PORN, Parents, The Church & The Point

I sit here this morning excited.  It's 8:21 am on Friday September 26th and we are 9 days away from Porn Sunday at Church at Hampton Roads.

Isn't this taboo?  Aren't we suppose to stay quiet?  Aren't our kids to young?  This should not be discussed in Church.

I have experienced the death grip of porn in my life.  Early on in my marriage it almost took everything from me.  But God, in His mercy AND POWER, delivered me from the lies that were fueling my addiction.  Porn is everywhere.  It is pervasive.  It ranges from ads to music videos to beyond hardcore (take my word for it).  It is a destroyer of intimacy & physiology.  It has more of a grip on our culture than we know.  Because, we do not discuss it much.  We live in a self regulated bubble where we do not seem to care about the plight of others.  The social mandate is to remain quiet.  Porn, for the most part is taboo.

Proverbs 24:11 says, "Rescue those being taken off to death, and save those stumbling towards slaughter."

We have received for the most part a lot of great response to our desire to tackle this subject. People who are grateful.  Then there are those who start to squirm, cringe and back away.  Then rarely things are said like:

"My kids are too young..."
"This makes me uncomfortable..."
"Should the Church be talking about this?"
"Aren't you by talking about it opening the door to it?"

I grew up in a generation where not many took the time or effort to tell me about porn.  And when I became affected by it, resentment built up in me like a flood.  I can understand if you (the older generation) sent me out into the world equipped for what I was to face.  But to stay fearful?  To leave me defenseless and open to something like this?  That is NOT love.  Why did I not have older men spending time with me?  Parents doing a lot more for me? WARNING ME?  This thing almost took EVERYTHING!  My marriage, my kids and my future!  I have forgiven, but I wish as a son, with all my heart, someone would have gotten in my face fearlessly about this and possibly have saved me and my wife years of pain.

We, as a church, are dealing with 11 year old girls who have accidentally clicked on "pop-up ads" while online and now are addicted to porn.  THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL.  Your kids WILL eventually be introduced.  Are they ready for what they will face? The lies that come from this industry?

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when they are old they will not depart from it (leave it....)."

What are you doing to "train"?

Train defined...to undergo discipline and instruction, to drill.

You might say your kids will pursue it if you talk about it.  I say Satan is going to lure them whether you think he will or not.  And if you do not talk to them about it they will have to fight off possible future resentment because you were too afraid to instruct them, train them, and discipline them about things that REALLY matter.  Our role as parents is to equip.  And the best equipping comes BEFORE THE BATTLE! I want to work alongside the Holy Spirit to see Him raise a generation that is equipped, not that has to be fixed after the collateral damage.  The worst that could happen is that even if you have taken the time to equip them, if they still choose to embrace porn they at least know you loved them enough to engage them on this one.

We, the parents and THE CHURCH, ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE.  The apostle paul wrote letters to the Corinthian Church exposing sexual immorality that was so bad not even those outside the church were doing such things.  YES, the Church is to talk about any issue pertaining to life, Jesus and perversion.  We are equippers.  Unafraid, relentlessly holding up a banner of truth.

Ezekiel 44:23 says, "They MUST teach My people the difference between the holy and the common.  And EXPLAIN to them the difference between the clean and the unclean." That was said about the Levites (the priests...the "church"...you and me who make up the church now.)

Jesus said he would leave the 99 (the church, the found) to look for the 1 (the lost, the broken) Matthew 18:12.  He also said He is the father who is outside on the porch looking for His lost son even though the older son (the found one, the Church) is tugging on His shoulder, at times bitter that the world isn't revolving around him (us) (Luke 15:11-32).

Jesus came to deal with real issues, not hide from them. He has asked us as followers to be like Him:

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:40

Are you ready?  To be like your Teacher?  Jesus Christ? To be unafraid of sin, brokeness, perversion.  To seek and save that which is being lost?  Are you ready to equip those around you instead of being silent while they die inwardly and spiritually?  

Proverbs 10:5 says "...he/she who sleeps during the harvest is a disgraceful son/daughter."  There are people out there. They are the harvest.  The Great Commission to reach is our mandate!  Let us NOT sleep during our watch.  We will give account to God for how we honored Him and His Son by how we did or did not pursue people fearlessly.

It is time for us to reach boldly into Satan's kingdom and snatch those who are being led away to death!  Does every church or christian have to do it exactly the same way or in like manner? NO. But do not be ruled by fear.  Fear is a demonic spirit, not just an emotion you do not like (2 Timothy 1:7).  God has given us a SOUND MIND, READY for action.  

LET'S REACH!


Joel