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Yesterday was our first ever 
relationship conference and it 

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was a tremendous blessing to me 
and I hope it was a blessing to 

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all who were there. 
It was a full day event, but 

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considering the theme of the 
message this Sunday, we can 

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actually think of it as an 
unofficial 1 1/2 day conference 

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because what has been prayed 
about concerning today, the 

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message that will be shared 
intersects with many of the 

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truths in the conversations that
we did have yesterday. 

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And it does apply to each of us.
Regardless of your relationship 

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status, I want to speak to you 
today about living in victory 

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over sexual sin. 
Living in victory over sexual 

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sin. 
And I want us to turn to 1st 

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Thessalonians chapter 4 in our 
Bibles and consider the 1st 8 

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verses of this chapter to see 
the mind of God concerning this.

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Finally then brothers, we ask 
and urge you in the Lord Jesus 

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that as you receive from us how 
you ought to walk and to please 

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God, just as you are doing, 
that, you do so more and more. 

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For you know what instructions 
we gave you through the Lord 

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Jesus. 
For this is the will of God, 

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your sanctification, that you 
abstain from sexual immorality, 

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that each of you know how to 
control his own body in holiness

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and honor, not in the passion of
lust like the Gentiles who do 

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not know God, that no one 
transgress and wrong his brother

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in this matter, because the Lord
is an avenger. 

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And all these things, as we told
you beforehand and solemnly 

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warned you. 
For God has not called us for 

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impurity, but in holiness. 
Therefore, whoever disregards 

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this, disregards not man, but 
God, who gives his Holy Spirit 

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to you. 
Lord, we ask that you fill our 

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hearts with holy love, love for 
you, love for the truth, love 

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for your precepts, your rules, 
your commands, your warnings. 

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And we pray, O God, that 
everything that would be shared 

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in the next few moments would be
delivered in the wisdom of the 

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Holy Spirit, the love of the 
Holy Spirit, the power of the 

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Holy Spirit. 
We ask that hope would arise. 

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We pray that energy from heaven 
would be our portion, and that 

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we would know victory over this 
particular sin. 

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In Jesus name we pray. 
Amen. 

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These are pretty remarkable 
verses, but I think what makes 

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it even more astounding is when 
you and I consider the caliber 

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of Christians that Thessalonians
were and the way that we can 

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discover that is by doing a 
brief survey of some of the 

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commendations that the apostle 
Paul makes to this particular 

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church. 
So hopefully you still have the 

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book of First Thessalonians 
there with you. 

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And look at chapter 1 and verse 
8, Paul says in his 

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introduction. 
For not only has the word of the

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Lord sounded forth from you in 
Macedonia and IKEA, but your 

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faith in God has gone forth 
everywhere, so that we need not 

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say anything. 
For they themselves report 

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concerning us the kind of 
reception we had among you, and 

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how you turned to God from idols
and serve the living and true 

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God. 
According to Paul's words, this 

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group of believers were widely 
known for their conversion. 

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There was something about their 
radical repentance and their 

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allegiance to the Lord Jesus 
Christ that made them famous to 

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the neighboring Saints. 
And he commends them for this. 

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So inspiring was the response of
of the gospel and to the gospel 

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that they were praised, they 
were recognized. 

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They were a means of 
encouragement to other bodies, 

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other churches, and we read 
earlier, we don't have to turn 

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to that. 
They received the gospel in much

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affliction, but in this paradox 
away also with much joy. 

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And that affliction and joy 
caused them to turn away from 

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all these vain things and all 
these sinful practices and to 

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give themselves completely over 
to Jesus Christ. 

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So their example motivated 
others to stay the course. 

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And even if you look at the book
of Acts and see the Jewish 

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opposition to Paul when he was 
in Thessalonica, you understand 

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that this cluster of believers 
must have known a great cost to 

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follow this Messiah. 
But there's more. 

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Look at chapter 2 and verse 13. 
Paul says, and we also thank God

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constantly for this, that when 
you receive the word of God, 

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which you heard from us, you 
accepted it not as the word of 

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men, but as what it really is, 
the word of God which is at work

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in you believers. 
So Paul praises them for another

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thing. 
Now he highlights how this group

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of Christians had a high regard 
for the word of God when they 

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were approached with the gospel,
when they understood the the the

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truths about who God was and 
what God has done for them. 

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They didn't, they didn't hear 
sermons as mere intellectual, 

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emotional or entertaining 
subject matter. 

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They upheld it for what it 
really was, the Word of God. 

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They trembled at it, they 
rejoiced in it, and when they 

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learned from it, they sought to 
apply it. 

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You can know a lot about a 
professing Christian based on 

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this one simple thing. 
How do they view the Bible? 

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That tells me almost everything 
I need to know about a person's 

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walk with Christ. 
And I say that because for Paul 

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to make this particular 
commendation says something very

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special about this group of 
believers. 

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But there's even more. 
We read from verse 1 to 8 of 

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chapter 4, but look at verse 9 
quickly. 

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And he says now concerning 
brotherly love, you have no need

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for anyone to write to you, for 
you yourselves have been taught 

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by God to love one another. 
Wow. 

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You know, the Lord Jesus said 
many things about love in the 

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Gospels, and one of the most 
profound statements that he made

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was in John 1335, that all 
people would know that you are 

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my disciples. 
Based on what premise? 

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Based on the fact of how you 
love one another. 

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The Thessalonians had that 
vibrant love, so much so that 

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Paul just mentions it, and he 
doesn't even expound on 

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practical ways to love because 
it's as though they've been 

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directly taught by God how to 
love the brethren. 

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The only thing he really adds in
the following verses that they 

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do this more and more. 
OK, I bring this to your 

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attention to hopefully conclude 
with you that this is a 

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motivating, impressive group of 
believers. 

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So how strange is it, then, that
to this church, Paul takes a 

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whole section in his letter to 
warn about sexual immorality? 

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That seems a little awkward, but
it's not. 

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What actually seems 
uncomfortable, questionable is 

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deeply insightful. 
Because, you see, for Paul to 

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write to this church and to warn
them about this particular sin 

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means that sexual immorality is 
a real danger to any church, for

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any believer, for that matter. 
So this is telling. 

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This is sobering because the 
persistent and deceptive danger 

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of sexual transgression is so 
relevant that we learned that 

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Paul did not just mention it for
the first time here in this 

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letter. 
Look back at chapter 4, verse 2 

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again, for you know what 
instructions we gave you through

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the Lord Jesus. 
Scroll down to verse six that no

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one transgress and wrong his 
brother in this matter because 

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the Lord is an avenger and all 
these things as we told you 

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beforehand and solemnly warned 
you. 

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So Paul is essentially saying 
here look, I know we've talked 

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about this before, but we got to
talk about it again. 

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I know that I brought this 
before you in the past, but it's

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good for you. 
It's essential that you be 

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reminded of these things. 
Here's what this means for us. 

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No matter the wonderful 
testimonies of salvation in this

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place. 
No matter the high view of 

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Scripture, you may have as 
important as a Spirit LED love 

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for other Christians may be, 
what Paul has to say here 

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applies to every person sitting 
in this place, standing in this 

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place and where the Holy Spirit 
wants us to do. 

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What he beckons us to do is for 
all of us to lean in and to 

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humbly accept what he is saying 
in these verses and how we can 

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actually know to live in 
victory. 

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So what is it that the Lord 
wants us to know exactly? 

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Well, let's take it step by 
step, shall we? 

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Let's revisit verse one finally 
then, brothers, we ask and urge 

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you in the Lord Jesus, that as 
you receive from us how you 

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ought to walk in to please God, 
just as you are doing that, you 

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do so more and more. 
Listen, everybody lives their 

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life pleasing someone. 
You're either pleasing yourself,

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your spouse, your children, your
your friends. 

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You're living to please your 
spiritual leaders, perhaps your 

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employers. 
There isn't anybody who is not 

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living to please someone. 
But if you're born again, if 

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you've been purchased by the 
blood of Jesus Christ, if you 

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are resting in His salvation 
work, then you have this new 

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found desire that your aim in 
life is to please God. 

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That is your holy ambition. 
That is the spirit energy that 

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motivates everything that you 
do. 

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I want to bring pleasure to my 
God. 

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I want to make Him happy. 
I want to bring the light to Him

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and though this determination, 
this level of devotion is 

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becoming increasingly rare, it 
was true for this early church 

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and Paul already commended them 
for that. 

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How do we know that they were 
living to please God? 

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Because look back at verse 1. 
He says in the middle of it, 

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just as you were doing so, he 
says you receive from us how you

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ought to walk and to please God 
just as you are doing so. 

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They were walking in this, but 
we see here that he follows it 

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up with something so crucial. 
Do it more and more. 

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Do it more and more. 
You would think that if you were

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to tell a believer or a church, 
Hey, you receive from us how you

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ought to walk that please God 
and you're doing it that there's

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nothing more to follow with that
gleaning affirmation, but he 

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does follow it with go further. 
And what I think he means by 

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this, what it reveals is that 
this God word objective can 

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easily become static. 
That is not difficult for us to 

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push aside the pleasure of 
Christ in our ambitions in life.

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And So what Paul's saying here 
by saying do so more and more is

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you have a duty to protect this 
ambition. 

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You have to shield that. 
You have to be mindful of it. 

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You have to be conscious. 
You have to be, you have to be 

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calculated. 
Do so more and more because it 

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can dissipate at various phases 
of life and it can easily be 

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overlooked in certain areas of 
life, including how it governs 

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our sexuality. 
And that's why Paul from this 

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point forward wants to speak on 
that particular issue, because 

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there is a potential danger with
this church that though they 

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were doing so much, though they 
had a wonderful history with 

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God, that some were disregarding
how the pleasure of God governed

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their impulses, their desires, 
their lusts, saying where do you

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get that from? 
Go back to verse 8. 

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He says, therefore, whoever 
disregards this disregards not 

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man, but God who gives his Holy 
Spirit to you. 

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So it's possible that there were
some in this church who are 

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tempted to not take God's 
standard for sexuality 

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seriously, but there are some in
there who are actually making up

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the rules, their own rules 
regarding it. 

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So Paul wants to talk about it 
and so we move on. 

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In verse two he says what for 
you know what instructions we 

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gave you through the Lord Jesus,
for this is the will of God, 

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your sanctification, that you 
abstain from sexual immorality. 

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So you heard in verse one what 
the priority of the Christian is

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after he has given his heart to 
the gospel to please God, not to

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win his favor, but because 
you've been favored in the 

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gospel. 
But in the following verse, we 

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now know one of God's 
priorities, one of his strong, 

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his will really for your life. 
You know what it is your 

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sanctification. 
There's a lot of questions. 

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We even received some questions 
yesterday about the will of God.

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How I know the will of God. 
What, what, what? 

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What's the recipe to discovering
his step by step blueprint for 

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my life? 
And though there are answers for

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that, this is important to 
grasp, that one thing you can be

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certain of is that no matter 
where the Lord leads you, how He

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leads you, what He permits, what
He prevents, how He accelerates 

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when he delays, there is this 
one goal in mind. 

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And all of that, your holiness, 
that in every movement you make,

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every plan that you might have, 
everything that you're seeking 

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God for, God has this goal 
through that, that you become 

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more sanctified. 
And that word sanctified is very

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simple, simply means to be set 
apart unto something, and in 

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this case is to be set apart 
unto him, that your convictions 

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and your conduct becomes a court
in accordance to his desires. 

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That's all it is. 
It's this conformity, the inner,

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the outer, everything in between
to his will and his good 

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pleasure. 
And he says this is the will of 

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God for you. 
And The thing is, when you bring

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up holiness, I know that word 
has been abused in evangelical 

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00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,600
circles in the past. 
And so some people feel uneasy 

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with a message that I'm about to
present. 

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And some people might even be 
very tense right now. 

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We haven't really started yet, 
but hopefully this helps. 

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00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:07,680
You have no reason to fear 
holiness. 

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Do you know why? 
Because what holiness is to your

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spirit is what health is to your
body. 

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I don't think there's anybody 
here who says they're afraid of 

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perfect health. 
Many people pay money sacrifice 

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00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:22,760
time to have greater longevity 
in their physical state and 

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rightfully so. 
That's what holiness is to your 

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inner man I I want you to train 
yourself to view holiness in 

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that way. 
It is soundness for my spirit. 

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It's the vigor of my inner 
person. 

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It it's what will make me the 
the most clear and understanding

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00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,840
and hearing God and position me 
to be the most useful to God. 

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00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:52,320
Holiness is good and I'm afraid 
that good hearted believers have

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this strange understanding of 
holiness and they throw around 

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statements. 
Maybe you've said it, maybe 

246
00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:58,800
you've heard it. 
I certainly have heard it. 

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Things like God is not concerned
with your happiness, but with 

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what your holiness, as though 
they're at odds with one 

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another. 
When people say things like 

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that, it proves to me that they 
don't really know what holiness 

251
00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,040
is about because holiness will 
lead to happiness. 

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00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:19,960
Holiness is the means of knowing
wholeness. 

253
00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,920
And so this is good. 
It's not scary, it's not 

254
00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:27,640
judgment. 
It's an invitation into the 

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00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:33,280
state of your soul that will 
make you the most vibrant, the 

256
00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,320
most ready, most strong, most 
prepared. 

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00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,960
And so this is what Paul wants 
to remind him of. 

258
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God is concerned about your 
holiness, and included in your 

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holiness is sexual immorality. 
What constitutes sexual 

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immorality? 
I don't need to get into 

261
00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:53,520
details, but here's a general 
summary. 

262
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Sexual morality is any sexual 
activity or intention outside of

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a monogamous heterosexual 
marriage. 

264
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,760
And these days you have to 
emphasize heterosexual It's any 

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activity, any intention. 
Because remember, Jesus even 

266
00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,839
talks about the meditations of 
the mind and what we do with our

267
00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:11,040
looks. 
It doesn't necessarily need to 

268
00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,160
be an act, though it includes 
many acts. 

269
00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,680
It's any activity or intention 
outside of the confines of a 

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00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:19,079
marriage between a man and a 
woman. 

271
00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,079
And as a messenger of Christ, 
the apostle Paul leaves no room 

272
00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:28,440
for managing sexual sinful 
impulses with mere moderation, 

273
00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,560
complete abstinence. 
So here's what that means, that 

274
00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:39,000
for those who are not yet 
married, you by the power of the

275
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,640
Holy Spirit will abstain from 
all sexual activity and 

276
00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:45,000
intentions until the Lord brings
a spouse into your life. 

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00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,840
And what that means for those 
who are married is that you are 

278
00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,080
to enjoy the gift of sex with 
the person that God has brought 

279
00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,000
into your life and exclusively 
with that person. 

280
00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,280
And I believe that Paul, even in
writing this in his day, 

281
00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:06,760
anticipated rolling eyes, size 
of disbelief, maybe even some 

282
00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,560
criticisms, clever ones. 
So you know what he does. 

283
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,680
Maybe you noticed it. 
But in those eight verses he 

284
00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:19,480
makes appeal after appeal to the
authority of Jesus Christ. 

285
00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:25,200
Look back at verse one. 
We ask and urge you in the Lord 

286
00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,360
Jesus, verse 2. 
For you know what instructions 

287
00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:34,320
we gave you through the Lord 
Jesus, verse 3. 

288
00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:39,280
For this is the will of God, 
verse 7. 

289
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,840
For God has not called us for 
impurity. 

290
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:49,760
Verse 8 Whoever disregards this 
disregards not man, but God. 

291
00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:53,960
This is God's decree. 
This is his standard. 

292
00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:55,320
This is not coming from Paul's 
mind. 

293
00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,920
It's not coming from the 
preacher who's faithfully 

294
00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:02,160
preaching God's words, ideas. 
This is God, this is the Lord, 

295
00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,640
and to pursue anything that 
contradicts it means that we are

296
00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:10,840
outside of His will. 
In fact, to engage in habitual, 

297
00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:15,960
unrepentant sexual immorality is
an indication that you may not 

298
00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:20,960
be a part of his Kingdom at all.
And if that troubles you, that's

299
00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:24,360
a good sign. 
And if you are in disbelief that

300
00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:28,360
I encourage you at your own time
to look at First Corinthians 69 

301
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:31,800
and 10, where Paul provides a 
catalogue of those who will not 

302
00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,240
inherit the Kingdom, and one of 
them is those who are sexually 

303
00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:39,680
immoral. 
But a true child of God, 

304
00:19:39,680 --> 00:19:42,960
however, who desires to be in 
the complete will of God, will 

305
00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,160
take heed to what Paul says here
in verse 4. 

306
00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:51,440
Let's look at it again, that 
each of you know how to control 

307
00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,080
his own body in holiness and 
honor. 

308
00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,400
There are two very important 
things, imperative things, that 

309
00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,200
we have to draw from this number
One, when Paul says this in 

310
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:05,080
verse 4, he's showing that 
controlling our sexual impulses 

311
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:09,760
is possible. 
The Bible doesn't tease us. 

312
00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:14,200
The Bible doesn't lie to us. 
The Bible doesn't provide 

313
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:19,520
imaginary potential. 
He expects that believers can 

314
00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,880
know how to control their own 
bodies in holiness and honor. 

315
00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:28,520
So whether it be pornography or 
you flirting with a woman's 

316
00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:34,320
husband, you can by the power of
God, abstain from all impurity. 

317
00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,280
And that's what else he says in 
verse four, he says that you 

318
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,080
abstain, right? 
But in verse four, he says that 

319
00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,040
each of you, that each of you 
each read your Bible slowly, 

320
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,040
that each of you, he doesn't 
leave anybody out. 

321
00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,000
He say, all right, for you, 
woman. 

322
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,560
But you know, man, we have 
testosterone, we struggle. 

323
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:59,840
So no, each of you, young and 
old, seasoned in Christ, fresh 

324
00:20:59,840 --> 00:21:06,320
in Christ, man or woman, that 
each of you know how to control,

325
00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:12,280
which means that self-control is
attainable and maintainable for 

326
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:16,800
all of us. 
There should be resounding amens

327
00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:21,120
hearing that truth. 
We're not left to these 

328
00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:23,840
seductions. 
We're not left to the power of 

329
00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:29,000
these afflictions and these 
allurements and enticements. 

330
00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,040
We're not helpless in the 
gospel. 

331
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,800
There's hope. 
Which brings me to the second 

332
00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:39,960
point that although victory is 
possible, although that path has

333
00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,520
been paid for us, we have to 
learn how to walk on it. 

334
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:50,720
Go back to verse four, that each
of you know how know how to 

335
00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:55,640
control his own body, Meaning 
it's not automatic, meaning it 

336
00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:58,760
requires some training. 
More specifically, there is some

337
00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:03,920
kind of knowledge that I must 
acquire, then apply in order for

338
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,360
me to have access to this strong
control. 

339
00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:12,320
So there's an invitation for us 
to learn because the thing that 

340
00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,760
you can break free from sexual 
habits without any strategy, 

341
00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:23,200
without any mindfulness, without
doing warfare in your mind is 

342
00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,160
foolish. 
It's a recipe for perpetual 

343
00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:31,000
bondage. 
And here's where we have hope in

344
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,840
the remaining verses here, I 
believe that Paul beautifully 

345
00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:43,840
lays out motivations, insights 
that can enable each of us to 

346
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,760
know victory over sexual sin, no
matter what that sin is. 

347
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,960
So I have three points here with
these verses that remain, and 

348
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:55,680
they're absolutely important, 
imperative for you to know and 

349
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,640
then apply. 
Are you ready? 

350
00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:07,160
Number one, you must, you must 
know God experientially. 

351
00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:14,160
Look at verse 5. 
Not in the passion of lust like 

352
00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:18,400
the Gentiles who do not know 
God. 

353
00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:20,840
I'll tell you how most people 
interpret this verse. 

354
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:24,400
They simply see it as a contrast
between believers and how they 

355
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,320
ought to conduct themselves, and
unbelievers who are slaves to 

356
00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:31,000
their lusts. 
Look deeper. 

357
00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:36,320
What is Paul under score as the 
primary cause for those who are 

358
00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:38,880
in bondage to this particular 
sin? 

359
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:44,960
They don't know God. 
So then now you have the right 

360
00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:46,960
to do this because it is 
consistent with the rest of the 

361
00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,240
Bible. 
Look at it from the positive 

362
00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,240
aspect. 
If not knowing God is what makes

363
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:54,520
Gentiles another word, a 
synonymous term for those who 

364
00:23:54,520 --> 00:24:00,960
don't believe in Christ in many 
contexts, if that shows that to 

365
00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:04,560
not know God means that these 
unbelievers are in bondage, then

366
00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:09,080
knowing God must be the secret 
to being set free from these 

367
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,880
bondages. 
And Paul is not speaking about 

368
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:14,800
simple data. 
He's not talking about 

369
00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:16,960
information about God. 
He's not even talking about 

370
00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,880
believing in his existence. 
He's talking about a personal, 

371
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:27,560
individual, experiential 
understanding of God, and the 

372
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:32,680
moment you lose touch with the 
personal and experiential 

373
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,560
element of your relationship 
with God, I can assure you that 

374
00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:41,560
cheap substitutes like sexual 
sin will become more alluring in

375
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,160
your life. 
How does that work? 

376
00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,760
It's quite simple. 
Please pay attention to this. 

377
00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,520
So many people miss this because
they have reduced their 

378
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:55,120
Christianity to just mere 
performance and just 

379
00:24:55,400 --> 00:25:01,760
disciplinary acts. 
A vibrant walk with God truly 

380
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:07,280
satisfies that. 
When you regularly interact with

381
00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:13,080
God through the means that He is
provided, you will know sincere 

382
00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:19,480
gratification to the degree that
it will subdue strong desires, 

383
00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,080
including that of sexual 
seduction. 

384
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:28,360
That's how powerful satisfaction
in God is in your victory over 

385
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:30,040
sin. 
It's actually essential. 

386
00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,560
And whenever the attraction to 
an illegitimate or illicit 

387
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:39,400
pleasure becomes real to me, 
more real to me than anything 

388
00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:42,920
else more real to me than my 
covenants with with people, 

389
00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,800
covenants with my spouse, my 
ministry. 

390
00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,440
When that desire pulls on you, 
you can know one thing about the

391
00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,400
state of your soul even in that 
moment you have lost sight of 

392
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,160
the beauty of God. 
Your your soul in that moment 

393
00:25:57,160 --> 00:25:59,880
has not been captivated by his 
glory. 

394
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,080
There's an interesting verse 
that is so packed with meeting. 

395
00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:11,200
You can have a whole conference 
on Psalm 7325, whom I have I in 

396
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:15,480
heaven, but you and there is 
nothing I desire on earth 

397
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:22,480
besides you. 
Here's what that teaches me. 

398
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:28,040
Because we we limit our pleasure
in God to a future expectation 

399
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,640
that once I'm clothed my 
resurrection body, I'll have the

400
00:26:30,640 --> 00:26:33,320
capacity to enjoy God forever 
and ever and ever. 

401
00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:34,600
That's not what the psalmist 
said. 

402
00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,760
He does talk about heaven. 
Whom have I in heaven but you? 

403
00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,960
Heaven is not heaven without 
you, but he follows it with 

404
00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,080
this. 
And there is nothing I desire 

405
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,360
not in heaven on earth besides 
you. 

406
00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,520
Evidently there's something that
this God, the true God, can 

407
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:59,040
offer me in this life that so 
satisfies me that any other 

408
00:26:59,040 --> 00:27:03,520
desire can't even compete with 
it, or else the Bible is not 

409
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,880
telling the truth. 
There's something that God's can

410
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,400
so do in my soul that there is 
no rival. 

411
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,000
So it's not just me. 
You know, I believe this. 

412
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,120
And you know, checking all the 
theological boxes as a Christian

413
00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:22,920
satisfaction, real satisfaction,
to the point where it makes 

414
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:24,960
everything else look cheap. 
That doesn't mean that you don't

415
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,440
know temptation, because as long
as we're in this flesh, 

416
00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:29,760
Galatians 5 tells us there's 
this war between the Spirit and 

417
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:31,560
the flesh. 
Yes, but you can know victory 

418
00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:35,720
and you will never know it until
you know how to enjoy God. 

419
00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,520
If God is just a moral standard 
in your life, if God is just 

420
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,880
some supervisor for your 
well-being and for your 

421
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:49,120
children's thriving in society, 
you're missing the depths of the

422
00:27:49,120 --> 00:27:53,520
power of the gospel. 
Who am I in heaven about you? 

423
00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:55,840
And there's nothing on earth I 
desire besides you. 

424
00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:01,640
This is my go to counsel all the
time, all the time. 

425
00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:09,400
You can only go so far with 
security measures and cutting 

426
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:13,000
things off in your life. 
If you want to know a real, 

427
00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,840
real, real investment to 
strengthen this area in your 

428
00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:18,960
life, you have to come before 
God. 

429
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:20,840
And I actually even encourage 
people to pray like this. 

430
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,920
And you need to begin to get 
desperate before God. 

431
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:25,160
And here's how I'd encourage you
to pray. 

432
00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:33,640
Lord, if you don't make yourself
so real to me, and me so happy 

433
00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:35,560
in you, I'm not going to 
survive. 

434
00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:39,080
Pray like that. 
I'm not going to survive. 

435
00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:42,680
I will give in to the sin over 
and over and over again. 

436
00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:45,480
I know what the gospel is. 
I, I've told people the gospel. 

437
00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:47,120
I know many verses, I memorize 
them. 

438
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:54,640
But I need you to satisfy my 
soul in you or else I am doomed.

439
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,040
You must know God 
experientially, see. 

440
00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:03,240
But what does that look like? 
Some things can be explained, 

441
00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,040
other things can only be 
experienced. 

442
00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,400
And all I can tell you is that 
it's there in the Bible that 

443
00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,280
there's all this language that 
denotes true joy, true tasting, 

444
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,520
an anchoring that comes with a 
relationship with God. 

445
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:20,600
And all I can tell you is that 
when you begin to pray like that

446
00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,400
and approach the Bible in that 
way, the truths that God reveals

447
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,720
to you, how he manifests his 
presence in your life will 

448
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:31,240
provide this source of joy. 
And with that joy, this ability 

449
00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:37,480
to pin down urges of the flesh. 
Why and how? 

450
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,720
Because you're not willing this 
this experience with God, this 

451
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:43,280
knowledge of God through the 
means that he's provided is so 

452
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:45,520
good to you that you're not 
willing to throw it away for 

453
00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:47,440
something that you know is going
to bite you back. 

454
00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:53,920
You must know God experientially
and you must stay there and you 

455
00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,640
must understand that when my 
soul is pulled in that direction

456
00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:59,920
or that direction or when this 
temptation is so real in that 

457
00:29:59,920 --> 00:30:04,720
moment, my inner person, the, 
the eyes of my heart have lost 

458
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:15,880
sight of how glorious God is #2 
You must you must keep in mind 

459
00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:24,800
the consequences of sexual sin. 
Let's look at verse six that no 

460
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,200
one transgress and wrong his 
brother in this matter because 

461
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,600
the Lord is an avenger and all 
these things as we told you 

462
00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:34,400
beforehand and solemnly warned 
you. 

463
00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:41,640
So Paul in his pastoral letter 
did not hold back from warning 

464
00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,560
the people about the 
consequences of sexual sin. 

465
00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:50,920
He did not refrain from using 
consequence as an incentive for 

466
00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,600
holiness. 
People throw around the word 

467
00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,360
legalism all the time. 
They don't even know what it 

468
00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:58,120
means anymore. 
Anything that is a command or is

469
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,400
a direction is legalism now. 
And as one preacher said it, 

470
00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,600
legalism to most people are 
things in the Bible they don't 

471
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:10,440
like. 
Now Paul as a pastor looked at 

472
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:13,760
his people with great love, with
a throbbing love, and he warned 

473
00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:15,160
them, and he's warning them 
here. 

474
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,960
He's warned him actually again 
and he's telling them, listen, 

475
00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:21,880
consequences are not the only 
incentive, but it is an 

476
00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:27,560
important one. 
And he he highlights horizontal 

477
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:32,320
consequences as well as vertical
ramifications. 

478
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:36,960
And out of all of the potential 
gut wrenching horizontal 

479
00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:41,840
potential problems that can it 
can sue out of sexual sin, he 

480
00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:46,160
brings up one that is often not 
really considered. 

481
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,960
Look at it again, that no one 
transgressed and wronged his 

482
00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:54,360
brother in this matter. 
The Spirit of God describes 

483
00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:58,120
sexual sin in this place as 
defrauding someone. 

484
00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:05,240
He sees it as taking advantage 
of a trusting relationship, as 

485
00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,440
stealing something that belongs 
to another. 

486
00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:11,160
And this applies both to married
people and unmarried and married

487
00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:11,960
people. 
Think about it. 

488
00:32:12,400 --> 00:32:15,920
For one to engage in premarital 
impurity strips that person's 

489
00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:21,640
future spouse of the purity of 
that union that is not yet 

490
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:26,200
realized. 
You're wronging your brother in 

491
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,080
this matter. 
And that's possible for people 

492
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:31,000
who are not yet married. 
How much more for those who are 

493
00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:35,520
that to have an affair with 
someone who is married is a 

494
00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:40,240
violation of the prerogative in 
the exclusive right that belongs

495
00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:42,080
to the spouses who are 
connected. 

496
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:46,160
You are giving yourself some to 
something as someone that 

497
00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:48,840
belongs to someone else and vice
versa. 

498
00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:52,920
So here's the overarching 
message that Paul is trying to 

499
00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:57,600
convey. 
Sexual sin in all its variety 

500
00:32:57,960 --> 00:33:01,520
does not only impact the parties
that are involved. 

501
00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:05,800
There is almost always 
collateral damage. 

502
00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:11,960
It destroys trust. 
It shatters friendships, it 

503
00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:17,080
stains reputations, it severs 
fellowship, it breaks up 

504
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:21,640
families, it devastates 
children, and it dismantles 

505
00:33:21,640 --> 00:33:26,880
ministries, among other things. 
And in case some may not be 

506
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,480
convinced of the potential 
devastation that comes from 

507
00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:32,880
sexual sin, I want you to hear 
how Solomon puts it in his own 

508
00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:34,000
words. 
So meet me in the book of 

509
00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:38,800
Proverbs chapter 6 and look at 
verse 32 with me. 

510
00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:46,600
Proverbs 632 I'll wait for you. 
He who commits adultery lacks 

511
00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:50,720
sense. 
He who does it destroys himself.

512
00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:56,080
He will get wounds and dishonor,
and his disgrace will not be 

513
00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,200
wiped away. 
For jealousy makes a man 

514
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:03,200
furious, and he will not spare. 
When he takes revenge. 

515
00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,920
He will accept no compensation. 
He will refuse though you 

516
00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,679
multiply gifts. 
You know what question I had 

517
00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:13,120
when I stumbled upon this 
passage? 

518
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,960
How do we reconcile something 
like what we read in verse 33 

519
00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:22,520
where his disgrace will not be 
wiped away with all the 

520
00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:25,080
comforting promises of God's 
complete forgiveness like we 

521
00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:28,719
heard last week, which I hope 
liberated so many of us. 

522
00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:32,840
But then you come to this kind 
of passage, you go, I thought he

523
00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:35,480
did wipe away everything. 
Now you come here and it says 

524
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:36,840
they actually will never be 
wiped away. 

525
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,159
Here's the distinction. 
Solomon is not speaking about 

526
00:34:41,159 --> 00:34:43,239
how God will regard our record 
of sin. 

527
00:34:44,480 --> 00:34:47,639
We are comforted in proverbs and
beyond proverbs that the Lord 

528
00:34:47,639 --> 00:34:52,000
will never hold our scandal 
against us if we truly repent. 

529
00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:57,560
But that doesn't mean man won't.
Man might. 

530
00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,320
And this is what he is 
describing the horizontal 

531
00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:10,200
possibilities and even talks 
about how jealousy makes a man 

532
00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,040
furious. 
He will not spare when he takes 

533
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:18,120
revenge. 
Thankfully God in his mercy does

534
00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:22,320
not count our sins that are 
repented of in eternity. 

535
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:30,240
But man is not so merciful. 
There are people who have been 

536
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:37,680
killed for stuff like this. 
We see it on the news, we watch 

537
00:35:37,680 --> 00:35:40,920
it on documentaries. 
The Bible is so accurate. 

538
00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:48,040
That being said, Paul teaches 
that the Lord is though he is 

539
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:51,600
merciful. 
He is also ready to get directly

540
00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:54,560
involved if we sin in this 
matter. 

541
00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:56,400
So now we go to the vertical 
ramifications. 

542
00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,560
So go back to First 
Thessalonians 4 and let's 

543
00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,880
complete the verse. 
In verse 6, he says that no one 

544
00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,920
may transgress or wrong his 
brother in this matter, but 

545
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:07,160
that's not the end of the 
thought. 

546
00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,000
This is because the Lord is an 
avenger and all these things, as

547
00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:13,120
we told you beforehand and 
solemnly warned you. 

548
00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,480
What does that mean? 
Well, primarily means that the 

549
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,720
Lord alone has the right to 
execute vengeance. 

550
00:36:23,800 --> 00:36:27,120
It is not your prerogative if 
you've been offended. 

551
00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:30,560
You cannot seek revenge for the 
harm that's been done to you or 

552
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:34,360
to others, But because the Lord 
is a perfect judge, only He can.

553
00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:38,080
And when someone sin sexually, 
we are warned that the Lord may 

554
00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:42,400
discipline us directly for it. 
We don't have the liberty to 

555
00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,800
determine how He will do that, 
but the ambiguity of it should 

556
00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:48,520
be enough to instill the fear of
God in each of our hearts. 

557
00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,240
It's a case by case thing, and 
in His perfect sovereign will, 

558
00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:54,800
He knows what to do and when to 
do it. 

559
00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:56,960
He may afflict somebody 
physically for it. 

560
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:01,920
He may expose the sin to humble 
that person. 

561
00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:06,240
He may withhold blessings 
because of it. 

562
00:37:08,160 --> 00:37:10,160
We're not here to try to 
determine the level of 

563
00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:13,520
punishment. 
All we are trying to understand,

564
00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,040
and what Paul wants us to 
understand, is that just because

565
00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:18,760
we have been saved by grace and 
that we've been sealed with the 

566
00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:21,880
Holy Spirit, and that yes, we 
have heaven as our home, does 

567
00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,400
not mean that we can't 
experience severe consequences 

568
00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:29,720
for sin, even sexual sin, 
especially sexual sin. 

569
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:34,400
And so you have to keep in mind 
the consequences of sin. 

570
00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:37,320
Isn't it funny that when you and
I are tempted, we never consider

571
00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:39,680
the consequences of sin? 
You're only thinking about what 

572
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:40,680
good you're going to get out of 
it. 

573
00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:45,640
If you want to get really good 
at doing spiritual warfare with 

574
00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:51,920
temptation, train yourself. 
Deposit in your heart, inform 

575
00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,240
your mind from experiences in 
your own life, but primarily 

576
00:37:55,240 --> 00:37:59,720
what you see in the Word of God 
of the damage that follows these

577
00:37:59,720 --> 00:38:04,080
kind of pursuits, so that when 
that temptation arises, you'll 

578
00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:08,040
recognize it for what it is. 
You're a mirage and you're lying

579
00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:12,120
to me right now. 
You're promising me a dump of 

580
00:38:12,120 --> 00:38:17,040
ecstasy, a fantasy, but in 
reality, you're poison. 

581
00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,760
You're here to destroy me. 
You're here to ruin my witness. 

582
00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:24,040
You're here to destroy my 
family, my ministry. 

583
00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:30,040
See it for what it is. 
Nobody goes into this kind of. 

584
00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:34,560
So nobody gets involved with any
kind of habit thinking that this

585
00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:39,320
will do this much damage. 
And so that's why Paul brings it

586
00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,080
up. 
And again, I have to say 

587
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,040
something. 
Notice again that he he says at 

588
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:48,040
the end of verse 6, as we told 
you beforehand and solemnly 

589
00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:54,080
warned you, Paul, as an apostle,
yes, but as a church planner, as

590
00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:55,960
a pastor, you know what I want 
to get from this? 

591
00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:59,000
He regularly talked about sexual
temptation with his church. 

592
00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:03,560
How much do we hear about sexual
sin in churches today? 

593
00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:06,840
How much warning do we hear 
about? 

594
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,000
Paul did it more than once with 
one congregation. 

595
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,440
And so it's important for us to 
discuss this and to again have 

596
00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,280
holiness as our hope, not as 
this far reaching thing that can

597
00:39:20,280 --> 00:39:22,720
never be attained. 
Which brings me to my Third 

598
00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:24,240
Point. 
If we want to know victory over 

599
00:39:24,240 --> 00:39:27,440
sexual sin, any kind of sexual 
sin, yes, you must know God 

600
00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:29,720
experientially. 
He must become sweet to you, 

601
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,960
real to you. 
And if you seek God for it, 

602
00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,960
he'll give it #2 you have to 
keep in mind the consequences of

603
00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:41,600
sin #3 you must rely on the 
power that God has provided you 

604
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:44,840
to prevail. 
Let's look at verse 7 and 8. 

605
00:39:46,480 --> 00:39:52,160
For God has not called us for 
impurity, but in holiness. 

606
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:56,840
Therefore, He's wrapping it up. 
Whoever disregards this 

607
00:39:56,840 --> 00:40:00,840
disregards not man, but God, who
gives His Holy Spirit to you. 

608
00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,400
Think deeply. 
Meditate. 

609
00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:09,400
If you don't, you'll see verse 8
simply as just a wrap up 

610
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:11,440
warning. 
Hey, if you disregard this, 

611
00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:14,600
you're disregarding God, not me.
And then you'll move on with 

612
00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:16,960
this letter. 
But there's something tucked in 

613
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,200
here. 
There's a promise and it is 

614
00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:25,440
packed with power. 
Who gives His Holy Spirit to 

615
00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:27,360
you? 
Did you see it? 

616
00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:34,480
So Paul is saying, do not, don't
you dare disregard this teaching

617
00:40:34,480 --> 00:40:35,600
about holiness. 
Why? 

618
00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:39,200
Because God is ready to supply 
you with the grace to experience

619
00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:43,520
it, His Holy Spirit. 
Don't swat it away. 

620
00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:45,800
Don't get so caught up with your
past. 

621
00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,720
Don't think about how you can 
ever even imagine the 

622
00:40:48,720 --> 00:40:50,760
possibility of being a perpetual
purity. 

623
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:55,280
Don't let yourself get there. 
God has supplied a power for you

624
00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:56,920
to know it. 
It's not theoretical. 

625
00:40:57,080 --> 00:41:00,880
It's real power and has been 
granted to us through the 

626
00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:04,560
gospel. 
He can sanctify your sexual 

627
00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,840
appetites. 
He can strengthen your spiritual

628
00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:12,680
muscles to wrestle and to win. 
When you're up at night and 

629
00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:16,680
everybody else is sleeping and 
there's this urge to pick up 

630
00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:20,680
that device, or when you go into
that workplace and that woman is

631
00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:23,240
giving you more attention to 
perhaps your spouse is in that 

632
00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:28,920
season, You can know a real 
force in your soul that helps 

633
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:32,160
you move ahead and not get 
caught in a trap. 

634
00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:36,160
You were waiting for marriage 
and feel like you can't get out 

635
00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:39,320
of a cycle of sin with your 
significant other. 

636
00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:42,920
You can know it. 
You can know a purity in a way 

637
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,440
you never thought was possible. 
May I remind you that this 

638
00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,360
church believes in the power of 
the gospel over the power of 

639
00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:52,520
sin. 
We're not here just celebrating 

640
00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:54,040
the fact that our penalty has 
been erased. 

641
00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,920
We're here regarding the fact 
that the power of sin can lose 

642
00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:00,680
its clutch because of the 
precious royal blood of Jesus 

643
00:42:00,680 --> 00:42:04,320
Christ. 
But you know what? 

644
00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:05,760
This is me. 
And maybe you're like me. 

645
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:11,000
When I come to verses like this 
or promises indirect directly, I

646
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:12,760
don't want to just know the 
general promise. 

647
00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:14,000
I don't want to just memorize 
it. 

648
00:42:14,000 --> 00:42:15,480
I want to know the mechanics of 
it. 

649
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:20,200
OK, if the Holy Spirit's been 
given to me, then what? 

650
00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:26,080
What do I do with that? 
Well, there are other places in 

651
00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:30,120
the Scriptures that give us 
wonderful guidance. 

652
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:34,680
Go to the Epistle to the 
Galatians in chapter 5, and 

653
00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:36,560
we're concluding in these final 
verses. 

654
00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:45,360
I'm sure many of you know where 
I'm going in verse 16, but I say

655
00:42:46,320 --> 00:42:50,880
walk by the Spirit and you will 
not gratify the desires of the 

656
00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:54,840
flesh. 
OK, so we're a step closer, no 

657
00:42:54,840 --> 00:42:56,600
pun intended, walk by the 
Spirit. 

658
00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:59,520
I learned in verse eight of 
First Thessalonians 4 that the 

659
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:03,360
Holy Spirit's been given to me. 
Great my go to Galatians. 

660
00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:08,280
Now I learned that if I walk by 
the Spirit, I not, may not, will

661
00:43:08,280 --> 00:43:10,440
not gratify the desires of the 
flesh. 

662
00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:12,600
But I still got some questions. 
What does it mean to walk by the

663
00:43:12,600 --> 00:43:14,320
Spirit? 
And I believe the ESP does a 

664
00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:18,960
wonderful job elaborating on 
this in the very same passage a 

665
00:43:18,960 --> 00:43:21,720
few verses down. 
So you're there in chapter 5. 

666
00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:24,440
Go to verse 25 if you have the 
ESV. 

667
00:43:24,480 --> 00:43:28,840
This will be especially helpful 
if we live by the Spirit. 

668
00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:33,840
Let us also keep in step with 
the Spirit. 

669
00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:38,000
OK, now I've seen where you're 
talking about Paul. 

670
00:43:38,840 --> 00:43:43,320
Walk by the Spirit and if we 
live by the Spirit in the 

671
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:47,720
Spirit, then I'm going to keep 
in step with the Spirit. 

672
00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:51,800
Now going back to verse 16, to 
walk by the Spirit, if you look 

673
00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:54,920
at the original, the verb, there
is a present continuous thing, 

674
00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:58,240
meaning it's a daily choice. 
You don't just Once Upon a time 

675
00:43:58,240 --> 00:44:00,760
walk by the Spirit. 
It's a thing that you do moment 

676
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,240
by moment. 
And then when you go to verse 

677
00:44:02,240 --> 00:44:06,080
25, he says keep in step with 
him, keep in step with him. 

678
00:44:06,840 --> 00:44:14,360
The imagery there is one of 
motion mirroring motion, oneness

679
00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:21,840
and motion, consistent motion. 
So I believe what this is saying

680
00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:26,640
is remain dependent, remain 
near, remain under His guidance.

681
00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:30,200
Wherever you go, whatever you 
do, you are to be conscious. 

682
00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:36,600
You are to be aware of His 
presence, of His near power. 

683
00:44:37,040 --> 00:44:39,720
You're supposed to take His word
with you in your heart. 

684
00:44:39,920 --> 00:44:44,000
You're supposed to develop this 
reflex of an inner turning to 

685
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:49,600
Him, seeking his grace, even 
spontaneously when you realize 

686
00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:54,080
you need it. 
But even as believers, this 

687
00:44:54,080 --> 00:44:56,840
rhythm is not immediately 
developed. 

688
00:44:57,880 --> 00:44:59,920
It's something that you have to 
adjust to, something that you 

689
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:04,240
have to train yourself for. 
Now, I had a brother, you know 

690
00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:06,160
who you are, I'm not going to 
mention you by name, who asked a

691
00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:08,520
wonderful question not too long 
ago about marriage. 

692
00:45:08,520 --> 00:45:12,080
And he asked me, brother, if you
have one thing that you would 

693
00:45:12,720 --> 00:45:15,640
provide in terms of preparation 
for marriage, something that I 

694
00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:17,800
should expect that I may not be 
expecting, what would it be? 

695
00:45:18,040 --> 00:45:22,080
And what came to mind very 
swiftly was the word adjustment.

696
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:25,920
I said, brother, be prepared to 
adjust. 

697
00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:27,840
It's going to be a different way
of life. 

698
00:45:27,840 --> 00:45:31,240
You're living under one roof 
with a person that you never 

699
00:45:31,240 --> 00:45:33,200
lived with before, who has a 
different history and 

700
00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,000
upbringing, who's done things 
differently. 

701
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:38,000
So prepare to adjust. 
And every married person knows 

702
00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,000
this. 
Prepare to adjust in ways you 

703
00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:41,400
never thought you would have to 
adjust. 

704
00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:44,120
Now, what about the same may 
sound funny to you, but it's 

705
00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:46,000
true. 
One of the ways in which I had 

706
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:49,200
to adjust after I got married 
was in how I walked. 

707
00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:56,240
Not spiritually, physically. 
What are you talking about? 

708
00:45:56,280 --> 00:46:00,240
Well, let me explain. 
Naturally, when I walk, I take 

709
00:46:00,240 --> 00:46:02,760
long strides. 
What if I'm when I'm with my 

710
00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:04,080
group of friends, I'm always 
ahead. 

711
00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:06,760
And that has been a great 
advantage to me whenever I'm 

712
00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:09,000
late for anything. 
But it's not helpful when you're

713
00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,160
holding your wife's hand. 
Now you see where I'm getting 

714
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:14,920
at, right? 
So once I got married, once this

715
00:46:14,920 --> 00:46:18,440
person came into my life, the 
greatest gift apart from 

716
00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:23,520
salvation in this life, I did 
not automatically change in how 

717
00:46:23,520 --> 00:46:26,000
I walked. 
And so while I'm holding her 

718
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:28,440
lovely hand and we're making our
way somewhere, I had the 

719
00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:30,400
tendency to get ahead. 
And there was that gentle 

720
00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,200
squeeze. 
And I look back and there's that

721
00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:34,040
reminder I don't walk as fast as
you. 

722
00:46:36,160 --> 00:46:38,120
And So what happened? 
Well, thankfully for her 

723
00:46:38,120 --> 00:46:40,520
patience, it didn't change right
away. 

724
00:46:40,520 --> 00:46:46,640
But I had to remind myself. 
I had to change my thinking. 

725
00:46:46,640 --> 00:46:52,440
I had to be mindful of her as I 
walk myself because I'm no 

726
00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:56,240
longer walking by myself. 
It's no different with the Holy 

727
00:46:56,240 --> 00:47:00,200
Spirit. 
So many when it comes to living 

728
00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:02,640
life in the Spirit think that 
means you just read your Bible 

729
00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:05,680
certain minutes in a day, say 
some prayers, get up and go 

730
00:47:05,680 --> 00:47:10,600
about your day and you fail to 
keep in step with the Spirit. 

731
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,360
The Spirit filled life is not 
you waking up a little bit 

732
00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:18,120
earlier so that you started your
day right though. 

733
00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:19,440
That's a wonderful starting 
point. 

734
00:47:20,080 --> 00:47:23,080
It's walking with him moment by 
moment. 

735
00:47:23,680 --> 00:47:28,800
It's including him wherever and 
whatever you do that looks like 

736
00:47:28,800 --> 00:47:31,520
you going to the gym and saying 
a brief prayer. 

737
00:47:31,520 --> 00:47:33,880
Lord, I know that I might see 
some things because people don't

738
00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:36,120
live holy. 
And so I'm asking that you guard

739
00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:38,800
my mind and my heart. 
Help me have a fruitful and 

740
00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:41,840
beneficial workout that might 
look like you going to work or 

741
00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:44,840
having an appointment somewhere.
Lord, bestow wisdom, wisdom, I 

742
00:47:44,840 --> 00:47:48,000
need your mind. 
I need, I need your ability to 

743
00:47:48,000 --> 00:47:51,680
be able to not react to 
unfavorable news or situations. 

744
00:47:51,680 --> 00:47:56,320
Help me just just throwing those
things out there as you keep in 

745
00:47:56,320 --> 00:48:00,720
step with him, being sensitive 
to his convictions, not ignoring

746
00:48:00,720 --> 00:48:04,320
it, not not thinking that you 
can just move ahead without 

747
00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,280
inquiring, without waiting. 
It's this wonderful rhythm, but 

748
00:48:08,280 --> 00:48:12,880
it's not automatic. 
And let me tell you this, if you

749
00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:15,880
know, if you grow, if you mature
in keeping in step with the 

750
00:48:15,880 --> 00:48:18,840
Spirit, including a moment by 
moment, day by day, plan by 

751
00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:22,560
plan, it's much more difficult 
for the devil to knock you off 

752
00:48:22,560 --> 00:48:27,640
your feet with temptation 
because I've set the Lord always

753
00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:30,920
before me, therefore I will not 
be easily shaken. 

754
00:48:31,360 --> 00:48:35,200
He's at my right hand. 
The same verse says keeping in 

755
00:48:35,200 --> 00:48:39,720
step with the Spirit, and it's 
possible to lose touch with 

756
00:48:39,720 --> 00:48:43,760
that, to get ahead, so to speak,
saying what do you mean? 

757
00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:50,800
Well, look back in Galatians 
chapter 5 and verse 7, you were 

758
00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:55,120
running well, Who hindered you 
from obeying the truth? 

759
00:48:55,760 --> 00:48:58,640
In other words, you had that 
pace of walking in the Spirit, 

760
00:48:58,640 --> 00:49:01,600
walking by the Spirit, keeping 
yourself with the Spirit, but at

761
00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:06,520
some point you got ahead. 
He began to do life 

762
00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:12,480
independently from him. 
It's there in chapter 3 as well.

763
00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,440
Look at chapter 3, verse 3 of 
Galatians. 

764
00:49:18,520 --> 00:49:22,120
Are you so foolish? 
Having begun by the Spirit? 

765
00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:24,560
Are you now being perfected by 
the flesh? 

766
00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:30,720
Same idea you started with 
walking by the Spirit, keeping 

767
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:34,320
in step by and with the Holy 
Spirit, and somewhere along the 

768
00:49:34,320 --> 00:49:38,400
way you begin to trust in 
yourself, became independent of 

769
00:49:38,400 --> 00:49:42,840
his influence. 
So let me remind you, keeping in

770
00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:47,320
step with him is if I can use 
this, taking Him with you. 

771
00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:55,360
If you do that, you will know 
greater success in private and 

772
00:49:55,360 --> 00:50:01,520
in public. 
I thought about Joseph pre and 

773
00:50:01,520 --> 00:50:05,200
filling of the Holy Spirit pre 
knowledge of the gospel of Jesus

774
00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:09,800
Christ, pre law, Mount Sinai 
actually, and yet this man was 

775
00:50:09,800 --> 00:50:16,040
able to overcome his managers 
consistent seduction. 

776
00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:21,880
Potiphar's wife. 
You think how is this young man?

777
00:50:21,880 --> 00:50:25,480
We're told that he was handsome.
How was he able to do it? 

778
00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:30,640
How did he not take advantage of
his looks to satisfy these 

779
00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:35,080
desires? 
And he tells us, he rebukes the 

780
00:50:35,080 --> 00:50:37,320
woman, He says, how can I do 
this great evil against God? 

781
00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:42,960
You know what that tells me? 
That every day when Joseph went 

782
00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:48,560
to work, he brought an awareness
of God with him every day. 

783
00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:53,800
Don't make drinking coffee in 
the morning a greater priority 

784
00:50:53,800 --> 00:50:58,760
than that. 
So when he was in that room 

785
00:50:58,760 --> 00:51:00,240
alone, you know what he 
believed? 

786
00:51:00,520 --> 00:51:02,720
I'm not alone in this room with 
this woman. 

787
00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:06,440
God is in this room. 
That changes everything. 

788
00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:12,440
You know when I'm alone in this 
room by myself, with access to 

789
00:51:13,720 --> 00:51:20,680
an endless menu of filth, I'm 
not by myself. 

790
00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:25,360
God is with me in this room. 
You know, somebody can give me 

791
00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:30,040
with a resource or a power tool,
but it can remain in the box and

792
00:51:30,040 --> 00:51:33,000
I can keep using my hand with a 
screwdriver and never access 

793
00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:35,120
that. 
You got to do something with 

794
00:51:35,120 --> 00:51:37,120
this resource. 
You got to unbox it, so to 

795
00:51:37,120 --> 00:51:39,160
speak. 
You may have a person in your 

796
00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:41,640
life, but you got to engage with
that person to know the 

797
00:51:41,640 --> 00:51:44,240
privileges of that relationship.
It's no different with the Holy 

798
00:51:44,240 --> 00:51:50,560
Spirit. 
You and I can know holiness, not

799
00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:55,720
temporary holiness, not sporadic
holiness, but real holiness 

800
00:51:56,680 --> 00:51:59,760
until we see him face to face. 
That's my desire for you. 

801
00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:05,480
Now, I'm aware that this 
subject, even being brought up, 

802
00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:11,240
has probably ripped open some 
scabs of personal wounds that 

803
00:52:11,240 --> 00:52:13,840
you've inflicted upon yourself 
or wounds that others have 

804
00:52:13,840 --> 00:52:18,400
inflicted upon you. 
The past is the past. 

805
00:52:18,840 --> 00:52:23,360
Remember last week's message. 
Let today be a new day. 

806
00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:29,960
His mercies are new every day, 
and so today can be a new 

807
00:52:29,960 --> 00:52:32,520
chapter. 
Today you can. 

808
00:52:32,520 --> 00:52:35,560
If you've never experienced God 
supernaturally, experientially, 

809
00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:39,160
today can mark the beginnings of
a new depth with your walk with 

810
00:52:39,160 --> 00:52:41,800
God. 
If you've never taken seriously 

811
00:52:41,800 --> 00:52:45,200
the consequences of sin, don't 
believe the lie that just 

812
00:52:45,200 --> 00:52:48,600
because you evaded something in 
the past that there can't be 

813
00:52:48,600 --> 00:52:50,720
something that comes in the 
future if you continue in that 

814
00:52:50,720 --> 00:52:56,320
sin. 
And lastly, don't ever believe 

815
00:52:56,320 --> 00:53:01,680
the lie. 
Your hope, your cue doesn't come

816
00:53:01,680 --> 00:53:05,120
from statistics. 
X amount of men in the church 

817
00:53:05,120 --> 00:53:07,000
struggle with sin, this 
particular sin. 

818
00:53:07,800 --> 00:53:09,480
OK, that's great. 
You did statistics. 

819
00:53:09,720 --> 00:53:11,440
I read my Bible. 
That's where I get my hope and 

820
00:53:11,440 --> 00:53:14,840
my news from. 
And my Bible tells me that if I 

821
00:53:14,840 --> 00:53:17,800
walk by the Spirit, I can live 
in victory over this sin. 

822
00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:22,840
Believe in that power. 
It's going to be an adjustment 

823
00:53:22,840 --> 00:53:25,080
though. 
Can God do something overnight? 

824
00:53:25,080 --> 00:53:28,160
Absolutely. 
But oh, this flesh is pretty 

825
00:53:28,160 --> 00:53:29,680
strong. 
And sometimes we can get ahead 

826
00:53:29,680 --> 00:53:31,240
of God. 
Often times we can get ahead of 

827
00:53:31,240 --> 00:53:33,720
God even after a message like 
this Monday can look very 

828
00:53:33,720 --> 00:53:35,200
different than how you feel 
today. 

829
00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:41,920
So it's going to be an effort. 
Lord, help me to pray without 

830
00:53:41,920 --> 00:53:44,520
ceasing. 
Lord, help me take this word. 

831
00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:47,200
Not just OK, I read my few 
verses today and just go about 

832
00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:50,640
and no Lord I'm going to put 
this here. 

833
00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:56,880
Help me enjoy Your Word. 
Help me put the word in here as 

834
00:53:56,880 --> 00:53:58,440
I go. 
Whatever free time I have, let 

835
00:53:58,440 --> 00:54:02,000
me just immerse myself. 
Keep in step with the Spirit. 

836
00:54:02,520 --> 00:54:06,880
He will guide you and if and 
when you stumble, He will 

837
00:54:06,880 --> 00:54:09,560
forgive you. 
Don't stay there, don't load 

838
00:54:09,560 --> 00:54:13,560
there. 
Get up and walk again with Him. 

839
00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:35,670
Let's pray. 
Well, we ask that even with a 

840
00:54:35,670 --> 00:54:40,270
somber message like this, that 
it would not be interpreted as 

841
00:54:40,270 --> 00:54:44,110
so, that we would realize the 
rays of hope that come with a 

842
00:54:44,110 --> 00:54:47,190
section of scripture that we've 
just interacted with. 

843
00:54:47,190 --> 00:54:51,750
We pray that there would be a 
special infusion of grace from 

844
00:54:51,750 --> 00:54:57,030
heaven, that there would be 
incredible testimonies following

845
00:54:57,030 --> 00:55:02,720
this time of people who can say,
I know what it's like to delight

846
00:55:02,720 --> 00:55:06,440
in God more than anything else. 
I know what it's like to live in

847
00:55:06,440 --> 00:55:10,920
the power of the Holy Spirit. 
I know what it's like to, in a 

848
00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:17,400
holy way, fear sin because I 
love my God more than my sin. 

849
00:55:18,360 --> 00:55:23,600
So, Lord, we pray for divine 
strategies for every person in 

850
00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:25,520
their situation. 
If there's any struggle in this 

851
00:55:25,520 --> 00:55:30,160
place, we pray that for those 
who are standing strong, that 

852
00:55:30,160 --> 00:55:34,680
they would take heed lest they 
fall, that we would always be on

853
00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:38,280
guard, that we would be 
prepared, that we would never 

854
00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:41,840
allow ourselves to slip into 
complacency, but we would keep 

855
00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:47,080
in step with the Spirit. 
When things are going well, when

856
00:55:47,080 --> 00:55:50,280
things are going wonderful, help
us to still be dependent on you.

857
00:55:51,440 --> 00:55:54,400
We ask that you break any 
bondage here, that you liberate 

858
00:55:54,400 --> 00:55:57,120
people from captivity, that the 
power of the gospel will be 

859
00:55:57,120 --> 00:56:00,440
known in the freedom of these 
shackles. 

860
00:56:00,840 --> 00:56:02,200
We trust that you're able to 
provide it. 

861
00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:05,760
And we want to even be able to 
sing now with joy as the 

862
00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:08,920
shackles fall from us. 
In Jesus name we pray. 

863
00:56:09,360 --> 00:56:10,480
Amen. 
Amen. 

864
00:56:13,240 --> 00:56:27,120
If the praise team can come. 
When we stand, let's worship the

865
00:56:27,120 --> 00:56:31,320
Lord. 
My friends, this was good news 

866
00:56:31,320 --> 00:56:34,080
today. 
This is good news today. 

867
00:56:34,880 --> 00:56:36,160
Here's what the word of the Lord
is. 

868
00:56:36,160 --> 00:56:39,160
You can be free and you can stay
free. 

869
00:56:39,840 --> 00:56:41,760
This is not the Lord looking at 
you saying, oh, look at you 

870
00:56:41,760 --> 00:56:45,000
struggling and messing up. 
I have some surprises for you. 

871
00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:47,360
You just wait. 
That's not God's heart. 

872
00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:51,960
God's heart is, this is serious,
but my love is serious, this is 

873
00:56:51,960 --> 00:56:53,960
serious, but my power is 
serious. 

874
00:56:54,160 --> 00:56:58,480
This may be serious, but you can
know true freedom if you believe

875
00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:00,280
it. 
Permit me to give you 2 

876
00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:04,200
anecdotes before we close. 
I heard of a very blessed 

877
00:57:04,200 --> 00:57:05,520
preacher. 
I heard him say this in his 

878
00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:08,320
sermon, that when he was a young
minister, very effective in his 

879
00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:09,560
preaching. 
A lot of fruit people were 

880
00:57:09,560 --> 00:57:11,440
getting saved. 
The presence of God would 

881
00:57:11,440 --> 00:57:13,720
manifest when he spoke the word 
of God. 

882
00:57:14,480 --> 00:57:16,080
He was one day invited to a 
conference. 

883
00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:18,920
He was put in a hotel room by 
himself, and after one of the 

884
00:57:18,920 --> 00:57:21,040
meetings he was just sitting up 
there at the headboard, and he 

885
00:57:21,040 --> 00:57:24,600
turned on the TV and something 
inappropriate came on the 

886
00:57:24,600 --> 00:57:28,000
screen. 
He watched for a few seconds. 

887
00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:31,440
A rush of conviction came. 
He turned it off. 

888
00:57:31,720 --> 00:57:33,680
He threw the remote, put his 
shoes on. 

889
00:57:34,240 --> 00:57:36,080
In the middle of the night, he 
walked out into a field. 

890
00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:38,800
And he sensed the Lord speaking 
to him, not oddly, just in his 

891
00:57:38,800 --> 00:57:44,640
conscience. 
Son, if you keep this up, my 

892
00:57:44,640 --> 00:57:46,480
hand will not remain on your 
life in your ministry. 

893
00:57:47,920 --> 00:57:49,520
I will no longer bless your 
preaching. 

894
00:57:51,200 --> 00:57:53,800
I cannot have you indulging in 
something that grieves my heart 

895
00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:56,080
and bless your ministry at the 
same time. 

896
00:57:57,880 --> 00:58:03,000
And praise God, that minister 
heard the consequence of his 

897
00:58:03,000 --> 00:58:08,080
sin, heard the ramifications, 
the potential trouble, the loss 

898
00:58:08,080 --> 00:58:09,840
they would have if he continued 
in this path. 

899
00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:13,880
And he never looked back again. 
And he had an incredibly 

900
00:58:13,880 --> 00:58:17,480
fruitful, powerful ministry that
touched the world. 

901
00:58:19,720 --> 00:58:23,400
Here's a personal story. 
I met with a young man after a 

902
00:58:23,400 --> 00:58:25,320
meeting. 
He came up to me. 

903
00:58:25,320 --> 00:58:28,000
They didn't preach on anything 
to do with this, but he 

904
00:58:28,000 --> 00:58:31,240
expressed one of his struggles, 
particularly in the sin, self 

905
00:58:31,240 --> 00:58:33,760
gratification, watching things 
that he shouldn't have watched. 

906
00:58:35,200 --> 00:58:36,840
And he asked me, do you have any
counsel? 

907
00:58:38,280 --> 00:58:41,080
And I believe in precautions. 
I believe in what Jesus said. 

908
00:58:41,080 --> 00:58:43,160
If your right hand causes sin, 
cut it off. 

909
00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:45,640
If your right eye, pluck it out.
I believe in preventative 

910
00:58:45,640 --> 00:58:48,240
measures, wise, simple, basic 
things that you got to do. 

911
00:58:48,240 --> 00:58:50,400
But I, I love to get quick to 
that point. 

912
00:58:51,440 --> 00:58:53,280
Listen, brother, your soul is 
hungry. 

913
00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:57,000
You're looking for satisfaction 
and you're, you're after cheap 

914
00:58:57,120 --> 00:58:59,120
substitutes. 
You got to diagnose yourself 

915
00:58:59,120 --> 00:59:02,480
honestly. 
And you need to get before God 

916
00:59:03,240 --> 00:59:06,000
and you need to ask God to 
satisfy you or else you will not

917
00:59:06,000 --> 00:59:10,360
survive. 
I gave him a few verses, prayed 

918
00:59:10,360 --> 00:59:12,720
with him there, left the 
conversation at that. 

919
00:59:14,080 --> 00:59:17,520
A few months later I get a text 
and this is what I received. 

920
00:59:17,960 --> 00:59:23,480
Brother, it worked, it worked. 
I'm free. 

921
00:59:24,080 --> 00:59:26,600
I never knew that I can enjoy 
God like this. 

922
00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:29,880
I never knew that it could 
deliver me like this. 

923
00:59:30,640 --> 00:59:35,160
And I thought, yes, it does work
because it's God's word now. 

924
00:59:35,160 --> 00:59:38,840
Maybe a fight, maybe you 
struggle, but you can't afford 

925
00:59:38,840 --> 00:59:41,680
to give in. 
You can't afford not to fight. 

926
00:59:42,120 --> 00:59:45,480
He's there with you if you fear 
him, He'll give you everything, 

927
00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:47,320
including victory over sexual 
sin. 

928
00:59:47,760 --> 00:59:50,440
Let's pray. 
We do. 

929
00:59:50,440 --> 00:59:54,560
Thank you for this day, Lord. 
We sense your grace. 

930
00:59:54,560 --> 00:59:57,560
We feel equipped even now as we 
fellowship. 

931
00:59:58,480 --> 01:00:01,560
May we fellowship with hearts 
that are full, believing that 

932
01:00:01,560 --> 01:00:04,160
you loved us so much that you 
have given us this warning. 

933
01:00:04,160 --> 01:00:06,920
You've reminded us of this. 
And so, Lord, we will not 

934
01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:09,800
disregard this, We will not 
disregard you, but we will 

935
01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:11,560
realize that you've given us 
your Holy Spirit, and you've 

936
01:00:11,560 --> 01:00:14,360
given us your people filled with
the Holy Spirit to also help us.

937
01:00:14,880 --> 01:00:18,880
So Lord, even at this place as a
church, may purity reign, may we

938
01:00:18,880 --> 01:00:21,360
respect boundaries. 
May we honor one another. 

939
01:00:21,360 --> 01:00:23,160
May we honor each other's 
spouses. 

940
01:00:23,400 --> 01:00:26,320
May we live in holiness. 
May we see even your wisdom in 

941
01:00:26,320 --> 01:00:29,000
the fact that you call us to 
call one another brothers and 

942
01:00:29,000 --> 01:00:33,480
sisters for a reason. 
So we pray that in this place we

943
01:00:33,480 --> 01:00:36,920
would not excel merely in the 
Word and having testimonies of 

944
01:00:36,920 --> 01:00:41,400
transformation, Lord, that we 
would also excel in the will of 

945
01:00:41,400 --> 01:00:44,320
God, our sanctification and 
sexual purity. 

946
01:00:44,800 --> 01:00:47,600
We ask for that. 
Bless our fellowship, bless the 

947
01:00:47,600 --> 01:00:51,080
food that we are going to eat, 
and bless our lives as we try to

948
01:00:51,080 --> 01:00:54,880
keep in step with Your Spirit. 
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.