SUNDAY SERMON COMMENTS (10.23.05)

On Sunday we returned to our series: 7 Character Traits of a Disciple. The topic Sunday was Chastity. Below are the central ideas of the sermon.

Chastity

Chastity is a word that can have negative connotations. I want to make it a positive word again. Based on 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, chastity can be defined as God pleasing or God centered sexuality. So what does God pleasing sexuality look like? What does a chaste person look like?

1. A Chaste Person Celebrates Sexuality-
-Genesis 2:18
-God created sex
-We are to celebrate it as God does
-The Hebrews celebrated it:
-cf. Ps. 19:5 -- the bridegroom's chamber.
-Song of Songs

2. A Chaste Person Honors Marriage
-Genesis 2:23-25
-God intended for sexuality to exist within the lifelong covenant of marriage.
-The interesection of intimacy and covenant: intimacy without commitment is destructive -- intimacy with commitment is life giving.
-A single person honors marriage through abstinence
-A married person honors marriage through faithfulness
-This is the benchmark by which all sexual behavior is judged.

3. A Chaste Person Knows the Limits of Sexuality-Matthew 22:23-33
-in the Kingdom there will be no marriage
-a creation truth -- marriage is to be honored
-a kingdom truth -- marriage is provisional
-this stands against our culture's obsession with sex
-this stands against the tendency in the church to prioritize marriage
-sex is not a human need
-God calls some to singleness/celebacy -- the church needs to celebrate and embrace this posture as well

4. Closing Thoughts-most if not all of us have sexual brokenness as part of our story
-God's grace is sufficient to free us of the guilt and shame that can be associated with this