Your Typical Family

Scripture: John 5:2-6 (omitting vs. 3b-4)

C.I.: “Where Did We Go Wrong?!”

Today we are beginning a new series on the family. In years past I have looked at what the Bible
says about moms and dads, etc. Yet the typical American family is no longer 2 parents, 2.3 children
and a pet. Is God no longer relevant for the modern family? Let's see!

I. “Everybody is Doing It!”

•  INTRODUCTION:

1. Statistics:
a. Single parents account for 27% of households with children under 18 years, (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)
b. One out of every two children will live in a single parent household at some point during childhood, (State of America's Children Yearbook, 2000)
c. Two million fathers are the primary caregivers to children under 18, a 62% increase since 1990, (New York Times, May 20, 2001)
d. 1:3 children is born to unmarried parents, (ibid).
e. The number of single mothers increased from three million to ten million between 1970 and 2000, (Census, ibid).

•  How are God's people supposed to respond to these statistics?!
a. Recognize that while God is not the cause of these statistics, He did warn us about their eventuality.
1) It was my generation from the 60s that started the “Sexual Revolution”! It looks like sex won the war!
2) The rampant rise of sexual immorality in our culture is the leading cause of the above statistics!!
3) “If nobody is getting hurt by it, what's the harm?!” That is what today's lesson is all about!

•  Sexual Sin is Eventually Disappointing, (Proverbs 5)

1. The experience goes from “ sweetness ” to “ bitterness ,” (vs. 1-6)
a. ( v. 3 ), “The lips of an adulteress drip honey, and smoother than honey is her speech.”
1) The reason for “adulteress” is because Solomon is talking to his “son,” ( cf. v. 1), “My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding;”
2) But the fact of the matter is that he could be talking to anyone involved in sexual
immorality!

b. ( vs. 4-5 ), “… her feet go down to death … she does not ponder the path of life.”
She doesn't worry about consequences!
1) The wise person will check the destination before buying a ticket! (Note the stats above!).
2) The spiritual consequences need to be considered!
a) ( Heb. 11:24-26 ), “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing instead to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin , considering the reproach
of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward .”
b) ( Heb. 13:4 ), “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
c) ( Rev. 21:8 ), “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
3) What may begin as an hour of fun (“sweetness”), may became an eternity of “bitterness.”

2. The experience goes from gain to loss , (vs. 7-14)
a. Satan would never have success if he couldn't use “ the myth of greener grass ” (she understands, he cares, etc.).
1) Yet our lives don't get better when we refuse to obey God's laws…
2) ( vs. 8b-10 ), “…do not go near the door to her house, lest you give your vigor to others, and your years to the cruel one; lest strangers be filled with your strength, and your hard-earned goods go to the house of the alien.”
3) The physical consequences also need to be considered… ( slide )

3. The experience goes from purity to pollution , (vs. 15-20)
a. Sex within marriage is a beautiful pool of water that brings forth life.
1) ( v. 15 ), “Drink water from your own cistern, and fresh water from your own well.”
2) This is why studies have shown that people who are married have a better and far more fulfilling sex-life, than singles who are involved in pre-/extramarital sex!

b. Therefore, sex outside of marriage is like drinking from a sewer!
1) ( v. 16 ), “Should your streams be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets?”
2) Sexual immorality negatively impacts your self-esteem and reduces your sense of self- worth!
3) After immorality, David, ( Psa. 51:10 ), “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew in me a steadfast spirit.”
4) For this reason, sexual sin is eventually disappointing!!!

•  How are We to Respond to a Culture in Bondage to Sex?

1. Christians must be willing to confront our culture and point out its lies.
a. This is what God's people need to do so that others may be warned.
1) John the Baptist confronting an immoral leader, ( Matt. 14:3-4 ), “Herod had John arrested, he bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had been saying to him, ‘It is not lawful for you to have her.'”
2) Paul confronting an immoral culture, (Acts 19:28), “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
(Eph. 5:11), “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.”
3) Clearly, Jesus wants us to bring light to a dark and dying world, ( Matt. 5:14-16 ), “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”

b. ILLUST.: Billboard in New York City!

2. Christians also have a responsibility to people impacted by our culture.
a. There are a number of things God has called for His people to do for those involved in this world's sins…
1) P = Put Jesus first, ( Heb. 4:15-16 ), “For we do not have a great high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”
2) U = Urge holy Living, ( Heb. 3:13 ), “Let us encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,' so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
3) R = Remove backsliding factors, ( Jn. 5:6, 14 ), “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, ‘Do you wish to get well?' … Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, ‘Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse may befall you.'”
4) I = Involve them with Jesus' people, ( Acts 2:42 ), “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

5) T = Teach them how to avoid sin, ( Phil. 4:8), “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell
on these things.” ( Rom. 12:2 ), “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
6) Y = Yield to love not judging (this is for us to practice!!), ( I Cor. 13:4-8), “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if
there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.” ; (Matt. 7:1 ), “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.”

CONCLUSIONS:

•  Statistically, people who are involved in sexual immorality have a far greater chance of negatively impacting their future!

•  Spiritually, they have a 100% chance of negatively impacting their eternity if they aren't willing to change!!

•  We as God's people have a responsibility to our culture and those impacted by it (no ostriches allowed!).

•  Those who are/have been involved and want God to cleanse them so they can be saved… ( Mk. 16:15-16 )! “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”