Sex Sermon

Title:  Sex:  More than a Feeling

Scripture:  Genesis 2:18, 23-24;  Song of Soloman 4:1-7, 2:7; Revelation 21:2, 9-10

KuMC 7-29-07

Say PG in the beginning

Intro - "Today, church, I am going to say a single word and you are going to help me preach. 

Whatever single word I say,  I want you to sing whatever hymn that comes to your mind." 

• "Cross." – congregation started singing "The Old Rugged Cross."
• "Grace." - congregation sing "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound."
• "Power."  congregation sang  "There is Power in the Blood."
• "Sex." congregation fell in total silence. Everyone was in shock and nervously began to look around at each other afraid to say anything.
• In the back a little  old 87 year old grandmother began to sing -  "Precious Memories".

I.                   Hard to talk about sex in church, yet sex is crucial to each of us:

a.       Not born without it.

b.      Think about it all the time-guys 60x/day. 

c.       85-year-old man who was marrying a 25-year-old beauty queen?  The doctor said, "I need to warn you that some people have been known to have heart attacks and die during sexual intercourse."  The elderly gentleman said, "Well, if she dies, she dies."

d.      Struggled since Augustine.  Scholars and priests interpreted - Christians shouldn’t seek pleasure period, especially sexually. Since then - general question mark over just how much Christians should enjoy sex and certainly wondered if we should ever talk about it. Augustine may have been misunderstood, but certainly those who interpreted him affected the next 1700 years of Christian dialogue and understanding around sexuality.

II.                Why church talk about sex? 2 reasons

a.       Because everyone is - Culture

                                                              i.      Hard to ignore our culture is consumed with sexuality

other church had billboard and some didn't want it in their face, yet it is in our face all the time.

                                                            ii.      I 75

                                                          iii.      TV – can’t watch an hour

                                                          iv.      Sexual addiction - is the fastest growing-many at CR dealing with this.

                                                            v.      Porn is now mainstream and some porn stars are household names

                                                          vi.      Living together is now common.  License To Wed assumes the couple is living together and accurately says it hurts the relationship, but doesn’t say why.

b.      Because very few talk about it from a Christian perspective.

                                                              i.      Most in the church have even messed up their sex lives. 

                                                            ii.      Christians - premarital sex, abuse and be abused, and get divorced as non-Christians.

                                                          iii.      For many, sex is just another activity-friends with benefits.

                                                          iv.      We avoid talking about sexuality in the church to our detriment.

III.             Today going to look at three aspects of God’s thoughts on sex and hopefully come away understanding sex as a good feeling, but it is much more than a feeling.

a.       Sex was God’s idea Read Genesis 2:18, 23-24

                                                              i.      Friends when they bought two gerbils.  Gerbils started having sex and the son and daughter were watching.  Once finished the male gerbil promptly died.  Our friend said, "This is what happens when you have sex son."

1.      Sex in God’s eyes does not lead to death, but to life, it is the ultimate community of man and woman.  They become one flesh and are not ashamed.  Sex was God’s idea. 

2.      God reproduction impersonal by touching fingers.  Instead God designed reproduction to be unbelievably intimate and pleasurable.

3.      It was God’s idea to create us with nerves endings that have no other function than pleasure during sex.  God created sex.  He made it to be enjoyable…Within his framework….

b.      The Bible provides direction for healthy sexuality

                                                              i.      Song of Songs 4:1-7.

                                                            ii.      Some people been asking for their spouse to read the bible with them and now they are saying, “Honey, I really think we should read the bible together, lets start with this book.”           

                                                          iii.      Do you know there is a book in the bible which focuses solely on sexual intimacy-the Song of Songs.  God thinks sex is very important, and that is why it is highly appropriate to talk about sex in worship.

                                                          iv.      Bible covers:

1.      Sex is between a men and a women in marriage. 

2.      In O.T. polygamy was common, even among God’s leaders.  Jesus limits to one man/one woman in marriage.

a.       Hindu guy who wasn’t happy with his wife and wanted three more.  Dad said, “Son, if one woman can’t make you happy, four will make definitely make you miserable.”

3.      Bible is clear sex can be abused

a.       Song of Song 2:7 “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.”

                                                                                                                                      i.      -sexuality can be awakened too young or in inappropriate ways.

1.      Incest, rape, et

2.      Abuse-many here have been abused.  Have you dealt with it?  If you haven't, maybe it is time to receive healing and to be free of the past hurts.

                                                                                                                                    ii.      Porn is an abuse of sex.  Rampant.  If you let your child have a computer in their room you are opening a porn pipeline.

1.      1st time exposed to it was in the 3rd grade – trip and stopped to use the restroom at a truck stop.  There was a little machine you could pay $.25 and get a picture.

ii.                  Living together. - Studies clear 50% more likely to get a divorce if live together and the longer the couple lives together more likely to get a divorce. 2 reasons.

                                                                                                                                                                          i.      People who live together more likely to think someone will change after marriage.

                                                                                                                                                                        ii.      Learn to live together avoiding the real issues.  Living together simply doesn’t help people come to terms with the real issues between them, instead it gets covered up with sex.  Licensed to Wed – quote

                                                                                                                                                                      iii.      “ We've moved the fig leaf from the genitals to the face.  We will sleep with them, sometimes on first time we’ve met, but won't really get to know them.”

b.      what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas-it stays in your heart

                                                                                                                                      i.      Healing-Bible is clear there is hope if we’ve messed up sexually.

1.      Get married, move out, seek healing for abuse, stop abusing.  We can have a healthy and holy sex life.  Will take time, but you can have a joyful sexuality once again.

                                                            v.      Resources for healing and restoration

1.      CR struggling sexual addiction.

2.      Marriage ministry and Prayer ministry - to grow, receive counsel and healing.

3.      xxxchurch.com

4.      Real Sex:  the naked truth about Chastity, Lauren F. Winner, Brazos Press, 2005.

5.      Sheet Music - Lehman

c.       3rd thought :  Why the manual in the bible?

                                                              i.      Read revelation.21:2, 9-10

                                                            ii.      Sex more than a feeling; ultimate image God’s love for his people

                                                          iii.      When the bible speaks of heaven and how we as the people of God will relate to Jesus, not as his friend, or Savior, or Lord, he is revealed as our husband and we are his bride.  The relationship between Jesus and his people in heaven will be so intense, so emotional, so spiritual, so naked, so unashamed, that the best language to describe it is as husband and wife-he is the groom and we are the bride.

If the prayer partners will please come forward.  I would like to invite you to come forward to pray.  If you want a prayer partner to pray with you - come to the side kneelers.