I Corinthians 5:9-13

The culture does not need from the Church anger and judgment nor accommodation and compromise. The Church’s best posture is to joyfully teach and model God’s original design and intent while loving, accepting and forgiving ourselves and one another when we fall short.

I. Isn’t this much ado about nothing?

II. Why is the Church so focused on these issues?

III. Can’t we agree to disagree?

IV. Why are some Christians so angry and bigoted?

The goal of our instruction is love, from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1. Extravagant love for all people.

2. Inside the Church we must be clear about Christian identity.

How do we become more distinctive? We do it by quietly building good marriages, families, churches and friendships. We don’t need better words, we need better demonstrations of God’s best design!

I Corinthians 6:12-20

I. Arts and Media in Perspective.

It is time we acknowledge that all of us, in the Body of Christ, have problems with such things as pornography, body image, self-loathing, eating disorders and all the rest.

II. Called to the arts and media.

“Christ the Victor”

Christ over Rio De Janeiro.

Sand artist Joe Castillo

Paul said, Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

Revelation 19:6-9; 21:1-4

I. The human body has physical and spiritual meaning.

Three Biblical truths repeated:

Current phrases and practices:

II. The human body and the two genders.

III. The human body will be resurrected.

Mark 12:18-27

Marriage is designed to reflect the fact that God is a covenant keeping God.

Marriage on earth, as we know it, will come to an end.

A call to singleness and celibacy is a temporal anticipation of the resurrected life.

I. Singleness is a gift of God.

II. Singleness has advantages.

III. Singleness is hard.

IV. Singleness is not permanent.

Genesis 2:21-25

All of the current questions in our culture are not about sex. They are about the human body and God’s original design and purpose.

The world sees marriage as a commodity. God sees marriage as a covenant.

I. Called to freedom (examine our nakedness)

II. Called to marriage and childbirth (echoing the Trinity)

Whatever forces us inward toward autonomy creates more guilt, fear

III. Called to self-donation

Matthew 19:1-12

1. We have a body!

2. Adam before the fall.

Just because the first Adam failed and our world is broken doesn’t

3. Adam as image - bearer.