What up Argyle? How you doing? I'm so glad you're here today and to our guests we hope you feel
right at home. Today is part two in our series guardrails. Some of our life groups are also
doing this study in homes during the week or if you would like to further this study on your own
I've made some discussion questions for you to use. You can download those on our website at
Argyle.church or you can pick up a copy of those discussion questions in our welcome center. If
you're not in a life group and you'd like to find out more about life group you can do that in our
welcome center also. Our mission at the church at Argyle is to lead people into a growing relationship
with Jesus Christ. That's what we're all about. We believe that we should all connect with each
other and the best way to do that is in a life group. We believe that we should all use our time
and our talent to serve others. We believe that since God is a generous giver that we should
also all give and we believe that we should invest in the lives of others and invite them to get
involved in a good church just like the church at Argyle. Guardrails, we all know what they are.
They protect us from drifting into dangerous areas and just like a guardrail protects us as we're
driving we have guardrails that can protect us in other areas of our life and that's what we're
talking about today. A guardrail along a road is usually in a safe area to keep us from drifting
into an unsafe area. Guardrails aren't in the danger zone. Guardrails are always a safe distance
away from the danger and in the same way we want to have guardrails in our life to keep us away
from things that potentially could hurt us. So here's our definition of a guardrail to protect
us in our life. A personal code of conduct that is connected to my heart. We want to choose a
code of conduct for ourself, a code that is just for you. This isn't for everyone that will keep
you away from danger, danger financially, danger maybe in your friendships, danger morally,
morally, danger in your dating relationships, danger in your marriage. We need to see that
there are danger zones and if I cross over into those danger zones that there's a price to pay,
that if I cross over into those danger zones that I can hurt myself and maybe even hurt the people
that I love the most. That's why it's important for all of us to set up personal guardrails for
ourself. A personal code of conduct that is connected to my heart. In other words, I'm never
going to do this in order to keep me from doing that. That's wisdom. That's guarding your heart.
Here's our two verses that we're remembering for this series. Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 23,
above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. And then Proverbs 22 verse
3, the wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble. A wise
person understands that the decisions they make, the choices they make, the things that they do will
affect other areas of their life, but the fool thinks that the decisions they make, the choices
they make, the things that they do will not affect other areas of their life. That's why
why they're a fool. The wise person understands that all of life is related. The fool doesn't
understand that or they refuse to accept that truth. Today we're going to talk about the most
dangerous area of all, the area that needs guardrails the most. Every area of our life that
has passion needs a guardrail. This area that we're talking about today not only needs a guardrail,
but also needs a solid brick wall around it. If our culture would put guardrails in this one
dangerous area, it would completely change our world for the better. In fact, there's not one
single area in our culture that would not be changed for the better if our culture would just get
this one thing right. Well, maybe asking our culture to get this right is too much to ask for.
What if the church would just get this one area right? What if just Christians would get this
right? If just the Christians would set up guardrails, a personal code of conduct that's
connected to our heart to protect us from driving off the bridge of sexual immorality,
it would change our world. In every area of our lives where there is passion,
we need guardrails. So in the area of sexual intimacy, we need some serious guardrails.
And here's why. You can come back from just about any other kind of mistake and recover,
but from sexual sin, it's very difficult to recover from.
You can fully recover from financial disaster. Given enough time and enough discipline,
you can get back on your feet. You can fully recover from a professional disaster. You can
get fired, but you can get another job and things will eventually work out. But all psychologists
know that sex is not just physical. It's way deeper than that. There are things that people
will carry with them for the rest of their lives and sexual sin is very difficult to recover from.
We know this, but we try to ignore it because we live in a culture that says that sex
is only physical, but we know better. If there's any place in our lives that need guardrails,
this is the place because of the damage done, the memories that follow us, the guilt that
stays with us. So this requires the very strongest of guardrails. So today, we want to challenge
you to set up some personal guardrails in this very important area. Some of you may think
that we are being way too conservative and that's okay. This is one of those issues that,
for some reason, we find it very hard to face up to. But if we'll get honest, we'll see that
we need to get real. As we look at what's happening in our culture, as we look at what's happening
to our families, we have to take this seriously. So the Apostle Paul gives us a guardrail in First
Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 18. So run away from sexual sin. Some translations say,
so flee from sexual sin. Run away. Paul doesn't say to be careful. Paul doesn't say to watch out.
He doesn't say get as close to the edge as possible. The Apostle Paul says to run away.
When it comes to sexual immorality, he doesn't waste any words. Run away. Now you may or may
not be a church person. You may or may not be a Christ follower. You may or may not believe
the Bible. But I think this is true about all of us. If you're a husband, this is what you want
your wife to do. If you're a wife, this is what you want your husband to do, to run away
from sexual sin. If you're a mother or a father, this is what you want your children to do. If
you're a grandparent, this is what you want your grandchildren to do. This is what you want your
best friend to do. This is what you want everyone you care about to do. Then why wouldn't you do
this for yourself? Run away from sexual sin. Some of you are saying to yourself right now,
I'm so glad my husband's hearing this today. I'm so glad my wife is hearing this. I wish
I wish everyone at work could hear this right now. I want my kids to hear this. I want my grandkids
to hear this. We all know the potential damage of driving off of the bridge of sexual immorality.
So we would all say to the people we love, please run away from sexual sin.
But when it comes to some of us, you don't run. Instead, you get as close to the edge as possible.
Maybe you're even hoping that someone would push you over the edge. Then you could blame it on
somebody else. Some of us think that this stuff doesn't even apply to us. We think that somehow
we're exempt, that we're special, that we're the exception to the rule. Paul would say,
don't deceive yourself. Our culture will lead you to the edge and push you over the edge,
if it could. Fashion, movies, TV, music, all lead us right to the edge. All of us
entertain ourselves every day with affairs. How many hundreds of affairs do we see each day
in movies, TV, and music? All of us entertain ourselves with affairs and then we're shocked
when somebody we know actually has one. Years ago at our first church where we served as
youth and worship pastor, the senior pastor there got convicted about watching television
and he decided that he was going to take the TV out of his house and he told our congregation
about it. I remember thinking, wow, now that's dedication. I'm not sure I'd be able to do that.
A few weeks later, he was preaching and he used the TV show as an illustration in the sermon.
So after church, I asked him how he knew what was on TV since he had said he was taking the TV
out of his house and he said he did for a few days, but his wife made him put it back.
The idea isn't the boycott TV in movies. That's not going to change culture. The idea is that we
need guardrails. Now your guardrail might be to take the TV out of your house. Your personal
guardrail might be not to watch television alone. Your personal guardrail might be to never get on
the computer by yourself. A personal code of conduct that is connected to your heart, that you
decide in advance, not in the middle of temptation, that you decide in advance that there are some
things that you're not going to do. And then you decide that there are some good things that you
are going to do to protect you. That's guardrails. That's wisdom. So can I suggest some guardrails
today to protect your marriage? These might seem extreme to you, but that's okay. Sometimes guardrails
are extreme. You might disagree with these. That's okay. These aren't in the Bible.
They're just suggestions, but we need to do something, don't we? Here are some suggested
guardrails to protect your marriage. Number one, don't travel alone with members of the opposite
sex. Maybe because of your job, this isn't possible for you. That's okay. Do the best you can.
Number two, don't eat alone with members of the opposite sex. Many affairs begin with a private
meal together. Number three, be careful about helping members of the opposite sex that you may
be attracted to. Everyone deserves help, so help them get help. Maybe you shouldn't be the one to
give the help. The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble.
Number four, don't counsel members of the opposite sex alone, but pastor, you don't understand.
She said, no one's ever listened to me like you before. No one's ever understood me like you.
You don't counsel members of the opposite sex alone, but they need me. No, they need help.
They don't need you. That's the best advice I can give you for you and your marriage.
The number of marriages that have been destroyed by this are too many to count.
Those are some guardrails for married people. Now, here are some guardrails for single people,
but first, let me give you a Bible verse for single people. Mark chapter 9 verse 47,
and if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. So all single people get a sharp object and poke
out your eyes right now. That's your only hope. I'm kidding. But if you're single,
you should have the same guardrails as married people. Make a commitment to God to keep yourself
pure and pray and ask God to protect you. And if you're a Christian, there's even a
greater reason for you to run from sexual sin. There's even a greater reason as a Christian
for you to set up guardrails. First Corinthians chapter 6 verse 18. So run away from sexual sin.
Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against
their own bodies. You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you.
You have received the Holy Spirit from God, so you do not belong to yourselves because you were
bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies. Verse 19, you should know that your body
is a temple. Did you know that? You got up this morning and looked in the mirror and you said,
look at my temple. And some of us said, wow, my temple's getting bigger. And some of us said,
wow, my temple's falling apart. But God says your body is a temple. That means it's holy.
Look what it says in verse 19. Your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you.
When a person becomes a Christian, something supernatural happens. God moves inside of us,
inside of us, which means our bodies become the temple of God. Verse 19, you have received the
Holy Spirit from God. You became a Christian. The Holy Spirit moves inside of you. Your body
is very, very special. Then he says in verse 19, so you do not belong to yourselves. You don't
belong to you. Now, wait a minute. I thought Bon Jovi said, it's my life. And Gwen Stefani
of No Doubt said, it's my life. But they were wrong. If you're a Christian, your body doesn't belong
just to you because in a supernatural way, God moved inside of you. Verse 20, because you were
bought by God for a price. What Paul is talking about is that when Jesus came into the world,
he died for your sin and he purchased you. You have been purchased from sin. You are no longer
a slave to sin. You don't have to do what your passions tell you to do. Your body is now under
the authority of God. So because you are not your own, here's what you are to do. Verse 20,
so honor God with your bodies. Run away from sexual sin. Don't you know your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Don't you know that God lives in your body? You are not your own.
You have been purchased. And what was the price? The death of your Savior, Jesus Christ. That was
the price that God paid for your body. So he says, here's what I want you to do. Honor God with your
body. If it's dishonoring to God, don't do it with your body. And may this be our prayer every day.
God, my body belongs to you. It's your temple. I want to live this life and I want to live this
day in such a way that everything I do with this body honors you. And in order to do that, we've
got to set up some personal guardrails. Because if you set up some personal guardrails and you bump
up against your guardrail, you'll be protected from the danger that's on the other side.
God loves you. God knows what's best for you and he wants to protect you. And if you'll do life
his way, you'll never be sorry for it. Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows
from it. The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble.
No one has ever regretted setting up guardrails. But there are a lot of us who look back
and wish that we had. Jesus came into this world and died for your sin.
By his grace, he paid for your sin. He created you. He made you. And then he loved you so much
that he purchased you. He bought you back. You are no longer a slave to sin. You don't have to do
what your passions tell you to do. Jesus wanted all at the cross so that you can now honor God
with your bodies.
One measure. Jesus wanted all. I can come boldly cleansed by his blood.
It's saved out of darkness by the power of God.
He has wanted my salvation, my forgiveness at the cross. He's healing his redemption for
the way it would come. He has won at the cross. So let all take freely this water of life
and let over the first time worship Jesus Christ. He has won in my salvation,
my forgiveness at the cross. He's healing his redemption for whoever would come.
He has won. He's won in my salvation, my forgiveness at the cross. He's healing his
redemption for whoever would come. He has won for in me is the life that destroys sin and death
and he broke every chain for the bound and depressed. He's alive. He's alive.
He's won in my salvation, my forgiveness at the cross. He's healing his redemption
for whoever would come. He has won. He's won in my salvation, my forgiveness at the
cross and the cross. His redemption for whoever would come. He has won. That's the
cross. That's the cross.
Thank you, Cindy. Thank you, Tony. Our prayer team will be here if you need prayer before you go. God
bless you. Have a wonderful week. See you next Sunday. Bring somebody with you.
