Proverbs 5:1-23; 6:20-7:27

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

Proverbs 1 · chapter mention

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

Proverbs 5:1

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.

Proverbs 5 · chapter mention

Let's start with Proverbs chapter 5, verses 1 through 14.

Proverbs 5:1–14

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,

Proverbs 6 · chapter mention

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.

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,

Proverbs 5:15–20

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.

1 Corinthians 7 · chapter mention

Husbands and wives

are to mutually give

the good gift of sexual intimacy

to one another joyfully,

gladly,

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.