God's Design for Sex

Rules of engagement:

1. Honor the Lord (Jn. 13:35; Col. 4:6)

2. Commit to learning together (listen to understand, not respond)

3. Be respectful of one another

4. Believe the best in one another, not the worst

Sermon Notes

I. God’s ______ for sex (Genesis 1:28; 2:23-25; Heb. 13:4)

A. For _______ (Gen. 2:23-25)

B. For ___________ (Gen. 1:28)

C. For ________ (Heb. 13:4)

II. Sex is destructive _______ marriage

A. Sex outside marriage leads to _____ (Prov. 5, 6, 1 Cor. 6)

B. ____ is heart adultery (Matt. 5:27-30)

III. The Christian _______ (1 Thess. 4:3-7)

A. Keep away from ______ immorality (v. 3)

B. Control our _____ (v. 4-7)

1. In ______ (v. 4)

2. In _____ (v. 4)

3. As those who ____ God (v. 5-7)

Going Deeper

1. Read Genesis 2:15-25. When the man is placed in the Garden what does God say about the man being alone? What does God do to remedy this problem?

2. Gen. 2:24 records the first marriage in history. How has God designed marriage to be according to this verse?

3. Read Gen 1:28. What did God create sex for? How is this forgotten in our culture today?

4. God created sex for marriage. Read Hebrews 13:4.Because God designed human marriage and its sexual intimacy to illustrate his exclusive covenant love for his people, he will jealously defend its precious purity (read Ezekiel 16; Eph. 5:22–33). Sexual union (lit., “the bed”) within the covenant of marriage is “undefiled.” (ESV Expository Commentary)

5. Tim Keller says, “Because we are saved into an exclusive, permanent, covenantal union, sex is only for those within marriage.” What objections might people have to this statement?

6. What is freedom? For those living in the third world (the secular world) – a world which denies any sacred order and whose only authority is the authentic self - freedom is the absence of restrictions. Is this freedom? Why or why not?

7. 1 Cor. 6:18 says, “avoid sexual immorality.” To go deeper, read Matt. 15:19; Mark 7:21; Acts 15:20; Romans 1:29; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 13:4.Tim Keller says of this command in 1 Cor. 6:18:“Paul did not merely say, ‘It’s a good idea to avoid porneia as much as you can.’ He says, flee it – stay free from it at all costs.”Why should we avoid sexual immorality (porneia)? What does this look like in your life?

8. Read 1 Cor. 7:2-5. What is this passage saying about a husband and wife and their bodies? How might this be applied in everyday life (not just referring to sex)?

9. Read about the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:1-21. What did the Council determine about what Christians should avoid? Followers of Jesus (Jews and Gentiles) must avoid porneia (sexual immorality)!

10. Read Matthew 5:27-30. What is Jesus’ instruction on lust?“The first longitudinal study on porn found that men who start watching porn after they marry are twice as likely to divorce. Other studies found that watching porn actually shrinks the brain and reduces neural activity. There is now firm data showing that porn is addictive, it leads to violence, it destroys relationships, it feeds sex trafficking and prostitution.”-Nancy Pearcey

11. Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7. What is God’s will for us? What are some ways you will avoid sexual immorality this week?What are some ways you will control your body this week? In holiness, honor and as those who know God?

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