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Today we begin continuing our 
sermon series, the Sermon on the

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on the Mount that Jesus taught, 
Matthew chapter 5 and 6:00 and 

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7:00. 
As I mentioned early on in the 

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sermon series, some of these 
things that Jesus teaches are 

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very difficult. 
They're hard, and the passages, 

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they add weight to what was said
in the Old Testament. 

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It never diminished, never 
decreased from that. 

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Last Sunday's sermon was, in a 
way, maybe a difficult sermon, 

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but so is today's as well. 
And the reason it's hard is 

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because we as human beings, we 
are, we're sinners and we are 

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weak and we find it hard and 
impossible, in fact, to live up 

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to it. 
But today's title is moral and 

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Marital Boundaries. 
Someone might right off the bat 

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here say, well, I'm not married.
This is not for me. 

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Well, this is for everyone. 
Moral boundaries exist for 

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everyone and for everybody. 
And marital boundaries exist for

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people who are married. 
So nobody's exempted from this, 

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from this, this theme, from the 
title alone. 

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Somebody might be thinking, OK, 
well, here we go. 

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Another list of do's and don'ts.
Well, the Bible has do's and 

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don'ts, and our job is to align 
ourselves with God, to follow 

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his commandments, which of 
course we won't fully keep and 

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can't fully keep up. 
Through God's grace we can. 

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And where we fall short, there's
there's forgiveness. 

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There's a fictitious little 
story. 

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It's not a true story, but it's 
an interesting one of the 

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children of Israel, they're 
wandering through the desert and

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they come to this mountain of 
God where God calls Moses to go 

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up to the mountain and God is 
going to give him the 

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commandments. 
Moses goes up and he's gone for 

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a long time. 
And finally Moses comes down and

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he meets the congregation of 
Israel and says, I have good 

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news and bad news. 
Which do you want first? 

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Well, the congregation says, 
well, let's have the good news 

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first. 
Moses says, OK, the good news is

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I got God down from 20 
commandments down to 10. 

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So good news. 
OK, they say, so what's the bad 

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news? 
Bad news is the commandment 

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against adultery stays just the 
fictitious little story, but it 

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illustrates a point. 
People do not like to be told 

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not to do what they want to do. 
That's who we are. 

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We do not like to be told not to
do what we do want to do. 

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So many people want to just 
always adjust and tweak and bend

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and chisel away the rules to 
make it more tolerable, more 

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convenient, more pliable. 
That's not the Bible. 

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We adjust ourselves to the 
Bible, not the Bible to us. 

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We got to have that straight. 
And yet so often we read it. 

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We want something. 
Or what does it really say? 

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With the question in mind, can 
we somehow accept and make it 

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work? 
Well, let's read today's 

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passage, Matthew 5, verse 27 and
on. 

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You've heard that it was said of
to those of old, you shall not 

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commit adultery. 
But I say to you that whoever 

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looks at the woman to lust for 
her has already committed 

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adultery with her in his heart. 
If you're right, I causes you to

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sin, pluck it out and cast it 
from you. 

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For it is more profitable for 
you that one of your members 

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perished than for your whole 
body to be cast into hell. 

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And if your right hand causes 
you to sin, cut it off and cast 

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it from you. 
For it is more profitable for 

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you that one of your members 
perish, than for your whole body

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to be cast into hell. 
Furthermore, it has been said, 

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whoever divorces his wife, let 
him give her a certificate of 

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divorce. 
But I say to you, whoever 

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divorces his wife for any reason
except sexual immorality causes 

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her to commit adultery. 
And whoever marries a woman 

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who's divorced commits adultery.
Here Jesus again doing what he 

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does earlier in the sermon, 
Jesus taking something everybody

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knew, everybody knows, and 
everybody understands. 

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And he sheds new light on it and
he explains it in a way that has

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never been done before. 
Jesus takes the law and explains

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it from the standpoint of the 
heart of God. 

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All other people knew the law. 
They knew don't commit adultery.

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They have the 10 commandments 
they knew was clearly outlined. 

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But here in this sermon, Jesus 
changes not the commandment of 

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adultery. 
He adds something else to it. 

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So the first thing we want to 
look at this morning, lust is a 

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violation of God's moral 
boundary. 

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We have numerous passages in the
Old Testament that clearly 

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outline the sin of physical 
adultery. 

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But to the people whom Jesus 
preached to, they had never 

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heard this before, not this way.
They had heard it said don't 

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commit adultery, but they've 
never heard it said this way. 

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There's a man I've watched on 
YouTube and he has some good 

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ideas, but and some of the 
things are just he's not a 

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Christian, he's Jewish and he 
doesn't like this idea here in 

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Matthew chapter 5. 
In fact, I heard him talk on 

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YouTube once and he said that's 
not how Jews understand it. 

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He said you don't commit 
adultery by looking, just 

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looking at a picture or looking 
at a woman. 

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That's not adultery. 
So adultery is when you do it, 

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that's adultery. 10 commandments
don't commit adultery. 

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That's his understanding, that's
his, his, his perception and and

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in so far as he would fit in 
right in with the people of 

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Jesus day. 
And according to Exodus 20 verse

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14, it does say that you shall 
not commit adultery. 

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It's simply meant for men not to
have sexual relations with 

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another woman or for women with 
another man they're not married 

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to. 
It doesn't say don't look. 

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It doesn't say that, it doesn't 
address the thoughts, only the 

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ACT itself. 
But if the ACT did happen, 

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punishment was severe, in fact, 
death penalty. 

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Look at this. 
Look Leviticus 20, verse 10. 

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The man who commits adultery 
with another man's wife, he who 

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commits adultery with his 
neighbor's wife, the adulterer 

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and the adulteress shall surely 
be put to death. 

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There was punishment for that. 
And again, this does not refer 

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to thinking, this does not refer
to looking. 

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It's when it happens. 
The penalty was death. 

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What would happen in North 
America if every man and woman 

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who committed adultery, physical
adultery, got stoned? 

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Think about that for a moment. 
Reduced the population by quite 

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a bit, wouldn't it? 
There's so many who've done it, 

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and our culture has very little 
problem with the next to no, no 

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problem. 
It's two consenting adults. 

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What are you going to do? 
Our culture has lowered the bar 

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not only from the 10 
commandments, even lower than 

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that. 
Here Jesus takes the 10 commands

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and raises the bar. 
Think about it. 

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Jesus is not happy or just OK. 
Just don't do it and you're 

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fine. 
Jesus said no, no, no, keep your

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thoughts pure, keep your 
thoughts clean. 

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If you don't, then you're in it 
already. 

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And our society is no, no if 
you, if you're doing it, it's OK

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if you both agree to it. 
That's our culture. 

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So Jesus is not satisfied to 
just leave it where it was. 

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He strengthens it. 
He buttresses it with with a 

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comment. 
He raises the bar. 

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A writer by the name of Richard 
Gardner in his commentary in 

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Matthew, writes this. 
He says, as understood in the 

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Old Testament, adultery was an 
act in which a man had sexual 

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relations with another man's 
wife. 

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The law prohibited adultery to 
protect marital rights and to 

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preserve the stability of 
marriage itself. 

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Jesus own words on the subject. 
Verse 20 to 32 once again 

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expands the law. 
Adultery does not begin in the 

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neighbour's bedroom, Jesus says,
but in the craving in one's 

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heart to possess the neighbour's
spouse. 

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When Jesus preached this and 
he's looking at the crowd, he's 

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talking, I wonder what their 
facial expressions might have 

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been. 
They knew don't commit adultery.

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They knew that. 
If we could go back in the past 

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and rewind some video of ancient
times and look at the crowd. 

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I can just imagine their eyes 
open, their jaws drop. 

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You say what? 
Lust is adultery. 

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Yes, even though nothing has 
happened. 

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Let's go back to verse 28 one 
more time. 

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But I say to you that whoever 
looks at a woman to lust for her

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has already committed adultery 
with her in his heart. 

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Our problem is we fail to see 
sin as God sees sin. 

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See, it's so inviting, so 
attractive, so tempting, but I, 

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I dare say if we could see the 
other side of it from God's 

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perspective, through God's lens,
the way he sees it, the moral 

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coded violence and the pain and 
hardship and hard to get brains,

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I believe we would recoil and 
shock and horror and flee from 

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it. 
Paul writes the first 

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Corinthians 6 verse 18. 
Flee sexual immorality. 

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Every sin that a man does, it's 
outside his body. 

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You steal something that's 
outside your body, things like 

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that. 
But he who commits sexual 

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immorality sins against his own 
body when making God's image, to

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honor God's image. 
The temptation to sin, the 

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temptation to lust, That alone 
should cause us to fear just 

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knowing who God is and what God 
will do with those to reject 

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him. 
That is a sobering thought. 

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Came across an article online 
this last week and the writer 

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mentions 2 stories. 
One is in the book of Isaiah and

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how Isaiah the prophet responded
when he had a vision of God and 

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his glory. 
Isaiah was shocked. 

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He was frightened when he saw 
himself in comparison to God. 

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Let's read Isaiah chapter 6 
verse one to five. 

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In the year that King Uzziah 
died, I saw the Lord sitting on 

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a throne high and lifted up, and
the train of his robe filled the

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temple. 
Above it stood seraphim. 

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Each one had 6 wings. 
With two he covered his face, 

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and with two he covered his 
feet, and with two he flew, and 

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one cried to another, and said, 
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of 

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hosts. 
The whole earth is full of his 

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glory. 
And the post of the door were 

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shaken by the voice of him who 
cried out, and the house was 

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filled with smoke. 
So I said, woe is me, for I am 

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undone, because I am a man of 
unclean lips, and I dwell in the

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midst of a people of unclean 
lips. 

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From my eyes have seen the king,
the Lord of hosts. 

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Isaiah had a vision of God and 
His Majesty, His Holiness, and 

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it shocked him what he saw in 
comparison to what he saw. 

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He was an unclean person. 
He was not an adulterer. 

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He said I have unclean lips. 
And then if you read the story 

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further, there's an Angel that 
takes a live coal from an altar,

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touches his lips and says you're
clean. 

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And then he gives the command, 
go and preach to the nation of 

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Israel and teach them to repent 
of their sins. 

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Unless you and I see God for who
God is, and unless we see 

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ourselves for who we are, and 
unless we see sin for what sin 

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is, we will justify it, we'll 
rationalize it, we'll downplay 

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it and OK it. 
It often takes a very powerful 

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experience in life to see 
ourselves for who we really are.

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The other story in this article,
the story of a man named Malcolm

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Muggeridge, and I've read the 
story elsewhere, but the way he 

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shares the stories. 
Malcolm Muggeridge was a British

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journalist back in his days, 
passed away years ago. 

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One day Malcolm Muggeridge was 
an assignment as a journalist in

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Indian Was evening and he went 
for a walk by the river for a 

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swim. 
Daylight was fading. 

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In some distance away he saw a 
woman in the water bathing. 

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He couldn't see her well, she 
was turned away from him, but he

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had this lustful temptation to 
go for her, to go out, go after 

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and and see what he could do. 
He knew better than that. 

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But he pushed his conscience 
aside and got in the water and 

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swiftly swam to where she was. 
He got close to her and he came 

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up out of the water and the 
woman turned, looked at him, and

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it was then that he saw her face
and he was shocked. 

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This woman had an ugly, hideous,
toothless, disfigured face 

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ravaged by the disease of 
leprosy. 

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A shock to look at. 
Malcolm was shocked as this 

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powerful truth hit him all at 
once. 

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He knew in a moment that this 
woman with this hideously 

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disfigured face, because of what
he saw, he realized in a moment.

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That's the face of my heart. 
As ugly as she looked in the 

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face, he realized his heart was 
uglier than that. 

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He realized in that moment who 
he was and how wrong he was. 

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Needless to say, he didn't 
fulfill his heart's desire, but 

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it was a lesson to him. 
He saw his heart for what it 

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was, a heart diseased by the 
craving and hunger for lust. 

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You see, lust comes dressed up 
and polished, beautiful, 

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attractive, on display. 
What could go wrong? 

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What's wrong with this? 
And if we don't have solid 

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convictions, if we don't set 
boundaries for ourselves, we 

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will fall for the sin of lust. 
This is a battle every man and 

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woman has to fight in their own 
lives. 

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And where there's a lack of 
boundaries, temptation will find

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an easy Rd. in. 
And from there, it's no telling 

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what may happen. 
When the heart is disfigured and

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ravaged by sin and lust, it 
impacts, effects and shades 

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everything else. 
Just think the billions and 10s 

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of billions of dollars of the 
porn industry in the world. 

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How many men, and now 
increasingly women to fall for 

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it and get drawn into the trap? 
We don't need to be in judgement

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of these people. 
We need to be in prayer for 

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them. 
But we must look at ourselves. 

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Do we have boundaries? 
Let's read again how strongly 

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Jesus commands this. 
Back to verse 29. 

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If your right eye causes you to 
sin, pluck it out and cast it 

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from you, for it's more 
profitable for you that one 

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00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,200
member of your one of your 
members should perish than for 

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00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,040
your whole body to be cast into 
hell. 

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And if your right hand causes 
you to sin, cut it off and cast 

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it from you, for it's more 
profitable for you that one of 

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your members perish than for 
your whole body to be cast into 

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00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:23,800
hell. 
What Jesus saying? 

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Spare no effort in winning the 
battle over lust. 

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Spare no effort in freeing 
yourself from the sin of lust, 

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from this trap. 
We cannot afford to lose this 

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battle. 
Granted, the sin of lust does 

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not affect all people equally. 
Everywhere. 

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Generally it's more men than 
women who deal with this. 

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But in recent decades, the 
increase in women struggling 

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with lust has dramatically 
increased. 

259
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And true, our society is not 
helping. 

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But this is not about our 
society here this morning. 

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This is about us, but us as a 
church. 

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How are we responding? 
Jesus is actually saying get rid

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of whatever it is in your life 
that's causing you to sin. 

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If your eye cause you to sin, 
pluck it out and cast it from 

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you. 
We're thankful Jesus speaking 

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what's called hyperbole, meaning
he's making exaggerated 

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statements in order to get the 
truth He's not telling people Go

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00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:18,120
chop off your hands and gouge 
out your eyes. 

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00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:22,000
That would make most men blind 
and most men armless. 

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00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,680
What He is meaning is you go to 
whatever length you need to to 

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00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:31,680
stay pure. 
Our first allegiance must be to 

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Jesus, not the stuff we watch 
indulge ourselves in with. 

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00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,280
And if we tolerate these things 
in our lives that cause us to 

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sin, He's warning us the price 
to pay. 

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00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:47,040
He actually says it's more 
profitable to go to heaven one 

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00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,680
eye having one eye and missing 
or missing one eye and missing a

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00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:52,280
limb than to have everything and
go to hell. 

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What are some things that we 
need to be mindful of today that

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00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,760
are causing us to sin? 
Well, let's look at the heart. 

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00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,280
Or we can look at technology. 
I'll make a few comments about 

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00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,760
it, but technology is not the 
root of the problem. 

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00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,640
It is a problem, but it's not 
the root. 

283
00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:14,400
We should be so intentional, so 
careful how to guard our hearts.

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00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:18,560
And yes, for some people may 
mean get a different device. 

285
00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:20,720
If the smartphone is too 
dangerous for you, get a flip 

286
00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:25,040
phone and if the computers, if 
Internet is too dangerous, go 

287
00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:28,960
offline. 
The truth is, if we do not have 

288
00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:32,640
strong moral boundaries in the 
hearts, if we, we have no idea 

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00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:34,680
what will happen. 
Boundaries are not optional, 

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00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,160
they are a must for every man 
and woman. 

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00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:39,880
We have a story in the Bible. 
I want to spend a few minutes on

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00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,320
that story this morning. 
It's a very powerful story that 

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00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,520
illustrates the truth about the 
danger of lust and what does 

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00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:48,160
happen when the boundaries are 
compromised and the cravings of 

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00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,640
lust are followed after. 
The stories in Second Samuel, 

296
00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,520
Chapter 11 and 12. 
Won't read the chapters this 

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00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,920
morning. 
The story of King David. 

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00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:58,680
He was for the most part a good 
king, but he struggled with lust

299
00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,920
and it happened one day when his
army was out to war. 

300
00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:05,240
Job was fighting a war some 
distance away and he's in the 

301
00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:08,920
evening time and he's walking 
out on the roof and cool of the 

302
00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:11,720
day and she's a woman, a 
beautiful woman having a bath. 

303
00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:14,720
He sends somebody quiet. 
Who's that woman to tell me 

304
00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,680
she's Bathsheba, wife of Uriah 
the hitt tight. 

305
00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,160
Uriah was not at home. 
He was in the war fighting 

306
00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,280
David's David's battles. 
David sends for Bathsheba and 

307
00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,319
she comes to his house and has 
an affair with with her and 

308
00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,440
sends her home and sometime 
later she sends words saying I'm

309
00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,160
pregnant. 
Well, now David goes to damage 

310
00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,160
control. 
He quickly sent word to his 

311
00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:37,240
army. 
General Joab, the war says, send

312
00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,480
Uriah home, we need him home. 
Uriah comes home and David asked

313
00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:41,880
him how's the war going and so 
on. 

314
00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,440
And Uriah gives the report and 
David gives him a gift and sends

315
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:47,120
him home. 
And have a good time with your 

316
00:17:47,120 --> 00:17:48,760
wife. 
And Uriah won't go home. 

317
00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,720
He sweeps at the King's gate 
with the King's soldiers. 

318
00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,600
The next day David asked him, so
why didn't you go home last 

319
00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,240
night? 
Uriah says, well, the ark of God

320
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,000
and Israel's intense. 
My Lord Joab and the general are

321
00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:01,240
in the battle open fields. 
I won't go home and drink and 

322
00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:02,360
lie with my wife. 
I won't do it. 

323
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,920
Well, David's carefully cooked 
up plan to cover sins failed. 

324
00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,000
He's hoping your rabbit go home 
and then when the babies come, 

325
00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:12,360
watch your eyes baby. 
Well, David says stay here till 

326
00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:14,800
tomorrow, I'll send you back. 
David writes a letter to General

327
00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:19,000
Joab and tells him in the letter
put your eye where the fighting 

328
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,600
is the worst and just go back 
and let him die in battle. 

329
00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,720
Well it happens. 
Your eye goes back with his 

330
00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:28,480
death warrant in his pocket and 
Job reads the letter puts you 

331
00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,680
right in the frontline. 
Your eye ends up dead as David 

332
00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,880
ordered It's word back from 
Joab. 

333
00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,240
Well, your eyes dead and we find
out how. 

334
00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,520
David then takes Bathsheba and 
marries her. 

335
00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,080
Well, God's not happy. 
God sends Nathan the prophet to 

336
00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,520
David and tells him that there's
a rich man who had large flocks 

337
00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,280
of sheep and the poor man had 
only 1 little lamb. 

338
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,040
Visitor comes and visit the rich
man and the rich man instead of 

339
00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,400
taking one of his many sheep, 
takes the poor man's little lamb

340
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,520
and kills it for his visitor. 
David's angry when hears the 

341
00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:03,800
story. 
Nathan prophet says to David, 

342
00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:06,600
you're that man. 
Then he goes on to explain to 

343
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,720
David what he's done and I want 
to read that part. 

344
00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:12,720
Second Samuels 12 or 7 to 14. 
The Nathan said to David, you 

345
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:14,920
are the man. 
Thus says the Lord God of 

346
00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,320
Israel, I anointed you king over
Israel. 

347
00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:19,520
I delivered you from the hand of
Saul. 

348
00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:23,840
I gave you your master's house 
and your master's wives into 

349
00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,760
your keeping and gave you your 
the House of Israel and Judah. 

350
00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:29,920
And if that had been too little,
I also would have given you much

351
00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:33,360
more. 
Notice how God says I, I, I in 

352
00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:37,760
this passage. 
I did, I did, I did, I would 

353
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:38,680
have done more. 
He says. 

354
00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:41,280
Now let's look at the next part,
verse 9 and on. 

355
00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,640
Why have you despised the 
commandment of the Lord to do 

356
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,600
this evil in the sight? 
You have killed Uriah the 

357
00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,800
Hittite with a sword, you have 
taken his wife to be your wife, 

358
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,240
and have killed him with a sword
of the people of Ammon. 

359
00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,720
Now, therefore the sword shall 
never depart from your house, 

360
00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:58,760
because you have despised me and
have taken the wife of Uriah the

361
00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:03,080
Hittite to be your wife. 
Thus says the Lord Build I will 

362
00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,680
raise adversity against you from
your own house, and I will take 

363
00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,000
your wives before your eyes and 
give them to your neighbor, and 

364
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:12,320
he shall lie with your wives in 
the sight of this sun. 

365
00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,920
For you did it secretly. 
But I will do this thing before 

366
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,160
all Israel and before the sun. 
Wow. 

367
00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:26,240
Humiliating, embarrassing, 
catastrophic, tragic, tragic. 

368
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,440
And this literally did happen as
a consequence for him. 

369
00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,760
Following the sin of lust, he 
removed the boundary and it led 

370
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:39,320
to adultery. 
He looked at a woman instead of 

371
00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,760
learnt, turning away. 
He lusted, turned into action, 

372
00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:45,600
acquired who she was, took her 
and had sexual relations with 

373
00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:46,840
her. 
She became pregnant. 

374
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:48,560
He tried to kill her husband. 
He did kill her husband. 

375
00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,360
He did deserve the death 
penalty, but David's response is

376
00:20:53,360 --> 00:20:57,800
what spared him. 
So David said to Nathan, I have 

377
00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,440
sinned against the Lord. 
The only way out of this, the 

378
00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,920
only way out of lust, the only 
way out of a daughter is 

379
00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,120
repentance. 
I have sinned. 

380
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,240
Those 3 words against the Lord. 
I have sinned is the starting 

381
00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,240
point. 
And God was merciful. 

382
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,440
He was gracious, it says, and 
Nathan said to David, the Lord 

383
00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,040
has also put away your sins. 
You shall not die. 

384
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,320
However, because of this deed. 
You have given great occasion to

385
00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,080
the enemies of the Lord to 
blasphemy. 

386
00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,320
The child also who was born to 
you shall surely die. 

387
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:34,960
Harsh judgment, consequences, 
difficulties, all this did 

388
00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,320
happen. 
Every last little bit that God 

389
00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:42,600
said would happen did happen. 
Yes, David lost, almost lost the

390
00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:44,960
Kingdom. 
His own son out of his own house

391
00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:48,080
rebelled against him. 
His own wives were ravaged. 

392
00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,080
It was his concubines, but it 
was broad daylight. 

393
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,720
He repented, but he couldn't 
escape the consequences. 

394
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,760
And so many men and women do 
that, and they wonder, why is my

395
00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,160
life so messed up? 
Well, repentance does not erase 

396
00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,080
the consequences, doesn't 
necessarily build trust right 

397
00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:07,240
away. 
He humbled himself. 

398
00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,240
And if you want to read further 
about how David felt about what 

399
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:13,280
he did, read Psalm 51. 
I would encourage you today 

400
00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,320
something read Psalm 51 that 
tells you how he felt about what

401
00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:20,760
he had done. 
The torrent of evil that Dave 

402
00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:23,880
had opened the door to, not only
in his life but into his family 

403
00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:26,720
and to the nation. 
Because of his one sin. 

404
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,920
He had broken trust. 
He had violated God's commands 

405
00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,040
and he would lose the respect of
those close to him. 

406
00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:37,240
Even his son rebelled Absalom. 
Death brought his own family. 

407
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,920
You see, actions have 
consequences. 

408
00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,240
Let's go back again to Matthew 
chapter 5, verse 29. 

409
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,280
If your right eye causes you to 
sin, pluck it out and cast it 

410
00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:50,320
from you. 
For it's more profitable for you

411
00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,760
that one of your members perish 
than for your whole body to be 

412
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,440
cast into hell. 
And if your right hand cause you

413
00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,160
to sin, cut it off and cast it 
from you. 

414
00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,200
For it's more profitable for you
that one of your members perish 

415
00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:05,240
than for your whole body to be 
cast into hell. 

416
00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,640
Again, it's hyperbole, but spare
no effort. 

417
00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:13,400
In summary, Jesus saying there's
nothing in this world that's 

418
00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,840
going that's worth going to hell
over. 

419
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,320
For many people that means 
putting boundaries that will be 

420
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:23,280
very uncomfortable on devices, 
maybe getting rid of some 

421
00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:27,960
devices or changing devices. 
I know of a man years ago told 

422
00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,960
me he says he can't go to the 
beach in the summer because of 

423
00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:35,160
his last issue struggle with it.
One guy one time friend of mine,

424
00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,400
he part was way before about 
years ago. 

425
00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,520
Anyway pulled up to 711 want to 
go buy some said I won't go in 

426
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:43,960
and says so why won't you go in?
Well I know what they sell in 

427
00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:45,640
that store, the porn books and 
the shelves. 

428
00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:47,600
I used to be an addict so I 
don't go in there. 

429
00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:49,760
Oh good for you. 
I said awesome that's good. 

430
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:53,920
But this is not finished. 
He's not done. 

431
00:23:54,480 --> 00:23:57,640
Let's keep going. 
Now he addresses adultery, he 

432
00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:59,440
says. 
Furthermore, it has been said 

433
00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:01,800
whoever divorced his wife, let 
him give her certificate of 

434
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,960
divorce. 
But I say to you that whoever 

435
00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:07,640
divorces his wife for any reason
except sexual immorality causes 

436
00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:10,120
her to commit adultery. 
And whoever marries a woman who 

437
00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:14,760
is divorced commits adultery. 
Back then, in these days as well

438
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,560
as now, there were very hard, 
very difficult conversations on 

439
00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,520
this subject. 
Different religious leaders had 

440
00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:24,320
different opinions. 
Jews did not all agree with each

441
00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:25,920
other. 
In Jesus day. 

442
00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:28,240
Divorce was allowed under the 
law of Moses for specific 

443
00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:30,560
circumstances. 
But here in the Sermon on the 

444
00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,480
Mount, Jesus narrows it down 
again. 

445
00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:37,120
Not only the standard that they 
had under the law, Jesus raised 

446
00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:38,760
it. 
And our culture goes down from 

447
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:40,240
there. 
Lower yet, so we're further 

448
00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:43,000
apart. 
But here's what I want to say. 

449
00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:45,880
When divorce happens, it is 
always, now repeat. 

450
00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:47,680
Always. 
Because somewhere sin is in the 

451
00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,520
equation. 
Sin is never out of the question

452
00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,520
when a divorce happens. 
It's always mixed in somewhere. 

453
00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,640
Always. 
When divorce happens, somewhere 

454
00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:00,240
some repenting needs to happen, 
and if it doesn't, freedom won't

455
00:25:00,240 --> 00:25:03,120
come in. 
Matthew 19 is a fairly lengthy 

456
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:07,280
teaching on the divorce and 
remarriage subject when it comes

457
00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:08,480
out. 
What comes out in all of the 

458
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,280
teachings of Jesus is that 
marriage is intended for as long

459
00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,080
as both partners live. 
It's not created with an expiry 

460
00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,640
date. 
We do know that people do break 

461
00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:19,480
their marriage vows and he spoke
to it. 

462
00:25:21,040 --> 00:25:23,800
But what we have to be careful 
for is to protect the boundary 

463
00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,600
of marriage. 
If a person tolerates lust in 

464
00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:29,560
their lives and if person does 
not equip themselves to fight 

465
00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:33,200
this battle to stand against 
lust, the boundary of marriage 

466
00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,400
may very well be compromised. 
Doesn't always happen. 

467
00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:39,360
They're still married and not 
divorced. 

468
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:42,400
But when lust becomes part of 
the equation and Jesus is 

469
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,360
adultery is saying he was 32. 
If a man divorces his wife for 

470
00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:48,320
any reason except sexual 
morality. 

471
00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:54,080
Is accept sexual morality? 
He causes her to commit adultery

472
00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:56,920
and whoever marries a woman 
who's divorced commits adultery.

473
00:25:57,320 --> 00:26:00,480
These 3 words except sexual 
immorality have been the words 

474
00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,360
of countless hours of debate and
arguing about how do you 

475
00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:07,320
interpret that? 
My question is, why do those two

476
00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:10,960
words become the focus point? 
Is it because we so desperately 

477
00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,600
want an escape hatch? 
A loophole in a bad 

478
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,840
relationship. 
The Bible does not teach. 

479
00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:19,960
That a person who's living in an
abusive environment has to stay 

480
00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,480
in the relationship. 
Paul writes about that they can 

481
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,560
separate, but he always, and he 
follows that up with the intent 

482
00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:27,440
to reconcile. 
You find that in Corinthians. 

483
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:31,080
Where it becomes a problem. 
Is when it becomes more like oh 

484
00:26:31,080 --> 00:26:32,560
thank God at least my spouse 
cheated. 

485
00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:34,800
I haven't out. 
I can remarry. 

486
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:37,960
Here, Jesus. 
Again, I see so many times he 

487
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:41,400
raises the bar. 
If marriage in God's eyes before

488
00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,520
was serious, Jesus revealed to 
his audience just now it's more 

489
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:45,720
serious than they thought it 
was. 

490
00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:48,840
I do want to. 
Draw attention to something in 

491
00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,960
this passage that many people 
miss when they read it. 

492
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,640
And I think it's a very 
important detail, he says. 

493
00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:58,040
To this, I'll just just 
paraphrase a bit. 

494
00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:01,920
He says if the man's wife has 
been faithful, if she has not 

495
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:06,360
been promiscuous, she has not 
been sexually immoral, then the 

496
00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:08,960
man divorced her. 
He is forcing her to commit 

497
00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,240
adultery because she's going to 
have another man, because she 

498
00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,720
has to have another man to 
provide for her. 

499
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,040
He is forcing an innocent woman 
into a sin. 

500
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,720
That's what he's saying here. 
That's what seriousness is. 

501
00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,720
Let's just stop for a moment. 
If a man's divorcing his wife 

502
00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:27,080
and she's been faithful, been 
true, and she gets remarried, 

503
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:29,440
why is her second relationship 
now adultery? 

504
00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:31,440
She's innocent. 
She's the innocent party. 

505
00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:33,920
Why is that? 
Why is that adultery? 

506
00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,520
Because in Jesus eyes. 
The first marriage is still 

507
00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,440
intact. 
Adultery is the sin of a married

508
00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,920
person. 
If it wasn't that way, it would 

509
00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:48,400
be fornication. 
She's been victimized, 

510
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,640
pressured. 
Now she's forced into a relation

511
00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,880
if she doesn't want, and she's 
now marrying a guy or being with

512
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:57,200
a guy and someone might say, 
jeez, how cruel can you get? 

513
00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:58,960
She's innocent, of course she 
is. 

514
00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:01,680
But. 
Then she's forced into this. 

515
00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:06,040
Sinful relationship. 
I know this is. 

516
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,720
Hard. 
I've had connections with people

517
00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,680
who've gone through this and 
it's very painful. 

518
00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:14,760
Women in those days didn't have 
the social networks and safety 

519
00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:17,560
Nets and job opportunities that 
women have today, so they were 

520
00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:22,480
in a very hard position. 
If divorce dissolved. 

521
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,680
The marriage, then that second 
relation would not be adultery. 

522
00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:28,680
But now even though she's 
innocent from sexual immorality 

523
00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,520
and she goes after another man, 
she is committing adultery. 

524
00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,520
And then Jesus says, and he who 
marries a divorced woman, 

525
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,200
innocent or guilty, is not 
qualified, commits adultery. 

526
00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:41,240
I'm not making this up. 
This is what it is saying. 

527
00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:44,920
I know in my mind I can what 
about if and what if and what 

528
00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:46,640
how about. 
I know I get that. 

529
00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:49,600
In my years of ministry, I've 
had many hard conversations with

530
00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,880
people about these things. 
What I try to do is always, 

531
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,600
first and foremost, try to point
them back to Jesus and back to 

532
00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,040
the cross. 
He's merciful, He's gracious. 

533
00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:01,200
And yes, there are circumstances
and situations where things are 

534
00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,320
so messed up, so intertwined, so
tangled up that that you can 

535
00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,040
never unravel it. 
And to try to makes it worse. 

536
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,320
So what to do? 
There is grace for those who 

537
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:13,640
look to Jesus and surrender to 
Him. 

538
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,600
Does this mean everybody now 
separates? 

539
00:29:15,680 --> 00:29:18,360
I'm not going to go there. 
I, I'm not in their shoes. 

540
00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:19,680
I do believe there's 
forgiveness. 

541
00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,160
At the same time, it can't be 
called right. 

542
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:24,360
And there's mercy and there's 
grace. 

543
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:28,760
I believe it's this way. 
All manner of immorality can be 

544
00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,920
forgiven, but the damage of 
morality cannot be undone or 

545
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:35,760
fixed. 
In many cases. 

546
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,840
When people commit immorality, 
they just have not paid 

547
00:29:38,840 --> 00:29:41,840
attention to the boundaries 
they've caused themselves and a 

548
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:47,000
lot of others so much pain. 
You see, the path forward is 

549
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,200
always to the cross, to 
surrender to Jesus, give him the

550
00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,200
mess, whatever it may be, and 
then ask other believers who are

551
00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,720
unbiased to seek the Lord's face
and from that point of reference

552
00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:59,160
come to a decision. 
And the decision won't always be

553
00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:01,080
what everybody agrees to or 
agrees with. 

554
00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,880
My focus and my sermon here this
morning is not so much how to 

555
00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,280
resolve and restore broken 
marriages as it is to outline 

556
00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,760
the boundaries that keep 
marriages intact and together. 

557
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:12,880
For some people, their 
marriages. 

558
00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,640
Have suffered much, some of 
broken marriages and some are 

559
00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,080
planning to get married and 
sadly some are planning to get 

560
00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,520
divorced. 
Let me ask you what? 

561
00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:23,720
Boundaries are you putting in 
your place that protect your 

562
00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:27,120
marriage and avoid shipwrecking 
your marriage and. 

563
00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:29,600
This principle. 
Of abiding by boundaries and 

564
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:31,960
morality. 
This for everyone married or 

565
00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,760
single doesn't matter. 
Young and old we must be in 

566
00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,400
guard at all times. 
Matthew chapter 5 verse 8 we 

567
00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:41,240
read blessed are the pure and 
heart for they shall see God. 

568
00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,120
Do you want to see God? 
Well then let's keep our hearts 

569
00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,040
pure. 
The church has always had to 

570
00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,120
fight this struggle. 
It is not new. 

571
00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:52,160
In 2nd Corinthians 6, verse 11 
to 18, Paul writes all 

572
00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:54,640
Corinthians. 
We've spoken openly to you. 

573
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:58,560
Our heart is wide open. 
You're not restricted by. 

574
00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:01,240
Aspect you're restricted by your
own affections now in return for

575
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,520
the same I speak as to children,
you also be open. 

576
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,480
Do not be unequally yoked 
together with unbelievers. 

577
00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:10,280
For what fellowship has 
righteousness? 

578
00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:13,320
With lawlessness, what communion
has liked with darkness, and 

579
00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:14,920
what accord is Christ with 
Belial? 

580
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,320
Or what part has a? 
Believer with an unbeliever. 

581
00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:20,880
And what agreement has the 
temple of God with idols? 

582
00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:23,440
We are the temple of God, for 
you are the temple of the living

583
00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:25,040
God. 
As God has said, I will dwell in

584
00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:27,600
them and walk among them. 
I'll be their God, and they'll 

585
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,080
be my people. 
Therefore come out from among 

586
00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:31,240
them. 
Be separate, says the Lord. 

587
00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,320
Do not touch what is unclean. 
I will receive you. 

588
00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,480
I'll be your father to you, a 
father to you. 

589
00:31:35,720 --> 00:31:37,840
You shall be my sons and 
daughters, says the Lord 

590
00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:41,640
Almighty. 
The moral boundaries. 

591
00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:45,840
God has put in scripture are for
our benefit, for our protection,

592
00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:48,520
for our safekeeping. 
They're not there to restrict 

593
00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:50,000
us. 
They're there to set us free. 

594
00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:52,840
When Jesus preached the Sermon 
on the Mount, he knew what he 

595
00:31:52,840 --> 00:31:54,800
was saying. 
He knew it was different than 

596
00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,480
what people were used. 
To our call is to. 

597
00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,160
Not even lust, never mind the 
physical part. 

598
00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,440
How will this what we heard? 
Today make a difference in our 

599
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,920
lives. 
This week Are there some people 

600
00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:10,400
who need to disconnect from 
people who they become involved 

601
00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,080
with? 
Are there? 

602
00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:14,240
People who are looking. 
At pictures or watching stuff 

603
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:16,240
online or wherever it may be 
that's damaging their 

604
00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,440
relationship with Jesus. 
Or maybe you're here this 

605
00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,840
morning in courage, walking in 
peace and victory with the Lord.

606
00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,840
Praise God for that. 
Wherever you are today, my 

607
00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,240
prayers, you will experience the
closeness in the fellowship of 

608
00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:29,920
Jesus. 
He died for the sins of the 

609
00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:31,880
world. 
We can be part of his family. 

610
00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,480
And when we turn from sin and 
learn to live with Him, we're 

611
00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,320
part of that. 
May God's Word bring fruit in 

612
00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:38,840
our lives. 
Let us pray. 

613
00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,680
Lord, we're grateful. 
For your word to us, we live in 

614
00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,360
a very broken, corrupt world 
where there seems to be almost 

615
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:50,160
no moral compass left anymore 
anywhere. 

616
00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:53,400
Help us, Lord, as your people, 
to repent of our carelessness. 

617
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:55,800
Our lukewarm hearts. 
Help us to be diligent, to 

618
00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,560
watch, and to guard our lives 
with the moral boundaries you've

619
00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:01,000
put in place. 
Give us wisdom how to navigate 

620
00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,920
the culture of our time. 
May we be faithful, obedient to 

621
00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,080
you. 
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.