“Jesus and Lust” Matthew 5:27-30 Sermon on The Mount

INTRO> Today we continue in our series on the sermon on the mount. And with the text being read to you, i don’t think i need an intro because you should already be paying attention. As we look as Jesus words about lust, Adultery and sex I need to do a little work. There are primary only 3 ways that you can view sex. (*Credit to Mark Driscoll on the 3 views of Sex)

APP> 3 Ways to view sex:

• • • • • • God. – This is primarily our cultures view of sex and sexuality. Which is so interesting because we have people who say that they don’t want to be defined by their sexuality but yet have parades about their sexuality. A. Sex is the number 1 searched word on the Internet. B. 92% of the Top BillBoard songs on the radio mention sex. C. Two out of every 3 shows on TV include sexual content or sexual references. D. The Pornography industry revenue stream is larger than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Ebay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined. APP> Is it far to say that our culture worships sex?
          • Gross- This is where it swings the other way. Maybe you grew up in a home where either women or men where hurt by either a man or a woman or you where hurt and sex is only seen as bad and shouldn’t talk about it. A. In a 2012 research done by the GFLK Reasearch Group: The report finds that while 42 percent of parents say they’ve talked to their teens “many times” about how to say no to sex, only 27 percent of teens agree. In fact, 34 percent of teens say they’ve “never” or “only once” talked with their mom or dad about how to delay sex. 
          • Gift.– As a Christian I believe that this is the best view and that the Bible actually teaches beautifully about sexuality and humanity. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

APP> “What the world says about sex is, “Anytime, anyplace.” What God says about sex is, “My timing and my place.” – D.A. Carson

APP> Lets jump into the text.

1. Assessing the command.

• • • “ You shall not commit adultery…” Remember what we said last week, Jesus is not doing away with Mosses, Jesus is giving the proper interpretation of the command. It is interesting that Jesus is chose these two commands about murder and adultery.

APP> What the Pharisees did was say, “If you haven’t committed the physical act, then you are fine.” APP> Jesus opposes adultery.

2) Acknowledging the center.

• • “but I say to you anyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent.. in his heart.” Jesus raises the bar here and there are a few things we need to look at.
  • “look at a women” Jesus uses a specific word here, it is the greek word, blepō, which means “to linger, stare or behold” Recognizing beauty isn’t a problem, the bible does it, but to linger… it’s the same word to “behold”. “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 18:10 *ILL> There is a profound movie called “The Matrix” They are in a simulation, the woman in the red dress, one look, second look, it’s a loaded gun. APP> But where does the look come from?
  • “with lustful intent” this is a huge greek word, epithymeō , which literally means, over desire.
  • “committed adultery with her in his heart..” heart, the center of the person… when the sinful imagination is exposed and arroused, adultery takes place in the heart long before it has ever in the head.

APP> Adultery is the fruit, lust is the root. “A man may beat down the bitter fruit from an evil tree until he is weary; while the root abides in strength and vigour, the beating down of the present fruit will not hinder it from bringing forth more. This is the folly of some men; they set themselves with all earnestness and diligence against the appearing eruption of lust, but, leaving the principle and root untouched, perhaps unsearched out, they make but little or no progress in this work of mortification.” ― John Owen, The Mortification of Sin

3) Avoiding the consequences.

• • “so if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out..” Wow, this seems serious, correct because sin is serious. Jesus is literally talking about self mutilation Jesus is talking about self mortification.

APP> Christians are called to sever anything from there lives that would hinder their relationship with Christ.

• • “it is better then your whole body to be thrown into hell” Jesus mentions the word “hell” 2 times in this passage, it is the greek word “gehena” which refers to the trash dump located South of Jerusalem.

APP> People always say, “Jason do you really believe in a literal hell with flames and stuff? come on?. “My response… no, … I think it’s much worse than that. APP> All sin is equally damming but not all sin is equally devastating.

CLOSE> So where is the answer? I think Jesus told us in that little word “look”. You see in order to beat lust you have to find a greater love something more beautiful…

Big Idea > We can avoid lust by adoring Christ!

APP> I am speaking to two kinds of people, Those who feel that they are covered in shame because of sexual sin and those who are very close.

• Confess
• Repent
• Believe

“ My God, I long to love you above all things and in all things; help me to see and know when I have turned away from you, when I have been guilty of sin, when I have treated with contempt your gift of grace and have rejected your call. I am deeply sorry for all actions and thoughts by which I have offended you, harmed others, or shunned growth as your child; with Peter let me bitterly weep that I have denied you, and with Mary Magdalene, let me hear your gracious words: your sin is forgiven; and then lead me in paths orighteousness for your Name’s sake. Amen.” – St. Augustine Prayer Book