Reorienting Hearts: From Lust to Love
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, Faith Alliance Church. Today, we gathered to give all of who we are to God, who has already given us everything. We started with music, moved into scripture, and even our offering and greeting time are acts of giving back to God. If you're new, welcome! If you're not, welcome back. We have various next steps for you to get involved, including Connection Sunday and our faith communities.
Today's focus is on human relationships, specifically human sexuality, as part of our series on the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus uses strong language to address the issue of lustful intent, emphasizing the importance of dealing with it seriously. He teaches that lust is a perversion of love, turning relationships into transactions and breaking them down. Jesus calls us to live flourishing lives, and this involves making clear distinctions between love and lust.
We explored how lust is parasitic, taking from love and leading to broken relationships. Jesus uses hyperbolic language, like cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye, to stress the seriousness of sin and the lengths we should go to avoid it. The gospel is more valuable than anything we might lose in the process of avoiding sin.
We also discussed the normalization of lust in our culture, particularly through pornography, which dehumanizes people and breaks down relationships. Jesus calls us to reorient our hearts and actions towards love, which gives rather than takes. The Sermon on the Mount provides a blueprint for a flourishing life, and we are invited to follow it by rejecting lust and embracing love.
As we reflect on this message, let's consider our heart's orientation and our actions. Jesus offers us a way back to love, and the church is here to support you in that journey. Let's pray and ask God to help us reject lust and return to the love found in Jesus.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Heart Orientation: Jesus begins by addressing the heart, emphasizing that lustful intent starts internally before manifesting in actions. Our hearts must be oriented towards love, which gives, rather than lust, which takes. This internal reorientation is crucial for living a flourishing life in Christ. [48:13]
2. The Seriousness of Sin: Jesus uses hyperbolic language to stress the seriousness of sin, particularly lust. He suggests drastic measures like cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye to avoid sin, highlighting that the gospel's value surpasses even our essential means of navigating life. This underscores the need for radical action to live righteously. [01:01:18]
3. Lust as a Parasitic Force: Lust is described as a parasite that takes from love and leads to rust and rot in our lives. It dehumanizes relationships, making them transactional and brittle. Recognizing lust's parasitic nature helps us understand why Jesus calls for such drastic measures to avoid it. [01:05:03]
4. Normalization of Lust in Culture: Our culture has normalized lust, particularly through pornography, which dehumanizes people and breaks down relationships. This normalization does not equate to goodness or health. Jesus calls us to reject this normalization and reorient our lives towards love and human flourishing. [01:08:45]
5. The Call to Love: Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount call us to a higher standard of love that gives rather than takes. This love is principled and restorative, reflecting God's love for us. By embracing this love, we reject the dehumanizing effects of lust and move towards a flourishing life in Christ. [01:16:54]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[24:49] - Introduction to the Service
[25:40] - Next Steps and Connection Sunday
[26:47] - Faith Communities and Scripture Reading Plan
[30:13] - Offering and Introduction to the Sermon
[39:09] - Overview of Human Relationships
[40:17] - Focus on Human Sexuality
[41:00] - The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing
[41:50] - The Gorilla Cart Analogy
[43:33] - The Importance of Every Part Working
[45:05] - The Call to a Flourishing Life
[47:04] - Invitation to Life and Flourishing
[48:13] - The Heart: Lustful Intent
[51:03] - Love vs. Lust
[55:31] - The Church's Role in Distinguishing Love and Lust
[58:14] - The Voice of Lust vs. The Voice of God
[01:00:19] - Moving from Heart to Action
[01:01:18] - The Seriousness of Sin
[01:05:03] - Lust as a Parasitic Force
[01:08:45] - Normalization of Lust in Culture
[01:12:30] - The Dehumanizing Effect of Pornography
[01:16:54] - The Call to Love
[01:18:09] - Reflecting on Heart Orientation
[01:20:08] - Prayer and Invitation to Return to Love
[01:24:50] - Evaluation and Christ's Sufficiency
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Matthew 5:27-30 (ESV) - "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus say about the relationship between looking with lustful intent and committing adultery? ([48:13])
2. How does Jesus use hyperbolic language to emphasize the seriousness of sin in Matthew 5:29-30? ([01:01:18])
3. According to the sermon, how does lust act as a parasitic force in our lives? ([01:05:03])
4. What cultural issue does the sermon highlight as a significant contributor to the normalization of lust? ([01:08:45])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Jesus equate looking with lustful intent to committing adultery in the heart? How does this deepen our understanding of sin? ([48:13])
2. What might Jesus' hyperbolic statements about cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye suggest about the lengths we should go to avoid sin? ([01:01:18])
3. How does understanding lust as a parasitic force help us grasp the destructive nature of sin in our relationships? ([01:05:03])
4. In what ways has our culture normalized lust, and what are the implications of this normalization on our relationships and society? ([01:08:45])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own heart orientation. Are there areas where you struggle with lustful intent? How can you reorient your heart towards love that gives rather than takes? ([48:13])
2. Jesus uses strong language to stress the seriousness of sin. What practical steps can you take to avoid situations or behaviors that lead to lustful intent? ([01:01:18])
3. The sermon describes lust as a parasitic force that dehumanizes relationships. Can you identify any relationships in your life that have been affected by lust? How can you work towards restoring these relationships with love? ([01:05:03])
4. Considering the normalization of lust in our culture, particularly through pornography, what actions can you take to reject this normalization and promote a culture of love and human flourishing? ([01:08:45])
5. The sermon calls us to embrace a higher standard of love that gives rather than takes. How can you practice this kind of love in your daily interactions with others? ([01:16:54])
6. Think about a specific area in your life where you have allowed lust to become a habit. What steps can you take to break this habit and replace it with actions that reflect Christ's love? ([01:08:17])
7. How can the church support you in your journey to reject lust and return to the love found in Jesus? What specific resources or community practices would be helpful for you? ([01:19:30])
Devotional
Day 1: The Heart's Orientation Towards Love
Our journey towards a flourishing life in Christ begins with the orientation of our hearts. Jesus emphasizes that lustful intent starts internally before it manifests in actions. Lust is a perversion of love, turning relationships into transactions and breaking them down. To live a life that reflects Christ's teachings, our hearts must be oriented towards love, which gives, rather than lust, which takes. This internal reorientation is crucial for living a flourishing life in Christ. Jesus offers us a way back to love, and the church is here to support you in that journey. Let's pray and ask God to help us reject lust and return to the love found in Jesus. [48:13]
Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV): "To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: Think about an area in your life where you struggle with lustful thoughts. How can you reorient your heart towards love in this area today?
Day 2: The Seriousness of Sin
Jesus uses hyperbolic language to stress the seriousness of sin, particularly lust. He suggests drastic measures like cutting off a hand or plucking out an eye to avoid sin, highlighting that the gospel's value surpasses even our essential means of navigating life. This underscores the need for radical action to live righteously. The gospel is more valuable than anything we might lose in the process of avoiding sin. Jesus calls us to take sin seriously and to take radical steps to avoid it, emphasizing the importance of living a life that reflects His teachings. [01:01:18]
Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV): "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell."
Reflection: What is one radical step you can take today to avoid sin in your life? How can you prioritize the gospel's value over your own comfort?
Day 3: Lust as a Parasitic Force
Lust is described as a parasite that takes from love and leads to rust and rot in our lives. It dehumanizes relationships, making them transactional and brittle. Recognizing lust's parasitic nature helps us understand why Jesus calls for such drastic measures to avoid it. Lust takes from love and leads to broken relationships, while love gives and leads to flourishing relationships. Jesus calls us to reject lust and embrace love, which gives rather than takes. [01:05:03]
James 1:14-15 (ESV): "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."
Reflection: Reflect on a relationship in your life that has been affected by lust. How can you begin to restore this relationship by embracing love instead of lust?
Day 4: Normalization of Lust in Culture
Our culture has normalized lust, particularly through pornography, which dehumanizes people and breaks down relationships. This normalization does not equate to goodness or health. Jesus calls us to reject this normalization and reorient our lives towards love and human flourishing. The normalization of lust in our culture leads to broken relationships and dehumanization. Jesus calls us to reject this normalization and reorient our lives towards love and human flourishing. [01:08:45]
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 (ESV): "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God."
Reflection: How has the normalization of lust in our culture affected your view of relationships? What steps can you take to reject this normalization and reorient your life towards love?
Day 5: The Call to Love
Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount call us to a higher standard of love that gives rather than takes. This love is principled and restorative, reflecting God's love for us. By embracing this love, we reject the dehumanizing effects of lust and move towards a flourishing life in Christ. Jesus calls us to a higher standard of love that gives rather than takes. This love is principled and restorative, reflecting God's love for us. By embracing this love, we reject the dehumanizing effects of lust and move towards a flourishing life in Christ. [01:16:54]
1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Reflection: Think of a specific way you can show love to someone in your life today. How can you reflect God's love in your actions and words?
Quotes
1. "Because it's an opportunity for us to take all of who we are. And give it back to all of who God who's already given us everything that he is. So we're here this week, this morning, all throughout the week to give all for all to find and follow Jesus. That's what we want to be about." [24:49] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Jesus is giving us these really specific, intentional examples about human relationships and what does it mean for us to be in relationship with one another. And so this morning, we're going to look at the very core of that, of human sexuality. Now, I want to let you know we're going to stay PG through all of this. But we do want to talk about this kind of central tenet of human relationships." [39:09] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "What he's doing is he's creating this image, this picture for us of what a blessed, a flourishing life looks like. Here's what it looks like to live righteously, to live flourishingly, to live uprightly, to live well in the world, he gives us. And as he moves through the Sermon, he gets more and more granular or specific. And now he gets to this place where we're talking about human relationships and human sexuality." [41:00] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Love never takes, but lust only takes. And he's pointing rather specifically at the moment where a man looks at a woman too long. Beyond just seeing, rather seeing for what that person can do. When we make human relationships transactional, we begin to break those relationships quickly. They become very brittle. The church has to begin by making those two things very distinct. Love and lust are two different things." [55:02] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We are more than just this small threshold of this lustful ambition that the culture likes to hold up as the highest threshold of sexual ambition. We are created in the image of God to respond to His creation well. We're created with the very imprint of God Himself. We are called back to relationship with Him through the death and the resurrection of Christ." [57:10] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "You are way more important than whatever it is lust offers. We not only have to make that message distinct, love and lust are two different things, we also have to say that we are more valuable than whatever it is lust offers us. We've celebrated in our culture. We've been called to remove any restriction on love, any kind of restriction on what it looks like. But when we do that, lust begins to take on this God-like formation, this God-like voice." [57:47] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "You and I are more than our affects. We're more than whatever it is we feel in a moment. You are loved, you are seen, you are embraced, you are supported by the God of the universe. And we have to start here. Because Jesus starts with the orientation of our hearts. He says, listen, if you don't start with the heart, you're going to lose the whole thing. And we're going to see that as we get into action and habit." [59:16] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Sin is serious business. It has real effect in the real world. If we live lives of lustful intent and just say, that which I desire, I deserve, and we treat one another like that, it will break relationships faster than you can blink. In fact, relationships have been broken and broken and rebroken over that very case. This is what I want and I'm going to take it. Sin, brokenness, has real effect in the real world." [01:02:09] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "The problem with the habit of lustful intent, when it becomes normative in a person's life or in society, is that it dehumanizes. It makes us less than human. The Sermon on the Mount is always moving toward what is most human in our lives. Like that squeaky or that broken wheel. Once it's fixed, the Sermon on the Mount moves us toward actually the whole working out because the parts work out. It moves us toward functioning and flourishing as a person amongst people." [01:09:11] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "At some point, we have to choose what we're going to make permanent in our lives. We're all going to wake up tomorrow, and we're going to enforce the actions that we've made habits in our lives. Is this what you want to concrete? The practices you've set apart from Christ, or the practices of Christ that we've been talking about in the Sermon on the Mount, where he calls us to deal with the lustful intent, to repent, to remove, to get rid of it, where he calls us to love, where he calls us to be patient, where he calls us to move and decide toward him and toward righteous actions that are only found in the person of Jesus." [01:16:28] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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