SMH | Part 3

Holy, there is no one like you, there is none beside you, open up my eyes in wonder Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me Holy, there is no one like you, there is none beside you, open up my eyes in wonder Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me Holy, there is no one like you, there is none beside you, open up my eyes in wonder Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me Holy, there is no one like you, there is none beside you, open up my eyes in wonder Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me So I will build my life upon your love, it is a new foundation And I will put all of my trust in you alone, it's you alone I won't be shaken, I won't be shaken And I will build my life upon your love, it's the only word I'm listening And I will put all of my trust in you alone, it's you alone I won't be shaken, I won't be shaken And I will build my life upon your love, it is the only word I'm listening And I will put all of my trust in you alone, I cannot quit loving you Holy, there is no one like you, there is none beside you, open up my eyes in wonder Show me who you are and fill me with your heart and lead me in your love to those around me And I will build my life upon your love, it is the only word I'm listening And I will put all of my trust in you alone, it's you alone And I will not be shaken I will build my life upon your love, it is a firm foundation And I will put my trust in you alone, and I will not be shaken I won't be shaken, no I won't be shaken Nothing can come against what you're doing here Nothing can come against it You have greater plans You have... I've never been more glad that I've put my faith in Jesus. He's never been more glad that I've put my faith in Jesus.

I've never been more glad that I've put my faith in Jesus. I've never been more glad that I've put my faith in Jesus. He's never let me down. His faith flowed through generations. So why would He fail now? He won't. No, He won't. I've still got joy. Oh, I've still got joy in chaos. I've got peace that makes no sense. So I won't be going under. I'm not here about to cry all today. Cause I've put my faith in Jesus. He's never let me down. His faith flowed through every season. So why would He fail now? He won't. No, He won't. He won't. He never fails. He won't fail. He won't fail. He won't. He won't. He won't. He won't fail. He won't fail. Christ is my first salvation. The rock on which I stand. And everything around me shaking.

Oh, I've never been more glad that I've put my faith in Jesus. He's never let me down. His faith flowed through every season. So why would He fail now? He won't. He won't. He won't. He won't. He won't fail. He won't fail. He'll never fail. You're the one I run to. You're the one I want to. The only firm foundation. It came in blue when my house was built on You. And I'm safe with You. Won't go to make it through. It came in blue when my house was built on You. And I'm safe with You. Won't go to make it through. It came in blue when my house was built on You. And I'm safe with You. Won't go to make it through. It came in blue when my house was built on You. And I'm safe with You. Won't go to make it through. Won't go to make it through. I'm standing strong on You. Won't go to make it through. ♪ My house is built on you ♪

♪ Christ is my first foundation ♪ ♪ And the rock on which I stand ♪ ♪ And everything around me shaking ♪ ♪ Oh, I've never been more glad ♪ ♪ That I put my faith in Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, he's never let me down ♪ ♪ He's faithful through generations ♪ ♪ So why would he ever lie? He won't ♪ ♪ This is our testimony, he won't ♪ ♪ He'll never fail, he won't fail ♪ ♪ He won't fail, he won't fail, he won't fail, he won't fail ♪ A lot of things Jesus said that'll make you shake your head. But this one today, this may make your head totally spin around, what Jesus said. And I wanna take you to it, it's our last teaching in this, and it's in Matthew chapter five, verse 27, so we'll start there and then get your Bible app out, okay, get your church app out and follow, take notes, because you're gonna need this. Because from the outlook of this one, you're just gonna go, wow, wow. Here we go. Jesus starts talking. Remember, this is the Sermon on the Mount. So the people that are with him are folks like you that really wanna hang out with Jesus, right? So he's talking to them.

And also among that crowd are the teachers of the law and the Pharisees as well. Remember that, they're all here. So Jesus looks at him and he says this. You have heard the commandment that says, you must not commit adultery. But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye, even your good eye causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand, even your stronger hand causes you to sin, cut it off. Throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And for our first time guests here today, would you like to know more about Grand Rapids first? Hey, don't forget Discover 101. And if you haven't ever been to Discover 101, some of you came in later, don't forget we have that right after the service. You do wanna know more about your mission here at Grand Rapids first. And if you need a chance to register, hey, there's some spaces available. Come over and join us, we'll take care of lunch. And if your kiddos are in nursery, we'll take care of that too.

But we do want you to know more about Grand Rapids first, but some of you are going, I'm not so sure after that. In fact, let me just tell you the title of my message. Rip your eye out. That'll sell a lot of messages right there, won't it? Boy, that'll take a good offering. How about that one, huh? Rip your eye out. So when you look at this and you read it and you start thinking about what Jesus said, the first thing that comes to your mind is, okay, this adultery, this lust thing, so I get it. God is against sex. Whoa. Boy, I better straighten up. He's against sex. You're gonna find nothing could be further from the truth. God is not anti-sex. Okay, loosen up a little, let's hear you say amen. So I knew this would shake y'all up. Y'all are so quiet. You're funny. And I know for some of you teenagers, you think you've drifted into this sexual exploitation and you think that you discovered it. You're so enlightened than the rest of us. You discovered sex and then there's this other group over here and I can see you from up here. You know I can see you. Some of your older ones going, he should not talk like that. What is he doing? Honey, I know we should change churches. He is getting into this sex thing and this lust thing and he's gonna talk about sex.

Listen, listen, lighten up. Those of you, don't act so holy like we shouldn't talk about. Sex should be talked about here. Okay, see there's very few people applauding here. Don't act so holy some of you older ones. Let me let you on a little revelation. There's only been one virgin birth and it ain't you, okay. All right. It's not you, so lighten up motor scooter. And then there's some of you that's so enlightened you know everything about sexuality and sex and everything's fluid. Let me let me just say something to you. It doesn't take, if you just read your Bible, if you just crack this thing open and start with the very first book of Genesis, you don't have to read real far into the Bible and all of a sudden God brings up the topic of sex, boom, just like that. So you didn't discover it and don't act so prudish when we talk about it. Can I get an amen? Still pretty weak but I'll take it. Amen. So you don't have to read real far because then you see what happened is that God, when he created humanity, created humans, he made them both male sex and female sex. He made them male and he made them female. He made sure all the plumbing works. He made them male and female and then it didn't take you real long. So before you want to talk about well I know the deal about sex and I'm smarter than the God's Word and I'm in everybody else's preach. Hold on, hold on. You see the Creator making males and females and then it doesn't take real long. You get into chapter 2 and verse 24 and he really blows the lid off of it. He says, God says male, female, man, woman, he says, and they become one flesh. Can I tell you that's more than a hug. I, you all, I just, I am freaked out by y'all. Just so quiet. Let me just help y'all, alright? Let me just get the word out of the way. Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex, sex. Woo! Sex. Woo! Okay, how we doing, alright? Loosen up. You up there in the cheap seats. Come on, get with it, alright. It says, and they became one flesh. Watch this. Adam and his wife, so this was a marriage, were both naked. And for all of you watching us down south online, it's naked. They were both naked, not a stitch of clothing on, and they felt no shame. None. Not about their bodies, not about how they looked, nothing. It's interesting that when people challenge sex, you wigging out over when someone challenges it and says, this is what God created and tells you the path

for it, you start wigging out over it. It says there should be no shame in it. Should be free to talk about how God created male, female, husband and wife. They became one, had sex, and the glory of God was seen through it. So why is there so much shame and even the shame you carry, even from your past? Well, first of all, you need to understand that the reason why it's so sacred is because the Holy one is the one who invented it. You didn't discover it, teenagers. He invented it. He created it. Are y'all listening to me? Now, the problem is, is every time you take sex outside of God's design. So if the creator created and he's the one that came up with it and you're not the one that knows at all about it, can I just tell you this, that every time you take sex outside of God's design, the creator, you offend him. You are offending God. When you don't look at what he says about it, you offend the one who made it. And here's what happened. When you take it outside of the design, you not only offend the one who created it, but you hurt the ones he created to enjoy sex. You start hurting them and it becomes harmful. It becomes sin before God. See, so the problem in our country and the problem with all these enlightened people, the problem is it's not too high a view of sex, it's you have way too low a view of sex because he made it, fearfully, wonderfully, and he wants you to have maximum, in pleasure, enjoyable sex because he designed it so he knows the path for how it should become that. But oh, don't just get caught up on this because you say, well, he's just talking about adultery. Yes, yes, he is talking about adultery, the sin of adultery, he is talking about that. But adultery is technically refers to having sex with someone other than your spouse.

And that is true, he is addressing that. But when you look at this, he is throwing a broader swath than just adultery about someone in a marriage having sex outside of it. It's so much broader. In fact, I mean, for all you singles, you're going, yeah, well, we're not married and the one I'm having sex with is not married, so we're off the hook. No, you're not off the hook. You're gonna see it's much broader. If you're single and you're having sex with someone else who's single because the realities is people who are single, can I tell you the chances and you're having sex together, the chances of you marrying that person, go do the research. It's very slim that you're gonna end up ultimately marrying that person, it's very slim. But that person will probably marry somebody else. So what you end up doing is you're sleeping with somebody else's spouse that God intended for somebody else. It's gonna get deep in here. Should've brought a snorkel. But I want you to know this. I want you to note something. I want everybody to hear this. Those of you watching online,

this is the first time you've ever tuned in. When I said sex, you finally put your cup of coffee down. Jesus is not merely condemning adultery because I know people in this room that if you say adultery, you say, well, we're good. We're good. We're good. We ain't done nothing. You've been married two weeks. What he is exposing here, now listen closely. What he is exposing here is the desire that is driving adultery, but you're hung up on adultery. So what happens here is just like with all of Jesus' sayings, you get caught up with one thing he said and you focus on the one thing and you're hung up on adultery. And you focus on the one thing and you're missing the main thing of the point he is trying to make to the people that were there, including the Pharisees. So this gets really deep. He's trying to get at something that exposes, he's exposing the desire that is driving you to go to something besides him. That's what he's driving here. So what's he talking about? What's this desire? He brings up the word lust. Everybody say lust.

So when you think lust, you're going, okay, that's right. Sex, bad. No, that's not what he's saying here. Let's go to verse 28 again. He says, but I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So this word here, lust, epithameo is the Greek word. Epithameo, this word lust here, it really means inordinate desire or over desire. Okay, just everybody look at that for a moment. If I could just go in further, what it really means is an unrestrained control or desire. It's unrestrained, there's no restraint to it. That's what it means. But in the Greek, this is broader than sex and it's broader than adultery. What he's referring to here, he is referring to any desire, any desire that becomes a ruling desire in your life is the one that controls you. Listen close to this. It's not just controlling you. Whenever there's any desire that becomes a ruling desire in your life, it not actually controls you, but I'm gonna go deeper and this is what Jesus is really trying to point out. You actually worship it. And you know how we worship it? Is when I touch the issue that may be sensitive or God touches the issue sensitive with you,

you start freaking out over it. That when he starts doing that to me, that means something here is controlling me and I wanna worship it more than what he actually is trying to show me his design. How many with me so far? So this is what he's saying. So lust is not, listen, lust is not a sex problem. I'll make that real clear. Lust is not a sex problem. It's a worship. Problem. That's what it is. Listen, lust is not merely, it's not merely wanting something. Here's what it is. Lust is making something a necessity that God intended to only be a gift to you. Now you're gonna miss the whole message if you don't see this. Lust is making something a necessity that God only intended to be a gift to you and now you actually, it controls you. It is the one in control. It is the one in the center and it's actually the one, let's just put it simply, you worship it. Because the reality is that all of our hearts, every human's heart is created for worship. It is created for worship and if you won't worship God alone, you'll worship something else and Jesus knew this. It controls you. You start worshiping that thing and when you start making this one thing that was simply a gift now a necessity and now it controls and you start losing it and slipping from you, it starts, you start freaking out. What has happened is, is this one thing has given you the sense of your security. When you have this, it gives you a sense of identity. It gives you the sense of acceptance and this is what Jesus is going after and exposing. Don't just get caught up on one thing. He's trying to point to something. So here's the point you need to remember. Lust is seeking from a gift what only God can give you. How about this? Let's put that up on the screen and let's say it out loud so it really starts sinking into our spirit. Come on, join me, would you? Lust is

seeking from a gift what only God can give you. It's it. So let's give the, let me show what I'm talking about. Let's give it the context of the whole story here. So we got to put this in context and so let's, let's look at it in the big picture of a sermon on the mount and what's happening. So remember, all these people were there along with Pharisees, teachers of the law. Now all Pharisees were not bad everybody. Many Pharisees gave their heart to Jesus Christ but the ones that controlled and ruled, different story. But I want you to see this. Jesus looks at all these people, just a few verses before and this is what he says to them because he knows that that group is there with all the rest of them that's seeking Jesus. He says, but I warn you, Matthew 5 20. He says, but I warn you, unless your righteousness is what, everybody? Say the word with me. Better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will what? You will what? You're not getting into the kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness is superior to those. And everybody's freaking out going, wait a minute, we know these teachers of the law. These guys, man, they are in the synagogue all the time. These guys, you want to see it, they carry these, they have these phylacteries and they've got these boxes on their head with scripture to show the words getting in their head. These guys, look at, look at, they measure out their time. Jesus, he was saying, you measure out the, just exactly. You're not going 11%. You won't even go 10.5%. It is 10%. You are going to keep the rules. You will not commit adultery. You're keeping all these rules. He says, unless your righteousness is better than theirs, you're not getting in. Everybody is freaking out over this and he's putting this all in this context. So the Pharisees, the reason he said it, is that many of those Pharisees were looking to their religious performance for what only Jesus Christ would be able to provide by his death on the cross. And they were looking to that as I am now accepted by God and I will get entranced into the kingdom of God. And Jesus looks to them and he says, you Pharisees have lusted after your own religious practices and you're even adding rules. So that gives you sense of security and acceptance and entering into God. And Jesus looks and says, if

yours is not better than him, you're not getting in. And they're thinking, how are we going to outperform their righteousness? And Jesus says, I'll tell you what, you got to be better. And they can't pull it off and you can't pull it off. So let me tell you who the better righteousness is. Better righteousness is not your practice. Better righteousness is a person. I am the better righteousness. I am the only thing. And they have lusted over their own religious practices to think that gets you in when I am the only... only thing that will get you in and cleanse you from your sin and make you right before God. Think about that for a moment. That's why all of a sudden you see Paul responding. This is why Paul tells him to sing Corinthians. Look what he begins to say. This is crazy. He says, God made him who had no sin to be sin for Sam and sin for you. So that in him, we might become the righteousness of God in who in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, I am the better righteous. That is not righteous. I am the righteous. So when Jesus, watch this. So when Jesus says to them, you have heard it said, do not commit adultery. Here's what the Pharisees were doing. Check got that one. We've been together long time. Yep. Just me and her check hadn't been with anybody else. Jesus looks at him and says, you have already committed adultery because you do have a lover and your lover is your performance that you think will get you in outside of my shed blood. You are already committing adultery. And that was the point I, Jesus says, I'm it, I'm the only thing that's it.

And he says, when you try to lean on these things and you think that you have found something that now has become your necessity to think that you get approval, that you give to the poor and that you do all these nice things. And that's what you're doing in order to get the acceptance and security of God. He says, that's not it. I am the only sacrifice that gets you in. And when you try to go to these other things to make it happen, you're going to lose and you're in danger of great loss. So he gets to the great loss. Let's go there. Verse 29. Jesus is just blessing you today. He says, so if your eye, even your good eye causes you to lust, gouge it out, throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than your whole body in to be thrown into, into hell. Now when you look at this, you say, is Jesus really want me just to rip my eye out? Is this what he say? Jesus is not advocating self mutilation. Focus on one thing. You're not getting the point of what he's trying to tell you. He is not advocating self mutilation, but what he is doing is he's using the most graphic hyperbole to demonstrate the seriousness of something that replaces Jesus Christ. He is showing you that it has a deadly effect. It has an internal effect and it will destroy your life. And he is serious. So he's not telling you, go out there and go pluck your eye, chop your hand off. He is telling you, I'm using the most graphic terms with you to show you this is deadly. When you do this, if you're going to follow me, so then Jesus brings up hell, Jesus brings up hell.

And I know some people say, well, he's just talking about Gehenna, a place outside of, there was a garbage dump, Gehenna. It is a word that is used there, but it was a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem. And when they'd go out there, they knew what it was. It stinched. Nobody wanted to get around it. It stunk horribly because everything was rotting in it, is where all the refuse was, was decaying. And the only way to deal with it was to set it on fire. And Jesus says, it will take you to hell. Now some people say, well, it's just merely just a symbolic thing. No, no, no, wait a minute. Whenever you look at a symbol, how many know the symbol never, the symbol is never the reality. Remember that. He uses the strongest warning language available. So the symbol is not the reality, everyone. That's not the reality. It, the symbol points to the greater reality of what is coming. That's what he's pointing to. So okay. How many are going to grill? How many are going to grill today? Okay. So you get up there, you get your grill and you see the little knob, it's got a little flame on it. Okay. It's a symbol. That symbol didn't tell you, don't touch this knob. You will burn and fryer.

You'll get third, fourth, fifth degree burns. If you touch this knob, that's not what it's saying. It is a symbol that is pointing to a greater reality that if you go beyond this point and you put your hands on the flame, it will destroy, it will burn it up. It will rot and it will decay. So when you see a symbol, remember the symbol is telling you about something that is greater than actually what he's talking about. So Jesus is saying sin and sexual sin is not. Your sexual sin is not pride. It's not this harmless little private issue He's saying even in this it has an eternal consequence It will destroy you and your life will fall apart If you do not follow the designer who made it for creation to enjoy But the moment you take it outside of his design it offends him and it will harm you and the people around you when you Do any gift outside of him? Mmm boy So sexual desire everybody is God's design It is beautiful It is amazing Jesus said I designed it but outside of the design It will rot any gift will rot and decay and will you will lose things? Over this and even your soul because the gift is not the center is what he's saying The gift is not the one to be worshipped. The gift is not the one to be in control He says I am the better righteousness. I'm the one that should be in the control of your life I'm the one that should be the center and all the gifts should revolve around me. Not me trying to revolve about your desires That's what he's trying to say Okay, how many of love winter when you get your fireplace on come on? Come on let all those people talk about how cold it is. No hurricanes No earthquakes big snow Fireplace a couple hot cocoa book relax, right? We got it easy

But there's nothing like having a beautiful fireplace, but I'll tell you what. I really wish I had in my house I wish I had a wood-burning fireplace. There's something about the wood Smelling, you know all that good stuff But the fireplace how many of you when y'all your fireplaces y'all make them the focal point it is the center of your home Now when you get a wood, there's nothing like a wood-burning fire is here crackling And get a little smell of the burning wood in your house You don't feel that and it's snowing outside. And what are you doing? You sit by that fire and what does it do? When it when that fire is in that fireplace the fireplace is the center and the gift of the fire is in the fireplace What are you doing? You're relaxing You're drinking a hot cocoa. Maybe curl up with a blanket Right watching your favorite movie Reading your favorite novel just chilling out. You're in your man cave. You're just watching the fire just crackling He's and what does it do the fire actually sets an atmosphere that you and your family actually start relaxing In fact, you start looking into the flames You know, I'm getting sleepy It just you start calm it changes the whole atmosphere why? Because you have the fireplace as the focal point and it is designed with its boundaries that if you place this fire in there it will actually change the atmosphere and bring a calm to your spirit and enjoyable theme to your spirit and actually create an atmosphere where you find freedom and joy at the highest level of relaxation, but if you say you know what I'd really like a fire in the attic Honey this is so calming Let's take it outside of the design of the center focal piece of our home and let's go take this log Let's put it in the attic Well all of our garage sale fodder and granny's old blankets that she passed down to us that nobody wants You put that log up in there and what is going to happen the same fire that was bringing you Relaxation and calm and actually setting a peaceful atmosphere for you and your family for your marriage will burn your house down So when it burns your house down you go fire is evil

That's what you do, that's what our culture they find something go it's evil that gift is evil evil fire is evil The fire was not evil It was the location that determined whether a grant brought life or it brought destruction It's where you chose to locate it So you can make this about sex your money your position your beauty your work the position the position you have and The moment you take your marriage out the moment you take your sex life out the moment you take your money out The moment you take your beauty and your physique and you take it outside of the context of what Jesus wants to use it to Glorify to bring you actual satisfaction and blessing and you take it out and say this is what I think It is the location that you have now made this the thing you worship in God and It will burn your spiritual house down and destroy you. What's Jesus saying? He's saying it's the lust that's producing these things. And lust is seeking from a gift, whether it's your money, your retirement, your husband, your wife, your children, your degree, your position, your possession, the neighborhood you live in. And when anybody starts challenging that one thing, you wig out. But when you put it inside of the one, the fireplace, the bed of righteousness, oh. He said, look, lust is seeking a gift which can only give what only I can give you. So if you want a lust, you want something to be out of control in your life, here's this. Be out of control with your lust for me. Treat me like you do sex. Treat me like you do your body. Treat me like you do your money. Treat me like you do your own. Come on. Treat me that way. Have this uncontrolled, unrestrained desire for me.

And when you get up every morning, that's why the psalmist said, his presence, it is new every morning. Have a lust and an appetite that's unrestrained for Jesus Christ. That's his point. And then those gifts are not desired. They're actually put in the right context in the fireplace where you actually start enjoying your money and your time and your family and your marriage and your children, because they're not worshiped. Not even your own health is not worshiped. I'm here all day folks. So what's Jesus saying? He said, you're looking for liberty. He said, I'm the liberty because liberty is not found. Listen. Liberty is not found in the lust. The appetite that's out of control that God has only made a gift to you, but you now made it necessity. You've made it necessity. If you know what it's like when you go after those things, you and I have discovered it doesn't satisfy. It'd be like you stranded on a boat in the middle of the ocean. You're stranded in the middle of the ocean with no fresh drinking water. There's nothing but you and the boat and that's it. And all of a sudden you're getting this great thirst and you're looking at the ocean and you see all the water and you think I've got to have a drink. And the temptation is to drink the ocean water. But the problem is the salt water only promises relief while actually it creates greater thirst. That's why they tell you don't drink the salt water when there's nothing else. It creates a deeper thirst. So what happens is lust works exactly the same way the salt water does.

It creates a deeper craving and a deeper craving and that's why you see people go deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper into that thing, holding onto it, gripping tight to it because it gives them a sense of relief, but it is not relief. It is not the better righteousness. He said the liberty is found in the Lord. It's me. That's where the liberty is. And the fireplace, make me the center. Put everything within that. This is what Paul figured out. Paul, I mean, come on. The Pharisee of Pharisees, y'all. The guy kept every single rule, religious rule. He saw it all. He says, I consider all as done. He was keeping all the rules. He persecuted Christians because he thought he was helping God out. But he discovered these were all nothing but a lust and appetite out of control for my religious performance that somehow made me think this gives me my identity, security, and acceptance with God. Jesus said, there's no way you will enter my kingdom with that. So that's why he says in 1 Corinthians 6, 9, this is why Paul says this, and he's talking to these new Christians in Corinth. He says, don't fool yourself. He said, don't fool yourself. Don't think you're special, that it's going to be different for you. He says, don't fool yourself. Those who indulge in sexual sin or worship idols or commit adultery or are male prostitutes or practice homosexuality, watch this, then he goes on, or are thieves or they're greedy people, or they cheat people, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

He says, it is salt water to you. It will not inherit the kingdom of God. Then he looks at all these believers and he says, some of you were once like that. That was the way it was. You were saying, I'm just thirsty, I want liberty. But it's not found in this lust without God, without him the center and him ruling these things. He said, it's not without him. He said, some of you were just like that. But you were cleansed and you were made holy You were made right with God why because he's the better righteousness You were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God how many? Can say thank you Jesus for that So here's what he's trying to tell you the answer to lust is Is not merely greater discipline But greater affection Some of us are complicating this too much, you know one of the things that Jesus calls himself He refers to himself as the bridegroom the bridegroom So if he's a bridegroom then guess what he has a bride guess who the bride is Those of us that have accepted him as Lord and Savior. We are the bride We're the bride and now think about how he treated the bride he knew the bride Had sins he knew the bride had imperfections. So he said I got to do something He loved the bride so much that while she was still a sinner He said I will die for my bride And then I will cleanse my bride like Paul said and he says and I will be their better righteousness I'll show them a better way. That's what he becomes for us See the reason we run to lesser lovers, let me tell you why we run to lesser lovers It could even be our own the person we're married to that. They got to be the center our children our money our position our wealth

Our looks our status The reason you and I run to those left sir lovers is Because you and I have forgotten the greater love Why do you think he told the church of Laodicea return to your first love You are forgetting the greatest lover of your soul. It's the bridegroom and When you and I chase lesser lovers, here's what's gonna happen We will chase for more affirmation from people than we do from God you always have to be affirmed No one can ever disagree with you Because you gotta have affirmation You always have to be the center of attention You always have to be the center you always got to have something that a pleasure you always have to have validation and Jesus says when you finally discover that those lesser lovers are like saltwater from the ocean He says here's what you're gonna discover That you were already been chosen You were already loved when you were still a sinner You were already chosen and I pursued you when you were running away from me. I still chased you down And then I paid for your sins So you might be clean that you might be purified that you might see the blessing of the gifts I actually give you that I actually delight in being with you my children That's what he's trying to say So the point is is you don't listen You don't defeat lust By just hating sin That's not how you defeat it in your life I'm gonna say this again. You don't defeat lust by just hating sin You defeat lust By loving Jesus more That's how you destroy it It's how you destroy it

What do you want from me father What do you want on this this issue of my attitude How do you want me to deal with this issue? That's going on in my marriage between me and my spouse Lord there's this temptation out there that we're dating and but Lord you tell me how do you want me to handle this God? What do you want from me God? Lord you gave me this position. You gave me this wealth Lord, I don't want it to get outside of the fireplace and put it in places. You show me God Would you show me from your word? Would you lead me by the Spirit? Would you show me what you want me to do with my degree? Would you would you let me say God this company want me to start Lord this person that I want to that You're placing in my heart. Would you show me how to place this properly and I will tell you when you put it there The gift is not worshiped But the love for Jesus gets greater and you handle the gift that he actually gave you or you're actually man I'm really enjoying the gift that God gave me Did somebody say amen to that? Whoo, he loves you everybody So lust is seeking from a gift what God only Can give you Wow, okay everyone Whoo Let's let all that settle into you and pastor. How's that sound? Huh? Well, y'all, y'all, y'all need to tell God quit, quit speaking to pastor because we ended up getting it. All right. How do you defeat it? How do you defeat letting the gift be the worship and the control of your life? You got to love him more to say, I just want you, and watch the transformation take place in your life. Thank you, Jesus. Come on. How about we just throw our love right back to him right now? How about you? Come on. Just, just throw your love back to him. Let's worship him. Come on. Let's bless him. Let's bless him for a moment. Let's praise him.