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here's the thing people understand tenacity when it comes to secular work I mean you can go to conferences and they'll talk to you I'm talking about business business conferences and they'll talk to you about getting up early staying working late getting things done I mean if it's if it's in the service of the almighty dollar then that's understood but then you talk about tenacity for soul winning you talk about tenacity for church attendance you talk about tenacity for Bible reading tenacity for Bible memorization tenacity for prayer tenacity for serving God and all of a sudden you're in a cult now let me let me say this we should work hard there should be tenacity in our in our secular work and in our business work and I realize that most people in a church are not in full-time ministry and many pastors are not in full-time ministry and when we work our secular jobs we should work hard I'm not against that I'm just saying if we work hard for the world let's work hard for God let's accomplish something big for God Genesis 31 we have Jacob Jacob was a man of tenacity Jacob it's interesting because Jacob came from a rich family Abraham Isaac yet left for issues and sin and I won't get into all that left that family with nothing and then built his own wealth and his own business and and I'm sure a lot of that have to do with growing up under Isaac and and and and and Abraham his grandfather and watching them work and their work ethic but I want you to notice in Genesis 31 we have Jacob giving us his testimony as to how he worked to provide for his family in the secular world and again I think this is all good these are good things notice what he says Genesis 31 verse 38 he says this 20 years this is Jacob speaking to Laban this 20 years have I been with thee thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten that which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee I bear the loss of it of my hand is thou require it Laban was a cheapskate employer he Jacob says when I broke something I had to pay you for it he says whether stolen by day or stolen by night he says thus I was in the day he says he says thus I was he says this is what my life has been he says in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from my night and by the way this ought to be the motto of every man in this room every man should be able to say you know what I've worked hard I'm talking about your secular job and the work of God and the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from mine eyes he says thus have I been 20 years in thy house I served thee 14 years for thy two daughters and six years for thy cattle and now it's changed my wages ten times this should be the testimony that characterizes every man this should be the testimony that characterizes every young man we should have and we should raise men of tenacity let me say to you young men hey you ought to learn to work hard you should not stand around while others are working let me tell you something you young men just take this as a rule in your life never stand around while others are working you see they're setting up some event here at church and you see people cleaning up or taking the chairs out or stacking them up whatever never stand around young men while other people are working and never stand around while women are working always always be willing to work always work the Bible says it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth the Bible says love not sleep lest thou come to poverty open nine eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with bread Solomon said I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding he says lo is all grown over with thorns and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken down he said I saw and considered it well I looked upon it and received instruction yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the head stews sleep so so thy poverty come as he says so thy poverty come as one that travelth and thy warmth as an armed man the Bible speaks against laziness the Bible says we ought to work hard Bible says we ought to have some tenacity see it is tenacity that causes you to work harder