This morning, let's take our Bibles and turn to several passages. Actually, we're going to be in Genesis, and I'm going to be in the Gospel of Mark and Hebrews. So, several passages. Now, before I start, I want to let you know why I'm preaching on this this morning. On December 29th, I received a letter from the Master Seminary That is the seminary that Pastor Dave and myself attended and graduated from. In the subject line of the letter was an admonition for pastors. It said, it called to pastors to stand united on biblical sexual morality. And then it read this way, dear minister of the gospel, I write to you this Christmas season to call your attention to an urgent matter in which the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is under attack. On December 22, 2021, I, that's Pastor John MacArthur, received an email from Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. You will remember. that he was recently imprisoned for keeping his church open during COVID-19 lockdowns. James also is a graduate of the Master Seminary. James' recent email gave me insight into the Canadian government's decision to pass Bill C-4, which directly comes against parents and counselors who would seek to offer biblical counsel with respect to sexual immorality and gender, James indicates that it could be used to criminalize evangelism. Bill C-4 passed through the House and the Senate without opposition. Not a single dissenting vote was cast by any member of the conservative party. The bill criminalizes, among other things, causing other persons to undergo conversion therapy, promoting or advertising conversion therapy. In the preamble of the bill, it says that the belief that heterosexuality, cisgender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth or to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions is a myth. According to Canadian law, as of January 8, 2022, the belief in God's design for marriage and sexuality is now to be seen as a myth. The bill defines conversion therapy as a practice, treatment, or service designed to change a person's sexual orientation to heterosexual, change a person's gender identity to cisgender, and cisgender is really the original gender identity at birth, change a person's gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth, repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behavior, repress a person's non-cisgender identity, or reduce a person's gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth. Now, the definition is intentionally broad, and it can clearly be used against any parent preacher, counselor, elder, who either speaks against homosexuality or transgenderism, or who counsels a person to obey Christ and abandon their homosexual, transgender actions and lifestyle to follow Christ. It is now in Canada, against the law, to preach, teach, or counsel regarding God's design for marriage and sexuality. Now, everyone who knowingly causes another person to undergo conversion therapy, including providing conversion therapy to that other person, is guilty of an indictable offense and liable of imprisonment for a term of not more than five years. Similarly, everyone who knowingly promotes or advertises conversion therapy is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years. So then, the request to preachers in Canada, the United States of America, and across the world is to preach on God's design for marriage and a biblical ethodox sexuality today, January 16, 2022. For what reason? In order to stand with our brothers in Canada and to confront in the spirit of love and mercy the demanding or the damning sins, actually, legalized in our culture and the attack upon the truth of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. And conversion therapy is basically sharing the gospel with someone where they get saved and they turn their life to follow Christ and drop off all their old lifestyle and sin to follow the Lord. That's what they mean. So today, in solidarity with our fellow pastors, I would like to share a simple message from God's Word on God's design for marriage and the biblical ethic of sexuality. Now, I don't believe it has escaped your notice that our culture is becoming more and more degenerate. It's promoted that way by all kinds of groups, groups often that were good groups that promoted good things are now going the other direction. An article I found recently reading on this topic had some insightful observations that I'd like to share with you. It said this, in 2000, the year 2000, 55% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 were married, and 34% had never been married. By 2015, these figures flipped. with 40% married and 53% never married. Now researchers studying this trend at the University of Texas, Austin, found that young people in the United States were avoiding marriage because in today's culture, sex has been largely separated from marriage. So therefore, why the engagement? Why the covenant publicly before people? And let's bypass all that, and let's just go for the consummation. So in this really degenerate environment, the trend is toward casual, no-strings-attached hookups, in which sex has nothing to do with affection, let alone commitment, and responsibility. Even more absurd is the... really the... multiplication of sexual orientations, which are now thrown around like fashion statements. Facebook's user profile options in the United Kingdom, for example, at one point included more than 70 different genders. If young people can't even tell whether they're male and female, how will they view marriage? Adultery used to be a negative term referring to immoral sexual conduct. Today, it has been watered down to extramarital sexual relations or cohabitation. Chastity used to be a virtue in both Eastern and Western cultures, today it is treated as a joke. Passing judgment on homosexuality and sexual morality is forbidden under today's political correctness. The only acceptable stance is to respect others' free choice. This is true not only in everyday life, but throughout academia. in which morality is divorced from practical reality, deviated and degenerate behaviors have been normalized in our society. And those who indulge in their desires feel no pressure or guilt. Western people under the age of 50 can barely remember the culture that used to exist in our society, in which almost all children grew up in the presence of their biological father. Gay meant happy, while wedding gowns, white wedding gowns, represented chastity. And pornographic content was banned from television and radio, and all has been undone in 60 years. So what we need is a strong dose of scripture to move our minds back onto thinking about God's original design for marriage and sexuality. Marriage is a covenant relationship between one man and one woman, which was created by God himself and shown to be sacred by Christ himself. Human sinfulness, of course, has wreaked havoc with this relationship, and worldly societies and cultures have debunked it, renamed it, reformed it, redefined it in such a way it no longer is recognizable in reference to the original design or purpose. Now, most people have an awareness that our culture has been radically changed in regard to the institution of marriage. Redefining marriage has taken much ground in our society and has come upon us quicker than ever expected. One Christian seminary professor said this, when marriage is redefined, an entire universe of laws, customs, rules, and expectations change as well. Words such as husband and wife, mother and father at one time, the common vocabulary of every society are now battlegrounds for moral conflict. With the arrival of birth control, no-fault divorce in the early 1970s set the ground for the development of the homosexual movement, the normalization of same-sex relations, which has led to the legalizations of same-sex marriage. And recently, to further confuse things, came the redefinition of sex and gender, which has sparked the transgender revolution with no end in sight. So then, what will marriage mean when virtually anyone can define it and then anybody can be married to whomever or whatever they want to be married to? Well, what we're witnessing right before our eyes really is marriage as a privilege And a respected institution is disappearing right before our eyes. Marriage actually will never be the same. And so that's why we have to keep reminding people of what it is and what the original design is. Biblical Christians cannot sit by and let the wave of an evil and perverse generation wash over us and sweep us away. We have the word of God. that gives us the correct understanding of sex, of gender, of marriage, of morality. In other words, the Bible will establish the framework for a clear understanding of marriage, identity, and sexuality. So the church must seize the opportunity to be a courageous Christian witness to the gospel and to the biblical pattern of a good, and a godly marriage between one man and one woman. So there are two major points and several sub-points I would like to share with you concerning what we must do to keep God's design for marriage and sexuality. And here's the first thing we must do. We must not deviate. We must not deviate from God's original blueprints for marriage. Let me pray. Lord, this morning I pray as we just look at some points in the Word of God on this topic. Lord, I pray that you would bring us all back to see things from a biblical perspective, especially, Lord, the institution of marriage and sexuality. And I pray, Lord, that we would take it quite seriously, not only in our conversations with others and our own thinking, but Lord, especially those younger people who have been pretty much their brains have been washed in the culture and what the culture says. I pray, Lord, that we would come back and we would again hold on to what the Word of God says, and hold on to the architect's purpose and meaning of this great institution of marriage. And I pray this in Christ's name. Amen. So if you're there in Genesis, and also I want to look at Mark chapter 10. Get ready to look at those too. So we must not deviate from God's original blueprints for marriage. We must appeal to an authority, an authoritative source on the subject of marriage. And that is the word of God, specifically what Moses taught in Genesis, the book of beginnings. In verse number 18 of Genesis chapter 2, it says, and the Lord says, this is not good for a man that a man should be alone, I will make him a helper, a help meet for him. And of course, God saw that life for a man who was alone would not be complete. So from man, he made a woman. God created Adam, but the woman was made from the man and Adam recognized this by saying in Genesis chapter 2 verse 23 and 24, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. So This is exactly what the Lord said in the Gospel of Mark when he was correcting a false interpretation of a perversion of this law concerning the Jewish practice of divorce. Because Jesus said to them, because of your hardness of heart, he wrote you this commandment. See, the problem that entered into the world after the fall was hard-heartedness. That simply means a person who does not want to obey God's design for marriage. With hard hearts, people think of marriage as some sort of probationary experiment in which they conclude if it works out, fine. If not, well, that's too bad. I tried. But that's a very twisted and incorrect way of looking at marriage. The Pharisees or the religious leaders of that day and the teachers of that day got so far from God's original blueprints for marriage that Jesus had to be abrupt with his disciples. Because if they are going to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that their view of marriage must be divorced from the present inaccurate view and be replaced by God's original intention that God gave in the beginning. And what was that intention? Well, we already read it in Genesis. And then here in Mark chapter 10 in verse number 6, This is what it is. It says, but from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. So marriage is God's idea. And as I mentioned many times in marriage ceremonies, it's a good idea. and the reason why it's a good idea because God never had a bad idea. See, God is designer and he's the master architect of the institution of marriage. The ingredients, God included in his original design is like a load-bearing, it's like load-bearing walls in a home or a structure. If you remove the load-bearing walls, it's just a matter of time before the whole structure comes crashing down. So if the institution of marriage is corrupted, there goes the family, there goes society, there goes the nation. And often in cases too, there goes the church. So the original blueprints For marriage included at least three things about the marriage relationship. Now, if we, the Church of Jesus Christ, are not to deviate from God's original blueprints, then we must view marriage through the lens of scripture. And what's the first thing that we see? Well, not only in Genesis 2.24, but also here in Mark 10, verse 7 and 8, the first thing is we are to view marriage as a unique relationship, a relationship that is different from the rest of God's creatures. Remember, Adam named all the creatures. God created everything, but there was one thing that was wrong. man could not have a relationship with any of them. They were not like him. So God had to make a woman, and he did so, and they became one flesh. And so that means that their relationship, because they were now created in the image of God, was different than all the other creatures of the world. So the marriage relationship whereby the husband and the wife are rendered one flesh, one man, one woman equal two people becoming one. This is God's original intention in marriage. Before the fall of man into sin, before man's heart was hardened, that husbands and wives are no more two but one flesh. And this one flush concept must really manifest itself in practical, intangible, and demonstratable ways. God does not intend it to be merely an abstract concept or an ideological theory, but a concrete reality. Total intimacy and deep unity are part of God's blueprint for a good marriage, coming out of the relationship the Father, Son, and Spirit have within the Trinity is now to be worked out by the Spirit of God in a couple's life. That the husband and wife are a team. And whatever each of them does must be for the sake of the other person, or at least it must not be to the detriment of the other person. That each must be as concerned about the person's needs as he is about his and her own needs. So marriage then is a picture that actually stands for more than a man and a woman becoming one flesh. It stands for the relationship between Christ and his church. We go back to Ephesians and we find this is the case, that Christ cares for his church. He nourishes and cherishes his church because the church, the people, are the arms and the legs and the hands and the feet of his body. That's why it says in Ephesians 529, for no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just Christ does the church, and then the husband and the wife become one flesh, the unity of two people coming together with diversity as before the Lord. So this means that because the husband and wife are one, the care the husband has for himself, he has for himself. In other words, what he does for For her he does for himself, Ephesians 5, 28. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. So this is the mystery that Dave prayed about, that marriage is a copy of Christ and the church. And the copy refers to a human marriage between a husband and a wife. That is a great mystery. However, the simplicity and the beauty of God's plan for a man and woman continued from the time of Adam until this moment, where it says in Genesis chapter 4, in verse number 19, listen to what it says. It says, Lamech took unto him two wives. The name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other was Zillah. And Jesus said that, why does all this happen? Because of the hardness of people's hearts. Already in the beginning, starting to move away from God's original design for marriage. So firstly, the marriage is unique. It's different from anything else. Secondly, we ought to view marriage as a permanent relationship. Notice what it says in Mark chapter 10. In verse number nine, it says, what therefore God has joined together, let no man separate. It is supposed to be in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, till death do us part. And the phrase, be joined, literally can be translated to be glued or cemented to another person. And this is what God does when two people, a man and woman, are married. He cements two people together and they become as one person. So we have to be really serious. When cracks do appear and start being seen in our marriage, we should not waste any time. We ought to fix them as quick as we can. And don't let anyone mess with your marriage. And don't mess with your marriage yourself. See, God has not changed his mind concerning divorce. He still hates it. He even says in the prophet Malachi, let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth, for I hate divorce. So take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously. Divorce is a violent wrenching apart of that which is meant to be insoluble. Therefore, let not man put asunder what God has joined together. It's impossible to try to make one thing two without doing violence to the unity of it. It's not till divorce court do we part. till midlife crisis do we part. It's not till something better comes along do we part. And it's not let us not get married at all. And we'll just live together. No marriage, no commitment, no troubles, they think. They're messing with fire. And they'll be burned in ways they would not even ever expect. Even Proverbs, dealing with the adulterous woman in that context, he says, can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? It's a question. The answer is, no way. Same thing with us. And the reason why is because there is a judgment that comes when people mess with God's original design. So where did this hard-heartedness lead to? Well, human beings went from obeying God's commands to explaining them away. And when those commands were not openly disregarded, they were watered down by exceptions and exclusions that had not been dreamed up by God, but by humans. Men began taking wives of their own choosing, The wrong kind of women? Too many women? Or marrying, not marrying women at all? Men turned from a natural relationship with women to become involved with unnatural relationships with other men. As it says so clearly in Romans 1, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Now, sadly, this problem, it still continues today because people and governments are hard-hearted towards God that marriages Do not break up because both partners are carefully seeking God's will and are willing to make the sacrifices to live within that will. The exact opposite is true. Marriages break up because one or both of the partners are unwilling to abide by God's instructions. It's not a problem of incompatibility. It's a problem of the heart. The solution can only come when men and women decide, with God's help and by God's power and spirit, that they will live according to God's plan. We don't realize how much we have been pushed into the pattern of the world's teaching on this subject. Hollywood has given us the impression that when we are bitten by the love bug, we get this feeling that we never had before called romantic love. This feeling comes upon us in great abundance, in which one thinks that they can go on and on living on this romantic love for all time. Then after being married for a while, the reality of life settles in, and one day they discover that the mysterious love bug has flown away. And then they think, I don't love him anymore. I don't love her anymore. It's not there any longer. And the only thing that's left is divorce court. So we have been fed a lie, and have believed it, and have based our whole society on the Romantist concept of love and had rejected or ignored the biblical teachings about the subject, that we rejected the will of God on the whole matter of marriage, the Romanthus concept of love is actually a myth. The biblical concept of love is sacrificial. It's unselfish. It is a love that develops by the way we are committed to one another. Marriage is not based so much upon love. It is based upon commitment. Commitment to believe that marriage is permanent. It cannot be dissolved. A relationship between two who have become one before God. Until we have that commitment, we do not have the fertile ground for seeds of genuine love to take hold and for that love, biblical love, to develop deep roots. And why is it that this love is not developed as it ought to be? It's because of the same thing Jesus said to the Pharisees, because of the hardness of your heart. Because of the hardness of the Israelites' hearts, Moses allowed them to put away their wives. And sometimes we forget what it is that causes divorce. The Bible makes it very clear the reason for divorce is sin. And there are all sorts of sins that destroy marriages. There are sins of selfishness and anger and hostility and lovelessness and lack of respect, unthankfulness and pride and unkindness. unforgiving spirit, verbal and physical and emotional abuse, lying and dishonesty, seeking our own instead of meeting the needs of our partner, the sins of adultery and other perverted sexual sins. All these sins and others drive people apart. And this is not God's intention, nor does it please him. If you do not put oil and fill up the fluids of your car periodically, it is not going to run very well for very long. So if we take care of it, it will. If we have a marriage and don't put the oil of the Holy Spirit into it and the word of God into it and commitment into it, it's not going to run very well or last very long. If you think of your marriage as a gift from God and realize it is a permanent relationship that will not be broken, then there will be a distinct difference on how you take care of your marriage. If you owned a car and you had to keep it for 40 years, you would care for it differently. And maybe this is a less favorable comparison But some who are married take care of their stuff better than they do their marriages, and that is shameful and really needs to change. How differently we will care for our spouses when we are convinced and committed that marriage is a lifetime agreement. Brethren, great wisdom, counsel, discernment, and prayer needs to go into the person and persons who are going to be cemented to someone for the rest of their lives. In order for the church to prevent further destruction of this wonderful institution, it must keep the original pattern for marriage set by God in the beginning. But as long as the church does not go along with the present agenda of society, It will remain a target. Nonconformity is not acceptable or tolerated by society for the church. So the church will face such bills like C-4, and the US Senate bill 1172, banning gay conversion, and the California resolution SCR-99, seeking to force pastors and counselors to embrace the LGBTQ ideology as normal behavior. See, marriage is not to be taken casually. It was established by God, and it is to be governed by God's regulations, and therefore, thirdly, it is a holy relationship. It is a holy relationship, and this rises out of the passage 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 3 to 5. And listen to what it says there. It says, for this is the will of God, your sanctification. That is, you abstain from sexual morality, that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, that's his own body, not in lustful passions like the Gentiles who do not know God. So it is only Christ who by his shed blood can rid us of sin to bring people together again. Sometimes we forget that God's highest purpose for us in this world is not for us to be happy. Before we can be happy, we must be holy. See, God's first purpose for us in this world is that we might be holy in order that we may be happy. Maybe there is no better place for a man or a woman, two sinners coming together to be sanctified, set apart, and may you be holy in a better place to do it, no better place to do it in a marriage relationship, right? Always dealing with things. See, there's never really any true lasting happiness without holiness. So in many ways, you and I need to be thinking about marriage as not only unique and permanent, but it's also holy. Now, this brings me to another point that we must, the major point that we must do to keep God's design for marriage and Sexuality and it's this that we must keep the marriage institution in high esteem Now I'd like to take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 13 verse 4 Because in this small verse it says a lot to us It says this in verse number 4 marriage is to be held in honor among all and the marriage bed is to be undefiled for fornicators and adulterers God will judge See, the Greek term here for a marriage, goumos, it actually is, it's used to refer to a wedding celebration or a wedding banquet. And some even say it could be referred to a wedding garment. In each usage, there is an emphasis on a special event that takes place between a man and a woman, which includes some kind of public covenant celebration. In other words, marriage is a big deal to God. So how are we to keep marriage a big deal? Well, the first thing is this, by maintaining the correct mindset concerning marriage. See, the Word of God is exhorting the gathered believers to maintain the correct mindset concerning marriage. And what is that mindset? Well, in this verse, there's two things. that the marriage institution, first of all, is honorable. That means it is precious, it's costly, it's valuable. And then also that the marriage bed is to be undefiled, that there are always different mindsets in regard to marriage. For example, asceticism considered marriage not really honorable, but actually defiling and filthy, where biblically there is nothing dishonorable in marriage or defiling in the marriage bed. The euphemism here is for sexual intercourse. And how are we, the church, to keep marriage honorable? By never allowing its honor to be defiled by sexual violation. So the second way we keep them in high regard is this, by maintaining the correct behavior in marriage in verse number four also. And what is that behavior? It says that this is what defiles or dishonors a marriage, the behavior of fornication, one who practices sexual immorality or a fornicator. This is really defiling behavior that dishonors marriage in advance of the marriage celebration. That sexual misconduct before marriage, this term designates those persons who indulge in sexual relationships outside the marriage bond, both heterosexual and homosexual. It includes all kinds of impurity and unnatural vices. In other words, holding marriage high in high esteem starts way before you get married. It starts right now. It starts right now in your life. Are you going to look at it as God looks at it? There's another thing that dishonors and defiles a marriage, and that is that of adultery. This is the defiling behavior that dishonors marriage after marriage, after the celebration has been entered into. And this term indicates those who are unfaithful to their marriage vows, that these two adjectives cover all who licentiously engage in forbidden practices against the one who sets the boundaries and rules for such relationship, and that person is God himself. So this means That is, it's the responsibility of all of Christ's church to view marriage as honorable and undefiled, and that we are never to disgrace this institution by sexual unfaithfulness. There's a third way to keep marriage in high regard, and it's this, by maintaining a correct view of God. Notice in our verse, in verse 4, the last part of the verse simply says this, marriage is to be held in honor among all and the marriage bed is to be undefiled for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Anyone who treats sexual sin as no big deal is actually treating God and His word as of no account. So Whoever despises the teaching about holiness is not just despising some human rule, but despises God himself. And don't forget, God is the avenger. And he has given us the Holy Spirit to empower saints in their struggle against sin and for holiness. Doesn't mean that you're never going to be tempted. No, you're going to be tempted in a big way in this area because of the power of the sexual drive. But it can be controlled if we have the right view. And to go on to live in an impurity is a direct insult to the divine giver and a sin against the Holy Spirit who is the power for us unto holiness. That God, the Holy Spirit, lives within the believer And it is as we yield to the Spirit of God, he creates in us a holy desire inside of us. And he empowers us to walk in holiness and not to be detoured into the lust of the world or the lust of the flesh. To write off what God commands as nothing is to invite the judgment of God and also grieves the Holy Spirit of God. Now, this leads me to a last thing in which we can keep the marriage bond in high regard. And that's to maintain the correct conduct in pleasing God. Now, Thessalonians, the apostle Paul understood the allure of sexual sin. So in his epistle to the former idolatrous Thessalonians, he provides a perspective that is too often neglected in sexually intoxicated cultures like theirs and ours, the great threat for the pursuer of sexual sin is not found in the object of desire, but rather in the throne room of heaven. And Paul says this to the Thessalonians, so that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness, before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints. That means all of us have a participation in holding up this institution and the correct view of sexual morality in the right place, in the right way. So young ladies and young gentlemen, keep yourselves pure before You get married. And then keep yourselves pure in your marriage by how you deal with your wife and wives with their husbands in marriage. Now, how do we do that? Well, there are several things we can do to help us to avoid the temptation and being caught in this debilitating sin. First, some practical things. You can avoid any person who might lead you into temptation. Cut off all companionship with persons who have been involved with you in your wrongdoing. And then develop some wholesome friendships. Also, you can avoid every situation that might lead you into temptation. Too much time alone with nothing to do is a way of temptation. We have to become active in something, something wholesome. Also, we must avoid every book and magazine and program and video and internet site that might prove sexually stimulating. Instead, we must read and memorize the things that will be put into our minds that will help us stay on the right track, think about the right things, and then resist the temptations that are going to come. Also, you must maintain a regular prayer life. You must practice calling on God when sudden temptation strikes. Lord, help me! Also, you must make yourself accountable to someone Some other mature male, if you're a man, or a mature Christian woman, if you're a woman, in the congregation. And then, I believe the most important one is this, fall in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, and live your life to please Him alone. Love God with all your heart, and believe me, when things come your way, you'll say no to them. You are here today, and you have fallen into wrongful sexual practices. Remember, it is possible to break these habits of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ stands ready to forgive for past sins and to enable you to keep free from such sins in the future. But you must be willing to do your part then cast yourself on the mercy of God for deliverance, and He will deliver you. How do I know that? Because I've done it. Because I'm a red-blooded man, too. I got red blood running through my veins, and so do you. And I'm tempted, and so are you tempted. And it doesn't matter if you've been married for years and years, you're still going to be tempted, right? And Satan knows how to tempt. He's good at it. And he knows the sinful nature. So he knows exactly when and how to tempt you. Be ready. Be ready because that's coming. And it doesn't mean that people do not have moral and ethical standards. They do. But when they do not acknowledge God's standard for morality, they are guided by their own degrading passions to make their own standards. So how do I protect myself further from slipping? Well, when you're going out with someone of the opposite sex, I guess you would call it dating or courting. I don't know what they call it today. Stay active. Stay with others. Don't allow too much time alone with each other. Plan your time together so that in In it, that time is being filled with wholesome activity, not tempting activity. Another thing is don't lower your inhibitions and dull your judgment by going somewhere and obtaining alcoholic beverages or drugs that will actually deaden your God-given higher faculties of soul to say no to sin and temptation when it comes. Don't go out one night and say, you know what, I don't care what I do tonight. Tonight is my night. Don't do that. Don't allow your mind to get all tied up with sexual things. I know pornography is prevalent for everyone at all times. And sometimes even when you're not looking for it, be ready for those times. Divert your thoughts onto interests that are going to be, as the Bible tells us, things that are honorable, what is right, what is pure, what is lovely, what is of good report. If there's anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on those things. What is your mind dwelling on? And then another thing, you know what? Learn to run. Flee temptation. Running away is usually the best approach for sexual temptation. No, I'm out of here. What did Paul tell Timothy? Now flee youthful lusts. But then he said this. Don't just flee youthful lusts. Pursue righteousness and faith and love and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. See, pursue that. And then you know what? Keep the lines. Between the unmarried state and the married state drawing distinct and clear that means chastity before marriage is what pleases God That's how God designed it because remember fornicators God will judge Adulterers God will judge and then view marriage as something set apart and something sacred and special, a right granting a special place of privilege before God. Now, I know that not everyone's going to be married. Singleness may even have a more significant place in God's plan. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7, be as I am. I'm single. I can do the Lord's work, not restricted by anything. I can do anything. So being single, If you never get married and you're going to stay single, God's going to give you everything you need to do that. And that's all right. That's good and wholesome. But if God calls you to be married, there's many more complications that come with being married, many more difficulties, many more conversations that you're going to have to have and things you're going to have to deal with. So this morning, just take these things. And as a church, together, we are the ones who help the culture hold to a biblical view of God's design, marriage and sexuality, by holding to the architect's original blueprints. And if we do that, and then we live that, and then we give a picture in our marriage to people who see us of how the unity of marriage and how God designed it, then people are going to want that. And Christians ought to want that. And to know that anything that would come in your life that would pull you away from another direction on what God's original plan is for marriage and sexuality is a temptation of the enemy. and should be avoided at all costs. Are these easy things? No. They're not easy things. And even to the people that have gotten divorced and they came under, they have experienced that in their life, that's a horrible thing to go through. And yet, even those people that have come through it and their view of marriage now can be changed too from scripture because it's still God's plan, right? Even if it did not work out the way you planned and things went south God still provides forgiveness and his grace is still available and mercy is available to you and so but This morning We're standing in solidarity with all our brothers and sisters across Canada and remember Canada is not very far from us and And we have things already working in our government that's heading to the same place that's going on in Canada, that someday we may wake up and it's against the law to do these things. And that's going to be a tough day. But right now, we're still not there. But we're heading there. Let's pray. Lord, this morning, I pray, Lord, that you would enable us to be in command of our bodies. Lord, may we have the strength to flee from temptation, not only that we would find happiness in this life, but we would find happiness in you, Lord, that we would run from it to you. But also, Lord, that we might stand before you someday unashamed, one day because our lives have honored the name of your son, Jesus Christ. And that, Lord, we as a church community, if someone were to ask us, what does the Bible say about marriage? We would be able to show them by looking at the word of God and also by example. So I pray, Lord Jesus, that you would just bless Our brothers in Canada who are holding the line, those who are counselors and preachers and elders, give them the strength to be able to hold the line no matter what may come down and filter into their ministries. Help them to stand on biblical truth and not give it up. And Lord, do the same for us. Help us to stand on the strong foundation of the Word of God. And Lord, I pray as we do that, you would give us the strength to do what is right, to honor your name, to honor this great institution of marriage, and to be able to counsel people, to lead them to Christ so they become real Christians and turn from their sin and turn to live for you with all their heart, mind, soul, and all their strength. Please, Lord, do that amongst us and help us always to be light in our community, and a salt and a seasoning for this earth. And I pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Let's stand together. Wonderful, merciful Savior, Precious Redeemer and Friend. Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls of men? Oh, you rescue the souls of men. Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, Spirit we long to embrace. You offer hope when our hearts have hopelessly lost their way. Oh, we hopelessly lost the way. You are the one that we praise. You are the one we adore. You give the healing and grace our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for. Almighty, infinite Father Faithfully loving your own Here in our weakness you find You are the one that we praise. You are the one we adore. You give the healing and grace our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for. You are the one. You are the one that we praise. You are the one we adore. You give the healing and grace our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for. Thank you, Lord.