The Standard 2009 (Part 5): Gotta Kill The Dog In Me

Pastor Rocklyn Clarke - Sunday March 1, 2009

© 2009 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/

* Notes
V Introduction
* Bible Reading 2/22 - 2/28: Lev 13 - 23; Mark 6:1 - 10:12; Psalm 39:1 - 44:8; Prov 10:10-19
> Review
V New Material
> Preparation
> Preparation - Mat 5:21-26
V Gotta Kill The Dog In Me
V Standing Issues
V Make it plain
* Use accessible language and modern parables.
* Make sure people do something with God's message.
* Keep it simple.
* Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.
V The Problem
* Sex is a tough area to master.
* Sexual sin is running rampant
* How do I walk in sexual purity?
V The Passage - Mat 5:27-32
V Jesus' Principles From the Sermon on the Mount
V God is calling us to relationship - he wants to be Daddy to us!
* The relationship is on his terms - he calls the shots!
* We have to treat our brothers and sisters right.
* You're on a mission for your Father - Mat 5:16
V Jesus is fulfilling the scriptures - Mat 5:17-20
* Restoring a right understanding of scripture so we can obey it.
* Bringing good news, freedom, recovery, etc. - Luke 4:18-21
* Do to others what you would have them do to you.
* Put his teaching into practice.
* Read the passage - Mat 5:27-32
V Analysis
* O.T. Reference: Exodus 20:14
V Jesus' disciples were probably all married men - 1Cor 9:1-5.
* This verse may refer strictly to men involved with another's wife.
V Adultery is wrong. Jesus takes this as a "given". His principles help us understand why it is wrong:
* Adultery mistreats your spouse.
* Adultery mistreats the extramarital partner.
* Adultery mistreats the spouse of the extramarital partner.
V Adultery lies at the end of a chain of events that begins with desire.
* Avoid adultery by breaking the chain.
* Break the chain wherever you need to to prevent the sin.
V Divorce is not the solution - Mat 5:31-32
* O.T. Reference - Deut 24:1-4
* Related teaching: Mat 19:1-12
V This passage transcends married male disciples.
* Married women must avoid adultery.
* Single men and women must avoid fornication.
* All followers of Jesus must avoid sexual sin.
V Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
V Our relationship with God is at stake
* "I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!" - Mat 7:21-23
* The penalty is severe: Hell
V Our character is at stake!
* Salt and light - Mat 5:13-16
* God wants us to grow character - Mat 7:24-27
V Jesus wants us to win and his teaching pattern reveals the key:
* Internal alignment with God's objectives (e.g. avoid lust)
* Practical steps (e.g. no lustful looks)
V Thought Adjustments
V Ladder of Deception - Things I think I can get away with
* I can have more than one spouse
* I can have a sexual relationship outside of marriage
* I can have a fantasy sexual relationship outside of marriage
* I can relate to people without proper boundaries in place
V Men and women are vulnerable to thinking errors
* Minimization - "It's no big deal"; "One time won't hurt."
* Rationalization - "I'm just being friendly"
* Denial - "I'm not really being unfaithful - I'm a good husband."
* Relabeling - telling it like it wasn't
* Justification - "I couldn't help it"
* Spiritual rationalization - "God must be OK with it."
V Distorted Thinking -
* "It will turn out OK - I won't get caught."
* "No one will get hurt."
* "They weren't really upset with me."
* "They will get over it."
* "Nothing harmful will come of this."
V Entitlement
* "I'm entitled to a little fun."
* "I deserve it."
* "I deserve a break today."
* "No one appreciates me."
* "I've been so good."
* "I'm not as bad as most husbands are."
* "I've done so much for God."
* "My wife really doesn't like sex much."
* "I've led such a sheltered life."
* "I've been pure all these years."
* "I need something to lift my spirits."
* "God intended that we enjoy life."
* Fantasy
V God's Tools For Victory and How To Use Them
V Attitude - Make God Happy
* Desire to understand the Father's heart and to please him.
* You have to want more than just friends and "a good time".
* Actively follow Jesus.
V Faith - God Is For Us
* Believe that God will give you the grace to walk in victory.
* Expect to win in the area of sexual purity.
V Knowledge - God's Resources For Victory
* God's Word - Psalm 119:9-11
V God's Gifts (even the Holy Spirit) Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:9-13
* God will provide whatever you need to obey Jesus’ teaching
V God's People
* The promise was made to a group.
* Functional/Moral loners need not apply.
V Practice - Using God's Tools
V His Word through Jesus
* God doesn’t tell us to do things that we can’t do.
* Grace increases to counter sin - Rom 5:20-21
V Whatever else we need - even the Holy Spirit
* He lives with you but will be in you - John 14:15-20
V He reveals truth - John 16:12-15
* He reminds us what Jesus would do and how he would do it.
V Lent:
* Practice listening to the Holy Spirit for lent.
* Blessed are those who hunger and thirst . . .
* God’s Tools - life groups
V Summary
V You're losing the battle if:
* you’re not hiding the word in your heart.
* you’re not listening to the Holy Spirit
* you’re not in a group
V Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)
V Scripture Reference - Mat 5:27-32
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:27-32
* How are you doing in this area of looking at people lustfully? What have you found to be helpful in this area? What makes things worse for you? How can your life group help you?
* What have you eliminated from your life in order avoid sexual sin?
* Marrieds: What are you doing to protect your marriage from divorce?
* Singles: Do you want to be married? If so, what will you do to lay a solid foundation for a successful marriage?
* Have you been affected by divorce? If so, are there areas of your life in which you need healing as a result? How can we help?
V Witnessing Activities
* Consider the Life Church Mission:
Our mission is to develop mature followers of Jesus Christ who love God with everything they've got, genuinely love their neighbors, and take the lead in expanding God's Kingdom in the world around them.
V Please discuss as a group some of the ways we can help equip you to carry out this mission and make a list that your life group leaders can bring back to the pastoral team.
* What aspects of reaching out to the unchurched are you most excited about? What aspects are most challenging to you?
* How confident are you about helping someone else to follow Jesus?
* How confident are you about following up or discipling a new Christian?
* How comfortable are you about inviting people you know casually to visit Life Church? How comfortable are you about inviting people you know well? Discuss.
* What Bible passages or issues would you like to understand better?
* As we mentioned on Sunday, Life Church will begin going out into neighborhoods to invite people to our 4/12/2009 Easter service. Our Life Groups will play a key role in this effort. Please make plans with your group to go out at least three times between now and Easter Sunday to knock on doors or talk to people on the street.  You can do this outreach either during your life group time, or at some other time that you and your group choose.