1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,700 I invite you to open your Bible with me 2 00:00:01,700 --> 00:00:03,860 to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:09,540 Going to think today about your body, God's temple. 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:13,920 Corinth was an ancient city 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:15,600 that had once been destroyed actually 6 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,440 and then rebuilt about 200 years 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,840 before the Apostle Paul's day. 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,200 And so in terms of those days, 9 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,360 it was a relatively recently built city. 10 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:30,360 It was a city famous for its temples and shrines. 11 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:33,360 Corinth was a wealthy city. 12 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:36,240 It had two seaports, one to the north 13 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,820 that went into the Sea of Ionia. 14 00:00:38,820 --> 00:00:41,280 The port to the south, Sincraea, 15 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,240 which is mentioned in the New Testament, 16 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,000 led into the Sea of the Aegean Sea. 17 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:49,700 Now the picture that I'm going to show you 18 00:00:49,700 --> 00:00:52,560 on the slide this morning is a picture of the road 19 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,940 that led from the northern port of Lycaeum 20 00:00:56,940 --> 00:00:58,680 into the city of Corinth. 21 00:00:59,980 --> 00:01:01,660 You can see how broad the road is. 22 00:01:01,660 --> 00:01:03,520 It was some 80 feet wide. 23 00:01:04,460 --> 00:01:08,420 It was a road that was surrounded by shops 24 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:10,980 but also by lots of temples and shrines 25 00:01:10,980 --> 00:01:12,620 that were present in that area. 26 00:01:12,620 --> 00:01:14,060 And you will notice in the background 27 00:01:14,060 --> 00:01:15,940 that there is the Acro Corinth. 28 00:01:15,940 --> 00:01:20,940 It's a large rocky hill, 1,800 feet high, 29 00:01:20,940 --> 00:01:24,140 that was a very imposing site. 30 00:01:24,140 --> 00:01:25,500 It overlooked the city. 31 00:01:26,620 --> 00:01:29,780 There's another picture of the Acro Corinth there. 32 00:01:29,780 --> 00:01:34,140 On top of that hill was what was called the Temple of Diana. 33 00:01:34,140 --> 00:01:36,660 Going to show you a picture of what it looks like 34 00:01:36,660 --> 00:01:37,820 up on top of the hill today. 35 00:01:37,820 --> 00:01:39,020 The temple is long gone, 36 00:01:39,020 --> 00:01:42,540 but you can see that it was an amazing view from up there. 37 00:01:42,540 --> 00:01:45,140 And people say that you could see the Temple of Artemis, 38 00:01:45,140 --> 00:01:50,060 rather, to the Temple of Artemis was visible through, 39 00:01:50,060 --> 00:01:51,660 not only throughout the city of Corinth, 40 00:01:51,660 --> 00:01:53,900 but even far out to sea. 41 00:01:55,700 --> 00:01:57,860 Corinth was well known for the temple 42 00:01:57,860 --> 00:02:02,860 because there were hundreds of prostitutes 43 00:02:03,420 --> 00:02:06,500 who helped people go there and to enjoy worship 44 00:02:07,500 --> 00:02:09,100 to the goddess of love. 45 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,540 You will notice that there's another temple in the city 46 00:02:14,540 --> 00:02:18,100 and that is the temple that was built in honor of Apollo. 47 00:02:18,100 --> 00:02:21,620 Only seven of 38 columns remain still today, 48 00:02:21,620 --> 00:02:23,340 but they're still in place. 49 00:02:23,340 --> 00:02:26,580 It may give you a sense of the presence 50 00:02:26,580 --> 00:02:29,160 of pagan worship in the city. 51 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,920 The temple may have been much like this picture, 52 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:34,480 which is from the city of Athens today. 53 00:02:35,740 --> 00:02:37,220 There we go. 54 00:02:37,220 --> 00:02:41,240 And that is a temple that still stands today 55 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:46,100 near the Acropolis and is somewhat like the Temple of Apollo 56 00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:48,440 back in Paul's day. 57 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,500 The thing that I want you to understand here 58 00:02:50,500 --> 00:02:53,700 is that the people of Corinth were deeply embedded 59 00:02:53,700 --> 00:02:57,060 in their culture in pagan worship. 60 00:02:57,060 --> 00:03:01,640 And with that pagan worship came a lot of immorality. 61 00:03:04,060 --> 00:03:06,940 Now they understood that their gods lived on Mount Olympus 62 00:03:06,940 --> 00:03:08,720 far to the north from the city of Corinth, 63 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,920 but they also believed that their gods could be met with 64 00:03:11,920 --> 00:03:14,160 and worshiped in these temples. 65 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,620 Understand that that's their mindset. 66 00:03:17,620 --> 00:03:20,940 The gods can be here in these temples 67 00:03:20,940 --> 00:03:24,040 and we worship them through our immorality, 68 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,960 especially the goddess up on this hilltop, 69 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,460 the goddess Aphrodite, 70 00:03:29,460 --> 00:03:31,820 because there we go and visit the prostitutes 71 00:03:31,820 --> 00:03:34,080 and in doing that we worship God. 72 00:03:35,060 --> 00:03:38,240 The believers had been saved out of this mindset 73 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:39,720 and this culture. 74 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:43,140 And so it is to them that Paul writes the words 75 00:03:43,140 --> 00:03:44,340 that we're going to read now, 76 00:03:44,340 --> 00:03:48,820 beginning in verse 12 of 1 Corinthians 6. 77 00:03:48,820 --> 00:03:51,700 He says, everything is permissible for me. 78 00:03:52,860 --> 00:03:55,100 Your translation may have quotes around that 79 00:03:55,100 --> 00:03:57,260 because that was a statement apparently made 80 00:03:57,260 --> 00:04:00,780 by some Corinthians to Paul. 81 00:04:00,780 --> 00:04:03,420 Everything's okay, it's all good. 82 00:04:04,380 --> 00:04:06,340 Everything's permissible. 83 00:04:06,340 --> 00:04:09,260 But Paul says, not everything is beneficial. 84 00:04:10,380 --> 00:04:12,120 Everything is permissible for me, 85 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,720 but I will not be mastered by anything. 86 00:04:17,060 --> 00:04:17,940 And then another quote, 87 00:04:17,940 --> 00:04:20,460 food for the stomach and the stomach for food. 88 00:04:21,620 --> 00:04:24,240 But God will destroy them both. 89 00:04:25,220 --> 00:04:27,960 The body is not meant for sexual immorality, 90 00:04:28,820 --> 00:04:32,160 but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. 91 00:04:33,500 --> 00:04:37,100 For by his power, God raised the Lord from the dead 92 00:04:37,100 --> 00:04:39,580 and he will raise us also. 93 00:04:39,580 --> 00:04:42,980 Do you not know that your bodies 94 00:04:42,980 --> 00:04:45,980 are members of Christ himself? 95 00:04:45,980 --> 00:04:48,660 Shall I then take the members of Christ 96 00:04:48,660 --> 00:04:51,540 and unite them with a prostitute? 97 00:04:51,540 --> 00:04:52,460 Never. 98 00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:56,300 Do you not know that he who unites himself 99 00:04:56,300 --> 00:04:59,620 with a prostitute is one with her in body? 100 00:05:00,820 --> 00:05:04,000 For it is said the two will become one flesh, 101 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,940 but he who unites himself with the Lord 102 00:05:06,940 --> 00:05:10,000 is one with him in spirit. 103 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,800 Flee from sexual immorality. 104 00:05:13,780 --> 00:05:17,420 All other sins a man commits are outside his body, 105 00:05:17,420 --> 00:05:22,420 but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 106 00:05:23,340 --> 00:05:25,900 Do you not know that your body 107 00:05:25,900 --> 00:05:29,780 is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, 108 00:05:29,780 --> 00:05:31,980 whom you have received from God? 109 00:05:32,940 --> 00:05:34,940 You are not your own. 110 00:05:34,940 --> 00:05:37,220 You were bought with a price. 111 00:05:37,220 --> 00:05:40,740 Therefore, honor God with your body. 112 00:05:42,460 --> 00:05:43,300 Let's pray together. 113 00:05:43,300 --> 00:05:45,740 Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit 114 00:05:45,740 --> 00:05:48,000 will take this pure and wonderful word of God 115 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,380 and apply it to our lives. 116 00:05:50,380 --> 00:05:53,620 Because we live in a world something like the Corinthians, 117 00:05:53,620 --> 00:05:56,100 a world that is given over to pagan ideas 118 00:05:57,420 --> 00:05:59,180 and which incorporates immorality 119 00:05:59,180 --> 00:06:03,220 in the very basis of life. 120 00:06:03,220 --> 00:06:08,220 And I pray, Father, that as we live in a world like this, 121 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:09,960 we might live as your people. 122 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:13,980 That's in Jesus' name I pray, amen. 123 00:06:15,660 --> 00:06:17,040 Your body is an amazing thing. 124 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:18,220 I'm sure you know that. 125 00:06:19,260 --> 00:06:21,580 Your body has a heart that beats 126 00:06:21,580 --> 00:06:24,720 between 80 and 100,000 times every day. 127 00:06:27,340 --> 00:06:29,760 Your blood circulates through your body 128 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:33,780 on a 60,000 mile journey. 129 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:36,720 Our eyes are able to distinguish 130 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:40,760 up to one million color surfaces 131 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,560 and take in more information than the largest telescope 132 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:44,880 that man has ever built. 133 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:49,400 Our lungs inhale two million cubic, 134 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,360 excuse me, two million liters of air every day. 135 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,720 And we don't even think about breathing. 136 00:06:57,440 --> 00:06:59,440 The hearing of our ears is so sensitive 137 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,440 that it can discern between hundreds of thousands 138 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,560 of different sounds. 139 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,100 And our mind understands what we're hearing. 140 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:10,000 Now I could go on and on describing 141 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,300 the wonders of our bodies. 142 00:07:12,300 --> 00:07:15,800 You don't need to understand that your body is not you. 143 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:16,980 It's part of you. 144 00:07:17,980 --> 00:07:22,620 But the you you is different than your body. 145 00:07:22,620 --> 00:07:24,200 Your body is where you live. 146 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,660 And when you leave your body, what happens to it? 147 00:07:27,660 --> 00:07:28,500 It dies. 148 00:07:29,460 --> 00:07:30,940 It dies. 149 00:07:30,940 --> 00:07:32,780 It dies, it's no longer functioning. 150 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:36,560 But you live now in your body. 151 00:07:37,580 --> 00:07:39,340 The thing that Paul wants us to understand 152 00:07:39,340 --> 00:07:41,420 in this text is this. 153 00:07:41,420 --> 00:07:44,620 Your body is more than where you live. 154 00:07:46,220 --> 00:07:47,220 It's more than that. 155 00:07:48,340 --> 00:07:53,000 Because God lives with you in your body. 156 00:07:55,620 --> 00:07:57,060 Now I hope that will trickle down 157 00:07:57,060 --> 00:07:59,860 and get into your mindset, into your heart this morning 158 00:07:59,860 --> 00:08:01,260 as we look at God's word. 159 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,480 Your body is more than where just you live. 160 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,620 God lives in your body with you. 161 00:08:08,660 --> 00:08:12,380 Now as Paul unfolds this idea, there are some principles 162 00:08:12,380 --> 00:08:15,340 governing the appetites of our bodies 163 00:08:15,340 --> 00:08:17,900 that we cohabit with God that we wanna look at. 164 00:08:18,900 --> 00:08:20,940 And we start with this. 165 00:08:20,940 --> 00:08:24,300 It's an assumption based upon what Paul says here, 166 00:08:24,300 --> 00:08:25,640 but it's a biblical assumption. 167 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,260 It's this, that God gives you physical desires and needs. 168 00:08:30,740 --> 00:08:32,780 God gives you the desires and needs 169 00:08:32,780 --> 00:08:34,180 that you have in your body. 170 00:08:34,180 --> 00:08:35,600 Therefore they are what? 171 00:08:37,140 --> 00:08:39,200 They are good, exactly. 172 00:08:40,340 --> 00:08:43,140 The appetites and the needs of your body are good. 173 00:08:43,140 --> 00:08:46,700 God gave them to you and it is appropriate 174 00:08:46,700 --> 00:08:49,540 to fulfill the needs and the desires 175 00:08:49,540 --> 00:08:50,820 that God has given you. 176 00:08:52,500 --> 00:08:53,660 You get hungry. 177 00:08:53,660 --> 00:08:56,620 It's good to eat. 178 00:08:57,740 --> 00:09:01,860 The very first thing a baby does is what? 179 00:09:01,860 --> 00:09:02,820 Is to eat. 180 00:09:06,020 --> 00:09:07,580 We have a need for rest. 181 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,600 It's good to sleep. 182 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:11,780 Not in church. 183 00:09:13,180 --> 00:09:15,720 But in other places it's good to sleep. 184 00:09:16,660 --> 00:09:19,560 We need that kind of refreshment. 185 00:09:19,560 --> 00:09:21,940 I was going to say the next thing a baby does is sleep, 186 00:09:21,940 --> 00:09:25,580 but I'm not sure after he eats that's the next thing he does. 187 00:09:25,580 --> 00:09:26,940 But it's right there close. 188 00:09:29,820 --> 00:09:31,420 We have a need for exercise. 189 00:09:31,420 --> 00:09:35,440 Our bodies need to be exercised more than they are actually. 190 00:09:36,620 --> 00:09:39,100 Our bodies have ways of sending us signals 191 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:42,920 when it's time for us to get some physical exercise. 192 00:09:43,900 --> 00:09:45,020 It's a good need. 193 00:09:45,020 --> 00:09:46,660 It's a good thing to exercise. 194 00:09:48,060 --> 00:09:51,620 As we grow older, as we get in near the adolescent stage 195 00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:55,460 of life, there's a natural drive for sexual intimacy 196 00:09:55,460 --> 00:09:57,260 that develops in us. 197 00:09:57,260 --> 00:09:58,260 That's good. 198 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:00,840 It comes from God. 199 00:10:01,780 --> 00:10:05,380 And it's appropriate to fulfill our sexual desires 200 00:10:05,380 --> 00:10:06,460 and needs. 201 00:10:07,660 --> 00:10:10,060 Some of you may struggle with that. 202 00:10:10,060 --> 00:10:14,180 But you need to understand that God, the creator, 203 00:10:14,180 --> 00:10:17,300 has given us the desires and the needs that we have. 204 00:10:17,300 --> 00:10:18,120 They are good. 205 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,380 It's appropriate to fulfill them. 206 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:22,340 That brings me to principle number two. 207 00:10:23,340 --> 00:10:26,080 You may freely enjoy your body. 208 00:10:28,020 --> 00:10:30,120 There's no shame in your body. 209 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,160 This last week, my wife and I were eating lunch 210 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:42,140 at the chicken coop over here, one of our favorite places. 211 00:10:42,140 --> 00:10:44,540 And after we had finished the salads, 212 00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:47,860 I said to her, honey, it's my birthday. 213 00:10:47,860 --> 00:10:51,340 Don't you think today we could have the chocolate fondue 214 00:10:51,340 --> 00:10:53,000 dessert and we'll split it? 215 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,080 They have a wonderful chocolate fondue dessert. 216 00:10:59,060 --> 00:10:59,900 And you know what? 217 00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:03,380 She said something that nearly knocked me off my chair. 218 00:11:03,380 --> 00:11:04,820 She said, yes. 219 00:11:06,340 --> 00:11:08,700 Today is your birthday. 220 00:11:08,700 --> 00:11:11,020 Nothing counts today. 221 00:11:11,020 --> 00:11:13,020 Boy, that was good news. 222 00:11:13,020 --> 00:11:14,800 Everything's permissible. 223 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,140 I can enjoy this without guilt. 224 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:21,440 And that's what Paul says. 225 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:23,440 Everything's permissible. 226 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,680 Now he was reflecting a statement somebody in Corinth 227 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:26,720 had made to him. 228 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:29,740 And so Paul reflects it back to them. 229 00:11:29,740 --> 00:11:32,600 He says, yes, there is a place where we can say 230 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,720 everything is permissible. 231 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,000 One of the lies of the devil, by the way, 232 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:38,540 is that God is a killjoy. 233 00:11:39,940 --> 00:11:44,200 That God delights in saying, no, you can't do that to us. 234 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:47,320 No, God delights actually in saying yes. 235 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:48,960 He loves to say yes. 236 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,040 Remember when he created Adam and Eve, 237 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:56,040 he said, you are free to eat of any tree in the garden. 238 00:11:56,120 --> 00:11:57,120 Did he not say that? 239 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:01,840 You are free to eat of any tree in the garden. 240 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,900 Now he went on to say, but one, 241 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,720 because he wanted to set up a test for their obedience. 242 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,760 But notice the generosity and how God wanted them 243 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,420 to understand that all of this is created for you. 244 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,280 And I want you to be free about enjoying 245 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:19,560 what I've given to you. 246 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,320 Paul says to Timothy, God gives us all things 247 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:26,640 richly to enjoy. 248 00:12:27,540 --> 00:12:28,840 God is generous. 249 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,380 And he gives us these things in life generously 250 00:12:31,380 --> 00:12:33,240 so that we might enjoy them. 251 00:12:34,340 --> 00:12:38,060 So there's a way we can say all things are lawful. 252 00:12:38,060 --> 00:12:43,060 God expects that we will seek fulfillment of our needs. 253 00:12:43,500 --> 00:12:45,700 He's given them to us. 254 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:49,980 But as we do that, as you know, we can choose to fulfill 255 00:12:49,980 --> 00:12:54,360 the needs and the drives of our bodies in wrong ways too. 256 00:12:55,460 --> 00:13:00,460 It's a good thing to eat, but I can be gluttonous. 257 00:13:02,540 --> 00:13:04,460 And I'm afraid I have practiced a little of that 258 00:13:04,460 --> 00:13:05,300 this weekend. 259 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:09,500 We can be bulimic or anorexic. 260 00:13:10,500 --> 00:13:12,060 These are not good things. 261 00:13:15,380 --> 00:13:17,860 We have a need for sleep, but the fact is 262 00:13:17,860 --> 00:13:19,400 that we can be lazy. 263 00:13:20,780 --> 00:13:23,380 We can get too much sleep and not get our work done. 264 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:26,500 We have a need for exercise. 265 00:13:26,500 --> 00:13:29,780 Exercise is wonderful for us. 266 00:13:29,780 --> 00:13:32,380 But there are some people that overdo it. 267 00:13:32,380 --> 00:13:34,140 That's never been one of my problems. 268 00:13:34,140 --> 00:13:38,040 But there are those who overdo exercise. 269 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:40,140 And some of them do it because of an obsession 270 00:13:40,140 --> 00:13:41,660 they have with their physique. 271 00:13:43,020 --> 00:13:44,140 Take it too far. 272 00:13:45,460 --> 00:13:47,800 Sexual intimacy is a good thing. 273 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:53,780 But we can choose to seek fulfillment of that drive 274 00:13:53,780 --> 00:13:55,260 in immoral ways. 275 00:13:57,280 --> 00:14:00,420 What Paul wants us to know is that within what is good 276 00:14:00,420 --> 00:14:03,460 and what is righteous, we ought to enjoy life. 277 00:14:03,460 --> 00:14:05,580 And all of God's good gifts to us. 278 00:14:05,580 --> 00:14:06,720 We are free. 279 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:08,860 We are free. 280 00:14:09,860 --> 00:14:12,100 But there's a third principle that does come into play 281 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:15,400 and it's this, freedom has its limits. 282 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:17,900 Now this is not only true here, 283 00:14:17,900 --> 00:14:19,620 it is true in every part of life. 284 00:14:21,260 --> 00:14:23,960 The freedom of speech that we talk about in our country 285 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:24,940 has limits to it. 286 00:14:24,940 --> 00:14:27,820 You can't go into a crowded theater and yell fire 287 00:14:27,820 --> 00:14:28,820 when there is no fire. 288 00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:29,700 You'll be arrested. 289 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:31,460 You don't have freedom to do that. 290 00:14:31,460 --> 00:14:34,140 There are some people who say, 291 00:14:34,140 --> 00:14:36,380 oh I just don't want any restraints on me. 292 00:14:36,380 --> 00:14:39,280 I just want to do whatever comes natural to me. 293 00:14:40,780 --> 00:14:45,460 Well, it may be natural to go to the bathroom in your pants. 294 00:14:47,220 --> 00:14:49,940 But that's not necessarily a good thing. 295 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:53,260 There are restrictions to freedom. 296 00:14:54,420 --> 00:14:56,660 Freedom is not what you want to do, 297 00:14:56,660 --> 00:14:59,200 it's what you should do. 298 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:00,900 That's what freedom is about. 299 00:15:00,900 --> 00:15:04,300 Now there are two boundaries for this freedom 300 00:15:05,460 --> 00:15:07,260 that Paul lays out for us here 301 00:15:07,260 --> 00:15:10,740 regarding our physical desires and drives. 302 00:15:10,740 --> 00:15:13,820 He says everything's permissible, okay, I'll buy that. 303 00:15:13,820 --> 00:15:18,260 But not everything is beneficial. 304 00:15:18,260 --> 00:15:20,180 So the first question I need to ask 305 00:15:20,180 --> 00:15:22,820 when I'm considering, am I free to do this, 306 00:15:22,820 --> 00:15:25,820 is this question, is this beneficial? 307 00:15:25,820 --> 00:15:30,020 Does it bring advantage to me? 308 00:15:31,340 --> 00:15:34,180 Does it bring advantage to others? 309 00:15:34,180 --> 00:15:37,300 My freedom is not all about pleasing me. 310 00:15:38,180 --> 00:15:41,380 It's about doing what's good for others in their lives too. 311 00:15:41,380 --> 00:15:46,320 So my freedom needs to be limited by this question, 312 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,620 at least examined by this question, 313 00:15:48,620 --> 00:15:52,240 and perhaps limited, is this beneficial? 314 00:15:53,700 --> 00:15:55,660 There's a second question that Paul raises. 315 00:15:55,660 --> 00:15:56,940 He says, okay, I'll buy it. 316 00:15:56,940 --> 00:15:59,780 Everything is permissible, 317 00:15:59,780 --> 00:16:03,440 but you need to ask the question, is it enslaving? 318 00:16:04,620 --> 00:16:06,000 Is it enslaving? 319 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,500 Paul says, I will not be mastered by anything. 320 00:16:13,020 --> 00:16:17,280 Liberty can create a slave if what we're free to do 321 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,000 makes us follow an addiction. 322 00:16:22,300 --> 00:16:23,520 I'm free to smoke. 323 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:28,520 But I run the risk of becoming addicted to nicotine. 324 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,720 Someone tells the story about a 14th century duke 325 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,800 in an area that is now called Belgium today. 326 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:40,560 It's about a man by the name of Reynald III. 327 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:46,280 Reynald was sometimes called by his Latin name, Crassus, 328 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,100 which means fat. 329 00:16:49,100 --> 00:16:51,680 So if you're going to select a nickname, 330 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,440 don't select that one. 331 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,000 Crassus. 332 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,720 He had a violent quarrel with his younger brother, Edward, 333 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:02,260 and so Edward led a revolt against his older brother 334 00:17:02,260 --> 00:17:03,380 and captured him. 335 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,060 He did not kill him, though. 336 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:11,480 Edward built a room around Reynald in the castle 337 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:13,840 and promised him that he could regain his title 338 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:17,120 and his property as soon as he was able to leave the room. 339 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,800 Now, this would not have been difficult for most people 340 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,720 because there were windows, there was a door, 341 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,160 all of these were almost normal size, no bars. 342 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,200 The problem was Reynald's size. 343 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:35,120 To regain his freedom, he would have to lose weight. 344 00:17:37,420 --> 00:17:39,800 But Edward also knew his older brother, 345 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,560 and so every day he sent a variety of delicious foods 346 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:45,620 into the room for Reynald. 347 00:17:45,620 --> 00:17:50,620 And instead of dieting his way out of his prison, 348 00:17:51,100 --> 00:17:53,180 Reynald grew even fatter. 349 00:17:54,780 --> 00:17:58,320 Now, his brother was accused of being cruel, 350 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,460 but he responded, my brother is not a prisoner. 351 00:18:01,460 --> 00:18:04,020 He may leave whenever he wills. 352 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,340 And Reynald stayed in that room for 10 years 353 00:18:10,780 --> 00:18:13,220 until his brother Edward died, 354 00:18:13,220 --> 00:18:15,860 and then he was released. 355 00:18:15,860 --> 00:18:17,460 But he only lasted another year 356 00:18:17,460 --> 00:18:19,800 because he was so grossly overweight. 357 00:18:22,100 --> 00:18:25,040 He was free to eat, or was he? 358 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,160 Sometimes freedom can lead to slavery, 359 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,160 and Paul says we should never allow that to take place. 360 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:35,420 We must not be dominated by some habit 361 00:18:35,420 --> 00:18:38,980 that contradicts who we are in Jesus Christ. 362 00:18:40,380 --> 00:18:42,260 We are free to enjoy our liberty, 363 00:18:42,260 --> 00:18:44,760 but freedom has its limits. 364 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,020 Now, you can apply that to many areas of life. 365 00:18:48,020 --> 00:18:50,720 You can apply it to alcohol, for example. 366 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,460 There's no command in scripture that says 367 00:18:52,460 --> 00:18:54,640 you shall not drink alcohol. 368 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,480 There are other commands that deal with drunkenness 369 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:01,800 and so forth, but as I think about alcohol, 370 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:06,300 I need to ask myself these two questions at least. 371 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:10,300 Or I could apply the same thing to gaming or gambling. 372 00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:13,940 I could apply it to spending. 373 00:19:13,940 --> 00:19:16,600 I'm free to spend whatever I want to spend. 374 00:19:18,140 --> 00:19:19,220 Is it beneficial? 375 00:19:21,580 --> 00:19:23,340 You see, Christian freedom does not mean 376 00:19:23,340 --> 00:19:26,960 doing what pleases me, but doing what pleases Christ. 377 00:19:29,740 --> 00:19:31,660 So the apostle wants us to know these principles 378 00:19:31,660 --> 00:19:33,000 regarding our bodies. 379 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:35,920 God gives us drives and desires. 380 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:37,980 Those are holy and good and righteous. 381 00:19:37,980 --> 00:19:40,500 God says enjoy them. 382 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:43,580 You're free to do so, but understand that freedom 383 00:19:43,580 --> 00:19:46,220 also has responsible limits to it 384 00:19:47,420 --> 00:19:49,880 that are good for you and bring glory to God. 385 00:19:51,340 --> 00:19:53,820 And then Paul gets into the next part of the text, 386 00:19:53,820 --> 00:19:55,340 which is really the longer part, 387 00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:57,220 and the part he really wants to nail, 388 00:19:57,220 --> 00:20:00,620 and that is God's purpose for creating our bodies. 389 00:20:00,620 --> 00:20:04,380 He's kind of responded to some of their jingo. 390 00:20:04,380 --> 00:20:06,540 Everything's permissible. 391 00:20:06,540 --> 00:20:08,940 Food for the body, the body for food, 392 00:20:08,940 --> 00:20:10,100 and that sort of thing. 393 00:20:10,980 --> 00:20:14,660 Now he wants to deal with God's purpose for our bodies. 394 00:20:14,660 --> 00:20:18,860 First of all, he says, God made your body to be used, 395 00:20:18,860 --> 00:20:21,140 not abused. 396 00:20:21,140 --> 00:20:22,980 Verses 13 through 17. 397 00:20:24,140 --> 00:20:28,980 God made your body to be used in a righteous and good way, 398 00:20:30,700 --> 00:20:32,160 but not to be abused. 399 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:37,160 He says your body is not just for your enjoyment. 400 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:39,760 He gives two examples of this in verse 13. 401 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,140 Some were saying food for the stomach 402 00:20:43,140 --> 00:20:44,520 and the stomach for food. 403 00:20:46,780 --> 00:20:49,640 But he says both of these are temporal. 404 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:50,920 Remember that. 405 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:53,200 He says it is true, God made a stomach for you, 406 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:54,840 and that stomach has appetites, 407 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,340 and there's food out there, and he intends for you to eat it, 408 00:20:57,340 --> 00:21:00,160 but don't get too indulgent. 409 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:04,140 Because both of these, your stomach and the food, 410 00:21:04,140 --> 00:21:05,420 are someday going to pass away. 411 00:21:05,420 --> 00:21:07,720 What counts is that real you on the inside. 412 00:21:10,100 --> 00:21:14,620 The second illustration deals with immorality. 413 00:21:14,620 --> 00:21:16,580 When he says in the last part of verse 13, 414 00:21:16,580 --> 00:21:19,620 the body is not meant for sexual immorality, 415 00:21:19,620 --> 00:21:21,460 but for the Lord. 416 00:21:21,460 --> 00:21:22,700 See, apparently some were saying, 417 00:21:22,700 --> 00:21:26,700 well, the stomach is for food, and food is for the stomach, 418 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:28,740 and some were taking that to the next step and saying, 419 00:21:28,740 --> 00:21:31,860 well, sex is for the body, and the body is for sex, 420 00:21:31,860 --> 00:21:34,200 hey, let's have a good time. 421 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:36,340 That fits with our world pretty well. 422 00:21:36,340 --> 00:21:37,380 Indulge. 423 00:21:38,620 --> 00:21:40,540 Paul says, wait a minute, wait a minute. 424 00:21:41,740 --> 00:21:45,140 Sex can be destructive if it's abused, 425 00:21:46,260 --> 00:21:48,700 if it's used selfishly, 426 00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:52,400 without the God-given boundaries that we find. 427 00:21:53,620 --> 00:21:58,540 So your body is not just for your enjoyment, 428 00:21:58,540 --> 00:21:59,540 is what he's saying. 429 00:22:01,420 --> 00:22:04,980 But then he follows up to say, your body is for God, 430 00:22:04,980 --> 00:22:08,040 and you to share together. 431 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,680 The last part of verse 13 says, 432 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,680 the body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 433 00:22:16,020 --> 00:22:20,060 God intends for our bodies to bring glory to Him. 434 00:22:20,060 --> 00:22:22,700 After all, that's why He lives in us. 435 00:22:22,700 --> 00:22:24,260 He lives in our bodies. 436 00:22:25,780 --> 00:22:27,980 And our bodies are His permanently. 437 00:22:27,980 --> 00:22:30,140 It's not something temporary. 438 00:22:30,140 --> 00:22:31,700 It's not like in the Old Testament 439 00:22:31,700 --> 00:22:36,300 where God would come into the temple and then would leave. 440 00:22:38,180 --> 00:22:41,100 God is residing in you permanently. 441 00:22:41,100 --> 00:22:44,440 He says, just as Christ was raised from the dead, 442 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,260 so you're going to be raised from the dead, 443 00:22:46,260 --> 00:22:48,300 because God lives in you. 444 00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:50,480 Your body is a permanent part of you. 445 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:55,380 God places high value on your body, and He will resurrect it. 446 00:22:55,380 --> 00:22:57,980 It's an eternal part of you. 447 00:23:01,260 --> 00:23:04,600 And you and God are to share your body. 448 00:23:05,940 --> 00:23:07,900 It's not just yours alone. 449 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:13,380 Then he goes on to say, your body is actually joined 450 00:23:13,380 --> 00:23:16,740 with Christ, verses 15 through 17. 451 00:23:16,740 --> 00:23:20,540 He compares it here to being members of Christ's body. 452 00:23:20,540 --> 00:23:25,540 Just like this finger of mine is a member of my body, 453 00:23:25,580 --> 00:23:28,020 and it does what I want it to do. 454 00:23:29,460 --> 00:23:31,980 I can wiggle it, I can hold it still. 455 00:23:31,980 --> 00:23:34,220 I can use it to point to you or to point to me 456 00:23:34,220 --> 00:23:35,980 or to hold a pen. 457 00:23:35,980 --> 00:23:37,020 It's my member. 458 00:23:38,500 --> 00:23:43,500 And he says that we, our bodies, are members of Christ 459 00:23:44,740 --> 00:23:48,540 for His use, in other words, for His control. 460 00:23:48,540 --> 00:23:53,540 He says, would you dare take a member of Christ 461 00:23:54,260 --> 00:23:57,180 and join it with a prostitute? 462 00:23:58,660 --> 00:24:01,560 And then he exclaims, absolutely not. 463 00:24:03,060 --> 00:24:06,600 That's just unthinkable that you should do that. 464 00:24:07,740 --> 00:24:09,460 Understand where they've been coming from. 465 00:24:09,460 --> 00:24:12,720 All of their worship in the past has been connected 466 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:15,700 to Aphrodite, that temple, and the prostitutes 467 00:24:15,700 --> 00:24:16,540 up on the hill. 468 00:24:16,540 --> 00:24:19,580 And they still see this as maybe something 469 00:24:19,580 --> 00:24:20,980 they can indulge in. 470 00:24:20,980 --> 00:24:22,780 After all, everything's permissible. 471 00:24:24,020 --> 00:24:26,700 Sex is for the body, the body for sex. 472 00:24:26,700 --> 00:24:28,400 There's a place we can fulfill it. 473 00:24:30,820 --> 00:24:32,660 Paul says, can you possibly imagine 474 00:24:32,660 --> 00:24:34,360 doing such a thing as this? 475 00:24:35,740 --> 00:24:40,700 He says, just as the sexual union creates one flesh, 476 00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:45,700 so your faith union with Jesus has created one spirit with Him. 477 00:24:48,700 --> 00:24:51,780 That's not that we become Jesus or His spirit 478 00:24:51,780 --> 00:24:53,780 and our spirit are somehow co-mingled. 479 00:24:53,780 --> 00:24:55,160 That's not the idea. 480 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,900 But it means that we are united to Him. 481 00:24:59,340 --> 00:25:02,260 Your body is joined with Christ. 482 00:25:02,260 --> 00:25:03,480 It is His member. 483 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:07,840 It is for His use, not just yours. 484 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,840 So Paul says, look, God's purpose for your body 485 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:18,200 is that it be used for God's purpose in the world 486 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,440 and not abused and degraded. 487 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:23,800 The second thing he wants to say is this, 488 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:26,280 that God made your body to be His temple, 489 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:28,800 verses 18 through 20. 490 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:31,960 God made your body to be His temple 491 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:35,280 and there are two direct commands related to this idea. 492 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:40,280 The first one is flee from sexual immorality. 493 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:43,780 Get away from it. 494 00:25:43,780 --> 00:25:46,040 It's in the present tense and it means 495 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:50,240 be continually fleeing from sexual immorality. 496 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:54,400 Run, just as Joseph did when he was tempted 497 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,960 by Potiphar's wife, run. 498 00:25:58,120 --> 00:25:58,960 Why? 499 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,960 Because immoral acts, he says, are a sin against yourself, 500 00:26:06,340 --> 00:26:07,480 as well as God. 501 00:26:09,340 --> 00:26:12,600 The Bible warns us again and again of the disease, 502 00:26:13,660 --> 00:26:17,100 the depression, the disrespect, 503 00:26:18,260 --> 00:26:21,260 and the dissipation that comes 504 00:26:21,260 --> 00:26:24,120 with the immoral use of our bodies. 505 00:26:26,500 --> 00:26:28,780 Flee from it, he says. 506 00:26:28,780 --> 00:26:31,000 Now God has given us sexual energy. 507 00:26:32,220 --> 00:26:36,100 It is universal and it's one of the strongest drives 508 00:26:36,100 --> 00:26:36,940 that we have. 509 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:40,660 Now what does Satan do? 510 00:26:40,660 --> 00:26:44,220 He comes alongside us and he points us to the temple 511 00:26:45,260 --> 00:26:49,180 up on the hill, or that pattern of our past, 512 00:26:50,300 --> 00:26:55,220 or ways in which we can indulge our sexual appetites 513 00:26:55,220 --> 00:26:57,380 outside of God's plan. 514 00:26:57,380 --> 00:26:58,740 We call it temptation. 515 00:26:59,980 --> 00:27:01,460 What do we do with temptation? 516 00:27:03,260 --> 00:27:05,460 What do you do when you're tempted to misuse 517 00:27:05,460 --> 00:27:08,960 this good and holy drive that God has given to you? 518 00:27:10,860 --> 00:27:12,640 The bottom line is this. 519 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:16,020 You can fight against it, but one thing you cannot do 520 00:27:16,020 --> 00:27:17,740 is coexist with it. 521 00:27:19,980 --> 00:27:22,980 The longer you allow temptation just to be in the room 522 00:27:22,980 --> 00:27:27,980 with you and you wave at it and you maybe speak to it 523 00:27:29,620 --> 00:27:34,300 and you argue with it, the more danger you're in. 524 00:27:35,500 --> 00:27:37,740 I like what Swindoll says, and I think I've put this 525 00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:40,180 in your notes so that you have a copy of it. 526 00:27:40,180 --> 00:27:44,120 Do not try to coexist peacefully with temptation. 527 00:27:45,220 --> 00:27:47,320 If you're weakened by certain kinds of music, 528 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,160 you're playing into the hands of Satan himself 529 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:50,720 to listen to it. 530 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,180 If you're weakened by certain pictures that bring 531 00:27:53,180 --> 00:27:56,640 before your eyes things that build desires within you 532 00:27:56,640 --> 00:28:00,620 that you can't handle, then you're not counteracting sin 533 00:28:00,620 --> 00:28:02,760 and temptation, you're tolerating it. 534 00:28:03,860 --> 00:28:05,460 You're fertilizing it. 535 00:28:06,620 --> 00:28:08,140 You're prompting it. 536 00:28:09,380 --> 00:28:11,420 If the newsstand is something you can't handle, 537 00:28:11,420 --> 00:28:12,540 stay away from it. 538 00:28:13,860 --> 00:28:16,940 And then he says, quit clucking your tongue. 539 00:28:16,940 --> 00:28:18,180 Can you cluck your tongue? 540 00:28:18,180 --> 00:28:21,380 Yeah, they're very good. 541 00:28:21,380 --> 00:28:22,940 We've all had practice at that. 542 00:28:23,980 --> 00:28:27,020 Quit clucking your tongue, he says, and shaking your head 543 00:28:27,020 --> 00:28:29,420 as you linger over the pages. 544 00:28:29,420 --> 00:28:32,140 If you're weakened by relationships with certain people, 545 00:28:32,140 --> 00:28:33,940 abstain from them. 546 00:28:33,940 --> 00:28:36,420 There's a word for those folks who linger and try 547 00:28:36,420 --> 00:28:38,060 to reason with lust. 548 00:28:38,060 --> 00:28:39,700 What's the word? 549 00:28:39,700 --> 00:28:40,540 Victim. 550 00:28:42,260 --> 00:28:45,040 Flee from sexual immorality. 551 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,440 By the way, one way to resist temptation 552 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,880 is that when you feel its pull, you feel the desires 553 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:54,460 being aroused within you, 554 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,540 invite Jesus to come at that very moment and stand with you. 555 00:29:02,020 --> 00:29:04,880 And say, Jesus, would you tell me what you think about this? 556 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,120 That's one way to do it because he will tell you. 557 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,040 And knowing that he's there will make a difference. 558 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,340 Flee from sexual immorality. 559 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:20,400 Secondly, he says, and this is the last phrase in the text, 560 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,240 he says, honor God with your body. 561 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:24,120 Honor God. 562 00:29:26,260 --> 00:29:27,540 Why should we do this? 563 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:30,520 Why? 564 00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:34,140 Well, there are lots of ways in which we can dishonor God 565 00:29:34,140 --> 00:29:36,460 with our bodies apart from sexual issues. 566 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,040 We can become addicted to substances. 567 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:43,660 We can get addicted to adrenaline. 568 00:29:44,580 --> 00:29:46,860 There's a lot of people who would never think 569 00:29:46,860 --> 00:29:50,740 of taking drugs who are addicted to the rush of life 570 00:29:50,740 --> 00:29:53,180 and the adrenaline within them. 571 00:29:54,180 --> 00:29:56,840 There are those who are addicted to caffeine. 572 00:29:56,840 --> 00:30:01,480 I know, I'm stomping on toes now, but let's be honest. 573 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,500 We can get addicted to caffeine. 574 00:30:03,500 --> 00:30:05,780 We can get addicted to medications 575 00:30:05,780 --> 00:30:08,960 that should be for our good. 576 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:13,660 There are those who dishonor their bodies 577 00:30:13,660 --> 00:30:16,820 by a pattern of overeating. 578 00:30:18,940 --> 00:30:22,620 Eating is good, but if we overeat, 579 00:30:22,620 --> 00:30:25,240 then it's dishonoring God with our bodies. 580 00:30:27,540 --> 00:30:30,380 That's one way some people handle stress. 581 00:30:30,380 --> 00:30:33,180 When they feel stressed, they go to the refrigerator. 582 00:30:33,180 --> 00:30:36,800 God says, I have a better way to do it. 583 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:38,800 I want you to honor me with your body. 584 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:41,940 I think of chronic exhaustion. 585 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,200 There are those who just keep pushing themselves 586 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,560 and pushing themselves and pushing themselves 587 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:49,240 to the point that they drop. 588 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:53,680 And I wonder if God isn't saying, 589 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,720 what are you running from? 590 00:30:57,140 --> 00:30:58,240 You don't wanna face. 591 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,660 That's dishonoring God with our bodies when we do that. 592 00:31:02,660 --> 00:31:06,520 So he says, honor God with your body for two reasons. 593 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:08,640 Number one, you are his temple. 594 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:12,160 Verse 19, he clearly states it. 595 00:31:12,160 --> 00:31:14,360 He wants them to think back to this temple, 596 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,480 back on the hill, or the temple to Apollo, 597 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,760 not too far away from where they were. 598 00:31:20,780 --> 00:31:23,200 He says, I want you to think about the fact 599 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:28,200 that you used to think God lived in those temples of marble. 600 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:30,880 But he says, God doesn't live there. 601 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:33,500 You are God's temple. 602 00:31:33,500 --> 00:31:36,320 Now back in chapter three, he said, you are God's temple, 603 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,400 referring to us together as the church 604 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:40,740 when we meet like this. 605 00:31:40,740 --> 00:31:43,000 God is with us. 606 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,720 But here he makes it very personal to each one of us, 607 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:49,080 and he says, your body is the temple of God. 608 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:51,160 It is God's holy place. 609 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:56,860 As one commentator says, the Holy Spirit does not choose 610 00:31:56,860 --> 00:31:58,920 to abide in temples of marble or granite, 611 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:00,880 but in bodies of flesh. 612 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:04,200 Through them, he can reveal his person and power 613 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:07,280 and convey his message to men. 614 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,480 Each Christian can become a channel 615 00:32:09,480 --> 00:32:12,920 through whom the Holy Spirit can express some aspect 616 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:14,860 of his message to the world. 617 00:32:14,860 --> 00:32:18,160 To defile the body is therefore sacrilege for a Christian 618 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,960 because in defiling his body, 619 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:22,900 he is desecrating God's temple. 620 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:26,520 He says, not only should you honor God with your body 621 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,000 because your body is his temple, 622 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,740 but because you are his purchase. 623 00:32:31,740 --> 00:32:33,680 You are his purchase. 624 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:35,820 He says, really folks, you're not your own. 625 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:40,160 You've been purchased with a price. 626 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:43,040 The price, of course, being the precious blood 627 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:45,540 of Christ Jesus, God's son. 628 00:32:48,060 --> 00:32:50,560 And so Paul lays out for us all very clearly here, 629 00:32:50,560 --> 00:32:54,240 living in a culture much like the Corinthian culture, 630 00:32:54,240 --> 00:32:56,340 how our bodies play into this. 631 00:32:56,340 --> 00:32:58,680 Our bodies are not bad. 632 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:00,440 They're not shameful, they're good. 633 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:04,560 Our bodies have appetites and drives 634 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:06,760 that God has given to them. 635 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:08,760 But we need to understand that those bodies, 636 00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:13,760 those drives and appetites should be used to honor God, 637 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:16,440 not abused for selfish reason. 638 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:20,360 Because our bodies are God's temple. 639 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:24,480 Our bodies are to be used, not abused. 640 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:26,440 Therefore, every Christ follower should make 641 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:28,400 three declarations. 642 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:33,400 Number one, declaration number one, God lives with me. 643 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:37,800 God lives with me. 644 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:41,420 I don't go to a temple somewhere to find God. 645 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,200 God doesn't live down in that worship center 646 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:46,240 that we're renovating. 647 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:48,720 God lives with me and with you. 648 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:50,160 Would you say that with me? 649 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,340 God lives with me. 650 00:33:52,340 --> 00:33:57,340 Declaration number two, my body is his holy temple. 651 00:34:00,500 --> 00:34:04,260 Man, that is an amazing thought. 652 00:34:05,540 --> 00:34:07,860 That God does not dwell in any building 653 00:34:07,860 --> 00:34:11,620 made with human hands, nor can any building contain him, 654 00:34:11,620 --> 00:34:13,100 including our bodies. 655 00:34:13,100 --> 00:34:17,680 But nonetheless, it can be said that God lives with me 656 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:19,980 and my body is his holy temple. 657 00:34:19,980 --> 00:34:22,580 Say that with me. 658 00:34:22,580 --> 00:34:26,220 My body is his holy temple. 659 00:34:26,220 --> 00:34:29,860 Number three, I will respect my body 660 00:34:31,140 --> 00:34:32,720 and use it to honor God. 661 00:34:38,820 --> 00:34:42,260 There are so many ways in which we can abuse our bodies. 662 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:46,580 And our culture really calls for us to do this. 663 00:34:46,580 --> 00:34:51,580 But God says, I want you to use your body for my glory. 664 00:34:57,060 --> 00:35:00,140 I live with you, you are my holy temple. 665 00:35:00,140 --> 00:35:02,820 I want you to respect what I've given you 666 00:35:02,820 --> 00:35:05,760 and I want you to honor God with it. 667 00:35:08,220 --> 00:35:09,700 God didn't make any junk. 668 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:13,820 You are not junk, your body is not junk. 669 00:35:13,820 --> 00:35:17,500 Now there may be things about your body that you don't like. 670 00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:19,820 That's true with most of us. 671 00:35:19,820 --> 00:35:21,860 There are things that we would redesign 672 00:35:21,860 --> 00:35:23,420 if we were given the choice. 673 00:35:24,940 --> 00:35:27,780 But the fact is, God says, your body is my temple. 674 00:35:27,780 --> 00:35:28,820 I gave it to you. 675 00:35:31,220 --> 00:35:33,740 Honor me with it and respect it. 676 00:35:35,820 --> 00:35:37,960 I don't know how that falls into your life today, 677 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,020 what you're struggling with, 678 00:35:40,020 --> 00:35:42,500 what the temptations are you're dealing with. 679 00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:46,020 But I pray that God will use it in your life. 680 00:35:46,020 --> 00:35:48,000 That he will make you a sanctuary. 681 00:35:49,420 --> 00:35:53,220 Pure and holy, tried and true. 682 00:35:53,220 --> 00:35:54,060 Let's pray. 683 00:35:55,780 --> 00:35:59,020 Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for us. 684 00:36:00,600 --> 00:36:02,980 By what you did, you purchased us for God. 685 00:36:04,460 --> 00:36:09,460 And we live in a world that does not understand the body, 686 00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:14,460 your purpose for it, tries to get us to abuse our bodies. 687 00:36:15,580 --> 00:36:17,580 And to use them in ways that would dishonor you. 688 00:36:17,580 --> 00:36:19,820 And I pray this morning as we have studied your word 689 00:36:19,820 --> 00:36:22,560 so you would write freshly in our heart. 690 00:36:24,340 --> 00:36:25,900 What your plan for us is. 691 00:36:28,100 --> 00:36:31,920 That you really are living with us every day wherever we go. 692 00:36:33,860 --> 00:36:35,860 That we are holy temple, 693 00:36:35,860 --> 00:36:38,420 we ought to honor you with our bodies. 694 00:36:38,420 --> 00:36:39,660 Lord as we sing this song, 695 00:36:39,660 --> 00:36:43,500 I pray that it'll be a prayer unto you. 696 00:36:43,500 --> 00:37:09,140 Let's stand together please as we sing this closing song.