1 00:00:01,400 --> 00:00:03,700 Growing up. One of the family Staples, that 2 00:00:03,700 --> 00:00:07,000 the Hensel household was watching the Ian Fleming James 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:12,700 Bond movies. Roger Moore is my James Bond 4 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:16,600 followed by Pierce Brosnan. You can think Daniel Craig or 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:18,500 Sean Connery. And you have every right to be 6 00:00:18,500 --> 00:00:23,300 wrong, that's just how it is. And in between fight scenes and 7 00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:27,800 saving the world in every movie, there was the sheet scene. 8 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:35,000 And my dad every time that she'd seen took place would take his 9 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,100 glasses off. My dad can't see past his nose. 10 00:00:38,100 --> 00:00:42,600 When he takes his glasses off, and he wouldn't put them back on 11 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:47,100 until the music changed in the dialog resumed. and he would 12 00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:53,300 expect me to close my eyes but since He took his glasses off. 13 00:00:53,300 --> 00:00:57,400 He couldn't see. And I had 20/15 vision. 14 00:00:58,900 --> 00:01:03,400 I remember going over to Matt's house, he was on him and I were 15 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,500 on the same baseball team. His dad was the coach. 16 00:01:07,300 --> 00:01:11,500 We went down into the basement. He rifled around and he grabbed 17 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:15,100 some a VHS tape and he put it in the VCR. 18 00:01:16,700 --> 00:01:22,800 And the images. That came across the screen. 19 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,700 I was not prepared for. I found myself excited, I find 20 00:01:27,700 --> 00:01:32,800 myself intrigued it, showed in detail, what the James Bond 21 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,900 movies implied. I also felt dirty and ashamed. 22 00:01:38,500 --> 00:01:42,100 I was confused. My coach seemed like such a nice 23 00:01:42,100 --> 00:01:45,800 guy. How could he have something like 24 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,900 that in his house? It didn't feel, right? 25 00:01:49,700 --> 00:01:53,800 I remember going to a construction site trailer and 26 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,600 sing the very first calendar where it seems like the the days 27 00:01:57,600 --> 00:01:59,600 on the calendar. Don't matter at all. 28 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:04,100 The in the internet came out and we would go over to my friends 29 00:02:04,100 --> 00:02:05,500 house. You was the first one to have an 30 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:09,699 internet connection and over the course of about 2 to 7 minutes, 31 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:13,100 it would download any image that you typed in. 32 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,300 And then we would wait to see what it would produce. 33 00:02:18,100 --> 00:02:21,700 I remember Twitter and Instagram and interacting with them, and 34 00:02:21,700 --> 00:02:24,800 realizing quickly, that if I was not careful, these platforms 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,300 could be incredibly dangerous because I could readily see 36 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:35,300 pictures that I Probably don't want to see and shouldn't see. 37 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:38,200 I haven't met actually not too long ago. 38 00:02:38,900 --> 00:02:41,600 I I'm so cool. And I think you guys know this, 39 00:02:41,700 --> 00:02:43,600 I watch farming videos on YouTube. 40 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:48,900 Yeah, it's really how cool I am like late. 41 00:02:48,900 --> 00:02:52,000 And I'm like, I think I should check up on the farmers and one 42 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,300 of the farmers I watch goes by the big Swede and so I was like, 43 00:02:56,300 --> 00:02:59,000 you know what, I should follow him on Instagram and so I type 44 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:08,800 in on Instagram, b.i.g. swe, and then It auto filled, sweet, big 45 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:13,700 sweet. And then a whole well, I 46 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:18,500 remember Game of Thrones coming out and it was all the rage and 47 00:03:18,500 --> 00:03:21,500 like many of you, I got swept up going bull. 48 00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:25,000 Let's see what this is about. And I love the story line. 49 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:32,500 But over time the images and the sexual scenes in, that were way 50 00:03:32,500 --> 00:03:36,500 more than I was prepared for and I kept trying to figure out how 51 00:03:36,500 --> 00:03:39,200 I was going to navigate each episode. 52 00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:43,300 I was hooked with the storyline, but it was becoming difficult to 53 00:03:43,300 --> 00:03:46,600 fast-forward and still not see images that would be forever 54 00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:50,600 forged in my brain. I eventually realized for me, I 55 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,100 just could not in my own heart, keep watching One More episode, 56 00:03:54,100 --> 00:03:56,700 so I have no clue. Who is still alive. 57 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,900 What happened happens in the subsequent Seasons, how it all 58 00:03:59,900 --> 00:04:01,700 ends. I'm hoping the dragons do 59 00:04:01,700 --> 00:04:06,400 something, cool. Today, I want to talk to you 60 00:04:06,500 --> 00:04:10,000 about porn. I want to welcome you from all 61 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,600 of our different locations online and inside those of you 62 00:04:13,608 --> 00:04:16,600 joining for the first time or the first time in a long time, 63 00:04:16,700 --> 00:04:21,399 you have to know this. I am so glad that you are here. 64 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:23,500 There might be some of you right now who are going. 65 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:26,000 I can't believe this is the service. 66 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,500 I brought my friend to some of you. 67 00:04:28,500 --> 00:04:31,500 You might be thinking of all the weeks that I finally came back 68 00:04:31,500 --> 00:04:34,100 to church. Why this one? 69 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:37,300 Some of you might be thinking, no, wonder my wife wanted me to 70 00:04:37,300 --> 00:04:38,900 come to church today. Coming. 71 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:40,700 Nobody knew that this week was coming. 72 00:04:41,900 --> 00:04:46,600 You have not been duped, but I'm so glad that you are here. 73 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,900 I want you to push past all of those thoughts and just hang 74 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:52,500 with me for just a little bit, even if you're not a Christian 75 00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:56,900 yet, because I believe that today could be a defining moment 76 00:04:56,900 --> 00:04:59,400 in your life. That it could drastically. 77 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,900 Change your health in all kinds of areas, mentally physically, 78 00:05:02,900 --> 00:05:06,600 sexually relationally, and emotionally here at the 79 00:05:06,608 --> 00:05:07,700 Crossing. You've heard us say this a 80 00:05:07,700 --> 00:05:10,300 bunch. We believe that God's way is the 81 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,700 best way. Any area of your life and we 82 00:05:13,700 --> 00:05:18,300 believe that God has a plan a way for you and I to live and 83 00:05:18,300 --> 00:05:22,200 that that way will be the very best way that you could possibly 84 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:27,200 live every area of your life including sex. 85 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,400 Another phrase we use around here a lot, is this one? 86 00:05:34,100 --> 00:05:38,100 We want to be in your corner. And today, if you would allow 87 00:05:38,100 --> 00:05:42,200 me, I'm going to put on like my very best pastor hat. 88 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,500 And I want to be in your corner. I want to be in your corner. 89 00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:49,500 Rooting for you, encouraging. You equipping you to live and 90 00:05:49,500 --> 00:05:56,400 experience God's best for you. And what I want you to know is 91 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:01,700 that porn robs you of God's best for you. 92 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,900 I was I have a team of people that I get together with every 93 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:09,000 so often to kind of flesh out some of the sermon series that 94 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,400 we go on. And when we got to this 95 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:16,900 particular sermon, though the room was divided and I was not 96 00:06:16,900 --> 00:06:20,500 prepared for this. There was a group of people in 97 00:06:20,500 --> 00:06:24,400 the room who, when I said things, like people know that 98 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,400 porn is wrong. They were like, yeah, of course 99 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,000 they do. That's why, you know, people 100 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,300 don't invite people over to watch it with them, you know? 101 00:06:32,700 --> 00:06:34,500 They're not like, hey, you want to come over today? 102 00:06:34,700 --> 00:06:36,700 7:00. We'll watch some porn together. 103 00:06:36,700 --> 00:06:39,300 People, don't do that least. I don't think they do. 104 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,000 There's a reason why we keep it from our kids. 105 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,600 It's a reason why we usually do it alone and in Dark Places and 106 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,200 we don't want other people to find out. 107 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,500 And I think that as people start to be more aware of the impacts 108 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:57,200 of porn and how it affects us mentally and psychologically, 109 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,000 and all these different areas as leadership, experts, come out 110 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,100 and start talking about it. IT professional athletes leading 111 00:07:04,100 --> 00:07:08,400 comedians who are all saying, yeah, I'm stopping porn because 112 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,600 it has been disrupting my life. And it is incredibly dangerous. 113 00:07:11,900 --> 00:07:13,700 That people are starting to wake up to. 114 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:20,700 This is not a great way to live but then on on our staff there 115 00:07:20,700 --> 00:07:24,600 was a group of people in the room and they were going. 116 00:07:24,900 --> 00:07:28,100 I'm pretty sure our people don't know that it's bad. 117 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:32,100 So then I'm sitting there like well depending on your audience, 118 00:07:32,100 --> 00:07:35,200 how you approach this sermon drastically changes if people 119 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:38,000 know it's wrong and they just need some help versus people who 120 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,000 don't know, it's wrong and they need convinced. 121 00:07:42,200 --> 00:07:45,500 And they started telling me horrible stories, they would 122 00:07:45,508 --> 00:07:48,200 tell me stories, that they've heard that people are going to 123 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,800 marriage counselors and marriage. 124 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,600 Counselors are encouraging for them to watch porn. 125 00:07:54,700 --> 00:07:56,900 Trying to get the wires to understand that this will be a 126 00:07:56,900 --> 00:08:03,600 good thing for her husband to participate in. and I'm Going, 127 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,600 how? They're telling me stories of 128 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:12,200 young women in our church in our junior, high or not know Junior 129 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:15,300 High and high school. And in our Collective, age range 130 00:08:15,300 --> 00:08:19,300 or young adults, who have accounts where people pay to 131 00:08:19,300 --> 00:08:23,900 access pictures, they take of themselves and that the girls 132 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:28,400 justify their behavior because of the innocent nature of the 133 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:35,200 pictures. which, I understand it from their perspective, like, 134 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,100 you know, I'm just showing them pictures of my feet. 135 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,299 But on a deeper level, they don't realize that they are 136 00:08:42,299 --> 00:08:46,500 indeed selling themselves. They're contributing to the 137 00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:50,200 objectification of women, they're participating and 138 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,000 pushing forward. A narrative that women are to be 139 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:57,500 consumed instead of image, bearers of God to be cherished. 140 00:08:58,900 --> 00:09:02,000 Some of you, you're in a spot where you just turn a blind eye 141 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,000 at the behavior of your spouse, or you turn a blind eye, to the 142 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:10,200 behavior of your kids. At least he's having sex with 143 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:12,600 himself. At least, she's just fooling 144 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,500 around with herself and not getting pregnant by some high 145 00:09:15,500 --> 00:09:19,500 school college. Fling, others tend to operate in 146 00:09:19,500 --> 00:09:22,300 complete ignorance or remain passive because they would just 147 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:29,000 rather not know But a recent survey demonstrates in Christian 148 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,700 circles. So if we were to call you all 149 00:09:30,700 --> 00:09:32,700 Christians, which one of my favorite things about the 150 00:09:32,700 --> 00:09:33,800 crossing is, there's lots of you. 151 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,000 Listen to me, who aren't Christians and that makes my 152 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,000 heart so happy. But let's just assume everybody. 153 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:45,100 Here is a Christian in Christian circles. 64% of Christian men, 154 00:09:45,100 --> 00:09:50,000 consume porn monthly, Six out of ten. 155 00:09:51,300 --> 00:09:57,700 Women, 15% of Christian women consume porn monthly. 156 00:09:59,900 --> 00:10:02,600 Now, everybody just stay looking at me because I want you looking 157 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:04,100 around and make anybody feel bad. 158 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:13,600 If you're a male between the age of 18 and 30, 79% of you are 159 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:20,600 consuming porn monthly. This is a huge problem and you 160 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:24,000 might be wondering, how does this happen? 161 00:10:25,100 --> 00:10:28,000 How do we find ourselves in this spot? 162 00:10:28,500 --> 00:10:29,700 Super easy. Let me tell you. 163 00:10:29,900 --> 00:10:32,700 John 10:10. This is Jesus talking. 164 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:36,600 The thief comes only to steal. Kill and destroy. 165 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,900 He's talking about Satan. You and I we have an enemy. 166 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,600 And he is trying to steal from you, kill you and destroy you. 167 00:10:45,900 --> 00:10:50,000 But I this is Jesus have come that they may have life and have 168 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:55,100 it to the full. God has a best way for you A 169 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:59,400 life to the full but Satan is trying to steal from you. 170 00:10:59,700 --> 00:11:02,000 Kill from your kill you and destroy you, you have a 171 00:11:02,008 --> 00:11:03,800 marriage. He wants to destroy it. 172 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:07,900 He wants to kill it. He wants to steal the intimacy 173 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,300 and the Joy from it. You have a parenting 174 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:15,000 relationship, you have kids that you want to nourish and grow in 175 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,100 the Lord. He wants to steal as much as he 176 00:11:17,100 --> 00:11:21,000 can from that he wants to kill, whatever is good and growing and 177 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:26,200 godly he wants to destroy their future, you and I have an enemy. 178 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:35,400 and so, when it comes to sex, Satan uses sex and pornography 179 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,000 to break up families to impact your health to rewire your brain 180 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:41,600 spiritually. He uses pornography to create 181 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:45,400 barriers to you Understanding God's best for you and his love 182 00:11:45,500 --> 00:11:48,500 and the ability for you to receive his grace and mercy 183 00:11:48,500 --> 00:11:51,900 relationally. It burns shame which leads to 184 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:55,000 isolation because if anybody finds out the things that I type 185 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,300 in, how could they ever be closer to me? 186 00:11:59,500 --> 00:12:02,900 Well then how do we find ourselves trapped with the 187 00:12:02,900 --> 00:12:08,000 battle with pornography? Well, James chapter 1 tells us 188 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,000 when tempted, no one should say. God is tempting me. 189 00:12:12,100 --> 00:12:17,500 So real quick. When you are tempted to engage 190 00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:22,600 in, pornography this is not God made you do it. 191 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000 This is not, you know he's just checking to see how serious I 192 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:30,500 am. No, no, no one should say, God 193 00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:32,200 is tempting me. God, had nothing to do with 194 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,200 this. For God, cannot be tempted by 195 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,200 evil. Nor does he tempt, anyone? 196 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,400 Let's keep going in the text, but each person that's you, and 197 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:47,100 me is tempted, when they are dragged Away by their own evil 198 00:12:47,100 --> 00:12:51,700 desire and enticed, then after desire has conceived, it gives 199 00:12:51,700 --> 00:12:55,700 birth to sin and sin when it It is full-grown gives birth to 200 00:12:56,300 --> 00:12:58,000 death. Let me unpack a little bit more 201 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,600 of this. This is what it says here, but 202 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:03,100 each person is tempted when they were dragged away and enticed. 203 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,200 If you go to the original languages, you know what these 204 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,100 words are? They're fishing terms? 205 00:13:10,100 --> 00:13:13,300 Have you guys ever been fishing? This will be helpful. 206 00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:19,300 This is what happens. Satan gets out his little his 207 00:13:19,300 --> 00:13:20,500 little Tackle Box. All good. 208 00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:22,000 Fishers have a little tackle box. 209 00:13:24,900 --> 00:13:27,400 And then he's like I'm going to go fishing for somebody today. 210 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,100 And he decides to go fishing for you and then he reaches inside 211 00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:38,200 of his little lures and he finds what will make you bite? 212 00:13:39,300 --> 00:13:42,400 And then he I've not a good fisherman, okay? 213 00:13:42,700 --> 00:13:44,200 So just bear with me. Those of you who are wearing 214 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:49,700 camo and he throws it. Out there. 215 00:13:49,700 --> 00:13:55,700 And then you are just going about your Right. 216 00:13:56,300 --> 00:14:02,400 And then you see this little worm, just whoa. 217 00:14:05,900 --> 00:14:08,300 And then Satan just watches the little sin bobber. 218 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:18,900 Oh, we've got a bite. We've got a nibble. and then, 219 00:14:21,300 --> 00:14:23,300 He's got you. Some of you. 220 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:25,500 You've been deep, sea fishing. I went deep sea fishing. 221 00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:28,600 I didn't catch anything. Not a thing. 222 00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:32,000 I paid 250 bucks to just see the coast for like two miles. 223 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,600 It was horrible. Not a thing, not a thing. 224 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:36,700 I say must be the biggest scam when I retire. 225 00:14:36,700 --> 00:14:38,300 I'm just gonna be a deep-sea fishing guy. 226 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:43,000 It was just go out there. $250. Well, catch you something not. 227 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:44,800 I didn't even get a, hold of Pol II. 228 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,000 It was so, I got, I got robbed. Okay. 229 00:14:47,500 --> 00:14:50,500 And but the other people told stories of what happened when 230 00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:53,700 they when they paid and you'll catch one. 231 00:14:53,700 --> 00:15:00,100 And then the line goes out. And sometimes we're looking at 232 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:04,400 porn and we take it. And we keep swimming. 233 00:15:05,300 --> 00:15:10,800 Nothing bad's happened. But that eventually they and 234 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:15,200 they start to reel you in. Some of you you've been fishing 235 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:17,500 and they didn't just like take the bait. 236 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:21,000 They like swallowed it all. It's all the way down in their 237 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,600 stomach. And when we interact with 238 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,400 pornography, what happens is, this Satan is getting his hooks 239 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,700 in US. And Maybe not immediately, maybe 240 00:15:30,700 --> 00:15:34,200 not right away, but eventually he pulls us into the boat 241 00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:38,500 fillets us. Robs us of everything, it just 242 00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:40,400 leaves us the shell of who we used to be. 243 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,500 And this sin when it is full-grown it leads away and it 244 00:15:45,500 --> 00:15:51,100 gives birth to death. There was a guy at one of our 245 00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:55,000 locations who helped me finish the changing rooms in the 246 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,700 baptistry. He was an incredible guy. 247 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:00,600 I loved hanging out with them. Things were going good. 248 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,200 He was pursuing God in his life and then one day the FBI raided 249 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,100 his house and took all of his devices and he was charged with 250 00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:12,600 possession of child pornography. Oh, I didn't start there over 251 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,300 time. The videos that he was watching 252 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:19,100 weren't satisfying him as much as they should and so it grew a 253 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:23,400 little bit darker and a little bit darker and a little bit 254 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,600 darker and then eventually, he found himself in a place. 255 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,800 He never would have imagined faced with the reality of how he 256 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,700 had somehow been rewired to find enjoyment from the oppression 257 00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:46,400 and abuse of the innocent. God has a better way for you and 258 00:16:46,400 --> 00:16:49,200 I to live. This is what it is. 259 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,500 First Thessalonians, as for other matters, brothers and 260 00:16:52,500 --> 00:16:56,600 sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God. 261 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:01,100 He has a plan that is good for us, but it also allows us to 262 00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:04,099 please God. If you have a desire to please 263 00:17:04,099 --> 00:17:06,700 God with your life. If that is, like one of the 264 00:17:06,700 --> 00:17:10,000 things that's a priority for you, this is what it looks like. 265 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:14,500 As in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in 266 00:17:14,500 --> 00:17:18,300 the Lord Jesus to do this more and more he's saying, hey God 267 00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:21,700 has a plan for your life when you follow this plan, it pleases 268 00:17:21,700 --> 00:17:24,300 God, and we just want to tell you, keep it up. 269 00:17:24,700 --> 00:17:28,900 Do this more and more. Let's keep going for, you know 270 00:17:28,900 --> 00:17:31,300 what instructions, we gave you by the authority of the Lord 271 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:33,700 Jesus. You remember what we told you to 272 00:17:33,700 --> 00:17:38,300 do, and how to do it, but in case you forgot it is God's, 273 00:17:38,300 --> 00:17:42,900 will that you should be. I defied that you should avoid 274 00:17:42,900 --> 00:17:46,900 sexual immorality. Sanctification, is you moving 275 00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:52,800 from a life of sin to being more like God, it's moving away from 276 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,900 your sin and becoming more like your savior, that is the process 277 00:17:56,900 --> 00:18:01,500 of you being sanctification. You are being molded into a more 278 00:18:01,500 --> 00:18:06,800 christ-like person that if Jesus had control over all the areas 279 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,800 of your life, you would become more and more like Like Jesus, 280 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:16,400 that would be sanctifying you. And then this thing right here, 281 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:21,300 avoid sexual immorality, sexual morality, the Greek word for 282 00:18:21,300 --> 00:18:26,200 this is poor Nia. You didn't even know this. 283 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:30,700 You already knew Greek. Yeah, poor Nia. 284 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:36,400 Now let me be clear about what sexual immorality is sexual. 285 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:42,000 Immorality, is any sexual behavior that is outside of a 286 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,400 man and woman inside of marriage. 287 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,300 So what does that mean? It means having sex with 288 00:18:50,300 --> 00:18:55,100 somebody who's not your spouse. Means having sex with her 289 00:18:55,600 --> 00:19:01,000 boyfriend or a girlfriend or a side piece, it means logging on 290 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,100 and following people, you shouldn't follow on social media 291 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,800 because of what you get to stare at its websites that you log 292 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,400 onto its videos. You watch its pictures you share 293 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:16,700 with other people. It is calendars hanging on your 294 00:19:16,700 --> 00:19:20,500 garage wall. It's movies and yes, it's 295 00:19:20,500 --> 00:19:26,200 romance novels. but Clayton, my husband's not super romantic and 296 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:31,000 so I'm able to Our urges, let's keep going the text. 297 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:36,100 That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way 298 00:19:36,100 --> 00:19:42,700 that is Holy and honorable. So my my body should exhibit 299 00:19:42,700 --> 00:19:45,600 self-control. We get self-control through the 300 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,400 fruit of the holy spirit. So when you're a Christian, you 301 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,800 receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which allows you to fruit 302 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,300 that it produces in your life is self-control. 303 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,200 So the holy spirit will enable you to live a life where you are 304 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,300 controlled in a way that is Holy and Abel. 305 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:08,600 Not in Passionate lust like the pagans which is their word for 306 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,300 non-christians, people who don't know. 307 00:20:10,300 --> 00:20:13,200 Jesus don't follow Jesus, haven't surrendered their life 308 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:18,100 to Jesus, who do not know God. Here's what he's saying, because 309 00:20:18,100 --> 00:20:21,100 we have the power of the holy spirit in our lives, were 310 00:20:21,100 --> 00:20:26,500 governed by different things. We're governed by God's will not 311 00:20:26,500 --> 00:20:32,100 by our passions, not by our Cravings, not by our urges. 312 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,000 But look, man, pagans are going to be pagans people who don't 313 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,900 know. Jesus are going to be like 314 00:20:38,900 --> 00:20:41,800 people who don't know. Jesus, which makes sense. 315 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:44,700 How can you expect someone to live for God? 316 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:47,000 If they don't believe in God? How can you expect someone to 317 00:20:47,300 --> 00:20:49,300 have the fruit of the spirit in their life if they don't have 318 00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:52,500 the spirit in their life? But he's going but here's what 319 00:20:52,500 --> 00:20:56,300 definitely shouldn't happen. People who know better and have 320 00:20:56,300 --> 00:20:59,300 the power by the Holy Spirit to live better shouldn't be 321 00:20:59,300 --> 00:21:01,900 exhibiting the same. Behaviors, people who don't and 322 00:21:01,900 --> 00:21:07,500 who can't, let's keep going. And that in this matter, no one 323 00:21:07,500 --> 00:21:13,600 should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. 324 00:21:15,500 --> 00:21:17,100 I'm going to circle back to that just a second. 325 00:21:17,100 --> 00:21:20,400 The Lord will punish All Those who commit such sins, as we told 326 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,000 you and warned you before. Let's keep going in the text for 327 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:29,100 God did not call us to be a but to live a holy life, he's giving 328 00:21:29,100 --> 00:21:32,700 you an eye a different standard. Therefore anyone who rejects 329 00:21:32,700 --> 00:21:36,700 this instruction does not reject a human being, you're not 330 00:21:36,700 --> 00:21:39,200 rejecting me. These aren't my words. 331 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:44,100 You're rejecting God. The very God who gives you his 332 00:21:44,100 --> 00:21:46,900 interestingly enough, the Holy Spirit. 333 00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:51,000 Now when it says that we should not wrong or take advantage of 334 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,400 our brothers and sisters, here's what I need you to know. 335 00:21:55,300 --> 00:21:59,500 When you are consuming pornography, you are taking 336 00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:09,800 advantage of somebody. Would you watch porn? 337 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:15,100 If it was your sister? Would you watch porn if it was 338 00:22:15,100 --> 00:22:18,200 your daughter? Would you go? 339 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:21,900 Well I mean you know she's an actor she gets paid for it or 340 00:22:21,900 --> 00:22:25,500 would your heart be breaking and going what happened? 341 00:22:25,500 --> 00:22:28,600 That put this person in this spot where they would allow 342 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,100 themselves to become a commodity, what kind of pain, 343 00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:33,500 what kind of Brokenness, what kind of experience leads a 344 00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:35,700 person to displace occupationally? 345 00:22:36,700 --> 00:22:40,500 And when we consume, we become participators in their 346 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:45,800 oppression, And some of you right now, you're going okay, 347 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,000 real cool Clayton. So this is God's plan, this is 348 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,300 God's standard and I've already messed up. 349 00:22:51,300 --> 00:22:53,400 So what do you do? If you've already messed up or 350 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:58,300 you are struggling a lot in this area, to be honest with you, 351 00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:01,300 some of you right now, you're a little frustrated, not 352 00:23:01,300 --> 00:23:03,700 frustrated at me, although some of you might be some of you 353 00:23:03,700 --> 00:23:06,200 right now are going actually, I'm pretty ticked, but I'm 354 00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,200 pretty ticked at God. He made me this way. 355 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,600 He put all these passions inside of me these urges on me. 356 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,900 What do I do with all of this? And I'll be honest with you. 357 00:23:16,908 --> 00:23:21,800 Clayton I've tried to quit. I've even prayed to quit. 358 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,700 I've been showing up for church. That's not helping. 359 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:28,700 I've been reading my Bible and I'm still struggling. 360 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,100 I've been praying about it, still struggling and some of 361 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:32,500 your like, you know what I'll do. 362 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,800 Once I get married, I'll be fine. 363 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:38,400 Because all married people do is make money. 364 00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:42,300 I cook and have sex and then you find yourself in your marriage, 365 00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:44,900 do you find out that? Once sheets the wedding cake. 366 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:47,300 Lot of her sexual desires, leave. 367 00:23:49,100 --> 00:23:52,800 And now you find yourself married and you're like, I 368 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,500 thought that she was going to be the one who fixed all this for 369 00:23:55,500 --> 00:24:03,400 me. And she's crocheting. and so now 370 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,500 you're going well since she's not available to me, I'll just 371 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:15,100 Or some of you ladies because he's not, I'll just and some of 372 00:24:15,100 --> 00:24:17,200 you, you're trying to compete with what you're seeing on the 373 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,700 screen, but there's not an airbrushed version of you. 374 00:24:22,700 --> 00:24:25,500 And you're not willing to do the things that are on the videos, 375 00:24:25,500 --> 00:24:28,700 because no one's paying you stupid amounts of money to do 376 00:24:28,700 --> 00:24:32,300 those things. And so now you find yourself in 377 00:24:32,308 --> 00:24:35,900 a marriage and your marriage hasn't fixed it. 378 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:42,700 And so you cry out to God again, and yet you still wrestle. 379 00:24:44,900 --> 00:24:47,700 Here's what you need to know every person who wrestles with 380 00:24:47,700 --> 00:24:52,700 pornography on some level is dealing with a wound that needs 381 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,100 healed. Someone somewhere along the line 382 00:24:56,100 --> 00:24:59,500 was inappropriate with you hurt, you or expose you to something 383 00:24:59,500 --> 00:25:02,600 that you should have never seen planted images in you, that you 384 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:07,500 should have never been seen. And now you have to live with 385 00:25:07,500 --> 00:25:12,400 those So, what I want to do is, I want to give you a three-point 386 00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,600 plan to navigate this challenge in your life and in your 387 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,100 marriage. The first two, you're going to 388 00:25:19,108 --> 00:25:20,900 be like, okay, I can live with this. 389 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:26,600 This third one, you're going to be like, So just let's just do 390 00:25:26,608 --> 00:25:28,200 the first two. Let's see how we're doing. 391 00:25:28,700 --> 00:25:31,400 The first one is when it comes to pornography, when it comes to 392 00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:38,100 Temptation the Bible tells you don't resist run, don't resist 393 00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:40,200 run. Look what it says in Corinthians 394 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:44,500 flee from sexual immorality, all the other sins, a person commits 395 00:25:44,500 --> 00:25:48,000 are outside the body but whoever sins sexually sins against their 396 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,100 own body. Do you not know that your bodies 397 00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:54,100 are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have? 398 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:58,900 Received from God, you are not your own. 399 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:04,200 You do not belong to you. We belong to God. 400 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,800 We were bought at a price. What was the price that was 401 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,400 paid? God sent his one and only son to 402 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:12,200 die on the cross. We were purchased by the blood 403 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,300 of Jesus, we no longer belong to ourselves. 404 00:26:14,300 --> 00:26:15,700 We belong to him and his kingdom. 405 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,300 Therefore, since God, owns US honor God with our bodies, but 406 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:24,900 the first part of this is fully Some of you you're trying to 407 00:26:24,908 --> 00:26:29,300 resist it instead of run from it and when you try to go 408 00:26:29,300 --> 00:26:32,100 toe-to-toe with Satan, you will lose. 409 00:26:35,100 --> 00:26:38,100 He just wants you to keep looking at the bait in the water 410 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,200 fixate on the bait, in the water. 411 00:26:41,500 --> 00:26:44,500 Somebody's what Jesus is saying? No, you see that bait in the 412 00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:48,200 water. You run get away as fast as you 413 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:53,000 possibly can. Because that's one of the 414 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:56,800 challenges is porn is easy. Sex is hard. 415 00:26:59,100 --> 00:27:04,100 And the more you stay around pornography, the more you try to 416 00:27:04,100 --> 00:27:08,800 fight it the more you fixate on it, the more it has you Satan is 417 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:13,600 happy just distracting you. What he's calling you to do is 418 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:17,000 when you are navigating this turn and run, get yourself out 419 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:23,300 of that environment. Number to establish strong 420 00:27:23,300 --> 00:27:28,100 safeguards, How many of you locked your house last night 421 00:27:28,100 --> 00:27:31,900 before you went to bed? Okay, how many of you locked 422 00:27:31,900 --> 00:27:33,400 your car? You beep beep that when you're 423 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,600 walking in the church today? It's a lot of you. 424 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,200 Leave your cars unlocked. Hope you're still there. 425 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,000 Yo, I haven't heard too many stories of cars being stolen in 426 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,600 our parking lot but you locked it anyway and I get it some of 427 00:27:46,608 --> 00:27:49,400 your like I see some of the people come to church and I'm 428 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:50,600 locking it. I get it. 429 00:27:50,700 --> 00:27:52,800 I get it. Okay, we love them but God bless 430 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:56,100 them but we're locking the car. You want to know why you do 431 00:27:56,100 --> 00:27:57,500 that? Is you lock up? 432 00:27:57,500 --> 00:28:01,400 What's important to you? You put safeguards in place 433 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,500 around things that matter to you. 434 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,500 So, when it comes to your Purity, lock it up. 435 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:14,100 Put some safeguards around it. I've never met somebody who's 436 00:28:14,100 --> 00:28:16,400 like, I wish I had less safeguards in my life. 437 00:28:17,700 --> 00:28:20,500 I wish they'd safeguards there's making me too safe. 438 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,500 The other day I was working on my home. 439 00:28:23,500 --> 00:28:26,100 I saw, I was like, I got to take this Safeguard off. 440 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:29,700 And all week, you've been trying to count to 10 and can't get 441 00:28:29,700 --> 00:28:33,900 there. I'll tell you what some of your 442 00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:36,700 you're working on your song. Now I can't tell anybody that 443 00:28:36,700 --> 00:28:40,300 they're a bad driver. I'm in a seriously, bad spot. 444 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,500 These safeguards right? I bet they were wishing. 445 00:28:45,500 --> 00:28:47,100 I wish I had the safeguards back. 446 00:28:48,900 --> 00:28:51,400 What are safeguards? Craig groeschel says that this 447 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:52,800 way. He's, I love the way he says it. 448 00:28:53,100 --> 00:28:56,100 Why would I resist a Temptation in the future? 449 00:28:56,800 --> 00:28:59,500 When I have the power to eliminate it today? 450 00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:04,400 Here's what that would mean. Give over your passwords set, 451 00:29:04,700 --> 00:29:06,700 accountability software on your devices. 452 00:29:06,700 --> 00:29:10,200 If you click on the QR code that you have in front of you, at all 453 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:12,500 of our locations, go to the reclaim sermon series. 454 00:29:12,500 --> 00:29:14,200 Go all the way down to the sermon on porn. 455 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:16,400 There are some different places that you can go to get 456 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,100 accountability software and it will help you. 457 00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:22,300 It will help you put safeguards in place to keep you from. 458 00:29:22,300 --> 00:29:24,200 Looking at things, you shouldn't look at. 459 00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:27,900 It will help you not just run. It will also put safeguards in 460 00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:35,300 place, everybody's good so far. number 3, confess it That's the 461 00:29:35,300 --> 00:29:37,300 third thing. You got to do, you got to 462 00:29:37,300 --> 00:29:39,000 confess it, and there's two groups of people. 463 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:41,600 You have to confess it to the first group of people, you have 464 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,900 to confess it to is God, like that's dumb because God already 465 00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:47,700 knows everything that I do. Anyway. 466 00:29:47,700 --> 00:29:50,300 Why do I have to tell him if he already knows? 467 00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:52,000 Welcome here. Look at this. 468 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,600 So I'm 32 blessed, is the one whose transgressions are 469 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:59,700 forgiven, whose sins are covered. 470 00:29:59,700 --> 00:30:02,700 So who ever experienced this forgiveness and this covering 471 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:04,500 their a blessed person. Let's keep going. 472 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:09,100 Blessed is the one whose sin. The Lord does not count against 473 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:12,300 them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 474 00:30:12,300 --> 00:30:15,600 So there's a blessing. When God doesn't count your sins 475 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:17,600 against you? How do we get that? 476 00:30:17,700 --> 00:30:21,000 Let's keep going when I kept silent. 477 00:30:22,900 --> 00:30:26,000 My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 478 00:30:26,500 --> 00:30:28,400 Let's keep going for day and night. 479 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,400 Your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped, as In 480 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:37,900 The Heat Of Summer, then I look what changes, then I 481 00:30:37,900 --> 00:30:42,400 acknowledged my sin to you. This is God and did not cover up 482 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,800 my iniquity. I said, I will confess my 483 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:51,300 transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the guilt of my sin. 484 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:55,400 That's how good your It is when you confess it, he'll forgive 485 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:56,500 it. You don't believe me. 486 00:30:56,600 --> 00:31:00,200 Let me give you another one. Proverbs 28, whoever conceals 487 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:04,100 their sins does not Prosper. If you're here today and you're 488 00:31:04,100 --> 00:31:07,400 wanting to prosper in this area of your life, check this out, 489 00:31:07,500 --> 00:31:12,800 but the one who confesses and renounces them finds Mercy. 490 00:31:13,500 --> 00:31:15,100 You might be here today and you're going to man, not only, 491 00:31:15,100 --> 00:31:18,200 do I need forgiveness. I could also use some mercy on 492 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,400 what, you know, when you confess it to God. 493 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:24,100 That is what you will get. But if you still don't believe 494 00:31:24,100 --> 00:31:26,500 me, let me take you to First, John, 1:9 to show you. 495 00:31:26,508 --> 00:31:31,400 How good our God is. If we confess our sins, he Jesus 496 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:35,000 is faithful. And just, and will everybody say 497 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,900 this word? Say it like we didn't have a 498 00:31:37,900 --> 00:31:40,600 time change. Say it like I'm a better 499 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:45,200 preacher. He will forgive us, our sins and 500 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,000 purify us from all unrighteousness. 501 00:31:48,300 --> 00:31:52,800 Look at how good your God is. He says, if you bring your sin 502 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,400 to me, you acknowledge your sin to me. 503 00:31:55,700 --> 00:31:59,000 I will give you Mercy. I will prosper you. 504 00:31:59,100 --> 00:32:02,500 I will cover up your transgressions, and I will 505 00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:05,900 forgive you. And if you are stuck in a battle 506 00:32:05,900 --> 00:32:08,700 with pornography, this is your plan. 507 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:13,100 You Get to Jesus. But you have to confess it to a 508 00:32:13,108 --> 00:32:19,500 second group of people. You have to confess it to God's 509 00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:23,900 people. And some of you are going, nope. 510 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,900 I was right there with you. Until that come here. 511 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:33,700 Look at this James 5:16, therefore confess your sins to 512 00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:37,100 each other and pray for each other. 513 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:44,600 So that you may be Healed. The prayer of a righteous person 514 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,700 is powerful and effective. This is an old preacher saying 515 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:54,500 we get forgiveness of our sin from God but we get healing from 516 00:32:54,500 --> 00:32:57,800 our sin by confessing it to his people. 517 00:33:00,300 --> 00:33:03,400 God's plan is not for you to suffer in silence or for you to 518 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:08,000 just let God know he wants you to let somebody know. 519 00:33:10,500 --> 00:33:12,400 That's why Community is so important. 520 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:14,700 You're going to be people that you can be honest with and that 521 00:33:14,700 --> 00:33:17,300 can help you. Some of you this weekend you're 522 00:33:17,300 --> 00:33:19,000 going to have to be honest with your husband's. 523 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:22,100 Some of you you're going to have to be honest with your wive's, 524 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:27,900 some of you are going to need to be Honest with somebody before, 525 00:33:27,900 --> 00:33:32,000 you're honest with your wife. Because you're going, she is not 526 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:35,900 going to take this news. Well, And let me just speak to 527 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,100 if you're a person who they're going to talk to this weekend, 528 00:33:39,500 --> 00:33:40,500 here's what I want you to hear me. 529 00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:44,100 Say I know that it is painful and it is hard for you to hear 530 00:33:44,100 --> 00:33:45,600 what it is that they are telling you. 531 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,400 I know that there is going to be a perfect picture of your 532 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,200 relationship that you feel just got shattered. 533 00:33:52,700 --> 00:33:57,800 But I also want you to know this that they took a big bold faith 534 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:00,600 statement to let you in on their battle. 535 00:34:02,500 --> 00:34:07,200 They had a choice. And they chose to tell you 536 00:34:08,100 --> 00:34:16,100 because they want healing. And God has forgiven you. 537 00:34:19,100 --> 00:34:23,000 And we need to work hard to take the grace that he has given to 538 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,199 us. And passed on to the people 539 00:34:26,699 --> 00:34:30,699 around us for those of you who are getting ready to stop 540 00:34:30,699 --> 00:34:35,600 looking at pornography, I want you know you are in for an 541 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:38,100 uphill battle. It's going to take about three 542 00:34:38,100 --> 00:34:41,600 months for you to return to normal week one. 543 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,500 You're going to have dramatic mood swings and you're going to 544 00:34:43,507 --> 00:34:47,100 go through a dopamine nosedive. This is chemical. 545 00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:50,100 You're going to deal with increased anxiety and a lot of 546 00:34:50,107 --> 00:34:53,100 headaches, you're going to be hypersensitive to lustful 547 00:34:53,100 --> 00:34:56,000 thoughts weeks. One through three, your 548 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,700 motivation and energy levels are going to drop off. 549 00:34:58,900 --> 00:35:02,500 You're going to make you might find yourself experiencing zero, 550 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:06,500 sexual urges weeks four through eight, you're going to be a 551 00:35:06,500 --> 00:35:09,400 roller coaster of emotions. You're gonna have burst of 552 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:12,800 energy followed by depression and sluggishness and you're 553 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:17,700 going to experience a heightened burst of Temptation, This is 554 00:35:17,700 --> 00:35:21,600 oftentimes where relapse occurs, but hear me beyond the three 555 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,200 months, your body is going to reorient itself. 556 00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:25,700 Self. It's going to begin to heal 557 00:35:25,700 --> 00:35:27,300 itself. You're going to feel more 558 00:35:27,300 --> 00:35:29,800 emotionally. Stable, your focus will sharpen. 559 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,900 Your sex drive, will return your spiritual confidence and your 560 00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:37,500 intimacy will soar and you will begin to feel at peace and whole 561 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:44,600 again, there's hope. One of my favorite stories comes 562 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:50,500 from one of my favorite songs. 2006. 2008, there was a song 563 00:35:50,500 --> 00:35:53,600 written by Michael googly, a Meucci called healer. 564 00:35:55,500 --> 00:35:59,000 Hillsong produced it, it was on when they went on their world 565 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,400 tour. Everywhere you went, you heard 566 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,800 this song? We sang it at this church, the 567 00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:08,200 lyrics of the song, were incredibly powerful and moving, 568 00:36:08,300 --> 00:36:10,300 but what took the song to the next level? 569 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:12,900 Is that Michael googly mooji, the guy who sang, it was also 570 00:36:12,900 --> 00:36:17,600 the one who wrote it. And he wrote it as he was in the 571 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:25,100 midst of a battle with cancer. And so you would see b-roll 572 00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:30,100 while he's singing the song and conferences of him being dropped 573 00:36:30,100 --> 00:36:33,900 off at the hospital and carrying an oxygen tank behind him, and 574 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:37,600 going up into the halls of the hospital to get his treatment. 575 00:36:37,700 --> 00:36:42,400 His head is shaved, he feels looks sunken down. 576 00:36:42,700 --> 00:36:43,700 When they showed pictures of him. 577 00:36:43,700 --> 00:36:45,900 In the green room, he would get up. 578 00:36:45,900 --> 00:36:50,200 And he would put his guitar on and then he would take the hose 579 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,700 for the oxygen and he would put the hose in his nose. 580 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:56,200 And then he grabbed his oxygen tank and he'd walk out onstage 581 00:36:56,200 --> 00:36:59,300 slowly in front of tens of thousands of people. 582 00:36:59,300 --> 00:37:03,800 He would sing the song I Believe You're My Healer. 583 00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:08,100 Some months pass. He gets himself in a car wreck 584 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,900 and he goes to the doctors and while he's there, they find out. 585 00:37:11,900 --> 00:37:16,500 He has no cancer before you clap and get excited. 586 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,000 That's because he never had cancer. 587 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:25,000 He was lying about it the whole time. 588 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:30,600 He was deceiving his family, he deceived the Hillsong church. 589 00:37:30,600 --> 00:37:33,000 He deceived all the people that were singing it. 590 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,500 What actually was discovered as he had a debilitating addiction 591 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:41,400 to porn and the song that he wrote, I believe You're My 592 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:45,400 Healer was actually about his battle with pornography, not 593 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:49,000 about his fake battle with cancer and the moment that 594 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,700 happened, people started to cancel that song all across 595 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:53,800 We're not singing that song Anymore. 596 00:37:55,100 --> 00:37:57,900 But maybe it was a modern day, Psalm 51. 597 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:03,400 That is just an honest confession and deep down inside 598 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,800 while he was in this battle of, with pornography, he was 599 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:10,700 believing deep down inside that God was still his healer. 600 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,100 And the funny thing is is we will sometimes get super excited 601 00:38:15,100 --> 00:38:18,900 about God. Healing people physically and 602 00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:23,400 sometimes he does, and sometimes the answer is, I will heal it 603 00:38:23,500 --> 00:38:28,600 someday in heaven. But there is never a someday 604 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:30,900 when it comes to the healing of sin. 605 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:35,900 It is always today that God always will answer the prayer of 606 00:38:35,900 --> 00:38:40,400 a person who seeks him out and says I have this sin and I need 607 00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:42,700 a savior. That answer is always. 608 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,500 God is on his way, right? Then right there in that moment, 609 00:38:46,500 --> 00:38:48,000 you don't have to wait a couple weeks. 610 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,000 You don't have to wait to Circle back with a doctor. 611 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:53,900 God always takes people's sin and he always heals it. 612 00:38:53,900 --> 00:38:57,800 And that is why we focus. And glory in the cross that when 613 00:38:57,800 --> 00:39:01,000 we confess it, he is faithful to forgive it. 614 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:03,900 And I hope you hold on to that promise as we go to this time of 615 00:39:03,900 --> 00:39:10,900 decision. To those of you in here today or 616 00:39:10,900 --> 00:39:13,500 watching online, who don't have a relationship with Jesus, I 617 00:39:13,508 --> 00:39:17,000 need you to hear me say this. Jesus is indeed our healer. 618 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:19,000 There is no problem that he can't solve. 619 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:21,700 There is no sin that he can't save. 620 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:27,000 And I want you to know that you can trust him with your life 621 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:31,600 because he has a good and beautiful plan for you. 622 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,100 And if you could fix you, you would have already fixed you. 623 00:39:37,700 --> 00:39:40,400 But the enemy that you are fighting in the battles that you 624 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,400 are wrestling. In the struggles that you are 625 00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:46,700 navigating, can only be dealt with through the power and the 626 00:39:46,700 --> 00:39:51,600 blood of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of his holy spirit. 627 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:54,800 And you gain both of those things. 628 00:39:56,300 --> 00:39:59,900 The Redemptive power of Jesus's blood and the empowerment of the 629 00:39:59,900 --> 00:40:03,800 Holy Spirit, when you become obedient to Jesus in the area of 630 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:07,600 baptism, when you began, what we call here at the Crossing and 631 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:10,200 intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 632 00:40:10,900 --> 00:40:14,400 And so today, if that's where you find yourself, I want to 633 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,900 tell you in just a few moments. When the people around you are 634 00:40:16,908 --> 00:40:19,100 standing and singing, there's going to be people over there by 635 00:40:19,100 --> 00:40:22,000 the baptistry, who would love a chance to talk with you and pray 636 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,600 with you about how to start that. 637 00:40:25,300 --> 00:40:27,900 To the rest of you in the room. To those of you who have a 638 00:40:27,900 --> 00:40:32,200 relationship with Jesus Christ, we have got to live a life that 639 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:35,600 reflects this that we have been set apart that we are different. 640 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:39,000 That our aim is to live a holy and honorable life and to not 641 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,300 take advantage of her brothers and sisters. 642 00:40:42,700 --> 00:40:45,000 The weird thing, you might be thinking in your mind right now, 643 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,100 if you've been coming to The Crossing for a long time, it's 644 00:40:47,100 --> 00:40:51,400 how is Clayton going to do a plane landing about porn because 645 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:54,600 we usually tell people come up to the steps. 646 00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,800 And who's going to walk up to the steps on porn weekends? 647 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:06,300 Yeah, I mean we say nobody's looking but I mean, I think we 648 00:41:06,300 --> 00:41:11,300 know Some of your like he's at the steps again. 649 00:41:11,400 --> 00:41:14,200 Interesting. I know judges. 650 00:41:22,300 --> 00:41:27,400 I know in a room, this size. There are some of you who all 651 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:29,100 you want to do is be at the steps. 652 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:35,300 You've battled for so long. You're tired of the shame. 653 00:41:35,300 --> 00:41:38,000 You're tired of the sickness, you're tired of the guilt. 654 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,000 You're tired of the images. You're tired of the battle. 655 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:43,200 You're scared out of your mind about how you're going to talk 656 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,300 to your spouse. You're worried as all get-out 657 00:41:45,300 --> 00:41:48,300 about confessing it to somebody else and getting the help and 658 00:41:48,300 --> 00:41:50,100 the hope that you desperately need. 659 00:41:50,100 --> 00:41:54,000 And all you want to do is be up here at the steps and get down 660 00:41:54,000 --> 00:41:58,300 on your knees and beg for God to do a work and at the same time, 661 00:41:58,300 --> 00:42:00,400 you know, you desperately want to be there. 662 00:42:00,500 --> 00:42:02,900 Where you're going? There's no way I can take that 663 00:42:02,900 --> 00:42:07,000 walk. So, how are you going to get up 664 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:08,400 here? I'm going to tell you. 665 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:12,300 We're going to give you a cover. What do you mean? 666 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:16,800 Crossing family. There are people that need to 667 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,900 come to the steps and need to get down on their knees and need 668 00:42:19,900 --> 00:42:22,100 to desperately pray, but the only way they're gonna be able 669 00:42:22,100 --> 00:42:24,800 to do it is if we provide them with cover. 670 00:42:25,100 --> 00:42:27,700 So here's what I'm saying. If you're a leader in this 671 00:42:27,700 --> 00:42:31,000 church, if you're in a life group, if you're a person who 672 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:34,700 gives if you're a mother father granddaughter grandma, would you 673 00:42:34,700 --> 00:42:37,700 come to the steps if you've seen a car drove a car and wish you 674 00:42:37,700 --> 00:42:39,800 had a better car? Would you come to the steps? 675 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:42,700 If you've appreciated a walk underneath the sunshine, if 676 00:42:42,700 --> 00:42:45,300 you've appreciated the Beauty of the Moonlight, which it come to 677 00:42:45,308 --> 00:42:48,000 the steps and provide cover. If you're wearing socks 678 00:42:48,100 --> 00:42:51,400 underwear or wish you were, would you come to the steps and 679 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:54,000 provide them with cover? Because there are people that 680 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:57,300 desperately want to get right with God and they want to come 681 00:42:57,300 --> 00:43:00,300 forward and they want to do battle but they can't because 682 00:43:00,300 --> 00:43:03,300 they're embarrassed and they're scared and they're worried and 683 00:43:03,300 --> 00:43:05,900 there's got to be a church, there's got to be a place that 684 00:43:05,900 --> 00:43:08,800 says we got. Jim will give you the cover will 685 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:11,900 put so many people up here that you could walk up and nobody 686 00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:15,200 would ever know we've. Shoot, you're not alone. 687 00:43:15,300 --> 00:43:19,100 This battle is won by Jesus and we got your back. 688 00:43:19,100 --> 00:43:22,200 Would you stand with me? God to work. 689 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:25,000 I'm praying the same prayer. I pray. 690 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:26,700 Every time I get ready to preach. 691 00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,700 God, I'm nothing the sermons, nothing. 692 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:32,700 This church is nothing unless you're in it. 693 00:43:33,200 --> 00:43:37,200 So got inhabit, this place, inhabit, this moment and do a 694 00:43:37,207 --> 00:43:40,500 work that only you can do and start a fire in this place. 695 00:43:40,500 --> 00:43:42,400 That Satan can't put out in your name. 696 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:43,500 I pray. Amen. 697 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:43,900 Men. Men.