======================================================================== HOW CAN I LUST AND SIN AGAINST GOD by Tim Conway ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon addresses the issue of lust and sexual temptation among Christians, emphasizing the importance of guarding one's heart and relationship with God. Using the example of Joseph's resistance to Potiphar's wife, it highlights the need to prioritize God's honor and relationship above fleeting desires. The sermon warns against the consequences of indulging in lust, drawing parallels between Joseph's and David's responses to sin, and the impact on their relationship with God. Duration: 7:20 Topics: "Guarding the Heart", "Overcoming Temptation" Scripture References: Genesis 39:7, Psalms 51:4, Psalms 51:10, Psalms 32:3, Matthew 5:29 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon addresses the issue of lust and sexual temptation among Christians, emphasizing the importance of guarding one's heart and relationship with God. Using the example of Joseph's resistance to Potiphar's wife, it highlights the need to prioritize God's honor and relationship above fleeting desires. The sermon warns against the consequences of indulging in lust, drawing parallels between Joseph's and David's responses to sin, and the impact on their relationship with God. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I want to tell you something. Lust. Let's just be very specific on this. Let's be real. There's flammable matter in the Christian, especially young Christians. Lust, sexual temptation, desire for emotional and physical stimulation, intimacy. One of the devil's most fiery darts is, it comes in right at this place. He shoots it at Christians. He puts a person before us. He puts images in our mind. He puts dreams in our mind. There can be memories there, thoughts. It's strong. It's hot. It's a flammable mixture. The desire can be strong. The internet. The mouse. It's right there at your fingertip. To shield the brother or sister. We've got to know how to deal with this. We've got to have something going on. We can't just walk around binding Satan like the charismatics that are all confused and don't hardly know their Bible. That's not what we need. Listen, you know what we need? If you really struggle with this area, you need to go to the Word of God and you need to find out 20 verses. You need to find out examples of how you actually fight this battle. You need to lay your weight on it. You need to not only know it, you need to actually believe it. Let's think for a moment. There's Joseph. You remember Joseph? One of the sons of Israel. His brother sold him into slavery. And so what happens to him? Well, you know what happened to him. Potiphar. His wife. Potiphar's wife. We recognize that Joseph was a handsome man and undoubtedly, Potiphar, he was high up in the court. He undoubtedly had a very beautiful wife. And she came along and she threw herself at Joseph. Have you ever thought about what happened there? He said, How can I commit this thing? How can I do this? How can I commit this great wickedness in the sight of God? Now, I want you to think about something. I mean, we need to be very real here. Do you know what he was really saying? How can I do this to God? See, if you've ever just stopped and you've said this, My God is real. This is what Joseph did. He said, God is real. And you know what? Sin is primarily against him. He's my God. And he recognized, How can I do this to him? Because what I'll do is I'll just ruin and wreck my own relationship. With God. How can I do this? How? Up with the shield. I'm not going to do this. I'm not going to devastate. I mean, I can run away. She can grab my cloak. Potiphar can have me killed. I put in prison, whatever. I am not doing this. I'm not going to disgrace and dishonor. And he knew he believed something about the committing of sin. He knew it would be against God. That's what he said. It would devastate his relationship. Do some, do any of you fear that? You see, now there's many texts I could go to on lust. But just let me ask you this. Before you click on that pornographic image. Before you fail. Before you falter. Are you really ready to sacrifice your relationship with God? I mean, have you ever read? Don't quench the spirit. Don't grieve the spirit. Do you really believe that there's any reality to that? Let me just tell you something. When David, David fell. He did fall. And you know what he said in Psalm 51? He said the same thing that Joseph said. Joseph said, how can I do this great wickedness against God? He knew it was against him. When David did it. He recognized right away against you and you only. Have I committed this thing? And if you've ever read that Psalm 51. Do you know what he says? He says, let me hear joy and gladness. Do you know why he would say that? Because his joy had been taken away. And all the gladness had been taken away. You know what else he says? The bones that you have broken rejoice. That's what happens. You want your bones broken in a spiritual sense. You just play with this. You know what else he says? Cast me not away from your presence. Why would he say that? Because that's how he felt after this. You want to go into a season of darkness? Just grieve the spirit of God. Just count your relationship with him a casual thing. And just click on the pornography. You think that little bit of gratification. Is going to end up being something slight that God looks over. Don't you dare think so. Don't cheat. Don't deal with your relationship with God in such a cheap manner. You know what he says? Take not your Holy Spirit from me. We could immediately say, well, you know, we have a better developed theology in the New Testament. Oh, just get to the place where you feel like God has taken the Holy Spirit. From you. Just go fail and fall into lust. Let it go. Or Psalm 32, which is very similar to 51. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. You see, we've got to learn how to live. You've got to learn how to put up that. How do you prevent this thing, this fiery dart from bursting forth into something that inflames the passions within you? You better be thinking about certain truths. It can be all the way over from, you know what? You better be gouging out that eye or you're going to go to hell. There's serious warnings. You better be equipped there. But I would take you to the other. I would take you to the song of Solomon. Where you have a picture of a husband and a wife. The bride, the groom. You have this picture of Christ and his church. And he comes and he says, Let me in, my dove. He's calling to her. And what happens? She's delayed. She's distracted. She gets to the door and he's gone. You want to do something in your life to all of a sudden find Christ gone from the door? You just play with sin. And see what it does to your relationship with him. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/uoZc_cULJ3I.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/tim-conway/how-can-i-lust-and-sin-against-god/ ========================================================================