Chapter 2
1st Peter chapter 2 and the Bible reads
Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and
Hypocrisies and envies and all evil speakings as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word
She may grow thereby if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious
To whom coming as unto a living stone
Disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious
Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ
Wherefore also is it contained in the scripture behold I lay on scion and chief Cornerstone elect
Precious he that believeth on him shall not be confounded
unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but of them which be
obedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same has made the head of the corner and
Stone of stumbling and a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient
Whereunto also they were appointed
We GR chosen generation a royal priesthood and a holy nation of peculiar people
That you just show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
Which a time past were not a people but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy
But now have obtained mercy
Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak evil against speak against you as evildoers
They may by your good works
Which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation
Submit yourself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the king as supreme or in the governors
as under them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and
For the praise of them that do well
For so is the will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men as
Free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God honor all men
Love the Brotherhood fear God honor the king
Servants be subject to your masters with all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward
For this is think worthy if a man for conscious toward God and or grief suffering wrongfully
For what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults you shall take it patiently
But if when you do well and suffer for it and you take it patiently
This is acceptable with God for even hereunto were you called because Christ also suffered for us
Leaving us an example that she should follow his steps who did no sin
Neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered
He threatened not but committed himself to him that judges righteously
Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead to sins should live under righteousness
By whose stripes you were healed
For you were a sheep going astray, but are now returned under the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls
Let's pray to the Lord God. Thank you for your word Lord that you've given unto us and we thank you for pastor
We pray that you fill in with the Holy Spirit as he preaches unto us
The message that you prepared in his heart Lord and that us in the congregation could be edified by the preaching
We hear this all in Jesus name. Amen
Okay, we're in 1st Peter chapter number 2 and look down at verse number 11
It says dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims
abstain from fleshly lusts
Which war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak you against you as evildoers
They may by your good works, which they shall behold glorify God in the day of
Visitation and the time I sermon this evening is make war not love
Make war not love. Of course that should ring a bell with you
You know, it's the hippie saying back in the 60s and 70s whatever it say make love not war, right?
And obviously when I talk about making war
I'm not referring to physical warfare, but rather spiritual and when I talk about love
I'm not referring to the biblical definition of what love would be but rather this shallow
Superficial superficial fake love that the world promotes. Okay, and when the world talks about love between two people
It's often referring to as far as normal people are concerned
It's often referring to this act of fornication and that's what I want to talk about this this evening is the subject of
Fornication and one of the reasons why I want to preach on this tonight
Because I feel like every couple of months I have to bring up this topic
bring up the subject to make sure that people understand where we stand as a church what the Bible says about fornication and
Less we should think lightly of this particular sin
Less the people in our church or even the young people in our church think it okay
To commit this act because it's not the same as adultery or something like that. It's not like any other sin
It's just two people who really like each other
Getting physically involved and committing this act of fornication whereas the Bible says that it is sinful. It's unclean
It's against the Word of God and we're gonna talk about that this evening now, obviously
there is a major difference between
fornication and adultery and
unfortunately
a lot of people a lot of churches have a tendency to kind of mix both of these in and kind of apply the
Same definition to both they often think that they're both sexual sins and they're both essentially the same exact thing
But they're not the same exact thing adultery is when a person who is married
Steps outside of marriage of their union the covenant they made with their spouse and has sexual relations with another individual
Okay
Whereas fornication is to consent and individuals who are not married committing the act of fornication having sexual sexual intercourse
One with another now, even though they're both wicked
They're both very sinful the Bible actually institutes a death penalty for adultery in the Old Testament and one of the reasons for that is because
Adultery because it involves two people who are married. It is essentially a person
breaking their covenant before God and
Thereby in curing the wrath of God upon themselves. God finds that very wicked abominable and
Sinful and even a crime in the Bible
Punishable by death now you have people are like, oh you always talk about how sodomy is punishable by death. What about adultery?
Yeah, don't you do murders punishable by death kidnapping is punishable by death
Adultery is punishable by death
I mean the bestiality is punishable by death the list goes on and on and on of things that God considers to be capital
Crimes worthy of death and yes adultery falls into that category as well
And you know what my church and churches like ours talk about that all the time
It's not like oh, it's only sodomy that's punishable by death
but here's the thing someone's got to say that sodomy is punishable by death though and
It's interesting how they always bring up. Oh, how come you don't say adultery? Well, that's funny
How come you know that adultery is punishable by death?
But you don't know that sodomy is punishable by death
So tell me why well, I'll tell you why because people have readily accepted
You know that the Bible talks about adultery, but they're afraid to jump into the arena
Against sodomites and against that which is abominable and filthy and perverse where the Bible says that yes
they deserve the death penalty as well, and obviously we're not saying that we should go out and
commit acts of violence against those who commit adultery those who commit these capital crimes of sodomy and bestiality
We're saying that the government is responsible for things like that. And obviously we're never gonna live in a world
this side of eternity where those
Punishments are being dished out and those, you know, the death penalty is being instituted
but it doesn't mean we can't talk about it because the Bible commands us to preach the entire Council of God and it's important that
We talk about the fact that the death penalty is instituted for adultery for sodomy for rape
For bestiality less people should forget what the perfect standard of God is and what God thinks about those particular sins
So adultery is punishable by death, but fornication is not okay and
Fornication in the Bible was often punishable by the man paying a dowry to the woman's father and
Being essentially marrying that woman. Okay, making an honest woman out of that individual
That is what the Bible prescribes now in the New Testament
Obviously that law didn't carry over because you have Christians living under the Roman Empire
You have them under a different
Set of rules different laws that did not institute biblical laws
But that's not to say that God still holds that standard there right and at the end of the day fornication
Even though it's not a crime. It's still sinful and the Bible actually likens it unto uncleanness now
Why would the Bible call fornication to you know unclean? Why is it considered unclean to commit fornication?
Well because of the fact that people who fornicate often have a variety of partners that they're fornicating with they're not bound by one
Person so they're kind of sleeping around being a whore or a whoremonger and you know what happens when you sleep around you pick up
diseases
You pick up STDs
You pick up sexual venereal diseases that are unclean and that is the punishment upon a society that embraces
Fornication is that they will eventually
fall prey to some sort of disease
herpes gonorrhea
Chlamydia and yes
Even HIV things of that nature because that's the punishment for
Allowing fornication to just run rampant in the nation. So obviously
fornication not punishable by death, but still equally sinful and
One of the things when it comes to fornication aside from the uncleanest aspect of it. It produces bastard children
Okay, and God is not pleased with that
you know God wants children to be a result of a holy union of two people who made a covenant before God and the
Fruit of that holy union that's made a covenant before the Lord is children
That's what God's will is his will is not for a nation to just have an entire
Society of bastard children that you know kind of sleep around
They're being whoremongers and whores and then the family unit is being destroyed
Thereby, you know God's will for all individuals
of course those who want to be married is for them to get married to find a wife to find a husband to
Create a family unit to have children to be fruitful and multiply in that regard now
Let me give you a couple things here before we get into my main points
And let's start off by saying that the Christian life is characterized by warfare
Okay, and obviously I'm talking about fornication
But just in general so that means that we as Christians need to be proactive in fighting against these particular sins
Whether it's in our own personal life or just talking about it just in general, you know
We should be the ones who are aggressively
speaking out against fornication
aggressively bringing ourselves under subjection, right and
Going into spiritual warfare
Praying ourselves through it preaching about it talking about it praying about it
The Bible tells us in first Timothy chapter 1 you have to turn there and verse 18 says this charge
I committed to the son Timothy
According to the prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them mightest war a good
Warfare the Bible says in Ephesians 6 10
finally
my brethren be strong in the Lord and the power of his might
Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil
For we rest not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world
against spiritual wickedness in
High places the Bible tells us so obviously a common theme of the New Testament is that we're supposed to be
Aggressively fighting against the devil the world and yes, even the flesh as well
This is what's called spiritual warfare and you think to yourself. Well, duh, you know, isn't that what we're supposed to do?
Isn't that what Christians are supposed to do? Yeah, but you know what a lot of Christians don't though
They don't really care. They're kind of apathetic. They're they're Christian pacifists. They just kind of take it lying down
They allow themselves to be tempted
They allow themselves to be put in situations where they can commit adultery they can commit fornication
They get involved in sin. Why because they don't realize that they're in a spiritual battle
But once you realize this is a spiritual warfare, I need to be vigilant. I need to be sober minded
I need to take these things seriously
They're not gonna fall prey to the pitfalls and the wiles of the devil as the Bible puts it now
Turn with me if you went to 1st Corinthians chapter number 5 1st Corinthians chapter 5. I
Mentioned a couple of the consequences of fornication one of them being uncleanest diseases that you can contract by committing fornication a
Second one would be bastard children, you know having children out of wedlock a more biblical term would be to have a bastard child
okay, and
Even there's extreme cases in the Bible where God just killed a bunch of people
You know the Bible tells us the first Corinthians 10 you're in chapter 5, but I'm gonna read you from chapter 10
It says neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand
Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents now
I don't believe that if you commit fornication, you're just gonna drop dead right on the spot
But do you really want to gamble with that?
Because it's definitely a possibility
You know, you see those you see those reels where it's just like, you know
The chances of a cow killing you are very low, but never zero or something like that, you know
And they always look at a cow the cows just looking he's like there's always a possibility, you know
And you know what?
You may not just drop dead from committing fornication because God just stops your heart
but there is a possibility and
There's a reason why God put that example first Corinthians chapter 10 because he wants to strike fear in the hearts of people
Not to go near fornication not to consider it or place themselves in a position where they can potentially do it
Because you might die if you do so, okay, you say well, I know people who commit fornication and they didn't die
Okay, then you do you want to try it then you you want to be that 1%?
Possibility of dying but not only that, you know committing fornication makes you just a useless Christian
And you're not gonna receive any rewards in heaven the Bible talks about those who are fornicators in Ephesians chapter 5
It says for this, you know that no whoremonger
Nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater
Have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God and I don't believe this is saying like they're not gonna inherit the kingdom
Of God it says they're not gonna have any inheritance in the kingdom of God
Because anybody who saved goes to the kingdom of God, but hold on a second. There's certain individuals that
Essentially, you know are getting involved with the affairs of this life. They're entangled with the affairs of this life
They're not warring according to the prophecies that went on before them
They're kind of giving in to their lust and their desires. They're living a carnal flesh to the life
You know if that person dies in that state, they're not gonna have anything in the millennial reign
And you know what? That's a good motivation for you. That's a good motivation for me to stay clean
Amen to make sure that we are living a righteous life a life that is pleasing unto the Lord and
Not give in to the desires of the flesh and of the mind
But here's another consequence of fornication because
You know Old Testament laws aren't necessarily instituted in the New Testament
but you know, we have the example of the local New Testament Church in the New Testament and
The the New Testament Church has the rule that fornicators are not allowed in church
Okay, and we're talking about fornicators who are unwilling to repent. Okay. Let me make that very clear
Now in 1st Corinthians chapter 5 you have just a very extreme example of this
Okay, we think of fornication we think of two people committing the act. Maybe they're young people, you know, they're not married
They're kind of shacking up their boyfriend and girlfriend and they're living together and they're committing fornication
But 1st Corinthians 5 gives us just a really extreme example. And that example is that there's a man
It's commonly reported as this man who's committing fornication
Essentially with his father's wife, okay
Now he's like, well, why would you why would they call that fornication if that's his father's wife?
Wouldn't that be adultery? Well, obviously the implication here is that the father's dead
Okay, and I have I don't have time to develop this but basically when two people are married according to the Bible if one
Dies the person who is alive is freed from the law of her husband or her or his wife in other words
She's free to marry and be the wife of another person
He's free to marry if he's the one who lives etc. And so it wouldn't necessarily be considered adultery because she's not necessarily married
But in previously when his father was alive, that was his wife. Okay, very weird situation
Essentially, it's like basically almost almost like a stepmom. Okay, so his father's dead
Mother's alive and he's committing fornication with this woman's very disgusting. Just perverse, you know
Now that's not the worst part. The worst part is they're in church
and
That's not even the worst part. The worst part is everyone knows about it because it says it is commonly reported
And the Apostle Paul is not even present at the church at Corinth
He's getting this second hand people are commonly reporting this and it's not like they have Instagram
They don't have you know, social media. They don't have Facebook, you know
So wherever he is, he's getting this news from Corinth that this is being done and everyone's just kind of cool with it
They just don't really care
and in fact the leaders at that church are
Kind of boasting in the fact that they're allowing them to stay in church because they're more loving than the Apostle Paul
They're glorying in the fact that they're allowing them to stay in church. And you know what nothing has changed
Because today in 2024, I'm sure you have churches out there who have a ton of fornicators in their churches
They're committing the act of fornication. The pastor knows about it. The leaders know about it, but they don't care
Oh, we just got to pray for them. We got to work with them
Yeah, but here's the thing is that as you do, so they are living in rebellion against God
They're probably gonna produce bastard children. They're not living a life that's pleasing unto the Lord. So how long does that discipleship class take?
How long does it really take to bring up 1st Corinthians chapter 5 and says stop that
stop acting like a bunch of dogs and animals and
Actually, well, I'm gonna give you what the what the solutions are when it comes to this particular situation
But look what it says in verse number 9 in response to this man committed fornication
It says I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators
You know
Not all together with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with idolaters
For then must he needs go out of the world. What is he saying?
You know, you shouldn't have fornicators as your closest friends, but let's just be honest here you work in the secular world
You have secular people around you you're gonna be around people who are committing to act of fornication
we can't just get it we can't be Amish about this whole thing and
Just go in the middle of nowhere in our attempts in our zeal to separate from fornicators
Okay, because it says then must he needs go out of the world because the world is filled with fornicators
However, there is a solution and that is verse 11
But now I've written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator
So when the Bible talks about a brother in this specific context, who is he talking about?
He's talking about a Christian someone who is saved or someone who claims to be saved
so if a person is a brother and
They're committing fornication or they're being covetous or an idolater or a
Railer or a drunkard or an extortioner listen to this with such and one know not to eat
Now why is he saying don't eat with the fornicator
Well, it's not because it's saying like hey, you can't share meals with this person
That's the only thing you can't do with them or something
He's given an extreme standard to kind of show you don't even be around them
You can't you shouldn't even be sitting at a table with that person eating a meal with them
Which obviously has the connotation that you're having fellowship with them understand?
So he's saying if a brother's is guilty of these particular sins
Then you should have no company with that individual, you know
If you know someone from a different church who's committing the act of fornication
You shouldn't have company with that person
Okay, or if a person is not in church and they're saved and they want to keep communications with you
The Bible says don't have any company with that person if they're committing the act of fornication
That's what it clearly says there now. This is a great this isn't the sermon
But this is great proof text that the universal church is garbage. Oh
We believe in the universal church
No, you're a Catholic or your Protestant light there are your Catholic light and you call yourself a Protestant or whatever
You know because the Catholic Church believes in that universal church
But you know what? This doesn't really work in the universal church now does it right?
Because it's just like well if I'm not gonna keep company with it. Well too late. You're in you're in the church
Anywhere you go is the church, right?
So he's saying don't eat with them
Don't fellowship with them don't keep company with them and we can add to that Matthew chapter 18
Let him be in to be as a heathen man and as a publican
That's another way of saying you should treat that person like an unsaved person
Heathen man and a publican is just another way of saying like a wicked unsaved individual in other words like stay away from me
It's like a leper in the Old Testament
Whereas just like I don't want that disease upon me. God has commanded me to separate myself touch not the unclean thing
You know and stay away from those individuals and you know, this sermon is not about these other sins here
But obviously if someone is a covetous individual
Meaning that all they do is talk about money or you know
All they're doing is flashing their luxury and they seem to be a very greedy
Covetous individual we shouldn't keep company with them either
Someone who's an idolater, you know, and this isn't very common here in the United States
But it is pretty common in other portions of the world where idolatry is rampant you go to their house and they have all these
Idols and carved images. I would says we're not to have fellowship with a person like that
a
Railer, you know we talked about that last week if someone is railing bringing a false accusation
against not just the pastor but anybody in the church and they're commonly characterized by being a
Person who's just lying about individuals if I was says don't have company with that individual
Or a drunkard so that means drunkards can't be in church either
He said well, what's your standard of drunkenness if you drink?
You drink alcohol. That's what a drunkard is. Well, you know you what if they just
Take a drink of you know, every Friday or just their their social drinker. That's a drunkard according to the Bible
There is no you know
spectrum to the Bible gives us
the if the Bible says look not thou upon the wine when it is red and
It's telling us not even to look at it. And then you have people who are tea toddlers or whatever
They're drinking it every Friday. They're having social gatherings and they drink then that's still considered a drunkard in my book
extortioner
You know someone who tries to blackmail you and threaten you
The Bible says don't eat with these people. These people don't belong in the congregation
He says verse 12 for what have I to do to judge them also that are without do not you judge them that are within
But then that are without God judges therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person in other words
Obviously, there's Christians who are fornicators out there, but you know, we can't do anything about that
but we can control what goes on in here and he says there that if
Anyone who's called a brother is committing these sins and more specifically if they're
unrepentant of those sins
Then we need to put away from ourselves that wicked person. What does that call? It's called excommunicating them from the congregation
Okay now
Here are the three options
If you are involved in fornication or if people come to our church
Unknowingly they're living together
their boyfriend and girlfriend they're in a relationship and they're getting involved in the sinful act of
Fornication as a pastor. This is essentially what I do. Okay, number one, you know, first of all, let me just say that
I'm not the Baptist police here. So I'm not just going around asking people. Hey, what's your name? Okay, cool
Are you guys fornicating by any chance?
Just checking, you know, I do my job here, you know, I don't do that that's weird, right
And you said well, then how are you gonna know? Well until the Lord reveals it
Or someone just comes to me and tells me and in fact in the years that I've been a pastor
you know either people come and tell me or
it slips out of their mouth and
They tell someone somehow just God just allows it to come to life, okay
And I do believe that people should have a grace period and in other words
Let's say you have a new, you know a couple that's coming for you
know
They came for the first time today or something and there might be an indication that they're involved in fornication or something
You know because they live together which by the way in my book if you're living together, you're you're you're pretty much as good as guilty
Okay, so well hi can you really say that they're guilty if they're living together if a dude and a woman are living together
Let's just come on
But my grace period is from the time that they come to our church until the time they find out
Either from the preaching or in conversation that fornication is a sin worthy of excommunication. That's their grace period
Okay, so I'm not just on a witch hunt looking for people who are involved in this
But you know as I mentioned sometimes I got to preach on this just so we are all clear on
What the rules are here. So here are the three options if you're involved in fornication
Get right get married or get out
Okay, so one you can get right meaning you separate you're no longer together if you're living together you move out
Or if you're not living together, but you're committing fornication, then you abstain one from another basically you break up right get right
Or here's the better option get married
Put a ring on that finger make an honest woman out of her and stop being a little whore monger
And that's honestly the best option right there
Okay, because you know you have people who are together for years and you know
This is very common in Hispanic culture
By the way
Where you literally have like a man and a woman who've lived together for years they have children
They have a family and they'll even say oh, yeah, this is my wife
This is my but they're like legally not even married though, and that happens a lot. Okay?
Well, that isn't flying, you know the length of time that you've been together in fornication
It's not like you go through a certain time and then once you reach like 20 years
You're married for sure
It's you got to go to the courthouse and go get those documents and go get legitimately married
And when I say married, it doesn't mean that we have to have a ceremony here. By the way, we can I'm talking about
Recognized by the state that you are getting married. You're making a covenant before God. It's a legal document
That's what you need to do. Okay
So get married and you know what once you get married, that's the best part right there
Now you're right in the eyes of God
You're in right standings with the Lord and with the church and now God can like bless your Union
He can bless you and your spouse you can move on and you can live happily ever after
So either you get right you get married or you get out
What does that means you get thrown out of church for being unwilling to repent of your fornication and that's
has been the case sometimes in our church where I've talked to people and
In my book, they're good people as far as like they're there. They're they love the Lord. They're kind
They were good church members, but then you know, I just slipped out
That they're involved in fornication. They're not like we commit a fornication like it said something and it's just like
Are you guys living together like yeah, I was like, okay
I got to talk to you guys and then you know
I go over these rules and then they leave and they never come back, you know, and they you know, they just can't seem to
Make the decision to either get married or separate which is really weird and
So at that point we just tell them to get out now
Here's the thing is that a lot of modern churches will say well that's cultish
But how can that be cultish if colds keep people in?
Right when we're trying to get people out
Now you say why would you want to kick them out well number one
The Bible commands it because it says a little leaven leaven at the whole lump
So here's the problem if the pastor permits fornication to go unfettered in the church
Is that other people will find out about the fornication and it essentially gives permission for others to commit fornication
Then it gets permission for others to commit adultery then it gets permission for others to become drunkards
Then it gets permission for others to get divorced and it ends up just destroying the church
It becomes a cesspool of sin because it's not taken care of you understand what I'm saying
So this is the concept in 1st Corinthians 5 that he says a little leaven leaven at the whole lump
Referring to that fornication. So if we don't remove that leaven from the congregation and
Become a holy lump. It can permeate throughout the church and it ends up destroying not just the next generation
But just the church in general God's judgment will be on that church
So whether people agree with me or not, it really doesn't really matter
Because you know, I don't want God to punish me and I want God's hand to be on us
I want to continue to see people saved and live righteously
Righteously and here's the question that I have for churches who don't agree with this. Okay, and that's why are you so against marriage?
Yeah weird
Like why are you so against us putting the stipulation that they should get married split up or go somewhere else?
Why would you be against that?
You should be in favor of marriage
I mean the goal of coming to church is that you become a better husband a better wife a better
Christian and that you're moving your way towards righteousness
Just be more obedient unto the Lord
So get right get married or get out
And of course the getting out the excommunication is a last resort if the couple just decides
You know in so many terms in so many words. We just want to keep fornicating
Okay, and it's just like we just don't agree with that
We don't want to split up. We want to stay together and it's just like you guys can stay together
Just not here
So sayonara, you know time to go and I'll tell you why a lot of churches don't want to give that option
It's because to them the numbers
The membership and the tithing is more important to them than the spiritual well-being of that of that couple
Understand they're willing to overlook a lot of things because of this right here
Okay
But at the end of the day, you know
It's better to have integrity and you don't really care for people if you're not telling them these things
And it's important for me to say this as a pastor because we have a lot of young people in our church
Whether single or they're dating and this needs to be clarified in order for people to understand
Hey
If you commit fornication
You can end up contracting some sort of disease because God would just allow that you can die
You can birth bastard children or you can walk the hall of shame by getting kicked out of church if you refuse to
You know stop fornicating or you refuse to get married and so very important now go to first current
Excuse me, uh first Thessalonians chapter 4 first Thessalonians chapter 4
The message is make war not love and
We're not talking about this biblical definition of love. We're talking about what the world deems to be love
Well, we love each other and this is why we are, you know for lack of a better way of saying
We're just we're making love one toward another that's not real love though, you know, and you should be ashamed of yourself
by
Allowing yourself to commit that act that God has instituted only for married couples as a Christian
and as a Christian
You should understand the Bible and God expects for you to
esteem that physical act between a man and a woman only within the confines of marriage and
If you choose to do that outside of the confines of marriage before marriage, you're basically just using that woman
And you know if you're that woman who's being used
Well, that should tell you something about the dude
Doesn't really value. He doesn't really love you. He just wants your body
He wants that physical intimate relationship, but he doesn't want to add commitment to that and that's wrong. That's wicked
That's sinful. It's not God's purpose is not God's will let me read to you from 1st Corinthians chapter 6
Let me give you three points this evening on how to deal with fornication
So that you don't commit fornication, okay
It's three simple points and I might veer off into other points
We'll see but point number one is this possess your vessel. Don't let your vessel possess you
Possess your vessel. Don't let your vessel possess you you say well, I'm married
You know, I'm not this is this doesn't apply to me then you apply to your particular sin of your struggle
Maybe you're a glutton or something
Okay, you're glutton and you can't put down the spoon and you know
You just like eating a lot and whatever then, you know possess your vessel. Don't let that food possess you amen
the principle still applies, but we're talking about in context of fornication and
speaking of food first Corinthians 6 13 says meats for the belly and
Belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it and them now. The body is not for fornication
But for the Lord and the Lord for the body
So he's saying look I created your belly to consume food and food is meant to be consumed by your belly
Those are basically they go hand in hand, right? That's what her stomach is for
But our body is not for fornication. It's not the same thing
The body is not for fornication fornication is not for the body your body as a single person is for the Lord
Okay. Now look what it says in first first Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 1 says furthermore then we beseech you brethren and
Exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God
So you would abound more and more
For you know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus for this is the will of God
Even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication
That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor
What is he saying?
You know what I'm not gonna give you a 10-point outline on how to abstain from fornication
You need to learn how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honor
because every man is tempted when he's drawn away of his own lust and entice the Bible says and
Obviously, you know, it's different for every individual but you need to know what tempts you
You need to know what weaknesses you may have and teach yourself
Discipline yourself how to abstain from fornication if that's your temptation there
If that is your flaw, if that is what you're drawn towards you need to learn how to control your body
Don't let your body control you
Now look obviously God made us in such a way
That we are attracted to females, right? I mean that's normal and
God made us that way for a particular purpose so that when we get married
We're very attracted to our spouses and the result of that attraction
Babies, okay
Forward all the way to babies
That's how it works
You understand and obviously there's pleasure in that and that is okay in the eyes of God within the confines of marriage
Now unfortunately before marriage men are just kind of built that way even before marriage, you know, there's something called testosterone
That people have and that often
You know causes a man to have these desires to have these inner inhibitions and if they're not careful
They can allow that to kind of possess them and end up tempting themselves to commit the act of fornication
Through you know meeting someone having a girlfriend whatever it may be
But the point is is that God expects for all of us to make sure that we know how to control our bodies
Okay. Now what are some practical ways to do this? Well, obviously I've said this in time
one of the best ways
For you to control your body
To have temperance is two things dieting and exercise
Like why are you saying that an exercise for everything you always use that but it's true
Let me explain to you why a person who's just constantly eating junk food
They have a very just weak will
and I'm getting a very weak will and
If they're very, you know weak-willed in a certain area that means they given to sin a lot more easier
so you're gonna have to teach yourself to do hard things and
To resist certain temptations and this is why it's important to exercise, you know, and obviously exercise increases testosterone
But you know what it takes up your time as well
It makes you tired so that when you go home you go to sleep
But someone who doesn't exercise
Someone who doesn't eat well is
Will be number one a weak-willed but also number two idle and
If you're idle, you're more susceptible to the temptations of Satan. You're more susceptible to your own temptations
It's important my friends listen to me to stay busy and especially if you're young
I mean God's given the young people the young men a lot of testosterone a lot of umph
And if you like well, I'm not like that that's probably cuz of your diet. You're not getting enough sleep and you're not lifting
Okay, I'm 38 years old
Amen
You know what? I got tons of energy. I got five kids. I
Got a wife. I got five kids. I'm a pastor of a church. I have these extra
Studies that I'm doing outside of even the Bible. I you say how do you do it dieting and exercise and
Discipline possessing your vessel making your body do what it's supposed to do
Listen to this not what it wants to do
That's what it means to possess your vessel
It means you tell your body what to do
Don't let your body tell you what to do your body wants to commit for an occasion. You say shut up
We're not doing that. That's wicked and sinful
I'm staying away from that
Not giving in to every whim and desire of the flesh my friends
That's what it means to possess your vessel in sanctification. I mean who's in charge here
Think about that, you know who's in charge of your body
Who's the one in charge of making your body do the things that it's supposed to do?
And here's the thing is that you know, if you're staying up all hours of the night
You're gonna be more susceptible to sin, especially over the fact that at night is when sin happens most often
So what then what should I do sleep
You know if you don't have five children at home
You should have no problem sleeping I
Got five kids at home and sometimes this is it's hard
Yeah, it's hard and you know, especially you have if you have a baby you have another one who's having trouble sleeping
Then they get sick. I mean today
At the age of 38, I find pleasurable the things that were a punishment to me as a child. I
Wish I could take naps
Staying in
Staying in early
Doing nothing going to sleep early taking naps. I would love to do that
But you know what staying out late at night in the twilight hours
You're only gonna get involved and sin you're only gonna find temptation and sin
And let me just say that some of you just need to just need to like get rid of your apps
Get rid of your technology. Maybe you just need to go on a technology fast
In
Order so that you can build up some resistance
And you know what men should be characterized by strong will and resistance
People who possess their vessels not allowing their vessels to possess them
And look one of the best ways to do this obviously is by lifting in an extra and dieting nutrition
Why is that because it's not fun to eat good food healthy food all the time
You gotta like make yourself do that
You know, I've been doing that for like the last six months and I'm not having fun
It's not fun. I don't you know, it's not I'm just like great. It's it sucks
But you know what? My body does not tell me what to do though, and my body's like go get some macadies
Go get a double cheese. You're the Pat. You're you're the boss of your own. You're the pastor
You really think if you go to McDonald's anyone who's gonna get mad at you at the church
They'll probably go with you share a double double. No, I
Will not do it
Go get some Raising Cane's Reuben brought someone look how kind Reuben is
He brought you some Raising Cane's with Texas toast and you're not gonna participate. I shall not go into the fellowship hall
You know, you have to tell your body what to do
You gotta tell your body to get up out of bed. You gotta tell your body. I'm gonna eat this plate of ground beef and
You're gonna like it whether you like it or not
This is what you're gonna do
You're gonna lift this weight whether you like it or not
You're gonna do this every single day whether you like it or not and the body is like I don't want to do
It I don't want to eat this. I want pizza. I want burgers. I want pot
I want Thai food. I want I know you do but we're not having that right now
You have to possess your vessel and sanctification I want to fornicate yeah, I know you do but we're not doing that right now
Because it's not right in the eyes of the Lord and you're not in charge I'm in charge
Ask yourself this who's in charge of you
Build up some resistance make your will strong
Be able to resist and look one of the best ways to resist temptation. Listen to this
It's just not be in front of it at all
That's like the best way to do it
You know God only expects for us to use our will against sin when we're like in an emergency situation
Our will is like a spare tire you only need in emergency situations
Okay, but in general you should just not be placing yourself in the presence of temptation because if you're constantly doing that eventually
You will give in
Possess your vessel and sanctification on you know
The Bible tells us listen to this
But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection less by any means when I preach to others
I myself should be a castaway the Bible says
What is the Apostle Paul saying I'm disciplining my body making it do what it doesn't want to do
Because I don't want to be a castaway. I don't want to be a casualty
I want to make sure that I fulfill God's plan for my life and that I'm not leading others astray
Because I'm giving in to every whim of my desires and lust that I have. It's basically what he's saying
Okay, and let me just say this take control of your thoughts, too
You know one of the reasons why young people struggle with this with with this sin of fornication
It's because it all starts in the mind
But the reason it starts in the mind is because what you're putting into your mind
you know, that's why it's important as a young person you bear the yoke in your youth and
You read the Word of God you saturate them your mind with the Bible and with healthy activities with healthy friendships
Because that's what you need in your mind
Some of you need to regain your innocence again
Plain and simple you need to regain your innocence and learn how to have fun in life without all the sin
The Bible tells us in Romans 7 22 for I delight in the law of God after the inward man
But I see another law and my members warn against the law of my mind and bringing me into
Captivity to the law of sin which is in my members or wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this
Body of death and so, you know making sure you're getting enough sleep
I'm giving you practical tips here. You know get enough sleep and as a young man
Single man single lady. You should have no problem with that. No one should be struggling with insomnia in our church
No one should be struggling I'm talking about as a young person there should be no
Battle with insomnia. I mean as soon as your head hits the pillow you should just be out
Okay, and there should be no reason why that doesn't happen
Literally, that's how God made you. Okay to just exert yourself by working
Reading the Bible winning souls to Christ
Serving God and when you go home, it's just like I don't even I don't even feel like sinning because I'm just too tired
Fornication I'm too tired of fornicate and just boom you just go to sleep
And you what that does it helps your mental health. It helps you to you know
Rebuild your body, you know, you're supposed to be getting sleep. It makes your resistance a lot stronger
It's good for you
So getting sleep having a healthy diet is necessary filling your mind with the right things exercising and staying busy and you know
I'm pro
Exercising obviously you guys know that and I think some of you guys need to start like making that a priority in your life
And you'd be surprised
You know, you're like well my really my will is pretty strong
Your will could be even stronger if you get involved in exercising your body
It's good for you, okay
Now so what's the first thing well
The first thing is possess your vessel and sanctification and honor
Don't allow your body to tell you what to do. Don't give in to every whim and desire of your flesh
You're like, oh man, but I just I just struggle with this thoughts of fornication
I struggle with that with that lust I struggle with that desire to want to do those things
Well, you know it's only for a season though
If you can just keep this up for a season, let me give you an example of this
Okay, I'm in this season right now obviously not fornication. Okay, you know, I've been dieting for since cutting
I've been cutting I don't diet. I live in a man, you know
I've been cutting since January and I have this window of time now in two weeks. It's over and
In two weeks, I'm giving in to everyone in desire
The desires of my flesh and of my mind, I'm just gonna just just dive into sin, you know
I'm just gonna jump in have pizza french toast all the good stuff that you guys are enjoying that
I'm not, you know, we're gonna have a canes night, you know, we're all the
Good old memories of going to canes. I'm gonna do all that but you know what that's coming in the future
Right now is a time of abstinence
And you know what when it comes to the subject of fornication
That's how you got to think about it because it's not
abnormal to have those desires
but you have to realize this is only for a season and then marriage comes and then you can have it all you want and
You'll be right in the eyes of God and you won't be involved in sin and you can fulfill those
God-given desires and it's appropriate way
But you have to realize I'm in that window of time and during that window of time. I cannot stop the cut
I'm not gonna stop myself from
Eating this way
Disciplining myself this way possessing my vessel my time will come and I'm not just gonna you know
Sneak a donut in or something or sneak a burger in or a pizza and don't cheat
Don't be a cheater
Make it make it all the way through a man
Make it all the way through until the wedding altar when you say I do and you make that covenant before God
and
So possess your vessel don't let your vessel possess you may hey you made your body come to church today
Amen, make your body read the Bible make your body pray make your body go win souls to Christ make your body
Be holy and be sanctified and possess your vessel and sanctification and on you can do it
Anybody can do it pray through it Lord help me to possess my vessel and sanctification and honor
But along with that remove the temptations from your life so that you're not placing that before you now
Here's another thing go to 1st Peter chapter 2
1st Peter chapter 2
So obviously, you know when it comes to your body you have those desires
Completely normal, but you got to possess your vessel and sanctification on it. But secondly
Here's a way. Here's a great way to deal with fornication run from it
Get away from it
Run as fast as you can run screaming in the opposite direction when that temptation is right before you now
Let me just say this
Because I just learned this recently and it's probably one of the reasons why I want to talk about this and that
Is stop using dating apps
to try to find people
Now apparently dating apps is more like fornication apps
That's what they are
I'm sure they're promoted as Oh find your
Significant other and then you meet each other, but apparently
These apps are literally used for people to hook up with other people
Literally just to commit fornication and that's wicked as hell
And you know what? There should be no dumb person in our church having that dating app on their phone
Entertaining the possibility. Well, I'm just gonna meet this person and we'll see
Where it goes with it or something. We'll see how it turns out. You're trying to make it turn out to fornication
That's what you're trying to do
And you know what?
a lot of a lot of these young people aside from these dating apps they'll use Instagram and these other social media platforms only for
the intent of finding females and
Fornicating that's wicked
What's wrong with you?
You know, but I heard this recently that that's literally what they're used for
They didn't have it's not even about like oh, I want to find a wife
It's literally they want to find someone that they can
Fornicate with that's literally what it's for nowadays and you know, it's like well, I'm trying to find a Christian woman folks
You know for a fact you ain't gonna find a fundamental Baptist on there
You are not gonna find some hellfire
Independent fundamental fag hating
You
Know Zionist hating
post-trip pre-wrath King James only
soul-winning Baptist on there
dress wearing
him loving
Biscuit eating. I'm just kidding, you know, you're not gonna find that
Anybody goes on those dating apps they know what they're getting into
You know what it is? You're putting temptation before you and you know
It's it's crazy nowadays that how easily accessible sin is, you know
Like in my generation you have to even if you wanted to fornicate you had to like go talk to a person face to face
Now you have like the internet that it'll kind of put you it'll remove all of the barricades and all the you know
Whatever uncomfortable things and just pair you up in there
You guys could go fornicate or whatever and that's literally what these dating apps are for
How many know what I'm talking about? You've heard that at least
I just found that I'm like wow
So there's literally and it's just like that's all people use it for is just to hook up to fornicate
It's not even to find wives or to find a girlfriend. It's literally what the intent to fornicate
Folks run screaming in the opposite direction
Don't allow how easy it is
How easy the internet makes it to fornicate to just allow it to tempt you to go get involved in that
You're a child of God. You're a son of God. You're a Christian. You're a believer. You should know better
You should be ashamed of yourself if that's what you want to do
Let that shame you you ought to blush for doing that
You know you find some female on there with some STD
Some female on there with some venereal disease
Birth of bastard children. Oh, you know, yeah, it's gonna be sweet to your taste initially
Afterwards that mouth shall be filled with gravel
Afterwards you actually want to get serious about the things of God, but now you got to be child support
because she doesn't want to marry you, but she birth your child and
And by the way, she's a Roman Catholic
You're screwed
And now one night of fornication just just flushed it down the toilet because it doesn't mean anything in comparison to all the
Sufferings and tribulations that you're gonna get afterwards because that's how sin is
Afterwards thy mouth shall be filled with gravel. It's not worth it
Forget these dating apps
Except for I don't know new I've be I think there's this thing a little singles. Is that still around?
I'm not sure if that's still around
Does anybody know?
Apparently no one's going on there
Sorry pastor in this
You
Just go the old-fashioned way I
Mean you can do no I have be single, but you know here. Here's a better alternative
It's just like go talk to someone face to face
You know and and it looks stop trying to meet women in different denominations of churches, too. I
Mean folks
That's almost like that's almost like worse than dating an unsafe person in some cases
Because because what if it ends up working out with you and them, but she's just straight ESV only
You find out she's she believes in Calvinism. She wants to deep down in her heart. She wants to be a Catholic or something
that would suck and
Then you know once it's done. It's done
And then you have all these theological
Differences and she likes wearing pants and you tell it not to wear pants
And then you know she likes to CCM or whatever. Oh, man
It's not even worth it. Well, what do you expect me to do? How about you know pray?
No, no, I'm seriously that no no no seriously, how about you pray
You know, where's your faith
How about you pray and say Lord send me because you know the Bible says that God blesses a man with a woman
That a prudent wife is from the Lord
You saw how do you know cuz I got me one
Got me a prudent wife like God gifted me with a wonderful godly wife
He said what you have to do pray serve God be in my church make the Lord Jesus Christ the most important thing in my life
Have no expectations and boom. There you go
Cuz in you know and in the Lord's economy is just like he needs a wife
He needs to help me, you know, and and you know, she's King James only
You know, she wasn't anti, you know Jew and
We took care of that stuff afterwards, you know
Drop a couple f-bombs every once in a while. She got the hint, you know
Say it just it rolls off the tongue
Yeah, tell her about the Jews and how we're all gonna die in the tribulation
Cried a little bit, but it's alright, you know
Worked out, amen
And now she's full-fledged new IV wasn't hard at all
The point that I'm making here is
Stay away from temptation as far as possible
Okay, and you young guys, you know, if you're mr. Rico Suave or whatever and you you always have these girls talking to you
You know, you should stay away from them as much as possible
You know if you have all these girls contacting you slipping into your DMS or whatever
Contacting you shouldn't you should go on private block every single one of them or just get rid of Instagram period
That's what you gotta do
You know
And I don't know what other you know, delete all your dating apps. Oh, man, then how am I gonna find someone?
Oh, I don't know pray, you know come to church go to the Red Hot Preaching Conference
Meet women talk to women face to face the way, you know, all men used to do it
Back in the day where you just literally have to actually verbalize a conversation with the female
You know, you're not catfishing anybody just what you see is what you get
You know, it's not like a profile picture with with your face like super close to the camera
So no one sees how your body actually looks like or something
Everyone knows what I'm talking about
It's always a red flag boys
And don't be that boy either
You
Anytime there's a profile picture in the camera just a little too close to the face
You know, it's not gonna deliver on what it claims to have. Okay
They're catfishing you is what they're doing
You know, it's better to just be face to face
You know just talk to them and you know what it helps you to learn how to socialize and to be a normal person
Because you're talking on the fly
It's not like you're writing a message then you delete it and then you're writing a message trying to get it, right
You know, oh man, she hardened my message. That's it's technology
means nothing
Talk to someone in person
You know go meet individuals talk to someone and obviously our church is gonna be around for a really long time
And we're gonna have people come we're gonna have people go and look don't lose
Hope don't be don't have this attitude by the way, this is very important. Oh, there's nobody here though
Everyone's just gone. Everyone's already taken and so therefore I'm gonna go
You know why no one's here is because you're not God probably sees you and just sees you're not doing anything
Sees you're not growing up
Sees you're not taking this thing of the Christian life serious
It's not like you're praying about it
It's not like you're praying about it's not like you're actually, you know, putting your foot in to do something about it
So why would he bring anybody?
Yeah, everyone's already taken yeah, they're taken by the dude who prayed about it though
They're taken by the guy who prayed about it put his best foot forward lied to her a little bit I'm just kidding
You know, he actually went out and did something about it
And
so
Run from it. Now. I had to show the first Peter, but go to Genesis if you would 39
Genesis chapter 39 I
Spent way too much time on that, but I think that's necessary
Because we do live in a social media type of culture now
Where everything's done on social media people are more bold on social media
People are more bold in the comment section they're more bold than the DMS and
I think it was like Mike Tyson who said something about social media or just like a
Lot of these guys who make these comments would never say it to your face because they know they get beat up
And it's true people are just more bold than the comment section
But it goes the same way when it when it comes to a man talking to another one
They're just more bold women talking to a dude
They're just more bold, but you know
There's certain things you would not say in person to a female or to a man
That you would probably be emboldened to say behind the screen
And so that screen needs to be removed and you learn how to talk
You need to learn how to look at people in their eyes, too, by the way
Okay, you know when you talk to someone not just a female but just anybody in general look them in the eyes
You know just look them straight in the eyes as you're talking to them. Don't allow your from your eyes to wander and
You know, I I had to learn that when I first came to church and
I remember like
One of the pastors in the Bible College. He shook my hand
He's like stop making your eyes water look at me straight in the eyes when you talk to me and I was like
Then my eyes started watering. I was like, oh, hey, I never looked at someone this long, you know
Well, you know that that's actually like a discipline to have to look at someone in the eyes and
You know be respectful learn how to communicate learn how to talk in the fly be a social person
doesn't mean you have to like not be an introvert, but you know
Anybody who's gotten married though?
You know what? I mean? Like I remember a long time ago. There's this guy
at this old church
He's like, yeah, I'm really shy. I'm really introvert. I was like bro. You got like five six kids. What do you mean?
You're not shy
How could you say you're shy when you got like five or six kids?
You obviously have a level of social life in you that you convinced this woman to marry you and you have kids
You're not that shy brother. Okay, and so at the end of the day, you know, you can say that you're shy
but you know what you want to you want to
You don't want your shyness to cause you to be single for the rest of your life
So you're gonna have to learn some social skills
Learn how to talk to people learn how to talk to women now
Here's a great example. Look at Genesis 39 verse 7 says it came to pass after these things
That his master's wife referring to Joseph cast her eyes upon Joseph and she said lie with me. So this woman's a whore
She's a wicked woman. She's married and she's trying to entice Joseph to commit adultery with her
But he refused and said unto his master's wife behold my master
What if not what is with me in the house and he had committed all that he hath to my hand
There is none greater in this house than I neither hath he kept back anything from me
But thee because thou art his wife listen to this how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against Potiphar?
No, he says sin against God
So he knew that even though Potiphar wasn't in the house, you know, God was always watching
It goes on to say and it came to pass as she spake to Joseph day by day
That he hearken not unto her to lie by her or to be with her
So she's like constantly enticing him and you know what?
I believe that possibly Potiphar's wife was probably very beautiful because he's a higher-up
The man's an important individual. He probably has a very attractive wife and so she's trying to entice him
I'm sure he's tempted verse 11 says and it came to pass about this time
that Joseph went into the house to do his business and there was none of the men of the house there within and
She caught him by his garment
Saying lie with me and he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out
now
What does that mean? It means he just pretty much fled naked, you know, she grabbed him and he's just like
He's just like ran just took off running screaming in the opposite direction
Like oh, that's an exaggeration. Well, it seems as though that's what you're supposed to do
You
Know why cuz he's scared. You know, he's scared of destroying his life
You know why you think it's an exaggeration cuz you're not scared of sin enough
Sin doesn't scare you committing the act of fornication doesn't scare you you'd be like stop
You you mess around too much
You're married
Joseph just was
terrified
To the point where it's just like if I have to run away naked I will
If I have to leave my coat, I'm going to because he's terrified of
displeasing God and of committing the act of adultery
We need that fear
And if you don't have that fear then you need to pray God God make me scared of sin
To the point where I'm willing to flee fornication
Like Joseph did oh, yeah, people might call him
You know weakling or you know, the world might think of Joseph as just being a punk and a wimp or whatever
But you know in God's eyes
There's a man right here
It's a man who fears the Lord the man who loves the Lord and loves Potiphar
Is the man who honors his parents?
As a man who is just willing to do everything he can to just flee fornication
Do you entertain fornication or do you flee from it?
Do you play with fornication or do you run screaming in the opposite direction? That's what God wants us to do
He wants to be so passionate about not sinning that it would terrify us to even be in the clutches of sin
Right, that's exactly what Joseph did and the Bible tells us in the New Testament
flee fornication
Okay, like run from it. Don't put temptation before you and when it is before you run
Run
run either run
to a brother or sister in Christ and by the way one of the best things for your soul is
If you're ever in a situation like that go to an older brother sister in Christ and say hey
I'm being tempted right now by this lady by this woman by this girl
And I just want to let you know that this is what's going on in my life
So I can be accountable to you because you know what in my flesh I want to commit fornication
But I know that it's wrong. And so I just need accountability. I'm just letting you know so that someone knows about this
Okay, I'm bringing it to light. I ran I hung up on them. I blocked them, you know
He said well how extreme should I get I mean as extreme as you need to get to make sure it never happens
Now go to 1st Corinthians chapter 7
1st Corinthians chapter 7
You
Know before salvation I had a lot of friends I had
dudes who were my friends and I had women there were my friends and
Somehow I just knew maybe I learned it from my my church or my pastor that when you get saved
That's when temptation comes the most
You know when you're a babe in Christ and so to avoid that I just like
Gotten new number
What about all your friends what about them
You know, but my purity was more important
You know honoring God was more important to me
Yeah, but maybe I can get her saved though. Okay get her saved but bring a brother in Christ with you. How about that?
Well, I think this is the best time to preach the gospel chairs like at 10 o'clock at night in a dark
Parking lot by ourselves, you know, it just sets the mood really well, you're idiot
So
How do you deal with fornication well possess your vessel in sanctification honor possess your body don't let your body possess you
You tell your body what to do
Number two run from it. If you're ever in the presence of temptation run screaming go tell someone go tell your team leader
Come tell me say hey this happened. I need help. I don't want this to happen again
What do you think I should do block that person get that person out of your life
Don't go near that individual ever again if they're trying to tempt you to come in fornication
But here's the here's number three. Here's the best thing to do. Okay, and that is get married
One of the best ways to avoid fornication is getting married
Because once you get married, then you have a woman living with you every single day
and you I mean
You know
She's right there and God approves of that physical relationship
Not trying to be you know, I'm trying to keep it pg-13 here, but you know what at the end of the day
That's what one of the reasons God created marriage for
To help you fulfill those desires that you have that he gave to you
Have yourself one wife and you know what the great thing about
Marriages you can have that physical relationship with your wife for the rest of your life and you'll never get a disease
And you'll never listen to this you'll never ever ever ever produce bastard children
No matter how many times you try
Every single one of them there's just none of them will become bastard children
And here's the great thing about this about the the about marriage is that every time you
participate in the physical act
With your wife with your spouse you honor God
God's pleased with you. He commands you to do it
That's the best thing ever
So it's just like oh man, I'm just struggling what should I do? Well, how about you start preparing for marriage?
How about you mature yourself? How about you grow up you put away childish things?
How about you put away the video games, how about you put away the social media
How about you start getting serious about life about getting a job about maturing being a man and start praying?
Lord, send me a wife
Honor God serve God go to the Red Hot Preaching Conference go go somewhere
And
You know step out in faith and get married a man
Look what it says in 1st, Corinthians 7 verse 1 now concerning the things what she wrote unto me
It is good for a man not to touch a woman and to that we say amen
Nevertheless to avoid fornication in other words, what is touching lead to fornication?
Okay, and look this is a standard that I personally have I don't impose this upon anybody
I just think it's wise that if you're dating you shouldn't be like making out and
Holding each other and sitting in cars alone together
Why cuz you're a red-blooded, dude?
That's why unless you're some effeminate, you know do with sugar in his pockets and
Your estrogen levels are super high your testosterone super low
You know what I mean? And you're just super wimpy and limp rested and you know, just
You don't even have sexual drive. You're just like
You just have soy in your system
You know
But if you're just like a regular, dude
You're put in that position
Come on, man
I'm trying to keep it pg-13, but let's be real here
You're holding hands. You're making out you're holding each other
Eventually, it's gonna awaken a desire in you and you know what given the right circumstance. You might even commit fornication
And you know what take heed lest he fall like not me I can handle all that
Oh sure, you can yeah people have been handled it for thousands of years, right a
Relationship has to grow my friends
Did you know that when two people are let me just say this when two people are dating each other with the purpose of marriage
That relationship has to grow
You know that means like you have to get closer one to another as the months go by
That's why I never recommend people to have long engagements
You know if you're engaged for years on end, oh man, you're you're opening yourself up to temptation
You know you said well, what do you recommend six months to a year for an engagement and shorter than all the better?
You know you're engaged
It's just like all right. She's gonna marry me
Okay, then get married sooner than later because the relationship grows and as the relationship grows you want to touch her
If you don't already and you know what she probably wants to touch you, too
But it's not right to do because eventually it's gonna grow into something else
You're gonna end up good
You know crossing some boundaries that you're not supposed to cross
Tempting each other and causing each other to end up committing some sort of sin that you're gonna regret in the long term
So he said what do you expect? You know, we're supposed to be like just like not touching at all
Well, it does say there. It's good for men not to touch a woman. So
That's what the Bible says right there, I mean I have a King James what do you guys got
Oh
It looks like I looks like people don't agree with me. Well, that's fine. That's literally what the Bible says there
It's good for a man not to touch a woman and then he says nevertheless to avoid fornication and
Last time I checked like like making out is considered touching, right?
If you're sticking your tongue inside of her inside of her that's considered touching. I
Mean I have to kind of like put the cookie on the bottom shelf here
Because it seems like people don't seem to understand this
Folks, I'm trying to help you so that you don't do something stupid in the long term
So then when you finally reach the the wedding altar, you're just like, you know what? I'm glad I waited
Now get over here woman, you know, that's what you have to do is in our church when they get married
They're like yank their wife's face. And so, you know, there's just
And everyone's just clapping and happy about it because you know what he possessed his vessel
He controlled himself
What am I saying have some control
Have some self-control and I get it. I know my pastor friends have different opinions than me. I
Know that that's why you guys are looking at me like that
But you know what? This is first works Baptist Church and my pastor friends respect my opinion
Just like I respect theirs, but you know what? This is first works and I'm just as your pastor
Giving you the recommendations. I'm not imposing this on you
I'm telling you this because I want you to have a successful marriage and you a successful engagement and marriage
And you know what, let me just say this too when you have kids you're gonna probably impose that standard upon your kids
It always happens
You'd be like, well, you know, maybe it's actually good for you guys not to hold hands actually
No, I think about it. Actually. It's a lot different my friends
But here's the thing you could avoid all that
And then look I'm speaking from experience because I had a really long engagement and not by choice either
Just you know, I had a layman
As a father-in-law, you know, I mean he
Hey, my wife would agree, you know, I had like he was like layman to me and then you know
I had to wait like a long time and I didn't have a choice like if it was my choice
I would have gotten married like in a few months or whatever
But you know what, you know, but you said what did you do? Well, I just have to possess my vessel in sanctification honor
And look I could even hold her hand even if I wanted to by the way
It's just he was just never allowed us to be in any situation like that
So I had to like work twice as hard to possess my vessel in sanctification honor
Because it's just like no holding hands. No nothing. I
Mean I could look at her and I was about it
You know and you know for any length of time that would be very hard for a person
But you know, obviously God gave me grace and you know, well here I am now
I got five kids and stuff like that. So marriage is going great
But but here's the thing is it so so don't think oh you're imposing that because you know
No
I'm just saying look I I did it more than most people do and I'm just telling you like if you get engaged
You know, you should plan to get married within the next six months or something like that sooner the better
Because it's gonna climax where it's just like
That physical relationship is supposed to be the end of that particular era for you guys
Where it's just like it's it's a beginning. It's a new start, but it's the end of that engagement and that's what you want
Understand. So what am I saying? I'm saying, you know get married and
Prepare for marriage
You know be someone who's just and don't take on this MGTOW attitude either
Oh, there's no good women out here in America. It's cuz you suck. That's why
It's not that there's no good women. There's no good women like you
That's what it is, there's just no good women it's cuz you suck as a dude
Good
Godly women don't like you because you suck as a dude. So maybe if you take MGTOW off your profile
It would actually be interested in you or something
That movement sucks. It's like it's like a covert gay movement or something
You know, it's just filled with dudes who just failed at getting a girl to like them or something
So they swing to the opposite extreme and now they just hate women it's a stupid movement
Criticize all women are whores the Western woman has been corrupted
Just say you failed
Just say you failed you can't get anybody to like you. You can't get anybody to marry you. That's basically what you mean
Okay, but you could fix that get in the church get Godly grow in the Lord
Be around men to teach you how to be a man and
Pray Lord send me someone I'm gonna possess my vessel and sanctification and honor. I want to honor you
I want you to help me to restrain myself. And when you send me the right person, I want to get engaged
Six month nine month engagement get married live happily ever after have a godly marriage
children just live life
until the Lord and
So what's what's the message?
This evening make war not this superficial love
You know as a young man
You know be determined to fight against your flesh
To fight against the temptations of Satan to fight against the philosophy that the world keeps throwing at you
That it's okay to fornicate and do all these things. It's not okay to fornicate. It's simple. It's wicked
and so
That's it. Let's pray father. We thank you so much for your word Lord
And I know I was a little course
This evening little crass in certain areas
But I feel like sometimes I need to be that way in order to get the point across and I pray that I did
tonight and I prayed that our young men would start getting ready and
And start preparing themselves for that covenant that they're gonna make
one day before you
To be a godly husband and a godly father and what a blessing it is to be married
And what a blessing it is to have children and to have a family and Lord
It's it's a wonderful thing
And I pray that you would cast vision to those in our church who are not yet married to strive for that
but until then Lord help them give them the grace to
Possess their vessels and sanctification and honor and obviously this principle can apply to all types of temptations and sins
But tonight, of course
We're focusing in on this matter of fornication Lord and I pray to you blesses as we go on our way
In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Song number 106 is our last song abide with me song number 106