Porn in the Pews - International Pentecostal Holiness Church

Dealing with the Worms:
Equipping the Saints for Ministry
The poison of pornography touches all types of people.
Paul Fishbein, founder of the trade journal of the adult industry,
says, “Porn doesn’t have a demographic—it goes
across all demographics.” 4
This is why it isn’t enough to merely open the can of
worms. What do we do when the can is open and the
worms are out? Some men or women may step forward
who are falling to the temptation of porn again and again.
Some people may confess to being entrenched in pornography
for years. Parents may step forward unsure of
how to protect their home from sexual media and Internet
dangers. Wives may step forward heart-broken about
their husbands’ frequent porn use.
This is one reason why God has made it the task of church
leaders to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians
4:12). This means we must train our church members
to minister to one another, to create communities
where souls can find help, counsel, rebuke, healing, and
support.
Ministers should prayerfully look for those in the church
that sense some sort of calling to help and then equip
them to serve in whatever capacity they are able. You
might sense a need for a wide variety of ministries.
You might find a need to strengthen marriages in your
church. Perhaps there are some in your church who want
to start a small group for couples. Perhaps there are some
who want to help lead a couple’s retreat or link up with
another ministry that leads marriage retreats.
You might find a need to have a support group for guys
who struggle with pornography. Pray that God would
raise up a man or group of men who will feel led to take on
the leadership of a group like that.
You might see a need for a support group for wives.
Again perhaps there is a woman or group of women who
would love to lead a group that helps wives who are struggling
with their husband’s use of pornography.
You might see a need to address pornography temptations
among the youth of the church. Perhaps there are
some who could help your existing youth ministry in this
capacity. Perhaps there are some who want to facilitate
youth events geared around these topics.
We may live in a world full of pornography, but there are
also more resources than ever before to deal with these
concerns. Look through Appendix B for resources to recommend
to your congregation.
A Culture of Accountability
Once worms are out of the can they don’t live too long.
Exposed to the direct heat and light of the sun, worms
shrivel and die. The same is true with secret sin: exposed
to the light of Christ, sin dries up.
We may live in a world full of pornography—so full, we
think, exposure to it is inevitable. And for many people in
your church, it is inevitable. No matter what external measures
are put in place, many of them will see it at one point
or another. Living in a sinful world, we are bound to rub
shoulders with tempting images. But we are not passive
agents. Your church can be trained to react differently.
Your church can be equipped to face these temptations.
All four of the tactics we mentioned in this chapter are
geared towards the same goal: creating a culture of accountability
in your church. As people come forward to
share their stories, others feel more comfortable to confess
their sins. As people embrace a biblical understanding
of sin and temptation, they see great value in exposing
their sin in the light of safe confession. As smaller groups
of Christians form to encourage one another, a context for
accountability is created.
The rest of this book is aimed at giving you an example of
how to talk about pornography in your church and how to
engage your people to create a culture of accountability.
1. http://stuffchristianslike.net/2009/03/502-confessing-safe-sins
2. http://youtube.com/covenanteyes
3. http://www.stevekmccoy.com/keller-idoaltry.pdf
4. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/20/magazine/20PORN.html
Porn in the Pews • © 2010 CovenantEyes
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