Sexual Intimacy

Sun 27th February

Sexual Intimacy

John Sweetman

*Today's topic is focused on the perspective that God has on sex

*Sex is a "bottly" desire that we have just like food. (haha!)

*Sex is a physical need that we all need

*And the impression we get now when we don't have sex is that were not normal

*A couple of restrictions :-

1. Pedophilia is wrong because its a form of abuse

2. Sexual abuse is wrong

3. Same form of love is desired

4. If your married, we have to stay true to our partner

*A place called Corinth was a place liberal of sex

*A couple of books written to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:12 & 13: "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"- but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food" - but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

1 Corinthians 7:1: Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry

(talking about sex)

Whats God's idea on sex?

1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

(porneia)- any sex outside of marriage

3 Things Paul argues in this passage

1. Your body is very important to God

1 Corinthians 6:13: "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"- but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body

God is really interested in our body

*Our mind and soul is different from our body

1 Corinthians 6:14: By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also.

*When body disintegrates, our spirit lives

*God gave us another resurrected NEW body

*He cares so much for our body that He gave us a NEW body

1 Corinthians 6:15: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 

*The body links intricately with your mind and soul

*He wants your body as well as your heart. God is living in your body

2. Sex is more important that you think

*Having good sex is important but its more important that you think

1 Corinthians 6:15-16: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

The book of Genesis also says this that "The two will become one flesh"

*Joining of two people in one which can't be ripped apart

*When you have sex with a prostitute, its just not about physical sex alone but an having an intimate commitment that you will spend the rest of your life with

*God created sex so that it would be at their deepest level, giving and trusting themselves completely to him/her

*There is pleasure in sex but self-donation is given as well

*If we don't use sex the way God wants it to be, we are slowly burning and destroying it in ourselves

1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commites are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

*If you treat sex carelessly, it will cut deep and slowly destroy you

*We may have mess it up sometime in our live someway but God can forgive and bring change in our lives

*But we must not take this wrong because God designed this wonderful thing called sex for us

3. Sex is less important that you think

1 Corinthians 6:16: Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

*There is a spiritual relationship that we can have with God even though we can have amazing relationships because no one loves us unconditionally like God

*This kind of relationship will be enriching because God will never let you down

*We are broken people and we can hurt each other but God can't

*The way we mess things up can be forgiven because God is forgiving

*The God of the universe is loving, accepting and keeping us in his relationship forever and ever

1 Corinthians 6:19: Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 

*God is definitely above sex

The relationship with God is even better

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**