Sermon Illustration

And in case you need a reminder that God is serious about fidelity, I ask you to consider this true story. It could save you from some tragedy that could be just around the corner. The names are fictitious, but the story is true. Clara and Chester's twenty-eight-year-old marriage was a good one. Not the most idyllic, but good. By now they had three grown children who loved them dearly. They were also blessed with sufficient financial security to allow them room to dream about a retirement home, so they began looking for one. A widower we'll call Sam was selling his place. They liked it a lot and they returned home to talk and to make their plans. Months passed. Last fall Clara told Chester she wanted a divorce. He went numb. After all these years, why? How could she deceive him? How could she have been nursing such a scheme while they were looking at a retirement home? She said she hadn't been doing it for that long. Actually, this was a recent decision now that she had f...

The following is an incomplete list of what you have in store after your immorality is found out. Your mate will experience the anguish of betrayal, shame, rejection, heartache, and loneliness. No amount of repentance will soften those blows. Your mate can never again say that you are a model of fidelity. Suspicion will rob her or him of trust. Your escapade(s) will introduce to your life and your mate's life the very real probability of a sexually transmitted disease. The total devastation your sinful actions will bring to your children is immeasurable. Their growth, innocence, trust, and healthy outlook on life will be severely and permanently damaged. The heartache you will cause your parents, your family, and your peers is indescribable. The embarrassment of facing other Christians, who once appreciated you, respected you, and trusted you, will be overwhelming. If you are engaged in the Lord's work, you will suffer immediate loss of your job and the support of t...

"Our aim is total peace of mind for you and your family." That is the motto of the Alibi Agency, a start-up company whose purpose is to provide an insulating layer of verisimilitude between philanderers and their spouses. Based in Blackpool, England, the Alibi Agency establishes a plausible paper trail. It will furnish ticket stubs for the theater performance you were supposed to have been attending. It will print up dummy invitations to the social and business events that kept you away from home. It will hire official sounding receptionists who will intercept phone calls to the putative locale of your out-of-town conference or golf game. We can discuss individual requirements," the Alibi Agency's literature says, "and 'Tailor Make' an Alibi to your Specifications."

I remember some years ago watching Phyllis George interview Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach. It was a dull interview until Phyllis asked, "Roger, how do you feel when you compare yourself with Joe Namath, who is so sexually active and has a different woman on his arm every time we see him?" "Phyllis," Roger answered, "I'm sure I'm just as sexually active as Joe. The difference is that all of mine is with one woman." Touchdown! Roger hit the end zone with that comeback. Real men don't commit adultery. A real man sticks with one woman. Period.