Sex, Money, and the Bible

Welcome to Tribe's podcast. Hey, we just wanna say thank you for making this message a part of your week. Our prayer is that these messages will inspire you to make the name of Jesus famous in your life and to the uttermost bounds of the earth. If you're ever in Jackson Hole, we'd love for you to visit our Tribe fam in person. To learn more about us, you can find us online or at Facebook by searching tribejh.com.

Welcome to Tribe's podcast. Hey, we just wanna say thank you for making this message a part of your week. Our prayer is that these messages will inspire you to make the name of Jesus famous in your life and to the uttermost bounds of the earth. If you're ever in Jackson Hole, we'd love for you to visit our tribe fam in person. To learn more about us, you can find us online or at Facebook by searching tribejh.com.

I'm so thankful that you've chosen to spend part of your weekend with us here at Tribe. It's great to see lots of familiar Tribe fam faces as you are traveling in and out of town. I'm so glad that you're here this Sunday. And for all of the new faces that I haven't seen before, welcome. So glad that you found us.

Yes, we're doing church in a bar. That's how we how we roll this this week. Actually, next week, we're gonna be in a completely different location. So we just wanna keep you on your toes. Remember, church is not a building but church is what?

A group of? Humans. Humans. As as weird as you are, you're family and so, I've I just love having you here. When you came in, there was is a connect card on your seat.

We would love to have a record of your visit. If you just fill that out, you can either leave it in your seat or put it in a little box in the back or put it in somebody's hands that looks like they know what they are doing. And if you would like to be kept up to date on some of the things that we have going on, we just send out a text blast every now and then and it's a great way for for you to stay in touch with us and what's going on with the vibe of tribe and there's also a spot on the back where you can fill out a prayer request. We take those seriously. We pray over them every week and so we'd love to lift you up in prayer.

With that in mind, if you have your Bible with you this morning, would you turn to Psalms one nineteen? Psalm one nineteen. We're just going to read that one chapter today. Bible joke. That's an awesome Psalm.

Bible joke. Justin gets it. Let me just. Yeah, if you would just go ahead and read that chapter for us. We're not going to we're I'm not going to tell you what what address yet because I need to give you a little bit of background, but I wanted to give you plenty of time to find your way to Psalms one nineteen.

We'll wait for that page to load. Here's what we're going to talk about today. If you wouldn't mind putting the title of this morning's message up. If you're brand new to Tribe, you picked a great Sunday to join us because this week, we're gonna talk about sex, money, and the bible. To give you a little bit of background, to give you you thought I was joking.

To give you a little bit of background, we started a series of conversations last week talking about this idea of of truth and hanging your hat. And, yes, I used the word conversation. I used that word intentionally because that's what I want you to think of our time together during this part of worship. We worship the lord with song. We're going to worship the lord, through digging into his word, reading his word, engaging with the word and with each other, and then we're gonna worship the lord through our tithes and offerings at the end of the service.

But I really want today to be a conversation that you and I and we have collectively. Now don't worry. We're not gonna, like, do, like, little breakout sessions. Turn to your neighbor and, like, I don't know, tell them your darkest secret. Like, all like, it's okay, introverts.

Just relax. But we collectively get to have a conversation. And here's what I mean by that. If you have a question, a comment, or maybe you're making a connection, something that we're talking about, there's like a hyperlink in your brain, maybe to another Bible verse that you're thinking of or another biblical principle that comes to your mind and like, man, that that could be worth sharing. We would love to hear from you and here's how that will work.

Here in the room, we have a wireless mic and if you have a question, a comment, or a connection, if you just raise your hand, Kat, are you running the mic around today? She's got a running cowboy boots on and she will get the mic to you. We can probably hear your voice in the room, but we use the mic so that all the families that watch the livestream get to can stay engaged and be a part of the conversation with us. So that's why we have the mic, and we'll we'll run it around today. Last week, we started a conversation that began with an analogy.

It was a picture that I saw in my my mind's eye, and it was of a hat rack. And I want you to to think of this hat like the sum total of any one particular belief that you have about a subject. For example, it could be your philosophy on parenting. Everything you think about parenting could could be represented by one baseball hat. Perhaps, something else could be your belief on the bible.

Is it is it an inspired work of God? Was it written by the hand of man? Is it relevant for us today? Do we kinda have to, like, pick and choose because there's stuff in it that is doesn't apply to our lives. That you think about the bible could be a belief.

And hats go on hat racks. That's right. You're smart. And I want you to think of this hat rack or any one hook on a hat rack is a narrative that fits best with your belief. It makes sense that hats would rest on a hat rack.

Similarly, let's say that, you you have this sum total of beliefs about parenting. That's just the example that came to me that we're going with for right now. And perhaps there is a website that's like a to z of parenting, the philosophy of parenting, tips and tricks, resources. Here's what parenting should be, and and it's it's really robust and comprehensive, and it's a website, and you go to it all the time and you recommend your friends to it. So that would be in terms of parenting, where you might hang your hat.

Right? Alright. How about how about this one? Another example. The moon landing.

That was I saw a lot of reactions, even one that was like, it was made up. Okay. So, if you hold on to that particular believe there is a popular narrative out there. Oh my gosh. I'm seeing all kinds of reactions.

This is great for me. There is there there are multiple narratives out there about the moon landing, and they're different, and they're opposite and opposing. What is the sum total of your beliefs about the moon landing? That's the sum total of beliefs about the moon landing is where you would hang your hat. Are you with me so far?

I feel like the moon landing illustration really connected. Really really hit home, really landed. Questions, comments, connections, but not critiques. My sweet, sweet Lissy, she's my wife. And if you're brand new, my name's Brian.

Last week here's a big takeaway from last week, and then we're gonna get into today's conversation. The principle of the biggest hook. And I made it up. I don't know if it resonates with you or not. But in real practical life, maybe you are out in the woods and you gotta take your backpack off, if there's an option to hang it on, you know, a little nub of a branch on a tree, makes sense to hang it there.

Do you look for the smallest nub to try to hang your backpack? No. Nobody does that. You look for, like, oh, this would support the weight of my backpack. You look for the biggest branch.

Yesterday, I went climbing with a buddy at Guideswall, and at the base of the climb up Cascade Canyon, it's a really popular route with several different options. But people who've climbed there before know that you don't wanna leave your backpack on the ground because little Chiselers and Marmots, they like to come and see what you pack for snacks in your backpack or chew on your shoes or whatever. And so you put your stuff in your backpack and you hang it in a little branch up, above the ground. And there are lots of options, and I saw Christian there yesterday, and it was great. But you hang your backpack on the biggest branch.

So it is also true about our beliefs. Listen. The most compelling narrative is the most likely to get your belief. That is the principle of the biggest hook. The most compelling, and I use that word carefully.

I didn't say truthful. It might not be true. As the ministry team comes forward to play music softly, I will now ask you, what belief are you hanging the hat the the belief of your hat on a hook that is just false and not true? We hang lots of beliefs on hooks just because it's compelling or it sounds good or it's convenient or it it's what our parents told us. It's what our denomination told us.

Kat, we have a hand up. Yes. Well, that's what I

was gonna say too is, as we've grown up and whatever our parents have told us, you know, we grow up trusting them and believing what they've said. I remember the moon landing. We watched it in elementary school. And it was so real to us. We were like, oh my gosh.

Don't give me air quotes as soon as she says moon landing. I see you.

That's why when you're young and you grow up and what you're told is you truly believe it, and that we take that to heart. But as you mature and you grow, then you've got to learn to seek wise counsel, to line up with the word of God, and find the truth. Find your truth and see how it lines up. But as we're taught things, and I think that's what so, so many young people are lost right now because there's so many homes without parents to teach them. Sure.

And it's the basis of what we learn when we're young.

Sure.

It's a foundation, but you've still got to, as you mature, seek truth.

Okay. I know I know you, and I know what you where you were going, but there was one statement that you said that I'm sure there are a few people's needles whose their needle jumped a little bit at one thing that you said. So I'll give you a chance to, like, take another run at it and What say was it? You said your truth.

Well, then that's you're you're right. That's that's another problem. And when I said that, we are we are in a society that my belief and what my truth so scratch that. That was a missed word.

I knew it. I knew where you were going.

No. It's gotta line up with our our morals and everything else. You know, just. The truth.

The

truth. The word of god. It's gotta line The word

of god.

And it.

It must.

I don't know. I could preach right now.

So, yeah. I could I could sit down. I could sit down and I I knew where you were going. Yes. Because it's really popular to to say, well, that's your truth.

That's where you hang your hat. But the very definition of the word truth implicit in the definition is that it must be objective. And I would suggest to you, included in the definition of truth, it must be transcendent. And what I mean by that is if it's actually really true, it will be true regardless whether we believe in it or not or whether we acknowledge it or not. It must be true outside of human existence.

That's what I mean by transcendent. For example, gravity. Now if there are any philosophy majors or, like, like, you you study philosophy as a hobby and you like to twist yourself and others into pretzels, like, by trying to argue that, like, gravity isn't objectively true. Awesome. Here's what we'll do.

Let's go stand on top of the Grand Teton together. Say all your words about how gravity isn't necessarily objectively true. I will listen to every word you say, and then you put it into practice and step off the north face. We'll find out real quick where you hang your hat. Some things, some beliefs that we have that we we we subscribe to a particular narrative like, yeah, that sounds like truth or I'm gonna create my own truth in that area, and then we hang our hats on it.

Here's here's the thing that's important that goes along with the principle of the biggest hook. Your beliefs, your worldview, your autonomy as an intellectual sentient being is so valid and important that and god cares for you too much to allow you to hang the hat of your beliefs on just any old hook. Because he would tell you any hook that you hang your hat on must be able to bear the weight of that belief. A lot of young people have been raised to hang their hat of faith on Christianity because their parents raised them in a Christian home. And so when when they're growing up, they're just like, okay.

Yep. Brink. But then as they get to college and they get around the indoctrination program of a lot of our universities around America today, and I'm all for broadening your perspectives and and considering. But but through professors and influences and things, this the the hook of the Christian faith literally gets sawed off, snapped off, broken off, but it's but it's done in such a really clever way. I wanna closely examine and deconstruct.

The problem is, after you've deconstructed it and snapped that hook off, then you're left with nothing to hang the hat of your faith on. Look, consider the Bible says, love the lord your god with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind, with all of your strength. So we are invited by the god of the Bible to yank on this, put our full weight on this hook. And if it's objectively, transcendently true, it will bear the weight of any belief that you of belief that you have about any one subject on it. Are you with me so far?

That is wonderful, especially considering that, like, we've already had a whole week last week of getting into this. So here's what I thought we would do today. I thought we would take three different subjects, sex, money, and the bible. We would talk about popular narratives regarding those things. And then we'll look at the truth and see and see what god's word has to say about these three really popular subjects that we all interact with it some way on some level.

Before we jump into these, it's a good chance it's a good opportunity to check-in with you, and I would love to answer any clarifying questions that you might have or connections that you're making in your mind. I would love to hear from you.

I thought of this when Nancy did drop the buzzword of your truth a little bit, but culture, when they say that, I feel it's like the equivalent of saying, oh, yeah. Wherever you wanna hang your hat is good. Like, anything is good to hang your hat on. I just picture, like, a guide out in the forest or whatever climbing or whatever saying, oh, yeah. Like, just hang it up.

It doesn't matter if it's a good or bad because that's just you. And then you're gonna learn if it holds your backpack up or not. Because when we go climbing away, we're gonna see who's ends up off the ground and who's falls down and gets destroyed by the world.

Yeah. Because I love you, I want to invite you to carefully consider what where you're hanging various beliefs because there is a world of marmots prowling around on the ground that don't care how much you spent on those approach shoes and that backpack and those snacks that you're looking forward to eating. They will ravage your gear. And in the same way, we live in a world that think about this with movie stars or or musicians. They've got some talent and and they mean well in the world's like, this is a blow em up until they reach this atmospheric level of stardom and then one like like human slip or or or there's another bigger star and the world just loves to see their downfall and their demise.

And the only thing that gets more views of a documentary of a rising star is when that rising star shaves all of her hair off and, like, goes into public bathrooms barefooted and just kind of loses her marbles. Love you, Britney. Praying for you. Come on back. And so and so the lord loves you.

I love you. I don't want you hanging your hat on on a branch that is either false just because the narrative is compelling or popular, that that is either a lie and or won't support the weight of your belief. Your beliefs are too valuable.

Could I add? That's where Christianity, I think, not even necessarily Christianity, but just faith based teaching gets a bad rep. Right? Is because we say, hey. Don't hang it on that branch.

And they go, but I want to. You go, it's gonna fail. And they go, what do you know? And then it fails. And really, it's the heart that says, just there's something so much better.

Right? But it sounds off putting, like, preliminary in the, you know, forefront of it.

Yeah. That that that can be very offensive about Christianity because Christianity is not a personal belief system of truth. It is an all encompassing world view that is true.

I have a different word for you. I have the advantage of not having been here last week. So I'm probably repeating something, but I would rather say immutable. Immutable. Rather than transcendent.

And I don't have my dictionary with me, but that that's my personal dictionary speaking. And I would also say, if you don't hang your hat on the right hook, what hook are you hanging it on? And if the answer is, however I feel about things today or tomorrow or yesterday, that's my hook, you're in deep trouble. And that's where I was for about fifty years. So I speak from some experience and this also involves sex, money, but not the bible.

That, I've so love your honesty and vulnerability in in what you said about I was hanging my hat all different kinds of places in really which way whichever way the wind blew for fifty years. Like, it's just beautiful. And you find the truth, you know, support your weight.

I just wanted to ask a question for something that might be going through a couple different people's minds.

Love it.

What if I feel like the hook of Christianity failed me and fell and didn't support the weight of my beliefs? Oh, man.

Beautiful. What if I hung my hat, my faith on the hook of Christianity, but I feel like it failed me? Alright. Some hooks hang very close together. What if either you accidentally, you you were aiming for the hook of faith, a genuine, real, authentic, personal relationship with the lord but it ended up landing on the hook of a charismatic personality.

On a person a gifted teacher, or somebody with a huge following. Somebody that genuinely positively impacted your life. They're human. Human hooks tend to what? Break.

Break. How amazing is god that he would dare even trust somebody like me? And so another, you could have been aiming to hang your hat on the hook of genuine faith and it landed on the hook of a man or personality. What if it accidentally lands on a particular theology that was very popular but but doctrinally inaccurate. What if you hung your you you could see where I'm going.

So that hook breaks, fails something. And then mistakenly, you're like, well, I can't trust Jesus. The reality is you probably inadvertently fell for the principle of the biggest hook, which means you just hung your hat on the most compelling narrative that was either a church or a denomination or a teacher or a particular theology instead of on Jesus himself. The good news is you can always trust the hook of Jesus. We read this last week that god says, I'm gonna I'm gonna put in a I'm gonna drive in a nail and he will handle great responsibility but there's coming an even stronger nail.

It was a it was a prophetic look forward to the person of Jesus. The Bible says, we sing about it at Christmas, help me out with the address in the full passage, but it's like that literally the governments of the world will rest on his shoulders. If he can handle the government of the entire world, he can handle you and and putting your faith and trust in him. I feel like there's more that you wanna say.

Yeah. I was just gonna say, at least in my ideas, I feel like a lot of people get talked out of resting their cap on the hook of Jesus in Christianity. Like, they're like going for it and someone's like, oh, no. Like, this this is like the science in school. Like, oh, like, evolution or what and they're looking at it and they're like, okay.

Maybe you'll rest it over here. Rather than the hook actually failing, they just choose a different one.

Maybe before it ever had to bear any weight of difficulty, opposition, sacrifice, disappointment, heartbreak, maybe before it ever had to bear any weight. They got talked out of it or let's be really honest. You wanted to do what you wanted to do And that belief that you were hanging your hat was incongruent or in incompatible with the truth of faith in Jesus. And so you're like, ewoop. I'm gonna hang my hat over here.

And then you make up excuses about the hook of faith.

I was thinking about even before Jesus, like, there's so many Old Testament examples of when the Israelites hung their hook incorrectly, you know, God rescuing them, and they're like, I guess we'll just build a calf. You're up on the mountain for too long. We'll just worship melt our gold and worship this calf. Know, like there's so many Old Testament examples too. And so I think the biggest, biggest hook for all of time and humanity that we all hang our hat on is the hook called me or self.

And I think that's one that the enemy has crafted to delight you and to entice you to and it looks the best because the world says like trust yourself, follow your heart, all of this, and you really you don't want to just be polarizing and just dismiss it. Be like, well let me measure that with what the word says because we were made in God's image so I surely would be okay, but then you look at human history and us, and you're just like, I think the devil tempts us with hanging our hat all the time on the hook called me.

Yeah. Yeah. And the name above that hook, and there's, Colin has something all the way in the back. If it is to be, it's up to me. Very attractive hook to hang our hat.

I'm so glad that you're resonating with this analogy and if some of you are like, I am just not get that. Just hang in there. Hang in there.

Yeah, the connection that I'm making with what we're talking about that's in the Bible is the seed that was scattered. Some fell on, you know, rocky soil, some fell, and the weeds weeds came up and snatched it out

and

some fell on good soil and that's the the hook we're talking about of Jesus. So.

Yes. That's so good. Alright. Here's here's a question that could be getting to sprout up in your mind is, well, how do I know what hooks are are have integrity, are based upon immutable truth found in the word of God. Here's something that's really, really, really cool about God.

Many of his attributes are unsearchable and unknowable, and we can't fathom them or comprehend them like the eternity of god. We just like, we can't do it. But other attributes are communicable, and they're knowable. For example, patience. In Hebrew, in the Old Testament, when it describes God as being patient, the Hebrew word there is the same few groups of words that mean long nosed.

God is long nosed. What does that mean? The idea is whenever a person gets, like, like, irritated, angry, upset, they're they're, like, you know, like, your neck, like, kinda gets flushed and your cheeks and your nose get get flushed. Sometimes they can get red. And the Hebraic ideism being longed nose means that you've got great patience.

It takes a long time for you to heat up. So god is long nosed. He's very patient with us and we have we have some idea and concept and understanding of of that. So, how do I know which hook to hang my hat on? He is knowable.

He has he is person. He has the attributes of a person of personhood, and he is relational. Which means he wants you to engage at a a heart level. I'll use a word to get your attention. Heart level intercourse.

Deep, deep, intimate connection at the heart level. He is not a philosophy. He is not just a a book of wisdom. He is a person and he longs to spend time with you in a way and develop in the context of relationship the ability for you to trust him enough for you to say, would you look at the hat rack of my life? Am I hanging any hats of my belief on a hook that it shouldn't?

And sometimes, he would be so bold through the conviction of the Holy Spirit to say, hey, look at that, look at that hat. Look at the hook that you're hanging that particular hat on. You really think it's going to hold weight and you can argue with them and you can but that's that relationship dynamic and then, here's something really brave that you could do. You say, I don't I I don't know. You you show me and with his little pinky, he goes, alright and it just snaps and breaks right off but he's good and faithful and he catches that belief and you're shattered.

It is better to fall on the rock and be broken than for the rock to fall on you and be completely squashed like a bug. And then you say, well, what hook should I hang that belief on? And then he's like, well, let's look together. Romans twelve one and two, don't be conformed any longer to the patterns, the popular hooks of this world but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Hang your hat on god's truth.

Whoo. That'll preach really good. Psalms 119, let's keep, we gotta get, we gotta get going here. Psalms 119, would somebody please read out loud? Oh, wait.

No. Okay, we're going to start with the Bible. We're going to start with the Bible. Let's let's talk about the the Bible. There is a growing popular narrative that tries to assert that the Bible is nothing more than an antiquated book of outdated myths and fairy tales.

The book, the bible, is not treated among among, like, majority of the culture in The United States today is not treated with respect. It is not treated with reverence. It is not treated as immutable, transcendent source of truth. It is treated as, oh, that's good for for you. Years ago, I was when we first moved to Jackson, I went to Pearl Street Bagel, and I got my cold sport tea with no ice.

Little pro tip. And then I got a chocolate chip cookie and a breakfast sandwich. And I was sitting down, and I had my bible with me. I had my bible open, and I was enjoying my little quiet time at Pearl Street Bagel. And and a girl that worked there actually came over to me and said, hey.

That book is making people feel uncomfortable. Would you mind just closing that and and and not at the time, I was like, oh my gosh. Sorry. I walked out. That stuck with me for fifteen years.

What I would have done differently. What I would have done differently is for another sermon another time. But but but people like this book, man. So there's a popular narrative that most people, even quite a few in the church today, are like, worldwide flood? I'll hang it on a regional flood hook.

Now is it oh, I'll use a churchy word. Is that salvific? Is that is that is that particular, portion of is that like, if you believe in a localized flood or a global flood, like, does your salvation hang in the balance if you go one way or another? Oh. If you don't believe one part of the bible or if it's not.

Oh, that's such a great point. So I'll say it again for our livestream family. So if you don't believe one part of the bible, that's it. That opens a Pandora's box for or as a slippery slope for being like, well, this is challenging also. And I mean, is that really real?

And just for localized versus global flood, I'll just say this. Examine the text closely, and you will see over seven different times just in those few verses, the whole earth, everything. The it's it's it is there's there's no hyperbole in that passage. He means everything. So so a lot of people would like to pick and choose from the bible.

Unfortunately, that's not really an option if you're going to to follow Jesus. Even the parts that are uncomfortable or mysterious or confusing, I I I trust you, Lord. So let's read Psalms one nineteen verse one through eight. Would somebody please read verse one through eight for me? And I promise we're not gonna spend this long on each one.

Unless you want to. I can go for it.

Joyful are the people of integrity who follow the instructions.

Hold on. Kat, you're reading. That sounds like your voice.

It is.

Alright. Don't race through that. Don't race through that, and I'm not I'm not correcting you. I'm inviting you to just savor god's word. Okay.

Take another run at it. Sounds good.

Joyful are the people of integrity Yes. Who follow the instructions of the Lord. Joyful are those who obey his laws and search him with all their hearts search for him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.

Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees. Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands. As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should. I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me.

Oh, how how real is that? Please don't give up on me. You might have a pry a pretty sorry looking hat rack of beliefs. But god doesn't go like, oh, that's a nasty hat rack. He just loves you so much.

He's like he's like the TLC show. Hey. Want me to help you organize the hat rack of your total worldview? I could help you. But look, thank you, B.

Look at our analogy in these eight verses. Can can you see our analogy jumping out at you? Are you able to connect some dots between god's word and the analogy that we're going with? Joyful are the people of integrity. My definition of integrity is your words and your actions line up.

You gotta you've got a well organized hat rack who follow the instructions of who? The lord. Not the popular narrative, not what your parents said, not of any one teacher, but of the lord. Lord, where do you want me to hang this at? Hang it right here.

Oh, that's tough. Well, okay. Nevertheless, lord, at your command, I'll let down my nets on the other side. Right? Peter said that, and he hangs his head there.

Hey, Brian.

Oh, here we go.

What? No. No. No.

What Translation? Yeah. NLT. Okay. New Living Translation.

It says people look blamed that are blameless, and I like this one better.

Okay. Awesome. Joyful are the people who obey his laws. Meaning, I'm going to hang this hat on this hook that you have that that is true that you've put. In search for him with all of their hearts.

Lord, where do I hang this belief? And he's like, hang it right here. Okay. They do not compromise with evil. They're not hanging their hat just anywhere willy nilly.

And they walk only in his paths. You have charged us to keep your commandments and he says, I have a specific hook for every hat of your belief. Even the Nephilim. He says, I got a hook for that. I got a hook for that.

You've charged us to keep your commands carefully. Everything in its place and every what what's the thing? In a place for everything. Lord said that. And then verse five, oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees.

Oh, lord, help me that I would always hang the right belief on the right hook. Then, I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with what social media says, what my friends are doing, what I've believed for fifty years, there's one standard on which we are invited to measure our life and there is one one standard on which we will be judged When we stand before a holy and righteous god and give an account for our life, there is one standard and praise the lord. He has not made us made it mysterious. When I compare my life with what? Your commands.

As I learn your righteous regulations, as you help me to organize my hats properly, I will thank you by living as I should. And I will obey your decrees. And then I just can anybody this is a poll the audience question. I need everybody to participate. Raise your hand if you can relate to the last sentence of that verse.

Please don't give up on me. The Bible. It's true. Let's talk about money next. We'll just just touch on and believe you.

There's so many like little, you know how you have the hooked but then on each hook like it's got like a couple little branches and you're like, well, I can hang it here or here. Why that will preach? Let's talk about money. There's a popular narrative in the church that says that tithing, giving a portion of your finances to your local church, and if you're just visiting, just plug in your local church. Tithing is only for and then I just kind of made up a few fill in the blanks.

Tithing is only for grown ups. Here you are 28 years old, and you still have the mentality of, like, well, you know, tithing is for, like, grown ups. Tithing is for financially secure people. As soon as I balance my checkbook, I'll start tithing. Yeah, yeah.

What are checkbooks? That's what that joke was. Tithing is only for, like, like, like, once I'm able to give a full 10%, which is an old testament word and phrase and number that we get, Tithe is from an old testament concept of just 10%. All you needed to do in the old testament of your crops, your livestock, and your your finances, you just give 10, take that to the temple, and then you can hang your hat and spend your money anywhere else you want. That other 90%, go for it.

Jesus comes along and he's like, not 10%. 100%. 100% of my finances, need to tithe. No. No.

No. God Jesus is saying, I want a 100% of your heart. What I want is the heart posture that would say, Lord, you literally spared nothing but gave all of yourself for me out of thankfulness and gratitude my whole life, including 100% of my finances is yours. And I look at myself as only a steward of of of your finances. Because, like, do you really think you actually, on your own effort, energy, got that great job that you have?

No, baby girl. God's good to you with that job that you have. God is good to you with that position that you are are in right now. Yeah, but my manager is a jerk. Oh, wow.

That's amazing. God has given you an opportunity to serve a less than awesome leader. So that when you get promoted around them, up and out and around them, and you've learned the lessons of serving under a leader that's not great. How much easier will it be to serve a leader that is awesome? Everything I have is yours, lord.

And what did Psalms one nineteen say? Please don't give up on me. Help me. Tithing is really it it's optional. It's only for those who want to.

It's real tithing really is only for those whom the lord has done anything for in their life. That's that that's really it. Here's the truth that you can hang your hat about tithing and and finances just in general. When we tithe and when we give a portion of our finances, we are obeying god. And this is, like, I'm not gonna, like, throw at you, like, a bunch of verses about, like, why you need to tithe.

You just go search them up yourself. We're obeying god when we give a portion of our finances back to the local church that we call home. We discipline our flesh because our flesh wants to hang on to every last penny of that paycheck. And if you live here seasonally or year round, you know how precious and valuable every single penny is. Right?

You gotta pay to play here. When we give a portion of our finances, we're surrendering it to the lord and the lord uses the local church to administer those finances. Right? But but it leaves our hands. Our flesh says hold on to it, but we discipline our flesh when we when we tithe.

And as you hear us say regularly and frequently, it's a way of tangibly practically saying, Lord, I what do we say? I love you and I trust you. I love you and I trust you. Have you ever thought of every time you give, like, whether it's, like, through your smartphone or you drop something there or whatever, have you ever thought of that money leaving your hands electronically or however? Have you ever thought of it as an expression of saying, Lord, I love you, and I trust you.

And hang your hat on that hook, see if it'll bear the weight. Turn to Matthew chapter six. And I'll go ahead and read verses 19 through 21 and then jump ahead a little bit to verses 31 but both of those passages are up on the screen. Jesus is saying, don't store up for yourself treasures here on earth. We're rust and mutt.

I remember a guy said that one time and now it always sticks in my brain. Destroys them. Where thieves break in and steal. Instead, store your treasures in heaven. He is inviting us to hang our belief on a different hook.

Hopefully, you will see this throughout god's word from now on. This is inviting me to hang my hat of this belief on a different hook. He's telling us, have you ever heard like, when you read god's word, he says, you have heard it said, and then he goes, but then, what does he always follow it up with? Four words, but I tell you, Jesus is calling out those hooks. You've hung your hat here but I'm telling you, hang your hat here.

It can't bear the weight but if you hang your hat here, it'll bear the weight. So, here's what he's saying. Store yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. Then he warns us, wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also. And then jump down to 31.

So don't worry about these things. Why are you hanging your hat here on as if it's really up to you? What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?

Then, he says, so many people hang their hats here. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. Then he invites us to hang our hat somewhere else. But your heavenly father already knows all your needs. Seek first the kingdom of god above all else.

Whether it's with your finances, your future, your career, your pain, your worry, just put him first. Seek the kingdom of god above all else. Live righteously and he will give you everything you need. I love what this same verse 21 says from the passion translation. For your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.

What was that? Okay. I'll say it one more time for you. I'll say it slow so you can write it down. This is verse 21 from the passion translation.

Your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure. Last one. We won't spend much time on it. Cue that eighties song. Let's talk about sex.

Thank you. Okay. Yep. Yep. Yep.

Yep. Alright. And now for an interpretive dance. If the dance team. Ella's like, oh, no.

No. The fabric the fabric of our nation is slowly unraveling. Among other areas of our national culture, we can observe the change in our collective views about sex. The nation was founded on biblical principles and existed for, what, a hundred and eighty years living out these values. But it could be said that during the sixties, with the rise of the the the sexual revolution and the and the the snapping off from the coat rack of traditional biblical values and ideals and morals, especially considering sex that we saw the sexual revolution and the the lyrics to the song where if you or I I don't know if it was a song or if it was just a saying.

If you can't be with the one you love

Love the one.

Love the one you're with. Song. Song. Who who who who is it? I don't know who.

It doesn't matter who it was. It was a song. Sex outside of marriage has become so, so accepted in today's society. It's actually really weird and taboo if you aren't sleeping with the person that you're dating or that you just met that night. And for those of us who are married, for those of us who are a little older, it seems like, I don't know about that.

But if I were to take what I just said to the Mangie Moose or to the deck at the bird or to Pearl Street and say that people would look at me as if I were from another planet like an alien visitor, what in the world are you saying? And maybe some of you have your your hat is currently hung there right now. And the the the quickest thing to do is to deflect and be like, yeah. Yeah. Lot of people do think that way.

Yeah. But what about you? What about you? Sex outside of marriage has become so accepted by our society. It's really weird or taboo if you aren't sleeping with somebody that you're dating.

The world offers us the hook of total acceptability. Sleep with whoever or whatever you want. That's your truth. It will not bear that hook. I love you enough to tell you that hook will not bear the weight for your entire lifetime.

It the hook will break, and it leads to all kinds of things. And you know it. You know it. You know it. If we are Christians, where do we hang our hat?

Just two verses and then we'll land the plane. First Corinthians six eighteen, Paul is talking and he says, run or your translation might say, flee. I love that word. Flee. We are supposed to resist the devil.

This is the devil. Remember his description in that movie, oh brother, where art thou? Well, the great Satan itself is a scaly creature with a bifurcated tail and a pit. Remember, like George Clooney's okay. Maybe that was just me.

Paul literally tells us to resist the devil but when it comes to sexual temptation, he goes, turn and run. From sexual sin. No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Sex outside of marriage is sexual immorality.

That's the hook that god says. That's his standard. Remember Psalms one nineteen? Please don't give up on me. If your hat's been hanging on a different hook, just just move it.

Yeah, but my boyfriend's gonna be upset for me. My girlfriend's gonna be upset with me. You ain't gotta, you ain't gonna stand before them at judgement day. And how many hooks has that girl already hung her hat on? And if you are like, I'm not doing that anymore, she's just gonna find another hook to hang her hat on until she gets her life right with the lord.

Second or first Timothy two twenty two, run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Instead, pursue righteous living. Faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the lord with pure hearts. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Last thing I'm gonna say. While we're on this topic, let's talk about gender for just a second. What crazy, interesting hooks there are about gender these days.

But there's one hook from god's word in Genesis chapter one verse 27 that you don't have to hang your hat on, but this question will be on the test. Genesis one twenty seven, so god created human beings in his own image, in the image of god, he created them. Male and female, he created them. We live in a free society where you can identify any way you want. You can identify as a giraffe.

I'm fine. Well, that's a pretty interesting hook to hang your hat on. You're you're welcome to. But at the end of your life, you'll stand before a holy god and the only hooks that matter are his standards. And to to His Bible's closing.

Maybe you have hung your hat on an aberrant hook for some time. Maybe you know somebody that has. Maybe you're the parent of somebody that has. The words from God's word that have come out of my mouth are not are not intended to be from my mouth to be words of condemnation. I'll say what God's word has to say and let the Holy Spirit do the conviction.

That's like really the best that that that that I could do. Could I have that mic real quick? Okay. Stay on your toes. Imagine imagine a god that that was more concerned about you liking him and you being friends than interacting with a god that is absolute truth.

I just want you to like me and I know that that you you the beliefs that you have about this particular thing are are are gonna lead to your harm and to your destruction and cause you pain, but I just want you to like me. Or, well, I really don't have anything to say about that, so go ahead and believe, like, what you want. I don't know that I would wanna serve that kind of a god. But he's got something to say about every single aspect of human life and human nature. And when we come into conflict with our beliefs regarding his transcendent truth, we are invited to conform our lives to his truth.

Now there's a popular narrative that would try to wag its finger at you and say, you're terrible and you're a bad person and and me speaking for the church, I reject you because of a belief that you have that happens to be wrong. If you're hearing that, you've kind of missed the whole point of what I've been trying to say today. God loves you so much that he wants to inform you gently, lovingly, kindly. That hat, that that hook that you're hanging your hat on, it won't bear the weight in the long term. And I'm inviting you to hang your hat somewhere else.

Now maybe there's something that I've touched on today is settled for you, but maybe somebody close to you, you know they're hanging their head somewhere else. The these words coming out of my mouth are not a rejection of them or a a a finger wagging at them either. It's not. It's not. I'm not in charge of their life, and I know that you would take it upon yourself to to feel that way, but you're not in charge of their life either.

They're gonna hang their hats where they're gonna hang their But you can pray for them. The Bible says in the book of James, the prayer of a righteous mom is powerful and effective. Let's just close our eyes and invite the Lord to just speak to us for a moment. Help us. Help us.

Help us, Jesus. Holy Spirit, would you do what you do best hover over the hearts of your people here this morning. Wrap us in your great love. And from the context of that, your great love, would you whisper to our hearts about any one area of our our life where we're hanging the hats of our belief on a hook that it doesn't belong because it can't bear the weight. Help us.

I just feel like holy speak the holy spirit showed me a picture of two different hat racks. And there's one hat rack with all the hats just organized and hung well and and it just looks really good. And there's another hat rack that's like haggard and hooks snapped off of it, hats stacked one on top of another, just really disorganized and messy. And that maybe somebody would be in here this morning that would try to hear, well, I need to get all my I need to get the hat rack of my life looking like this in order for the Lord to love me and accept me. And I feel like the Lord would say to you, that is so not true.

He would say, I love you. Messy hat rack and all. I love you right where your hats are. I love you. I have not abandoned or rejected you.

I love you right where you are. And if you would receive my love in the context of relationship, we can talk about reorganizing your hat rack, but that's only as you grow to trust me. Receive his great love this morning. Thank you, Jesus. We take our faith very seriously but not ourselves.

Will you stand up? Can I pray for you? When you said real people like like as opposed to AI, pray for you. They're real humans. They're actual like natural born humans that will pray for you.

Let's do this. Let's receive the benediction which is just me commanding a blessing over your life. Hold your hands like this. I'm I'm holding them up so that you can see my hands. So, hold them comfortably in receiving position.

Lord Jesus, thank you so much for your goodness extended towards us. We receive it this morning, today, and this week. God, I command a blessing over all of your children here today. Just drench them in your great love. Grant them your favor and give them a great amazing week.

We pray these things in Jesus name, the strong son of god and everybody said, amen. Amen. I love you so much. Have a great week and remember, Theresa Hunger, you got this.