Series)

Text:  Exodus 20:14

Proposition:  God’s creation of sexuality and its place in marriage is to demonstrate faithfulness to ones partner and God.

Opening illustration:  Burger King kids Toy giveaway.  Comic Book guy “Excuse Me”  SpongeBob hearts for eyes.

I.                   The Sanctity of Marriage

a.       Matthew 19:4-6

b.      Hebrews 13:4-8

                                                      i.      Sign of faithfulness

                                                    ii.      Never changing commitment

                                                  iii.      Problem

II.                God’s Excuse Me – Don’t commit adultery

a.       Adultery – punishment is death

b.      Immorality

             i.      The solution is marriage

           ii.      The reason is the unite of two lives (I Corinthians 6:16)

III. The greater struggle

a.       Matthew 5:27-32

           i.      Look – is not the idea of notice, but gaze and plot

          ii.      Seems a little sexually biased doesn’t it?

         iii.      Plot is to lead the women astray or the man

1.      Current fashion trends allow a lot of temptation for a male

2.      Social coarsening allows a lot of struggle as well

a.       Illus.  California mission trip to Zambia

IV.             So what?

a.       Our hope in our faithfulness is the one who never changes

b.      2 Timothy 2:13

c.       He is faithful to those who demonstrate His forgiveness in their relationship with others

d.      He is faithful to forgive us when we admit our failures, desire to walk in His way and ask for forgiveness through Jesus.