It is very likely that you or someone you love is involved in trying to experience God’s gift of sex outside of God’s context. One of the ways this is happening in our society is through pornography.

Pornography is a counterfeit of the real thing and it starts off so subtle. It can be on television, movies, soap operas, magazines, and now all over the Internet. The statistics are overwhelming. Perhaps, you have heard it said before that porn makes more money than the NBA, NFL, and Major League baseball combined. That is true. Most people think it does not impact them. “Not my kids.” I read this week that the average age for exposure to porn is 11 years old. We also like to think this is not a problem in the church. That simply is not true.

• An August 7, 2006 stat says: 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addictedto pornography. 60% of the women who answered the survey admitted to having significant struggles with lust; 40% admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year; and 20% of the church-going female participants struggle with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis. From the results of a ChristiaNet poll reported by Marketwire.com (emphasis added)

Those are Christians and that is addiction. 5 out of 10 men and 2 out of 10 women in the church are addicted to porn. Some of those people are people you care about. They are trapped in a life of secrecy. If you love them, will you ask them this simple question: “Have you intentionally viewed pornographic material in the last 12 months?” Just the fact that you asked shows them you care. It also provides them with an opportunity to be freed from their prison of secrecy. What if they answer yes? Point them to Jesus who will give them forgiveness and freedom. Ask them if there is anything you can personally do to help free them from this bondage. Set them up with some accountability (that means someone who understands what they are going through and will walk with them through the process of breaking free from this addiction). In some cases you are the best person to walk with them through this. In some cases you will not be.

God knows what we are going through no matter how difficult our circumstances may seem. Is knowing enough though? Have you ever thought; “If He knows why doesn’t He do something?” Is He powerless to fix our problems?

No. If you read the Revelation 2:8-11 passage you see we have an enemy who wants to ruin us. He hates us. He tries to ruin our lives, but God takes those same situations that our enemy uses to try and ruin us to strengthen us and ultimately glorify Himself. Stay faithful, He knows and He cares.

Revelation 2:8-11

 ⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
      These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Today at Southbridge I preached on Revelation 2:8-11 the church in Smyrna. This is one of the two churches that does not receive a rebuke as they were being faithful to Jesus Christ even though their circumstances were difficult.

When things are difficult and we have been faithful we have a tendency to ask some tough questions. It is not that we think God owes us something, but it seems like if we are faithful, good things should happen. So, when bad things happen while we are being faithful we ask things like: Why this? Why me? Why now?

Jesus tells the believers in Smyrna that He “knows” their affliction (thlipsis) pressure, crushing pain. When Jesus says, He knows it is not merely head knowledge. Through His death and resurrection (see 2:8), He has a comprehensive knowledge of everything we will ever go through and more. He knows physical suffering, emotional suffering, and relational suffering.

This Sunday after preaching this passage I asked people who had heavy hearts to stand so we could have a special prayer time for them. There are a lot of people who are hurting. He knows, He has been there, He will walk through it with you regardless what you are going through.

Hebrews 4:14 ¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.