Alcohol, Purity, and Our Culture (Part III)

"A Culture of Desire"

I want to finish this series talking about our current culture. A lot of what I'm about to share I got from Keith Moore in his message "Pride Makes Excuses, Humility Makes Adjustments". I believe he does the perfect job of depicting why our culture is the way it is and how it got there.

When the #1 song in America is "I kissed a girl and I liked it" . . . it's a scary place. When the majority of young people would rather get wasted and have multiple sexual partners than focusing on building an incredible life, I think we're in need of a wake up call. This isn't a call to point fingers and tell people they're wrong and going to hell. This is a time to have our hearts broken for the same things that break God's heart. Millions of people trying to find fulfillment in things that never will fulfill them, millions of people searching for purpose, millions of people without a relationship with God.

So often, I talk with people who aren't where they'd like to be in their lives. They're broken, lost, and searching. Then I hear them say things like this:

• This is the way i am and the way I've always been. I can't help it.
  

• I want to live a life for God, but I don't want to give up this relationship, drinking, drugs, sex, etc.
  

I'd like to tell these people that they are what and how they've become, but that does not mean that is who they have to be.

Our society lets their desires dictate who and what they are.

For example: A married man falls in love with someone else at the office. He has a desire for that person and says "I couldn't help it, it just happened" he's really saying "That's my desire, so I am an adulterer, I can't fight it... that's what I am." Or how about... I'm a man and desire a man... I'm a woman and I desire a woman so that is what I am. I'm a married man and desire another woman so that's what I am.

We are Whatever We Feed On

People will say, "I'm addicted to porn... I can't help it" Well, you didn't get like that over night... you fed that desire. After months and months of feeding our desires they produce an outcome we don't want, and then we often wake up wonder how we got ourselves into this mess. It all could have been avoided had you realized you're not what you desire.

How Can I Change?

Put your desires under and starve them...

Desires are like a stray cat... you feed them, and they keep coming back. Starve them, and they'll go away over time.

• Realize God loves you right where you're at and He'll meet you there.

• As you pursue a relationship with God, get in the Word, get around Christian friends, those desires you once had will slowly fade away.
  

• Recognize your desires do not tell you who you are!

• Realize we're called to be like Christ
  

• If you're a Christian you are who God says you are.
  

• Realize that God is smarter than you. If He is the author or life, He knows the best way for you to live it!
  

• Once you realize this, then you have to make your feelings submit to who God tells you, you are! In any area of your life!
  

Don't let desires define who and tell you who you are. Get in the Word of God and find out who you are in Him. Then you'll find yourself rising above the culture and you'll be in a position to help lift other people up and out of it. Then we'll slowly change the world (one person at a time!). Love you guys!

Read more...