This Saturday the men of Redeemer Church, Grace Fellowship, and Anniston Bible Church will gather together for a conference on sexual purity. Everyone in our church thinks the conference is a good idea and is in full support of the event. But why? Why is it important for a group of Christian men to gather together and be instructed in the area of sexuality? Well, there are many reasons. I want to give you four:
1. God has made us sexual beings. To ignore that is to ignore one of God’s key intentions for the function of humanity. Unfortunately the common practice of church leadership in recent decades has been to avoid the discussion of sexuality at all costs. This avoidance has been unfaithful to biblical teaching and detrimental to the spiritual prosperity of many Christians. I will illustrate my point from personal experience. I have been “in church” my entire life. Until I was well into my twenties I cannot recall one sermon, one Bible-study, or one conference centered on the issue of sexuality in any of the local churches I attended. This is not good. An environment of ignorance is an environment of dysfunction.
2. God has designed human sexuality for our good. God said that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). So He made woman, then instituted this principle, “A man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24), which is to say, “…they shall enjoy the sexual relationship.” God created sex for the fulfillment and enjoyment of a man and woman in the marriage covenant. His vision for human sexuality is pure, healthy, and life-giving. As Christians, we should understand that, embrace that, and be instructed in the Biblical principles of sexuality.
3. God’s voice concerning human sexuality desperately needs to be heard. The world has hijacked the stagecoach of sexuality, taken the reigns, and is now steering humanity down the road to perdition. Unwittingly many Christians sit inside the coach oblivious to the fact that Satan and the evil world system are driving them toward death. Sadly, Christians all over the world gain more of their views and practices of sexuality from the world than from God. Naturally, this is having a devastating effect on individuals, marriages, families, churches, communities, and entire countries. Instead of being led by the world, Christians need to hear and heed the voice of God regarding human sexuality.
4. God has strategically positioned men as key influencers in the area of sexuality. Men are leaders. Men are husbands. Men are fathers. Men are pastors. If men get sexuality right, then the marriage, the family, and the church will ultimately get it right. But if men get it wrong, then sexuality will be used by Satan to destroy people in every arena of life. This in no way negates the importance of the entire church (men and women) being instructed in key areas of sexuality. But it does underscore the responsibility and accountability men have before God in this area.
If you are a man, I encourage you to attend the Iron-on-Iron Men’s Purity Conference this Saturday at 5:00pm at Anniston Bible Church. The cost is $20. You will receive dinner, a book, and four teaching sessions on sexual purity.