This week we have been focusing on the men because there
is a fundamental question that every man who desires to experience a lasting
relationship has to ask and answer. And that question is this: how do you as a
man view women? We discovered that the reality is that in our culture, women
are more often than not viewed as a possession that provides a service.
Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon; this view of
women as a possession has been around for thousands of years. We then looked at
a section of a letter that is recorded for us in the New Testament of the
Bible, called the book of 1 Peter. In 1 Peter 3:7, we see Peter reveal for us a
timeless truth when it comes to lasting relationships in that lasting relationships are the result of men treating women
with honor and respect instead of a possession that provides a service.
While that could be received as being “old fashioned”, what
is old fashioned is men treating women as a possession that provides a service.
What is old fashioned is men looking for a servant instead of a spouse. You
see, Jesus began the women’s liberation movement and Christianity has been the
biggest proponent of women’s rights throughout history. It was early followers
of Jesus that adopted baby girls that were left out to die of exposure. It was
Christianity that has promoted the position that men and women are of equal
value and worth in God’s eyes. It was Jesus and the message and teachings of
Jesus that called for men to renew their minds and get rid of their stinking
thinking when it came to how women were viewed and treated.
So today I want to challenge men to renew your mind when
it comes to how you view and treat women with your entertainment time in two
specific areas. And in doing so, I will treat you like a thermos and not a
crystal goblet.
First, I want to challenge men to, by sunset tonight,
remove from their I Pod playlist or music library any and all music that refers
to women as bitches, whores, or sluts. I challenge you to remove any and all
music that promotes the view of women as possessions or commodities that
provide a service.
Now, some of you men might be thinking “well Dave, that
is just the culture we live in. That’s just how we express ourselves”. If you
are a man and that thought is running through your mind, here is my response.
You are influenced by what influences you. What you allow to influence your
life will influence your view of life and in this case woman. And by the way,
how is that great culture working out for you? approximately 46% of marriages
end in divorce. The group entitled “divorced” is the fastest growing segment of
the population in the U.S. Finally, 1/3
of divorced women live below the poverty line.
Second, I want to challenge men to stop engaging in the
use of pornography for entertainment. If this group is representative of men in
America, then 79 percent of men between the ages of 18-30 have looked at
internet porn at least once this month.
Now, some of you men might be thinking “well Dave,
looking at porn really is not that big a deal. I am not harming anyone. It’s
just for entertainment”. If you are a man and that thought is running through your
mind, here is my response. Men, when you look at porn you are revealing three
things about yourself.
First, you are revealing that a physical relationship
with a woman is not enough. Second, you are revealing that a physical
relationship with one woman is not enough. And third, you are revealing that a
physical relationship with your wife is not enough. That is what you are
revealing about yourself when you look at online porn.
And unfortunately, right about now, there are many women
in this room who are thinking to themselves “that explains a lot. That explains
the distance between me and my husband. That explains why so many guys act the
way that they do”. You see, looking at porn really is a big deal. Looking at
porn not only results in you treating the image on the screen as a possession
that provides a service. Looking at porn result in you treating the women in
your life as a possession that provides a service. So, men it is time to renew
your mind. Men, it is time to leave behind the things that influence you into
viewing and treating women as a possession that provides a service.
So men, how do you as a man view
women? Do you view women as a possession that provides a service? Do you view
women as a potential servant that meets a need? Do you view women as a
commodity that decreases in value and worth over time? Or do you view women as
a being worthy of honor and respect as an image bearer of God? How do you as a
man view women?
And what does what you view when
it comes to women reveal about how you view women? Because, the timeless
reality is that lasting relationships are the result of men treating women with
honor and respect instead of a possession that provides a service…
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