Sorry. My mic is now on. Alright. So Faye had heart surgery eight weeks ago and is at home recovering. And many of you have have been by to see her, have sent her cards, sent her messages, and so she had this card given.

Did you you handed this to me this morning, didn't you, Betty? Thank you. It says here, I would like to thank everyone for all your many prayers. They were a godsend for me and a tremendous help. Your acts of kindness visits to the hospital meals brought to my home.

Your cards and well wishes are greatly appreciated. It has been eight weeks since my surgery. I'm doing great with my recovery getting stronger as that is the main way to get better. I will see my doctor next week, and I am praying he will lift some of my restrictions. And I miss seeing everyone in my church will be excited to get back, your sister in Christ's face.

So I want to read that to you. Keep her in your prayers. Don't forget about her. And the Lord is doing the Lord is doing great things. He is.

And Matthew five sixteen, let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. We, God's children, have been called to be a light in this world. Praise the Lord for those who take that seriously, like the person I just mentioned a moment ago. We can still make a difference because the gospel is still powerful. The word of God is sharper than any two edged sword.

We must not be ashamed. For plus Paul wrote, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for is the power of God and salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. We need to let our light shine in word and in deed. That is part of the responsibility of the body of Christ. That's a responsibility of this body of Christ, of every individual believer to be a light and a testimony for our Lord and savior.

Let's let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Thank you, Lord, for the example of others. We pray, Lord, that we would learn from their example. We pray that we would learn to be the light and salt that we ought to be for Christ our savior in this world. We pray, Lord, that we would take that more seriously than sometimes we do.

There are souls who need a savior, and they need to hear the message of the gospel, and they need to see it lived out in God's people, the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Lord, we pray that you would be magnified in all that's said in this place today, and that there is one who is yet to receive Christ as savior. We pray that they would be saved this day. In Jesus' name. Amen.

As we discussed briefly earlier, the church represents the interests and the character of its head. Who is the head of the church? Jesus Christ. The church represents his interests and his character, and that is what we are here to do. In advancing the testimony of the church in our community and among our acquaintances, we also advance the testimony of the kingdom of the Lord.

We must glorify him, rightly and accurately represent and declare his holiness and love. This is why in our church covenant, we have a section labeled before the world because as a church, we have a responsibility before the world to represent Jesus Christ. It is God's declared expectation of his children that our conduct before God in the world be holy. As he says in first Peter one fifteen, be ye holy for I am holy. Be ye holy in all manner of conduct or conversation.

This means God honoring, morally good, separate from sin, and self or rather spirit controlled like Christ. How we behave before one another in the world matters. It matters. It matters greatly. Even our language, our appearance, our attentiveness, our appropriateness, our timeliness, our kindness.

All of these things reflect on our savior whom we represent, and some of those things we take too lightly at times. We have taken a look in regard to this over a few specific areas mentioned in our church covenant. It says avoid tattling and backbiting. That's gossip and slander has no place in the church. Ephesians four twenty nine says, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

We are told to avoid excessive anger. Ephesians four twenty six, be ye angry and what? Sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. It's not a sin to feel anger.

It's a sin to unrighteously react to that feeling. Christ has called us not to be controlled by our emotions, but to put them under the control of the Holy Spirit. To abstain from the use and sale of alcohol, illegal drugs, illegal drugs and alcohol alcoholic beverages. Ephesians five eighteen, and be not drunk with wine where is in excess, but be what? Filled with the spirit.

Be filled with the spirit. Not with wine. Good morning. Good to have you over. We have Children's Church in the back if the kids wanna go back there.

We can have an usher help you find go back to Children's Church if they like. So that would be that would be great. They're welcome to go back there. There's some other kids back there already if they would like to go. So we are told to be controlled and led by the spirit rather than be intoxicated with alcohol for one cannot do both at the same time.

Neither can one serve God with all your heart if you're obsessed with your next fix or your next drink. God would agree. His word agrees. And certainly, we should as well. This morning, we look at a phrase in our covenant that says this, and before the world, we are to shun pornography.

And for that matter, any immoral activity which is both destructive to the individual and their testimony. So if you would look in first Corinthians chapter six, first Corinthians chapter six, and we'll begin in verse 18. First Corinthians chapter six and verse 18 this morning. Basically, all you need to know are the first two words. That's it.

What are the first two words? Flea, fornication. There it is. God says it. Flea, fornication.

The word means sexual immorality. Sexual immorality. Sex outside of marriage. Sexual immorality. Those two phrases are synonymous.

The word from which we get the English word fornication, the Greek word that is written here in the text is the word porneia. What word do you think we get from the word porneia? Pornography. Paul writes on to say, flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

What know ye not that your body is the temple, the holy ghost, which is in you, which we have of God and you are not your own? For we are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are whose? Which are God's. Paul writes, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live.

Yet not I, but Christ, what? Liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Paul says, yes, you see me, but I hope you see who? I hope you see Jesus because this is now his body. In Romans twelve one, he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your what?

Your bodies, a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. So Paul writes to the Corinthians, do not use your body for that which brings dishonor to the Lord and to what he created. Use your body righteously. Do not destroy it or endanger it, and do not destroy your testimony for Christ by using it in an immoral fashion. Paul uses very strong language here.

I think it is important to him. And under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I do know what is important to the Lord who created us, man and woman for marriage and the physical relationship that is meant for marriage and marriage alone. He says in first Thessalonians four three and five, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification. This is part of your spiritual growth, your being cleansed and set apart in Jesus Christ, your testimony before the world. This is the will of God, even your sanctification that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, body in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God.

I'm sure you used the word of concupiscence this week. Right? It means passionate lust. Passionate lust. Fleshly lust.

Being controlled by the lust of the flesh and driven by it rather than being driven by the word of God and the spirit of the Lord who lives inside of our heart. We are not to be driven by the lust of the flesh. We are to be driven by the Holy Spirit and the word of God as children of God. And we are to abstain from all forms of fornication and immorality. The Bible is succinctly clear on this matter.

I don't know how you can get any clear. I mean, we've already been clear, but let's go on. Hebrews thirteen four, marriage is what? Honorable. The relationship that takes place in marriage between a man and a woman, between husband and wife is what?

Honorable, created for God, good, wonderful, sacred. Marriage is honorable in all in the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers, God will what? God will judge. Whoremongers are people who jump from bed to bed, from person to person, and adulterers are those who are unfaithful to their spouse. God is not this is not murky.

God is clear. There's no room for debate. Any sexual activity outside of marriage is what? It is sin. Now, is the only sin?

No. You say, well, I haven't I haven't committed sexual immorality. Very good. But do you lie? Do you cheat?

Do you steal? There are other sins. So if you're sitting here this morning, you think, well, I've con I got this one conquered. Wonderful. But don't put everybody in two camps.

Okay? We are sinners who need a what? Savior. And if you've been born again, you're a child of God who is getting victory over sin or should be and struggling against it. Sometimes we win and sometimes we stumble.

Praise the Lord for his what? For his mercy and his grace. But sin is a terrible thing. Whether that sin is lying or sexual immorality. The one we happen to be talking about this morning is this one, and this one is important.

It's important to our testimony. It's important to our life. It's important to our savior. It's important to our marriage. It's important to our fellowship with the Lord and our our clean conscience in his service.

Of course, the world, our culture, and society today no longer treat fornication, pornography, and adultery as destructive as the destructive sins that they are. But simply see them as what? Normal. That's where we are in this world. And too many times, Christians have failed to speak up.

When when clearly given the opportunity. Matter of fact, the world actually encourages what they call experimentation among young people. Experimentation with yourself, experimentation with multiple partners, experimentation with people of the same gender, and the list goes on. And this is considered a natural part of growing up and maturing as teens as they also treat rebellion against authority and drugs and alcohol. That's just what youth do.

They go off to college and what do they do? They drink and they party and they sleep around and it's all part of the process. It's the wrong process. We're teaching them the wrong thing. We should be teaching them what the Bible says.

We should be teaching what their creator desired from them. There are even many Christian young people who are destroying their testimony and bringing great harm to themselves because they haven't been taught and encouraged. And it is sad because we are particularly that are older should be teaching the younger and should be telling them the truth and not watering it down because we want to be liked or we wanna be part of the group. Praise the Lord for those who are willing to not be part of the group. Because by the way, we're not.

This world is not our what? Our home. Our home's where? In heaven. And you know something?

If you speak the truth, there will be some who will hate you. There will be some who might seek your harm. It is possible as we've seen this week that there are many that will respect you even those who do not know the savior among whom God will be glorified as we have seen also. In just a couple generations, sadly, we have gone from condemning these things to encouraging them. In the minds of many, abstinence and chastity are treated as not just outdated but repressive.

But just like the Bible predicted, calling evil good and what? Good evil. Romans chapter one. Let me read a few verses to you from Romans one. I'm gonna begin in verse 18 where Paul describes the downward spiral that society see when they turn away from who?

When they turn away from God. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifested in them for God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and godhead so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible man into birds and four footed beasts and creeping things.

Wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, subject we're discussing today, through the loss of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. This is not just a a matter of moral. This is a matter of blasphemy when we say to God, this is the way you made us, but we will not obey. We will not submit.

We will choose for ourselves other gods that are okay with our behavior. For this cause, God gave them up to vile affections. For even their women detained the natural use into that which is against nature. Women with women. Likewise also men leaving the natural use of the woman, burning their lust one toward another.

Men with men, working that which was unseemly and receiving to themselves the recompense of their error, was meet or fitting. Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetous maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents without understanding, covenant breakers, Covenant breakers. What is what is the main covenant you will make in your life apart from faith in Jesus Christ? For many, it will be covenant you make with the spouse that you marry. And yet, nearly 50% of marriages in this country end in what?

What is that? Well, that's somebody broke the what? Somebody broke the covenant. And again, oh, it's just the way it is. It doesn't have to be.

It shouldn't be. Without natural affection, implacable and merciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. And I don't know how you can't look at this and see our society and our world today and where it is headed. We're not content with just doing wicked things. We have to teach young people at five years old to do wicked things in opposition rebellion against the God who made them and how he made them and for what he made them.

We are in a sad condition today. And I dare say part of the reason we are in sad condition is because God's people have not been the salt and light before the world that they have been called to be. We have kept our mouth shut. We have not proclaimed the gospel and we have not been the testimony that we should be. It doesn't have to stay that way in your life.

It doesn't have to stay that way in our society. The gospel is still powerful and people still react to it. Some of them will hate it, and some of them will receive it. And praise the Lord, I've heard it more this week from venues outside the church than I have in a very long time. Sexual immorality is a destroyer of homes.

It is a destroyer of one's health. It is a destroyer of one's testimony and the testimony of our Lord and savior. In Ephesians five twenty five, it says this, husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. The marriage relationship between man and woman represents the relationship between Christ and the church. And when we take morality for granted, when we treat it lightly, we are treating lightly our responsibility to be salt and light in this world.

It is a destroyer of churches and ministries. How many have been destroyed because the leadership failed in this area? It is a destroyer of one's fellowship and usefulness as salt and light in this world for Christ. There was a day in our society when adultery was illegal. There were consequences for cheating on one's spouse to whom you had made a covenant before God and man.

Today, it is almost assumed that people will be unfaithful in some fashion. In some cases, people go into marriage with the understanding that they need not be entirely monogamous. That in itself is blasphemous of the one who established marriage. In some other cases, people excuse their infidelity for many frivolous reasons, and regardless of how the betrayed party feels, refuse to repent and forsake their ways. In both cases, the marriage eventually ends in disaster, but, hey, that's just the way it goes.

It doesn't have to, and it shouldn't. In the end, many people just end up sleeping around, never settle down, throw in the towel, end up living with someone to whom they will not marry because why bother? It makes it easier this way. Should they separate, they don't have to deal with all the legal ramifications. And if they do stay together, well, then they're doing it out of love and not duty.

By the way, commitment and love are not mutually exclusive. They are mutually inclusive. They go together. Love is a choice. Love is a commitment.

A commitment to the one that you marry to the Lord above. Often such issues, whether it be before marriage or in marriage, is fueled by pornography, which is rampant in today's society and has become more and more acceptable even among Christians. You don't look at it in many ways with the same disdain that we once did. God's word has not changed. First Thessalonians four three through five, for this is the will of God, Even your sanctification that she should abstain from fornication that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel and sanctification and honor, not in lust of concupiscence.

What does God say? It still stands true. We need to turn over our passions and our lusts to who? To God and be spirit controlled indeed. Turn if you would to Matthew chapter five.

Matthew chapter five and verse 27. Matthew five twenty seven, you have heard that it has that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery. Yeah. Well, I would think so. It's one of the what?

It's one of the 10 commandments. But Jesus goes further. He says, but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his, what? In his heart. Now what is that?

That is God saying avoid what? Pornography among other things. For that is what it is. It's committing adultery in your heart, lusting after someone who is not yours. He goes on to say, he, if thy right eye offend thee, what?

Pluck it out and cast it from thee, for it's profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it thumb thee for it's profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body shall be cast into hell. He is not being literal here. He is not saying literally to pluck out your eye or cut off your hand. What he is doing is making a a point and that is you need to stop it and you need to do whatever it takes to what?

To stop it. Don't treat it lightly. It will destroy you and it is destroying the young people in our society by the millions today. It is not a small thing. And we who are God's children should know better.

God says to fantasize romantically or sexually about another woman is adultery in the eyes of God. You do not have to physically commit adultery to be unfaithful. You can do it in your mind, and it is still what? Sin. This was a problem with the Pharisees and other religious Jews whose hearts were full of lust and envy and many times would end up divorcing their wives to be with another, all the while thinking to themselves that it was excusable because as they saw it, they never actually committed what?

Adultery. No. They coveted, another one of the 10 commandments, their neighbor's wife, and they divorced their wife, and then they took up an and they didn't actually commit adultery, to which Jesus said this in verse 31. It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a right of divorcement. But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery, and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

What is Jesus saying? In other words, God most definitely attends for you to keep the promise you made to your spouse and for you to flippantly cast it aside to cast aside your life partner, your helpmate for another, not only affects you, but it affects the one you wronged. And even the person who marries them after you cast them out is affected by your sin. And where does this problem start again? It usually starts where?

Right here in the what? In the mind. Whether you're a teenager or whether you're 50 years old, it is a plague in humanity that starts right here in the mind. That is why David said in Psalm one zero one three, I will set, what, no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside.

It shall not cleave to me. Somewhere along the line, David forgot the very words he wrote. He looked at Bathsheba, he lusted, and then he acted. But it started with a problem with his eyes and with his what? With his mind, it destroyed his family from the inside out.

Solomon wrote, as we read earlier in Proverbs four twenty three, keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. In Proverbs chapter 10, I'm gonna read I mean, Proverbs six, I'm gonna read a few verses from there. Three chapters in the book of Proverbs, Solomon discusses this issue with his son. Three chapters he spends the book of Proverbs discussing this particular issue because it it was of such importance. In Proverbs six twenty nine, he says, my son, keep thy father's commandment and forsake not the law of thy mother.

Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them upon about thy neck. When thou goest out, it shall lead thee. When thou sleepest, it shall keep thee. When thou wakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp and the law is light and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.

That's why we need to tell others and speak to them the words of God to stand upon the Bible and the truth because they need to hear the what? The truth like Solomon's son did. That's what he's telling him. The truth. He goes on to say, the commandment is a lamp and the law is a light and reproofs and instructions of the way of life to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flatter of the tongue of a strange woman.

Lust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one go up on hot coals and his feet not be burned? So is he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife, whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

Where does it start? He says, lust not after her, what, beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids that, among other things, is pornography, and it is all over our media. The world seems to be on a mission, the pop culture, the entertainment industry, and even sometimes the schools themselves to fill the minds of both young and old with sexually explicit images and activities, desensitizing them to perverse sexuality at younger and younger ages, and giving them an unhealthy obsession and appetite for sexual pleasure long before they can righteously fulfill it. It just gets pushed on younger and younger and younger people. We must flee it in our own lives.

We must guard our minds and defend and protect those within our care the best we can. How are we doing? How many of you this month have watched a movie or show at the theater or on the TV or read a book or magazine that contained pornography, which, by the way, is anything that is formulated to produce a sexual response. It does not require nudity. It can be words or even sounds.

You may say, well, I'm happily married. It won't hurt me. You're wrong. What enters into your mind and into your heart affects you. It affects you.

It'll affect your relationship. It will likely cause you to transgress Christ's law in Matthew five concerning your thoughts, if not in the interactions. Again, why mention this in the church covenant? Because it is a problem in the world in which we live. It is a temptation.

It's a rampant problem in our society today and one which we are bartered by regularly, number one. Number two, it is not sadly unheard of in the church where other Christians have let down their guard, and we must put our guard back up. Christian families and ministries are powerless and falling apart at the seams, and this is one of the reasons. And lastly, it is an epidemic, not just in the world but in the church and must not be overlooked or swept under the carpet. Christians need to be warned and we must help each other to avoid it and to get victory over it.

Are Christians capable of such things? Sure they are. That's why Paul warns against these things because we are capable of them. It does not make them any less destructive. They are to be repented of, not surrendered to.

We are to be salt and light in the world. But if we're drinking from the well of pornography and promiscuity, we won't be. We just won't be the salt and light that we ought to be. Thus, we bring it up in our covenant. Thus, we bring it up this morning.

Thus, God has a lot to say about it in his what? His word. It's important. It's important. Jesus Christ died for pinner for sinners, Paul said.

The question is not are you a sinner, but are you a sinner who wants to be saved? Christ died for sinners. You say, well, I've I've failed in this. Have you come to Christ to be cleansed from it? To be transformed?

To receive victory and eternal life in Christ? You can today. He will forgive your sin. He will forgive it all. He will save your soul.

He will accept you and receive you and cleanse you and make you whole. He died on the cross for your sins. He rose again from the dead, and he at the right hand of the father intercedes for you. No matter what your sin may be, he died for them all, and he will save your soul. He wants something better than the world has to give and he can.

Are you a Christian this morning who wants to get victory? I hope you do. Don't listen to the lies of Satan. You can have victory. You can have victory in Christ Jesus.

Just confess and repent to the Lord. Get into his word. Make no provision for the what? The flesh. You can have victory this morning.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you, Lord, for your word, how it clearly speaks to us and tells us, Lord, what your expectations are for your children and that which not only is right in the eyes of God, but that which is good for all humanity. But most of all, what Christ did for us on the cross to redeem us from these things and to to set apart unto him a people to his praise and glory. And Lord, I would pray this morning that your children would recognize that we need to take a stand, to speak the truth, and to live the truth, and Lord, to not allow sin to just continue to fester in our lives and do nothing about it. Lord, forgive us, we pray.

And Lord, I pray if there's one or two or three here today that has yet to receive Christ as a Lord and savior of their life, they are lost in sin and do not know how to change it, Lord, Lord, there is salvation in Christ Jesus. I help you pray that you'll help them to see that today and to come to Christ to be saved and forgiven and receive everlasting life that he has to give. In Jesus' precious name we do pray. Amen.