just a minute but if you want to go back to Genesis chapter number 31 as I said
during announcements I'm actually going to continue on in the book of Genesis or
actually just look again at Genesis chapter 31 a couple things just to bring
everybody up to speed again on the story of course in Genesis chapter 30 you had
Jacob desiring to leave and to go back unto his kindred and he strikes this
deal with Laban about the flocks and they separate the flocks and all the
ring straight to the brown speckled and they're all going to be Laban's and then
everything that is conceived and otherwise is going to be Jacob's and of
course over the course of time over the course of years Jacob increases greatly
and he ends up pretty much taking over all of Laban's wealth chapter 31 starts
out it says there in verse 1 and he heard the words of Laban's son saying
Jacob hath taken away all that was our fathers and of that which was our
father's hath he gotten all this glory so that's kind of bringing us up to
speed of course then we know the Lord tells him a flee go unto go back to
your people he steals away in the night with his flocks and his goods and his
wives his children and then it's told unto Laban what's taken place and then
he pursues him for seven days and he finally catches up with him and if we
remember the story Laban is reminded or rather God comes to him in a dream and
warns him to speak either neither good nor evil unto Jacob and so we see that
there's a lot of hostility right taking place here the relationship is strained
to say the least and really I kind of already preached about this Thursday
night there's really no telling what exactly Laban would have done had God
not intervened we spoke a lot about envy if you remember Thursday night the
danger of envy the seriousness of envy and that's what was taking place there
in verse 31 chapter 31 with Laban with his flock being taken by Jacob that of
course caused him to become very envious of Jacob and really Jacob had done
nothing wrong that was the warning we got Thursday night you know if you
succeed in the Christian life and life in general if you work hard or diligent
like he is you're gonna have people just be upset at you for just just for doing
well you know that's just a strange thing about human nature but it is what
it is and then of course in the story Laban catches up with Jacob and
confronts him and they kind of have a little tiffed here and Jacob is or
rather Laban accuses Jacob of having stolen his gods from his house turns out
it was Rachel his daughter that did it of course she hid it amongst the stuff
and as a result Laban was not able to find it and then so Jacob kind of in his
ignorance here is is kind of saying see I told you so right and says in verse
36 and Jacob was Roth right meaning he was very mad he was very angry and he
chowed with Laban and Jacob answered and said to Laban what is my trespass you
know hey where's those things that were stolen what is my sin what that thou is
so hotly pursued after me you know what have I done wrong
whereas thou has searched all my stuff what has thought fond of thy household
stuff right so he's kind of rebuking him you said that all these things were
supposed to be missing with me well where are they let's see him right said
it before here before my brethren and I brethren that they may judge betwixt us
both okay and that's kind of where we are in the story all that's just to kind
of give the background okay so these kind of these verses make sense but
really what I want to focus on tonight is just verses 38 through 42 where we
see some of the character of Jacob again and this is something that I've touched
on previously in other sermons but it's something you know that the Bible speaks
of at length and that's having a work ethic being somebody that has a strong
work ethic somebody who is not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get something
done and of course this applies to everybody but specifically you know we
can apply this to men you know we as men need to be hard workers we need to be
diligent in our work we need to be people who are industrious and work hard
and earn a living and have integrity as Jacob you know Jacob is a great example
of this you know when we got first got into the story of Jacob a few weeks ago
you know I talked about the fact how some preachers want to paint Jacob as
some some kind of a Nancy boy some kind of a sissy right but he's really not and
we saw when you know he's able to roll the stone off the the mouth of the well
and we're gonna see some other things about him tonight where he's kind of
when he's you know having this argument with Laban where he kind of comes to his
own defense and kind of explain some things about how hard-working he's been
over these 20 years okay now again so to that point let's look at verse 38 he
said this 20 years have I been with thee thy ooze and thy she goats have not cast
their young and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten so the first thing I
want to point out is he's been with Laban 20 years all right we know he
labored for Rachel seven years and then he was supposed to labor another seven
years for Leah when remember when Laban tricked him and gave him Leah instead so
we know that's 14 years so you know this last six could have been the whole thing
where he's got this deal worked out Laban regarding you know who's gonna get
what of the flock but again he's saying I've been with you 20 years that which
was torn of beasts I brought it unto thee I bear the loss of it you know when
something went wrong and something didn't work out you know I didn't bring
it to you I didn't charge it to you I bore the brunt of everything I took
responsibility over things that went wrong of my hand didst thou require
whether stolen by day or stolen by night thus I was in the day the drought
consumed me meaning you know I was thirsty I was out in the heat the drought
consumed me and the frost by night you know we know something about this down
here in the desert in Tucson you know it can get really hot sometimes and then
certain times of the years it can actually get pretty cold at night in
fact it's even snowed here in Scottsdale never thought I'd see that again after
having left Michigan but lo and behold and he says in verse 40 thus I was the
day the drought consumed me in the frost by night and my sleep departed from mine
eyes I mean I'm working long hours I'm up at all hours of the night I'm
constantly available and I'm working hard and he did this for 20 years this
was the case he's saying this is this 20 years I've been with thee and here's how
it was these last 20 this is what it's been like it hasn't been easy it hasn't
been a pleasure cruise it's been hard work it's been drought it's been frost
it's been long days it's been sleepless nights it's been bearing the loss of
things that that came up missing look at verse 41 thus have I been with thee 20
years on thy house I have served thee 14 years for thy two daughters and six
years for thy cattle and thou has changed my way just ten times so on top
of that he's not even knowing you know what he's getting often year by year or
whatever it was right and we read the details earlier let you know last week
where after that deal had been struck in chapter 30 you you learned in 31 that
laban actually said okay now the ring straight will be yours and then they
all bear ring straight and then he said all the speckled shall be yours and then
they all bear it speckled so he kept trying to change his wages because laban
was watching his wealth by the blessing and of course the diligence on hard work
of Jacob literally just be transferred to Jacob so he's trying to change the
wages constantly to kind of get back what he's losing over this deal that
he's made with them and he's saying you've changed my wages ten times I
don't even know what I'm gonna be making you know year to year sometimes I don't
even know what my wages are gonna be for all this hard work that I'm doing you
keep trying to cheat me out of what's rightfully my rightfully mine and then
of course the coup de gras here verse 42 except the God of my father the God of
Abraham the fight and the fear of Isaac had been with me surely that I would
send away sent me away empty now all right you probably would have just sent
me home just like I showed up with no one and nothing to my name he said but
he hath God has seen my affliction and the labor of mine hands and rebuke thee
yesternight all right so God has come to the defense of Jacob and Jacob's drawing
that to again to laban's attention and he's really making his case here he's
saying you know this is why I'm leaving you don't think you know laban that
you're just some great guy you're actually kind of a hard guy to work for
you're actually not that good of a boss you've been conniving you've been
tricky you've been changing my wages and I've been doing a lot of hard work I
made you wealthy it's not my fault that you know God has blessed me in the
latter end so I want to just look at a few statements that Jacob makes here in
this chapter and make some application to us today and show us that you know
we ought to have some of these same characteristics especially as men men
need to be people who work hard okay the first thing I want to point out verse
38 is he says that this 20 years have I been with thee and I kind of already
alluded to this right he's been suffering like this for 20 years going
back and forth doing this hard work being a shepherd which is no easy task
out there you know in all the exposed to the elements you know he's been working
a hard job that quite frankly you know is not fun right it's work isn't
supposed to be fun it's it's a hard job that probably not a lot of people would
want to do today this isn't something you know you would sign up for right
but he's been out there 20 years just plugging away just being diligent and
being consistent and this is an important attribute to have especially
as a man in the workplace to be diligent and consistent in your work you know we
as men we need to kind of pick a career path and kind of stick to it don't be
people that are constantly shifting around and I understand sometimes it
takes a while for us to kind of maybe figure out sometimes where we want to
land as far as our career and what kind of work we're going to do but you know
you as the saying goes you know you can learn anything but you can't learn
everything if you kind of think about that there's probably not anything you
can't learn but you're gonna have to be picky about it because you can't learn
everything you know we all kind of have to specialize at some point and look I'm
not saying there might not be a time and a place to where it's you know we need
to change jobs obviously after 20 years of putting up with this after Jacob
finally succeeding and having the blessing of God on his life and getting
and accumulating this great wealth you know he had to change locations like he
had to go find another place to live but you know that was more because of the
way Laban was taking it right but again I'm not saying there might not be times
in your life as a man where maybe you know a career change is in order you
know but it can't just be well I want to change jobs because you know I just
don't like this you know that's not a good reason to change a job that's not a
good reason to just change a whole career that you've been investing your
time in okay because what you're gonna find out is if you go to another career
is that you're not gonna like that one either because it's all work you know
here's the thing about work none of its fun none of its fun it's that's why it's
called work and fun is called fun and work is called work right if work was
fun you know we would pay them to let us do it right it's not what we do when we
go to the amusement parks and and everywhere else we go for entertainment
you know they don't pay us to show up and enjoy that you know we pay them for
the privilege of having fun using their services right it's the opposite with
work you know we're not showing up to have a good time I'm not saying you
can't enjoy your job or you know have maybe even have fun if you're fortunate
enough to be able to do that at work great but here's the thing you know
don't be somebody who just switches job you know from year to year and just is
constantly you know trying this and trying that you know I get maybe kind of
have to find where your skills are what your strengths are what you could you
know excel at but you know once you kind of find that you got to kind of just
settle in and do it and not let you know things like circumstances or you know
bad employers or something that kind of shove you around right Jacob here stuck
with this for 20 years okay and he's having his wages changed he is you know
out there in the elements he's going you know through a lot of hard work doesn't
sound like it's a fun job but you know what he was diligent and consistent and
by the time you know you know he labors those 14 years for his two wives and it
seems like you know the latter the latter six years is where this whole
thing with Laban kind of takes place because he says I labored six years for
that cattle you know by the time that six year period came around if you go
back and read the story you know he's putting in the rods and piling the
pilling the rods and he's using this rod and that tree and this rod you know and
he's corralling these animals in a specific manner I don't know what all
that means right I'm not in husbandry none of us probably really understands
exactly what's going on there but obviously it's some kind of skill that
he's picked up on he's learned how to you know manage these these animals
after 14 years of doing this he's developed some some really good skills
at how to raise these sheep and and you know what to do right and obviously the
blessing of God was involved here that's what you know gave him his wealth but
you know he also had to do his part as I preached previously and he was able to
do his part because of the fact that he stuck with it for 14 years and didn't
just say well you know this whole husbandry thing this whole you know
pastoring thing this whole keeping sheep thing it's kind of for the birds
you know I'm gonna go try you know something else you know I don't know
what else you would have tried back then maybe in a gun Doug Wells or something
I'm not sure there probably wasn't a whole lot of job options you know back
then everyone was pretty much involved in agriculture back then right but you
know the point is the application that we can get from this is that stick with
it you know when you find something stick with it because skills are
something that are developed over time okay skills are developed over time
sometimes people this is especially true in the trades you know young guys get in
the trades they're starting at the bottom rung and they're not making a
whole lot of money you know and then they see some seasoned guy who's been
around for decades who's been doing the job longer than they've been alive in
some instances and they're like well why does he make so much money because he
knows a whole lot more than you about that job he's got the skills he has the
ability to you know get the job done he doesn't have to have somebody standing
over him telling him how to do something unlike you know some entry-level person
skills are developed over time that's why you got to stick with these things
be diligent and be consistent because if we're somebody who just jumps around
from job to job and just tries this thing and that thing and the other thing
you know you're never going to develop any skills at any of it and you're
actually just going to end up being an entry-level guy just repeatedly for you
know for as long as you do that the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 10 I'll
just read to you he become with poor that deal with with a slack hand but the
hand of the diligent maketh rich the hand of the diligent maketh rich that's
a great proverb because you know it doesn't really necessarily say who it
makes rich right it just says that the hand of the diligent maketh rich and in
Jacob's case he made laban very rich did he not that's why when he first wanted
to go he's like no no let's work something out here you know let's let's
strike a deal I've learned that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake you know
I've increased a lot you've made me rich because you're diligent right well how
did he become diligent how was how was he able to make him rich like that
because of the fact that he was diligent he was consistent he didn't just you
know after a couple years you know to say well you know it's not worth it and
quit he stuck with it the Bible says the hand of the diligent shall bear rule
right you stick at something you you get good at it you know eventually you're
gonna be the guy that's leading you know the new guy that comes in you start out
the bottom you work your way up the ladder you stick it stick with it year
by year you develop the skills you get the extra training that you need you
know you get the promotions you move up the ladder eventually you're gonna be
that guy that's you know telling other people how to do it you're going to bear
rule if you're diligent if you're consistent and part of being diligent
yes it's doing a good job but it's also sticking with something you know picking
something and sticking with it when it's hard when it's difficult when it's not
you know a good time when it's when it's you know costing you something maybe in
some instances the hand of the diligent beareth rule the slothful shall be under
tribute the guy that doesn't want to stick with something is always just
looking for an easier way out you know he's not gonna bear rule he's gonna be
under tribute right he's gonna be paying somebody else he's gonna be not making
the money that somebody else is skills are developed over time so stick with it
and this is a really good important point because of the fact there's this
philosophy out there to follow your passion right who's ever heard that just
just find what you're passionate about you'll never work a day in your life
yeah that's called a hobby okay what we're passionate often is does not
translate to what we're gonna do for a living and I'm sure if we went around
the room and start talking to some of the guys in here you know that have been
holding down a job for any length of time you know they probably expressed to
us that this isn't their passion you know like what caused you to go into
that oh it's I just so passionate about it you know just you know I was staying
up late just watching videos on YouTube about plumbing and electrical work who
does that right no one okay I mean look I'm sure there's the oddball out there
that does that okay there's and they're probably plumbers already they're
probably guys that already enjoy that stuff and probably watch it I'll admit
you know sometimes I get caught you know on YouTube just watching a guy like run
a saw or something like that or I'll watch a guy brazing pipe and like you
know why am I doing that's total waste of time right but you know that it goes
against this philosophy and just follow your passion right look it's great if
you can work at what you're passionate about but if that's kind of a bad
approach to finding a career and because here's the thing what what you're
passionate about is what you're good at right if you stick with something and
you get good at it you become efficient you earn a good living at it people
respect you because of what you can do as a result you'll be passionate about
it believe me you'll be passionate about the fact that you you have a job whatever
it is that you're good at and the only way you're gonna get it good at something
is by doing it over and over and over repeatedly for years you know I don't
know all that Jake you know the Bible says that Jacob you know dwelled in
tents you know before he left his father and father and went to Laban now it
might be that he was he was probably a herdsman of some sort but he was a
younger man he was unmarried you know I don't imagine that he came to Laban
maybe with a lot of skill you know maybe he learned a lot of things along
the way obviously he had some ability and obviously had some diligence some
hard characteristics as a hard worker because Laban wanted to keep mine he
said after a month of being there he's like name thy hire right that's where he
works out the deal for Rachel the labor for her for seven years you know but he
got good at what he's doing because he stuck with it for years he stuck with it
time and time and time again he didn't just go around switching jobs he became
was diligent at it and as a result you know he profited greatly you know you'll
be passionate about that job when it can start to afford you things that you
couldn't afford before you'll get really passionate about that job or moving up
the ladder in that company when it starts paying you things and the only
reason anyone's ever gonna pay you is if you profitable to them the only reason
anyone's gonna give you a bump is if they find value in you right so stick
with it find something stick with it and you will succeed and you will bear rule
as the Bible says but you know it has you have to have some stick to it
at this you can't just change jobs every time it stinks you know and again I and
don't take this the wrong way I really don't I wish I could you know call on
other examples but you know I know me better than I know anybody else right
and I know my own life better than I know anybody else's so often I have to
draw illustrations for my own life to make these points okay I don't it's not
like I'm trying to get up and talk about myself and please I hope this
doesn't come across as me boasting or something like that but you know I have
a job now besides this one right a full-time job where you know I have the
lead position and I and I moved into that lead position you know after the
guy retired I interviewed got it you know I got hired seven months ago right
and I got hired for that job and they brought me in and then I got the lead
position seven months later but it's not because I walked into that job not
knowing anything you know there's years of you know acquiring the skills that I
have to do that job and it's not like I'm building rockets or anything like
that okay it's not it's not the most difficult complex work but if you don't
know it you know it can be a little intimidating just like any job you know
if you were to start me out as an electrician or an HVAC guy or plumbing
you know what I'd have to pretty much start from scratch and start all over
again right it would be intimidating but you know I got to where I am in that job
because of the fact that you know I started out on the bottom rung I started
out working you know for let you know single-digit numbers like 8.50 an hour
as an apprentice as a 30 year old you know with a wife and a kid and one on
the way you know and having to work two jobs but you know I said I'm gonna stick
with this because I know if I learn this trade eventually it's gonna pay off
and it has you know but they took years to get there and I'm just again and
using that as a point and to help make my point that you need to stick with
something in your life and if you just can't see yourself sticking with what
you're doing you know don't waste any time trying to find something else
because that's how you succeed in the workplace that's how you get to the next
level is by being diligent that and I got all of that out of the verse 38 20
years have I been with thee and it wasn't because Laban was a great guy and
it probably wasn't because Jacob was just so passionate about keeping sheep
it was probably because that's what you had to do to make a living and he got
really good at it because he did it diligently day in and day out you know
that's what we need to do we need to be diligent and we need to have
consistency and then if you notice a verse 39 he says that which was torn of
beast I brought not under thee I bear the loss meaning he had integrity and
honesty this is another thing you have to have in the workplace don't be one of
these guys that you know robs their company but you know as far as when it
comes to stealing time from them when you're on the clock you're on the clock
you have to have to have that kind of integrity be honest in your dealings at
work and some people and look this is why you know inner you know most theft
in a company happens from within most theft that takes place in businesses
it's the employees that are doing the vast majority of the theft I don't have
the exact numbers but I've heard this many times over the years that most
staff that takes place in a retail or any business is it's people from within
the people that are working there that steal right and it's because and you
say why is that well one they kind of know the inner workings they know how to
get away with it but two just because you know how to get away with something
doesn't necessarily mean you're gonna do it right you have to because stealing is
wrong everybody knows that I think I don't know let me say it again
stealing is wrong okay all right I thought we're gonna go through the Ten
Commandments here all right thou shalt not steal okay but you know the stealing
is wrong whether you believe that or not I don't know I'm starting to worry about
some of you here but it is wrong and the reason you know people might be able to
get away with it but they don't because they understand that it's wrong so how
is it that you have people that work for a company do the vast majority of the
stealing it's because they of their attitude right they have to have some
kind of a change in you know how they're perceiving their relationship with their
employer and what I'm getting at is that they justify it right they say well you
know they're not paying me enough at this job so it's okay if I take this no
it's not okay that's still stealing maybe you know and honestly maybe
they're not paying you what you're worth maybe you should be paid more that does
not justify you stealing it right I think everyone here would agree that
Laban was a pretty crummy boss okay you know Laban is literally tracking down
Jacob and God has to intervene to keep him from doing him great bodily harm
right and taking back everything that was rightfully his he strikes a deal
with him and then when it doesn't go his way you know he throws a pity party gets
all pouty about it and decides to go and and do something about it right God has
to intervene because he's so envious at Jacob he's a crummy boss but yet Jacob
all those years that he's laboring for Laban you know in his first clue would
have been seven years in when he labored for Rachel right and then on their
wedding night you know he slips a lay in there instead remember that and then
Jacob realizes what happened in the morning so we understand like right out
of the gate that Laban's crooked in his dealings he's not straightforward you
know he's kind of underhanded he's not a great guy in the scripture okay I feel
safe saying that Laban is kind of crooked right and yet Jacob worked for
him for 20 years and at all that time that Jacob labored for him for 20 years
like we I labored for him 20 years but you know I was taking a little off the
top too you know I got made sure I got reimbursed for having to work for this
jerk no he said I bear the loss of it if something was torn if something came up
missing if the Beast tore it up if it was lost by day or by night I bear the
loss you know you required of it at my hand and I didn't object you know he
didn't steal from Laban all those 20 years and we can't work just because you
work for somebody that you don't like just because you work a job that you
don't enjoy just because you think you're not getting what you're worth
does not justify stealing on the job and look this could manifest and either
through literally just taking items you know skimming off the top of the drawer
taking things homes you know taking scrap off the job I don't know how many
times I've heard that one you guys would just come there come to the job site
after hours to just help themselves to the scrap or something that was from it
it's like well hey that belongs to the company but people have to justify these
things right it could show up taking literal physical goods that they're
gonna cash in stealing tools whatever it is but a lot of times it could just be
stealing time a lot of times can be well I'm gonna show up 15 minutes late I'm
gonna leave 15 minutes early and I'm gonna get my half-hour back out of these
guys you know taking longer breaks than they're given and that's another one
that's a huge pet peeve of mine you know if you're giving a 15-minute break it
means you get 15 minutes to take a break and I remember working around guys and
thankfully I didn't have to work closely with them I was able to do my own thing
but I would observe this and other guys like you'd get a 15-minute break they'd
be on one part of the campus working somewhere one part of the job site
let's say well it's time for a 15-minute break and then they'd walk 15 minute
back 15 minutes back to their locker get their lunchbox out and now the 15
minute starts well now that's just turned into 30 minutes and then it's 15
minutes back so you're 15 minute break just took 45 minutes how is that not
stealing you're in you're getting paid for a half hour and you're only doing
15 minutes you're not even giving them that you know you're getting they're
getting paid for the half hour but they're taking a 45 minute break that's
stealing look when you're stealing time you're from the company you're stealing
period fudging the time card you know saying you work this many hours you
didn't you know that is stealing and here's what people do they justify it in
their minds they say well you know my boss is a jerk well maybe he is but
that doesn't mean you get to steal from him because that's wrong and it's a bad
testimony for Christ to steal from your employer and look I have a whole page of
notes about being an employee what it means and how we ought to conduct
ourselves and employees just passage after passage after passage in the New
Testament so if you think I'm just up here rattling my cage or what I'm
preaching isn't that important you need to wake up and pay attention because the
Bible talks about this at length okay you're there in Colossians right yeah
you keep something there you know just because you have a bad employer doesn't
give you the right to steal from them or treat them poorly look at Colossians
chapter 3 verse 22 servants obey your masters and boy excuse me obey in all
things your masters according to the flesh you know your masters according to
flesh the earthly masters that you have here on earth you know and obviously the
Bible isn't using verses like employer employee boss right it's it's masters
and servants servants you know we could translate that today to employees that's
how we could read that masters would be our employers they would be our bosses
so employees obeying all things your masters according to flesh you know if
they say hey you're gonna show up at this time you're gonna do this work
you're gonna have this much of a break here's when you punch in you punch out
the answer should be yes sir that's what I'm gonna do and not you know you know
fudge your time lie about it not you know saying you're doing something
you're not doing it or how about this one you know you know checking out on
your phone staring at your phone when you're at work you know checking you
know your Facebook the the the book of faces I know I just revealed my age to
all you all you cool kids out there you know like Facebook who uses that I must
be for old people right your your insta tweet or your tick tweet or whatever it
is I don't know what it is you know all those things that are so popular out
there your reels and your shorts you know that go ahead and check those
things out on your break on your lunch break if you got it after work but now
when you're on the clock when you show up to work work you know and this is
important because people are not taught this today this is just something that's
not being taught to people today people need to understand that this is what God
expects of us you say well you know all the other guys in the job site they're
not like that all the other guys at work they're not like that you know even my
boss maybe maybe you have a supervisor who's kind of slack in this area who's
kind of you know not that straight-laced about it maybe they're not maybe they're
a little loose themselves with when they show up and when they leave right well
here's the thing you know ultimately God sees us the eyes of the Lord go to and
fro throughout the you know search to and fro about the old seeking you know
seeking those that do good guys the Lord are in every place the Bible says so
when God is commanding us something in Scripture you know we our standard is
what God expects okay and we are to obey in all things your masters according
the flesh not with eye service right oh here comes the boss look busy right
that's you know all of a sudden your feet come off the desk and you're you
know changing the browser you know well let me get on that that you know on the
spreadsheet I'm supposed to be working on the YouTube gets shut down right what
are you doing oh just just working really hard it's like no and this is why
a lot of employees not even employers on it they have to have cameras because
this is what people do that if they weren't constantly being watched they
would they would start to do this you know just kind of lean in just not
working you know I'm so grateful that I had a job at 15 year old at 15 years old
at McDonald's that's why I learned this great phrase maybe you've heard it you
got time to lean you got time to who someone said it go ahead pipe up you got
time to lean you got time to clean all right that's that's why I learned that
one oh there's no orders coming in we got everything prepped ready to go I'm
just gonna sit here and chitchat for a minute my manager walked up said you got
time to lean you got time to clean here's a broom and it was you know
sweeping and mopping go clean the bathroom go down I mean don't you wish
more people did that when you're out there eating I wish they I you know so
you walk into some restaurants it's like I obviously don't believe that here you
walk in it's like that that rule has not been taught to these young people in
this restaurant because I walk in and all the tabletops are dirty who likes
eating in a dirty tabletop don't raise your hand if that's you it's weird you
know that's not free food that's not extra food like oh man someone left a
little something for me that's disgusting what's wrong with you right
I'm just kidding all right lighten up a little bit good night but the reason why
that food is theirs because you know you know the kids in the back whoever
they're back there you know on their phone leaning chit-chatting talking
about this they're not working and you could you can sit here and call the old
fashioned whatever you want that's stealing when there's work to be done
and an employee or an employer rather is paying you to do it and you're not doing
it you're just kind of being idle that's stealing and I know I'm sounding like
the old guy just complaining about the kids these days but everyone knows it's
true the service industry has gone downhill you know you end up you go to
eg's and you wait 20 minutes for your order at the window and the bags been
sitting there the whole time yeah yeah I could tell a story right now that's why
that eg's got boycotted for entire year because I vote with my dollars right
sat there for 20 minutes at the window then they handed me the wrong order I
said I didn't order this and then the gal at the window is like chewing her
gum whatever she looks down the bags been sitting she goes oh there you go
20 minutes sitting there finally got it off my chest right but you know that's
you think that's who here has experienced bad customer service within
the last year everybody right because people go to work they they're not
diligent they don't want to because oh it's just eg's oh it's just fast food
yeah well it's just your job and the Bible says that we have to obey in all
things our masters accord in the flesh and yet you know if the owner of that
franchise showed up you watch how quickly those people would start working
every tabletop would get cleaned why because so many people today they want
to work with eye service as men pleasers you know that's not what we're how we're
supposed to be as God's people we're supposed to work in singleness of heart
fearing God why the fearing God I mean are you on Colossians 3 read it with me
servants obey in all things your master court in the flesh not with eye service
as men pleasers but it's singleness of heart fearing God does it sound like God
cares about how you work does it sound like God makes exception if it's some
low-paying job if it's just some entry-level minimum wage style job does
it sound like you know unless of course you know the bosses mean God
understands then you know just be a lazy jerk at work God's cool at that is that
is that what that sounds like to you know it says fearing God and look if you
take this attitude to work you will stand out for better or worse you know I
I you know I could think of times where I just you know I had other guys in the
job site come to me and say knock it off you're making us look bad right and
now I wasn't doing anything stellar it wasn't like cuz I was like some
superstar it's just because you know I wasn't smoking pot on the job you know I
wasn't you know when the foreman left the job site and you know just like go
not do my job it's like no I'm actually gonna work even when he's not here you
know and people won't like that but you know who will like it your employer the
foreman potentially you know and that's why I got you know the 50 cent raise and
they didn't you know employers there it doesn't end that's the thing it doesn't
take a lot to shine out there these days unfortunately you know you show up to
work on time early perhaps even you know get there five ten minutes earlier maybe
even 15 who knows get out you know get your coffee get your drinks get it you
know get everything ready situated so you can start your day whatever you got
to do don't do that on the company time do that on your time you show up and
you're diligent you work hard yeah you know what there might be some lazy jerks
there that don't like it but you know what there's gonna be somebody who
actually matters somebody who actually knows higher up the chain that it can
actually you know do things and reward you for your diligence that is going to
notice and you will stand out when you don't you know turn your 15 minute break
into a 45 minute break you know when you're first one in or excuse me last
one in and first one out you know people will notice and here's the thing even if
nobody else notices God notices and that should be enough right there because you
know there might be places where things like that will go and notice I mean
Jacob kind of went unnoticed didn't he 20 years it didn't sound like Laban took
it easy on him it's not like Laban you know was putting him through the ringer
but who ended up noticing in the end God right and that's what the Bible tells
us look at verse 24 Colossians 3 why are we supposed to do these things not
excuse me we ended in verse 22 fearing the singleness of fearing God look at
verse 23 and whatsoever you do do it heartily do it heartily as to the Lord
and not unto men don't be someone who's just trying to please a man knowing that
of the Lord you shall receive ward of the inheritance for he served the Lord
Christ this is the context of work of your employment he said that you know
the Bible saying you're even when you go to your secular job you are serving the
Lord you know I'm kind of glad for that I'm glad that the way I work at work
matters to God it's not like I have to get through my 40 hours on my job so I
can actually do something of eternal significance for God you know if God
even pays you follow what I'm saying God even cares about how you work at work
your secular job God will reward that it's like oh I can get a paycheck I
might even get promoted I might get the raise I might be blessed here just
through my diligence and hard work and on top of that God's gonna notice too
and bless me for it it's great if you do the work heartily but he that doeth
wrong shall receive the wrong which he hath done you know you go be the lazy
jerk at work you'd be like just the rest of the guys there you know take advantage
you just complain take advantage of the company complain about your boss
complain about your supervisors get an attitude you know what and you start
doing wrong you'll receive the wrong just as much as anybody else you'll get
fired just like anybody else because there as it says there there is no
respecter of persons there is no respect of persons with God God's not just gonna
make an exception because you're his child the Bible says to him you know
that know to do good and do with not to him it is sin you know if we know what
we ought to be doing and not and we're not doing it that's sin you know if
we're you know we're gonna be held more accountable if we know our Lord's will
and do it not you know God actually holds us to a higher standard it is his
people as his representatives at the workplace people are watching gets out
that you're a Christian you know and and I'm so glad I got out as soon as where I
work now it's like I wasn't in the door 15 minutes and they were like oh you're
a Baptist preacher everyone knew it because the guy that would that hired me
the lead locksmith that was working there at the time you know he he was a
Christian or is a Christian he's still alive and he you know he saw my I cuz I
told him in the interview I'm like well you know I'm a Baptist minister I've got
this other thing going on with the church here because I had to make sure
it's gonna work with the hours and everything and you know I was in there
with my supervisor the first day I probably wasn't even there 10 minutes
where all three of us are in there he's like man I was listening to some of your
sermons online I'm just like oh boy like oh man here we go and he listened to one
where I ripped on on smoking pot like I ripped on one how marijuana is a sin or
something like that he's like it was really good I like that I was just kind
of like you know at first I was like great here we go and then he you know I
had to like shadow him for like the first several weeks to kind of get the
lay of the land and everything everyone we ran into oh he's a Baptist minister
they're like oh really what church I'm like faith we're Baptist Church yeah
and then like I could see because on our website like every time someone would
visit the site I'd get a notification like when I you know like what page they
visited and where they're from and it was just like and I you know I would get
a notification every so often and it would be like all over the world you get
someone from Africa someone from you know United States someone from Germany
someone from Russia Amy just people from all over the world but then after I
started a job it was like Tucson Tucson Tucson Tucson it was just like all these
people at work were like checking it out and figuring out what I was about you
know what it made me a little nervous because I thought I'm gonna get canned
because they're gonna hear some of my preaching well and let me just go on
record you know I may or may not fight that if that ever happened with a
lawsuit but anyway because that would be discrimination by the way but what I do
outside of work is my business as much as anybody else's but so be it but what
I was starting to say was that you know it made me a little nervous at first
like great here we go but you know I was really glad because it's like not that I
needed it anyway but I was like but now I'm being now I know I'm being held
accountable like I have to not that I didn't have to before but I was just
like I was kind of grateful to God like you know I'm glad that that's out there
because now I I'm gonna be all the more diligent to make sure that I have a good
testimony there you know so I put everything back that I was planning on
stealing I just kidding right but you know but you know should I have the
attitude well you know I'm God's child so God you know he's gonna take it's
okay if I cut corners and stuff like that if I get the same bad attitude that
some people have at work no God there is no respect of persons you should go to
work do it heartily with the fear of God be diligent and bear the loss have
integrity have honesty I don't care what kind of boss you're working for good bad
ugly it doesn't matter we as God's people ought to do everything heartily
and look this is just that's just one chapter and I've got a I know I've got
it over it man the time goes so fast but there's just so many passages on this if
you would you're right there in Colossians go to Ephesians go to
Ephesians chapter number six it's kind of a parallel passage it almost says the
exact same thing I'll read to you from 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 18 the Bible
says servants and already explained what that means employees be subject to your
masters with all fear so there it is again the Bible when it's talking about
our jobs our secular work it says there should be an element of fear involved we
should be careful we should be diligent and we should do serve our masters be
subject to all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the forward not
to the oh yeah I'll be good at this job we'll do right because I really like
this boss that's the wrong attitude to the good and to the forward you know
they're they're nasty boss they're a hothead they treat you poorly you know
they they ask a lot you know so what be you know we are supposed to serve them
with all fear for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards God and
doer grief suffering wrongfully right I mean God will give you a reward for that
you go to work and you're suffering long wrongfully God will reward that he will
I believe that it might not be overnight but case in point look at
Jacob Jacob was suffering wrongfully for a long time look when your wages are I
get to marry your daughter Rachel and then when the day comes the wedding day
you know you've been wavering seven years for that you've been waiting seven
years for that wedding night with this particular person Rachel and then you
wake up the next morning and find out it's her sister and it's her older
sister I mean that you've been done wrongfully that's pretty extreme
wouldn't you agree I mean that's talk about changing your wages right this
isn't they you know he didn't just like forget to recoup him for you know some
some something on his paycheck he literally gave him an entirely different
person to marry right well you know he bore the brunt he went through that and
of course we know the story he got Rachel to right or wrong but eventually
I mean he's suffering under laban the forward laban the crooked laban and you
know what he's I believe doing it with all fear not with eye service not as a
man pleaser but in the fear of God and he suffered for conscious grief towards
God and it was it was right and obviously in the end God blessed and
look at Ephesians chapter 6 verse 5 servants be obedient to them that your
masters according to the flesh we have to fear our bosses we have to obey them
not be one of these people that argues and look I can understand you know
sometimes our bosses would probably appreciate some dialogue they would
probably appreciate feedback hey what are your thoughts on this you know what
do you you know try to troubleshoot have some discussion about how you're gonna
go about getting this work done but to just be flat out like no I just don't
want to do it or whatever just being stubborn for stepping because you don't
like it or whatever you know that's not right you need to be obedient to them
that are your masters you know that'll go a long way at work when your boss
finds out you're one of these people that doesn't argue but it just says yes
sir and does what you're told that's probably gonna go a long way with fear
and trembling and sin and singleness of heart as unto Christ I mean you're like
are you reading Colossians again nope so it sounds like God you know it takes
this series now with I service as men pleasers but as a service of Christ
doing the will of God from the heart with goodwill doing service as to the
Lord and not to men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man do it the
same shall receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free you know God if we
suffer wrongfully if we have poor employers and look I can attest to this
when I started out in the trade that I have now I worked for a boss that was a
drug addict the guy years later ended up going to jail for selling meth I mean he
would show he would bring the company vehicle with like having drinking and
driving he's pouring beer on that you find pot in the thing you know it was it
was the place was a mess and they're paying you peanuts you know to work
there that's basically it was like indentured servitude their apprenticeship
program you know but you stick with it you be diligent you don't complain you
do what you're told and in time you know God will reward you with a better job
with a better employer in the same field you know because you stuck with
something you were diligent you got good you didn't just pursue a passion
you actually pursued something that has value that is marketable you know God
will reward that but you know you have to stick it out even with bad employers
sometimes and doing the will of God from the heart that's what we need to do
let's go over to two you know I got so much there's just so much here on this
topic like it almost feel like I need a part part three here but I got to get
through this let's just move on to the next point you know we need to have work
ethic we need to have character because if you notice in Genesis 31 if you're
still there you can look at it otherwise I'll just read to you the statement he
says thus I was in the day the drought consumed me in the frost by night and my
sleep departed from mine eyes you know we can't just look for some unicorn job
out there that's gonna just meet our every expectation you can't you know
there's especially as men you know look this applies to ladies especially you
know mothers especially with young children sleeps gonna depart from your
eyes you know all the moms are saying Amen in their hearts right now that's
because they know that's true you know that there's that obviously motherhood
and all that that's hard work too and it's a whole nother sermon right there
but even us as men you know we might find ourselves in a situation where
perhaps we have to go through a season where like Paul we labor with travail
night and day right and I'm not saying 24 hours that's not feasible you end up
falling asleep at stoplights you know you're trying to work the third and
first shift trust me I know that's no fun at all that won't last you last
about a month but you know maybe it's time to work the 12-hour day maybe it's
time to work the 15-hour day you know maybe it's time to start your day at
seven and when you get out at five go go get some part-time job you know maybe
you maybe sleep has to depart from your eyes maybe you need to be in the drought
by day and the frost by night to make ends meet and to provide for your family
and and to you know get what you want out of this life you know I don't think
there's anything wrong with wanting to better yourself financially you know I
think the Bible is actually for that so that we can walk as Paul told the
Thessalonians in all honesty towards them that are without right that we
ought to labor and do our own work be quiet and doing our own work so that you
know we can have honesty integrity and also be able to provide for others in
due season but you know sometimes maybe we have to dig ourselves out of some
financial hole maybe we have some ambition we want to just do better for
our family you know as men you might have to just pull you know a Jacob and
just start working really long hours and look that doesn't mean always that not
necessarily have to be the rest of your life I think that's why so many guys
don't want to do it because they just think oh it's gonna be the rest of my
life not necessarily there might be a season you know Jacob eventually he
worked like that 20 years is a long time to do that obviously but that was the
nature of the beast back then and but now look at him he's got all this wealth
he's got all this abundance he's going back to his he's got now he's got sons
that he's gonna be sending out in the field like he's prospered God has
blessed him but you know what there's a lot of hard work that went into it
that's why it takes work ethic and character the guy that's gonna put in
the long day do what it takes to get the bills paid because look you know we
believe what the Bible says here that you know the man is supposed to be the
breadwinner that women as the Bible says are to be keepers at home they're to
love their children to love their husbands and to guide the house that's
what the Bible says I will therefore that the younger woman marry bear
children and guide the house first Timothy you know and it says repeatedly
elsewhere that that's the role for women and that's that's a whole nother sermon
right there but that puts a lot of you know and don't and the men are like yeah
haha that's right haha you know we want to thump our chests that's right you
tell her haha you know that puts a lot of responsibility on the man doesn't it
especially this day and age look you want to do things the Bible way you want
to do things God's way as men you better be ready to roll up your sleeves
and work and to enter you know maybe let's sleep depart from your eyes for a
season if need be because you know having children and having a wife and
home is expensive in the day and age we're living in you know and an
elections not going to fix that okay it might might alleviate it but you know
just like well I'm just gonna vote for Trump and they know all my problems are
gonna be over and I don't care who is in office this economy is not set up
for a single income it's not they figured out a long time ago if we can
get you know men and women in the workplace we can tax them both and
double our income okay that's that's the truth behind it it's not about
empowering women it's about getting them in the workplace so they can so that the
federal government can take in more tax money okay so you know that's how our
economy is set up to income houses drop your kids that off it don't care drop
your kids off at the public fool system you know drop them off and you go work
another job and and and let somebody else raise your kids that's what the
world teaches that's their philosophy you know we here you know and people can
are welcome to come here and and live however they want outside these doors
I'm just getting up reproving if you can go all along suffering a doctor because
that's my job as a preacher to tell you what the Bible actually says that's what
the Bible says and if you're gonna do it men it's gonna take that's a lot of
responsibility on you there might be times where you know you have to leave
that job at five o'clock in the afternoon and go work some crummy job
at you know some Pete delivering pizza it's a one o'clock in the morning and
get up the next day and do it all again five days a week so what it's not like
it's gonna be that way forever you know but that takes character doesn't it that
takes work ethic that takes you know some determination to go through
seasons of difficulty but you know what those same seasons that's what leads to
success in the long run when you stick to it and you go through that stuff do
what it takes you know I was gonna have us go to Proverbs chapter 6 but we got
I'm going along here I know tonight so I'm just gonna try and wrap this up look
again at Genesis chapter number 31 look at verse 42 he says except the God of my
father and the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me surely
thou had set me away now empty God had seen my affliction and the labor of my
hands that's the phrase I want to focus in on my affliction and the labor of my
hands that's how he's describing his experience working for laban affliction
right you know does that sound like a dream job oh my passion you know this I
pursued my passion with leaving no it was affliction that does not sound fun
I don't know about you but I'm not sigh I didn't sign up for affliction but you
know what and sometimes that's exactly what we get when we go to work look work
work is hard why do you think so many people don't want to do it why do you
think there's millions of employable men today that have just checked out of
the out of the economy that are just collecting a welfare check living in
their mom and dad's basement or whatever and look I'm not against anyone that's
living for home you know as long as they're not just mooching off mom and
dad all right if they're contributing the household they got a job great you
understand I mean by that but we all know there's a whole generation of
people out there they don't want to work they just want to play video games all
day they just want to you know hang out in mom's basement the proverbial
basement dweller and just do whatever it is that they do I quite frankly I don't
want to go into it you know they don't want to go out and work why because it's
affliction because it's hard because it takes work ethic it takes character you
know and we're living I heard in the in the most fatherless nation of all the
nations on earth I you know I need a fact check it but you know I just heard
that recently that this country has more fatherlessness than any other
country when I heard that I was just shocked like I knew it was bad but
that's like that's just like dumbfounding to think that and and no
wonder that we have so many people today so many young men that are afraid of
hard work they don't want to work hard they don't want to do what it takes you
know and they just struggle through their whole lives maybe it's because dad
wasn't around to you know put a size nine where it counts as you know it's
not exactly how the saying goes you know my dad wasn't around a lot but the
little bit my dad was around I tell you what when he got a hold of me at 18
years old the first thing he did is like I'm gonna turn you into a lean mean
working machine his words now he didn't I don't know how much the lean part
worked out okay I got the mean part now pretty good at least I've been told you
know and the working I think was there a little bit where I went and lived with
him and this is when he's lived you know he was living at st. Croix in the
tropics in the Caribbean imagine being 18 and going to live in the Caribbean
just like Oh beaches white sands party time right no he's like we're gonna
build a wall he was like before Trump even thought it was cool you know he's
like we're we literally I don't like this giant iron spud bar we went through
his whole he had his massive yard his yard probably would take up this whole
property out in the middle of the rainforest and he would mow and like it
would take hours to mow it and it's in the tropics where everything just rains
constantly do you know how much grass I know what nobody here knows about the
growth rate of grass because you live in the desert but when it gets a lot of
water man it just shoots up constantly I mean mowing is just a full-time but then
you got to go and cut down all the tan tan trees and the palms and everything
if you want to manicure that lawn and he did and we went around that mowed yard
and dug literal rocks out of the earth he'd say take this spud bar and we were
I remember he'd have me out there so we'd be out there at dark and I'd be
hitting that rock and sparks would be coming off the end of it and we'd pry
these rocks out of the art and then we piled all these rocks up by the patio
until we just had like dozens of these big rocks that you had to like call on a
cart and then I had to go down this little washout where he had me digging
all the silt out of the where this washout was to pack behind the rocks and
we ended up you know just spending hours he'd go off to work he'd say six
wheelbarrows carted up here uphill you need that that's what I did when he was
at work just hauling dirt by hand you know at the end of it we had a really
nice rock wall it's probably still there today on that property I haven't seen it
last time when I left it was still there and it made the place look really nice
and we built out a plateau and could put some furniture up there right and all
I'm saying is you know at least I had a dad that taught me how to you know sweat
a little bit wasn't afraid you know to get some calluses on my hand you know
but today I don't know if that's just gone or what and maybe that's why we
need more sermons like this to be reminded that we as men need to work
even when it's not fun when it's not easy when it's when it's hard because
you know and I'll wrap this up let me just say this men were made to work so
you're made to do you know what there's all this talk today about you know men's
mental health and men's you know all the trouble a minute and I you know I'm
not trying to downplay that or disregard it I'm sure there's a lot to that that's
valid you know probably a big part of the reason that men have so many
struggles with feeling of any worth is because they don't want to work you know
they don't want to be just go out and work hard you know as a man it feels
good to put in a hard day's work it feels good to be useful even if you
know it's not like I'm sending rockets into space or something like that and
like I'm launching set I know I'm making some great contribution to the
world if I'm just contributing anything to anybody if anybody sees any merit
anything that I do at work you know I feel pretty good about that we as men
need to feel useful it's just it's just ingrained in us go here if you're still
in Genesis go to Genesis 13 I know I preach us when we went through Genesis
but I'm gonna make this point again that men are made to work it's in our DNA and
and work is not something to be afraid of work is labor and it's affliction
it's not fun it's but it's something we're supposed to do Genesis 13 verse 17
and unto Adam he said because thou was harken of the voice of thy wife and has
eaten of the tree of which I have commanded thee saying thou shalt not eat
of it cursed is the ground for thy sake and sorrow shall eat of all the days of
the life thorns and thistles shall bring forth to thee and thou shall eat the
herb of the field it's a curse just the ground and you're just knocking it so
don't even bother no he said you're gonna still work but it's gonna be
really hard it's gonna be really hard work is not a curse man was already
working in Genesis 2 the Bible says that the Lord planted a garden eastward in
Eden and there he put the man whom he informed and the Lord took the man and
put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it that's before the fall
that's before they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that's
before sin comes into the world working as a man or a woman is not the curse when
the fall happened it's that our work was cursed the work of being a mother
was made you know it's you know even ten times more difficult than already is the
work that we have to do as men and the you know eating and the sweat of our
face was made more difficult that's the curse but you know today it just seems
like some people think that work in and of itself is a curse it's not you know
working is something that will actually make
feel like we're contributing something and you know it'll help us take care of
our families and it'll put bread on the table and it will help you know the cogs
of this economy keep moving and not coming to a standstill you know so
that's that's the message now I wanted to take the time to preach that tonight
because I think it's an important message and look I'm telling you we
didn't even I didn't even go to all the verses in the New Testament to talk
about that are similar to Colossians Ephesians that we touched on 1st Peter
1st Timothy Titus I mean the Bible talks about us being employees type of
employees we ought to be take a tip from Jacob tonight be somebody who is
diligent who has work ethic somebody who sticks to it not when it's easy not when
everything's going just the way they want it but somebody who sticks with
things even when they're working for bad people crooked people people take
advantage of them develop a skill stick with it it will pay off in the long run
and God will bless you in the end let's go ahead and close in a word of prayer