Good afternoon. Today, we are going to continue in our series by Andy Stanley called, Take It To The Limit. In this series we have been learning that we live in a culture that encourages us to take everything to the limit. But we have also learned that in that kind of living, we cause ourselves to live lives without margin. And God is calling us to step back from the edge and lead lives of margin. And today, we take a look at another area in our lives that we need to step back from the edge and gain a little margin.
Now before we take a look at Andy’s message, allow me to ask you a couple questions. First, what do you think it means to sin against your won body?
Secondly, what does it mean to “flee”?
Well, in today’s lesson, Andy is going to talk about fleeing something. Today’s discussion is titled, A Time To Run. Before we watch this clip, allow me to begin our time with a word of prayer. Let’s Pray!
(PLAY CLIP (it is about 40 minutes))
Well, Andy shared some interesting things with us today. There is something in all of us that wants to walk as close to the line as possible. By setting moral margins, we protect ourselves from experiencing the consequences of sin. Because sexual sin has the greatest consequences, we should always ask ourselves, “Am I fleeing from or flirting with the line?”
Now, as a little bit of a review, let’s work our way through what Andy just shared with us. Today we are talking about moral margin. And we learned that everyone has moral limits. Some of us have self imposed limits. Some have spiritually imposed limits. We all have legal limits morally. There are even practical limits. So, everyone has moral limits, so will we step back from the edge and create moral margin in the way that God wants us to.
Everyone agrees that there are moral limits, the question is, “Where are the limits and what should the limits be?”
Andy said that our culture sends us 2 messages. One, go as far as you can go. The world tells us to experience everything. In a way, our culture baits us to the edge. But then, our culture sends us a second message. Secondly, it tells us that if you cross certain lines, you are going to get your hand slapped. In this approach, our culture punishes us when we go over the edge.
What are some examples of the ways our culture baits us to live without sexual margin?
What are some ways that our culture turns against those who go “too far”?
Well, to make matter worse, we are all wired to want to know were the line is, and we want to live on that line. In every aspect, we want to live on the line.
But here is the problem, in most areas of life, if you go just a little over that line, there are no big consequences. But if you cross certain lines morally, you live with some of those consequences the rest of your life. With no room for error, the slightest mistake can make all the difference in the world. Just one little error, one night, can cost you for the rest of your life.
So, with that being said, what might you lose if you experience moral failure in your life?
Well, if you are a follower of God, it makes sense that God calls you back from the line. The apostle Paul tells us in, I Corinthians 6:18 to, “Flee from sexual immorality.” Not flirt with, not get as close as you can, it is flee- run away from that as fast as you can.
If there is no margin for error, the consequences are devastating. So God tells us to flee, run and create as much space between you and immorality. Create moral margin. Living on the edge sets you up for moral disaster. That can cost you your whole future.
Then, Paul goes on to say that, “All others sins a man commits are outside of his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”
So, let me ask you my opening question once again. What does it mean to sin against your won body?
Well, Andy told us that the man or woman who sins sexually, they carry an attitude with them that will distort everything for the rest of their lives. There is a relationship between physiological health and moral decisions. Moral decisions impact all of your relationships with others. And that is why your Heavenly Father says don’t flirt with it, don’t get as close as you can. Instead, you need to run, flee, get away, create distance between you and moral failure.
And then, Andy wrapped things up by answering the questions, “What does that look like? What does that mean?” And he was talking to three different groups of people. He talked to the teens, the single adults, and then married adults. So let’s take just a quick look at that.
First, to the teens Andy says, that you need to pre-decide how far you are going to go sexually. The limit you set needs to be so far back from sex, that if you ever mess up just a little, there are still no scares or consequences that will last forever. Btu if you set the limit close to the line, and you go over, there are going to be scares, there are going to be regrets, there are going to be lifelong consequences.
So he says that you need to decide now how far you are going to go. And don’t allow someone else’s lack of limits push you to the limits. No one ever says I wish I had lower standards. So, how far should you go? The answer to that is that you should only go as far as you want the person you marry to have gone with someone else before they met you.
Secondly, he spoke to the single adults. And he told them that sex outside of marriage makes things more complicated. As a single person, you still need standards. The more active you have been, the more margin you need. It is difficult to reverse that pattern. If you have been married, you need to have even stronger limits. Take a year off he suggested.
In order to get out of this loop and stay away from the edge, you have to back up further from the edge because of you past. God is going to lead you to moral margin, and sometimes it requires extreme measures. But even thought they are extreme measures, you will never regret them. The rules still apply to you. Culture pushes you to the limit, but you need to flee.
And finally, to the married adults. Andy says to ask yourself the question, “How far would I want my spouse to go to protect themselves from unnecessary immoral temptation?” As you begin to answer that question, that answers the question for you as well. We want them to be very careful, so we should be very careful as well. Here is what Andy recommends:
- Don’t chat online with member of the opposite sex
- Don’t have lunch or dinner alone with members of the opposite sex
- Don’t ride in a car alone with members of the opposite sex
- Men let your wife be involved in choosing (female) assistants and visa versa
- Where there is a debatable relationship, talk about it up front
- Pornography and clubs are not neutral form of entertainment
- Don’t confide in members of the opposite sex, and don’t allow members of the opposite sex confide in you about personal issues
If you find out that you have crossed the line and you are facing the consequences, what extremes would you go through to get out of the mess. If you are will to do that, why not invite God into the issue on this side of the line and avoid getting in trouble in the first place. Go to the extremes now, to avoid having to take extreme measures on the other side of the line.
Stay far back from the edge so that when you go past your personal limits, there are no huge consequences. Because if you live next to the edge, and you go past your limits, you fall, and you fall hard. Then there are major consequences.
So, what are some practical measures you can take to flee?
Well, God honors moral margin, and that is where He wants to lead you to. The best way to accomplish that is to flee, run and get away from immoral decisions.
Now, before we close today and play some games and watch the Supper Bowl, does anyone have anything that they would like to add?
Well, if there is nothing else, just keep in mind Paul’s words from I Corinthians 6:18-19 which tells us that we need to, “Flee from sexual immorality. All others sins a man commits are outside of his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” Let’s Pray!
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