Lust | Joel Rainey | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Lust

Covenant Church • Mar 15, 2026 • 49 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message from the Lethal series on the seven deadly sins, Pastor Joel Rainey confronts the destructive nature of lust and how it distorts God's intentional design for human sexuality. Lust dehumanizes others, elevates sex into an idol, and increases internal shame, but the gospel offers complete freedom, forgiveness, and healing. By embracing chastity and surrendering our hearts and bodies to Christ, believers can find true fulfillment, freedom from shame, and an identity rooted securely in their Creator.

Themes

Lust and Sexual PurityIdentity in ChristIdolatryChastityGuilt and ShameRepentance and Healing

Pastor's Points

1.

1. Sexual sin and lust dehumanizes

2.

2. Lust withholds

3.

3. Lust increases shame

4.

4. Lust destroys sexual fulfillment

5.

5. Lust sexualizes spiritual siblings

6.

6. Lust deifies sex

7.

7. Confirm the reality of sexual sin

8.

8. Confess lust

9.

9. Conquer the power of lust

Key Points

1.
Lust dehumanizes both the object of desire and oneself by reducing a full human being, created in the image of God, to a physical piece of apparatus for personal pleasure.
2.
Lust increases internal shame and guilt because God has written His moral law on every human heart, causing our conscience to accuse us when we violate His design.
3.
Engaging in lustful desire outside of covenant marriage is a form of idolatry that deifies sex by exchanging the worship of the Creator for created human bodies.
4.
Jesus teaches in Matthew 5 that looking at another person with lustful intent constitutes committing adultery in the heart.
5.
Sexual sin originates from a disordered, sinful heart that covets what belongs to someone else, requiring honest confession and heart transformation rather than mere behavior management.
6.
Conquering lust requires radical measures and severe self-discipline, which Jesus illustrates through hyperbole about tearing out an eye or cutting off a hand.

Sermon Moments

“The enemy uses a double lie: first convincing us that lust is "no big deal," and then, after we give in, burdening us with so much shame that we bury it down deeply and never deal with it.”

“"Strictly speaking, a woman is just what he does not want. What he wants is a pleasure for which a woman is a necessary piece of apparatus." — C.S. Lewis”

“"Sex without giving of oneself is a monstrosity akin to a body walking around without a head." — Tim Keller”

“"Lust is that intruder at your front door. Center mass, shoot to kill. That's what Jesus is saying."”

“"Your Heavenly Father is the ultimate owner of your body... and for as long as you are both still alive and in the covenant of marriage, your spouse is the custodial owner of your body."”

“"My primary sense of worth and fulfillment as a human being is not contingent on being romantically or sexually fulfilled. And this is liberating." — Sam Allberry”

“"The most fully human and complete person who ever lived was Jesus Christ. He never married. He was never in a romantic relationship and never had sex." — Sam Allberry”

This Week

Honestly confess any secret lust or sexual sin to God, trusting in the gospel to remove shame and bring true freedom.

Treat fellow believers in the church family with honor and respect as spiritual brothers and sisters, rejecting any habit of objectifying others.

Take radical steps to remove stumbling blocks by establishing strict digital boundaries, using accountability tools, or removing yourself from compromising situations.

Reject the lie that your sexuality defines your ultimate identity, grounding your worth instead in being created and redeemed by God.

Practice daily heart surrender to Christ, asking the Holy Spirit to reorder your desires and guard your heart against coveting.

If married, cultivate deep oneness with your spouse by reserving sexual intimacy, emotional devotion, and affection exclusively for your covenant.

Seek godly counsel, pastoral support, or accountability if struggling with pornography or habitual sexual sin, stepping out of isolation into the light.

Remember This

Your ultimate fulfillment and worth as a human being are found in your Creator, not in sexual pleasure, and the gospel offers both the power and freedom to live in purity.

A Challenge for You

Father, particularly as it regards this issue, I pray that we would stop telling ourselves in shame, "I hope my dad doesn't find out," and instead with confidence in the gospel, begin to tell ourselves, "I need to call my dad. I need to come home"—and give us the capacity to be obedient in that.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.