Well, good morning, church.
This summer, if you've been with us, you know we're studying the book of Proverbs,
and Proverbs is a very practical book, isn't it?
Last week, Pastor Greg got down to some of the nitty-gritty of the things that we're
going to see in the book of Proverbs this summer.
And one of the benefits of teaching straight through a passage of Scripture, like this
opening section of Proverbs, is that it brings before us topics that otherwise we might choose
to avoid, like this opening, like the chapters we'll be looking at this morning, which are
all about wisdom and your sex life.
One of the great things about preaching about sex is that I don't have to write a sermon
introduction, because I just say we're preaching about sex and everyone pays attention.
It's excellent.
Now, remember, these opening chapters of Proverbs, chapters 1 through 9, they're cast mostly
in the form of speeches of a father to his son.
And we'll be looking at three of these speeches this morning in chapters 5, 6, and 7, each of
which has to do with wisdom and sex.
So, in essence, what we have here in Proverbs through the literary voice of a father speaking
to his son is God, our heavenly father, coming to us as children with infinite wisdom and
infinite grace and saying to us, let's have a talk.
And I think if we were to boil down what these three speeches are saying, I think we could sum
it up in two big points.
First, because sexual folly destroys, run from it.
And second, because sexual wisdom satisfies, delight in it.
Because sexual folly destroys, run from it.
Because sexual wisdom satisfies, delight in it.
So, let's jump in at Proverbs chapter 5, verse 1, and hear the wisdom our heavenly father has
for us when it comes to this all-important area of sex.
That's page 530 in the Pew Bible, if you want to turn there with me.
Page 530, Proverbs chapter 5.
Let's start with Proverbs chapter 5, verses 1 through 14.
My son, be attentive to my wisdom.
Incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion and your lips may guard
knowledge.
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil.
But in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death.
Her steps follow the path to Sheol.
She does not ponder the path of life.
Her ways wander, and she does not know it.
And now, O sons, listen to me.
Do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.
Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the merciless.
Lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner.
And at the end of your life, you groan when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say,
how I hated discipline, and how my heart despised reproof.
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
I'm at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.
So, here's the first thing our Heavenly Father wants us to know.
Because sexual folly destroys, run from it.
Keep your way far from it, verse 8 says.
Now, in these chapters, we meet the character of the forbidden woman.
Other translations you have might read the adulterous woman.
And this character in the book of Proverbs represents sexual expression outside of what God intends,
outside of what God designed.
As we'll see in a minute, in the rest of chapter 5, God created sex to be fully enjoyed in the lifelong covenant of marriage.
Sex inside of marriage is a good thing.
But sex outside of marriage brings ruin.
As one writer said, sex is like fire.
Inside a fireplace, it keeps us warm.
Outside the fireplace, it burns the house down.
Now, before we go any further, you might be wondering,
why does sexual folly here have to be described as a woman?
That doesn't seem very fair, right?
I mean, aren't men just as guilty of sexual folly as women?
Well, if you're thinking that, actually, the Bible would totally agree with you.
Men aren't any better than women in this regard.
I think the reason why the forbidden woman is a woman here is because of the literary form of the passage.
Remember, it's a father speaking to his son.
But as we've said before, these speeches are intended not just for sons, but for all of us, for the whole people of God.
Both sons and daughters are meant to put themselves in the place of the son in these chapters and translate it, apply it accordingly to their lives.
In other words, Proverbs is really saying here, beware of those who would tempt you to sexual folly, whether male or female.
And the first thing we need to know is that there will be temptation.
And at first, what will come at us will seem sweet and smooth.
Look again at verse 3.
With lips sweeter than honey, with words smoother than oil, sexual folly will come at you promising something sweet and smooth.
Something fun.
Something pleasurable, real, lasting.
But the Father wants us to get the whole picture here.
He wants us to see that under the surface appeal lies hidden destruction.
Look at verse 4.
But in the end, it is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
What promised to be sweet and smooth in the end is bitter and piercing.
And instead of leading to life, it leads to the grave.
But in the end.
So much of wisdom, you know, is beginning with the end in mind.
It's picking your head up from the immediate, from the now, from instant gratification, to view life as a whole.
To see things from the perspective of the end.
And what's the end of sexual folly?
What's the end of pursuing sex outside of God's good design?
The middle of Proverbs 5 starts to lay that out for us.
And Proverbs 6, 20 through 35 unpacks it even more.
Here, the Father's showing us the consequences.
In verses 9 through 11 of chapter 5, we see that the pursuit of sexual folly will cost us dearly.
Look at the list.
Our honor, our years, our strength, our labors, even our flesh and bones will be consumed.
In other words, it destroys our reputation, our wealth, our vigor.
In the long run, all of it will be sucked out of us, the Father says.
Now, does that sound exaggerated to you?
I think it does, doesn't it?
I think it sounds exaggerated because our world tells us over and over again
that sexual expression and permissiveness is the key to happiness, life, and vigor.
If you want to turn the engine on real life, you've got to turn the engine on sexual expression.
Right?
I mean, show me, show me a movie plot or a TV show
where happiness is found in a married couple sticking it out through hardship
and I will show you 20 where happiness lies in pursuing a relationship outside of marriage.
But this is why we need the wisdom of Proverbs so badly.
Because even though these are the stories we keep telling ourselves,
in the end, they never come true.
Instead, what's true is what verses 12 through 14 go on to describe.
Sexual folly will bring deep regret.
It destroys our conscience.
In the end, you will look back and say,
how I hated discipline, how my heart despised reproof.
That's the voice of remorse, of regret.
I knew what I should have done and I didn't do it.
And now I've lost everything.
If you look over at Proverbs chapter 6, starting in verse 20,
it picks up the same theme.
This is the second of those three speeches about sex in the opening chapters of Proverbs.
And here, the father unpacks the consequences of sexual folly in even greater detail.
In verses 27 through 29, he shows us that the pain of sexual folly is inevitable.
Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?
Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?
The answer is no.
So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife.
None who touches her will go unpunished.
And even though the warning here is against adultery in particular,
the same applies to sexual sin across the board.
It's a fire that will inevitably consume you.
Last, in verses 30 through 33 of chapter 6, we see that sexual folly brings ongoing shame.
People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he's hungry.
But if he's caught, he will pay sevenfold.
He will give all the goods of his house.
He who commits adultery lacks sense.
He who does it destroys himself.
He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
Proverbs is making a lesser to greater argument here, you see.
If a person who steals when they're hungry still has to pay sevenfold when they're caught,
how much greater and how much certain will the penalty be for the one who commits adultery?
His disgrace will not be wiped away.
There will be ongoing shame.
And again, this sounds like an exaggeration to our ears, doesn't it?
Is sexual folly really that bad?
Is it really that costly?
Is that really where it ends?
But friends, despite what we see in our movies or hear in our pop songs,
despite what we read in our magazines,
despite what our friends might tell us,
our Heavenly Father is telling us what's true and what's for our good.
You know, in all the couples that Beth and I have done pre-marriage counseling with,
we've never met a single person who said,
you know, I'm really glad I had all those sexual experiences before marriage.
I feel like they really prepared me well for what's ahead.
No one has said that.
Not a single one.
Instead, all of them would erase their past sexual folly in a second if they could.
So if sexual folly destroys, what should be our response?
And Proverbs is very clear.
Run.
Keep your path far from it.
Again and again, that's the Father's wisdom to His Son, to us.
Chapter 5, verse 8.
Keep your way far from her.
Do not go near the door of her house.
Chapter 6, verse 25.
Do not desire her beauty in your heart.
Do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.
You see the advice?
Physically and mentally, geographically and intellectually,
go the opposite direction.
In chapter 7, we have one last speech that illustrates this for us.
The Father here tells us a story, a parable.
In verse 6, he says,
One day I looked out my window and here's what I saw.
Let's pick up the drama in verse 7 of chapter 7.
And I've seen among the simple, I've perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house in twilight in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.
In other words, here's a young person in the wrong place at the wrong time,
foolishly wandering into danger.
Verse 10,
And behold, the woman meets him dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
She's loud and wayward.
Her feet do not stay at home.
Now in the street, now in the market, and in every corner she lies in wait.
She seizes him and kisses him.
And with bold face, she says to him,
I had to offer sacrifices, and today I've paid my vows.
In other words, under the veneer of religion,
she's come back from the temple with a costly meal,
an expensive meal that she's going to share with him.
15.
So now I've come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I found you.
There's the flattery.
You're the one I've been waiting for.
There's no one like you.
16.
I've spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen.
I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning.
Let us delight ourselves with love.
For my husband's not at home.
He's gone on a long journey.
He took a bag of money with him.
At full moon, he'll come home.
In other words, no one will find us.
We won't get caught, and there won't be any consequences.
Do you see how powerful the temptation comes?
It's attacking this foolish youth at every level.
His pride, his ego, his sense of physical desire.
And that's how it comes at us as well.
You know, sexual folly is not going to show up at your doorstep and say,
hey, if you want a big costly load of shame and regret, I'm the one for you.
No, sexual folly will come and make you feel special.
I've waited for you.
You're the one for me.
This is true love.
And it will promise you the heights of pleasure without any consequence.
Comfort, escape, delight with no consequence.
No one's home.
No one will find out.
No one will get hurt.
But that's not how it ends.
Pick up in verse 21.
With much seductive speech, she persuades him.
With her smooth talk, she compels him.
All at once, he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter.
Or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver.
As a bird rushes into a snare, he does not know that it will cost him his life.
Like an ox marching to his own slaughter.
That's a vivid image, isn't it?
It's an image meant to bring us to our senses and to get us to listen.
Verse 24,
You know, one of the things we often tell ourselves in the face of temptation, particularly sexual temptation,
is that our situation is different.
We're not like all those other people.
I can handle this movie.
I can handle this website.
It won't suck me in.
Or what I have with this other person, it's the real thing.
We're not like all those other couples who are having an affair.
We're in love.
This is different.
But verse 27, again, is telling us the truth.
The victims are many.
The slain are a mighty throng.
In other words, you are no different.
And we will not escape.
And so we need to do the exact opposite of the foolish young man in this parable.
We need to keep ourselves far from the path of sexual folly.
Like Joseph in the house of Potiphar, we need to run in the opposite direction.
So what does that look like practically?
Can we just be real honest for a second?
Most of us in this room have a ticking time bomb of sexual folly right in our pockets.
And it's not just guys.
I saw a statistic recently that one-third of women are viewing pornography every week.
And you know where most of it's happening?
No surprise.
Friends, what are we going to do as a body of believers to stay out of the path of sexual folly?
Parents, are you monitoring and engaging in conversation with your kids about what they're doing and seeing on their devices?
And the conversations that they're having with their friends?
Are you talking with them about this stuff?
Do you know how to use the parental controls on their phones so you can protect them from spiritual danger?
If not, what are you going to do this afternoon to figure that out?
Don't wait until tomorrow.
And if you don't know, figure it out.
Talk to me.
Talk to Matt.
Talk to Jeff.
Talk to one of the elders.
Start to do some Google searches on how these things actually work.
And figure out how you can come alongside your son or daughter and walk with them in the midst of this.
And students, high schoolers, middle schoolers, I know who you are.
If you have a phone or a tablet that your parents aren't plugged into and helping you with, here's your homework assignment.
Invite them to do so.
Welcome them into your space.
Welcome their wisdom and protection.
I know that might sound totally crazy.
And cramping your style.
But, imagine you wake up in the middle of the night, your house is on fire, and your bedroom is filling with smoke.
And your mom or dad comes in with a fire extinguisher and an oxygen mask to rescue you and get you out of there safely.
My bet is that you wouldn't complain that they're being overbearing and all up in your space.
Just let me roast in my bed, dad.
You're not going to tell them that.
You're going to be like,
Mom, dad, I love you.
I missed you.
Thank you.
I'm a four-year-old again.
Because, friends, here's the deal.
Spiritually, we're all in that situation.
And we need help.
We need help.
Now, more than half of us here aren't living at home with our parents.
So, what are you going to do to stay far from the path of sexual folly?
Are you willing to download an app like Covenant Eyes or X3 Watch on your phone
and get a trusted mentor to track with you, to get into your story, and to help you?
Look, I know those apps clunk up your phone, and I know that there are ways to get around them,
and I know they're not foolproof, but at least it's a start.
At least it's being intentional about living your life and staying far from the path.
Maybe this week you need to get coffee with someone and say,
I need help.
Will you help me keep far from the path of sexual folly?
Ask me hard questions.
Help me get the right software on my devices.
Be intentionally intrusive in my life.
I'm opening up the door for you to step in and help me.
And if you don't know who to ask in that regard,
start with someone you trust in your small group.
And if you're not in a small group, get into one.
And if someone asks you to be that person for them,
and you have no idea how to do that well,
then come talk to one of us pastors and we can coach you on how to do it.
We can come alongside you and point you into the right direction for resources
and give you questions to ask and give you ways to pray for that brother or sister who's coming to you
so we can do this together.
But of course, sexual folly doesn't just come at us in our phones, does it?
So for you, maybe there are other decisions you need to make,
other ways you need to stay far from the path.
Do you need to change the way you drive or the way you walk to work?
Do you need to change some of the media you consume?
Do you need to change the friends you spend time with?
Do you need to change the job scenario that you're in?
I know each one of those is costly, but it's worth it.
And how is your thought life?
Are you being intentional with what happens in your mind?
Are you taking every thought captive for Christ's sake?
When you see an image in the checkout line or when an old memory comes back to you in that moment,
what do you do?
Well, friends, here's what you can do.
In that moment, pray for the Holy Spirit's help.
The Holy Spirit is nearer to you
than any of those distractions.
Pray for His help to look away,
to leave those thoughts behind,
and to begin setting your mind on the good gifts
that God has given you to rightfully enjoy.
Interestingly, in a number of places in the New Testament,
what's the antidote to sexual immorality?
It's gratitude.
Cultivating a heart of gratitude and praise of God
from the New Testament perspective
is what will wither away the roots of sexual folly in your life.
Because ultimately, friends,
the truth is,
you have to fight fire with fire.
Desire will only be overcome by a greater desire.
When the desire of sexual folly comes blazing in,
yes, you need to get away,
but deeper still,
you need to have a greater,
brighter flame
that's burning in your heart.
And here's where the second big point of the passage comes in.
We're only going to touch on this briefly because of time.
But we said that sexual folly destroys,
so we must run from it.
But what are we running to?
Go back to chapter 5.
Pick up the rest of the Father's first speech.
And in the rest of chapter 5,
we see part of the answer.
Part of the answer.
Proverbs 5,
verse 15 through 20.
Stay far from the woman of folly,
but drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets,
let them be for yourself alone
and not for strangers with you.
Let your fountain be blessed.
And then he raises the curtain on the metaphor.
And rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A lovely dear, a graceful doe,
let her breasts fill you at all times
with delight,
be intoxicated always in her love.
Why should you be intoxicated,
my son, with a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
The Father is telling the Son
that because sexual wisdom satisfies,
we must delight in it.
And here in chapter 5,
that means enjoying sex
in the lifelong covenant of marriage.
Paul will teach the same thing
in 1 Corinthians chapter 7.
Husbands and wives
are to mutually give
the good gift of sexual intimacy
to one another joyfully,
gladly,
frequently.
You see, friends,
the Bible isn't embarrassed
about human sexuality.
It's a reality to rejoice in,
and the proper context for it
is the security and trust
of the whole life commitment of marriage.
But why is that so?
Why is the exclusive covenant of marriage
the only context God designed for sex?
Well, there are lots of answers
we could give to that,
but the ultimate answer,
biblically speaking,
is this.
Because God designed sex
from the very beginning
to be a picture,
to be a picture of His exclusive,
self-giving love
and union
to His bride,
the church.
We heard echoes of this
in our passage from Isaiah
earlier,
didn't we?
I am your husband,
the Lord tells
the people in Isaiah's day.
In Ezekiel,
in the opening chapters of Ezekiel,
I think around 16,
the metaphor gets even stronger.
The Lord
found His people,
loved them,
took them to Himself,
made them His own,
and yet,
they ran away,
whoring,
Ezekiel says,
after other lovers.
And yet,
though the Lord
would be fully just
in divorcing them,
casting them off,
leaving them in their sin and shame,
what does He do?
He takes them to Himself once more.
He washes them clean.
He renews His covenant with them,
never to forsake them.
Perhaps the most vivid picture
of all this
is found in the prophet Hosea.
God tells Hosea
to do something
that seems absurd.
He says,
Hosea,
I want you to go marry
an unfaithful wife.
And even when she leaves him
for other lovers,
God tells Hosea
to go into the marketplace
and buy her back.
To pay whatever price
her new lovers demand
and bring her home.
To be unswervingly faithful to her
despite her sin.
And God tells Hosea to do that
because He says,
that's how I love my people.
And I want through you,
I want you to be a picture
of the faithful love
that I have for my people.
That though they had run
after other lovers,
other gods,
other lords,
He would buy them back.
He would pay the price
and He would establish
His unbreakable covenant
with them forever.
And friends,
when the fullness of time
had come,
after 400 years
of prophetic silence,
God literally came
to give back
His wayward bride.
Friends,
it's no accident
that Jesus' first miracle
turning water into wine
was at a wedding feast.
And throughout His ministry,
Jesus was constantly
saying things like,
how can the wedding guests fast
when the bridegroom
is with them?
Referring to Himself.
He is the groom.
Come for His bride.
And because the sins
of His bride
were so great
and because the weight
of their infidelity
was so heavy
and because His love
for us was so faithful,
Jesus,
our true spouse,
went to the cross
and there He shouldered
the betrayal
and the shame
and the cost of our sin.
There He groaned
and His flesh
and body were consumed
for us
and our place
to ransom us.
And three days later,
our love arose again,
conquering shame
and death,
ascended to the Father,
poured out the Spirit
and now,
Jesus is gathering
His bride
from every tribe,
tongue, and nation
through the proclamation
of the gospel,
preparing us
for the future wedding feast
when He returns
and makes all things new.
Why is sex
only for marriage?
Because sex
and marriage
are part of a story
that's so much bigger
than you and me.
They're pointers
to the story
of God's faithful,
exclusive,
covenant-keeping love
for His bride,
the church,
of His union with us
and for all
who repent and believe.
And that means
two things
as we close.
First,
for singles,
there's an even
greater fire
for you to stoke
against the flames
of sexual folly.
Chapter 5
had advice
for those of us
who are married,
right?
But what about
those of us
who are single?
By the way,
don't forget
that the only
perfect human being
the world has ever seen,
the Lord Jesus,
was single,
right?
And the greatest
missionary and theologian
of the church,
the Apostle Paul,
was also single.
Singleness
isn't a problem
to overcome.
It's a calling
to live into.
But look again
at chapter 7.
Pick up in verse 1.
We skipped these verses
earlier.
My son,
keep my words,
treasure up my commandments
with you.
Chapter 7,
verse 2.
Keep my commandments
and live.
Keep my teaching
as the apple
of your eye.
That's your pupil.
Guard it.
Protect it.
Bind them on your fingers.
Write them on the tablet
of your heart.
Say to wisdom,
you are my sister.
And call insight
your intimate friend
to keep you
from the forbidden woman
and the adulteress
with her smooth words.
Did you notice here?
It's not the wife
of your youth
in this passage
that will keep you
on the path
of sexual wisdom
that satisfies.
What is it?
Verse 4.
It's wisdom itself.
Say to wisdom,
you are my sister.
And call insight
your intimate friend.
Now you need to understand
that my sister
was a term of endearment
in the ancient world.
Sounds a little weird
to us
to call your spouse
my sister.
But you know,
terms of endearment
are always a little weird
and awkward.
An intimate friend.
Call insight
your intimate friend.
That's also a rich
relational phrase,
isn't it?
So what is Proverbs
saying here?
It's saying that
refraining from sex
outside of marriage
is possible
because in wisdom
itself
we have an intimate friend,
a lover even,
who we can call to,
who we can cherish,
who we can rest
and find our souls
to light in.
And you know,
friends,
when the curtain rises
in the New Testament
and we see that wisdom,
this Old Testament figure
of such grace
and beauty
and power,
we see when the curtain
rises in the New Testament,
who is wisdom?
Wisdom's fulfilled
in none other than
the Lord Jesus Himself.
So when you walk
with Him daily,
communing with Him
by His Spirit
in the Word
and prayer
and worship
and in fellowship,
you're communing
with the most faithful
of spouses,
with the most intimate
of friends,
with wisdom incarnate.
You see, friends,
every human marriage
is just a shadow
of what we have in Him.
It's not,
marriage isn't something
we're supposed to look to
in order to satisfy.
It's something we're supposed
to look through
to the real marriage,
our union with Christ.
Every marriage
is just a shadow
of what we have in Him
and what we ultimately
will have
in endless delight
with Him
when He returns.
So for those of us
who are single,
stoke that desire
for Christ.
Do anything you can
to fan the flame
of your love
for Christ.
Delight in wisdom.
Delight in your Lord Jesus
and that will fill your heart
with a joy
and with a gladness
and with a resilience
that will keep you
far from the path
of folly.
Last thing,
when we see
what sex means
in its full biblical scope,
we see and we know
that in Christ
there's full forgiveness
for all your sexual folly.
Friends,
some of you are carrying
a load of shame
and guilt this morning
because you were like
that young fool
in chapter 7.
You put yourself
in the wrong place
at the wrong time
and whether on the internet
or in person
with someone
who wasn't your spouse,
you willingly went
looking for sexual pleasure
outside of God's good design.
But friends,
brothers,
sisters,
as you see yourself
in that story
in Proverbs 7,
let me call your mind
to another story
about a young man
who took his father's inheritance
and went into the far country
and spent all that he had
on prostitutes
and reckless living.
Do you remember
that story?
Do you remember
what that young man did
when he was finding himself
feeding pigs,
poor,
alone,
and ashamed?
Loaded with guilt
and regret
when the price
of his sexual folly
had cost him everything?
He came to himself
and he remembered
his father
and he went home.
And what did he find
when he went home?
Rejection?
No.
He found the father's embrace.
The best robe
was wrapped around him.
The ring was put on his hand.
The shoes were put on his feet.
And the fattened calf,
the feast,
was prepared
to celebrate his return.
And friends,
that can be your story
this morning.
It is your story
if you're in Christ.
Because of what Jesus has done,
there's forgiveness
for all your sins,
covering all of your shame.
The father who warns you
in his grace
receives you home
in his grace.
And he receives you home
not with reservations,
but with rejoicing.
So you see,
today,
right now,
if you're carrying
a burden
of sexual folly,
go to Christ
in faith.
Rest in his finished work
and know that the father
delights in you.
There's forgiveness
for it all,
no matter how great it's been.
Christ,
Ephesians 5,
will tell us,
has washed
his bride clean.
That we are spotless
in him
without wrinkle
or blemish.
That we're radiant
so that now
we can delight
in him again.
And we can walk
faithfully
in the way of wisdom
once more,
staying far from sin
and close to your Savior,
delighting in him
and finding in him
the satisfaction
for your soul.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus,
we ask that,
I ask that you would
come near to us
by your Spirit.
Lord,
we've dealt with
heavy topics this morning
from your Word.
Lord,
I pray that we've dealt
with these things
accurately and faithfully.
Lord,
I pray for those
who are here now
who find themselves
enmeshed,
entrapped in sexual folly.
Lord,
would you give them
by your Holy Spirit
the courage
and the grace
to turn
and to step back
into the path
that leads to you,
Father.
Jesus,
would they see
the utter completion
of your grace
on the cross for them
and know that all their shame
and all their guilt
has been covered
and they can come home.
And Lord,
I pray that you would
give us courage
and perseverance
as a church family
to help one another
in this fight of faith,
to stay far from the path
of folly
and to stay near you.
Lord,
help us
to be those
who ask one another
loving,
good,
intrusive questions,
who welcome
the input
of our brothers
and sisters
into our lives.
Lord Jesus,
you said that
it's better to
pluck out an eye
and cut off a hand
in order to enter
the kingdom of heaven
than to go down
to the grave.
So Lord,
give us that kind
of courage
and that kind
of perseverance
and that kind
of desire
to want to enjoy
the riches of you
more than we want
to enjoy the folly
of this world.
Holy Spirit,
stoke that love
in our hearts,
we pray.
Amen.
Well,
friends,
it's fitting
that we're
celebrating
the Lord's Supper
this morning.
The Lord's Supper
is actually
an act
of covenant renewal.
Here is Christ,
our lover,
offering himself
to us again
through this bread
and through this cup.
And he's inviting
us into deeper
union with him.
Here we see
in this bread
that's broken,
our lover's body
broken for us.
And here in this cup
that we share,
the blood of our
heavenly spouse
shed for us,
paying down
the debt
of every single sin
so that we can
be with him forever.
And we celebrate
the Lord's Supper
regularly,
frequently,
because we so
often forget
how faithful
and how good
and how thorough
is the love
of Jesus for us.
The Lord's Supper
is for believers.
It's for those
who've turned
from sin
and placed
their trust in Christ.
What does that mean?
It doesn't mean
that you've sort of
tried to clean up
your act
and start living
the right way.
It means that
you've stopped
depending on
your own efforts
to clean up
your act
and live the right way.
And it means
you've thrown
yourself
in complete rest
and trust
and abandon
on the one
who has lived
perfectly
and on the one
who has done
it for you.
And you're resting
in him alone
for your acceptance
with God.
So friends,
if you're here
this morning
and that's true
of you,
then as the bread
comes around
and as the cup
comes around,
then take
and eat
and drink
in repentance
and in faith
and remember
the deep love
of Christ
for you.
And if you're here
this morning
and that's true
of you
and you haven't
been baptized,
then that's
your next step.
Go down
into the waters
of baptism
and publicly
proclaim all
that Christ
has done
for you.
If you want
to talk about
baptism,
you can come
talk to me
after the service.
I'd be happy
to do that.
If you're here
and you're not
a believer
in Jesus yet,
if you're still
exploring what
Christianity is
all about,
then just
pass the plates
by.
Don't take it.
Instead,
we would invite
you this morning
to put your
trust in Christ.
Instead of taking
these signs
and tokens
of what Jesus
has done,
take hold
of Him
by faith.
There are some
prayers in your
bulletin a couple
pages in that
are just meant
to help you
cry out to God
and ask Him
to open your eyes
or ask Him
to become
your Savior
and your Lord.
So,
those who are
coming and
helping to serve,
come up.
The way we do
this at Trinity,
if you're new,
we pass out the
bread and we eat
it together,
then we're going
to pray again
and we're going
to pass out the
cup and we're
going to drink
it together.
We'll sort of
do one at a
time and we'll
sing and worship
and pour out
our hearts
to God together.
Antoine,
would you pray
for the bread
for us?
Thanks,
brother.
Lord,
how great it
is that we
stand here
in remembrance
of you,
your body
broken for us,
yet very
sobering,
knowing that
all our sins
are covered.
that you
stand unashamed
of us,
you've molded
and created
us into your
likeness,
into your
image,
and may
through your
sacrifice,
we may know
your great love
and desire
for us,
to restore
us and to
make us into
the people
you've called
us to be.
So as we
partake in
this bread,
Lord,
may we
remember
all you've
done for us
and how
great and
how wide
your love
is.
In Christ's
name,
amen.
Amen.
I heard
the voice
of Jesus
say,
come on
to me
and rest.
Lay down,
thou weary
one,
lay down
thy head
upon my
breast.
I came
to Jesus
as I
was,
weary
and worn
and sad.
I found
in Him
a resting
place,
and He
has made
me glad.
I heard
the voice
of Jesus
say,
behold,
I freely
give
the living
water.
Thirsty
one,
stoop
down
and drink
and live.
I came
to Jesus
and I
drank
of that
life-giving
stream.
My thirst
was quenched,
my soul
revived,
and now
living
in.
I heard
the voice
of Jesus
say,
I am
this
dark
world's
light.
Look
unto
me,
thy
morn
shall
rise,
and all
thy day
be bright.
I
looked
to
Jesus
and I
found
in Him
my star,
my sun.
And
in that
light
of
life
I'll
walk
till
traveling
days
are
dark.
Thank you.