SALVATION AND FAITH SERMONS
Do Not Commit Fornication
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1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
The apostle Paul uses the Exodus event as an analogy. He refers to the crossing of the Red Sea as a baptism. Egypt represents the life of slavery to sin. As pharaoh was the master of Egypt, Satan is the master of the person who is not serving God. The Israelites could not set themselves free from slavery. You cannot set yourselves free from sin. You need a miracle from God.
The Israelites passed through the desert on their way to the promised land. The desert represents our journey through this life on the way to heaven. This world is a moral desert and if we want to pass through to heaven safely we need to rely on God for our physical food and water and our spiritual food and water.
1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Estimates of the number of Israelites who left Egypt run as high as 1. 5 million people. But only two of the adult males who left Egypt arrived in the promised land. Why? The Bible tells us plainly why they did not arrive.
Hebrews 3:15-19 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." 16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
The root of rebellion against God is a lack of faith in God. The fruit of rebellion is a sinful life.
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Paul continues his warning to us who live at the end of time.
1 Corinthians 10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
Paul refers to an event that happened to Israel in the desert just as Israel was about to enter the promised land the first time. By analogy we are on the border of the promised land, heaven. Jesus is about to come to this earth a second time. When He does, He will take the believers to heaven. But the rebels He will leave here in this world as it as dead bodies. Let’s read about the event in the Old Testament in the book of Numbers. Balaam was a hired sorcerer. The king of Moab was Balak. Balak was afraid that Israel would destroy them as they destroyed the Amorites. So he hired someone to curse Israel.
Numbers 22:2-6 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. 4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: "Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! 6 "Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."
But Balak’s plan did not work. Every time Balaam tried to curse Israel, a blessing came out of his mouth. As long as Israel was obedient to the Lord, the powers of darkness have no control over you.
Numbers 24:1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Balaam had to give up his plan to curse Israel. But Balaam did not stop there. He had another plan to defeat Israel and this plan worked perfectly.
Numbers 31:16 "Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
What was the plan? Balaam counseled the Moabites to send women among the Israelites to commit fornication. When Israel sinned then the curse of God came upon them. We read about it in Numbers 25.
Numbers 25:1-3 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.
On the border of the promised land, people began to fall to sexual immorality. Following that came idolatry. One sin led to another until the people were worthy of death.
There are 80 million people living in Turkey today. Surveys show that 97% of them believe in God. But according the Hurriyet Daily News[1], 2 million Turks are watching pornography videos every minute. Among Turks the most popular category is teenagers. That is, Turks who visit porno sites are most often looking for films with sexual activity involving those under the age of 18.[2] There are frequent reports in the news of sexual immorality in our country, even among those who are highly religious. On the most popular porn website in the world the most searched word is lesbian.
We can go on and on listing statistics about sexual immorality and it would not do much more than fill your mind with evil things. What is the solution to the problem? Do warnings about the wrath of God against sexual immorality cause people to stop?
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
The warnings cause people to fear, but fear is a temporary motivator. In a short time the passions of the soul take charge and Satan brings a temptation which people cannot endure. They fall into sin again.
You need help from God to overcome your sexual appetite. Notice that the Bible says that adulterers and homosexuals share the same fate. Some people think that homosexuality is bad but that God will wink at their own heterosexual sins. This is not true.
If you are guilty of sexual lust, whether it is homosexual or heterosexual, you need a power outside of yourself to help you. You cannot overcome your lust by yourself. When you try to overcome by yourself, you fail and you become more frustrated and then abandon God altogether. You don’t need more scolding, you need power. You need to have your previous sins washed away and you need to start a new life with new power. This is exactly what we find in Jesus Christ.
Because when Paul said that adulterers and homosexuals would not inherit the kingdom of God, he did not stop there. He continued.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
You may be filthy now but God can make you clean. Christ died on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins. He offers this to you. You can receive it by believing in Christ for your salvation. God does not promise to give you a new body in this lifetime that cannot fell temptation. That will happen in the resurrection. What God does promise you in this world is power to overcome the temptations you feel.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
The temptations you feel are not unique with you. But God is more powerful than your lust. Just as God worked a miracle to release Israel from slavery, He desires to work a miracle in your life. He wants to give you victory over sexual passions. You cannot do this in your own strength. It will take a very close walk with God to overcome, but you can do it.
I am not talking about religiosity. Many religious people are porno addicts. I am talking about the new birth experience. You must be born from above. You must have the Holy Spirit living inside you. I invite you to take hold of the power of God and live above the worldly lusts. I invite you to higher ground.
[1] http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nid=24620
[2] http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/pornhub-2015-verilerini-acikladi-turkiyenin-pornoyu-nereden-izledigi-ortaya-cikti-40037373
The apostle Paul uses the Exodus event as an analogy. He refers to the crossing of the Red Sea as a baptism. Egypt represents the life of slavery to sin. As pharaoh was the master of Egypt, Satan is the master of the person who is not serving God. The Israelites could not set themselves free from slavery. You cannot set yourselves free from sin. You need a miracle from God.
The Israelites passed through the desert on their way to the promised land. The desert represents our journey through this life on the way to heaven. This world is a moral desert and if we want to pass through to heaven safely we need to rely on God for our physical food and water and our spiritual food and water.
1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Estimates of the number of Israelites who left Egypt run as high as 1. 5 million people. But only two of the adult males who left Egypt arrived in the promised land. Why? The Bible tells us plainly why they did not arrive.
Hebrews 3:15-19 while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." 16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
The root of rebellion against God is a lack of faith in God. The fruit of rebellion is a sinful life.
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
Paul continues his warning to us who live at the end of time.
1 Corinthians 10:8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell;
Paul refers to an event that happened to Israel in the desert just as Israel was about to enter the promised land the first time. By analogy we are on the border of the promised land, heaven. Jesus is about to come to this earth a second time. When He does, He will take the believers to heaven. But the rebels He will leave here in this world as it as dead bodies. Let’s read about the event in the Old Testament in the book of Numbers. Balaam was a hired sorcerer. The king of Moab was Balak. Balak was afraid that Israel would destroy them as they destroyed the Amorites. So he hired someone to curse Israel.
Numbers 22:2-6 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. 4 So Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: "Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! 6 "Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."
But Balak’s plan did not work. Every time Balaam tried to curse Israel, a blessing came out of his mouth. As long as Israel was obedient to the Lord, the powers of darkness have no control over you.
Numbers 24:1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
Balaam had to give up his plan to curse Israel. But Balaam did not stop there. He had another plan to defeat Israel and this plan worked perfectly.
Numbers 31:16 "Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.
What was the plan? Balaam counseled the Moabites to send women among the Israelites to commit fornication. When Israel sinned then the curse of God came upon them. We read about it in Numbers 25.
Numbers 25:1-3 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.
On the border of the promised land, people began to fall to sexual immorality. Following that came idolatry. One sin led to another until the people were worthy of death.
There are 80 million people living in Turkey today. Surveys show that 97% of them believe in God. But according the Hurriyet Daily News[1], 2 million Turks are watching pornography videos every minute. Among Turks the most popular category is teenagers. That is, Turks who visit porno sites are most often looking for films with sexual activity involving those under the age of 18.[2] There are frequent reports in the news of sexual immorality in our country, even among those who are highly religious. On the most popular porn website in the world the most searched word is lesbian.
We can go on and on listing statistics about sexual immorality and it would not do much more than fill your mind with evil things. What is the solution to the problem? Do warnings about the wrath of God against sexual immorality cause people to stop?
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
The warnings cause people to fear, but fear is a temporary motivator. In a short time the passions of the soul take charge and Satan brings a temptation which people cannot endure. They fall into sin again.
You need help from God to overcome your sexual appetite. Notice that the Bible says that adulterers and homosexuals share the same fate. Some people think that homosexuality is bad but that God will wink at their own heterosexual sins. This is not true.
If you are guilty of sexual lust, whether it is homosexual or heterosexual, you need a power outside of yourself to help you. You cannot overcome your lust by yourself. When you try to overcome by yourself, you fail and you become more frustrated and then abandon God altogether. You don’t need more scolding, you need power. You need to have your previous sins washed away and you need to start a new life with new power. This is exactly what we find in Jesus Christ.
Because when Paul said that adulterers and homosexuals would not inherit the kingdom of God, he did not stop there. He continued.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
You may be filthy now but God can make you clean. Christ died on a cross to pay the penalty for your sins. He offers this to you. You can receive it by believing in Christ for your salvation. God does not promise to give you a new body in this lifetime that cannot fell temptation. That will happen in the resurrection. What God does promise you in this world is power to overcome the temptations you feel.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
The temptations you feel are not unique with you. But God is more powerful than your lust. Just as God worked a miracle to release Israel from slavery, He desires to work a miracle in your life. He wants to give you victory over sexual passions. You cannot do this in your own strength. It will take a very close walk with God to overcome, but you can do it.
I am not talking about religiosity. Many religious people are porno addicts. I am talking about the new birth experience. You must be born from above. You must have the Holy Spirit living inside you. I invite you to take hold of the power of God and live above the worldly lusts. I invite you to higher ground.
[1] http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nid=24620
[2] http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/pornhub-2015-verilerini-acikladi-turkiyenin-pornoyu-nereden-izledigi-ortaya-cikti-40037373