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Home , Fornication

Mark E. Larson

The Evil of Introduction: Pornography Is a Real and Dangerous Problem in Our of Which Christians Are not Immune. In the past, the influence of pornography was limited to the back of a magazine shelf at a convenience store. Now with the advent and convenience of the Internet and pay-per- view movies purchased by remote control, the influence of pornography has sky-rocketed. Americans rent upwards of 800 million porn videos a year compared with 3.6 billion non-porn videos. Nearly one in five rentals is a porn flick. (Adams Media Research). There are 4.2 million pornographic websites. This represents 12 percent of all websites in the world (Statistics by Safe Media). 12% of Internet users reported viewing “sexually-explicit material” on a website within the last 30 days. (National Opinion Research Center). Pornographic entertainment on the Internet constituted the third largest sector of sales in cyberspace, with estimated annual revenues of $100 million. Such marketing success has fueled an increase in the size of the pornography industry -- $10 billion annually, according to conservative estimates (6 to 15 billion). Though it may seem that Christians are above such filth and perversion, we must beware lest we fall! (1 Cor. 10:12). Elders, deacons, preachers, teachers, no member is immune or above being tempted! Both the young and the old have been enticed by the evil of pornography, so let us beware not only for our sake, but for the sake of our children and all brethren. I. What Is Pornography? A. “Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause ” – American Heritage Dictionary B. The Greek word pornographia – literally means “the writing about or drawings of harlots” (prostitutes), akin to the Greek word porneia (). C. Pornography comes in a variety of forms of which we must beware! “Pornography may use any of a variety of media — written and spoken text, photos, sculpture, drawings, moving images (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. Novels 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, the Free Encyclopedia Examples: It doesn’t have to be officially rated X to be pornographic: (1) “Art” (2) Music (3) novels (4) Music videos (5) TV shows (6) Commercials 1. There does not have to be complete for something to be pornographic! Examples: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, Victoria Secret, online magazines, modelling web sites, Facebook posts, etc. 2. Many who dress immodestly could qualify as being pornographic! (Prov. 7:10)

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II. What Is Evil About Pornography? (1 Thes. 5:21-22). A. It is a form of lasciviousness (lewdness / sensuality) (i.e., an unrestrained, shameless public display of sex acts) a “work of the flesh” (Gal. 5:19). B. It is “of the world,” an enticement that causes people to and fall away from God (1 John 2:15-16). C. It wrongly teaches that sex outside of the relationship is proper or acceptable (Hebrews 13:4). D. It causes people to lust and commit “adultery in the heart” (Mat. 5:27-28).

III. Beware of the Dangers of Pornography. · It is utter foolishness to play with fire when you will only get burned! (Prov 6:27-29). A. It corrupts the heart, producing thoughts of fornication and lasciviousness, making a person morally unclean (offensive to God) (Mark 7:20-23). B. It can become an addiction that will enslave and destroy you (2 Pet. 2:18-19; John 8:34). 1. Sinful activity can become an enslavement or addiction. 2. Like alcohol, nicotine, heroin, gambling, etc., pornography can become an addiction that will destroy you over time (about 10% of adults addicted to porn or over 40 million regular users in the U.S. - more addicts than alcoholics). “Pornography consumption can be as "mood altering" and as addictive as narcotics.” – Richard Drake, assistant professor at Brigham Young University College of Nursing. Studies have shown porn to produce the same brain stimulation as crack cocaine! Mary 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: “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.” The progression of pornography addiction has been explained as 5 stages:

# 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. ACTING OUT SEXUALLY 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.

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C. Many of our young people are being ensnared by pornography. * Statistic - 12 to 17 year olds largest group of users of online porn! 90% of Children Have Accidentally Viewed Pornography Nine out of ten 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 that was homework related. - The London School of Economics 70% of 15-17 year olds said they accidentally came across pornography on line. – Kaiser Family Foundation poll Pornographers disguise their sites (i.e. "stealth" sites) with common brand names, including Disney, Barbie, ESPN, etc., to entrap children. – Cyveillance Co. Study Examples: (1) Classmates supply it. (2) Pay-per-view rated R or “mature” movies or “sneak previews” of movie channels (3) Internet surfing (4) I-Pads (5) Smart phones 1. Parents who make the assumption: “Oh, my children would never view such filth” are naive and foolish, for they put their children above temptation. Parents should not hesitate to protect their children! Examples: TV guardian controls, Internet filtering software, careful watch of whom they keep company, honest and open discussions. 2. Sin can easily entangle us (Heb. 12:1) including our children, so we must do all we can to protect them from harm, especially sin which harms the soul. D. It is a powerful force of destruction of leading many married couples to divorce. According to one survey, two thirds of divorce lawyers reported that 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. 1. It is no accident that Jesus taught of the evil of adultery and sexual lust in the same context of the problem of divorce (Mat. 5:27-32). E. It hardens the heart, causing a person to fall away from God and lose their salvation (Heb. 3:12-13; Gal. 5:19-21). IV. Preventative Measures Against Pornography. A. Prepare for a fight, a spiritual war against sin (1 Pet. 2:11; Eph. 6:10-17). 1. This is not just a battle for the body and mind; it is a body for our soul! 2. Advertisers and promoters of porn are essentially agents of the devil who work very hard to ensnare you and me to partake of their product. 3. Christians must not be passive or let their guard down for one moment; they must put on the full armor of God and always be ready for battle!

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B. Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17). 1. Knowing God’s will, keeping His commandments close to your heart will remind you what is right and help to maintain your purity. C. Keep or guard your heart. 1. Don’t allow the graphic, perverse images to enter your heart and leave a wicked, haunting impression. 2. Your heart is where it all starts, so protect it at all costs! (Prov. 4:23). D. Pray when confronted with temptation (Mat. 26:41). E. Look for the way of escape that God provides you (1 Cor. 10:13). Examples: Prayer, Bible study, fellow Christian, “escape” by turning off the computer, getting rid of your cable/satellite TV, using an internet filter, avoid bad company, avoid bars, certain gas stations, any place that may tempt you, etc. F. Develop greater self-control 1. Working toward greater self-control in all things (e.g. speech, emotions, food, spending habits, etc.) will help you to have self-control of your sexual appetites including your desire for pornography (1 Cor. 9:24-27). a. Fasting and prayer is a way to develop greater self-control (1 Cor. 7:5). G. If you struggle against pornography, seek the help and prayers of brothers and sisters in Christ (James 5:16 / Gal. 6:1). Conclusion: The Evil of Pornography Must Not Be Underestimated! May the Children of God Always Abstain from it.

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