Why does the thing that promises the most pleasure so often leave the most bitterness behind? This sermon turns to Proverbs 5 and speaks plainly about sexuality: about temptation as sweet as honey, about why pornography and an affair are only shortcuts to something God designed altogether differently, and about Odysseus, who had himself tied to the mast because he knew the limits of his own strength. There is also the other, less often voiced side of the conversation, God’s invitation for husband and wife to be captivated by each other. Listen if you are looking for an honest conversation about this part of life, free of shame and of cheap moralising.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Proverbs 5:3-6 the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey, yet in the end she is bitter as wormwood. What does this contrast reveal about the nature of sexual temptation?
- Verses 15-19 speak of drinking water from your own well and rejoicing in the wife of your youth. How does this picture show God's design for sex within marriage?
- The speaker called affairs, pornography and erotic entertainment shortcuts that offer pleasure without the hard work. Why does real intimacy within a covenant require effort, and how is it different from these shortcuts?
- Odysseus had himself tied to the mast because he knew he could not resist the sirens on his own. What or who could be that kind of mast in your life, and why is it hard to ask others for help?
- The speaker suggested replacing the question "Who gets what they want?" with "How can I serve the other person?" How does that question change your approach to intimacy in marriage or in other relationships?
- Verses 7-8 urge us not to go near even the door of her house. What specific doors, such as an app, a habit or content on your phone, can you close this week, and whom will you tell about it?
