1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 "Believer's Walk"

[Music] okay here we are first Thessalonians 4 we'll look at verses 1 through 8 today but I'll I'll introduce our passage by looking at verses 1 and 2 and introducing giving you some background to remind you of some things I'm developing a foundation but to be honest with you the direction we're going is really found in verses 3 through 8 and this is speaking about the believers walk what does it mean to walk worthy of the Lord Jesus Christ and so we'll be looking at that he especially is going to spend some time in this passage speaking concerning purity and so that is going to be really the heart of my message as we look at a believers walk walk there's worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ in order for us to get to verses 3 through 8 and to allow me to develop that with you and try to become very practical with that I need to remind you of some of the things that we've already been looking at a way of introducing this by reminder there are some who've never haven't been in any of our studies through this so this will help you a bit to come up to speed with where we're at here in chapter 4 and so what I'll do is I'll read verses 1 and 2 first give you some background it'll take a few minutes to do that develop the context give you some reminders and then move into the practical teaching that we're going to find in verses 3 through 8 so hold on as we go through verses 1 & 2 then we move into practical teaching verses 3 through 8 so I'll read beginning at verse 1 read verse 2 for a thessalonians chapter 4 paul writes finally then brethren we urge and exhort in the lord jesus that you should abound more and more just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God for you know what Commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus and so it's interesting as we begin how Paul begins this portion of his letter notice how he begins with the word finally it's interesting in that he really has much more to say because he's got a lot to say as we go through from verse 1 of chapter 4 into chapter 5 he's got a lot of things that he wants to speak about one of the things that we'll be looking at soon is a portion of scripture that I've been looking forward to spending time teaching and it's a portion of Scripture that refers to something that we the church call the rapture and we're going to see that Paul is going to be developing that with this church soon in chapter 4 and Paul is going to encourage and comfort the church by sharing about this particular event that we called the rapture and the rapture is a promise that the Lord will suddenly remove his church in order that the church will be with him he's going to make it clear that those who are alive will be caught up in the air and and will join those who have preceded them by dying and so this is going to be a word of encouragement it's a word of encouragement because the church is afflicted the church is persecuted and so this word that the Lord is returning to take us would encourage and comfort them because they're facing afflictions now we saw in chapter 3 verses 12 and 13 how that Paul had prayed that they would increase in love for one another and he also had prayed that their love would abound to all in other words may the church not only love one another because we're commanded to do that and by this all men shall know that we're disciples of Christ if we have love for one another and so we know that love is the birth mark of a believer and so anybody who calls upon the name of Christ well the evidence of his reality of relationship is going to include the love of the Spirit but it's not only going to be just for brothers and sisters it's going to also include love for others in a general sense the Bible in Romans 13:8 says o no man anything but to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled along so loving one another is a great testimony first to those who don't know the Lord somebody wrote at no other time in the history of Christianity did love so characterized the entire church as it did in the first three centuries and Roman society took note Tertullian reported that the Romans would exclaim behold how they love one another and so loving one another is a demonstration that God dwells in us but loving people in general is also a visible expression of the fruit of the Spirit again the love of the early Christians wasn't limited simply to their fellow believers Christians also lovingly help non-believers the poor the orphans the elderly the sick the shipwrecked even their persecutors Jesus had said love your enemies and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you in Matthew 5:44 the early Christians accepted this statement as a command from the Lord rather than as an ideal that couldn't be actually practiced in real life and the love of Christ was demonstrated in so many things that sometimes we forget about the love of Christ was demonstrated in the creation of orphanages the love of Christ was demonstrated in the creation of hospitals love of Christ was was demonstrated in the establishing of universities it was expressed to society in general and so loving one another and loving others is a birthmark it's an earmark of a Christian and so Paul is speaking concerning that how that were to abound in love for one another and for all people we we looked at Jesus as our example but Paul said his own example before them he said love one another just as we do to you not only have we loved you with word but we have imparted the gospel to you and we have also imparted our very lives to you so you can use us as an example and though he was absent from them he longed to be with him because he wanted to bless them in verse 13 of chapter 3 he had also prayed that their hearts would be notice blameless in holiness in other words if God's love filled their hearts their lives would reveal his love the fruit of God's Spirit would be evident in them Galatians 5:22 and 23 which speaks of the fruit of the Spirit the fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control against such there is no law the fruit of the Spirit is evident in them and he said it's my great desire that you will demonstrate that in your love and in your walk that you'll be blameless in holiness and all of this is going to be based on the fact that you are anticipating the return of the Lord at any moment you see if you're waiting for the Lord to return your life will evidence that in Calvary Chapel we're well known in the church world is as those who who are anticipating the return of Christ you know the rapture is the next the next prophecy on the prophetic calendar that is awaiting fulfillment and there's no other prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before that one is this is the next event so from the beginning in our heritage we as believers and we who are calvary chapel pastors we have known and anticipated the return of the lord and we've spoken concerning that for many years and so this hope of the return of Christ this hope of the rapture is something that is going to be evidenced by the way that we live it this knowledge that Jesus is returning at any moment is encouraging us to live in a certain way Titus chapter 2 verses 11 through 13 says it like this the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in the present age looking for the Blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ when the Apostle Peter was writing in 2nd Peter 3:12 he said since everything will be destroyed in this way what kind of people ought you to be then he answered his own question he said you want to live holy in godly lives so the promise of the return of Christ is intended to provoke a response in the heart of the believer and the behavior of a believer because if we truly believe he's returning our lives will evidence that and that's what John was saying in first John three two and three when he said beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be but we know that when he's revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure so that's what Paul is leading to he desires to give them more attention to prepare them for the return of Christ he knows that there are false teachers that are coming in he knows that they are moved by Satan and undermining the faith of the believers and he knew that because they were suffering false teachers could capitalize on this because a false teacher could undermine their faith by claiming believers shouldn't suffer so that was something Paul had to address and he's been doing that throughout the letter and he pointed out that afflictions are part of what it means to be a believer instead of destroying faith affliction is part of our life afflictions deepen our faith it refines it gets refined it's strengthened it makes our faith more focused and that's the point he's been making and now it continues his letter by picking up in verse one here in chapter four and saying finally then brethren we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should have bound more and more just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God for you know what Commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus so he's continuing and urging them notice how he says finally brethren we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus I urge you as a brother but I exhort I plead with you as an apostle and what am i urge you to do what am i exhorting you to do I'm encouraging you to walk and please God you deliver a life that is for the Lord your walk worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ this isn't his conclusion by the way but it is leading to an important section of his letter and it's so important that he uses his authority to urge and exhort them his plea is that they will abound more and more in the things that they've received his plea is that they continue maturing in their walks with the Lord and steadily grow in him notice in verse 1 how he says you received from us how you want to walk and please God so when he had first taught them he clearly taught them that they were to live to please the Lord and the teaching that he had given to them had been received he said says it in verse 1 he says just as you received from us how you want to walk in please Lord the word received means to welcome you welcomed this you accepted this you received these orders in order that you might live in such a way as to please the Lord you wanted to be instructed and how to be saved but you also need to know as the same person how you're supposed to live you've already been taught you already know you're supposed to please the Lord and you need to remember that your faith is going to inform the way that you live there's a lot of people today that you might encounter that I do I'll see them either personally or I'll see them on television sometimes or whatever I run into them in one way or another and they'll be saying how much they love the Lord but in fact they're not obedient to him they're not joined in any way through their life that they that they have a relationship with the Lord and quite a number of people today who are doing their we're living like that but he says you need to abound more and more in the things you've received you need to continue to grow you need to walk properly you need to learn to please the Lord you see the teaching you accepted and the teaching you welcomed instructed you but it also is instructing you not only how to be saved but how to live you know you're supposed to please the Lord you in order to live in that way it's like what he says to the Colossians in chapter 1 verse 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord fully pleasing him being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God so when he speaks concerning the walk how you're to walk the word walk there is a word that's concerning that your way of life it's how you conduct yourself the way that you walk in Scripture is is another way of speaking the way you live and the word please there simply means to accommodate yourself to the opinion desire and interests of someone else so he's saying a Christians desire to yield to God's desire for him or her to be pleasing to him ought to informed the way that he lives and so he's speaking about a walk that pleases God when you read the Bible you'll see that there are a lot of scriptures that speak about how to please God how to walk and please the Lord the Bible tells us that we can please the Lord with a walk of faith Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it's impossible to please him for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he's a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him if we're gonna live a life that pleases the Lord we need to have a walk that is sensitive to the leading of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16 Paul said walk in the spirit you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh if we're going to walk and please the Lord we need a walk that is producing good works Ephesians 2:10 says we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them if we're gonna please the Lord we need a that is earmarked by his love Ephesians 5 to walk in love as Christ also has loved us in giving himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma if we're gonna walk in a way that pleases him we need a walk earmarked by wisdom Colossians 4 verse 5 walking wisdom toward those who are outside redeeming the time if we're gonna walk in a way that pleases him we need a walk that is morally pure when that values Christian Fellowship first John 1:7 if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin if I'm gonna have a walk that pleases him I need a walk earmarked by obedience to his word second John verse 6 this is love that we walk according to his Commandments and if I'm going to have a walk that pleases him I need a walk that is consistently holy Ephesians 5 verse 8 you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light and so he's saying you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God you welcomed it as the Word of God you embraced it receiving and acting upon it because when I gave you the message of salvation I also intended to communicate you how to live and he said in verse 2 for you know what Commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus so I previously instructed you and these instructions are binding because of the authority that Christ is given to me so we have divine orders concerning our lifestyles we are to be set apart for Jesus Christ the Christian must live in the world but he must not let the world live in him jesus said in John 17 15 through 17 I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one they are not of the world just as I am NOT of the world sanctify them by your truth Your Word is truth so he's saying I want to speak to you and command you how to walk and please God now we pick up the application of that walking and pleasing God how to walk the believers walk verse 3 this is the will of God your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel and sanctification and honor not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all such as we also forewarned you and testified for God did not call us to uncleanness but in holiness therefore he who rejects this does not reject man but God who has also given us His Holy Spirit the believers walk how to walk and please the Lord let's look at that you know there are guys who speak I've heard this before some of you perhaps have heard it also maybe even said it where people have said I just want to know the will of the Lord why doesn't God tell me what his will is I really want to know the will of the Lord as if the Lord is going to you know hire somebody in one of those airplanes to go right across the sky this is my will for you well God has given to us his will it's determined it's that rather demonstrated here in verse three listen to what he says this is the will of God your sanctification and you see that's great but he goes on to say that you should abstain from sexual immorality this is the will of God that you might have a life that set apart to God and a life that is set apart to God is sexually pure that's what he's saying many years ago I was an assistant pastor in another Calvary ministry and the secretary of the church received a phone call with a request from somebody who didn't go to the church but had been told that she ought to call and see if she could sit down with me this is this is back in like 1979 1980 and so I did a lot of the ministry counseling there and all and so the senior pastor said well see if David will meet with her and so long story made short she didn't go to the church she had just received advice to give a call and speak to me and and so I made an appointment to meet with her after a Sunday morning and I waited for her and she was supposed to bring her boyfriend and she she and her boyfriend were having some problems and so as they came as he can't a rather she came and sat down in the office I I remember opening the conversation by saying something like I thought you were having problems with a boyfriend she said we are having problems and I said and I was told that you wanted to talk to me with him that he was supposed to be here and she said well he was supposed to be here and I said may I asked where he is and she said well I went to go pick him up to bring him but he was playing I think he was clean either a football or playing a softball game with some friends she said I went to pick him up to bring him so we could meet with you but he didn't want to come so I chose to come by myself and I said oh you've got a relational problem but the person that you're having the problem with didn't want to come to counsel she said no he wanted to place but every game he was playing I said okay I said so what can we speak about so she started speaking to me concerning the problems and all and it's never gonna really be that effective if he's not there to kind of give his side or whatever and so finally as she's sharing I asked her a couple questions I said to her this I said listen and are you are you a Christian she said yes I said and how do you know that you're a Christian and she shared with me and and she obviously knew enough to the gospel the two have claimed Christ as their Savior and I said okay now your boyfriend is he a Christian she says no he's not I said your boyfriend's not a believer and she said no I said what are you doing with him she says well he's my boyfriend I said I know but the Bible says be not unequally yoked together with an unbeliever I said the scripture teaches that a believer is not to have a relationship with the non-believer I said have you not heard that and she says no I've never heard that I said do you go to church and she says I go every Sunday I said you go to church every Sunday but you've never been taught about relationships like that that that believing women believing men are not to be unequally yoked with those who don't have relationships with the Lord she said I've never been taught that I said well there's a root of your problem so we continued conversing and then I said what is it in in particular that you really want to talk about and she says well we've been having sex and I said oh no wait a minute okay so you're with an unbeliever and you're having sexual intercourse and she said yes I said okay has anybody ever told you that that's called fornication that's a sexual sin and she says no I said you're a Christian yes you go to church yes had your pastor ever taught a passage that relates to that she says he never has I said well let me show you what the scripture says we had our conversation at that time and I said to her listen I said 1 you're already violating God's Word because you're in a relationship with the non-believer 2 you're violating God's Word because you're having sexual intercourse outside of marriage I said so you're expecting to somehow heal this is that it's not going to heal I see didn't care enough about you to even come and sit down and talk to me about the problem he's telling you how he feels by his absence he's speaking loudly in this room by the fact that he's not here so if you want advice my advice is simple break up with the guy and get right with God he's not a believer you're in sexual sin and you need to repent and move on with Christ and she says well thank you you know that's not the kind of advice she probably wanted but she said thank you and she left she didn't go to the church she never phoned again we planted this church so bad and not it was an 81 so we planted this church and I got a letter in the mail and I still remember I have it somewhere I remember reading that letter word she said you probably won't remember me I was the young young lady in your office crying about the relationship I had with a guy and you told me that I was in sin I needed to repent get right with God and that God would heal me she said I just wanted to do some follow-up and it had by that time been three or four years she said I just wanted to do some follow-up she said I took your advice I broke up with him I went to school I joined I went to college I was in the Christian Club on the college campus I became the president of the Christian Club when I when I became president of the Christian Club I met a young man we began to date he asked me to marry him and I want you to know that I was that young girl crying in your office but now I'm that young woman following Jesus Christ and I met the right guy and I just want you to know that the Bible you know it isn't that this young lady wanted to be in sin this young lady was basically following the course of the age the course of the world the things that people did because after all if you like somebody don't just sleep with them and that's the way the world was even back almost 40 years ago now it was already moving in that direction but the Bible's very clear and when I spoke to her and said it has nobody taught you this she was not in a church that went through the Bible and so she'd never been taught that see Paul made it very clear and we're gonna look at that right now he says in verse 3 this is the will of God your sanctification that you should abstain from sexual immorality sexual immorality is really a single Greek word and it's the Greek word is pronounce the word porneia oz speaks of every form of sexual practice that lies outside the circle of God's revealed will including adultery premarital and extramarital intercourse homosexuality bestiality and other perversions pornea and that is where you get the word porn from pornography it's speaking of sexual practices now fornication or sexual immorality was common amongst the pagans and it still is it's possible that the Thessalonians had continued its practice after their conversion that's not improbable because sexual restraint was almost unheard of in Greek culture for pagan Greeks it was unreasonable to encourage people to sexual restraint because at that time it was assumed that a man would find sexual pleasure outside of marriage and because of this sexual activity was lightly regarded widely accepted as natural and some even argued that sexual fulfillment was natural and neutral it was simply an appetite and they likened it to an appetite or a desire to drink or desire to eat as a matter of fact Paul addresses that in first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 13 because there was a statement at that time they were saying if you're hungry you eat and in 1st Corinthians 613 Paul said food for the stomach and the stomach for food but God will destroy them both the body isn't meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body you see many today don't believe that fornication is a sin even in the church there's a tremendous lack of understanding about this subject sexual promiscuity is incomplete with a life of holiness sexual sin destroys the foundation of intimacy that's established in the covenant of marriage you see by virtue of creation marriage is God's designed for proper sexual relationships it's intended to be enjoyed between a man and a woman who are married in Genesis 2:24 a man shall leave his father and mother be joined to his wife they shall become one flesh so God's command for marriage is intended to produce a godly couple producing god-fearing children and sexual sins are sin against God it's not only a sin against God but it in a way very practically it's even a sin against your own self in 1st Corinthians 6 15 and 16 Paul said it like this do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot certainly not or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her for the two he says shall become one flesh sexual purity recognizes our relationship to God sexual immorality is a violation of God's intent for sexual intimacy it destroys the marriage covenant it often leads to divorce and it very often leaves behind broken children in Scripture sexual involvement outside of marriage is revealed as sin in Hebrews 13 verse 4 marriage should be honored by all the marriage bed kept pure for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral you see the believer is to live a life that is blameless and holy before God and man and the difference of our lifestyles the difference between the lifestyle of a believer and an unbeliever should provide contrast in Philippians 2:15 Paul said that you may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world fornication is a serious sin some people don't think it is but it is fornication is a sin that eliminates you from entrance into heaven somebody Argent's that that's not true really Ephesians five five and six this you know that no fornicator unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience let no one deceive you so he's speaking concerning sexual sin abstain he says from sexual immorality he says in verse four that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God we're to devote our bodies as sacred vessels that are devoted to Christ Romans 12:1 and 2 says it like this I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God so we are to abstain through voluntary self-discipline from sexual sin now somebody says well that's nice to say but sexual desire can be very great so you're with a girl taking a male perspective and as your whether you're alone nobody around nobody watching you you begin to to kiss and then you move into other things and before you know it you're prepared you're wanting to have sex let me ask you a question because there are those guys will say man you know pastor that's where you're making a mistake you don't understand or perhaps you don't remember you know you're an old man let me remind you you know when all systems are go it's not like you can just shut them down you understand that don't you pastor you ever remember that okay here's your here's your hypothetical question you're with a girl you're moving in to a moment of intimacy all systems are go would it make any difference to you just before you enter into sex if she said to you oh by the way I'm HIV positive would that make any difference to you where the whole system shut down I suspect they would I suspect immediately all of that mm-hmm that's what what happened to you why because the fear of AIDS is greater in you than the fear of God that's why as it is in God you fear it's disease and that's why the church is so messed up today because the church doesn't fear God because the church doesn't listen to what God says because we know better than God that's why and the bottom line is your body is a sacred vessel unto the Lord you have been dedicated to him for his service yes sexual desire can be very great but you need to remember the consequences there's no such thing as a harmless sexual activity no such thing besides the fact of it being a sin there are also consequences like diseases and pregnancies in and then some have moved into abortions he says in verse 5 we're not to have our bodies that were not to have them in passion of lust like Gentiles notice who do not know God pagans don't have an idea about God's commands Christian purity they don't really care they don't know the Lord they haven't responded to him but when we're saved we're not to use our bodies for sinful passion but for service to him and says so he says in verse 5 not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who don't know God but here's something very practical verse 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all such as we also forewarned you and testified that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother the word advantage it means to gain something from somebody else that speaks of taking advantage of somebody the word defraud means to corrupt or try to corrupt the wife of somebody else to try to a lien ate her affection or fidelity from her husband what are the that isn't spoken about it's what Paul is speaking about right here I read it again and I'll give you some insight into this no one should take advantage of and defraud its brother in this matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all such as we also forewarned you and testified you're in church you're single you meet somebody will take again I'll use the male perspective as a man you meet a young lady she's sitting you see her you walk up to her hi how are you go to the church yeah how long you been here you make small talk before you know it you see her again then you see her again and after a while you start thinking she doesn't seem to be attached you looked at her hand there's no ring there so you talked to her she's unmarried she's unattached before you know it you ask her out why not so you say would you like to go out and get some coffee or whatever you do and she says why not so out you go you go on a date and you like her you visit with her she's nice she likes you you go to Bible studies together they go to church yeah as a matter of fact at first you even meet each other in church I'll see you there on Sunday I'll see you there ones or whenever you go I'll see you and now you're connecting and as you're connecting you're starting to think more about her and you're starting to like her even more but you know you've gone out once or twice at all and you know you kind of played it kind of cool with her and all you don't know whether or not she's find you attractive so you're wondering I wonder you know maybe you know I just hold her hand but maybe you're a shy kind of guy I was real shy you know I'm shy kind of guy and I thought well you know I don't know if she wants to hold my hand maybe that's too forward so Marie and I the girl I ended up marrying Marie and I you know we go out on a date and I started thinking I wonder I wonder if she'd like me to hold her hand and we'd been going out for several weeks and I never touched her never held her hand or anything like that so I'm thinking I wonder if she wants me to hold her hand so I noticed she would put her purse on her left shoulder with her right hand free when I was standing on her right side I notice that so I thought I wonder if that's a hint so what I did this is a truth I'm not lying this is the truth what I did is I pretended there was something on the ground as she took a couple steps in front of me then I picked up mice and I walked around the other side where her purse was and she switched her purse to the other side so I thought uh-uh she wants the touch you know I so I thought so I thought I wonder if she's leaving that free for a reason so I stopped again and she keeps walking and then I just kind of mosey it on to the other side and now she's switching her purse to that I didn't hold her hand for several weeks several weeks never did then one day the guy touches her hand it's like electricity your hair goes straight up oh wow she's holding my hand but you know what that after a while you know as his holy hands so you think kiss her goodnight know some of you guys make out in the first night I didn't so anxious her for five months so I think yeah maybe I ought to try that so you kiss and I'll send you my glasses fell off my face oh well what I'm really talking about is the law of diminishing return there's this anticipation that you have even the first time you call him up for a date and your heart begins to raise I hope that they answer the phone I hope that she doesn't mind me calling and then you have this this rush when she says oh hi and then then there's that a she visits with me and then but you know now she's going out now I've held a hand now I've kissed and what happens guys is the thrill business doesn't last so you can potentially first you called up freshly madam then you call them then you date you touch the hand then you kissed him and then you got bored and then he decided to get handsy and before you know it she's respecting you she thinks you're a spiritual guy you began to echo you know like you are but now you're starting to make moves on her after a while you'll wear her down a little bit before you know it you're ending a relationship you're in sex and you're saying this is wrong I know I'm wrong you feel like you're trapped for a while she's feeling trapped and then one day you say to her you know what we're not good for each other and I'm so sorry God forgive me how I've sinned against you and I've sinned against God forgive me but we got a breakup and she says I hear you on that and you go one way and he goes the other she goes the other and then one day some guy meets her in the same way you did and he likes her and he talks to her he takes her out but he treats her like a lady he treats her the way she's supposed to be treated he treats her with honor and respect he opens the door he he pays for the meal he shows the kind of respect a man she'd show for a woman and she says to herself now this is a real man he reads the word he prays with her he serves next to her and then one day he says to her after weeks months a year whatever he says you know what you are the girl that I prayed for I know that God prepared you just for me and I want you to marry me will you marry me and she looks at him and she's kept a secret she hasn't said anything and she finally says well you know what man we've been doing well together and I really have grown to love you but we haven't really talked about some things that you probably ought to know you know there was somebody else in my life and I was with him and I gave my purity to him and that man looks at her you defrauded your brother that's what Paul's talking about you do frauded your brother you took from him would belong to him which is her purity you took it he used it got rid of it Oh God thank you for your forgiveness I'm new but her husband was defrauded of what belonged rightfully to him because of what you did and that's what Paul is saying here he says that listen no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter because the Lord is the Avenger of all such as we also forewarned you and testified somebody said promiscuity before marriage represents the robbing of the other of that virginity which ought to be brought to a marriage the future partner of such a one has been defrauded Paul says live in purity don't take what doesn't belong to you if a man loves her enough to want to sleep with her he had a love her enough to marry her and keep her pure before the Lord because that's what God has called men to do is the honor respect and cherish those women and when a woman yields herself she loses a part of herself it defrauded you do Friday in yourself you need your Friday and your brother sexual sin yeah it's a sin God intends marriage to be a place where a godly couple has godly children it's it's a testimony the people there are people who talk about all the problems they have in marriage and this and that it's not that we don't have problems Marie and I have problems she doesn't always agree with me she eventually does and that's why the problem is solved no we but you know what we've always known as a married couple we've always known that God comes first he's the one who brought us together he's the one who keeps us together and we together serve Him and we haven't found any mountain or obstacle that we can overcome with him we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us but we've had to learn we have to learn how to love one another how to care for one another and so Paul is simply saying that that that a man should not be de Friday and taking advantage of another man by taking from that man that which didn't belong to him and so be careful when these issues of sexual immorality because it's destructive in so many ways he says in verse seven God did not call us to uncleanness but in holiness therefore he who rejects this doesn't reject man but God who has also given us His Holy Spirit if he ignored this he's saying you will reap what you sow and God is the Avenger God administrates justice fairly and no sin goes ignored there are repercussions that will follow remember God didn't call us to uncleanness but to live holy separated lives you see sexual purity reflects on the purity of the whole person your character is revealed through your obedience to God's Word because the Holy Spirit coupled with the Holy Word when obeyed produces holy lives and so God gives us his word and he has not called us to live in an unclean impure way but to live a holy life therefore he said in verse eight he who rejects this doesn't reject man but God so somebody says well that's your opinion Paul says now you're not rejecting me you're rejecting God you're rejecting what God says in his word and by rejecting the command you in reality are rejecting the God who gave it and so this is that serious a sin so serious that he took this much time to speak concerning it many have failed I don't say this lightly because it could be taken lightly many have failed but guess what my God is forgiving God and a loving God our God forgives and I believe in something called second virginity which it simply means that you can come to faith in Christ you can be washed clean from your sin and you can live as if you have never been touched you can live in such a way that your life is as pure and yes there are physical things that cannot be denied but you can start over in Christ and you can have a pure and beautiful life and you can and will be forgiven by God any changes you now I don't want to go into many personal details about this I have a friend whose wife and I'll leave him unnamed because it's too personal but I will say there's a friend whose wife was a prostitute and the Lord saved her and this friend of mine is a pastor and his wife serves Jesus with purity because God forgives and he heals and he cleanses anyone in Christ said new creation old things are passed away behold all things become new so if you failed just lift it to God say God forgive me I am a sinner I need you wash me cleanse me make me new I will follow you and the Lord will answer that prayer and you will be brand new in him that's the God that we serve and he will wash and he will cleanse you keep that in mind keep that in mind

Channel: Calvary Chapel Chino Valley

Views: 4,806

Rating: 4.9120879 out of 5

Keywords: Bible, Pastor David Rosales, cccv, Church, Teaching, Worship, God, Christians, Bible Study, Jesus, A Jesus People Community, Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, Truth, Gods Word, Calvary Chapel, David Rosales, Pastor David, Ministries, Bible Studies, Gospel, Holy Spirit, End Times

Id: zCi1Jatyu4s

Length: 47min 15sec (2835 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 10 2018