All right we are we are here in Genesis chapter 30 and the name of the sermon is
Jacob's response to being ripped off. Jacob's response to being ripped off. Now
in this chapter we see one second here all right I think we're good now so
we're in Genesis chapter 30 and Jacob's response to being ripped off and in this
chapter we see that Jacob is ripped off financially and we see that what his
response actually is to this situation but you could also apply this not just
to someone being ripped off but being cheated kind of in any sense of the word
if someone speaks about you falsely or someone says something that's unfair
about you or whether you get ripped off financially or whatever we see Jacob's
response to this and some lessons that we can learn verse number 25 and it came
to pass when Rachel had warned Joseph that Jacob said unto Laban send me away
that I may go into my own place into my country give me my wives and my children
for whom I have served thee and let me go for thou knowest my service which I have
done thee. Now I don't believe that Jacob would have wanted to leave if he was
being treated fairly but Jacob had been working for Laban he had agreed to you
know work a certain amount of time for his wives and then later on the chapter
we're going to see that basically you know he bore the loss of animals that
happen to die and everything he's getting ripped off financially and then
he's at the point where he's respectful because he doesn't say anything rude in
these statements but he just says hey let me go you know basically I've done
my job there's nothing that you can hold against me and you know what we see here
is the importance of having a good reputation in the world and you know an
example modern day how you would apply this is if you work at a job for 10
years or so and let's say you're a very good employee and your boss promised
that you know what you do these certain things you know you're going to get
raises you're going to get promotions and you're expecting it in years go by
and it doesn't happen somebody else gets promoted you don't get the raises this
sort of thing happens in the workplace all the time you know I worked a job
that you know I was there for basically three years and I didn't get the
promises that they said you know every six months would be when the raise comes
in and then they give you your evaluation and your raise and it was
like so low it's like you got to be kidding me it's just like based on what
you told me you know I'd be getting a lot more money getting opportunities and
then they weren't happening and this happens very often in the workplace well
the importance to being successful in this situation is that you have a good
reputation if you're at that job and you complain about it well you better make
sure that you're a good employee better make sure you're good have a good
reputation otherwise it's not going to do you any good verse 27 and Lavin said
unto him I pray thee if I have found favor in thine eyes Terry for I've
learned by experience the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake and he said
appoint me thy wages and I will give it and so Lavin basically says no no no no
no don't leave because Jacob is a good employee and he had been ripping Jacob
off and Jacob didn't complain about it too much but Lavin says hey no don't go
and then Jacob's like well you know what make sure you give me my wages right if
you give me my wages then there's not going to be a problem if you give me
what I deserve there's not going to be a problem but if you don't then I'm just
going to go and start my own business basically go to Philippians chapter 2
Philippians 2 Philippians 2 we see that Jacob had a good reputation at his job
and it's important that we have a good reputation it's important that we are
blameless in all walks of life and if we run into similar situations like this
our reputation can be something that's going to help us in those situations it
says in Philippians 2 verse 14 do all things without murmurings and disputings
that you may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the
midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the
world and the Bible says in verse 15 that one thing we should seek to be is
blameless blameless does not mean sinless obviously we are all sinners it
is impossible to be 100% sinless but the idea is that you don't have some major
thing in your life that people can point against you and say well look at what
you did here but that's your blameless in the eyes of this wicked and crooked
perverse nation go to 2nd Peter chapter 3 2nd Peter 3 2nd Peter 3 and this
probably is not going to be the longest sermon tonight it's not the longest
section that we have to preach plus I think you know I'm pretty tired from the
trip and everything so but we do have a lot to cover here in this chapter there's
a lot of good information and it's important that we have a good reputation
it's important that we are blameless 2nd Peter 3 verse 14 wherefore beloved seeing
that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in
peace without spot and blameless without spot and blameless go to Daniel chapter
6 let's see an example of someone that was blameless and you know what it's not
just that we should seek to not commit sins we should seek to be blameless in
our lives and there might be certain situations you try to avoid because you
don't want to be blamed for something for example you know if there's a
restaurant that's just basically a bar it might be an atmosphere where you
decide I'm not going to be a part of that because I don't want to get the
wrong attachment to what I'm doing here I don't want people to have the wrong
impression about me Daniel chapter 6 verse 3 then this Daniel was preferred
above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the
thing and the king and the Kings thought to set him over the whole realm
then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel
concerning the kingdom but they could find none occasion or fault for as much
as he was faithful neither was there any error or fault found in him here's an
example where the presidents and princes are envious of Daniel they want Daniel's
position that he has and they're trying to find something against them
concerning the kingdom concerning basically how he worked at his job I
mean if they could have said well you know what Daniel was gossiping about the
king that would have been something that they would have been able to bring apart
if that was true but they don't say that I'm sure these people that are accusing
Daniel probably criticize the king all the time but Daniel did not there's
nothing that they could accuse him so in a modern-day application of being at a
workforce or something like that if you're checking in late to work or if
you're going home early you're taking a lot of breaks you know that are
basically on company time then you're not really blameless because you're
basically cheating the company and they could not find anything against Daniel
he wasn't gossiping about the king he wasn't complaining he wasn't checking
out early he was blameless in regards to his secular job and it says here in
verse 5 then said these men we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel
except we find it against them concerning the law of his God so they
basically say you know what in a sense of how he lives his life he's basically
blameless he hasn't done anything that we could accuse him or get him in
trouble however when it comes to the law of his God when it comes to his
religious beliefs that's where we're gonna get him and they of course hatched
this plan to basically make it illegal to pray and they know that Daniel is
going to keep praying and everything and he gets in trouble for this now the
application we could make is that if somebody's going to criticize you it
ought to be because of your religious beliefs because of what you stand for
and not based on your character or what you do right and so I've heard this said
by my old pastor in West Virginia where he said allow people to be mad at your
position basically your position on beliefs but not your disposition meaning
how you act with people go to Proverbs 22 Proverbs 22
Proverbs chapter 22 you know that's something that I felt at my job before
where there are people that did not like me because of my religious beliefs even
though I never talked about the Bible at work I never talked about I read my
Bible during my lunch break but I just showed up early you know did my job just
worked hard I mean people thought I was the quietest person in the world
probably at my workplace because I didn't want to get involved in the
conversations they were in and I was just thinking what I'm here to work and
I worked hard and yet there was people work that did not like me and the reason
why is because I read my Bible and I remember there's this one girl at the
office that I had heard from sources that basically she went to the
management and they said that it was not appropriate that I brought my Bible to
work and it was not appropriate that I was reading my Bible and that I should
be not allowed to do that or I should be fired obviously someone just in this
was someone I had never talked to before someone who basically I'd seen and you
know you just say hello when you pass them to be respectful but it's just like
someone who was just apparently hated me simply because of what I believed and of
course people were aware of what I believed about you know things like the
LGBT and stuff just not that I ever said anything at work but people have a way
to find out right especially if you have sermons online from the past it's kind
of like you can't really hide from that sort of stuff and they were really mad
at me this person was really mad at me because of this but they weren't mad at
me because I was you know going home early from work they weren't mad at me
for taking extra breaks they didn't complain to management about what I was
doing at my job they complained about my religious beliefs and so the fact that I
was actually a quality worker is the reason why I was not fired because you
know I remember I was called into the office one time and they were talking to
me about my beliefs about feminism and women and the LGBT and stuff like that
and I just said well you know I never talk about what I believe at work I was
like I'm not going to change what I believe if that's what you're asking me
and they said well you know we talked to your employees and you know what
everyone said you know you do a good job so so it's okay I said well I just want
to make sure I'm not going to be fired in a couple months because I never talk
about what I believe at work and I said to be honest there's lots of people this
company that are gossiping and wasting their time on I don't do that I work
hard I don't clock in late I don't clock out early I do my job I never talk about
what I believe and they say you want it's fine right it's just we've never
you know had to deal with this situation right and you know it's just the way it
is in this world that you know what if you if you believe in the things of God
sometimes people can hold that against you Proverbs 22 verse 1 it says a good
name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than
silver and gold when it speaks about a good name there in Proverbs 22 what is
referring to is having a good reputation having a good name that when your name
is mentioned you have a good reputation people think highly of you that you're
basically blameless go to go back to Genesis 30 Genesis 30 and Jacob you know
he had a good reputation when it came to how he worked at his job he was a
good worker Genesis chapter 30 verse 29 and he said on to him now knowest how I
have served thee and how thy cattle was with me for as little as thou hadst
before I came in is now increased unto a multitude and the Lord hath blessed thee
since my coming and now when shall I provide for mine own house also and so
Jacob basically brings up the fact that you know what I'm a good worker right
now look if if someone's trying to rip you off it is okay to defend yourself I
mean Jacob is defending himself and he's rightfully defending himself because he
says you know what I've been a good worker he's like I've helped you out
he's like basically since I came here now all of a sudden you have a lot but
what about me it's like you are ripping me off financially I'm not getting what
I deserve I'm not getting the promises of being paid I'm not getting an
opportunity to provide for my own family you're basically taking advantage of me
now here's the thing if he was a bad employee he couldn't really say this to
his boss he couldn't really say you know what I've been a good employee I've done
all this for you but he has a good reputation he's a good employee so he is
able to say that verse 31 and he said what shall I give thee and so Laban is
basically agreeing you know what I don't want to lose you as a worker what do you
want me to give you it's like I'll do what you want and Jacob said thou shalt
not give me anything if thou would do this thing for me I will again feed and
keep thy flock and so what Jacob is basically saying there is the past is
the past and he's saying you don't have to give me anything to pay me back for
what you ripped me off right he says thou shalt not give me anything so
nothing from the past is it it's okay because I'm doing fine it but I'm
looking toward my future and he's saying the past is fine but I want you to do
this going forward right verse 32 I will pass through all thy flock today
removing from fence all the speckled and spotted cattle and all the brown
cattle among the sheep and the spotted and speckled among the goats and if such
shall be my hire so shall my righteousness answer for me in time to
come when it shall come for my hire before thy face everyone that is not
speckled and spotted among the goats in brown among the sheep that shall be
counted stolen with me and Laban said behold I would it might be according to
thy work so basically verse 33 when Jacob says so shall my righteousness
answer for me he's saying you know what I believe that I'm correct in this
situation I believe that I've been a good worker I believe that I've worked
hard for you that basically I've been taken advantage of my righteousness
shall answer for me basically I'm going to trust in God to provide for me what I
need I don't care about the past it's fine but being a hard worker now I
believe God is going to allow things to work out in my favor right and so point
number one we see is the importance of having a good reputation in this world
and if you're being ripped off but you have a bad reputation you can't really
say well I've been a great employee look at all the stuff that I've done but if
you're being ripped off at your job and you've been a good employee you do have
the ability to say you know what hey you told me I'd get a raise it's been three
years the race hasn't happened and you know what I believe it's okay to go to
your boss and say hey I believe I deserve a raise but the thing is you
better make sure that you're a good employee because if you're not a good
employee then you're just going to be fired right I mean they're gonna say
hey forget about it if you're a good employee though you do have some
leverage so I'm not saying that you know what basically just allow yourself to
get ripped off but here's the thing point number two is this retribution
belongs to God we need a proper balance on this I'm not saying allow yourself to
get ripped off right I mean if somebody says you know what 500 pesos tricycle
fee from Nepo Park to here look you don't have to allow yourself to get
ripped off okay I'm not saying that but what I'm saying is at the end of the day
retribution or vengeance belongeth unto the Lord right Genesis 30 verse 35 and
he removed that day the he goats that were ring-streaked and spotted and all
the she goats that were speckled and spotted and everyone that had some white
in it and all the brown among the sheep and gave them into the hand of his sons
and he said three days journey betwixt himself and Jacob and Jacob fed the rest
of Laban's flocks and Jacob took them rods of green pop blur and of the hazel
and chestnut tree and pilled white strikes in them and made the white
appear which was in the rods and he sent the rods which he had pill before the
flocks and the gutters in the water and troughs when the flocks came to drink
they should conceive when they came to drink the flocks conceived before the
rods and brought forth cattle at ring-streaked speckled and spotted and
Jacob did separate the lambs and set the face of the flocks toward the ring
straight and all the brown in the flock of Laban and he put his own flocks by
themselves and put them not onto Laban's cattle and it came to pass
whatsoever the stronger cattle did conceive that Jacob laid the rods before
the eyes of the cattle and the gutters they might conceive among the rods now
you might say what's going on in these verses to be honest I believe this what
we call an old wives tale and what I mean by that is basically you know it's
it's an expression maybe not not here but basically Jacob does this thing and
he thinks this will psychologically cause you know the cattle to end up a
certain way I just believe that God is the one that allowed this to happen I
don't think that anything Jacob did really made a difference to be honest
you know I think this is just a bunch of hocus-pocus personally I don't think
that you can do all this stuff with an animal to get them to turn out a certain
color or with spots and stuff like that I've heard people that believe that you
know there's a psychological reason that you can do this I don't think that makes
any sense personally I think it's just something that Jacob for whatever reason
believed in but you know retribution belongs to God and as Jacob said earlier
my righteousness shall answer for me and that's actually the answer to this why
is it that all the cattle turned out for Jacob because God was looking down
and saying you know what you have been ripped off and I'm going to give you
what you deserve right you've worked hard you deserve this go to Deuteronomy
32 Deuteronomy 32 Deuteronomy chapter 32
Bible says retribution or the Bible teaches retribution belongs to God
notice what it says in Deuteronomy 32 verse 35 to me belongeth vengeance and
recompense go to verse 41 verse 41 if I wet my glittering sword in my hand take
hold on judgment I will render vengeance to mine enemies and will reward them
that hate me verse 43 rejoice all you nations with his people for you will
binge the blood of his servants and will render vengeance to his adversaries and
see the Bible says that vengeance belongs unto the Lord I mean if you're
being ripped off I mean vengeance belongs unto the Lord I'm not saying
allow yourself to be ripped off but if somebody rips you off or teach you it's
like it's in God's hands whether or not he's gonna basically decide to even the
score and sometimes we might feel like we've gotten ripped off and it's not
fair and then we don't feel like God steps in well it is possible that maybe
you don't deserve to have God step in for you or it could be possible God
allows it to develop patience and character in your life but the bottom
line is vengeance belongs unto the Lord go to Romans 12 Romans 12 Romans 12 now
we generally think of being ripped off in a financial sense but you know you
could apply this to also you know if people were try to destroy your
reputation or to try to teach you in life in any sort of way I would say this
that when you're in the ministry people will speak badly about you they will say
things about you behind your back say things that aren't true and it just goes
with the territory it is what it is it's like you know you're not looking for a
fight when you're in the ministry but they just kind of happen to come to you
right and here's the bottom line you know what for me the way I look at this
is if God allows someone to speak against me think about like David in the
Bible where basically Shimei is cursing him and then David's like let him curse
I mean if God allowed it to take place then let it happen right I mean when
we've had church problems before especially Manila not really here but
it's like those people said so many things about me behind my back and like
saying all of these things and saying all these things that weren't true and
everything like that anyway I would often hear about these things but it's
like I just kind of take it because it's like well I don't have enough to be able
to kick this person out or I have to let it happen just seeing all these things
and you just have to take it it just is what it is now here's the thing I'm not
saying that you just allow yourself to get ripped off no matter what right like
I said if somebody tries to overcharge you for something you have a right to
defend and say no it's like I'm not just gonna give you you know this that's
not fair right you're ripping me off but Paul in 2nd Corinthians 2nd
Corinthians defends himself because people were criticizing him and they
were saying that he was a false apostle they were saying he's mighty in word but
he's basically a pushover in in public and they're basically lifting themselves
up and criticizing Paul and what you have to realize is this when you see
people that are trying to tear down others it's usually because they're not
good enough to basically be lifted up themselves and they use other people to
make them look bad to make themselves look better and Paul was talking about
that in 2nd Corinthians and he basically is rebuking them saying that hey you
know what they say that you know I'm not so good and he's like well here's all
the persecution I've been through what persecution did they go through right
here's the things that I did in the ministry and he says you know what I'm
gonna act a bit like a fool I'm gonna boast a little bit to show that you know
basically I started this church I'm the one who brought people to this church
and now these people are trying to tear me down and speak against me this just
happens in the ministry it just is what it is and sometimes people are gonna
tear you down and you know what it just goes with the territory it is like it is
what it is Romans 12 verse 18 Romans 12 verse 18 if it be possible as much as
lieth in you live peaceably with all men verse 19 dearly beloved avenge not
yourselves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is
mine I will repay saith the Lord therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him
if he thirst give him drink for in so doing now shall he calls of fire on his
head and what the Bible says is you know what it as much as is possible try to
live peaceably with people and the Bible says in verse 19 that you know what
sometimes you know you might have enemies but vengeance belongs on to the
Lord and so what are you doing verse 20 well you know if your enemy hungers feed
him if he thirst give him drink basically just act nice around them
don't say anything rude to him just say you know what you're not looking for a
fight if somebody wants to try to tear you down and criticize you you know what
just treat them well and you know what here's the thing hopefully they'll get
right with God and if not coals of fire being heaped up basically God saying hey
you know what you're getting a chance and now you reap what you sow right go
in your Bible to Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 Hebrews 10 and of course in a financial
sense this is true I mean if somebody is ripping you off it's just like you know
what they're definitely getting coals of fire on their head you know we live in a
day now where there's all of these like online scammers and phone scammers and
everything I mean just about there's not a day that goes by pretty much where I
don't win like a hundred thousand pesos in some sort of whatever on my phone
you've just won 100,000 pesos right you just won a million dollars or they'll be
like hey you know what start an online job work part-time and make like 5,000
pesos a day it's like come on you expect me to believe that but there's all these
scams and things that would rip you off I mean and they're getting they're
getting more you know advanced you know via emails and stuff like that it's a
dangerous world that we live in and you know what I believe a lot of those
people that are these professional scammers I probably most of them are
reprobates to be honest that they don't feel guilty at all about stealing money
from you but this exists in the world and at the end of the day it's like
vengeance belongs unto the Lord if somebody steals money from you know you
should try to get back what you deserve or what belongs to you but the end of
the day it's it's in God's hands I remember many years ago when we were in
Sacramento I had a lot of money stolen from from me from my bank account and
basically you know I I looked at my bank account and all of a sudden I had like
no money in it and you know it was in a situation where based on our we didn't
really have a normal insurance we had Samaritan ministry so we had a lot of
money in our bank account but it was really being used to pay back for
something we didn't really have the money we just kind of temporarily had it
because we were paying back on a three-year plan and so basically all this
money that I didn't really have that was going to be used to pay back for
something all of a sudden was like gone and you know of course I have to call
Bank of course I didn't just allow it it's like man I need this money you
know otherwise there's no way I could ever pay this back I mean there's a
real problem here but you know and eventually I got the money back I called
Bank of America they settled it and everything I mean I was worried for a
while but the end of the day in situations like that vengeance belongs
under the Lord and it is what it is right Hebrews 10 verse 28 he that
despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much
sore punishment suppose he shall you be thought worthy who hath trodden under
foot the Son of God and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was
sanctified in unholy thing hath done despite under the spirit of grace for we
know him that hath said vengeance belongeth on to me I will recompense
sayeth the Lord and again the Lord shall judge his people it is a fearful thing
to fall in the hands of the living God so once again the Bible says vengeance
belongs on to the Lord go to Genesis 30 Genesis 30 and don't misunderstand me
because I'm not saying you should allow yourself to get ripped off but you know
sometimes in life it's not a clear-cut two plus three equals five you might feel
like in a situation you've been ripped off or you've been cheated or whatever
and in those situations you have to kind of leave it into God's hands because God
might not feel the same way right and the other thing is this if you avenge
yourself it might cause God to say well you know what you've already avenged
yourself I'm not going to step in and avenge you right says in Genesis 30 point
number one we have with your reputation in the world is important in situations
of being ripped off point number two retribution belongs to God and point
three reaping what you've sown reaping what you've sown in a good way in a bad
way the Bible says in Genesis 30 verse 42 when the cattle were feeble he put
them not in so the feeble or labans and the stronger Jacobs and the man increased
exceedingly and had much cattle and maidservants and men servants and
camels and asses what you see is that you know what Jacob reaps what he sown
now earlier in Jacobs life in a bad way you know he reaped what he had sown
basically he had deceived and he had been deceived and perhaps even him being
ripped off by laban is part of that I'm not really sure right that's that
probably is to be honest but he was a hard worker and basically because he
worked hard even though he wasn't getting paid what he deserved he's gonna
reap what he sown in a good way right I mean in all labor there is profit even
if you don't get that money immediately you're gonna get what you deserve go to
Galatians 6 Galatians 6 Galatians chapter 6 and of course laban I mean he
is trying to scam Jacob and cheat Jake Jacob this whole time he's the one who
ends up losing out what I find funny in life and this this is usually true you
see people that are charlatans or con artists or scammers or people that are
not hard workers and they just cheat people they lie they step over people
they rip people off they do all of these things and then you look at your lot
their lives and they usually don't have anything it's like you know you're doing
all of this stuff and it's like you don't even have anything it's like it's
not even working for you what would work better is just be a hard worker quit
scamming people just work hard maybe God's gonna bless you then but you see
these people they always rip people off they do all these things and then they
don't even have anything and you don't get ahead by cheating now you might
temporarily feel like you're getting ahead but you know what you're not
gonna get ahead God's not going to allow it to happen but what you also
find is people that are good and honest people hard workers they love the Lord
they allow themselves sometimes to get ripped off because they don't want to
get into a fight with someone or something and yet God blesses their life
it's like they get ripped off in these situations and somehow God just pours
out blessings to them because they have the right attitude I'm not saying we
should allow ourselves to get ripped off I'm just saying sometimes in life it's
like you know what it's like it's not worth the fight I'll turn the other
cheek and it's in God's hands if I'm right then God is gonna reward me and
that's basically Jacob's attitude where he says you know what it's in God's
hands if I'm right my righteousness shall speak for me I'm gonna reap what
I've sown and he does he's correct I mean it works out for him says in
Galatians 6 verse 7 be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever man soweth
that shall he also reap and so the bottom line is if you do wrong even if
you're not being punished immediately realize God is not mocked God sees the
things that you do God knows what you do and you're gonna reap what you've sown
in a bad way this is what takes place to Laban right Laban is cheating Jacob and
you know what seems like he's getting away with it will be not deceived God
is not mocked and then he ends up losing out in the end and Jacob on the other
hand is getting ripped off and yet he's being rewarded because he's doing what's
right he has the proper attitude it says in verse 8 for he that soweth to his
flesh of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall the
spirit reap life everlasting so when it comes to reaping what you've sown we
must realize that it is not just in a negative way but it's also in a positive
way and obviously we normally preach this in a negative way where if you've
done bad you're gonna reap what you've sown and that's true right it's also
true in a good way though that basically if you do what's right then you're gonna
reap what you've sown in a good way right you're a hard worker in all labor
there's profit you're gonna reap what you've sown eventually turn your Bible
to Psalm 73 Psalm 73 Psalm 73
Psalm chapter 73
and I believe in this chapter you see that Jacob is basically or not Jacob
but Laban is reaping what he's sown we're basically all the cattle are
turning out for Jacob I don't think it's because of what Jacob did but I believe
that his righteousness the righteousness of Jacob spoke for him and the wickedness
of Laban spoke for him Laban was always trying to cheat Jacob and rip him off
next chapter we'll actually have a sermon on Laban and look at the
character of Laban through the chapters and he always has an issue with money
and so Laban I don't know whether he was a bad guy I I don't think he was saved
personally but he's certainly not a great guy I mean he definitely has major
character flaws at the very least in his life now of course sometimes you'll see
people that are bad people and it seems like they're getting away with stuff and
here's what you have to understand if someone is unsaved then it is possible
they're not gonna reap their punishment here but they're gonna reap it in hell
it says in Psalm 73 verse 16 when I thought to know this it was too painful
for me until I went into the sanctuary of God then understood either end surely
that has set them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction
how are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed
with terrors many reason many many times bad people like this they just die at a
very young age right they're in slippery places and the the analogy the Bible is
trying to give you this with slippery places is like walking on ice now in
this room you're probably like what does that that mean but walking on ice is one
of the hardest things to do I mean if you're on ice you start sliding and it's
very easy to slide backwards and hit the back of your head on ice actually every
single winter growing up in West Virginia there would be people that you
read in the newspaper an older person died because they were walking on ice
they slipped they fell in the back of their head and oftentimes walking into
church this would actually take place people died walking into church not at
none of the church I went to but it would happen because ice is very
difficult when you're older you have less balance and things like this but
the idea is that with these people that are bad people it's like everywhere they
go it's like a slippery place where whoops slipped on the banana peel or
whatever right think of Super Mario Kart right slipping on the banana peel and
this is what happens to bad people but sometimes bad people live long lives and
you kind of wonder why right I mean Billy Graham lived to be an old man I
mean he lived to be I think 99 when he died he's like the biggest Baptist false
prophet and yet he didn't die at a young age why did God allow that but here's the
thing he's not getting away with it because for each and every sin he's
gonna pay for it even more in hell the bottom line is when my kids act up I
spank my kids if other people's kids act up I don't spank them they're not my
kids if someone is not a child of God it is possible that in this world they will
get away with it but they're not going to get away with it because in the end
they're gonna pay for it in hell but I would say they usually they do get
what's coming to them in this life usually they don't get away with it
usually they pay for it and they do not get away with it eventually go in your
Bible to Galatians go back to Galatians 6 Galatians 6 now it's different for a
saved person as a saved person you're not going to pay for it in hell right
once you're saved you have eternal life everlasting life if you do bad you must
pay for it in this life because you're not going to pay for it in the afterlife
and so as a saved person I mean obviously as we preach be not deceived
God is not modest because if you do bad even though you feel like you're getting
away with it you're not going to you're eventually going to pay for the sins
that you've committed says in Galatians 6 verse 9 and let us not be weary in
well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not now the direct
application to this verse is when it comes to spiritual or heavenly things
we're basically don't grow tired and doing well getting people saved serving
God you know being dedicated to church and things like that because you're
going to reap if you don't faint now that reaping could just be in the
afterlife with rewards that reaping could be God blessing your family
blessing you with good health blessing you with raising your kids many
different ways that he could bless you but it would also be true that in a
sense of finances or something like that you know what if you're doing well you
are going to reap eventually right I mean if you work hard at your job and
you're a good employee and you don't say anything bad you want you are going to
be rewarded for that think of Joseph in the book of Genesis I mean he's in
prison and he hasn't done anything wrong and he just works hard he works hard but
eventually he gets rewarded for it and what oftentimes Christians in the
workplace they're not successful because they're not good employees they do the
same things that everybody else does they clock in late they take the same
breaks and yet they have the attitude while other people are doing it they get
away with it why can do it too but as a safe person you have to understand your
boss is the Lord that's why it's not with eye service but you work hard
whether or not you're seen or not and the Bible says you know let us not be
we're in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not now go to
Ephesians 6 we'll close up as I said not the longest sermon here tonight we're in
a short passage and but every single person in this world is going to be
cheated or ripped off or treated unfairly many many times in their life
and so this sort of sermon can definitely apply to all of us at various
times with Jacob he had a good reputation it's very important to have a
good reputation we also saw that you know what retribution belongs to God we
also see the principle of reaping what you've sown and it says in Ephesians 6
verse 8 knowing that whatsoever good thing any man do it any man doeth the
same shall he receive the Lord whether he be bond or free this is basically
reaping what you've sown you do good and you're going to receive from the Lord
that's what the Bible teaches and so you know when it comes to being ripped off
in life I'm not saying that we should allow it to happen obviously if
somebody's just plain ripping you off or if somebody steals something from you I
mean you have a right to demand what belongs to you right like if somebody
you know just you know stole the ring off my hand I'm not just gonna be like
well you can have it right it's like obviously I'm gonna give that back right
that cost me a lot of money right but what I'm saying is you know what
sometimes in life when you get ripped off it's not something that you can
basically just get back like that it's something where basically it happens and
you can't get that retribution the end of the day it belongs to God right it's
in his hands whether or not he's gonna then just belongeth on the Lord so let's
close in order prayer your heavenly father thank you for allowing us to be
here today and getting to see your word here in Genesis 30 help