Happy Memorial Day weekend! Over the past few days people have been sharing this painting. You know, it struck me on a number of different levels. Obviously, it captures a family enjoying an afternoon at a park. Their child is playing nearby with the family dog. Everything is normal, peaceful. But the scene is being undergirded by the painful sacrifice of others. Millions have shed their blood, sweat and tears so families can enjoy this and every other weekend.
Now when I was a boy, I'd spend many weekends at my grandpa Wolfe's farm. There was nothing cooler than riding with grandpa in his combine, or being pulled behind his tractor in a sled. He was an amazingly kind and gentle man. He loved the Lord, was a leader in his church, and generous to a fault.
That's why I was surprised when my mom told me grandpa had been to war. In fact, Staff Sargent Donald J. Wolfe had been awarded the Purple Heart, a Good Conduct Medal and three Bronze Stars. When duty called, he answered, several times. It amazed me then, and it amazes me today, to think of someone laying down their life, or taking a bullet, to serve their country. But grandpa did it because he loved this country!
Maybe the artist of this picture could have presented a third, and deeper layer. What is it that makes such sacrifice possible? Beneath all these men, shedding their blood, sweat and tears one could place a portrait of the cross. Ephesians 5:25 tells us that "Christ loved the Church, and gave himself up for her."
This sacrificial ethic of Jesus is to shape everything about our lives--and in the Church. We can submit to God, we can obey, we can serve, we can give, we can love, we can even die because there is something infinitely higher than just me and my life and this flesh of mine.
Think of the sacrificial ethic this way: The body is the servant to the mind. I lay down my life. The mind is the servant to the heart. I take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. And the heart is fully oriented toward God. I'm living unto God with all of my heart, mind, body, soul--pleasing him in every way! The body isn't an end in itself, it's a mean to an end. It's expended in service to something greater.
[BODY serves >> MIND serves >> HEART serves >> GOD]
In stark contrast to the "sacrificial" ethic, we have the "sensual" ethic. The sensual ethic reverses the whole order of things. God exists to make me happy. So, I just follow my heart. And my heart follows my thoughts and desires. And my thoughts and desires are oriented around whatever stimulates pleasure in my body. It is looks good, sounds good, feels good, tastes good, satisfies... The "sensual" ethic makes pleasure the supreme purpose of one's life; and relegates pleasing God to a bygone era.
[GOD serves >> HEART serves >> MIND serves >> BODY]
Let's talk this morning about our bodies... First...
1-Recognize the power/danger of sensuality.
I'm using this word "sensual" to describe the orientation of our hearts--not toward God, but away from God. Not toward the Spirit of God, but toward our flesh, our physical bodies, our human experience, the very gratification of our senses. There is the mind set on heavenly things. But then there is the mind set on earthly, worldly things. There is the cross-shaped life of sacrifice, but then there is the self-serving life of sensual indulgence.
The word "sensual" usually carries a negative, moral connotation. The word sensuous carries a more neutral connotation. Both words describe a person preoccupied with their senses or appetites. I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. I'm tired. I'm in pain. I'm uncomfortable. So what tastes good? What quenches my thirst? What makes me comfortable, relaxed? What sounds good to ear? What looks good to eye? What feels good to skin? Such questions consume our mind, steal our heart, and arrest our soul.
From the moment we're born, our sensual nature is catered to. We cried out, and mom was there with food, water, a blanket, a fresh diaper, a warm bed. We're these legitimate needs? Of course! From a young age, companies have catered to our every whim. Taste this, Sugar! Touch this. Smell this, its scented. Feel this is downy soft. Listen. Watch. Any song. Any artist. Any image. Any where. Any time. We are the most entertained, comfortable, pleasured, indulged, gratified people this world has ever known. We can gratify about any desire with swipe of our thumb, click of mouse.
It's not extraordinary that we'd be sensual, it's extraordinary that we'd ever get around to being sacrificial. Pleasure is today's ethic. There's an article I found that summarizes much of the Bible's teaching about sensuality (from gotquestions.org).
What does the Bible say about sensuality? "In the Bible, sensuality is usually listed with other evils that include sexual promiscuity and perversion. Sometimes translated as "lewdness" or "debauchery," sensuality can be defined as "devotion to gratifying bodily appetites; freely indulgening in carnal pleasures."
"The word sensuality comes from the root word sense, which pertains to our five senses. The Greek word most often translated as "sensuality" means "outrageous conduct, shocking to public decency; wanton violence." Sensuality is a total devotion to the gratification of the senses, even to the exclusion of soul and spirit [and God]."
Sensuality is an abuse of our God-given gifts. Those caught up in sensuality abuse the gift of sight by feasting the eyes on forbidden images such as pornography. They may feast the ears on ungodly conversation, jokes, or music (Ephesians 5:4). Those given to sensuality will indulge in "wild parties" (1 Peter 4:3), drug and alcohol abuse (Proverbs 20:1), sexual immorality (Hosea 4:10–11), and foolishness (Mark 7:21–22). The sensual follow the sinful desires of the flesh without boundaries or restraint. Ephesians 4:19 says of the ungodly that, "having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed."
"Sensuality is often listed as one characteristic of those who "will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19–21). When the Bible speaks of sensuality, it implies a loss of control over one's passions and evil desires. Depraved sexuality is usually a part of it, as well. Romans 1:21–32 gives a detailed digression of those enslaved by sensuality, which leads to sexual perversions and eventually a [depraved] mind."
"Sensuality is in direct opposition to God's desire for us to live "by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:19, 25). Galatians 5:16 says, "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." If we are walking by the Spirit, we will not indulge in sensuality."
"Sensuality has no place in the life of a child of God (1 Peter 4:3). Romans 8:4 says that Christians "do not walk according to flesh but according to Spirit." First John 2:15–16 warns us against loving "the things of this world," which include the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." These things summarize the heart of sensuality. 1 Peter 2:11 says, "... abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul."
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). That "cross" symbolizes death to our old sin nature. No one carried a cross who expected to come back alive. Jesus was saying that, in order to follow Him, we must allow Him to kill that old sin nature, which includes sensuality. We cannot please both Jesus and our flesh (Romans 8:8). Jesus is going in the opposite direction of our flesh. So before we can truly follow Christ, we must be willing to die to our old nature, which includes sensuality (1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:2, 11)." Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-sensuality.html#ixzz3azocOvwX
I came across a quote by author Fiona Thrust. I intend it to be illustrative. She says, "I live for sex. I celebrate it, and relish the electricity of it, with every fibre of my being. I can see no better reason for being alive." WOW! Really? That's the sensual ethic. It's when there is no better reason for being alive then my pleasure.
2-Understand the Place of Pleasure.
I am here using the more neutral term "sensuous," hoping to convey that our bodies aren't evil, nor are our five senses, nor is having our basic human needs met, nor is pleasure in itself evil. God created us to enjoy pleasure! It was his idea in the first place! But a gift is not to be an end in itself, it's always a means to something greater.
Take the book, Song of Solomon for instance. It's the single most sensuous, sensual books in all the Bible. But it's totally okay! Why? Because sex is good when it occurs within the boundaries God intended. In the context of a loving, committed marriage, with male and female, sex is a gift. But rip it out of that context and sex becomes something very dark indeed, ravaging souls, leaving casualties in its wake.
Gifts are to be used in the context of our relationship with God. I really didn't intend to talk about sex so much this morning, but why not? We need a Biblical perspective! In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul is sharing advice to married couples. And he pretty much says, "Look. Because there is so much sexual immorality out there, and people cannot control themselves, each man should take a wife and each woman her husband, and you should fulfill your marital duty to one another! Do not deprive each other--except by mutual consent, and just for a time... WHY? So that you may devote yourselves to prayer... then come together again so Satan won't tempt you because of your lack of self-control."
Notice two things. First, sex is to be enjoyed freely and fully within the boundary of marriage. But second, thank you Fiona Thrust [with your vulgar pen name] there is something greater to live for... celebrate... relish in the electricity of... and enjoy with every fibre of your being... there is a greater reason for being alive, a greater purpose, and it's to love the living God! To pray to him, to know him, to worship him, to serve him, to glorify him! And doing so, with your husband or wife, far exceeds any intimacy that's otherwise attainable. Sex is the servant, not master.
By the way, its not like glorifying God is a pleasure-wrecking activity. You're never more fulfilled than when you're living w/in God's boundaries, for his glory.
Three questions we should always ask about pleasure. First, am I staying within God's guardrails? Second, am I building up others or destroying them? Third, am I glorifying God by what I am doing?
1 Corinthians 6:12-13, "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, God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."
1 Corinthians 10:23-24, "I have the right to do anything," you say--but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"--but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."
Take food for instance. Do you need food? Do you need a sandwich? Yes. But do you need a small, a regular, a large, or a giant? The small will often get the job done! You're probably not going to starve! I've not encountered a single starving person in the United States, have you? Malnourished maybe, but not starving. The Bible asks stomach for food, or food for the stomach? God will destroy them both. When we live for food, things can get pretty upside down fast. Food is servant, not master.
What about money? Is money evil? A lot of millennials feel like they have to apologize about getting a decent wage. I was talking to one guy and he was like, "I can live in a tent. I can drink only water, and grow a vegetable garden." That's awesome. Do that for a few months, but then go get a job! You can't pay for healthcare with vegetables. There is a lot you can't do with vegetables. Your parents aren't going to pay your cell phone bill forever! You're gonna have to pay for your Starbucks, skinny jeans
John Wesley always said, "Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can" ... "Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can." He said, "When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes industrious, trustworthy and prosperous. Now, if that man when he gets all he can and saves all he can, does not give all he can, I have more hope for Judas Iscariot than for that man!"
"Do you not know that God entrusted you with that money (all above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help the stranger, the widow, the fatherless; and, indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of all mankind? How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord, by applying it to any other purpose?"― John Wesley
Money's isn't evil, it's the love of money, the idolatry of money. It's when our quest for money supplants our quest for knowing and serving the living God. It's when pleasure becomes your God, and money is all about your desires and not God at all. Money is servant, not the master.
The corrective here is the sacrificial, or servant ethic...
3-Offer your life to the Life-Giving God.
Romans 6:1-14--Let God reign, follow Christ
Romans 12:1-2--Make life about pleasing God.
Sacrificial ethic doesn't kill joy, it extends joy, it makes for an enduring legacy worth memorializing. The person living for pleasure destroys themselves, and others, and their life matters little for the good.