February 28, 2021 Sermon Notes and Slides
SERMON NOTES
You Shall Not Commit Adultery
Deuteronomy 5:18
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor
Overview: The seventh commandment prohibiting adultery is a call to moral purity for all, marital fidelity between spouses, and covenant loyalty before God. The call to moral purity includes our thoughts about the value of others, how we understand the purpose of our bodies, and why we should refrain from acting on our base impulses. The call to marital fidelity is based upon God’s design for marriage, a genuine love for our spouse, and Christ’s love for the church. The call to covenant loyalty before God involves our recognition of His Lordship in all areas of life, our satisfaction with His providential leading in our lives, and our anticipation of His provision in the life to come. Regardless of whether we are single or married, the seventh commandment compels us to flee all forms of sexual immorality.
01. To those who are struggling with moral purity, continue your fight to glorify God.
02. To those who have committed marital infidelity, confess your sins to a forgiving God.
03. To those who are longing for covenant loyalty, commit your life to a faithful God.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. In what ways do modern culture and media promote sexual promiscuity and marital infidelity? Do you find support for the Christian sexual and marital ethic evident in culture and media today? How can believers maintain a biblical attitude towards sex and marriage when so little support comes from culture?
2. Discuss 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 as it relates to sexual sin and the body. How does Paul’s teaching in this regard challenge the current notion that our body is our own? What does this connection suggest about the importance of representing Christ and the church by the way we live our lives?
3. What biblical models of marriage do you find helpful or inspirational for understanding marriage today? What biblical examples of unfaithfulness in marriage do you find helpful in warning against promiscuity or adultery? Are there any biblical passages that you find helpful to encourage purity in our thoughts and actions?
4. Read Matthew 5:29-30. Why does Jesus call upon us to take such drastic action against our sins? What ways can you think of that help believers overcome recurring sin? What would you say to a person who believes that sin has gained mastery over them and it is no longer worth fighting against?
5. Read Psalm 32 and Psalm 51. What was the occasion behind these Psalms? How do these passages bring hope to those who feel the weight and guilt of their sin? What do these passages tell us about the heart of God toward sinners?
For Further Reading: Timothy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (Penguin, 2011).