A Fire in Your Lap
Introduction:
Can
a man scoop fire into his clothes without getting burned? We might think, who
would so something so ridiculous? So obvious? It happens all the time. Every
person who commits sexual sin – scoops fire into his lap. Sooner or
later, that person will get burned.
God built a
firewall around sexual intimacy. That firewall is in marriage. Anything outside
this protective wall will burn the victim. How good are we at counteracting the
sexual content in today’s media? We are failing miserably. We just don’t talk about it. Try not to
think about it. No matter how uncomfortable, this topic must be discussed at
home. The church serves in the role of reinforcing what should be taught inside
the home. What we see now is a breakdown in both places.
I. God and Sex
A.
Designed mankind
to be sexual creatures. See Genesis 1:28 – Be fruitful & multiply.
1.
He gave it to us
for the building up of the commitment of two people to each other inside marriage.
2.
God is glorified
when husbands/wives express their love for each other fully & intimately inside marriage.
B.
Yet…we have
allowed Satan to come & steal what God created. Sex has become:
1.
Dirty; nasty;
and not to be talked about at all.
2.
And we don’t
talk about it. We don’t teach on it either.
II. Pro. 7:6-9 – walking near the fire.
A.
Person here made
huge mistake – walking by the fire.
1.
Walking toward
temptation.
2.
Intentionally
goes to the wrong place at the wrong time.
B.
Sexual sin
always starts with this step. Going near the fire.
III. Pro. 7:10-20 – playing with fire.
A.
7:10-13 –
young man never knew what hit him.
B.
7:14-17 –
phrases her invitation in religious terms.
1.
Wants the affair
to look respectable. Invitation is sweet & inviting.
2.
Proverbs 5:3-4
– unlawful sex tastes as sweet as honey – but it always turns out
bitter.
C.
7:18-20 – more seductive. No one will ever know. It’s all meaningless fun.
1.
7:18 –
drink our fill of love. Compare to 5:15-20.
2.
5:19-20 - be
captivated by the love of the wife of your youth.
D.
5:16-18 –
divine boundaries
1.
God’s laws, like
the banks of a river, keep the stream running pure & deep with purpose
& power.
IV. 7:21-27 – consumed by fire.
A.
7:21-23 –
young man acts/behaves in ways he would have never imagined.
B.
What choices
have you made? What choices are you making? What is the cost?
V. What sexual sin costs:
A.
Proverbs 5:8-10
– loss of wealth. Proverbs
5:11 – loss of health.
B.
Proverbs 5:14
– loss of reputation Proverbs
7:26-27 – loss of life
Conclusion:
A.
What we have
discussed today is a serious problem. How can we avoid it?
1.
Numerous
admonitions in Pro 5-7 to pay attention to the word of God.
B.
Proverbs 5:22
– sexual freedom causes a loss of freedom.
1.
Are you now
scorched & burned by sin?
2.
Come to Jesus.
No matter how bad your situation is, He can make you whole.