Looking for God in the Brothel

G.K. Chesterton once said, "Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God". I was struck this week by those words. As I was preparing for this weeks message on sexuality, I began to ponder - Is this true? Ultimately, I think it is.

Last week I focused on God's Gift of Sex from Genesis 1-2. The emphasis was on God the creator and his blessings on our life. Each of us was built for relationship - relationship with God and with others. Adam was incomplete without Eve, and after the fall both of them (and all mankind thereafter) was incomplete without God. Ever since, without even knowing it, all mankind seeks to restore what was lost there in the garden.

The problem, however, is that man, in the words of Waylon Jennings, is "looking for Love in all the wrong places." Which brings us to the Chesterton quote. The man at the brothel door is seeking to satisfy his souls deepest thirst but winds up with a mouth full of dust. Thirstier than before he runs from empty well to empty well, for nothing in this world will satisfy.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear.

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good,there is not even one.

In his search for restoration, mankind corrupts all that God has given. The sexual union, meant to be a beautiful expression of marital oneness, becomes, something corrupt as we defile the beautiful gift of God. Sexual promiscuity and perversion are man's futile attempt to satisfy a thirst that only God can quench.

And don't we all have our own brothels? They have innocuous names - entertainment, lust, comfort, power, religion....each an attempt to satisfy the ache of our soul. But like an anesthetic they only dull the pain - the true source of our soul's satisfaction is God alone. He is our completer. He comes to "bring life and life more abundantly".

So, let us turn away from the door of the brothel and walk through the open door that is Christ. Through that door we find the only One who brings true redemption and restoration!

Love & Other Things - Youth Series #1

As we begin our series on love, sex, and relationships it was decided that we would inform parents and our church body of our teaching via my blog. When working with students there is always a wide spectrum in regards to their level of maturity. Even when we attempt to age grade students (for example separating Jr. & Sr. High), it’s just the nature of adolescence that even two 16 year olds are not at the same level.

For this reason some parents may decide that their teen is not ready for a discussion of sexual issues. Hopefully this blog will help parents to make that decision.

The other reason I wanted to make parents aware of our teaching is so that they can further discuss this important topic with their teens. Studies have shown that students want to hear from their parents and value their opinion on important issues. Please, talk to your kids about sex.

Week One – God’s Gift of Sex, a study of Genesis 1-2.

This first will be a pretty simple straight forward look at God's Creation of man, the institution of marriage, and the gift of sexual oneness. When you want to find out about any Biblical subject, its best to start with its first instance in scripture. In the case of sex, Genesis 1&2 provide the foundation for the subject of human sexuality.

In speaking to students about the subject I want to point out the clear distinction between the worlds approach to sexual matters and the Bible's view. The world says that sex is no big deal (SEE THIS STORY) BUT God says it extremely important. The world says that sex is purely physical BUT God says it a spiritual act (and can even be worshipful).

OUTLINE

• God created mankind for relationship (Gen. 1:26; 2:19-22)
  

• Marriage is the Highest Human Relationship (2:22-24)
  

• God created sex as a special gift for Marriage (2:23-24)
  

  • Highest expression of married oneness

  • represents the oneness between Christ & the Church (Eph. 5:22-33)

NEXT WEEK - Man's Abuse of God's Gift