“That Is Why”
By Design Series Lesson 1
Sermon Notes
August 13, 2023
I. The Nature Of This Series…
A. The irony is that the church is typically the last place that you would expect to address the topic of
B. However, the topic of sexuality is addressed throughout the Bible and we should never be hesitant to talk a lot about anything that God talks a lot about!
C. This series will examine the subject of sexuality through the lens of the Bible, which we believe is the authoritative and inspired revelation of God.
D. Reflection/Discussion Question: Think back on your church experiences as a youth and as an adult. How was the topic of sexuality addressed in your church experiences? Was it addressed in Bible classes or in sermons? What were the predominant messages that you remember hearing?
II. Foundational Truths For A Biblical Understanding of Sexuality
A. We are created by God in two
B. Sex is
C. Sex is for
Sex connects a husband and wife at the
The reason why the Bible restricts sexual intimacy to marriage is not because it has a low view of sex, but rather because it has such a high view of what sex was intended to be!
D. Reflection/Discussion Question: Which of the above “Biblical truths about sexuality” do you think Christians have the most difficult time understanding and embracing? Why do you think that is? How does our culture distort or counter these Biblical truths about our sexuality?
III. Stewarding Our Sexuality According to God’s Design Means…
A. We must understand that the Bible always refers to sexual activity outside of heterosexual marriage as
When we step outside of God’s design, we hurt ourselves and we hurt other people!
The church was birthed in a culture just like our contemporary culture; one in which
When your body controls your sexual ethics, then your view of sex is too low because your view of sex is too high!
After interviewing thousands of 18-23 year olds, the authors of a book entitled
B. We must understand that the Bible never depicts sex as a basic human
We were not meant to worship
When you came up out of the waters of baptism, what you were saying was: “Jesus, you are now Lord of my
C. We must understand that the Bible never justifies a relationship simply on the basis of
Sin has
Followers of Jesus let
Every one of us has failed to steward our sexuality
D. Reflection/Discussion Question: Which of the three Biblical principles described above__presents the greatest challenge or difficulty for believers in our contemporary culture? What can churches do to better equip both youth and adults with a meaningful Biblical theology of sexuality that truly impacts their ethics and lifestyles?