TLDR;
This sermon explores the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," revealing its profound implications for all individuals, regardless of marital status. It emphasizes that adultery, in its various forms, introduces "poison" into the gift of life, diminishing its quality. The message underscores the faithfulness of God as the foundation for our own faithfulness and highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing spiritual adultery, which includes any form of idolatry. Ultimately, the sermon offers hope and redemption through Jesus Christ, encouraging listeners to turn away from sin and embrace a life of purity, obedience, and worship.
- Adultery is a deadly disease that affects everyone, not just married people.
- God's faithfulness is the divine cure for adultery.
- Obedience to God's commandments is a form of worship.
Opening [0:00]
The speaker introduces the topic of the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," and clarifies that its relevance extends beyond married individuals to encompass everyone, regardless of age, gender, or marital status. The commandment is presented not as a source of guilt but as a pathway to freedom, redemption, forgiveness, and victory in Jesus. The speaker encourages viewers to watch the message with an open heart, promising blessings and a deeper understanding of how to live a life pleasing to God.
The God behind the commandments [9:27]
The speaker emphasizes that the series on the Ten Commandments goes beyond mere rules, delving into the character of God behind each commandment. He illustrates this by using the analogy of adding toilet water to a refreshing drink to represent how sin adulterates the gift of life from God. The commandments are not meant to restrict but to protect and liberate, enabling a life aligned with Jesus's desires. Obedience to these commandments is presented as an act of worship, a response to God's nature and actions. Each commandment reflects a specific aspect of God's character, such as His uniqueness, holiness, and role as provider.
1. Deadly Disease: The Adultery Pandemic [12:00]
The speaker introduces the first main point: the "deadly disease" of the adultery pandemic, explaining that adultery is like adding poison to a drink, with potentially deadly consequences. He defines adultery in three ways: literal (sex between a married person and someone not their spouse), biblical (equating lust with adultery), and spiritual (unfaithfulness to God, including idolatry). The impact of adultery is far-reaching, affecting marriages (loss of trust, potential for divorce), emotional and physical health (betrayal trauma, post-infidelity stress disorder), children (psychological trauma, role confusion), and future generations (cycles of infidelity).
Excuses for adultery [22:05]
The speaker transitions to discussing common excuses for adultery, applicable to both married and single individuals, such as unmet needs, unhappiness, revenge, accidental encounters, or rationalizations like "it was just sex" or "I was drunk." He shares a story of a couple from CCF, where the wife cheated on her husband due to distorted thinking, highlighting the destructive nature of sin. The speaker emphasizes that making excuses is not acceptable, as adultery is deadly and poisonous.
This is cheating [25:30]
The speaker presents the results of a survey among evangelical Christians regarding various behaviors and whether they constitute cheating. The survey reveals surprising percentages of respondents who do not consider certain actions, such as following an ex on social media, watching porn, or having emotional involvement with someone else, as forms of cheating. The speaker emphasizes that all listed behaviors are indeed forms of cheating, urging listeners to carefully consider their perspectives and avoid rationalizing unfaithfulness.
What are ingredients for adultery? [31:36]
The speaker identifies the key ingredients for adultery: a period of time, a place, a partner, and, most importantly, a poor perspective of God. He illustrates this with the biblical example of David and Bathsheba, highlighting how David's failure to consult God and his actions of observing Bathsheba bathing led to adultery. The speaker emphasizes that adultery occurs not only in physical acts but also in the mind and heart, aligning with Jesus's teachings. He stresses the importance of guarding one's heart and recognizing its deceitful nature.
What is idolatry? [39:00]
The speaker transitions to spiritual adultery, defining it as giving the love that belongs to God alone to something or someone else, which is idolatry. He quotes Tim Keller's definition of an idol as anything so central to one's life that its loss would make life feel hardly worth living. Idols can include family, career, achievement, reputation, romantic relationships, and even success in Christian ministry. The speaker emphasizes that friendship with the world, meaning the world system in opposition to God, is hostility toward God. He concludes by highlighting that the church is the bride of Christ, and Jesus expects faithfulness from His followers.
2. Divine Cure: The Faithfulness of God [44:40]
The speaker introduces the second main point: the "divine cure" of God's faithfulness, emphasizing that despite our unfaithfulness, God remains faithful. He quotes Charles Spurgeon, stating that no sin of ours has ever made God unfaithful. The speaker highlights that God's character is immutable, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He encourages listeners to respond to God's faithfulness by being faithful to Him and in their committed relationships. The speaker shares a story of a church member who experienced multiple heart attacks and miraculously received successful treatment through the intervention of Japanese doctors, illustrating God's faithfulness in difficult situations.
Testimony Sharer - Neil Astronomo [50:38]
Neil Astronomo shares his personal testimony of falling into sexual sin and the subsequent restoration he experienced through God's grace and the support of the CCF community. He recounts his struggles with rudeness, impatience, and impure thoughts, which led to an emotional involvement and eventually sexual sin. After his sin was exposed, his wife's forgiveness and the support of spiritual mentors and leaders helped him to genuine repentance and a renewed desire to follow Christ. Neil emphasizes that God delights in using redeemed sinners for His purposes and that his current ministry roles are reminders of God's grace, not rewards for his merit.
Closing [57:40]
The speaker concludes the message by sharing the story of the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay, where instruments were made from garbage in a landfill. He draws a parallel to God's ability to transform the garbage of our lives into something beautiful, making our lives a form of worship to Him. The speaker invites those who want to commit or recommit their lives to Jesus to pray, asking for forgiveness, cleansing, and a new beginning. He emphasizes that in Jesus, there is forgiveness, redemption, and hope, and encourages listeners to live lives that declare God's faithfulness.
Sunday Fast Track [1:03:54]
Michelle Oblashan from the Big Singles Ministry introduces the Sunday FastTrack segment with Pastor Ricky, where real-life questions are addressed with biblical truths.
Q1. What steps can a person take to be freed from pornography? [1:04:28]
Pastor Ricky advises to admit and expose the sin, repent genuinely, have deep accountability with trustworthy individuals, take practical steps to avoid temptation (like not bringing gadgets to the toilet), and be spirit-filled to avoid gratifying fleshly desires.
Q2. How can someone recover from falling into sexual sin and impurity? [1:05:36]
Pastor Ricky advises to follow the example of the adulterous woman in John 8: come to Jesus in humility and repentance, allow Him to minister and assure forgiveness, and follow Jesus's instruction to "go and sin no more."
Q3. Is adultery or repeated unfaithfulness biblical grounds for seperation or divorce? [1:06:46]
Pastor Ricky explains that there are varying views on this topic, and he cannot provide a categorical answer. However, he emphasizes that all Christians should agree on two things: forgiving from the heart and exhausting all reasonable ways to be reconciled. Each case should be considered based on its specifics, but those two principles are non-negotiable.
Q4. Can leaders who fall into sexual immorality be restoed? [1:07:47]
Pastor Ricky states that Christian leaders are held to a higher moral standard, but the answer for their restoration is the same as for any other Christian: avoid thinking it can't happen to them, establish deep accountability, maintain personal devotions, allow others to speak into their walk with Christ, and be vulnerable and humble in asking for help when struggling.
