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Pornography, The Sin Of Introduction: We are not to be ignorant of the devices and schemes of the devil. In the Garden of Eden, Satan tempted the woman with the forbidden fruit, it was good to look at, Genesis 3.6. This device has been used in many ways by Satan. Obviously pornography is rampant in our society. In the past, the influence of pornography was limited to magazines such as "Playboy" or "Hustler" or "Penthouse", etc. **The internet and technology has made the dispersing and viewing of pornography easier and more profitable. Americans rent upwards of 800 million porn videos and DVD's a year compared with 3.6 billion nonporn videos. Nearly one in five rentals is a porn flick. -- Adams Media Research ( Who has not heard of the "Girls Gone Wild" videos, with 40 million dollars in sales each year.) **There are 4.2 million pornographic websites. This represents 12% of all websites in the world -- Statistics by Family Safe Media **Pornographic entertainment on the Internet constituted the 3rd largest sector of seals in cyberspace, with estimated annual revenues of $100 million. The overall porn industry earns about $10 billion a year. -- Anthony Flint, Skin Trade Spreading Across U.S., Boston Sunday Globe, Dec. 1. 1996, at A1. **One in 4 American adults surveyed in 2002 admitted to seeing an X-rated movied in the last year. -- National Opinion Research Letter **This is not just a problem in the world but even in the church. Men and women are not above this temptation just because they have obeyed the Gospel. How many times does the Bible tell us to "beware", 1 Corinthians 10.12. Elders, deacons, preaches, teachers, no member is above temptation. A preacher that we know had an auto accident. His wife asked a nearby preacher to view what was on his computer. It turned out this man had been viewing, and downloading pornography for a long time. However, he had also preached on the sin of pornography. I) What Is Pornography? A) Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal. -- American Heritage Dictionary B) From the Greek word pornographia -- literally means "the writing about or drawings of harlots" (prostitutes), akin to the Greek word porneia (fornication) C) Pornography comes in a variety of forms of which we must be aware. 1. "Pornography may use any of a variety of media -- written and spoken text, photos, sculpture, drawings, moving image (including animation), and sounds such as heavy breathing. Pornographic films combine moving images, spoken erotic text and/or other erotic sounds, while magazines often combine photos and written text. Movels and short stories provide written text, sometimes with illustrations. In addition to media, a live performance may also be called pornographic. Notably, all of the above may be found on the internet." Wikipedia 2. Examples: It does not have to be officially rated X to be pornographic, (1) art, (2) music, (3) romance novels, (4) music videos, (5) TV shows (recently MTV aired a show "Skins" which was a reality show that was called pornographic), (6) commercials, after all sex sells. 3. There does not have to be complete nudity, for something to be pornographic. a. Sports illustarted Swimsuit issue, Victoria Secrets commercials b. Personal internet homepages, sexting, etc. 4. Many who dress immodestly could qualify as being pornographic. C) Learning from Adam and Eve, Genesis 3.6-7 1. Loin coverings, or aprons -- a girdle, a loin covering, a belt, or a loin-cloth. 2. This covered as much as modern day swim suits and some clothing fashions. 3. God made them proper clothing, Genesis 3.21. 4. Many today dress in "fig leaves" and need true garments to cover themselves. II) What Is Sinful About Pornography? 1 Thess. 5.21-22 ** Some try to down play it by saying it is ok to look as long as you don't touch, or boys will be boys, or I can look at it and it does not affect me one bit. A) It is a form of lasciviousness (lewdness/sensuality) (i.e. an unrestrained, shameless public display of sex acts) a "work of the flesh, Galatians 5.19 B) It is "of the world" an enticement that causes people to lust, 1 John 2.15-17 1. Obviously it sole purpose is to entice and excite. C) It wrongly teaches that sex outside of the marriage relationship is proper or acceptable, Hebrews 13.4. 1. Ok to lust for someone and to desire to have sex with someone other than your spouse. 2. Many prostitutes say they were first introduced to pornography D) It causes people to lust and commit "adultery in the heart", Matthew 5.27-28 *A person cannot view pornography and not be affected by it. III) Beware Of The Dangers Of Pornography A) It corrupts the hearts, producing thoughts of fornication and lasciviousness, Mark 7.20-23; Isaiah 59.2 1. It often leads to serious behavioral problems because it affects the way a person thinks about and looks at others. 2. Men see women simply as sexual objects, fanaticize, etc. 3. Pornography consumption can be as mood altering and as addictive as narcotics. -- a study by Richard Drake, assistant professor at Brigham Young University College of Nursing 4. Studies have shown porn to produce the same brain stimulation as crack cocaine! "Pornography addicts have a more difficult time recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since coke users can get the drug out of their system, but pornographic images stay in the brain forever" -- May Anne Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Therapy testified before a Senate committee that Internet pornography is the new crack cocaine. B) The Model of Pornography and Addiction 1. Early Exposure -- most people who get addicted to porn start early. They see porn when they are very young and it gets its foot in the door. 2. Porn Addiction -- you keep coming back to porn. It becomes a regular part of your life. You're hooked and can't quit. 3. Escalation -- you start to look for more graphic pornography. you start using porn that disgusted you earlier. Now, it excites you. 4. Desensitization -- you start to become numb to the images you see. Even the most graphic porn doesn't excite you any more. You become desperate to feel the same thrill again, but you can't find it. 5. Acting out sexually -- a. This is the point where men make a crucial jump and start acting out the images they have seen. Some move from the paper and plastic images of porn into the real world, with real people, in destructive ways. b. Ted Bundy was a mass killer of women. Before his death in an interview with Dr. Dobson he said that he was introduced to pornography and that started him on the road to murder. C) Sinful activity can become a enslavement or addiction, 2 Peter 2.18-19. 1. Like alcohol, nicotine, heroin, pornography can become an addiction that will destroy you and your family. 2. Many of our young people because of the internet, sexting, etc. are being tempted by pornography. a. Statistic -- 12 to 17 years olds are the largest group of users of online porn. b. 90% of children have accidentally viewed pornography. c. 9 out of 10 children between the ages of 8 and 16 have accessed pornography on the Internet. In most cases, these sites were stumbled upon while searching for information hat was homework related. -- The London School of Economics 3. 70% of 15 to 17 year olds said they have accidentally came across pornography on line -- Kaiser Family Foundation 2001 poll. 4. Pornographers often disguise their sites with common brand names. D) Other sources 1. Classmates who supply it, 1 Corinthians 15.33 2. Pay- per- view rated R or "mature" movies 3. I- Pods with pictures a. Parents who make the assumption that my child would never view such filth are naive and foolish, they are not above temptation. b. Sin can easily entangle us, Hebrews 12.1. E) Other facts 1. At a 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended said the internet played a significant role in the divorces in the past year, with excessive interest in online porn contributing to more than half such cases. 2. Pornography had an almost non-existent role in divorce just seven or eight years earlier. Husband and wives are no longer satisfied with their own spouse, especially when compared to the porn star online. 3. It is no accident that Jesus taught of the evil of adultery in the same context of the problem of divorce, Matthew 5.27-32. 3. It hardens the heart, causing a person to fall away from God, they justify it, and lose their soul, Hebrews 3.12-13, Gal. 5.19-21. IV) Preventative Measures Against Pornography A) Understand the spiritual battle that is going on, the wiles of the devil, 1 Peter 2.11 1. There is no such thing as harmless sin and harmless pornography. 2. That person is somebody's child, and has a soul. B) Remember and study the word of God, Psalm 119.9 1. 1 Corinthians 7.2 gives us the proper arrangement for the sexual union and it does not include anybody else. 2. Some think it is ok to view pornography as long as the sexual desire is then satisfied with their own spouse, such is simply mental adultery. C) Pray without ceasing, 1 Thess. 5.17 1. The strength to resist the temptation. 2. The wisdom to make choices that help you to overcome it. D) Look for the way of escape, 1 Corinthians 10.13; Genesis 39.12 1. Must get away from it and stay away from it. One of the problems with cable TV, the premium channels is they make pornography convenient. 2. For some it may mean getting rid of the TV or premium channels, using filters on the computer, changing friendships. 3. It is foolish to think that you can play with fire and not get burned. Proverbs 6.27-29. Conclusion: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, Phil. 4.13. This applies to overcoming sin and living a spirit filled life. (Note: This lesson is adapted from material by Mark Larson. Much of the statistics and general outline came from his sermon on this subject. D.T.)
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