Core Scripture: 2 Samuel 11-12 (David & Bathsheba)
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No test or temptation that comes your way is
beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to
remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be
pushed past your limit; He’ll always be there to help you come
through it.”
Lust… it’s not a word you talk about all the time. Heck, it’s not even a word you hear a whole lot about. It’s that dirty old “L” word… reserved for old men and disgusting things to look at. But it’s really a whole lot more simple than that...
Lust is simple a God-given desire that’s gone haywire.
It’s when an attraction that segues into an elicit, sexual action – mentally, physically, or emotionally.
The world wants us to think that lust is this “new thing” that just came into existence. But the truth is – lust has been around forever. It started in the Garden of Eden when Adam looked at that piece of fruit he’d been told not to eat and it still continues on today in a lot of different areas in our lives.
Introductory statements:
a. We’re going to talk about lust in a very straight-forward, Biblical and candid manner. The Bible has some WONDERFUL things to say about lust and we’re going to talk about what it says.
b. The underlying theme of this entire series is hope. That’s what so amazing about scripture – we serve a God who gives us the good news of hope.
LUST IS NOT JUST A “GUY THING”… ladies, you need to understand a man’s sex drive and your own as well!
Lust keeps more people from experiencing the power of God. We can all walk in victory!
4 statements about lust:
- No one is immune from lust… none of us is beyond or above this stuff (it all just depends on the situation and circumstances).
- Our sex drive is from God. God thought sex up – it’s a good thing because it’s a God thing. We have desires from God for a lot of things – water, food, sex (we all do). We’re not to use this God-given desire in a god-forbidden way (outside of the marriage bed) – that’s sin! One man, one woman together in the COVENANT of marriage. I’m going to do it your way God – with your guidelines & guardrails. (ILLUSTRATION: imagine a cliff with no guardrails – you can make it around in the best of circumstances with no problem… but add to that lack of sleep, slippery roads, distractions and you have a recipe for disaster)
What are the desires we have? Most men are clueless as to what a woman’s true desires are and most women are clueless as to what a man’s true desires are.
A man’s sex drive: Like water quenches our thirst physically; sex in marriage quenches his emotions in a physical, spiritual, emotional, psychological manner.
- You can’t handle this stuff alone – the power of lust is in its secrecy… we have to drag it into the light. This is why we want you in 242 groups – you can have accountability with your leader and your friends!
We can’t have hope until we’re honest with ourselves, with God and with others. Let’s get real!
- Ignorance will destroy you! Most of us have no idea about the process (the predictable path) that lust takes every time we’re tempted. The temptation is not lust!! It’s not the sin! It’s what we do with it, but if we’re going to know what to do with it, we’re going to have to have some knowledge – we can’t be ignorant!
And that’s why we’re teaching IN DEPTH on this subject matter!
Several things that you need to know:
1. What are your “trigger” points? What squeezes lust into our minds, eyes and hearts? Geographically – what places do you go by that pull the trigger of lust? What relationships in your life squeeze the trigger of lust? Mentally – what pictures are you painting in your mind? Technologically – internet, channel surfing? Get specific and write this stuff out – then we get knowledge to see how to “be wise as serpents and as harmless as doves” – have wisdom over these desires.
2. Know the consequences of lust – if you continue down the path of lust, if you continue with your level of lust, what will happen? Thinking, looking, acting (skin on the lust) – what will happen to your family, your relationships, your career, your relationship with the Lord…
We can’t understand hope until we’re honest… BUST LUST!!
You are anointed to live a life of purity in this world on a level that the world and the church are not familiar with all to his GLORY!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment