There seems to be three things we worship more than God

• Sex, Money, and our Kids

When it comes to sex, we all get very uncomfortable, especially in our currently cultural climate

All I want to do is speak plainly about what the Bible actually says.

[Genesis 1:26-28]

“Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.””

[Genesis 2:22-24]

“Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”

[Matthew 19:4-6]

“Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.””

Three Things I want you to Know about You

1. YOU ARE NOT A MISTAKE

[Psalm 139:13-16]

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

You are NOT an accident. Whether your parents wanted you or not! Whether you are comfortable with yourself or not! God is the one who gave it to you and he doesn’t make mistakes!

2. YOU ARE A PICTURE

[Ephesians 5:31-32]

“As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.”

Paul says that each sex is a picture of something more than just their sex

• Men, you are a picture of Jesus
• Ladies, you are a picture of the Church (Christians)

This explains why sexuality is a big deal in the Bible

3. YOU HAVE A CHOICE

[Matthew 19:11-12]

““Not everyone can accept this statement,” Jesus said. “Only those whom God helps. Some are born as eunuchs, some have been made eunuchs by others, and some choose not to marry for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.””

Do you have the right to have sex with whoever you want? Sure, legally.

• Yes. It’s been legal to cheat on your spouse forever
• It’s legal to have sex before your married
• It’s legal to have same-sex relations

BUT if you are a follower of Jesus, the legality has NEVER determined the morality of an action

[1 Corinthians 6:18-19]

“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,”

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QUESTIONS:

If I am not a mistake, does that mean that God made me Gay?

[Psalm 51:5]

“For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

[Hebrews 12:1]

““Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”

Are gay/trans people allowed at Grace?

• EVERYONE is allowed to be here. Everyone is created in the image of God and loved unconditionally
• However, you need to know that we believe that biblical discipleship and spiritual growth will lead you to live out a biblically appropriate expression of your sexuality
• If you’re okay with that, we are too!
• No matter you believe, we love you

Each of us, like Eve, have to decide whether or not God can be trusted to be telling the truth. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that Jesus came to, in HIS words, give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10).

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?