One of the most beautiful things about our Epic Church community is the number of stories that are present here. There is so much diversity and so much uniqueness. And yet, this also leads to a challenging reality for me as your pastor. How do I teach us and lead us in a collective way, when our individual realities are so different from each other? This is one of the reasons why I’m so grateful for our vision statement:

The vision of Epic Church is to see an increasing number of people in San Francisco orient their entire lives around Jesus.

And this is one of the reasons why I love Jesus so much. He can take people who are so different from each other and yet he is able bring them together to make a beautiful mosaic.

As we continue our Original Intent series, today is the day we’re talking about sex. I know that the word “sex” carries with it so many connotations. And even if you’ve never talked about it out loud, every person in this room has a relationship with this word. And more than that, we all have history with this word and all that comes with it. It is loaded and I’m sensitive to that. And if we were having this conversation in a one on one setting, I could tailor this teaching just for your situation. But I’m teaching to an entire community that is all over the spectrum when it comes to: our relational status, our history with sex, our beliefs about sex, our hopes and fears about sex, and our pain and regret that has resulted from sex.

My aim is to help us understand God’s intent or design for sex at a 30,000 foot level and then give some practical ways we can orient our sexual beliefs and practices around the way of Jesus. I want to anchor us in one main text today and it’s found in 1 Corinthians 6:112 – 7:5.

1 Corinthians 6:12-7:5 “I have the right to do anything,” you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything” – but I will not be mastered by anything. You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

“I have the right to do anything.” They have used this previous quote from Paul to say they were free to do anything they wanted to with their bodies. And Paul’s like, “I was talking about the fact that you’re free to eat meat or not…I was not saying that you are free to do whatever you want to with your body.” And then he builds his argument for how and why we should orient our sexual formation and practices around the way of Jesus.

Paul says, “I will not be mastered by anything.” Food for the stomach and the stomach for food. They were trying to make the point that what food is to the stomach, sex is to the body. You have a desire; satisfy it…no big deal. See, casual sex was a secular value long before you could swipe right or left. Theology of the Body & Resurrection.

Casual sex is always costly because it always involves more than just your body.

The Scripture says that when you have sex, it is a one-flesh act. Your body is meant for Jesus. This is one of the reasons why God designed sex to be a gift, only within the covenant of marriage. He created it to be a whole self to whole self thing; not just one part of you making contact with one body part of another person.

Do not commit your body to someone unless you have committed your whole life to them.

“Genital sexuality is not just about our bodies colliding with each other; it’s an act of self-giving, mutually indwelling love that points to something beyond ourselves. That is why this kind of love requires the powerful and nurturing safeguard found in marriage.” -Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life

Sexual immorality is one of the greatest ways we can grieve the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We’re seeing the Holy Spirit do so much in our community. And trust me, we don’t want to grieve the Spirit – in our personal lives or in this faith community. Sex outside of marriage unites you with another person but divides you from Jesus. But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

“Flee from sexual immorality.” Run away from it. Here are some things that don’t look like fleeing: cohabitation, watching movies or visiting websites that have sexual content, and putting yourself in environments that you know are going to increase the power of sexual temptation.

Jesus gave his whole life for your whole life. You are not your own. This is the whole point of our apprenticeship to Jesus. You were bought at the highest price. You no longer belong to yourself but to Jesus.

I want to share a quote from the book A War of Loves, by David Bennett who is a gay Christian committed to celibacy.

“Once we belong to Christ, we all – no matter our orientation – need to be discipled by him in the Spirit and be willing to be purified in our desires.” -David Bennett, A War of Loves

If you are single, your body belongs to Jesus.

“Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues.” -C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Next week, our own Minnie Lee is going to be talking to us about what it means to be single. This is a huge message for all of you who are single and for all of us who are married. We’ve been called to be a spiritual family and we need to know how to be a gift to each other in this church.

And then we open up chapter 7 and we’re struck by what God’s word says to husbands and wives:

If you are married, your body belongs to Jesus and to your spouse.

They had written Paul about their belief that it wasn’t good for a husband to have sex, even with his own wife. Imagine Satan getting singles to be casual and marrieds to abstain. And Paul’s like, no…you actually need to do this if you are married. Do not deprive each other of this.

Authority over her husband’s body – stunning to this first century Corinthian audience. No one would have blinked an eye over the statement that a man has authority over his wife’s body. But to read that the woman has authority over her husband’s body? This would have been more revolutionary than we could ever imagine.

“Note that a woman was even given ‘authority’ over her husband’s body, an idea so radical that even today there are probably few who fully practice it.” -Nancy Pearcey, Love Thy Body

Sex between a husband and a wife is a God-given gift that guards both of them from sin.

And yet we have to be honest about the power of sex and sexual temptation, whether you are single or you are married.

Is there any hope for our struggle with sexual temptation?

What if I never marry?

What if I’m same-sex attracted and choose a life of celibacy?

Here are some things we all need:An Intimate Relationship with Jesus, Prayer

Non sexual-fulfillment in your relationships, Purpose and Mission;

Life-giving, God-honoring Outlets

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Do you believe you can have the full life Jesus promises without sex?

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

When you lack what you long for, will you still believe that Jesus can provide everything you need?

“Jesus was an unmarried, childless man in a Jewish society of family values, and a celibate in a Roman society of sexual liberation that mocked singleness. In a world of two-sided sexual obsession, Jesus invited others into pure intimacy, modeled loving friendship, and lived in life-giving singleness.” -David Bennett, A War of Loves

And then there’s the deep shame that so many of us have around what we’ve done sexually or what has been done to us sexually.

Is there any hope for the shame I carry from past sexual experiences?

This is the beauty of Jesus. He shows up and does what we can hardly imagine. 1 John 3:8 tells us that Jesus appeared to destroy the devil’s work. Satan is always accusing us and condemning us. John 3:17 tells us that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. The woman in John 8 who was caught in the very act of adultery stood before Jesus, full of shame and condemnation. And yet Jesus tells her, “I do not condemn you.”

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Confession.

Grace.

Redemption.

Cleansing.

Longing.

Power.

Fullness of Life.