Discerning God's Will: Embracing Holiness in Sexuality
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound question of discerning God's will in our lives, particularly in the context of our sexuality. As we navigate a world filled with temptations and challenges, it's crucial to remember that our primary aim is to live in a way that pleases God. This involves understanding and adhering to His will, which is clearly outlined in the scriptures. We delved into 1 Thessalonians 4, where Paul provides explicit guidance on living a sanctified life, emphasizing the importance of avoiding sexual immorality and controlling our bodies in a holy and honorable manner.
The essence of our relationship with God is to bring joy to His heart, much like we strive to please those we deeply care about in our lives. Jesus Himself lived to please the Father, setting an example for us to follow. To live otherwise is to deny the relationship we claim to have with Him. While we may falter, God's mercy and forgiveness are always available, allowing us to strive to please Him more each day.
Paul's teachings remind us that sanctification means being set apart, living distinctively different from the world. This is not a solo endeavor; God empowers us with His Spirit to help us align our desires with His will. The call to holiness is not about restriction but about protection and fulfillment. God's guardrails are designed for our good, much like the safety barriers on a treacherous road. They are not meant to limit us but to preserve us from harm.
We also discussed the spiritual battle we face, where the enemy seeks to distort the holy expression of our sexuality. Yet, God's plan is the best way to love others and ourselves, ensuring that we do not wrong or take advantage of anyone. Ignoring these divine boundaries can lead to significant consequences, but embracing them leads to a life of honor and fulfillment.
For those struggling with sexual brokenness or feeling trapped in shame, there is hope and healing in Jesus. We are encouraged to bring our struggles into the light, seek help, and walk with others in freedom. God's grace and mercy are abundant, offering a future where we can please Him more and more.
Key Takeaways:
- Living to Please God: Our primary motivation as disciples is to bring joy to God's heart. This involves aligning our lives with His will, as Jesus did, and striving to please Him in all we do. This is the essence of our relationship with Him. [43:28]
- Sanctification and Holiness: Being sanctified means being set apart for God, living distinctively different from the world. This is not a solo effort; God empowers us with His Spirit to help us live according to His will. [45:56]
- God's Guardrails: God's boundaries, particularly regarding sexuality, are designed for our protection and fulfillment. They are not meant to restrict us but to preserve us from harm and lead us to a life of honor. [52:15]
- Spiritual Battle: We are in a spiritual battle where the enemy seeks to distort the holy expression of our sexuality. God's plan is the best way to love others and ourselves, ensuring we do not wrong or take advantage of anyone. [49:36]
- Hope and Healing: For those struggling with sexual brokenness, there is hope and healing in Jesus. We are encouraged to bring our struggles into the light, seek help, and walk with others in freedom. God's grace and mercy offer a future where we can please Him more and more. [01:04:29]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [32:14] - Encouragement to Vote
- [33:24] - Prayer for Peace and Unity
- [35:29] - Community Events and Impact
- [38:23] - Discerning God's Will
- [39:16] - Holy Sexuality
- [42:02] - Living to Please God
- [43:28] - Sanctification and Holiness
- [45:56] - God's Empowerment
- [47:35] - Understanding God's Guardrails
- [49:36] - Spiritual Battle and Sexuality
- [52:15] - Protection and Fulfillment
- [54:35] - Holiness and Honor
- [56:03] - Loving Others Well
- [01:04:29] - Hope and Healing in Jesus
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
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Observation Questions:
1. What specific instructions does Paul give in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 regarding living a sanctified life? How does he describe the behavior that should be avoided? [42:02]
2. According to the sermon, what is the primary motivation for a disciple of Jesus, and how does this relate to our daily choices? [43:28]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of God's Spirit in helping believers live according to His will? [45:56]
4. What metaphor does the sermon use to describe God's boundaries, and how are they intended to function in our lives? [52:15]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways does the sermon suggest that living to please God can impact our relationships with others? How does this align with Paul's teachings in 1 Thessalonians 4? [43:28]
2. How does the concept of sanctification as being "set apart" challenge or affirm your understanding of Christian living? What does this mean in practical terms? [45:56]
3. The sermon mentions a spiritual battle regarding sexuality. How does this battle manifest in everyday life, and what strategies are suggested for overcoming it? [49:36]
4. How does the sermon address the issue of sexual brokenness and the hope for healing? What role does community play in this process? [01:04:29]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current lifestyle choices. Are there areas where you feel you are not living to please God? What steps can you take to align your actions with His will? [43:28]
2. Consider the concept of sanctification. What practical changes can you make to live a life that is distinctively different from the world? [45:56]
3. Think about the "guardrails" God has set in your life. Are there any boundaries you have been tempted to cross? How can you reinforce these guardrails to protect yourself and others? [52:15]
4. Identify a specific area of sexual brokenness or shame you may be struggling with. What steps can you take to bring this into the light and seek healing? [01:04:29]
5. How can you support others in your community who may be struggling with similar issues? What role can you play in fostering an environment of grace and healing? [01:06:58]
6. Reflect on the spiritual battle mentioned in the sermon. What are some practical ways you can equip yourself to stand firm against the enemy's attempts to distort your understanding of sexuality? [49:36]
7. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with God that empowers you to live a holy and honorable life? What specific spiritual disciplines or practices can you incorporate into your daily routine? [45:56]
Devotional
Day 1: Living to Please God
Our primary motivation as disciples is to bring joy to God's heart. This involves aligning our lives with His will, as Jesus did, and striving to please Him in all we do. This is the essence of our relationship with Him. [43:28]
"For we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man." (2 Corinthians 8:21, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one area in your life where you feel you are not fully pleasing God. What practical steps can you take today to align this area with His will?
Day 2: Sanctification and Holiness
Being sanctified means being set apart for God, living distinctively different from the world. This is not a solo effort; God empowers us with His Spirit to help us live according to His will. [45:56]
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Reflection: Consider a habit or mindset that aligns more with worldly values than with God's holiness. How can you invite the Holy Spirit to transform this area of your life?
Day 3: God's Guardrails
God's boundaries, particularly regarding sexuality, are designed for our protection and fulfillment. They are not meant to restrict us but to preserve us from harm and lead us to a life of honor. [52:15]
"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a boundary in your life that you have been resisting. How can you view this boundary as a form of God's protection and embrace it today?
Day 4: Spiritual Battle
We are in a spiritual battle where the enemy seeks to distort the holy expression of our sexuality. God's plan is the best way to love others and ourselves, ensuring we do not wrong or take advantage of anyone. [49:36]
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a specific area where you feel spiritually attacked. What steps can you take to put on the armor of God and stand firm in His truth today?
Day 5: Hope and Healing
For those struggling with sexual brokenness, there is hope and healing in Jesus. We are encouraged to bring our struggles into the light, seek help, and walk with others in freedom. God's grace and mercy offer a future where we can please Him more and more. [01:04:29]
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a struggle or wound you have been hiding. How can you bring this into the light and seek healing through Jesus and community support today?
Quotes
1. "We have a great God, do we not? Fear, where is your power? Some of us need to just say that again. Would you say, fear, where is your power? Fear, where is your power? Because we have an election this week. Anybody remember that? A couple signs in yards, countless ads. Some of you are ready for it to be done. I want to encourage you that if you're an American citizen of voting age, to let your voice be heard if you haven't already voted." ([00:31:51] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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2. "Can I just say this? I've been really thankful for how our Grace family, Olmstead Falls, welcome to you, guys at Lorraine Correctional here, that there has been a sense that Jesus is first. And he reigns. Yeah. And... Applause You can have really strong opinions, and that's fine. You can say, man, my values are dictating that I vote this way. But let me just say again, how you treat the people around you is more important than how you vote." ([00:32:27] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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3. "One of the most common questions that I hear people say through my years of just walking with people through the journey of life and honoring God is this, how can I know the will of God? It's a great question, right? Because we're saying, I want to do what he wants me to do. So it might be a job opportunity. It might be which car do I buy? It's do I move to this community or that community? All sorts of decisions that we make and we want to honor the Lord, right? So we ask that question, like what is the Lord's will? But sometimes it can be a little bit confusing." ([00:37:23] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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4. "And if we're honest, at times, if we really want to do something, we can manipulate circumstances to help God's will align with our desires. Not that I've ever done that. Like the guy who walked or driving by a donut shop, and he just felt, he's on a diet, but he just said, God, if it's your will, if it's your will, as I drive, it's a very popular donut shop. It's always packed. If there's an open parking spot, I will know that it's your will that I enjoy some of these gifts from heaven." ([00:38:21] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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5. "I've been guilty. Sometimes the will of God isn't as clear as we'd like it to be. Next Monday night on November 11th, Mary's going to be teaching on how do you discern the will of God. And if you're not able to be there, it'll be a post on a line like all of her messages as well. Or if you're a guy, it's only for women that night. But sometimes the will of God is tough to discern, confusing. But other times, it's crystal clear. In fact, there are times in the Bible where it just says, it is God's will that, and it fills in the blank for us." ([00:39:05] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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6. "Paul's saying here, there's consequences. Consequences. And it's interesting, he mentions the Trinity as a whole here. He says that each member of the Trinity, look, what he does here in these, in verses six to eight, if you see there, I'll just say in the bullet points, but he says, in the future, we face discipline from the Lord Jesus if we violate sexual guardrails, that we also violate the Father's plan for us from the past when he says he's called you to live a holy life." ([01:02:12] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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7. "And then in the present, we're rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, that this is the place that we become the temple of God, and I want to be at home in me, not just as a guest, but as the owner, and so whatever I do in this body, I do with Jesus, right? It's why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6, he says, don't you realize, he's talking about sex, and he says, don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You don't belong to yourself, for God bought you at the high price, so you must, what?" ([01:03:00] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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8. "Honor God with your body. That's powerful. You know what that means? Whatever I do with my body, I'm doing with the house of God. Whatever I do with my body, I'm doing with the house of God, because this body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Again, I think the enemy goes, oh, come on, that is, how can Paul say stuff like this? I mean, it feels so dated. This is like a first century kind of, and Paul would respond as he does in verse 2. He'd say, these instructions we're giving you are straight from the Lord Jesus." ([01:03:16] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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9. "He repeats, again, in verse 8, he goes, therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction doesn't just reject a human being, but God. Like this is a word from, this isn't Jonathan. If someone left here and says, well, you know, Jonathan said that, no, no. Paul's saying this is a word from God because he loves you and this is for our own good. Let's address the elephant in the living room here. I said it before, we all have a measure of brokenness. Maybe a deep wound from someone else's behavior. Maybe you were abused as a child." ([01:03:47] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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10. "Maybe it was my own behavior and we have this big hole in our heart. And so whenever we talk about this topic, the enemy just, I mean, he just loves to whisper accusations in our ear, right? I can almost hear him doing that right now. He's like, oh, you are a miserable failure. Look what you've done. Do you hear what he's saying? You have so messed up, there's no hope for you. Just don't tell anybody about this and just keep on living this way because it's not gonna change and you know it. Can we just be real clear? That's a lie, an absolute lie from the pit of hell." ([01:04:27] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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