06.12.2011 1 Thess. 4 - SEX - a Theological Understanding

06.12.2011 Grace Summit Sermon - 1 Thess. 4 - SEX - a Theological Understanding from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

Let's pray...

Lord, thank You for the graduates – and all the children you have raised up through this church – we are so proud of the work that they do for You. We are blessed in so many ways. Lord, You suffered and sacrificed and made us part of Your family. You guard and protect and keep us until You return – help us to want to look forward to that day and to be prepared for that day. Give us grace as we hear from You – may we learn to live un such a way as to be pleasing to You in every way.
1 Thess. 4:1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Now – whenever you go through a book – there are some advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes sections are uncomfortable –at which point you make a decision – skip to the next or plow through it! Human sexuality – sexual immorality – and beyond. This won’t answer every question that comes up – but I’d like to give a theological foundation for sexuality. That gives us the tools to answer specific questions that come up as we deal with this subject in the world. This is an enormous part of the world we live in. This is major. I was talking to my son, Tony – he survived finals last week. I’m talking about this… - on campus, this would be the subject. He said, oh yeah. But in the world – this is a major topic.
Before getting into the theological foundations for this – I’d like to break it down a bit.
4:1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.
Paul is making a transition here – until now, the letter has been very personal – how he is trying to visit them – how he left them, escaping in the middle of the night – he is deeply concerned for them. Timothy is sent and comes back with good news – and some things that Paul would like to address. Paul transitions from personal to practical, addressing the questions they probably had for Timothy. He goes on –
1b - Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
How to live as pleasing to the Lord – according to God’s instructions. He uses the word instruction twice – his instruction and that received from the Lord Jesus - emphasizing the authority of what he is about to say – I told you this – and Jesus told you this too – like when a parent says ‘Your mother and I decided…’
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
Sanctified – how to define it – HOLY – same word – v. 7 – same word – used as holy. What does it mean? To be holy is to be sanctified and to be sanctified is to be holy. That still might not help us – you have probably heard – set apart. Sanctification is a process in the Christian life that leads to a state of holiness – being like God in action and attitude – process of learning to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God in our actions and attitudes. It is a work that we engage in, but cannot happen unless the Holy Spirit is engaged with us in the process. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit in order to see our lives transformed. How do you do that? I challenge you to take that out and work on that. Look at your Bible and talk to God – what does it mean to be filled with and controlled by the Spirit. Look it up online – how do you allow the Spirit to work in our lives?
Holiness is more than sexual morality. Timothy probably came back and said, we need to talk to them about sexual immorality. This is a general word – not specifically adultery - but basically any sexual activity outside of the marriage relationship. This needs to be avoided. Very simple – very clear.
3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;
You are in one or the other camp – holy and honorable, or in passionate lust like the heathen/pagan/gentiles/those outside the church who do not know God. He is drawing a contrast. In the church, we need to be holy and honorable in this area. One thing he is not doing – he assumes that those outside the church don’t get this. Those outside probably think the Christians are nuts – saying no one believes what you believe and you are really weird! Paul gets this and is not starting a culture war. He doesn’t care what the world is doing – he cares what the church is doing – and he is calling the church to be different. That is where the testimony comes in – that is where the power lies. There is enough problem in the church that we don’t need to worry about what is going on outside. I think it is critical to think of it this way, otherwise, we will fail.
The other thing he is doing – he is saying – we are not to look at the world for our standard! So what! Who are they?! This instruction comes from the Lord Jesus Himself. Our standard is the Bible. You hear it, even amongst Christians – ‘The Bible’s rules in this area are antiquated’ – ‘we have this freedom and knowledge and understanding.’ - Look – culturally, Thessalonica and the USA are very similar. Jesus – the same way when He was on earth – speaking to a culture very much like ours. They demanded – they spoke to the church within that culture and demanded a revolutionary approach to this area.
Paul is encouraging the church to engage in becoming holy in this area in every way possible and making it a priority.
6 and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or sister take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.
He is showing how the priority and focus of this on the church – because this area will destroy the church. That is his concern. There is adultery taking place within the church – that is what is going on there – and I hear about this from pastors all the time – and it can ruin the church. We have what has happened in this society – and in our society – they tend to separate spirituality and sexuality. But that cannot be done – they go together – and Paul is telling them – failure in this area has a big impact on the church.
7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
Paul makes it clear – these are Gentile Christians who came out of this immorality – and he is making it clear – this is God’s instruction.
That is the passage.
What Paul and Jesus did – both – in bringing up this area – go back to the original intent of God and giving a theological understanding of this. This is my wedding ceremony – they go back to this.
Eph. 5 – Paul goes back to Genesis. Colossians – same thing. Jesus does the same thing – using Genesis as a foundation of points –
Genesis 1: 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
What he does here – four times – I underlined them – image/likeness – when He talks about the creation of people – Adam and Eve – the thinking behind it – created in the image of God – that doesn’t mean he has fingers and toes and is going bald – but that we were created to reflect God’s glory. An image reflects – it isn’t the person, but he reflects Him. We are created to reflect God’s glory – so people could see.
Second, we are created to represent God to all of His creation – that is what it means to be in the image of God.
All of this creation has been given for us to care for. We bear the image of God. Only people – we only – of all creation – shine forth GOD to the world and to creation. He says in 27 – male and female. It is not an accident – it is not just nature – it is specific – to represent Him and to bear His image – He created two – male and female – equally in His image in every way – yet distinct – so that in the distinction and the quality of male and female, God is revealed to all. What a purpose! And we take that glorious purpose and twist it into something filthy. What an amazing thing! I wish I was with C.S. Lewis – because he says some amazing things about reflecting the glory of God. Think about if you were to look at every member of the opposite sex as a reflection of the glory of God!
He creates this world, blesses it – and it flourishes! Now, my ultimate creation – I want you to do the same – so we represent Him through procreation. Multiplying and filling the world. First, sexuality is bearing the image of God.
Genesis 2: 18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." … But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called `woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Both Paul and Jesus quote this several times. There is a lot to focus on here – but one thing – when the physical union of sex takes place – it is more than a physical union – the world says, it is natural – two consenting adults who love each other – but Paul says – no, you become one – it is a physical, spiritual, psychological union! If you are married, you know this – you begin to think alike! And this plays a significant role in that reality. It really does. I think this is why it is to be reserved for marriage – because of the joining together two lives. There is no such thing as casual sex – the whole person is given.
You give yourself so deeply, it results in personal transformation and completeness – Tim Keller.
After Genesis 2 comes Genesis 3 – the Fall – and it corrupts and distorts everything. We no longer bear the image of God like we should have. If we were to see Adam and Eve at first creation – you would wonder if they were humans! I don’t think we understand the glory we had and lost and will have again – but that is next week’s lesson.
Romans – all of creation is corrupted – I think – this is just me thinking – if we were to see a pre-Fall world – it would look like an alien universe to us. Because at The Fall – everything changed dramatically. What happened then – we have The Fall – but it moves us to a future restoration that is accomplished in Jesus. In the meantime – I’d like to share a verse that will totally confuse us.
Deut. 21: 15 If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, 16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. 17 He must acknowledge the son of his unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father's strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
What does that have to do with anything? It is interesting what God does… He sets us up with the glory of God – and people are married to several people – and He gives laws about it – Kings who do all kinds of things – Solomon with 700 wives –and what is that all about? God does this with everything in the old Testament – there is a corrupt world and God starts working and moving in the world as it is. He has to deal with what Man is doing – and it moves forward until Jesus – and In Him – all that God really wanted is revealed – what a human is meant to look like. Now Paul is – within the church – those who believe in Jesus – there is the opportunity to get back and to move back to God’s original intent and that is His desire –what He calls us to.
In closing – Jesus moves everything back to the original intent – like in the Sermon on the Mount –
Matt. 5: 27 "You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jesus says – it is more than just your actions – but your attitude and thoughts – that is powerful. That is really incredible. Jesus is calling for a radical sexuality – in complete contrast to the world.
From the practical standpoint – 1) we must hold to God’s original intent no matter what the world says. Sex is not something that is okay between two consenting adults – but within God’s framework. It is not something evil – there are books – Intended for Pleasure (Ed Wheat) – but it is not evil.
Second – sexual morality is not a weapon to determine who is ‘in’ and who is ‘out’. Jesus brings us back to this image of purity – and then what does he do? HE goes to the woman at the well – ‘Go call your husband’ – I don’t have a husband – I know – you have five! But then He talks to her about Him – and He turns her into a hero for bringing the whole town to Him. The woman caught in adultery – same thing. The woman who anoints His feet – where the Pharisee says – if He knew what type of woman she was… - No, she is ‘in’ – you are ‘out’ – but God gives grace and forgiveness. That is the only way to be ‘in’ – but once we are in – we need to engage in the process of becoming holy.
Third – engage in the process of sanctification. First you need to understand God’s grace and forgiveness and He can restore and forgive you. That is how we become holy – becoming restored and forgiven. No matter how bad it has been – I am restored and forgiven.
Confession is an important part of this – we as protestants sometimes miss the importance of this – support and accountability it critical.
Fourth – it is really important – the area of singleness – Paul and Jesus both, totally weird to their day – promote singleness as a viable, enviable option. Family was everything to them – and it can be in the church – there is sometimes so much pressure in the church – like the family is the ultimate – but Jesus says no – the church is the family and if someone is gifted to be single – more power to them! Paul and Jesus both promote this as something good.
In closing – Eph. 5: 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church
He is saying – here is the sexual thing – we just talked about it – but it is all about Christ – that is the foundation – it is about this relationship with Christ and keeping it pure and holy – and seeing that the physical relationship is blessed, good, and from God – and its purpose – to have children, families, love one another – is to reveal the image of God – and that is why He calls us to purity – that we might bear His image. Let’s pray.
Lord, we ask that You would help us – this is not an easy area – but help us to bear Your image to this world – by being sanctified, holy, set apart. May we receive this instruction with grace. In Your name we pray. Amen.