EPIC Dating: Intimacy Vs Sex (Part 1 of 2)

Let me start out by saying that Sex is Awesome!
Why is it awesome? Because God created sex and designed it, within the union of marriage. I don’t know how the idea occurred to him but I do know that a long time ago there was no sex. Then God said “I have a great idea”

So lets look at the first marriage. They just didn’t like each other, or live together, it wasn’t a one night stand, a date, or a random hook up, it was marriage.

God made Eve directly for Adam and they became one through marriage.

Genesis 2:15-25

 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.  But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”  So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.  He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.
 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

Genesis 4:1

Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant.

So if sex is God’s idea/creation, it’s safe to assume He knows more about the subject than anyone. Right!?

So lets look at the options:

(1) Sex can be unbelievably fulfilling (and fun) or

(2) Sex can leave a person feeling used and empty. 

AGREE?

Which do you suppose God intended? The first one of course!

So in other words God is interested in yours and my sex life!

He wants it to be the best possible.

So we’re just not going to tell you “WAIT!”

We’re going to answer “Why to Wait?”

Purity paves the way for intimacy

 Intimacy: To know someone fully and be fully known without the fear of comparison or rejection.

You are letting some one see your heart completely.

“In-To-Me-You-See”

However, Impurity erodes the capacity to experience intimacy and consequently diminishes the satisfaction of a sexual relationship.

With impurity we’ve taken away the meaningful purpose God has given sex in a marriage and we’ve made it an activity with no meaning what so ever.

There is an unbreakable link between purity & intimacy.

You can’t have intimacy without purity.

This is why Paul commanded the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:18-20

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Purity doesn’t just mean sexual intercourse.

Guard your eyes, ears, mind, body and your heart.

When you sin sexually, you sin against yourself. You hurt yourself. You damage your

potential for a satisfying sexual relationship with a marriage partner down the road and

rob your future spouse of intimacy as well.

Girls:

You don’t really want sex.  I know some girls that wanted the physical but every relationship left them empty because the physical really didn’t fulfill their desire.

What you want is intimacy.

You want to meet a guy, fall in love, and know that you can trust that person completely.

You want to share everything there is to know about you without the fear of betrayal or rejection.

You want to know that person fully and be fully known by them.

What you are after is intimacy not sex or not even a physical relationship.

Girls you were create to be honored, loved, and respected

Don’t fall for lies:

• Everybody is having sex

• Can’t live without it

• It’s okay If you are in love

• Part of growing up just use condoms

• Makes relationships better

Remember you were created to be honored, loved, and respected.

Your body is meant for your husband alone. Don’t forfeit it for any empty promise in a dating relationship.

Girls you are a beautiful creation of God.

God gave different eyes to different guys. Don’t get restless waiting. Don’t let the world convince you that you aren’t lovable or attractive because you are not someone’s girlfriend.

Hold yourself higher than that. God does! You are worth waiting for!

Guys:

You want great sex!

You want to meet a girl you are physically attracted too, fall in love with her, and never lose that physical attraction. Your greatest fear is you will get stuck with someone you are no longer attracted to.

The best way to ensure that you don’t lose that loving feeling is to set your sights on intimacy rather than sex.

Great sex is the by-product of maximum intimacy.

If not your relationship is just physical. Sex is better when you know that person in an intimate way, its more than just a body!

The world has made sex out to be a sporting event – t.v shows, Real World/Jersey Shore.

Talk in the locker room is “Who you hooked up with”  or “You’re not a man till you have sex…”

FACT: Dogs have sex, I’ve never seen a dog turn into a man!

The truth is you can’t separate the physical from the relational.

 Not only is simply “having sex” not biblical it’s not possible:

Genesis: 2:21-24

So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

Why do we try and break God’s design of becoming "one flesh" with someone through sex or impurity before marriage and think it will work?

We are trying to break the mold, you may make it through, get married, but I can promise it won’t be without complications, conviction/guilt, or brokenness.

(Part 2 of Intimacy Vs Sex next week)