The Model Life: Abstinence, Part 2

Take your Bible if you would please and turn to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 We're gonna look once again at the first eight verses the model life.

What does it mean to live a model? Life, we're gonna give you six Characteristics through chapter 4 and chapter 5 that will describe that for you. And the first one is abstinence 1st Thessalonians 4 3 is the injunction where Paul says these words for this is the will of God Your sanctification that is that you abstain from sexual Immorality the model life is marked by a life of abstinence having nothing to do with sexual immorality That's the Key characteristic of a life that models for others how to follow Christ our Lord is pure and spotless and blameless he redeemed us so that we too would be pure spotless and and blameless and Yet somehow we we find it so very difficult to follow this injunction We find it so hard to be able to look at the situation and say this is wrong We find ourselves even in the church Engaging in all kinds of immoral Behavior Back in the in the 50s a former professor of Harvard University Dr.

Petraeum Sorokin Said these words in his book called the American sex revolution He said the sex drive is now declared to be the most vital mainspring of human behavior in The name of science. It's full of satisfaction as urged as a necessary condition of man's health and happiness Sex inhibitions are viewed as the main source of frustrations Mental and physical illness and criminality Sexual chastity is ridiculed as a prudish superstition nuptial loyalty is stigmatized as an antiquated hypocrisy Sexual profligacy and prowess are proudly glamorized The tradition or the traditional quote child of God created in God's image is turned into a sexual apparatus powered by sex instinct preoccupied with sex matters aspiring for in dreaming and thinking mainly of sex relations Sexualization of human beings has about reached its saturation point our civilization Has become so preoccupied with sex that it now oozes from all the pores of American existence So true and that was in the mid 50s years ago But way before that Even Solomon Engaged in all kind of sexual fantasies and You would think of all people.

He would have learned not to do that. I Mean after all he wrote this book called the Song of Solomon When he was devoted to his at that time only one wife and Then he wrote this great Instruction to his son in the book of Proverbs To help him understand the the importance of maintaining purity and holiness and the fear of the Lord But somehow between the book of Proverbs and the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon didn't even learn from his own words Which were of course not really his words, but the inspired Word of God He said these words in the book of Ecclesiastes The second chapter verse number one He says I said to myself Come now.

I Will test you with pleasure So enjoy Yourself Well, why would Solomon speak to himself? And not anybody else That's because Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived Who's more wise and Solomon? answer nobody So who's he gonna talk to? Who's gonna receive counsel from? But himself So he says to himself I will seek pleasure I Would do all I can to pleasure myself he said these words in verse number 10 of chapter 2 all That my eyes desired. I Did not refuse them. I Did not withhold my heart From any pleasure For my heart was pleased because of all my labor and This was the reward for all my labor Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done in the labor, which I had exerted and behold all was vanity and Striving after the wind and there was No profit Under the Sun He said I I didn't withhold from myself any pleasure now think about Solomon.

He could do this Because he had all the money you could imagine all the gold you could ever imagine He had all the power and all the authority you can ever imagine. He's the king of Israel He could do whatever he wanted so he decided that he would withhold no pleasure Under the Sun from himself and so he gauged in everything he possibly could Only to find that it was only vanity emptiness No fulfillment No joy And no satisfaction But we read that and we don't believe that Because we see we think somehow that my pursuit of pleasure Will bring me joy and satisfaction Although it didn't bring it to Solomon and Solomon could have learned this from his father David the King of Israel From his affair his adulterous affair with Bathsheba You would think that Solomon would learn from that example and say you know what my dad made a huge error Why because the sword never left his home?

His family was always in turmoil simply because he chose to fulfill his desires his pleasures Anyway that he wanted to with Bathsheba My mother he was already married Solomon didn't learn Paul and his letter to the Corinthians would tell about The sins of Israel and say there were 23,000 killed because of their immoral behavior and he wanted the Corinthians to learn But they didn't learn You think that all Israel would learn from Hophni and Phinehas the two sons of Eli in first Samuel chapter 2 When they would be involved in sexual relations with at the at the temple doorway And they were killed because of their disobedience to God in his word You Would think that we'd learn from the examples that were before us and came before us that we might learn to say you know What I don't want to go down that path But we haven't learned Or we haven't listened very well, and we think that somehow my circumstances are different things will be different from me But the Word of the Lord stands true The marriage bed is undefiled but fornicators and adulterers God will Judge Believer or unbeliever So what there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

That's right. He didn't say God's gonna condemn you He said God's going to judge you How does God do that could be in various ways? Could be in different shapes and forms It could be through a physical disease It could be through the loss of a child like David and Bathsheba It could be Because of emotional stress it could be because of all kinds of issues that God would pass judgment upon you because you've sinned against him in such a Heinous way you joined his body his body To a harlot And that will cost you But yet we still don't believe that in fact Paul would would say these words Galatians chapter 6 do not be deceived Do not be deceived God is not mocked For whatever a man sows this he will also reap For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption But the one who sows to the Spirit Will from the Spirit reap eternal life Don't be deceived Don't be self-deceived or don't be deceived by anyone else Thinking that the consequences of sin do not apply to you.

They do God is not mocked Forgiveness is always available, but forgiveness never negates consequences Ask David King David, right? Ask anybody in in the Old Testament or New Testament God freely forgives the repentant, but it doesn't mean that you are free from the consequences of Your sin it was Randy Alcorn who said these words God's commands are written in stone Can you Break them without they're breaking you Violating God's sexual standards is like violating the law of gravity It has a way of catching up with you The law is applied regardless of who believes in them and who doesn't the unbeliever lives in the same moral universe God's universe as The believer and is therefore liable to the same moral laws One need not believe in the law of gravity To be subject to it And that's true.

And so we are all subject to the same standards in Scripture Solomon would speak very wise words to his son in fact Turn back with me if you would to the book of Proverbs the sixth chapter and before Solomon ever embarked on this journey To do everything he could under the Sun to fulfill his fantasies and That's what the record of Ecclesiastes is all about. We've been studying that on Wednesday nights He wrote the most profound words a father could ever write to his son. He says these words Proverbs 6 verse number 20 my son observed the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother bind them Continually on your heart tie them around your neck when you walk about they will guide you when you sleep They will watch over you when you awake They will talk to you For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light and reproofs for discipline are the way of life Verse 24 to keep you from the evil woman from the smooth tongue of The adulterous Do not desire her beauty in your heart nor let her capture you with her eyelids for on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread an adulterous Hunts for the precious life Then he has two rhetorical questions Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?

Or can a man walk on hot coals? And his feet not be scorched so is he who goes into his neighbor's wife Whoever touches her will not go unpunished Verse 32 The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense He would destroy himself does it Wounds and disgrace he will find And his reproach will not Be blotted out So solomon makes it very clear to a son You engage in this kind of behavior Sexual sin outside the the marriage bed outside the realm in which god Created it to be pleasurable and enjoyable I mean after all god is the creator of sexual intimacy, right?

He designed it for the marriage bed but outside of that the consequences are are long lasting Oh, you might not read the consequences immediately Or within a few weeks or a few months But the consequences will always come that's what moses said book of numbers be sure your sin Will find you out but but solomon wasn't done Solomon couldn't withhold the exhortation He couldn't sit back and say okay, this is enough He's like the apostle paul when he says in first thessalonians 4.

I know I told you this already I know i've already warned you about this. I know i've already given you this command about sexual purity But let me give it to you again Because I don't want you to miss it It's so profound.

It's so important To your spiritual walk to your purity to your blamelessness to your holiness So you go to chapter 7 of proverbs He reiterates my son keep my words and treasure my commandments within you keep my commandments and live in my teaching As the apple of your eye bind them on your fingers write them on the tablet of your heart Say to wisdom you are my sister and call understanding Your intimate friend that they may keep you from an adulteress From the foreigner who flatters With her words My son tie it all around your heart Bind them on your soul Understand the implications of all the teaching and the commandments that I give you because they're going to protect you They're going to help you in life so he says For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice I saw among the naive discerned among the youths a young man lacking sense Passing through the street near her corner.

He takes the way of her house In the twilight in the evening in the middle of the night and in the darkness and behold a woman comes to meet him dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart She is boisterous and rebellious Her feet do not remain at home She's now in the streets Now in the squares And looks lurks by every corner So she seizes him and kisses him With a brazen face. She says to him I was due to offer peace offerings today. I have paid my vows therefore I've come out to meet you To seek your presence earnestly.

I have found you I've spread my couch with coverings with colored linens of egypt I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh aloes and cinnamon come Let us drink our fill of love until morning Let us delight ourselves with caresses For my husband is not home He has gone on a journey He's taken a bag of money with him At the full moon he will come home With her many persuasions she entices him With her flattering lips. She seduces him Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool Until an arrow pierces through his liver as a bird hastens to the snare So he does not know that it will cost him his life Now therefore my sons listen to me And pay attention to the words of my mouth Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways Do not stray into her paths For many are the victims she has cast down And numerous Are all her slain Her house Is the way to sheol Descending to the chambers Of death Solomon Could not help But explain to his son the dangerous journey of sexual sin and yet he was not even a a wise listener to his own words As he engaged in sexual pleasure Later in life as the book of ecclesiastes records Is it any wonder that?

We today don't listen to the words of solomon. We should But we don't the consequences are Are devastating Many of you have experienced those consequences within your family or with your friends You know the heartache it brings the pain the sorrow the sadness the shame All those things all wrapped up in sexual immorality So paul gives this injunction This is the will of god Even your sanctification That is that you abstain have nothing to do With sexual immorality So the question comes how does that happen?

I want to give you some principles that will help you in your journey principles that I adhere to In principles that I have taught over the years Principles that help explain what god wants us to do That we might abstain from that which is evil Which is wrong Principles that will guide your everyday thinking they're taken from first thessalonians chapter 4 so It's going to be very easy for you to follow All you have to do is write the word abstain down the left hand side of your page And i'm going to make this as clear and as concise and as simple and as profound as possible That will help you As your pastor i'm concerned about your purity more though more so than anything else Because your purity affects our church's purity, right?

One sinner destroys much good And so we want you to be clean we want you to be pure we want you to pursue those things So, how do we do that? From the injunction You move to the instruction From the instruction we'll move to the implications That will be next week But what does or what are the instructions? That will lead us to a place where we are able to abstain From sexual immorality principle number one is this aspire To please god only and always that's the first principle Aspire to please god only And always That's what paul says He says very clearly these words finally then brethren we request and exhort you in the lord jesus that as you receive from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God Just as you actually do walk That you excel still more We've given you commands We've given you instruction on how to walk and please god what your daily conduct should look like in order for it to be pleasing to god But we want you to excel even more in your effort and your desire to please him So in order for me to abstain from sexual immorality, I must aspire to please God only and always That's very important Because you find that when you're tempted in sin your desire is to please who yourself Right, but if your aspiration is to please god only and always You're on your way to abstaining from sexual immorality Paul would say in second corinthians 5 verse number 9.

I make it my ambition to please him my ambition And because it's my ambition To please him. I want you in desolate thessalonia To please him as well in john 8 29 The lord jesus said That it is His desire to only please The father christ ministry was about pleasing the father And if we want to be like christ we want to be in pleasing mode By honoring the lord and pleasing him the bible says in first john chapter 3 Verse 22 whatever we ask we receive from him because we keep his commandments And do the things That are pleasing In his sight John says when you go to prayer You know that you have what you ask Because you obey the commands of god and you do those things that are that are pleasing to him You want to honor him?

And glorify his precious name Paul would say over in the book of colossians the first chapter He said in verse number nine for this reason also since the day we heard of it We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding So you will walk in a manner worthy of the lord To please him in all respects again paul emphasizes The aspiration and ambition to please The lord paul would say in the book of galatians the first chapter If I do not seek the pleasure Of lord or if I do seek to please man I will not please The lord and so we aspire then To please the lord the bible says in colossians 3 verse number 20 Quite interestingly for those of you who are children Be obedient to your parents and all things for this is Well-pleasing To the lord Children are to be obedient to their parents doesn't say be obedient to your saved parents Just be obedient to your parents for this is well pleasing to the lord Sometimes our parents put restrictions on us that we don't like But when you obey them It's pleasing to the lord Because you're submitting to god's ordained authority over your life on earth And it brings pleasure to the one Who ordained it?

Notice also the book of romans romans chapter 8 Paul says these words in verse number five for those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh But those who are according to the spirit the things of the spirit For the mind set on the flesh is death but the mindset on the spirit is life and peace Because the mind is set on the flesh is hostile toward god For it does not subject itself to the law of god For it is not even able to do so For those who are in the flesh cannot please God It's impossible for the unbeliever to please him Because he doesn't want to obey the commands of god Doesn't want to honor god Therefore it's impossible for the unbeliever to please him It's only possible for the believer So you have to ask this question If you want to abstain from sexual immorality, do you have an aspiration to please god only and always Because if you don't it could be that you don't even know the lord Because all you're interested in is pleasing yourself Isn't it interesting that paul goes on to say these words?

In first thessalonians chapter 4 He says That each one of you know how to possess his own vessel and sanctification and honor Not lustful passion like the gentiles who do not know god And that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter Because the lord is the avenger of all these things in other words don't defraud Your brother In the matter of sexual immorality Because you see if you commit sex outside of marriage you defraud your brother Or your sister, what does it mean to defraud?

It means to selfishly Greedily Gain something at someone else's expense selfishly or greedily attempt to gain something at someone else's expense Selfishness Taking advantage of someone else is defrauding your brother Taking advantage of someone for your own personal pleasure Is defrauding your brother? And how many times does that happen? So you're in a relationship And you don't want to displease the person in the relationship So you seek to please that one instead of the lord and thus defraud Your brother think about it this way Jesus said in matthew chapter 18 Be careful Be careful That you do not cause one of these little children of mine a believer to stumble For it will be better for you that a millstone were hung around your neck And you were thrown in the depths of the sea Than for you to defraud a brother To cause another brother To stumble he says it would be better for you to die a horrible death Just think about a millstone being hung around your neck and tossed into the sea I can't think of a worse way to die except maybe being burned to death And jesus says it'd be better for you to die a horrible death than then to cause One of these little ones to stumble then to defraud Fraud To treat someone else selfishly for your own personal gain It'd be better for you to die a horrible death than to do that.

Do you aspire to please? god only and Always Solomon ecclesiastes 2 said I I set my mind for pleasure I'm going to please myself That was his desire and he was the wisest man who ever lived and yet All he could think of was himself so today We have to realize That there is Fleshly lusts which wage war against your soul first peter 2 11 That's why peter says abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against your soul There is a war going on So if you don't aspire to please god only and always You will succumb to temptation and fall by the wayside That's principle number one Principle number two Gets a little more graphic For principle number two is this Begin Bodily discipline As necessary for personal holiness begin right now today bodily discipline as a necessary As necessary for personal holiness Again paul 1st.

Thessalonians 4 says this in verse number four Each Of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and in honor You need to know how to possess how to gain control how to gain Mastery over that's what the word possessed means Over your own vessel your own body. So therefore you must begin bodily discipline immediately Because you got to know how to possess your own body Why because listen sexual immorality Is no one else's problem but yours You can't blame it on anybody else This is your choice This this is what you have done and paul says there's no one else to help you in this You are all alone You got to take ownership.

We don't want to take ownership today. We all want to play the victim, right? Paul says you got to take ownership. This is you You need to know how to possess your own body because nobody else is going to help you possess your own body No one else is going to help you discipline your own body. You have to do it It's like it's like you began the year exercising getting your gym membership Nobody else is going to help you exercise Nobody else is going to lose your weight Nobody else is going to build your muscles.

It's all on you. You got to take ownership and now as the 19th of january is upon us. Most of you have already fallen by the wayside It's just too much work too much effort too much sweat Well, if you think that's effort and sweat Engage in bodily discipline for the purpose of godliness It's a hundred times harder than going to the gym Because you're at war and you have to discipline your body and it's all on you I can't discipline your body for you You have to do it Turn to first corinthians 6 First corinthians chapter 6 Paul says in verse 12 all things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

I'm not a victim paul says Nothing can master me i'm not going to let it master me see People who claim to be victims Have allowed themselves to be mastered Paul says I will not let anything master me Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but god will do away with both of them What does that mean? That was just a pithy saying that they had That the food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food it's all biological As opposed to sex is for the body and the body is for sex Because that's the context of first corinthians chapter 6.

It's all about immorality and your body see and so they would say that sex is for the body and The body's for sex like food is for the stomach and stomach is for the food. It's just a biological thing We're just further along the food chain from from animals and we we've just gotten deeper into this whole thing And and so it's just a biological effect Paul says no it's not that's why he says yet. The body is not for immorality But for the lord and the lord is for the body Your body is not for this Your body is for the lord verse 15, do you not know that your bodies are members of christ Shall I then take away the members of christ and make them members of a prostitute may it never Be why Because I will not be mastered by anything I am going to possess have mastery over my own body See the problem is the body Is unredeemed.

That's why paul says in romans 8 we are looking for the redemption of our bodies, right? Those lustful passions those desires those those drives are ingrained within us That's why james Says it this way james chapter 1 Each one is tempted When he is carried away And enticed by his own lust Then when lust has conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death Do not be deceived my beloved brethren. This is how it happens Each man is tempted when he's drawn away by his own lusts his own passions his own desires his own body his own emotions his own feelings And when that lust is conceived it gives birth to sin And sin when it's accomplished brings forth death the wages of sin is what death Not necessarily physical death, but a death-like existence There are a lot of people who engage in sexual immorality who live a death-like existence because there's just no life to them Because the consequences of their sin so paul says I I will not be matched by anything In fact he says in chapter 9 these words 1 corinthians 9 verse number 27 But I discipline my body He said verse 26.

Therefore. I run in such a way as not without aim I box in such a way as not beating the air, but I discipline or buffet my body and make it my slave It means to to to blacken the eye The word to buffet or to discipline I discipline my body And make it my slave. I I I bring my body into slavery So that after I have preached to others I myself will not be disqualified paul knew Paul knew that to engage in any kind of sexual behavior would disqualify him permanently from any pastoral ministry and it does Unfortunately, most churches don't believe that today, but that is what first corinthians 9 is teaching he do He did not want to be disqualified And so he would beat his body black and blue not literally Punch himself, but it was all about bodily discipline.

That's why he says the first 74 for seven and eight that bodily exercise profits little But godliness is profitable for all things.

So discipline yourself unto godliness right So paul says I bring my body under subjection. You see what happens is that you get involved in a situation where all of a sudden sexual emotions begin to rise at such a level that you're They overtake your mind. That's why paul says be renewed in the spirit of your mind That's why he says in romans 12 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of god that you present your bodies a living sacrifice Holy acceptable unto god, which is your logical form of worship And that you be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god.

This is the will of god for you And that is that you have been renewed in the spirit of your mind So that you're able to know right from wrong discern between good and evil And make the right choice Before your lusts and your passions get so involved in the relationship and in the situation that you your body overtakes your mind And you fall prey to sexual immorality That's what Solomon would say in proverbs 4 23 guard your heart For out of it flow all the wellsprings of life Guard it with all diligence your heart and your mind One of the same in jewish terminology As a man thinks in his heart So is he right?

So someone says guard your heart Protect it with all diligence That's the thinking center of your life Guard it in such a way that you're able to protect Your life That's why job said I have made a covenant with my eyes Not to look lustfully upon a woman job 31 one It promise Covenant Because you need to be renewed in the spirit of your mind You see there's there is a battle for your mind and you must be strong in heart and mind Steadfast in heart and mind Because it's a protective element for you Unlike anything else I have sat and talked with men over the years Who have been engaged in sexual immorality outside of marriage had affairs with their wives And I always ask the same question What Were you thinking the answer is always 100 I was not thinking That's because they weren't They weren't thinking Didn't you think about your marriage your wife You didn't think about your children Before you jumped into the sack.

Didn't you think about your future? Do you think about your purity? Didn't you think about god? You think about your holiness? You think about those things Answer always no Why? Because they had not gained mastery over their own vessel That's what paul says you want to stay for sexual immorality you got to gain mastery over your own body your own vessel He goes on to say these words. He says very clearly Not in lustful passion like the gentiles who do not know god they can't do it But you can You can't why because your body is the temple of the holy spirit You have been bought with the price You are no longer your own you've been purchased by the blood of the lamb God resides in you see And because god resides in you you don't want to join that body to anything that would cause there to be a problem in that relationship with the lord this is so important Because there are so many people today in our churches That play around with sin Don't think the consequences will ever touch them think that they can get away with this or with that but you can It will catch up to you sooner Or later Therefore paul says look i've told you this But i'm gonna drive it home one more time Because I never want you to forget it Because when I was with you, I I commanded you when I was with you I instructed you when I was with you.

I told you how to walk and how to please god, but I want you to excel all the more And you walk with the lord And as you do know this This is the will of god for your life, even your sanctification that you abstain from sexual immorality How How by aspiring to please? God only and always by at this very moment beginning bodily discipline As necessary for your own personal holiness Because he says very clearly it's about sanctification and honor Being set apart from the world It's not honoring the lord And because you're already walking and pleasing god.

I know you want to excel even all the more That's where it begins As far as we got today so how How do I bring my mind So that it is able to have mastery over the body gotta come back next week Let's pray Father god, we thank you for today This is such a a serious issue in the church of jesus christ You know lord You know the ones even in our assembly That have engaged in immoral behavior or are doing so even as we speak You know them I do not know them But you do But yet I pray for them That god they would be convicted And they would learn to abstain From that which is harmful to their lives Lord you have been very clear You don't mince words You don't speak with forked tongue You don't deceive You make it very clear Very simple very plain And yet lord we find ourselves Not listening very well Forgive us Maybe we all be better listeners May we heed Your word The blessing always comes in obedience it always does There is such great blessing in obeying the commands of god And you said that your commands are not burdensome They don't weigh you down To obey them is is very freeing So I pray lord for every one of us in this room You guard us protect us watch over us Help help all of us or to realize that that no matter what sin we have committed you forgive You are a forgiving god All we have to do is go to you and and repent and seek forgiveness and you grant it For that we are so grateful lord That we might live lives that are pure and holy before you That's what we want to do individually that's what we want to do corporately as a church So we're asking you to use your word through your spirit in our lives That we might truly glorify your precious name Not just this day But all throughout this week the rest of this month the rest of this year And the rest of our lives until you come again as you most surely will in jesus name, amen