“PROTECT THE TEMPLE OF GOD” By Pastor YAU

Text: 1 Corinthian 6:19-20 February 17, 2013.

INTRODUCTION:

1) A step on the right direction: Facing the worsening epidemic of teen sex among American youth and its devastating impact on their life, Jimmy Hester started Christian Sex Education project in 1987, hoping to find some ways to curb the running wild condition. The project was renamed TRUE LOVE WAITS in 1992, working with LifeWay Christian publication, endorsed by the SBC in 1993. In the next 20 years, TLW has become an international movement to Africa and Asia, in schools and campuses, communities and homes to promote “abstinence” and purity life style to protect young people from the exploitation and consequences of teen sex. Through the years, millions of teenagers signed cards to pledge their commitment of pure life.

2) One way to save a generation: With the promotion of free life style, free sex, free abortion on demand and a society inching to “free to do all I want” and its permissive trend from government policies to social acceptance of wild life style. Young people are lost in the whirlpool of abandonment of moral standard and self-respect. Social problems from teen sex, teen pregnancy, teenage mothers with babies without fathers or family support. Dropouts of school, raising children with government support and little hope of brighter future, creating a massive class of dependent people and potential bases of crime and violence, just to name a few. Under the grace of God and wisdom of our youth leaders, FCBC has promoted TLW among our young people for years.

TEENAGERS NEED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES:

1) Protect your body: “No one ever yet hated his own body but nourish and cherish even as the Lord to the church.” (Ephesians 5:19) Again, in 1 Cor. 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” Do not give your body in immoral relationship. Protect it pure and clean for yourself and your husband or wife. Give him/her your complete and whole-some body on that day.

2) Protect your heart: “Above all, guard (protect) your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) Many if not all young people involved in illicit sexual relationship did so in the name of love in the heart but to find out soon enough the most painful agony of betrayal. So, learn to protect your heart from being cheated by yourself, the other person or the atmosphere you are in. Many people still suffer from scars of wrong decisions in sexual relationship in their younger years.

3) Protect your family: “If anyone does not provide (protect) his family, he has denied his faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5:8) No one may imagine how much illicit relationship may harm his/her family now and his/her own future family later in their life by involving in illicit sexual relationships. It drags parents, siblings in unnecessary trouble and suffering now and the emotional shadow and pain in your marriage life in the future. Our actions always affect others particularly in our immediate family. Keep your life clean for your family.

4) Protect your future: “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7) The way we make choices now will come back to us later in our life. So many young people made bad choices in their sexual relation-ship bring sure defeat and suffering to their own lives in later days. Sad things like cutting short of their education, limit their career ability and opportunity, raising wild children hard to train or discipline without the support of both parents, complicated multiple marriages and mixed family, children grow up without proper care of model parents, just to name a few. If you care about your future, stop messing up your life now.

PARENTS NEED TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN:

1) Parents need to train their children: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old(er) he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) I believe all parents agree with this advice, but not all parents follow this advice. There are two major reasons I can see: a) Parents are too busy to train their children, b) Parents do not train their children on moral values so children know the right way to grow. Most parents care so much on academic work, sports, music, talents and language skill of their children, but not the most important thing: their moral value and character. I hope parents will wake up on this issue.

2) Parents need to be good examples: “Set example for believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12) Although this quote was meant for a pastor to his congregation, I believe it is also good for parents: Be good example to your children in moral value, in faith to God and in purity of life. We all know children imitate their parents in all these areas. If you really want to see your kids grow up right and do the right thing, you need to live your life right so they can see and learn from.

3) Parents need to learn to do better: “But for you, continue in what you have learned and you have known the scripture which are able to make you wise.” (2 Timothy 3:14-15) Parents learn a lot how to grow the bodies of their children, but neglect to learn how to grow the moral value and character their children need the most. Paul says we can learn from the Bible to be wise parents. You can join Bible class and discipleship sessions; you can read books, attend training sessions and ask for help from more successful parents on how to help your kids live a decent life that will bring honor to God and family and be prepared for their good future. Have you learned anything to be good parent?

4) Parents need to know their children: “Eli’s sons were wicked men, they had no regard for the Lord...So he said to them: Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of you.” (1Samuel 2:12, 23) One of the wrongs Eli did to his sons was he didn’t know what was going on in their lives. This led to their untimely death as punishment from God. Today, many parents don’t know anything about their children: What they do in school? What kind of people they are close to? What their value of life is, their friends, self-discipline, if they have improper relationship with someone? What are they watching on their laptop, iPhone or iPad? What do they do after school and with whom? There are many areas of life in children most parents just don’t know. In this area, I want the teens to listen: No one in this world cares about you and have your best interest in mind more than your parents do. Talk to them, share your life and thoughts with them. They love you and will do all to make your life better and secured.

WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BODY CLEAN: (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

1) The true nature of your body: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you whom you have received from God?” (6:19) Most Christians believe that only their heart or spirit belongs to God, but God says it also includes our bodies. God lives in us both body and soul through the Holy Spirit. If someone important wants to come and stay in your house, you will do your utmost to make the house clean and neat to show your respect to your guest of honor. How much more that we need to respect God by providing our body squeaky clean so He will receive the honor He deserves.

2) The true owner of your body: “You are not your own.” (6:19b) Again in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female.” Only those who deny God and his ownership of their body and soul will think they own their bodies and they can do with it anyway they want. This is the slogan of the liberals by which they violate the rightful ownership of God. We owe God every bit of our being, body and soul. We are not free to do anyway we want to our body. If you live in an apartment, you need to ask for permission to put a nail on the wall to hang your picture. How can anyone use their God-owned body in sinful ways that violates the honor and ownership of God?

3) The true value of your body: “You were bought with a high price.” (6:20) Many people, particularly young people, don’t understand how precious their body is and they wasted it in ways that is cheap and reckless. Some will use their bodies to please others or to be popular among peers they don’t even like. By using their bodies in disrespectful way can only ruin their reputation among their peers. God wants us to know we are very precious to him that he bought us by the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ. So, don’t trash your body in ways that brings shame to yourself, your family and God.

4) The superior goal of your body: “Therefore honor God with your body.” (6:20b) “Honor” or “glorify” is doxasate, in Greek, means “to praise, to bring honor, to glorify” in this case to God. We can bring honor and glory to God not just by singing the doxology in a worship service; our best way to bring God glory and honor is to use our bodies in ways fit God’s command: Be his temple, holy and acceptable. If we use our bodies in reckless or disgraceful way we bring shame to the holy name of God.

APPLICATIONS:

1) Take God’s warning seriously: “If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:17) No one had ever achieved anything noble or good by trashing his/her body, the temple of God. We have seen or read many such sad stories of disgrace or self inflicted destruction because people sin with their body. Build the defense with God’s wisdom while you are still young and pure. Yes, you can do that.

2) Stay away from roaring lions: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) There are many roaring lions in our surroundings, school, bad friends, liberal media promotion, temptation from people around you, sexually oriented material, evil peer pressure and even your own desires of the fresh. We need to run away from any and all these to keep us clean for God and the one he sends us as our life mate. You can do that.