:We live in a society that is publicly free with sexual things. MTV shows like “the real world” show two homosexual men naked in a hot tub together. A game show called strip poker. “Cops” has an uncensored version with nudity and cr*p in it. The “temptation Island” series and “Blind Date” all titillate the viewer with what “might” happen between consenting adults. TV, clothing, life styles, teaching, and many other areas. Tonight I am talking about the issue of pornography. This is not a comfortable topic with me but I do understand the importance of it in our culture and for the church. For some reason sins of the sexual nature have ramifications that we do not see in other sin.

What is pornography? Anything in any medium: Words, pictures, movies, videos, Internet, that represents illicit, immoral expression, whose intention is to arouse in the person illicit, immoral, sexual expression/feelings. Pornography is not just xxx – certainly it is there in magazines and videos – but also includes the nudity and immorality in Titanic. Anything that sends the message that nearly all is acceptable, even though it is immoral, sinful.

Pornography includes paperback novels, Victoria Secret, Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, stories, sitcoms, language, innuendoes, whatever teaches that going to bed with whomever and whenever is ok; that enticement to sexual expression outside of marriage is ok, suitable and acceptable. The most important thing is how you look naked.

Jesus spoke clearly about this – He said it plainly, “Don’t go to bed with another persons spouse”. Don’t think you have preserved your virtue by simply staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even more quickly than your body. Those leering looks corrupt.

You think no one notices – and regardless if someone does they can corrupt.

Behavioral Science, along with truth of scripture tells us:

Stage 1: Temptation - Comes to us, knocks on our door. If not resisted, these lustful urges mount and entice:
You need to see the forbidden – experience the excitement, feed your flesh, explore the intimate without responsibility to a real person.

? Christians and Sex – When the imagination and will are in conflict, the imaginaton almost always wins. This is where the battle must be won. If imagination is inflamed, we are well on our way to being lost. We can easily be led away. We MUST say no! And break the power of the imagination: Say it out loud. Resist the devil and he will flee. If not resisted, darkness begins and acceptance begins – a longer look at TV now becomes:

Stage 2: An Encounter comes in relentless pervasiveness. (James 1:15 – desire has conceived… “These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death.”) Impacts the mind, body, and spirit at the same time. A linkage is established between sin and hormonal release. One encounter can lead to the next stage.

Stage 3: Addiction - In the same way that heroin is. Experiences at the time of emotional/sexual arousal get locked in the brain chemically and difficult to erase. Jesus says in John 8:34 that everyone who sins continually is a slave to sin. This is the stage of Addiction – where without a powerful encounter with Christ there is no redemption or rescue.

Stage 4: Acceleration - Invites stimulation – excitement, yet without personal fulfillment. Takes intimate dimension and abuses and pushes us to be forever immature. Satan uses this to steal from the person – promises more, but provides less. They approve of others as well.

Romans 1:28-32 When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. [29] Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. [32] They are fully aware of God's death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

Stage 5: Desensitization – What was shocking and disgusting now is acceptable – Conscience is beginning to be seared – shame gone/shock gone.

Stage 6: Acting out – We cannot input evil into our minds, and have it not impact/affect us. Jesus says in Luke 6:43-45 that evil man brings out evil things if evil is stored in his heart.

What do you do if you are in this place?
Come Clean: Accept God’s Word. Don’t just say it’s an interesting sermon! Say in your heart Yes! Lord. I will not tolerate it. Establish here and now in your heart that you will not go down that road.

Do not cheapen God’s grace by flying by this topic, by not repenting of any of these areas that you are involved in. Do not expect something that you have walked in for years to be gone in a few minutes.

Old Testament concept of repentance: You dressed in uncomfortable clothing, put dirt upon your head, and walked around weeping for the sin of your soul, and in that, God brought deep change. If this is you, repent before God and walk in His grace. Turn your entire person over to Him. If you know of anyone—call them to repentance

Clean up life: in any way you can. Pick it up and throw it out don’t move it around – channel surfing, cable TV – if you cannot handle it get rid of it. Does that mean you may go uneducated, with no entertainment, uninformed? “If your right eye offends, you – pluck it out…”

It’s better to go to heaven without cable than to hell with it.

Know your most tempting moments – avoid them - scanning channels looking for something to occupy your mind.

God will strengthen your life if you submit yourself to Him – He can be trusted.

Are you accountable? Do you have those who do more than pat you on the back and say “We all sin”?

1 Cor. 6:12-20
You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. [13] You say, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food." This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them. But our bodies were not made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. [14] And God will raise our bodies from the dead by his marvelous power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead. [15] Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which belongs to Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! [16] And don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." [17] But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. [18] Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. [19] Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, [20] for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Galatians 5:19
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure,