Things I Heard In Church: A sermon on sex (in the dark).
During that sermon, the pastor said these words: “Some of the people most attracted to Jesus were those who struggled with sexual hurt, and brokenness, and pain, and regret: the Samaritan woman, prostitutes, the woman caught in adultery, people with deep pain in this area. And yet they flocked to Jesus, because he did not come with judgment. He came with mercy, and grace, and hope, and healing.”
He Also Said This About The Song Of Solomon…
“She was pumped about kissing him. He was excited about her hair, and temples, and eyes, and breasts. And we learned that she had all her teeth, which she pointed out excitedly–which makes me wonder about the dating life of this guy prior to this moment. Then there was some more erotic stuff involving gazelles, and gardens, and all the joys of enjoying sexuality in the context of a safe, committed, affirming environment.”
And He Said…
“Every single person in this room wrestles with sexual brokenness on some level, in some way. That ground is level at the foot of the cross. It’s not because if you sin you’re going to hell. No, there’s a lot of facets to hell and the Bible describes hell in a whole lot of different ways. And the way Jesus is describing it here is this way: It’s a place of unquenchable thirst and unfulfilled longing. It’s the state of being where we lose the ability to have our most significant needs satisfied. Where what we look to, to meet the deepest longings and desires of our souls, fails us time, and time, and time again, and yet it’s the place we continue to go back to over, and over, and over again. Friends, if you want to get an earthly picture of hell, find someone who is pursuing more of something in this world to satisfy their soul other than God.”
And…
“You can lust after money. You can lust after power. You can lust after fame. What Jesus talks about here is the lust of sexual freedom and experiences and satisfaction outside of God’s will in this area. Friends, it will never satisfy you. It will never fill you. On the contrary, it will lock you out of the deep, wonderful, beautiful life giving experience God longs for you to have. It’s counterintuitive. Don’t be imprisoned. The heart of Jesus here isn’t, “I’m going to get you if you mess up.”
The heart of Jesus here is, “I want something so wonderful for you.”
From Dave Teixeira’s excellent teaching Sex in the Dark, 4/10/2016, 11 AM, Cedar Mill Bible Church
NOTES:
During the sermon Dave shared that according to research cited in Time Magazine, “…pornography significantly decreases a person’s marital sexual satisfaction, and it also makes the likelihood of divorce in a marriage go up at a staggering rate.”
He recommended two ministries for those who are sexually broken, or hurt: Soul Care and Mending the Soul.
More teaching about sex is scheduled for Cedar Mill Bible Church every Sunday through May 1, 2016. Come and join us.
If you’re male, and you need a safe person to talk to about this topic (or any other topic), please feel free to contact me at kurt@kurtbennettbooks.com .
Image via Micki – Creative Commons
