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So doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.

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A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart is at his left.

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Yea, also when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him,

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and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

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If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place,

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for yielding pacifyeth great offenses.

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There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler.

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From the ruler folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

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I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

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He that digeth a pit shall fall into it, and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

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Whoso removes stones shall be hurt therewith, and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

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If the iron be blunt, and he do not wet the hedge, then must he put two more strings.

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But wisdom is profitable to direct.

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Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment, and a babbler is no better.

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The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

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The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischief, madness.

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A fool also is full of words.

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A man cannot tell what shall be, and what shall be after him, who can tell him.

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The laborer of the foolish weareth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

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Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy prince is eaten a morning.

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Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy prince is eaten due season, for strength and not for drunkenness.

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By much slothfulness the building decayeth, and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

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A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry, but money answereth all things.

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Curse not the king, nor not thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber,

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For a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

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Father God, we thank you Lord for the King James Bible, thank you for our church, we thank you for our pastor.

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Dear Lord, please bless him as he preaches his word. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

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Amen.

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Alright, we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 10 this morning.

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The sound of my sermon today is the limitations and advantages of having money.

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The limitations and advantages of having money.

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Ecclesiastes chapter 10 and verse 19 says,

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A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry, but money answereth all things.

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It says here that money answers all things.

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Now at a glance this verse may seem out of place, right?

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When compared to the overall narrative of the Bible.

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When it comes to the subject of money, riches, and wealth.

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But what Solomon is stating here, when he says that money answereth all things,

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is that having money, having wealth, having abundance and riches,

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can often provide solutions to life's problems,

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and even give us greater options and greater opportunities.

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That's what it means when he says that money answereth all things.

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When you have money, you in turn have more options.

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When you have money, you have more opportunities.

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When you have money and wealth, you have a wider range of solutions to life's issues and problems.

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Why is that? Well because on a practical level, money answereth all things.

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Go to chapter 7 if you would. Ecclesiastes chapter 7.

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Again Ecclesiastes 10 towards the latter end says,

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But money answereth all things. Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and verse number 2 says,

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For wisdom is a defense. We obviously know the importance of having wisdom,

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having prudence, having the knowledge of the Bible.

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He says that it is and operates as a defense.

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He goes on to say that money is also a defense.

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How do we know that on a practical level?

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How about lawyer fees? When you have to pay your lawyer fees in order to be defended.

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He says that wisdom is a defense, money is a defense,

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but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

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Obviously the Bible is telling us that on a practical level, money can be used as a defense,

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but if you have to choose one over the other, choose wisdom.

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Why is that? Because it gives life to them that has it.

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Obviously we know that in the Bible, in the book of Proverbs especially,

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the Bible seems having wisdom more than rubies, more than riches, more than wealth.

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It is far more valuable than any monetary gain that you could obtain here in this life.

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The title is the limitations and the advantages of having money.

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Before I get started, let's talk about the limitations of money.

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What is it that money can't answer for?

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What is it that it cannot provide in our personal lives?

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Go to Psalm 49 if you would, Psalm chapter 49.

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First and foremost, let's talk about this. Money cannot buy salvation.

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It cannot buy redemption. It cannot buy salvation.

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You're like, we know that. Yeah, but you know, a couple hundred years ago,

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the Catholics used to teach this, right?

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They can offer forgiveness by paying into the Catholic Church and, you know, indulgences and whatnot.

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And to a certain degree, you know, people today think that having a lot of money

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and giving to charity, giving to the poor and using their money to do good works on this earth

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can somehow purchase for them eternal life and it cannot, right?

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Money cannot buy salvation. It cannot buy redemption.

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Psalm 49 verse 6 says this,

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They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches,

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none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him,

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for the redemption of their soul is precious and it ceaseth forever.

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No amount of money could ever purchase salvation for you.

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You know, this can only be purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.

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By believing on him and placing your faith exclusively upon the Lord, you can have salvation.

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But it doesn't matter if you're a billionaire.

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It doesn't matter if you're a millionaire, a thousandaire.

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You know, no amount of money could ever buy you eternal life.

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It can never buy you the forgiveness of sins.

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It is useless in that manner.

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You know, the Bible tells us,

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What shall a prophet demand if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

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The Bible says.

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Proverbs chapter 11 and verse number 4 says,

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Riches profit not in the day of wrath.

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So it doesn't matter how much money you have, how many islands you own,

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how many possessions you could obtain.

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The Bible tells us that none of that will profit you when God's wrath comes upon you in the afterlife.

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When you die, you go to hell.

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You can't buy your way out of there.

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It doesn't profit you in the day of wrath, but righteousness, the Bible says, delivereth from death.

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And of course, the righteousness there can be we can interpret this as being the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

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It's imputed upon us once we believe in him.

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Go to First Peter chapter one.

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First Peter chapter one, if you would.

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First Peter chapter number one.

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Money cannot buy salvation.

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It cannot buy redemption.

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No amount of money can ever offer you the forgiveness of sins and can do nothing for you in that regard.

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First Peter chapter one and verse 18 says,

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For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things.

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And the idea here is that the corruptible things as we're going to see is referring to monetary wealth.

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He says, as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,

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but with the precious blood of Christ as of lamb without blemish and without spot.

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It would have done the people good during the medieval times to read that verse and recognize that indulgences did nothing

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but put money in the pockets of the Roman Catholic Church.

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And we see here that people cannot be redeemed with silver and with gold.

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Turn with me, go back to Ecclesiastes chapter five, if you would.

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Ecclesiastes chapter five.

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Money cannot purchase salvation.

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It cannot purchase redemption.

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Let me also say this is that money cannot buy peace.

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It cannot buy peace of mind.

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It cannot buy tranquility.

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Now I will say this.

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You know, you hear this a lot and there is a certain level of truth to it.

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But let me just tell you that it's basically not really true.

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You know, people say money can't buy happiness, but that's not true.

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That's not necessarily true because people don't really understand the way happiness actually works.

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All of us have a lid of happiness, meaning that once you hit that lid, there's no getting more happiness after that.

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So, you know, if you, you know, if getting a certain vehicle, getting a certain possession makes you happy,

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yeah, you can get that.

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But the problem is this is that if you're not content with what you have,

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you're going to want more of that possession, more of that money, thinking that the lid of happiness will rise more and more.

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And it won't.

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This is why people, you know, they get a car or they get a certain possession, they get to do a certain thing.

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And it's just like, man, this doesn't really make me happy the way it used to.

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It doesn't hit like it used to.

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It doesn't provide that dopamine spike like it used to.

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You know why?

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It's because your happiness has a lid.

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That's why we have to learn the virtue of contentment.

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So when we get the things that we want, we get the things that we pray for, that we get the things that we work for.

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Someone gives us something that we actually want.

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We actually need.

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And it makes us happy.

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You better also exercise some contentment with that and don't think that more having more of that particular possession is going to make you more happy because it doesn't exist.

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OK, you know, happiness comes from happenings, but the joys of the Lord, we need to learn the virtue of contentment.

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The point that I'm making here is that money, though answering all things, cannot answer peace.

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The Bible says in Proverbs 15, you're in Ecclesiastes chapter five, Proverbs 15 verse 16 says,

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Now, let's just be honest.

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I want a stalled ox for dinner.

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Rib eye, steak, meats, no vegetables, no thank you.

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I'm not of that persuasion.

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Don't you know, that's a decoration on the plate to me.

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That's all it operates as, you know, and now I'm the man of my house.

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And so I don't have to eat my vegetables.

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I can make my kids eat the vegetables, but I don't have to eat the vegetables.

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That's my philosophy.

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And I'm dying on that hill.

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And it's saying, but it's saying here, though, you know, in a facetious manner, it's almost better to be a vegetarian.

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It's almost better to be a vegan.

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But at least there's love in that house.

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Right. You know, you're with your wife and you guys are eating asparagus or you guys are eating lettuce.

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You're eating, you know, whatever things that rabbits eat and, you know, the food that my food eats.

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You guys are eating that.

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But you know what? You guys are getting along.

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There's love there.

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There is harmony there.

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But I was saying it's better to have a vegetarian vegan diet, meaning that, you know, you might be broke.

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You can't afford some of this delicious meat.

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Well, it's better to have a dinner of herbs and still have love than to have a ribeye and have hatred there with.

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Now, some of you will be like, I'll take the hatred and let's go.

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You know, I'm willing to put up with the hatred.

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But just in general, though, OK, now, obviously we can have both.

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We can have the ribeye and love. Amen.

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The point that the Bible is making here is that at the end of the day, no amount of wealth can provide love in your home.

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It cannot provide peace in your home.

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These are virtues that are obtained through spiritual matters.

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It cannot be obtained through monetary wealth.

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OK, look at Ecclesiastes, Chapter five and verse number ten.

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It says he that love it silver shall not be satisfied with silver.

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So you have these billionaires in this world thinking that another dollar, another thousand, another million is going to make them happy.

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It's not true. Why?

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Because whoever loves silver is not going to be satisfied when they get more silver.

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They're not going to be satisfied when they get more gold.

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They're not going to be satisfied with another island.

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It doesn't work that way.

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Nor he that love it abundance with increase.

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This is also vanity.

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Vanity. So this is how we bring into harmony what the Bible says regarding the riches that God provides into us.

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The Bible says that he gives us all things richly to enjoy.

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It says that he gives us the work of our labor as a gift from God in the Book of Ecclesiastes.

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Well, the way we reconcile that with these verses that talk about contentment is the fact that we should not lust after money.

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We should not lust after more abundance.

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If we get abundance, be happy with it.

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Learn and whatsoever state you're in there with to be content.

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So if you're broke, be happy that way.

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And if you're not happy being broke, then go get a job.

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Go get a second job.

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Go do something to make more money.

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But let me tell you something.

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You're not going to be more happy just because you have a little more money in your pocket.

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OK, because at the end of the day, there's an ebb and flow to life.

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There's times of being broke.

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There's times of riches.

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There's times and abundance.

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And we as Christians need to learn and whatsoever state we're in there with to be content.

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Learn to be happy with no matter how much or how little we have.

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Verse 11 says when goods increase, they are increased that eat them.

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And what good is there to the owners thereof saving to beholding of them with their eyes?

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You're like, man, I want possessions.

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I want increase.

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I want a big house.

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Yeah, but then the things that eat them increase as well.

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Right.

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The property taxes increase and the amount of money you have to put into your vehicle because it's a foreign car and you could only get that part of a specific area that increases as well.

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The Bible is telling us here that we need to learn content.

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Verse 12 says the sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

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So obviously what the Bible is telling us here is that we should emphasize the importance of contentment, recognize the value of silver, the value of abundance.

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And in this sermon, we're going to talk about that, but not at the exclusion of understanding that we need to exalt the virtue of contentment and recognize that at the end of the day, you know, God can take this away at any given moment.

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And if he does, we need to be happy.

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We need to be content.

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We need to bless the Lord, even if we don't have the things that we want.

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And here's the thing, folks, you know, as Christians, we need to loosely hold the things of this world.

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Right.

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Because the reality is at the end of the day, we are going to lose everything eventually, but we might even lose things before that before the end.

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And so if you loosely hold the possessions of this world, you won't be as sad when you actually lose it this side of eternity.

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Let me give you an example of this.

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Okay.

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Back in the day, you know, a couple of years back, maybe 2017 to 2020 around there, you know, my wife and I, we had this van.

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Okay.

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And I really hated this van to the point where I didn't even call it our van.

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I just called it the vehicle, like just put as much distance between me and that I would say the vehicle or if if I was feeling a little, you know, if I was feeling a little sensitive, then I was saying, you know, I'm going to be a little bit more sensitive.

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And I would say, you know, the van instead of the vehicle.

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But, you know, I didn't really like this car.

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It was just kind of one of those things that got us from point A to point B.

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You know, we're just using it as a tool.

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So one day, you know, we were having this Sony marathon on Easter, Easter weekend.

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And, you know, it was a great weekend.

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Awesome weekend.

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We got a lot of people saved.

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It was exciting.

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And we had all this material in the van.

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And, you know, we ended up parking in front of our house.

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This is when we lived in Montebello.

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And so Sunday morning rolls around.

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It's Easter Sunday, right?

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And I go outside and I'm just like, where's that stupid van at?

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You know, where did I park that thing?

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Because, you know, you're in Los Angeles.

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Just parking is really bad.

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So sometimes you have to park really far.

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And I'm walking up and down the block looking for this thing.

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I'm like, man, where is this thing?

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I'm like, where did my wife put this thing?

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You know, and so I'm calling my wife and I'm about to yell at her.

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I'm like, where did you put that van at?

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And she's like, you parked it in the front.

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You know, I'm like, it's not in the front.

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You must have put it somewhere.

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Because, you know, when I don't find things, I just blame my wife, right?

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Where did you put my watch?

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Where did you put my keys?

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You know, you misplaced it.

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So she's like, no, you parked it in the front.

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And then I realized, like, oh, dang, they stole our van.

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You know, our van got stolen.

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So, you know, needless to say, it was a pretty hectic Sunday morning.

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And we eventually found it like a couple blocks away because whoever stole it

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recognized they stole a piece of junk.

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They're like, this isn't even worth it.

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Let's just fix our lives.

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You know, it probably inspired them to actually, like, get a job or something.

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You know, but we ended up finding it in some parking lot with all the DVDs stolen

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from the material that we're giving out.

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They even stole the Bibles, you know.

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It was just like, wow, they must have really needed that.

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And, you know, they took it.

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And, you know, but, you know, I wasn't really, like, I wasn't really upset.

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I wasn't really sad that we had lost it because my heart wasn't really attached to it.

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And then when the bombing happened, you know, thereafter, you know, the

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reprobates, they came and they stole that same van.

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And this time they, like, completely stripped it.

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Okay.

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And, you know, we ended up finding it in El Monte and all these things.

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But, you know, my heart didn't really hurt.

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I'll just be honest with you.

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It wasn't like with so many memories or something, you know.

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I really, I was loosely holding that van.

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Okay.

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It was a tool.

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I didn't really care for it.

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But let me say this.

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If it was like some state of the art, you know, whatever, what's the newest car today?

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I don't know.

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If it was like some Mercedes Benz or something, some Beamer, maybe if it was like a Tesla or something like that, you know, maybe it would hurt a little bit.

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Right.

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Because it's newer.

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I mean, it's invested.

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I'm invested into it.

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The point that I'm making here is that when goods increase, when abundance increases, then our grip on that, that possession also increases.

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Right.

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So when we lose it, it hurts a little more.

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And so therefore the Bible is constantly communicating to us the importance of loosely holding the things of this world and making sure that we just learn the value of contempt.

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Go to First Timothy, Chapter six.

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So money can't buy salvation.

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It can't buy redemption.

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It can't buy peace of mind.

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You're like, man, then how do I get peace?

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Well, first of all, you got to get saved so we can have peace with God.

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But then also, if you're just an anxious person, you're constantly worried, you know, the Bible says, be careful for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God, the passive understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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But notice that it says that you have to pray with supplication.

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And listen to this Thanksgiving, meaning that whatever it is that you're praying for in order to have peace, you also got to thank God for where you're at as well.

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Like, you know, I need this, but Lord, thank you for what you've given me thus far.

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Thank you for, you know, the food in my stomach, the clothes on my back, the roof over my head.

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And I'm just grateful for everything that I have.

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And you know what happens?

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You end up getting the peace of mind, the passes, understanding.

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You need to make sure that you keep your eyes on the Lord as well.

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Right.

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That will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on the because he trusted me.

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OK, look at First Timothy, Chapter six and verse number six.

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It says, but godliness with contentment is great game.

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So we often think of gains as like, well, a race, you know, finding a hundred dollar bill on the street, making, you know, getting an extra amount of money.

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This month, that's a game.

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Well, the Bible says that godliness with contentment is actually great game.

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That's the greatest game that you could obtain this side of eternity.

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For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out.

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Having food and raiment, let us therewith be content.

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So the standard of the Bible for contentment is like, well, if you have food in your stomach, clothes on your back, you should just be happy.

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Right.

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And let's just be honest.

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All of us in here have more than just food and raiment.

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Some of us have too much food.

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OK, facts, facts.

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Am I capping or what?

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Some of us have a little too much food.

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All right.

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Look at verse number nine.

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But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown in a destruction, perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

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But thou, O man of God, and of course he's addressing Timothy, but we can apply to ourselves, flee these things, follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

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You say, well, yeah, pastor, but righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness doesn't pay the bills.

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And wrong because the Bible says Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

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And these things shall be added unto you.

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We operate under a different economy, according to Christians.

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Right.

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According to the Bible, when we seek godly things first, we put God first.

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We put the Bible first.

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We put church first.

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The service of God first.

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Then God provides for our needs.

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It sounds to me like the provision of God is actually conditional.

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And it is like, oh, man, God, just, you know, I feel like I'm struggling right now.

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I'm suffering financially.

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Well, you better start taking into account the things that you're doing for the Lord.

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Right.

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You better make sure that you are your ducks are in order spiritually in order for God to provide for you.

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Go to Proverbs chapter three, Proverbs chapter three.

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So we see here that there's, you know, obviously there's things that money cannot buy.

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It cannot do it cannot answer for, which are the spiritual matters.

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But in this sermon, I want to talk about the things that money does answer.

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OK, I'm going to give you a couple of things in this particular sermon based upon Ecclesiastes, the statement that we found in Ecclesiastes, Chapter 10.

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First and foremost, what does money answer?

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Well, money answers the question, how do we honor the Lord?

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I'll tell you how.

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In some instances, it's through money.

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Look at Proverbs chapter three, verse five.

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Here's the proof text here.

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Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.

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In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

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Be not wise in thine own eyes.

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Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

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It shall be health to thy navel and moral to thy bones.

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Honor the Lord.

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Well, I do honor the Lord with the way I speak about him by serving him.

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Oh, hold on a second.

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Honor the Lord with thy substance, the Bible says.

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And with the first fruits of thine increase, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

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So in the Bible, when the Bible talks about honoring others, honoring your parents, for example, you know, we often correlate that to, you know, respecting them.

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Doing well to them or speaking good of them or showing them some form of high respect because they are parents or elders and so forth.

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But honor in the Bible also means to provide for them financially.

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So the Bible talks about honor your father and mother.

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It's also referring to providing for your parents when they are in need.

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Right.

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Well, in like manner, we see the same definition being applied here to honor the Lord means to give unto the Lord of your substance.

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And with the first fruits of your increase, what does this mean?

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It means that we put God first, even in our finances.

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Right.

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We put God first on Sundays.

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You want to put God first in your Bible reading.

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But guess what?

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It also extends into your monetary wealth as well.

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You got to put God first.

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And this is how we apply this in the New Testament, just as it was in the old, the 10 percent of your gross income.

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Right.

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Whatever comes in, you got to think first.

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The 10 percent that I'm getting here of all that I'm getting needs to go unto the Lord because I want to honor the Lord with my substance and with the first fruits of my increase.

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What a Malachi chapter three Malachi chapter three money answers the question.

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How can I honor the Lord?

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How is it that I can show the Lord value and honor him?

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And honor him.

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Purpose free tells us do it with your substance, with the first fruits of your increase.

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And it specifically says that the result of that is that your barns, none of us have barns here, but we're going to apply it to how we, you know, to today in twenty twenty six.

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Thy barn shall be filled with plenty, meaning that the 10 percent that you give God ends up making up for it in the long run.

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OK.

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Your presses shall be burst out with new wine.

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If you want your substance to be blessed to the Lord, make sure you put God first in your finances and in your wealth.

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Malachi chapter three and verse number eight says, Will a man rob God?

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Yet you have robbed me.

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But you say, wherein have we robbed thee?

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He says in tithes and offerings.

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Year occurs with the curse for you have robbed me.

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Even this whole nation bring you all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in my house and prove me now herewith.

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Say the Lord, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

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So in both of these instances in Proverbs chapter three, as well as Malachi, we not only have the command to honor the Lord with our substance, the first fruits of our increase, which Malachi talks about being the tide.

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But we also have a promise that is attached to that, right?

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That our barns will burst out with plenty.

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Malachi, he says that the windows of heaven will open that a blessing shall be poured out unto you.

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And here's a good way to put it.

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You can never out give God when you honor the Lord with your wealth, your substance, your money, your possessions.

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God will make up for it in the long run and even in the short term as well.

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Go to Luke chapter eight, if you would.

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Money answers the question.

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How can I honor the Lord?

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You can do it by making sure that you're putting God first with your finances.

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But here's another question that money answers, and that is how do I fund the work of God?

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Now, here's the thing, folks, is that when it comes to the work of God, the number one thing you have to do is just get involved yourself.

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OK, meaning that get involved with preaching the gospel at your church, get involved with the soul in your church.

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You know, our church here is a gospel preaching church, meaning that the individual members of our church are trained to go out and preach the gospel,

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to be able to share the gospel, get people saved who are complete strangers, friends, family.

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That is our mission.

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We are first works Baptist church.

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And you say, well, you know, that's a way that I can do it.

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Well, here's another way.

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You can fund the work of God financially as well.

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And this is a biblical concept.

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Look at Luke, Chapter eight and verse number one.

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It says, And it came to pass afterward that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.

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And the twelve were with him and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities.

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Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went out seven devils and Joanna, the wife of choose a herit steward and Susanna and many others,

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which ministered unto him of their substance.

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The Bible says, what does it show in us here?

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It shows us here that people serve the Lord using their substance.

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Now, I believe that every person in our church needs to learn how to preach the gospel.

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OK, there's like no reason for you to be a member of our church and not learn within within the matter of at least three to six months how to preach the gospel.

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It's an environment conducive to teaching you how to do so.

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Like, you know, we try our best to put the cookie on the bottom shelf for you, you know, provide teams and training, systematic training on a weekly basis to teach you to go out,

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knock on doors and and and preach the gospel and to just be able to preach the gospel on your own time with your family and friends.

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Just be an able minister of the gospel.

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OK, and there should be no reason why people are in our church, come to our church and not learn that.

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It's such a waste to come to our church like ours and just never learn how to do that.

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OK.

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And so, you know, you have no excuse.

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OK, you know, if you if you're coming to our church, you should have it in your mind as a goal.

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Like, OK, by the end of three months or by the end of six months or whatever, I want to learn how to effectively be able to win someone to Christ, aid them in calling upon the name of the Lord and do this consistently.

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I think that's the thing about being my Christian.

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Like, not just, you know, here's the thing, folks, is like we often promote the importance of reading your Bible.

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And that's definitely important.

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Well, as equally important to read in the Bible is learning how to preach the gospel as well.

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That should be like a goal that you have.

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That's just that's not just my job.

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That's not just Ulysses job, right?

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It's everyone's responsibility to learn these things.

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And quite frankly, there's a lot of churches out there that don't provide this type of training.

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I know of a church that, you know, they claim to be an outreach type of a church.

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Yeah, but let's just be honest.

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Most of them are just handing out invites.

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They're inviting people to church.

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That's not preaching the gospel.

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OK, they've dwindled that down and watered down what it means to evangelize.

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And they basically stay.

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They say that, you know, evangelizing is just you go into someone and just talking about Jesus, but really talking about Jesus, just inviting them to church.

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That's basically what it is.

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And then they'll say, oh, man, we have so many people go out and preach the gospel.

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No, you had a lot of mailmen go out and give an invitation to people.

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That's what you had.

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OK, we're talking about actually learning how to open your mouths boldly to make known the mysteries of the gospel.

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OK, and that's a major flex.

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If you can do that, if you know how to open up the Bible and go to the pertinent scriptures, dealing with salvation and lead someone to Christ.

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Awesome. OK.

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Now, I also believe that because we are a soul in church, that we should also elevate and emphasize the importance of missions.

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Going into other countries to preach the gospel.

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That's important.

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And if you don't think that's important, then obviously you don't read the New Testament and you don't see how much missions is emphasized in the New Testament.

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Going into all the world, preaching the gospel to every creature in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the innermost parts of the world.

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Right.

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You know, we just came back from Belize a couple of what was it like a month ago or something like that.

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My days are off right now.

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You know, it was sometime this year we went to Belize and man, you know, twenty nine people went out there to preach the gospel.

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And I think like 17 of those, if I'm not mistaken, were from our church, the youngest being 10 years old.

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And the 10 year old getting, I think if I'm not mistaken, someone correct me, like 10 or 20 salvations, 25 or something like that.

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Is that right?

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You know, it was a record for her.

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Like a 10 year old was out there and she's like talking to adults and showing them from the scriptures and stuff.

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And I mean, that's that's that's awesome.

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Right.

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It's showing us that, you know, that that's extremely important if this little girl, you know, put in the time and effort to memorize the verses, to put the tabs in the Bible,

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to practice her introductions.

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And, you know, let's just be honest, it's a little daunting for a 10 year old to go to an adult and say, are you are you 100 percent sure that you go to heaven?

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You know, are you you know, the Bible says that, you know, for the wages of sin is death.

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And, you know, can I take a couple of minutes of your time?

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I mean, you think it's it's hard for you as an adult.

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Now, obviously, some kids, you know, they're they're very they make great soul winners.

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Point that I'm making here is obviously this is important.

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And missions is a major important part of our church.

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And so, look, you know, you should make it your goal at one time or another to go to the mission field.

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OK.

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And the great thing about our church and churches like ours is that, you know, you don't need to go to a church wide missions trip.

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You can just kind of do it yourself.

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You can just like buy your own ticket and just go, you know, just tell us like, hey, we need materials.

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We need a place to go to.

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We'll hook you up.

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We'll tell you where to go to get the most bang for your buck.

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You stay there for a couple of days, just win a bunch of people to Christ.

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Come back home. You're like, man, I just did missions.

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Here's the great thing about missions in First Works Baptist Church is that you don't have to live there for years.

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It's not like, oh, you know, I got to get called to the mission.

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You're already called.

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It's called Matthew 28, first night, 2220.

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It's called Acts one eight.

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Well, I need this like specific calling.

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God hasn't really called me to be a missionary.

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You know what I mean?

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Like I don't really have that calling upon.

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Yes, you do.

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Because missions is simply soul winning outside of the country.

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That's what it is.

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OK. If you're called to be a preacher of the gospel, then you're called to do missions because missions is simply preaching the gospel in the regions about us in the different countries and areas that we're around.

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Now, you think to yourself, well, you know, pastor, I agree with you 100 percent on soul winning.

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Like I need to learn so winning here.

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I need to be able to preach the gospel here.

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And but I'll be honest with you.

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Like that's all I can do.

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You know, my job does not permit for me to just take time off to go to Belize or Africa or these other regions around about.

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Like, I don't think I can be I can do that, you know, with the type of schedule that I have or job that I have or even life situation that I'm in.

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You know, it's just very difficult for me to do that.

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So how can I help in that area?

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How can I be a part of missions without actually physically going to the mission field?

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Well, why don't you sponsor someone to go to the mission field?

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Right.

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You know, it's here.

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Here's a good one.

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You know, instead of excusing yourself from the mission field, why don't you say, well, I can't personally go to the mission field, but let me put in some money so that someone else can go.

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And then when you fund that person going to the mission field, say, hey, make sure you give me some updates on how much salvation you're getting.

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Right.

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Because, you know, you know, that's my investment right there.

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Amen.

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Like 10.

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Those are rookie numbers.

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OK.

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I heard what you guys do in Belize.

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All right.

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I'm just I'm joking about that sort of, you know, if you can't go to the mission field.

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OK, I get it.

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Some people have more liberty than others.

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Some people have a far more liberal schedule than others in that regard.

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OK, then why don't you go ahead and sponsor someone, fund someone, fund the work of God?

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How you know what does money answer?

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I'll tell you how what it answers.

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It answers the question.

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If I can't go, how can I still be a part of missions?

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I'll tell you how provide for someone else to go.

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OK.

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And again, you don't need a church sponsored missions trip to go to the mission field.

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You don't even need a church sponsored missions trip to be able to fund someone to go to the mission field.

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You can just, you know, talk to someone in our church.

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And if someone says, like, hey, I want to go to the mission field, be like, all right, let me fund you for like a week or something.

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You know, let me pay your way out for four days, five days to go to Belize and, you know,

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we'll get a pastor Mahian and Brother Hernandez and where to go and materials.

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And you go with your brother.

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You go with your parents or you go with your spouse and you go there and you just went a bunch of people to Christ and come back and let me know how it goes.

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Right.

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You are still part of missions.

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If that's what you're doing, what I'm doing, what I'm trying to do here is remove the excuses of you getting involved in missions because I get it.

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I get it.

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I mean, sometimes people can't go.

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You know, my wife is not going to be going to the mission field for a long time.

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You say why?

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Because she has all these kids she has to take care of.

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She's got my operation to take care of.

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Don't look at me like that.

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That's just how I run things.

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What?

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You know, just for that, she's not she's not going for it.

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She's not, you know, and we've talked about this like my wife, she since she was a little girl wanted to be a missionary, you know, and she always tells me like, I know that this is not the time for me to go to the mission field later on.

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I will, you know, but you know what she's doing right now.

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She's still being part of missions because she is keeping my operation going as I'm leading missions as I'm going to the mission field.

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And you know what?

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She is getting rewarded for that for sure.

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And so don't think like, oh, man, you know, I'm going to I'll do so many here, but I can't do it over there.

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Therefore, I could just never be a part of the missions program of our church.

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Of course you can.

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Why don't you go ahead and fund the work?

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You know, hard for missions.

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And sometimes, you know, people have this weird view of missions because of their previous church or something like, oh, you know, but how many wells are you going to do?

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Are you guys feeding the poor while you're out there?

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Are you clothing?

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Yeah, we're clothing people in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

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That's what we're doing.

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You know, no, we're not digging wells because the well has already been dug.

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That brings forth everlasting life and it causes people to never thirst again.

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It's called salvation.

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You know, we have enough missionaries going out there just digging wells and feeding the poor and preaching a false gospel.

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We just need to go out there and just preach the gospel.

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You know, when people say, oh, so what kind of work you do out there?

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We're preaching the gospel.

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Oh, but do you like, you know, do you provide medical assistance?

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I'm not a doctor.

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Medical assistance.

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I don't bring vaccines.

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I'm definitely not bringing vaccines over there.

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You know, I'm bringing myself.

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I'm bringing the Bible.

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I'm bringing Bible material and I'm providing something that most missionaries unfortunately don't, which is the gospel.

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OK.

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And, you know, the awesome thing about doing missions this way is that you can get a lot done in a short amount of time.

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A lot.

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That Belize trip was awesome.

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It was incredible.

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And, you know, it created a stir.

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Hey, if you ever want to live out the Book of Acts, go on the mission field.

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It'll happen for sure.

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You know, you have we have the news outlets coming after us and, you know, oh, yeah, but it's because you guys are just controversial preachers.

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They literally are getting on us for preaching one saved always saved.

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The news outlets.

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Now, all they're saying that you can do this and still be saved.

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Yeah.

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And, you know, if that doesn't excite you, then, you know, I don't know what to tell you.

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You know, you know, if I was here and I wasn't on the mission field, I heard a story like that when the missionaries came back, I'd be like, man, I want to be a part of that one day.

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But if you can't physically go, then fund someone fund the work of God so that others can go.

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The point that I'm making here is that money answers that question, which is how can I fund the work of God?

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And obviously you fund it by your ties.

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But, you know, you can also fund it by your offerings.

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And what is an offering giving so that other people can go to the mission field, helping others to get to do the things that maybe you cannot do physically because of your life situation.

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Philippians, chapter four, if you would go to Philippians, chapter four, Philippians, chapter four.

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Let's just be honest. The ministry takes money.

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It requires money to get things done.

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Well, I know a church that doesn't really require a whole lot of money.

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Yeah. Show me that church. I'll show you a church that ain't doing nothing.

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It's not doing nothing for the work.

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They're not getting anybody saved.

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They're not seeing converts being baptized.

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They're not seeing those baptized converts become soul owners.

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They're not seeing those soul owners make a decision to go into the mission field.

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I mean, we literally have that entire spectrum.

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We literally have people who have gotten saved here, baptized, became soul owners here, and like a month afterwards just went to the mission field.

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That requires some funding, by the way.

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Right.

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You know, obviously keeping the lights on requires funding.

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You know, making this place feel like a refrigerator on Sunday morning requires funding.

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Bunch of spoiled people.

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It's so cold.

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You know, keeping the lights on, the AC, the materials, the hymn books, all these things.

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Like hymn books requires you just buy them once and that's it.

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No, because at our church you can take a hymn book home.

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Just take one home.

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You know, if you're new to our church and you're like, man, you know, when the guy's up there singing, I wish I could sing with him because I just don't know the songs, then take a hymn book home and learn the songs.

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It's yours.

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But that requires funding, right?

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To have a church that does those things, you know, the activities require funding, the work of God requires funding.

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And so it's important for us to have that paradigm shift to recognize if the work of God is going to continue to go forward and do greater works for God.

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It does require some money to do so.

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Now, look, obviously we're not just this church that just waste money.

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Right.

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Like, for example, you know, I have this podcast that I promote.

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I don't promote it here because you guys listen to me like three hours a week anyways.

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So, you know, but it's a podcast that's meant to just reach people in the podcast world.

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And, you know, I do these videos online on Instagram.

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I'm not sure if any of you have seen any of them or anything like that.

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I have this Instagram and I make these videos and I just teach the Bible.

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But it's very little funding that goes into that.

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OK, because I mean, how much do you need to make a video just talking about the Bible?

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Right.

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Just get a light, get a camera, you know, I might spend what, like five bucks on a Red Bull or something, you know, or a coffee.

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OK.

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And just spit scripture, teach the Bible, bada bing, bada boom.

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You got visitors coming to church after that.

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Right.

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Whereas you got like churches out here like, you know, Greg Laurie, whose podcast is literally like millions of dollars budget every single year.

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For what? I don't know.

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Like, what are you teaching?

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What exactly?

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I mean, like you have like a million dollar budget for your podcast, a yearly budget of a million dollars for your podcast.

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And I got this information from this guy who runs this company called The Religious Business, where he exposes a lot of these mega church type pastors

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that are just using the funds of the church for just frivolous reasons to buy themselves a jet and houses and all this nonsense.

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And he just told me he's like, yeah, that guy's budget for his podcast is literally like millions of dollars.

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But I'm sure his podcast sucks, though.

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I don't think he's going down deep.

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I don't think you're I don't think anybody's watching that podcast and then learning something new from the Bible.

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It's probably just like, you know, love Benji, support Israel and, you know, support Trump and, you know, just all this stupid nonsense that has nothing to do with the Bible.

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It requires millions of dollars.

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You know, and here's my thought.

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Like, obviously, the work of God requires money, but we also need to make sure that we don't just spend frivolously either.

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Right.

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So you don't have to take a stack of handbooks.

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Just take one.

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OK, don't take the chairs.

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We need those here.

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The point being here is that the work of God does require work.

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And, you know, if we want to continue to see because, look, when we went to Belize, for example, we got a thousand six hundred salvations in a matter of about seven days.

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And that was a lot.

44:02.000 --> 44:02.000


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I mean, that's the most salvations we saw on a mission trip ever.

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There's a ton of salvations.

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But let me say this like it required a lot of work and it did require a lot of money as well.

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A lot of money goes into that getting the air V&Bs, the rentals, food, all this.

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It does require money.

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And so in order to do great works for God, it requires a great amount of resources as well.

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Look at Philippians, chapter four, verse 10.

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But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last year care of me have flourished again when you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity.

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Not that I speak in respect of want for I've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.

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So, you know, the apostle Paul is talking about the fact that they've lacked opportunity to give financially.

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And he's like, hey, I don't want you to think that I'm like asking you for money because I've learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content.

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You know, the same goes for our church.

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Whatever money comes in is what we're going to use for whatever it is that we have.

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If we don't have money for AC, then we won't use the AC.

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We don't have money to give out handbooks that we won't give out in books.

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Right.

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He says, I know both how to be a base.

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I know how to abound and everywhere.

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And in all things, I'm instructed to be full to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

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I can do all things to Christ with strength and it's me not withstanding.

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You have done well in that you did communicate with my affliction.

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Now, you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving.

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But ye only.

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What is he saying?

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He's saying that these individuals were very generous with the apostle Paul, funding the work of God in order to get more work done.

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The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9, verse 6, you don't have to turn there.

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Turn with me, if you would, to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3.

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2 Corinthians 9, 6 is, But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly.

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And he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

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Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth the cheerful giver.

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So, you know, God doesn't want you to be like, all right, fine, I'll fund someone, I guess.

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But you're flying spirit, though.

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You know, like, well, spirit doesn't exist anymore.

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You know, he wants us to be cheerful givers.

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And, you know, we've had people in our church who they'll say like, hey, I want to I want to sponsor someone to go on the mission field.

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And they're like, is there someone who does not have the resources to be able to get on the mission field?

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Let me know. I want to pay their way out.

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And they're very cheerful about it.

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That's how it should be.

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You know, serving God, giving of our substance to God and to others shouldn't be a grudging thing.

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I guess.

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Order what you want, I guess.

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You know, but no fries, though.

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You know, or everything's small, though.

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You know what I mean?

46:49.000 --> 46:51.000
You know, be a cheerful giver.

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Be a generous, happy giver.

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You know, God loves when you give in that manner.

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God is able, it says, to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.

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Let me say I want first works to abound in every good work.

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I want to reach more people for Christ.

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And, you know, we're going to keep going to Belize in the in the coming years because I keep saying we're not.

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But then we got into these schools and it's just like it's just like a gold mine of salvations that we get there every other year.

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You know what?

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Adrian gave me a great idea while we're in Sacramento.

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The spirit of the Lord came upon Adrian.

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And and what it was that, you know, we're so winning in Sacramento and he was witnessing to these Samoans.

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And, you know, he was making some funny comments about Samoans and, you know, we're joking for a little bit.

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We'll talk about that later after service.

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But he said, you know, like, hey, have you ever thought about going to Samoa?

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And I was like, no, I don't even know where Samoa is.

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You know, and he's just like, man, because they're so receptive.

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And these people he was preaching the gospel to are really receptive.

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And I was like, hmm.

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So then, you know, we got on, you know, we got on chat and we started getting some stats from chat.

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I know you some of you are against a I, but too bad it's taken over.

48:05.000 --> 48:09.000
OK. And so, you know, we're just say, give me some stats on Samoa.

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Do they speak English like they speak English there?

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And, you know, this is where it's located.

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It's predominantly Christian.

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And I'm thinking to myself, man, maybe we just need to go to Samoa.

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You know what I mean?

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And kind of test it out.

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And I don't know why I didn't think about this, because I kind of grew up around Samoans.

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And, yeah, there's some of the most humble, kind people in general that, you know,

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they associate with being a Christian, sometimes they're Pentecostal or whatever, Church of Christ or whatever.

48:34.000 --> 48:40.000
But, you know, if it's a Christian type nation, which is exactly what it says that they claim to be, you know,

48:40.000 --> 48:42.000
maybe it's receptive, right?

48:42.000 --> 48:44.000
We can go there and get a bunch of people saved there.

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But you know what it requires?

48:45.000 --> 48:50.000
Money to go there and actually get the work done.

48:50.000 --> 48:58.000
You know, the vision is great, but the vision does require resources as well in order for us to abound to every good work,

48:58.000 --> 49:02.000
to go to these islands, go to Samoa, go to places like this to be able to preach the gospel.

49:02.000 --> 49:07.000
And, you know, I do think that you need to be a part of a church where the money is going to things like that.

49:07.000 --> 49:09.000
Right?

49:09.000 --> 49:19.000
Not to like the pockets of the pastor or, you know, to, you know, you have this church up north that basically,

49:19.000 --> 49:26.000
you know, they're taking a missions offering, but the missions offering is going to the kids' conference.

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So the kids can be inspired to go on the mission field.

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Why don't you just preach a sermon about missions and save yourself the money of sending them to the conference?

49:36.000 --> 49:39.000
It's just like, here's the goal for missions.

49:39.000 --> 49:44.000
We're going to send our kids to North Valley Baptist Church where all the pedophiles are,

49:44.000 --> 49:50.000
and maybe they will get inspired to go to the mission field.

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Why don't you just actually preach a sermon on missions?

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And you don't have to put your kids in danger and be in the presence of reprobates and pedophiles.

49:59.000 --> 50:02.000
Just a thought, okay?

50:02.000 --> 50:03.000
You're in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3.

50:03.000 --> 50:04.000
What does money answer?

50:04.000 --> 50:06.000
I'll tell you another thing that it answers.

50:06.000 --> 50:10.000
How will I provide sustenance for myself and for others?

50:10.000 --> 50:11.000
I'll tell you how.

50:11.000 --> 50:12.000
By money.

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Meaning, get a job.

50:14.000 --> 50:15.000
Right?

50:15.000 --> 50:16.000
Look at 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 7.

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For yourselves know how you ought to follow us.

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For we behave not ourselves disorderly among you.

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Neither did we eat any man's bread for naught, but rot with labor and travail night and day,

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that we might not be chargeable to any of you.

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Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

50:36.000 --> 50:43.000
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

50:43.000 --> 50:46.000
So it's like, oh man, how am I going to eat?

50:46.000 --> 50:48.000
Got to get a job in order to get money.

50:48.000 --> 50:50.000
What money answers is this.

50:50.000 --> 50:53.000
Now I can figure out what to eat.

50:53.000 --> 50:55.000
I can provide for my family.

50:55.000 --> 51:05.000
I don't have to stand on the corner of the exit of the freeway with my kids all standing there and I got a clean fade.

51:05.000 --> 51:08.000
These gypsies who always do this.

51:08.000 --> 51:15.000
Clean clothes, just able body, not doing any work, just living off of other people.

51:15.000 --> 51:17.000
Why don't you go ahead and get yourself a job instead?

51:17.000 --> 51:20.000
And the Bible says that doing that is disorderly.

51:20.000 --> 51:23.000
Now you may think to yourself, well, what if I'm already well-to-do?

51:23.000 --> 51:28.000
Like I already got money and I'm providing for myself.

51:28.000 --> 51:32.000
My bills are being paid, but I don't have a job.

51:32.000 --> 51:33.000
I'm just a wealthy person.

51:33.000 --> 51:34.000
Get a job anyways.

51:34.000 --> 51:38.000
Just for the sake of not getting involved in sin.

51:38.000 --> 51:40.000
Just so that you're not lazy.

51:40.000 --> 51:43.000
Just so you're not walking disorderly.

51:43.000 --> 51:47.000
And I think every man should have a job for sure.

51:48.000 --> 51:56.000
Hey look, there's no job out there that's just too embarrassing to have that you're just like, well, I just don't want to get a job at McDonald's though.

51:56.000 --> 51:57.000
Why not?

51:57.000 --> 51:59.000
That's an awesome job actually.

51:59.000 --> 52:00.000
You know what I mean?

52:00.000 --> 52:02.000
Church members stop by and what are you guys throwing out?

52:02.000 --> 52:05.000
No, I'm just kidding.

52:05.000 --> 52:06.000
Get a job.

52:06.000 --> 52:11.000
He's like, well, I just think it's just better for me to invest my time in what, video games?

52:11.000 --> 52:15.000
And just sitting around being lazy, not doing anything.

52:15.000 --> 52:21.000
You know, you're opening yourself up to temptation and sin because man is meant to work.

52:21.000 --> 52:25.000
He's meant to keep busy and be constructive and do things with his life.

52:25.000 --> 52:30.000
Not just sit around and play on his phone and doom scroll all the days of his life.

52:30.000 --> 52:31.000
Okay.

52:31.000 --> 52:32.000
Get a job.

52:32.000 --> 52:33.000
And you know what?

52:33.000 --> 52:39.000
It's embarrassing when a man does not have a job and refuses to get a job.

52:39.000 --> 52:44.000
I'm not talking to you if you don't have a job and you've been trying to get a job.

52:44.000 --> 52:46.000
You're trying to work.

52:46.000 --> 52:48.000
You're trying the best to provide for your family.

52:48.000 --> 52:49.000
I'm not talking about you.

52:49.000 --> 52:55.000
I'm not talking about you if you just lost your job, you know, for whatever reason and you're trying to get a new job.

52:55.000 --> 53:00.000
I'm talking about you like willingly refuse to get a job.

53:00.000 --> 53:03.000
You're an embarrassment.

53:03.000 --> 53:05.000
You know, I'm just looking for this perfect job.

53:05.000 --> 53:07.000
It just doesn't exist.

53:07.000 --> 53:11.000
I'm just looking for this job where there's a Christian boss.

53:11.000 --> 53:16.000
He's a fundamental Baptist pastor and you know, he just works perfectly with my schedule.

53:16.000 --> 53:19.000
You know, it just doesn't always happen that way.

53:19.000 --> 53:20.000
Okay.

53:20.000 --> 53:22.000
And you're going to get a heathen for a boss.

53:22.000 --> 53:23.000
Maybe you need it.

53:23.000 --> 53:26.000
You know, you're going to get a rough boss that will cuss you out.

53:26.000 --> 53:27.000
But maybe you need it.

53:27.000 --> 53:31.000
You know, maybe you'll get a boss who just doesn't really like you.

53:31.000 --> 53:32.000
He yells at you.

53:32.000 --> 53:36.000
But maybe you just need it because you need to learn how to work under pressure.

53:36.000 --> 53:39.000
You need to learn how to do a good job and stop being a lazy individual.

53:39.000 --> 53:42.000
Because then your body is just going to atrophy too.

53:42.000 --> 53:44.000
Not going to be able to lift stuff.

53:44.000 --> 53:45.000
You can't walk around.

53:45.000 --> 53:47.000
You don't know how to get things done.

53:47.000 --> 53:49.000
You don't know how to work well under pressure.

53:49.000 --> 53:53.000
And let me say this is that your family will start losing respect for you.

53:53.000 --> 53:55.000
It's not right if they do that.

53:55.000 --> 54:00.000
But that's just the natural course of things is that they just don't respect you as much anymore.

54:00.000 --> 54:06.000
And you can't expect people to respect you if you're just sitting there waking up at 11 o'clock in the morning.

54:06.000 --> 54:07.000
All right.

54:07.000 --> 54:09.000
Time to get to work and figure out where to work here.

54:09.000 --> 54:12.000
You know, at 11 o'clock in the morning, you're doom scrolling.

54:12.000 --> 54:13.000
You're playing video games.

54:13.000 --> 54:16.000
You know, you can't let these younger guys outdo you.

54:16.000 --> 54:17.000
Okay.

54:17.000 --> 54:19.000
Some of these young guys, man, they're on the ball.

54:19.000 --> 54:20.000
Right.

54:20.000 --> 54:23.000
These young guys are getting jobs.

54:23.000 --> 54:25.000
They're working all kinds of crazy hours.

54:25.000 --> 54:27.000
They are getting, and they're in church.

54:27.000 --> 54:31.000
You're like, what if I find a job that makes me work on Sundays?

54:31.000 --> 54:33.000
Well, I do believe that that is a deal breaker for sure.

54:33.000 --> 54:34.000
Okay.

54:35.000 --> 54:38.000
You know, I think that you should be in church.

54:38.000 --> 54:39.000
I believe the Bible commands it.

54:39.000 --> 54:41.000
I don't think those duties should ever conflict.

54:41.000 --> 54:42.000
Okay.

54:42.000 --> 54:53.000
But, you know, I will say this is that if you're just like struggling like crazy right now, you know, find a job where you work just Monday through Saturday, 12 hour shifts.

54:53.000 --> 54:54.000
That's what you got to do.

54:54.000 --> 54:55.000
That's what you got to do.

54:55.000 --> 55:01.000
And you know what happens is when you do that consistently, you not only get favor with your boss, but you also get favor with God.

55:02.000 --> 55:11.000
And God ends up opening doors and giving you favor with your boss and your superiors or whatever to help you and be flexible with your schedule.

55:11.000 --> 55:12.000
That's what you have to do.

55:12.000 --> 55:14.000
But don't miss church.

55:14.000 --> 55:19.000
You know, don't use, don't use, I have to get a job as an excuse not to go to church.

55:19.000 --> 55:22.000
It's just like, well, you know, I got to provide.

55:22.000 --> 55:25.000
So I got to just like miss church for a couple of weeks.

55:25.000 --> 55:27.000
You're doing it backwards.

55:27.000 --> 55:29.000
You're probably not going to end up finding a job.

55:29.000 --> 55:34.000
And if you find a job, you know, you're going to have holes in your pocket and you're not going to be able to pay your bills.

55:34.000 --> 55:38.000
It's going to go right through because God expects you to honor him as well.

55:38.000 --> 55:40.000
He wants both of those things to exist.

55:40.000 --> 55:45.000
And, you know, it's just like, yeah, but I'm looking for a job that just pays the just right amount.

55:45.000 --> 55:47.000
The right amount is that which pays the bills.

55:47.000 --> 55:49.000
And here's the thing, though.

55:49.000 --> 55:51.000
Here, check this out.

55:51.000 --> 55:54.000
The right amount is any amount if you ain't got an amount.

55:54.000 --> 55:59.000
Right.

55:59.000 --> 56:07.000
Because whatever it is you're going to get is more than you got now because you broke.

56:07.000 --> 56:14.000
You know, and so any amount is a good amount when you don't have any amount of money to work with in general.

56:14.000 --> 56:15.000
You know what money answers?

56:15.000 --> 56:16.000
It answers.

56:16.000 --> 56:19.000
How will I provide sustenance for me and for others?

56:19.000 --> 56:20.000
And you know what?

56:20.000 --> 56:22.000
If you're not a Christian, then just ignore what I'm saying right now.

56:22.000 --> 56:29.000
But at the end of the day, the Bible tells us that Christians, if they choose not to work, they're worse than an infidel.

56:29.000 --> 56:31.000
That's literally what the now that's all.

56:31.000 --> 56:33.000
That's a major insult.

56:33.000 --> 56:36.000
Think about that, because what is an infidel?

56:36.000 --> 56:39.000
An infidel is referred to an unbeliever.

56:39.000 --> 56:48.000
So God is saying that a Christian who chooses chooses not to work and provide for his own, you're worse than an unbeliever.

56:48.000 --> 56:50.000
That's what he's saying.

56:50.000 --> 56:52.000
He's like something's wrong with you.

56:52.000 --> 56:53.000
You're lazy.

56:53.000 --> 56:55.000
You don't want to work.

56:55.000 --> 57:04.000
You know, you're like, well, you know, what do you think about, you know, if I if I get what's that called when someone loses their job?

57:04.000 --> 57:06.000
Severance.

57:06.000 --> 57:07.000
Severance.

57:07.000 --> 57:10.000
No, I'm talking about like, you know, yeah, unemployment.

57:10.000 --> 57:12.000
Like, well, what's your take on unemployment?

57:12.000 --> 57:13.000
Well, here's the thing, folks.

57:13.000 --> 57:15.000
Like, if you paid into it, then use it.

57:15.000 --> 57:18.000
But you better be using it as you're looking for a job as well.

57:18.000 --> 57:22.000
OK, you know, I'm for just doing whatever you can to get back on your feet.

57:22.000 --> 57:28.000
And quite frankly, if you're in our church, you shouldn't be at that situation because any one of us can help you.

57:28.000 --> 57:31.000
There's plenty of job opportunities that people can offer you.

57:31.000 --> 57:32.000
You like, well, no one offers me a job.

57:32.000 --> 57:34.000
Well, could it be because you're just a bad worker?

57:34.000 --> 57:36.000
I don't know.

57:36.000 --> 57:38.000
Can we be real here?

57:38.000 --> 57:42.000
You know, maybe people know that you're not reliable.

57:42.000 --> 57:43.000
So maybe you can't get a job here.

57:43.000 --> 57:46.000
Maybe you got to get a job somewhere where someone doesn't know you.

57:46.000 --> 57:49.000
And then, you know, I'm trying to just give you life advice here.

57:49.000 --> 57:50.000
This is important.

57:50.000 --> 57:51.000
And you know what?

57:51.000 --> 57:54.000
I'm not for I'm glad that our young men are getting jobs.

57:54.000 --> 57:57.000
They're they're they have their own businesses.

57:57.000 --> 57:59.000
They're working crazy amount of hours.

57:59.000 --> 58:01.000
They don't complain about it.

58:01.000 --> 58:03.000
That's how it ought to be.

58:03.000 --> 58:04.000
They're not complaining.

58:04.000 --> 58:06.000
They're not whining about it.

58:06.000 --> 58:08.000
They're in church.

58:08.000 --> 58:10.000
Listen, they're going soul winning.

58:10.000 --> 58:12.000
They're preaching the gospel.

58:12.000 --> 58:14.000
They're just happy to be here.

58:14.000 --> 58:16.000
They're doing what they have to do.

58:16.000 --> 58:20.000
It should not be said that a grown man can't do the same.

58:20.000 --> 58:23.000
OK, I'm not calling you guys the not grown men.

58:23.000 --> 58:27.000
But don't be worse than an infidel.

58:27.000 --> 58:31.000
OK, money answers the question.

58:31.000 --> 58:33.000
How can I provide sustenance for me and for others?

58:33.000 --> 58:37.000
And again, there's no job too embarrassing to work to provide.

58:37.000 --> 58:41.000
You know, if you're putting food on the table, you know, and you're like, well, my wife,

58:41.000 --> 58:46.000
wouldn't be too proud of me, you know, working at Carl's Junior or something.

58:46.000 --> 58:51.000
If you bring her a Western bacon double cheeseburger, that'll shut her up.

58:51.000 --> 58:55.000
And I'm just kidding.

58:55.000 --> 58:58.000
If it's paying the bills, it's paying the bills.

58:58.000 --> 59:00.000
You know, just humble yourself to do so.

59:00.000 --> 59:05.000
And, you know, at the end of the day, I do believe that God ends up blessing the man who is putting in the effort to do so.

59:05.000 --> 59:09.000
OK, and look, I'm not saying that you should be a grown man.

59:09.000 --> 59:14.000
I think that people, men should have a job.

59:14.000 --> 59:20.000
And obviously, if you want to, you know, create your own business, you should do that if you have it in you.

59:20.000 --> 59:27.000
But I don't think you should quit your day job and just full in on your business if your business isn't already super successful.

59:27.000 --> 59:30.000
That's a dumb thing to do, right?

59:30.000 --> 59:33.000
Or it's just like, well, I'm into investing or something.

59:33.000 --> 59:36.000
I'm into day trading.

59:36.000 --> 59:41.000
Well, you know, if you don't have an honest job, though, that shouldn't be your major form of income, because at the end of the day, part of working is learning character.

59:41.000 --> 59:46.000
You need to have someone over you, actually.

59:46.000 --> 59:51.000
You know, it's important for people to just have bosses sometimes because you need to learn how to be told what to do.

59:51.000 --> 59:54.000
OK, and why do you say that?

59:54.000 --> 59:57.000
Well, because of the fact that you don't know how to tell yourself what to do.

59:57.000 --> 01:00:00.000
You don't know how to govern yourself.

01:00:00.000 --> 01:00:05.000
So part of helping you to govern yourself is having others govern you and tell you what to do and what time to clock in.

01:00:05.000 --> 01:00:08.000
That's important for just character in general.

01:00:08.000 --> 01:00:12.000
You know, it hurts the ego, and it's embarrassing sometimes, but it's actually a necessary quality to learn how to be in subjection to others so that you can subject yourself.

01:00:12.000 --> 01:00:15.000
OK, and subject yourself and tell yourself what to do.

01:00:15.000 --> 01:00:18.000
And you can do that.

01:00:18.000 --> 01:00:21.000
And you can do that.

01:00:21.000 --> 01:00:24.000
And you can do that.

01:00:24.000 --> 01:00:27.000
And you can do that.

01:00:27.000 --> 01:00:32.000
OK, and subject yourself and tell yourself what to do and get the job done and so forth.

01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:36.000
OK, we're still here in 2 Thessalonians.

01:00:36.000 --> 01:00:45.000
Look at verse 11. It says, For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, not working at all, but busybodies.

01:00:45.000 --> 01:00:49.000
That tells me if you're not working, then you're just getting involved in trouble all the time.

01:00:49.000 --> 01:00:52.000
You're just gossiping.

01:00:52.000 --> 01:00:54.000
You're being a busybody.

01:00:54.000 --> 01:00:56.000
You're watching novellas.

01:00:56.000 --> 01:00:57.000
You're watching operas.

01:00:57.000 --> 01:00:59.000
You're doom scrolling.

01:00:59.000 --> 01:01:10.000
And you know, let me just say this too, is that when you don't have a job, it puts a strain on the marriage financially, but also relationally as well.

01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:15.000
Because absence makes the heart grow fonder, but if you're just always there, you guys are always going to fight.

01:01:15.000 --> 01:01:17.000
That's just how it is.

01:01:17.000 --> 01:01:20.000
She's sick of seeing you.

01:01:20.000 --> 01:01:25.000
So there needs to be some like absence in distance, you know what I mean?

01:01:25.000 --> 01:01:30.000
So she can miss you and you can miss her.

01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:31.000
What if I work from home?

01:01:31.000 --> 01:01:35.000
Work in a different room and keep yourself there.

01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:37.000
Create some distance.

01:01:37.000 --> 01:01:43.000
I can work from home if I wanted to, but I need to like, I can't now because I have a lot going on at home.

01:01:43.000 --> 01:01:51.000
But even if I did have that option, it just wouldn't be a good idea because of the fact that kids are going to drive me crazy.

01:01:51.000 --> 01:01:57.000
And it's just too easy for me to come out of that room and just go spend time with my family and just be there and not get work done.

01:01:57.000 --> 01:02:01.000
You know, you need to be somewhere else that's not there in order to get the job done.

01:02:01.000 --> 01:02:04.000
You're like, well, I have this vision, though, to start a business.

01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:09.000
No, you just need to get involved in someone else's business and make someone else successful for right now.

01:02:09.000 --> 01:02:12.000
OK, why don't you learn how to do that first?

01:02:12.000 --> 01:02:17.000
OK, because then at least when you do get your own business, you have a place to talk from.

01:02:17.000 --> 01:02:19.000
You have a place, you know, you have some authority there.

01:02:19.000 --> 01:02:23.000
You know, you got to listen to me because, you know, I have to do the same thing.

01:02:23.000 --> 01:02:27.000
You actually have, you know, something under your belt.

01:02:27.000 --> 01:02:35.000
It says in verse 12, Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.

01:02:35.000 --> 01:02:39.000
Meaning, you know, pay for your own food, pay for your own meals.

01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:43.000
Don't take advantage of the generosity of our church either.

01:02:43.000 --> 01:02:46.000
Our church members, our church members are super generous.

01:02:46.000 --> 01:02:53.000
You know, people go so many afterwards and they're always willing to buy a meal for a brother who's, you know, down in the dumps or whatever and keep doing that.

01:02:53.000 --> 01:02:55.000
I think that's a great thing to do.

01:02:55.000 --> 01:03:06.000
But for those of you who like to take advantage of that, you know, you need to work with quietness and eat your own bread and don't have this expectation that Brother Maury is always going to pay for your meal.

01:03:06.000 --> 01:03:11.000
Brother Marcus is going to pay for your meal or whatever or, you know, Brother Hernandez is going to pay for your meal.

01:03:11.000 --> 01:03:13.000
You guys are like they never pay for anybody's meal.

01:03:13.000 --> 01:03:15.000
So we never, we never wonder that.

01:03:15.000 --> 01:03:25.000
You know, it should get to a point where you're not only able to pay for your meal, but there's some times when you can pay for someone else's too, right?

01:03:25.000 --> 01:03:27.000
Where you're like, hey, I got you.

01:03:27.000 --> 01:03:29.000
Choose from the supersized menu.

01:03:29.000 --> 01:03:31.000
You know, you don't have to do the dollar menu.

01:03:31.000 --> 01:03:35.000
That feels good.

01:03:35.000 --> 01:03:38.000
To be able to be a blessing to others feels great.

01:03:38.000 --> 01:03:40.000
No, it feels good when someone else pays for my meal.

01:03:40.000 --> 01:03:43.000
Yeah, but it feels better to be able to pay for someone else's though.

01:03:43.000 --> 01:03:44.000
Okay.

01:03:44.000 --> 01:03:47.000
And be able to have that there.

01:03:47.000 --> 01:03:48.000
It answers the question.

01:03:48.000 --> 01:03:51.000
Like, how can I be a blessing to someone else?

01:03:51.000 --> 01:03:52.000
Money.

01:03:52.000 --> 01:03:54.000
That's how you can be a blessing.

01:03:54.000 --> 01:04:00.000
Provides for someone else's meal, provide for someone else's need for even their wants.

01:04:00.000 --> 01:04:02.000
You know, give a gift to someone.

01:04:02.000 --> 01:04:04.000
You hear that someone likes a particular thing.

01:04:04.000 --> 01:04:05.000
You have an abundance.

01:04:05.000 --> 01:04:06.000
It answers that question.

01:04:06.000 --> 01:04:08.000
How can I be a blessing?

01:04:08.000 --> 01:04:09.000
By giving to them.

01:04:09.000 --> 01:04:14.000
He says in verse 13, be, but ye brethren, be not weary in well-doing.

01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:16.000
And that is in context of working.

01:04:16.000 --> 01:04:20.000
Oh, I'm just tired of working at nine to five.

01:04:20.000 --> 01:04:21.000
Join the crowd.

01:04:21.000 --> 01:04:24.000
Everyone gets tired about it from it, from time to time.

01:04:24.000 --> 01:04:29.000
And if you feel like you can't do that for the rest of your life, then create a business and do both simultaneously.

01:04:29.000 --> 01:04:33.000
Till the business grows beyond measure where it's just overlapping.

01:04:33.000 --> 01:04:37.000
You're making more money or you're making at least eight million dollars a year.

01:04:37.000 --> 01:04:43.000
You're making more money or you're making at least enough money, you know, there where you can let go of the other job and just do that.

01:04:43.000 --> 01:04:45.000
But don't be weary and well-doing.

01:04:45.000 --> 01:04:46.000
Why?

01:04:46.000 --> 01:04:50.000
Because working is God's will for your life.

01:04:50.000 --> 01:04:53.000
I know I spend a lot of time on that, but it's important.

01:04:53.000 --> 01:04:56.000
It says in Romans chapter 12, verse 13, you don't have to turn there.

01:04:56.000 --> 01:04:59.000
Go with me if you would to go to Proverbs 27.

01:05:00.000 --> 01:05:14.000
Romans chapter 12, verse 13 says not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient and tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessities of the saints given to hospitality.

01:05:14.000 --> 01:05:21.000
It's saying this specifically, we need to distribute to the necessity of the saints like, oh, man, I only have enough to just really provide for me.

01:05:21.000 --> 01:05:24.000
Get a certification.

01:05:24.000 --> 01:05:26.000
Get a higher certification.

01:05:26.000 --> 01:05:27.000
Pray for a raise.

01:05:27.000 --> 01:05:28.000
Right?

01:05:28.000 --> 01:05:30.000
Look how you can just make more money.

01:05:30.000 --> 01:05:39.000
Not so you could accumulate more wealth and have more possessions, but just so you can be a blessing to others and distribute to the necessities of the saints.

01:05:39.000 --> 01:05:42.000
Look at Proverbs 27 and verse 23.

01:05:42.000 --> 01:05:52.000
You know, I remember when I was at my old church and I was working on staff there and I remember my brother-in-law, you know, he had his own business.

01:05:52.000 --> 01:05:53.000
He was a construction worker.

01:05:53.000 --> 01:05:54.000
He was a construction worker.

01:05:54.000 --> 01:05:55.000
He still is.

01:05:55.000 --> 01:06:02.000
And this guy just very successful construction business, just a super hard worker, very honest, a man of integrity.

01:06:02.000 --> 01:06:04.000
And, you know, he's very principled man.

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And I would always just observe him because he, you know, in general, people thought he was kind of like a penny pincher.

01:06:10.000 --> 01:06:11.000
He was just like one of those.

01:06:11.000 --> 01:06:14.000
He just didn't really like to spend a whole lot.

01:06:14.000 --> 01:06:21.000
But what people didn't realize is the reason he liked to spend a lot is because of the fact he didn't really like to spend a lot on himself.

01:06:21.000 --> 01:06:23.000
Because a lot of what he was spending was on others.

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So when they would go out, maybe there would be some sort of excursion or an activity.

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He was the one kind of forking up the cash for everyone.

01:06:31.000 --> 01:06:33.000
And everyone was really grateful for that.

01:06:33.000 --> 01:06:35.000
They're just like, wow, man, this guy's very generous.

01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:39.000
So, yeah, he was cheap with themselves so he could be generous with others.

01:06:39.000 --> 01:06:49.000
OK, now you may be of the type that you can be generous with yourself and generous with others, but just be labeled as a generous person more so with others than with yourself.

01:06:49.000 --> 01:06:53.000
You know, if you're just like the type, you're only generous with yourself, but not but you're cheap with others.

01:06:53.000 --> 01:06:57.000
Come on, you know, we need to distribute the necessities of the saints be blessing to others.

01:06:57.000 --> 01:06:59.000
Look at Proverbs 27 verse 23.

01:06:59.000 --> 01:07:09.000
Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks and look well to thy herds for riches are not forever and that the crown endure to every generation.

01:07:09.000 --> 01:07:14.000
The hay appear and the tinder grass show itself and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

01:07:14.000 --> 01:07:28.000
The lambs are for thy clothing and the goats are the price of the field and thou shall have goats milk enough for thy food and for the food of thy household and for the maintenance for thy maidens.

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This is referring to a person who has such an abundance he's able to provide for not just himself, but everyone around them.

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Go to excuse me, we're going to skip some verses here.

01:07:38.000 --> 01:07:40.000
Go to Proverbs chapter six.

01:07:40.000 --> 01:07:41.000
What does money answer?

01:07:41.000 --> 01:07:42.000
I'll tell you what it answers.

01:07:42.000 --> 01:07:44.000
How do I fund the work of God?

01:07:44.000 --> 01:07:45.000
How do I honor the Lord?

01:07:45.000 --> 01:07:47.000
How do I provide for myself and for others?

01:07:47.000 --> 01:07:48.000
How about this?

01:07:48.000 --> 01:07:50.000
Here's a good question that money answers.

01:07:50.000 --> 01:07:52.000
How do I get out of debt?

01:07:52.000 --> 01:07:53.000
Money.

01:07:53.000 --> 01:07:56.000
Right.

01:07:56.000 --> 01:07:58.000
Amen.

01:07:58.000 --> 01:08:01.000
Money pays off debts.

01:08:01.000 --> 01:08:10.000
So, you know, obviously money has its place because there are times where maybe you get involved in debt, not because you are a derelict.

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Not because you're a delinquent, but because sometimes we just life happens, things happen, medical bills accumulate for whatever reason.

01:08:19.000 --> 01:08:21.000
You have a trial in your life.

01:08:21.000 --> 01:08:23.000
Something takes place that you can't really control.

01:08:23.000 --> 01:08:24.000
Well, you know what?

01:08:24.000 --> 01:08:26.000
Pay your debts off.

01:08:26.000 --> 01:08:28.000
The answer is you got to have money in order to do so.

01:08:28.000 --> 01:08:33.000
Look at Proverbs chapter six, verse one.

01:08:33.000 --> 01:08:39.000
My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou was stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art not a thief.

01:08:39.000 --> 01:08:42.000
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

01:08:42.000 --> 01:08:44.000
And what does it mean to strike hands?

01:08:44.000 --> 01:08:47.000
Strike hands isn't referring to like a fist bump.

01:08:47.000 --> 01:08:49.000
This is a striking of the hand.

01:08:49.000 --> 01:08:51.000
It's an agreement.

01:08:51.000 --> 01:09:03.000
Now, we don't really know anything about that today, but back in the day, you know, like let's say if you were in need of money and you asked someone for a particular loan, your word was your bond, right?

01:09:03.000 --> 01:09:07.000
So you say like, I promise, I vow to pay you back.

01:09:07.000 --> 01:09:09.000
You know, let's agree upon it.

01:09:09.000 --> 01:09:11.000
That's striking hands is what it's referring to.

01:09:11.000 --> 01:09:12.000
Okay?

01:09:12.000 --> 01:09:20.000
And it says that if you are, if you stricken to hands with a stranger, with your friend, then you're snared by the words of your mouth.

01:09:20.000 --> 01:09:29.000
If you promise to pay someone back the money that you've been loaned, then you better make sure you fulfill that promise.

01:09:29.000 --> 01:09:30.000
Okay?

01:09:30.000 --> 01:09:41.000
It says in verse three, do this now, my son, and deliver thyself when thou art coming to the hand of thy friend, go home with thyself and make sure thy friend give not sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eyelids.

01:09:41.000 --> 01:09:45.000
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

01:09:45.000 --> 01:09:46.000
What does it say?

01:09:46.000 --> 01:09:51.000
You know, you better make sure that you make it your goal to just get out of that debt.

01:09:51.000 --> 01:09:57.000
You don't have to do it overnight, but you have, you should have the goal that I'm not going to be in debt for the rest of my life.

01:09:57.000 --> 01:10:00.000
Even if you pay it off incrementally.

01:10:00.000 --> 01:10:01.000
Okay?

01:10:01.000 --> 01:10:04.000
And make sure that the person you owe money to knows that.

01:10:04.000 --> 01:10:07.000
You know, don't just not say anything, right?

01:10:07.000 --> 01:10:21.000
Say, hey, I still owe you, but if we can do like a payment plan where I give you this amount every single week for my paycheck or this amount bi-weekly, you know, don't be the person that borrows money.

01:10:21.000 --> 01:10:22.000
Listen to me.

01:10:22.000 --> 01:10:27.000
That borrows money agrees to pay it back and then you just ghost that person.

01:10:27.000 --> 01:10:29.000
That's wicked.

01:10:29.000 --> 01:10:33.000
You know, and especially in the house of God, because then it's all awkward.

01:10:33.000 --> 01:10:37.000
It's all weird because then you see that person over here singing into the Lord.

01:10:37.000 --> 01:10:39.000
You know, they're over here reading their Bible.

01:10:39.000 --> 01:10:41.000
They're they're buying meals and stuff.

01:10:41.000 --> 01:10:47.000
You know, or you just want to avoid that person altogether, you know, because you borrow from that person.

01:10:47.000 --> 01:10:49.000
You're like, oh, man, I owe this person money.

01:10:49.000 --> 01:10:51.000
Communication.

01:10:51.000 --> 01:10:58.000
Tell that person like, hey, I just want to let you know that I am going to pay you back and I'm going to keep you updated.

01:10:58.000 --> 01:11:04.000
You know, my next paycheck, I'm going to give you this amount and this amount, the following paycheck until I paid off.

01:11:04.000 --> 01:11:05.000
And so thank you for your patience.

01:11:05.000 --> 01:11:06.000
Be humble about it.

01:11:06.000 --> 01:11:10.000
OK, but don't ghost that person.

01:11:10.000 --> 01:11:13.000
And let me say this to the person lending.

01:11:13.000 --> 01:11:15.000
Don't rub it in their faces.

01:11:15.000 --> 01:11:20.000
OK, here's here's a good rule of thumb to live by when it comes to this particular thing.

01:11:20.000 --> 01:11:22.000
If you lend money, just give it to them.

01:11:22.000 --> 01:11:25.000
And if they say, I'll pay you back, say if you want to.

01:11:25.000 --> 01:11:27.000
It's on you.

01:11:27.000 --> 01:11:30.000
But if you don't, you don't you don't have to.

01:11:30.000 --> 01:11:32.000
That's the principle that I live by.

01:11:32.000 --> 01:11:34.000
That's the principle I believe people should live by.

01:11:34.000 --> 01:11:35.000
Because here's the thing.

01:11:35.000 --> 01:11:38.000
You don't want to become bitter and angry towards your brother in Christ either.

01:11:38.000 --> 01:11:41.000
If they say they're going to pay you back and they never do, like, man, this guy owes me money.

01:11:41.000 --> 01:11:44.000
He's just he's just over here not paying me.

01:11:44.000 --> 01:11:46.000
And he's got a new suit now.

01:11:46.000 --> 01:11:47.000
He got a new car.

01:11:47.000 --> 01:11:49.000
He's got a new this and that and the other.

01:11:49.000 --> 01:11:51.000
You know, just view it as a gift.

01:11:51.000 --> 01:11:52.000
And you know what?

01:11:52.000 --> 01:11:55.000
You know what happens is if they do pay you back, you're like, oh, thank you.

01:11:55.000 --> 01:11:56.000
You know, and that's it.

01:11:56.000 --> 01:11:59.000
And obviously, don't don't charge interest either.

01:11:59.000 --> 01:12:00.000
You little Jew.

01:12:00.000 --> 01:12:02.000
OK, don't be a usurer either.

01:12:02.000 --> 01:12:06.000
OK, you know, just give it as a gift.

01:12:06.000 --> 01:12:10.000
And if they decide to pay you back, then do so.

01:12:10.000 --> 01:12:14.000
But if you're the person borrowing, just completely ignore what I just said.

01:12:14.000 --> 01:12:17.000
You're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, just completely forget about it.

01:12:17.000 --> 01:12:18.000
You know, no, you pay your debt.

01:12:18.000 --> 01:12:21.000
If you say they're going to pay your debt, your destiny, you should.

01:12:21.000 --> 01:12:26.000
Now, if the person tells you like, hey, this is a gift, you know, you don't have to pay it back.

01:12:26.000 --> 01:12:28.000
Here's my advice to you.

01:12:28.000 --> 01:12:33.000
OK, because let's say you have a good heart and you want to pay it back.

01:12:33.000 --> 01:12:38.000
Just don't say that because when you do, now you're snared by the words of your mouth.

01:12:38.000 --> 01:12:42.000
So if someone gives you a loan or something, accept it.

01:12:42.000 --> 01:12:44.000
And if they say, hey, that's a gift, you never have to pay me back.

01:12:45.000 --> 01:12:47.000
Just say thank you so much for that.

01:12:47.000 --> 01:12:50.000
But if in your heart you're like, I'm going to pay it back, pay it back.

01:12:50.000 --> 01:12:53.000
But just don't strike hands about it.

01:12:53.000 --> 01:12:55.000
Don't say, hey, I am going to pay you back.

01:12:55.000 --> 01:12:59.000
Because if you're not the person that has the character to do so, you know,

01:12:59.000 --> 01:13:02.000
you're going to create problems between you and your brother that you're not paying it back.

01:13:02.000 --> 01:13:06.000
So if they say it's a gift, accept it as a gift, but then, you know, pay it back.

01:13:06.000 --> 01:13:09.000
So then your brother in Christ is like, wow, this person is a person of integrity.

01:13:09.000 --> 01:13:11.000
Like, he didn't even say he was going to pay me back.

01:13:11.000 --> 01:13:13.000
I said it was a gift and he gave it to me back.

01:13:13.000 --> 01:13:14.000
He gave it back to me anyways.

01:13:14.000 --> 01:13:16.000
You understand what I'm saying?

01:13:16.000 --> 01:13:18.000
You got to have a good reputation when it comes to these things.

01:13:18.000 --> 01:13:22.000
The Bible explicitly instructs us not to be in debt.

01:13:22.000 --> 01:13:25.000
And, you know, we're going to get in debt throughout our lives for various reasons,

01:13:25.000 --> 01:13:31.000
not even because we lack character, you know, or we're delinquents or something like that.

01:13:31.000 --> 01:13:33.000
Sometimes it's just life just happens, right?

01:13:33.000 --> 01:13:40.000
But you should make it your goal to pay back your debts and deliver yourself from the hand of the of the of the hunter.

01:13:40.000 --> 01:13:44.000
Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

01:13:44.000 --> 01:13:47.000
All right, let me finish up here.

01:13:47.000 --> 01:13:49.000
I have so many other things I want to say.

01:13:49.000 --> 01:13:55.000
Go to Matthew chapter six and we'll finish there.

01:13:55.000 --> 01:14:00.000
If you get nothing from the sermon, get this, get a job.

01:14:00.000 --> 01:14:02.000
Okay, get a job, work.

01:14:02.000 --> 01:14:05.000
And if you can only get a part-time job, then get two jobs.

01:14:06.000 --> 01:14:08.000
That's another part-time and then they got a full-time job.

01:14:08.000 --> 01:14:16.000
You know, do whatever you can to provide for yourself and for others.

01:14:16.000 --> 01:14:22.000
And, you know, and if you're like, well, this sermon doesn't really apply to me because I do have a job.

01:14:22.000 --> 01:14:23.000
I am a person of character.

01:14:23.000 --> 01:14:25.000
You know, I pay my bills.

01:14:25.000 --> 01:14:27.000
Okay, then it's a next step up for you.

01:14:27.000 --> 01:14:28.000
Be generous with others.

01:14:28.000 --> 01:14:30.000
Find an opportunity to be a blessing to others.

01:14:30.000 --> 01:14:33.000
And it's not always monetary wealth that you have to give to others.

01:14:33.000 --> 01:14:38.000
Sometimes just creative gifts also is a way of being generous with others as well.

01:14:38.000 --> 01:14:39.000
Right.

01:14:39.000 --> 01:14:42.000
You know, inviting someone over for dinner.

01:14:42.000 --> 01:14:44.000
That's a way of being generous as well.

01:14:44.000 --> 01:14:45.000
Being hospitable.

01:14:45.000 --> 01:14:46.000
Right.

01:14:46.000 --> 01:14:50.000
Inviting, you know, taking someone out for a cup of coffee or something like that for a meal.

01:14:50.000 --> 01:14:52.000
That's also a way of being generous as well.

01:14:52.000 --> 01:14:53.000
Getting them gifts.

01:14:53.000 --> 01:14:54.000
That's a way of being generous as well.

01:14:54.000 --> 01:15:00.000
The point that I'm trying to make here is that money answers the question.

01:15:00.000 --> 01:15:03.000
What should I do with the money that I have?

01:15:03.000 --> 01:15:04.000
Okay, provide for yourself.

01:15:04.000 --> 01:15:05.000
Provide for others.

01:15:05.000 --> 01:15:06.000
Be a blessing to others.

01:15:06.000 --> 01:15:09.000
And then lastly, let me just say this and I'm done.

01:15:09.000 --> 01:15:11.000
And that is what does money answer?

01:15:11.000 --> 01:15:14.000
It answers the question, how can I save money?

01:15:14.000 --> 01:15:17.000
This is not a Dave Ramsey dissertation.

01:15:17.000 --> 01:15:18.000
Okay.

01:15:18.000 --> 01:15:20.000
Because I'm not talking about that kind of saving money.

01:15:20.000 --> 01:15:22.000
I think you should save money.

01:15:22.000 --> 01:15:28.000
I think you should save it, you know, for a particular, maybe you're trying to buy a house, put a down payment on your house.

01:15:28.000 --> 01:15:30.000
Maybe it's a specific thing that you want.

01:15:30.000 --> 01:15:34.000
I think saving money is a good way to learn character.

01:15:34.000 --> 01:15:36.000
How not to touch money, right?

01:15:36.000 --> 01:15:37.000
Put it away.

01:15:37.000 --> 01:15:40.000
But I'm talking about like saving money so that you see it in heaven.

01:15:40.000 --> 01:15:41.000
Okay.

01:15:41.000 --> 01:15:43.000
Look at Matthew chapter 6 and verse 19.

01:15:43.000 --> 01:15:52.000
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal.

01:15:52.000 --> 01:15:54.000
So God isn't against having treasures.

01:15:54.000 --> 01:15:56.000
He's not against having riches.

01:15:56.000 --> 01:16:01.000
But he's against you laying them up on earth and not doing anything with it.

01:16:01.000 --> 01:16:11.000
He says in verse 20, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

01:16:11.000 --> 01:16:14.000
For where your treasure is, there where your heart be also.

01:16:14.000 --> 01:16:21.000
So you say, look, if you're going to make a wise investment with the money you have, don't put it in some investment here on this earth.

01:16:21.000 --> 01:16:25.000
Put it into eternal things so that you see them in heaven.

01:16:25.000 --> 01:16:28.000
Put your riches in the bank of heaven.

01:16:28.000 --> 01:16:29.000
Go to 1 Timothy.

01:16:29.000 --> 01:16:31.000
I said that was the last verse, but that's not the last verse.

01:16:31.000 --> 01:16:32.000
Go to 1 Timothy chapter 6.

01:16:32.000 --> 01:16:35.000
We're going to be here for another 20 minutes.

01:16:35.000 --> 01:16:38.000
Where your treasure is, there where your heart be also.

01:16:38.000 --> 01:16:39.000
Okay.

01:16:39.000 --> 01:16:41.000
That's how you can save your money.

01:16:41.000 --> 01:16:47.000
Save your money on an earthly way here in order to provide for something that you need in the future to learn character.

01:16:47.000 --> 01:16:54.000
But the overall picture that you should have, the overall goal is that you want to save money eternally.

01:16:54.000 --> 01:17:04.000
The way you do that is by sending it ahead, investing in that which is spiritual, investing in missions, investing in soul winning.

01:17:04.000 --> 01:17:10.000
You know, I've told the story before, but you know, many of us have heard of Howells Anderson College, right?

01:17:10.000 --> 01:17:14.000
And Howells Anderson is not one person.

01:17:14.000 --> 01:17:15.000
It's two.

01:17:15.000 --> 01:17:16.000
Okay.

01:17:16.000 --> 01:17:18.000
It's brother Howells and Russell Anderson.

01:17:18.000 --> 01:17:20.000
Brother Howells is a pastor.

01:17:20.000 --> 01:17:24.000
Russell Anderson was a man who invested into that college.

01:17:24.000 --> 01:17:26.000
He was actually a millionaire.

01:17:26.000 --> 01:17:27.000
Okay.

01:17:27.000 --> 01:17:30.000
And you know, he got his money by righteous means.

01:17:30.000 --> 01:17:32.000
He was an honest, hardworking man.

01:17:32.000 --> 01:17:35.000
And looking at him, you wouldn't be able to tell he's a millionaire because he's a legitimate millionaire.

01:17:35.000 --> 01:17:38.000
That's how legitimate millionaires behave, right?

01:17:38.000 --> 01:17:42.000
They're not driving around with the Bugatti and you know, all this stuff, you know, drinking champagne on the yacht.

01:17:42.000 --> 01:17:45.000
He, you know, he drove like a little bucket car.

01:17:45.000 --> 01:17:47.000
He had a briefcase that didn't close.

01:17:47.000 --> 01:17:49.000
He used shoestring to tie it up.

01:17:49.000 --> 01:17:51.000
He didn't really care for those things.

01:17:51.000 --> 01:17:52.000
You say, why?

01:17:52.000 --> 01:17:54.000
Why didn't he just buy himself like nice things?

01:17:54.000 --> 01:17:57.000
Because he was too busy investing in the spiritual things.

01:17:57.000 --> 01:17:59.000
And he's been dead for quite some time.

01:17:59.000 --> 01:18:01.000
Like he's been in heaven for a long time already.

01:18:01.000 --> 01:18:08.000
But while he was alive, he funded and hired hundreds of soul winners.

01:18:09.000 --> 01:18:16.000
And he said, you know, if someone wants in the Philippines that want a job, I want to hire you and you're just going to do soul winning out there.

01:18:16.000 --> 01:18:17.000
Right.

01:18:17.000 --> 01:18:18.000
And I'm going to fund that.

01:18:18.000 --> 01:18:23.000
So he's in heaven still ranking up the rewards there from that because that's still taking place.

01:18:23.000 --> 01:18:30.000
And he also helped start churches like if a church needed some funding to get started, he would fund that.

01:18:30.000 --> 01:18:32.000
And even to this day, you know, he's in heaven.

01:18:32.000 --> 01:18:33.000
So he's in heaven.

01:18:33.000 --> 01:18:36.000
He left his money to a particular pastor.

01:18:36.000 --> 01:18:47.000
And he said, whenever you hear a fundamental fundamental Baptist church starting, OK, if they're doctrine of the sound or soul winning church, I want you to give him this amount of money to get the church started.

01:18:47.000 --> 01:18:55.000
You know, at long after him, because he's still using his millions of dollars for the work of God and only for the work of God.

01:18:55.000 --> 01:19:10.000
So like he's in heaven just ranking up the points, the rewards, because he recognized that although he was like a millionaire and he can probably live a lavish life while he was here, he recognized like I need to make sure that I saved my money.

01:19:10.000 --> 01:19:14.000
And yeah, he must have been a millionaire here, but he's like a billionaire in heaven.

01:19:14.000 --> 01:19:17.000
OK, I'm looking for a first Timothy chapter six verse 17.

01:19:17.000 --> 01:19:43.000
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who give it us richly all things to enjoy that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

01:19:43.000 --> 01:19:50.000
The Bible says. And so, you know, we don't have billionaires in our church, but the attitude still applies, though.

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You know, is that if you want to be rich, don't be rich here in this in this world.

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You know, if you want to be wealthy, make sure that you emphasize the wealth that you could receive at the judgment seat of Christ more than anything else.

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Right. Those are the things that money can answer.

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Let's pray. Father, we thank thank you so much for this day.

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Thank you for providing for our needs and even our wants.

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Thank you for being good to us, Lord.

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I pray that you'd help us to have this mind of generosity distributing to the saints, Lord, but also being a blessing to the work of God by funding missions, soul winning any work that needs to be accomplished.

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And I'm thankful for a generous church.

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I know there's people in our church that buy him knows there's people in our church that sponsor missionaries, Lord.

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And I'm thankful for that.

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I pray that that would continue to be the atmosphere of our church so that you would continue to bless us so we can do more for Christ.

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And I pray that you'd help us to have more influence in this world as we preach the gospel and spread the word of God.

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And may you continue to open doors and continue to provide for us in a financial way, Lord, so we can invest those finances into the work of God.

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We love you. We thank you.

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Pray this in Jesus name.

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Amen.

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Please turn your songbooks to song number 135.

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Song number 135.

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This is a short song.

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It's only one verse, so we'll sing it two times over.

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Song number 135.

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Altogether nice and strong on that first verse.

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I know I am saved for Christ set me free.

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He ransomed my poor soul on the cross of Calvary.

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And now I can sing for Christ is my King.

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I'll see his face in glory by and by.

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I know I am saved for Christ set me free.

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He ransomed my poor soul on the cross of Calvary.

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And now I can sing for Christ is my King.

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I'll see his face in glory by and by.

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And then wonderful singing, you are dismissed.