S1: Today on Bold Steps, Mark Jobe shows us how to
S1: protect the heart of our relationships.
S2: And the Bible says when you take a step, then
S2: God will draw near to you. He's waiting for you
S2: to draw near to him and God will meet you
S2: where you are at. That's the promise of God. As
S2: soon as you step near, God says, here I am.
S1: Welcome to the Friday edition of Bold Steps with Mark Jobe.
S1: Mark is the senior pastor of New Life Community Church
S1: in Chicago and president of Moody Bible Institute. I'm Wayne
S1: Shepherd here at Bold Steps. We have a growing number
S1: of messages archived online, along with a variety of resources
S1: designed to help you walk on the path to freedom
S1: and authenticity in Christ. Please go online and start exploring.
S1: You'll find us at Bold Steps. Well, today we'll continue
S1: a message Mark started yesterday called you shall not commit adultery.
S1: It's part of our series on the Ten Commandments called
S1: Rock Solid Living. And to introduce us to today's study
S1: on these ancient words for new life, here's our teacher,
S1: Mark Jobe.
S2: And so God is speaking to the people of Israel
S2: in Jeremiah chapter three, verse six, during the king of
S2: the reign, Josiah, the Lord said to me, have you
S2: seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up
S2: to every hill and under every spreading tree, and has
S2: committed adultery there. God is looking at Israel and he's saying, listen,
S2: Israel claims that I'm their God, but they chase after
S2: every other God. They're pursuing every other God. I'm really
S2: not their God. They're committing spiritual adultery, breaking the promises.
S2: I wish I had more time, but I'm going to
S2: talk to you about if your heart has committed spiritual
S2: adultery or physical adultery, what needs to happen? Listen what
S2: it says in Proverbs chapter six, verse 32 and 33.
S2: A man who commits adultery lacks judgment. Whoever does so
S2: destroys himself and disgrace are his lot, and his shame
S2: will never be wiped away. I want to talk to
S2: you today. If you are here and you say, pastor,
S2: I gave my life to Jesus Christ, but I'm in
S2: spiritual adultery because I'm not living for God. I'm not
S2: walking for God. I am not in the middle of
S2: God's will right now. Or maybe you're here and you're
S2: you've been married, or you're getting married, or you've been
S2: married for a long time and maybe you've crossed lines
S2: in your life. I, I want to two things I
S2: want to say, first of all, thank God that I've
S2: seen the restoring power of God move in many marriages.
S2: And I know that there is life after adultery, and
S2: God can heal and God can restore, and God can
S2: bring life back again if both parties are willing to
S2: pursue it, I believe it, I've seen it, and we
S2: have couples here that testify to that fact. But I'm
S2: convinced that a couple of things need to happen. Number one,
S2: the journey back from adultery. There's four things that need
S2: to happen. If there has been physical or even emotional
S2: adultery that's happened in your marriage. Number one, you need
S2: to acknowledge the sin is against God and your spouse,
S2: like King David did in Psalms chapter 51. You need
S2: to acknowledge I've sinned against God and I've sinned against
S2: my spouse. Don't make excuses. Don't say why it was
S2: his or her fault. Say I have sinned. You cannot
S2: be restored unless, first of all, you acknowledge that you've
S2: sinned and take responsibility for it. And by the way,
S2: can I just pause and say, I know I go
S2: against what some counselors would say in the secular world,
S2: but I'm going to be honest with you. Listen, if
S2: you are a married person and you have been unfaithful
S2: to your spouse, I believe in total honesty. You say, well,
S2: pastor was ten years ago. They'll never know. I don't
S2: want to bring it up, drag it through, drag them
S2: into it. The shame, the embarrassment, the hurt. I mean,
S2: I'm embarrassed that it happened. And now you want me
S2: to drag me them through the pain and the hurt
S2: of it all? Listen, I want to tell you that
S2: I believe that God wants you to have a relationship
S2: of intimacy with your spouse. And as long as there's
S2: dirty secrets there, as long as there is stuff in
S2: your heart that you hold and you haven't been honest about,
S2: I think it affects your current relationship. I believe that
S2: you need to confess it to God, but because you've
S2: sinned against your spouse that you need to be honest
S2: with your spouse. You say, well, pastor, I don't even
S2: know how to do that. Well, you know, I would,
S2: I would, I would talk to someone in our ministry
S2: and have them talk you through that, because I think
S2: that you're in a covenant relationship and you cannot be
S2: right with your spouse and right with God. Some people think, well,
S2: I'm just going to confess it to God. I believe
S2: God is the start, but unless you confess it with
S2: your spouse, it hasn't gone far enough. You say, well, pastor,
S2: I don't know what's wrong. I had a conversation with
S2: a man years ago. He said, I don't know what's wrong.
S2: I feel like I've been in the desert spiritually. He
S2: told me. I've been walking and he was a leader
S2: and elder in the church, not this church, but another church. And,
S2: and and I had known him for a long time.
S2: And then he went on to tell me what happened.
S2: He went on to tell me that that several years
S2: back that he had been driving down the street and
S2: he'd been stopped by a prostitute and and his whole
S2: life involved in that, and he didn't know what got
S2: into him. He let the prostitute in the car, and
S2: he had a one night stand with that prostitute. And
S2: he said, I cried out to God. And I said,
S2: God forgive me, God. I don't want that to be
S2: a part of my life. I he said, I confessed it,
S2: I cried out to God. He said, but I feel
S2: like I've been living in a desert for the last
S2: ten years. I said, did you ever confess it to
S2: your spouse? He said, I couldn't do that. She doesn't
S2: deserve that. I said she doesn't deserve to live with
S2: a man that's living in a spiritual desert. She deserves life.
S2: She deserves a spiritual man to rise up. He said
S2: it would hurt her so much. It would. It would
S2: devastate her. I would rather her go through the devastation
S2: of honesty than the years of apathy and spiritual dryness
S2: in your own life. Get it right with God. He
S2: called me up. He said, pastor, I did it. I said,
S2: how do you feel? He said, I've never felt more relieved.
S2: He said, I'm sleeping on the couch and I don't
S2: know how long I'm going to be sleeping on the couch.
S2: It may be a long time, but I tell you what,
S2: I feel like a new man, and that man right
S2: now has been fully restored. His energy, his spiritual life.
S2: He's a leader now. His wife got through the process
S2: of forgiving and releasing and restoration in his life and
S2: I and and and I that is a different person.
S2: It could be a whole different story if he would
S2: not have been honest before God. Acknowledge your sin against
S2: God and your spouse in the relationship immediately, immediately. Listen,
S2: you have not you have not repented unless you've ended
S2: that relationship. You say, pastor, well, we're no longer involved.
S2: We're just going to be friends. Not or we're just
S2: going to be buddies, but it's all clean now. No,
S2: you need to end and cut off that relationship immediately.
S2: Avoid contact with that person. And then fourthly, you need
S2: to work through the journey of restoration and healing, because
S2: it will take time to be restored and the trust
S2: to be rebuilt and all that God wants your marriage
S2: to be, to be that as you work through the
S2: journey of restoration and listen to me, men or women,
S2: listen to me Just because you cry and break and
S2: ask for forgiveness. Don't think that a week later she's
S2: going to be back to normal. A huge violation of trust.
S2: There's a journey of recovery, a journey of restoration. But
S2: I'm convinced that if you are sincere, if your life
S2: has really changed, if you show the love and you're
S2: humble there, that you can reach a point where your
S2: marriage will be better than the way it was before
S2: with full honesty there. I believe that.
S1: You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe and stay
S1: right where you are. We'll return with the rest of
S1: today's message in just a moment. Has our programming touched
S1: your life in a meaningful way? We'd be delighted to
S1: hear your story. Your testimony may be a question. A
S1: prayer request means the world to us, and we sometimes
S1: feature them right here during our broadcast. Mark, I'd like
S1: to share a voice message that recently came in from
S1: our listener Edward, who experienced an unexpected divine encounter when
S1: dealing with a flat tire.
S3: Hey, my name is Edward. I was just on my
S3: way home in the morning. I had a tire pop
S3: and I drove into the nearest parking lot. Yeah, the
S3: parking lot ended up to be the parking lot of
S3: a state park that's, um, has a really, really cool
S3: view of the river. And, um. But anyways, I went
S3: to go look for my spare, and I realized I
S3: don't even have a spare. So I just had my
S3: Bible with me from yesterday's Sunday service. I realized I'm
S3: here for a reason. I got stopped for a reason.
S3: I choose not to believe that things don't happen for
S3: a reason I just seen too many times in my life.
S3: But the Lord led me here and I turned on
S3: the radio and it was a preset function. This is
S3: a new car to 107.9 to where I hear your
S3: guys's radio talking about no condemnation for those who are
S3: in Christ and those who are living by the spirit
S3: and not by the flesh And and the consequences of
S3: living in the lifestyle that comes with living by the
S3: flesh and the whole. Just fighting against this religious idea
S3: of being raised up in a very religious church and
S3: just looking for, you know, things of the Holy Spirit.
S3: And this was just speaking straight to me. And I
S3: just want to say how much I appreciate this. That
S3: word of encouragement was literally for me. And the Lord
S3: had to, you know, stop me with a pop tire
S3: for me to hear this message. So I really appreciate it.
S3: And it's a good reminder and keep doing what you
S3: guys are doing. Thank you so much.
S1: Mark. What a great perspective, huh?
S2: Edward, I love your story. And you know, we pray, uh,
S2: before our recordings, that God would take the right message
S2: at the right time to speak to people when they
S2: need to hear it. And so, Edward, I love your
S2: story of looking for, uh, God's divine appointments.
S4: In the middle of a setback. And so, hey, next
S4: time you're out there, you have a flat tire or
S4: you're stuck in a waiting place, just remember, God is
S4: at work. No matter what's happening in our lives, bold.
S1: Step service will come along. All right. Thank you. Edward,
S1: if you haven't reached out to us yet, take that
S1: step today. We'd be thrilled to receive your personal story.
S1: Maybe a Bible question you have or a prayer need.
S1: It's easy to connect with us. Just visit our website
S1: bold steps org or if you prefer like Edward did,
S1: call and leave your message on our dedicated recording line
S1: at (312) 329-2011. Again (312) 329-2011. And of course, you're always welcome
S1: to drop us an email. Bold steps at Moody's. All right.
S1: That was fun. Let's get back to our message. Now.
S1: Here again is Mark Jobe.
S2: In James, as I read before to you, James says,
S2: you adulterous generation, you're more friends with the world than
S2: you are with God. You've fallen in love with the
S2: world and the ways of the world. You satisfy yourself
S2: in the world rather than in me. You're not filled
S2: with the spirit. You're filled with carnality. You don't run
S2: to me to hear words. You run to your friends
S2: to to to find your satisfaction. Your joy doesn't come
S2: from spending time with me. It comes from watching the
S2: latest movie that came out. You're no longer passionate about
S2: my things. You no longer want to spend time with me.
S2: You no longer have a heart for me. You no
S2: longer weep at the thought of the cross and your
S2: sins forgiven. You no longer rejoice when someone gets baptized
S2: and to see them turn around. You no longer have
S2: the faith that you had. You belong to me, but
S2: you are friends with the world. Their spiritual adultery in
S2: your heart. And God says, listen to me. God gives
S2: a pathway back. In James chapter four, verse six through
S2: ten he says, But God gives more grace. That's why
S2: Scripture says that God opposes the proud but gives grace
S2: to the humble. And then he tells us six things
S2: to do. First of all, he says, submit yourself, then
S2: to God. If you're making your way back to God, listen,
S2: if you have a heart of spiritual adultery right now, listen.
S2: The first thing is choose to submit to God and
S2: His authority. Listen. As long as you're running your life,
S2: you will continue to do what you want to do.
S2: If you if you say that you're a Christian, if
S2: you say that the Spirit of Jesus is inside of you,
S2: if you say that you belong to God, then make
S2: him Lord of your life and say, God, I submit
S2: every area to my life. It's not my way, but
S2: your way. God, it's not what I want, but it's
S2: what you want. God, it's not my desires, but your desires. God,
S2: I put myself in submission to you. That's what it
S2: means to submit yourselves, then to God. Most of us
S2: have gotten in the trouble that we've gotten because we've
S2: allowed ourselves to dictate what we want. Instead of saying, God,
S2: what's your way? What do you want? God? Not what
S2: are my needs? And how do I fulfill them? But God,
S2: what do you want me to do? How do you
S2: want me to live? God, I submit, even though it's
S2: hard and my flesh wants this, I submit to your way, God,
S2: because your way is higher than my way. The Bible
S2: says the first step to return to God is to
S2: be willing to submit to his authority, to his obedience
S2: to his leadership. Secondly. Resist the devil and he will
S2: flee from you. You'll have no power over your temptation
S2: until first of all, you've submitted to God. Some of
S2: you have been struggling with the same temptation over and over,
S2: and seem like you have no power because you have
S2: no power to resist the devil, because you have no
S2: submission to God. You're going up trying to fight your desire,
S2: and you fall and fall and fall and you've been
S2: falling for ten years, three years, two years. And God says,
S2: submit yourself first to him. Say not my will, God.
S2: Not what I want, but you want. You are Lord God.
S2: And I bow my knee again. Then the Bible says,
S2: rise up. And now you can resist temptation and resist
S2: the devil, and he will flee from you, but only
S2: if you've submitted yourself to God. Thirdly, draw near to God. Listen,
S2: I love this about this. Come near to God and
S2: he will come near to you. Don't you love that
S2: about the heart of God? But God is saying, I
S2: want to have a relationship with you. If you're far
S2: from me, take a step towards me. And God says,
S2: God is waiting. Waiting for you to take a step
S2: of submission. Waiting you for you to say, God, I'm
S2: tired of this. I want to live your way. I
S2: want it to be you, God. God is saying, take
S2: a step. And the Bible says when you take a step,
S2: then God will draw near to you. He's waiting for
S2: you to draw near to him, waiting for you to
S2: take that step. You say, well, how do I do it, pastor?
S2: Whatever way you can. You come to the altar, you pray,
S2: you get on your knees, you tell God, God, I
S2: need you. Whatever step you have to take, whatever God
S2: is asking you to take, you take that step and
S2: God will meet you where you are at. That's the
S2: promise of God. As soon as you step near, God says,
S2: here I am. I love that about the heart of God.
S2: He's just waiting for some of you, waiting for some
S2: of you to take that step saying, I Saying, I
S2: want to see that you want me. God is saying,
S2: I want to see that you're serious. I want to
S2: see that you have any inclination to get right with me.
S2: And I will meet you right where you're at. I'm
S2: not going to stand there with my arms crossed, saying
S2: grovel a little bit more. God is not that way.
S2: He says, take a step and I will meet you
S2: right where you're at, and I'll put my arm around
S2: you and help you on through the journey of restoration.
S2: But show me that you want me. Show me that
S2: you want to get right. Show me that you have
S2: a desire for me. That's the heart of God. And
S2: then the Bible says, number four repent from your actions
S2: and your attitudes. Listen what it says. Wash your hands,
S2: you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. It's
S2: the actions on the outside and the attitudes on the inside. Listen,
S2: if there's stuff that you've done that sinned against God,
S2: you have to say, God, I've sinned against you. This
S2: is it. And even the attitudes of your heart. What
S2: you've done on the outside and the attitudes that you've said.
S2: Cleanse your heart. How do you how do you cleanse yourself?
S2: You confess and you repent. And confession is different than
S2: just admitting you confess to God. You say, God, I've
S2: sinned against you. I and I know it's wrong, and
S2: I know that's not the way I need to live God,
S2: and I'm willing to leave it behind. I repent of it.
S2: I put it behind me. And the Bible says, when
S2: you confess and repent that God is faithful and just
S2: to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness,
S2: but you have to come to him and be willing
S2: to confess and repent. Choose to submit to God. Then
S2: you can resist giving into temptation. Take a step towards God,
S2: repent of your actions and your attitudes. Then feel the
S2: grief over your sin. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your
S2: laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. What does
S2: that mean? Listen, when you truly know how much we've
S2: hurt God. It's like when someone sinned and committed adultery
S2: against their spouse. We would say that it's just wrong
S2: if you say, well, honey, I cheated against you. Sorry.
S2: That's not true repentance, man. If you really know what
S2: you've done to your spouse, you will be broken. You
S2: will be grieved. You will be so saddened of your
S2: heart that you cannot speak. The Bible says, grieve, mourn, wail.
S2: Let your emotions catch up. Realize what you've done to God,
S2: how we've let our heart go astray. Feel the grief
S2: over your sin. And lastly, number six, humble yourselves. It
S2: says this listen. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he
S2: will lift you up. Listen, as long as you walk
S2: in pride, you can never be restored from a heart
S2: of adultery. As long as you walk in pride and
S2: you blame other people. Oh, it's him. It was her.
S2: He did this. He did that. I'm this way because
S2: of that person. Listen. That's pride. Humility says I take
S2: responsibility for it. I humble myself before God, whatever it takes,
S2: I don't care who knows. I don't care who sees.
S2: I'm not doing image management here. I'm not trying to
S2: protect myself. I'm not saying, well, don't let anybody know.
S2: I don't care who knows. I want to be right
S2: with God. That makes that's the biggest priority of my life,
S2: to be right with Almighty God. And the promise is this.
S2: And then he listen, and then he will lift you up. Listen.
S2: You may feel like you've hit the bottom of the barrel,
S2: but when you take these steps, God will restore you.
S2: God will restore your influence. God will restore your name.
S2: God will restore your spiritual power. God will restore your position.
S2: God will restore your marriage. God will begin to restore you,
S2: but only when you humble yourselves and let God lift
S2: you up, not you. Lift yourself up. Listen, there is
S2: restoration at the end of the journey of those who
S2: seek it.
S1: A convicting and important message today from Mark Jobe. And
S1: you're listening to Bold Steps. Did you know there are
S1: a variety of ways you can catch this daily program?
S1: Whether you're on your computer, at home, or in your office,
S1: you can always listen 24 over seven on our website
S1: or catch the program while you're on the go by
S1: downloading the Moody Radio app, or even streaming on most
S1: podcast platforms. To learn more, visit Bold Steps. Org. Well, Mark,
S1: let me take you back to today's message a message
S1: of hope. It does require some serious things from us.
S4: Wayne.
S2: There's a lot of people that, as they listen to
S2: this message, feel convicted about.
S4: Chapters of failure.
S2: In their life. And if you're listening to me.
S4: Today and adultery is part of your story, whether you
S4: have been on the receiving side of it or you
S4: have been the committer of adultery, I want to say
S4: that it is painful, difficult, a journey of restoration. But
S4: I also want to tell you that it's not hopeless.
S4: And I have talked to so many couples that have
S4: chosen to embrace the journey of healing and restoration.
S1: Not easy, is it? It takes a lot of work.
S4: It takes a lot of work. It's a very difficult process.
S4: There has to be openness, honesty and time to make
S4: this work well. So if spiritually you have committed adultery
S4: like we talked in this message, or if it's been
S4: in your marriage, I just want to pray for you
S4: right now and ask that God would give you the
S4: power to embrace a heart of repentance that allows healing
S4: to happen. Father, I pray right now for that marriage
S4: that is struggling. I pray right now for that wife
S4: that is in pain right now and questioning, or that
S4: husband that is so desperate. I pray in Jesus name
S4: that you would speak hope into their marriage. Father, I
S4: pray for repentance where it's needed. I pray for grace
S4: where it's appropriate. Father. And I pray, father, that you
S4: would take out of that which is broken out of
S4: the ashes, and that you would create something new, healthy, whole,
S4: something that honors you, father, so I pray. I pray, father,
S4: that you would infuse hope, God, for the future in
S4: those that are struggling right now. I ask this in
S4: Jesus name, Amen and amen.
S1: Thank you Mark. We're wrapping up today's program. But before
S1: we close, I want to invite you to secure your
S1: copy of this month's exclusive bold Step gift. In today's
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S1: peer groups and entertainment before they even hit their teen years.
S1: They're flooded with messages that can warp their perception of themselves,
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S1: That's why we're delighted to offer you Dana Gres's revealing book,
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S1: all the time we have today. Join us again Friday
S1: when Mark discusses giving, taking, and stealing. The message comes
S1: from our series on Rock Solid Living, and you'll hear
S1: it next time on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Bold
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