Desperate Households - Desperate For Intimacy by Cathleen Parks

Series: Desperate Households - Desperate bedrooms - desperate 4 intimacy
(basic outline)

8 steps to intimacy

The look
The flirt
The handhold
The hug
The kiss
The make out
The Touch
SEX

Where will you draw the line?

Bible says sex reserved for marriage
Thess. 4:3-4  "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable"

Wanting line drawn for you = how far can I go & still be pure?

Wanting to go right to the line, take it to the edge
such as,

- Speed limit
- Taxes - loophole
Sex like taxes - how much can I get out of this without going too far? Is there a loophole? Is there a way to get around the rules?

It’s not just sex, but many areas of our lives.
Bible calls this our sinful nature - Gal. 5:16-17   "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should."

Gal. 5:19-21 "People's desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols, practice witchcraft, hate others, and are hard to get along with. People become jealous, angry, and selfish. They not only argue and cause trouble, but they are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild parties, and do other evil things as well. I told you before, and I am telling you again: No one who does these things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom."

Old Testament - people wanted lines drawn for them
God made it simple - He gave the 10 Commandments
Define a sabbath = define sex

Pharisees came up with literally 100’s of rules just concerning the sabbath. 1000’s of rules of how to live overall
God never intended us to live by a rule book but instead by a heart that desires to honor Him, and in that desire, to seek purity

Stop taking all of the Galatians issues and playing with the lines. Instead consider the moments. In this moment of conversation - with my words - in handling my anger - in my relationships - in my finances - with my body -
am I honoring God?

In all of these areas, you must decide where your line is. Especially regarding sex.
**Establish your line ahead of time!

Heat of the moments, heart racing, brain shuts down - sexual autopilot

Your line is your manual override switch

Single - figure out where your line is - establish it ahead of time

Married - your line is at the look

What is someone tries to go past the line? Look at Joseph - RUN!

8 steps for single people - but 4 steps that married people need to be keenly aware of

Talk
Time
Trust
Touch

Expand
Story of Pastor having affair with another woman - it was too late before sex ever happened. Married people - RUN -
stay away

So what do you do if you think it’s too late? Single or married - you look at your steps and you think ‘It’s too late.
I know where I am or where I’ve been and it’s too late.’

Know that it’s never too late.

We serve a God of great mercy. Mercies are new every morning.
Our God did not come to condemn us but to save us.
How are we saved from our sin? Repentance. Turn and go the other way.

Repentance leads to maturity. God’s will for each of us is maturity in Him
What if you had a baby that refused to eat? (Allison)

Nature course of maturity
(CONFESSION VIDEO - Desperate Housewives)

1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation"

Today - God is calling you.

Calling you to stop being desperate for intimacy as we’ve evaluated it. But start being desperate for intimacy with Him.
Intimacy with God comes as you drink of His pure spiritual milk. Seeking purity, ingesting into your spirit that with is pure.


If you wish to grow up in your salvation - drink of His purity. Put aside your spiritual junk food. Christ didn’t come to condone our sin - He came to die for it. He died for it. That’s why His mercies are new every morning. Because He so desperately wants you to repent - go the other way and in that become intimate with Jesus.