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All right, keep your place there in Genesis 25, you know, I had all these flashlights prepared for yesterday for I thought we were gonna be hiking in the dark the pot. The lights went out and I was like, oh I know these flashlights who could have had flashlight Church It would have been fun Yeah, I thought we were gonna run out of time on the hiking trip So we all had headlamps and everything. We were ready to hike in the dark and as far as bears I mean, I mean I proved that I can outrun angel. That's all I need to know as far as bears go so Brother you had a five-second head start. Okay. All right. We're not going to discuss it. Okay Okay, we're preaching on first Corinthians 511 first Corinthians 511. We're in the boot series We're talking about the six sins that will get you kicked out of church So so far, let me just read it for you first Corinthians 511 but now I've written on you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a Fornicator or covetous or idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with with such and one know not to eat So here we see we've already gone through fornication. We've already gone through being covetous. We've already gone through being a railer You've already gone through being a drunkard. We have extortion and Idolatry left. So tonight we're going to talk about being an extortioner now, how do you preach and a sermon on extortion? I mean that was my first thought when I started reading this and I first glance, you know, wait Extortion that word that we know, you know, it brings up a certain definition in our modern vernacular and you know the modern definition of extortion is You know the practice of obtaining something especially money through force or threats, you know It's obtaining basically benefit through Coercion okay, you know you think about the the shakedown of the shop owner by the Mafia or something like that when you think about Extortion. All right extortion can also refer to political corruption and selling one's influence Extortion which is not limited to the taking of property involves Installation of fear that will something will happen to the victim if they do not comply with the extortioners Will you could consider what people are accusing the President of the United States of today of being sort of extortion like, you know asking for Favors from a country and you know by withholding money in that kind of case. It's it's a form of that I'm not saying that happened or didn't I'm not I don't even care about that. But extort that's the modern definitions of extortion now in Genesis chapter 25 We see, you know sort of a version of this with what Jacob did to Esau and if you look down at verse number 29 Let's reread the story and the Bible says and Jacob sawed pottage, you know, poor Esau by the way I mean, let me just turn there myself But I mean talk about the baby pictures that you never wanted anyone to see I mean the guy's first verse in the Bible that describes him is you know this and The first came out all red over like an hairy garment, I mean the poor guy That's his welcome to the Bible, you know, it's like wow but anyway So Jacob and then you know Jacob does this to him in verse number 29 the Bible says and Jacob sawed pottage and Esau came from the field and he Was faint and Esau said to Jacob feed me I pray thee with that same red pottage for I am faint Therefore was his name called Edom and Jacob said sell me this day thy birthright and Esau said behold I am at the point to die and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said swear to me this day and he sware unto him and he sold his birthright onto Jacob Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils and he did eat and drink and rose up and went his way Thus Esau despised his birthright So here he's had Esau come in from the field and I know that Esau is not Guiltless here because it says that he despised his birthright, but Jacob definitely took advantage of the situation The man was you know Beyond hungry, you know to the point where he said, you know Whether he was physically ready to die or not We don't know but he basically said he was in a bad place and Jacob took Advantage of that and he took something from him out of that now Jacob was basically withholding his aid from his brother in order to gain Financially, he extorted it out of him in a sense, you know, so you say what is a birthright? Basically a birthright if you look at these two boys that you know Esau was born seconds before Jacob so he was the elder he did have what was called the birthright The birthright was considered a double portion of the inheritance So if you look at you know Isaac's whole you know wealth his inheritance that he would leave to his two boys if that's all the people that would get that inheritance Basically, it would be cut in three pieces Esau would get to Jacob would get one so he would get a double portion So instead now Jacob would get the double portion. So he took something financially from his brother Okay, he took that from we see other versions of you know Extortion or extortion type situations in the Bible in first Kings chapter 20 We see that the king of Syria was trying to threaten Ahab and he said unless you give me all your wives and your silver and your gold, you know I'm going to destroy you and I'm gonna take over and I'm gonna kill everybody and all this type of thing You know, so you say how could this apply to us, right? How could someone get thrown out of church for extortion? How could extortion actually exist in a church like this? No one's going to be threatening to kill anybody they don't give them money, you know I've never seen that happen in a church. I've seen a lot of silly things happen in a church, but never that okay, but Turn to Ezekiel 22 and I'll show you how this can apply today I've never actually seen anyone thrown out of church for extortion But I've actually seen what I will call Christian extortion happen in churches okay, turn to Ezekiel chapter 22 and We'll see how this can apply to us today Ezekiel chapter 22 And look at verse number 12 And the Bible says in Ezekiel chapter 22 in verse number 12 in Thee have they taken gifts to shed blood thou has taken usury and increase and thou has greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion and has forgotten me sayeth the Lord Verse 13 Behold therefore I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain Which thou hast made and at thy blood which thou hast been in the midst of thee So here we see the Bible is equating extortion with dishonest gain extortion with dishonest gain turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 2 so Extortion can be considered, you know Dishonest gain, especially from your neighbor your brother, okay And before we can talk about dishonest gain I first want to tell you what they show you what the Bible says about honest gain honest gain so turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 2 Ecclesiastes chapter 2 if you go to the book of Psalms Song of Solomon And then right before Psalm of Solomon is Ecclesiastes in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 look down at verse number 24 So you see that, you know, the Bible is pre you know, the Bible is telling us that dishonest gain equals Extortion is the same as extortion. So extortion fits in that category of dishonest gain There's many things that we could put in this big category of dishonest gain But extortion is one of those subcategories, okay in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 We see that there is something taught in the Bible about honest gain Okay about honest gain. Look at verse number 24 in Ecclesiastes 2 verse 24 The Bible says there is nothing better for a man that he should eat and drink that he should make his soul Enjoy good in his labor This also I saw that it was from the hand of God So it says that from his his labor is, you know The good of his labor is from the hand of God look at Ecclesiastes chapter 5 Ecclesiastes chapter 5 just a couple chapters over Let's look at some more examples of honest gain in the Bible Ecclesiastes chapter 5 in verse 18 the Bible reads behold that which I have seen it is good and comely for one to eat and To drink and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the Sun All the days of his life would God giveth him for it is his portion every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and have given him power to eat thereof and to take his Portion and to rejoice in his labor. This is the gift of God So we see that there's an honest gain There's nothing wrong with working hard and gaining the Bible calls that the gift of God the the fruits of your labor in Psalm 128 I'll just read it for you The Bible says blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord that walketh in his ways for thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands Happy shalt thou be and it shall be well with thee So there's nothing wrong with enjoying the fruit of your labor in this life Okay, the Bible says in Psalms that as long as you fear God and you work hard, honestly Enjoy the fruit of your labor If the Bible teaches that it's a gift from God but you have to remember that when you work hard you fear God you work hard and You enjoy the fruit of your labor that it is a gift from God Don't get this idea that oh This is something that I did and it's all because of me and I'm so great because then you fall into that that trap Of pride that we talked about this morning. Once again, so Rejoice in your labor, you know There's kind of a culture in this country that I don't like seeing where it's going where anybody that you know has done Well must somehow be bad Some company that does well and has grown and has gotten big is Somehow bad or evil just because they're they're good at what they do No, there's nothing wrong with having a business working hard and enjoying the fruit of your labor So don't be that guy Generally, it's a cop-out people that don't want to work and do you know hard work and get you know, honest gain themselves They like to play down people that do That's what I found this, you know to be the truth So we see that I just want to point out I don't want to spend a lot of time on this But the Bible teaches that there's an honest gain Okay, and then it teaches that there's dishonest gain now dishonest gain could be a sermon series for several weeks But extortion is in Ecclesiastes 22 is called out as one of those categories of Dishonest gain as extorting your neighbor. Okay. Now, let's talk about dishonest gain Taking advantage of people that's what this is. Okay dishonest gain now first Let me tell you the turn the first Corinthians chapter 6 and let's look at Christian extortion, let's let's call it that Christian extortion now Here's the problem with church. You're like problem with church. What do you mean? The problem with church is that we are commanded to be a certain way towards our brothers and sisters. It's not a problem It's what the Bible teaches. I'm saying that tongue-in-cheek. We are commanded to be long-suffering We are the perfect people to extort or to take advantage of I mean We're the perfect people to do it. The true Bible believing Christian is is very easy to take advantage of especially by another brother or sister in Christ and So that's that's the danger here. So that's what I want to talk about Tonight look at first Corinthians chapter 6 and verse number 7 and I'll show you why First Corinthians chapter 6 and verse number 7 Now Paul is talking here about people that are suing each other that Christians that are suing each other taking each other to law But I want to apply it elsewhere as well now therefore there is utterly fault among you because you go to law with one another Why do you why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded turn to Matthew 5? But basically the Bible is teaching here that before you know You get in an argument and go to the law and go to you know, sue your brother or whatever Even even having an argument with your brother it is better to just suffer yourself to be defrauded That's the best I mean as what the Bible teaches me to do when you treat me a certain way I'm to just suffer myself to be defrauded So on the on the end of the person who's being taken advantage of I'm really kind of commanded to suffer myself to be defrauded Okay now in Matthew chapter 5 Look at verse number 41 And we'll start reading at verse number 41. We'll see just more commands on how we're supposed to respond to people as Christians And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile Go with him twain Go with him to give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn not away You have heard that it had been said thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy But I say to you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them Which despitefully? Use you and persecute you So look on the individual basis The church this church is full of people that are willing to help people And you know that can turn into something that people can get taken advantage of Unfortunately, you know I had the worst example I've seen with this personally was at a church that we were at Not in California and It's the most extreme case I've seen yet, and I was literally at this church let me just let me give you an example of this because I've seen it in the church a Guy is we're in a circle of guys in Fellowshipping after church, and he's saying he's like oh, yeah, I have This thing it's it could be cancerous, and I need this ultrasound or whatever it was and and I'm like whoa You know that's bad I'm like are you gonna get that looked at when you gonna get in to look at that and he's like well that the ultrasound Is $400 and I just can't afford that right now, and I'm like brother Go get the test right I pulled him aside after the conversation I was like hey, you know I gave him 400 bucks go get the test done And I mean it might be you know it's your brother for crying out loud right so he goes Week goes by I see him a week later, and I was like hey, did you get the test? Did you get the test he's like oh? No, it was I can't even remember the excuse he gave but it was it was no big deal I didn't really need to get the test all that you know It's just like so that you know the check is cashed, and that's just that was the end of it, and I'm like Okay, you know I'm just gonna suffer myself to be defrauded I mean there was several examples of this not just with us But other people it was his wife. We we don't have any food. You know. I don't know what we're gonna do this week I mean fellowship after church. I don't know what we're gonna do this week We don't have any food for the kids, so I mean people are just going out and getting them food right because What in the world you don't have anything to eat? You know so people are buying them food. You know paying their bills All this kind of stuff. I mean this is the worst I've ever seen it, and I've never seen it in in a in a good church, but Personally we are supposed to suffer ourselves to be defrauded right like this is why I was talking to brother Perry out So winning today. This is why I was such a horrible landlord. You know cuz I'm like I'm good at some things being a landlord is not one of them Because the people would be like well You know my my cousin died or my uncle died or my my parakeet died And that's why I can't pay the rent this week or next week, and I'm like you know I'm 95% sure they're lying to me But there's that 5% where I'm like maybe their uncle did die and killed their parakeet or whatever it was You know so I'm just like I'll just suffer myself to be defrauded for a couple weeks And then you know they wrecked the house and all this kind of stuff right, but look ultimately folks What I'm trying to get here is lines do need to be drawn Lines do need to be drawn. You can't just get defrauded constantly okay, but I'm trying to just get across to you that as a General people in this Bible believing church We are going to be easy to take advantage of by our brothers and sisters especially So if we get somebody in the church that just is constantly taking advantage. You know it could become a problem Because that's the nature of who we are Now the church itself. I'm starting to realize you know why churches need to have policies on things You know a lot of things you don't really realize until you actually get into the ministry This is one of them. You know we're not just going to hand out money to people ever and we will have people ask that and We we will not people come to a church thinking they can just get things From the church, and you know one thing that I've learned Being in this role especially underneath pastor Jimenez is that We are to be very careful with the church's funds There's many times when pastor. I will call pastor I'll say we need this and this is how much it costs and he will say to me several times This has happened. He will say to me. Can you find a cheaper option and So I will continue looking and I will find a cheaper option So we're we need to be careful with the church's funds as leaders and We need to draw lines in these types of areas. You know the the camera wasn't working We figured out we could buy a $10 battery and a $4 cord and keep it going for another year things like that You don't like the red carpet too bad. It's not going anywhere. I actually like it. It's growing on me You know we're not going to be remodeling the building Any time soon because we're just not gonna do things that don't really matter Right now. I mean we're growing a church where the first works isn't you know having an awesome? Sound booth or whatever you know I mean so but the church needs to have policy so the the funds of the church You know that that is God's It is protected okay, and ultimately in our personal lives You know we need to have some lines as well, okay, and I'm going to show you show you why go back to Ezekiel So you say well, you know what I just get taken advantage of all the time. I just I just don't know I Can't you know I don't know what to do Well, let's look go to first Timothy Chapter 5 and keep your finger in Ezekiel, but let's look at first Timothy chapter 5 first First Let's look at what the Bible says about who deserves our help I mean who actually you know does the Bible say deserves help. You know from the church And at first Timothy chapter 5 you know the Bible gets pretty detailed about this Look down at verse number 9 The Bible says in verse number 9 let not a widow be taken in the number under three score years old having been the wife Of one man right there we eliminated like you know 99% of everyone in the United States It's like number one there's no man number two you have to be a widow so there goes most of the women and number three you have to be at least 60 years old and You can't even be you know married more than one time, so if you've had more than one husband I'm sorry You know you say that's pretty strict, but wait. There's more look down at verse number 10 Well reported of for good works, so you say your works don't matter in your life You know it matters for this lady Well reported of for good works if she have brought up children if she have lodged Strangers and if she have washed the Saints feet if she have relieved the afflicted if she have diligently followed every good work You know how have you lived your life? They're looking at these women, and they're like how did they live their life, so they found a 60 year old widow And they're like okay, but has she been married more than once was she serving the Lord like her whole life and If that's the case basically You know then maybe we'll think about it. I mean it's pretty strict rules here as far as who they are to you know support Look at verse number 11 but the younger widows refuse From what they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry that kind of fits into this morning sermon Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith and with all they learn to be idle Wandering about from house to house and not only idle But tattlers also and busybodies speaking things which I ought not I will therefore that the younger women marry bear children guide the house Give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully For some are already turned aside after Satan if any man or woman that believeth have widows Let them relieve them and let not the church be charged that it may relieve them that are widows indeed So basically what he's saying is that you're supposed to take care of your own family So the rest of the widows they're gonna have family that are gonna take care of them This is the basis of first Timothy 5 8 if any provide not for his own. He is worse than an infidel It's in the it's in the context of widows But it applies to your whole family because if you're supposed to take care of a widow that you're related to You're definitely supposed to take care of your own children. I mean you can just infer that all right But look the point I'm trying to make here is this is the kind of personal responsibility Taught in the Bible, and it is a completely foreign concept today That's why biblical servitude that we talked about a few weeks ago or a couple weeks ago. It's just a foreign concept today People can't understand it What I have a debt, and I actually have to pay it off. I Actually have to work to like fix something that I broke Or I stole something and I have to pay it back. It's weird today It's a foreign concept if we suddenly implemented this in the u.s.. Like probably an entire generation of people would die Or they would you know go to work one of the two But I mean I'm trying to get you to understand that as far as people taking advantage of you The Bible draws a pretty seriously strict line on who deserves help Okay, so look back at 1st Timothy 511 if you want to know how to handle people that you don't want to take advantage constantly of you And the word you're looking for here is refuse That's How you do it you say no You can say no to people that are taking advantage You know they will marry in the case of 1st Timothy 511 They will marry in the case of somebody constantly taking advantage in the church They will find a way to get their own money or their own food or their own $400 or whatever it is and They will stop taking advantage you will stop that bad behavior basically Look, this is why welfare is so evil welfare is evil it Destroys people look I didn't grow up around you know big cities, but let me tell you where I did grow up I grew up around Indian reservations and Let me tell you something the worst thing that and I'm not going to get political about it But the worst thing we ever did to the Native Americans was create the reservation system And I that is biblical what I just said because we took Whatever you want to say about you know the settlement of the United States we for the next Hundreds of years we destroyed them as a people by implementing this reservation system because those areas in North Dakota are Our dens of alcoholism and child abuse and The most horrible abuse you could actually think of with women and children the foster care system in North Dakota is just full of Native American kids because And and that's just the ones that they know about I Mean it's it's terrible people don't even go there. It's so bad And it's no different in in inner cities, it's not about the the Native Americans and we're all of one blood We know that it's about the system of just handing people something for nothing it ruins them It destroys them. It's evil So when you sit here And you constantly let people take advantage of you And you constantly are giving and giving and giving to people who need to get for themselves you could actually be hurting them Is what I'm trying to get on a micro level I Mean we see the macro level of the welfare system in the United States That's a macro level of what I'm talking about here. It's the same thing It's the same thing they will marry they will get a job It's no different Now Turn back to 1st Corinthians 511 When you refuse and you start saying no to people who take advantage It's the equivalent of 1st Corinthians 511 It's the equivalent of someone being put out of the church. They're being chastised They're being you know there you're encouraging them to get right You're actually helping them It's the same philosophy as delivering them unto the Satan for the destruction of the flesh as 1st Corinthians 511 says When somebody gets thrown out of church, we never it's not that we never want to see him again We throw them out of church, and we don't fellowship with them, so they'll get right and they'll come back And they won't waste their whole life It's the same thing somebody constantly wants to take advantage take advantage take advantage. No get it right do it yourself Get Right become who you're supposed to be as a Christian these are brothers and sisters Doing this to each other That's why it works so well For people because on the receiving end you have these people who are just suffering themselves to be defrauded And I'll go with you two miles, and I'll give you my coat also. That's what they're doing on that side Okay, but lines need to be drawn. I'm trying to get you to understand even on that side to help your brother What let's have a Verdi Baptist culture moment again, okay this Look one day in a good friend of mine from Sacramento We were we were talking he has his own business, and he told me how much money He needs to make every day in order to keep The machine of his family running If you know what I'm saying that What how much money his labor has to bring in to pay his taxes his business fees his? Materials all these types of things, and I mean I was kind of blown away. I was like You know cuz he's not a rich man and You know, but he's telling me this and He told me that number and look this is why I would never even think about asking him to do anything for me Ever Because look I'm not messing with that I'm not messing with that. I'm not literally taking food off his table I Mean what what kind of man would I be if I would do something like that? That's the kind of keep you know keep a log in your mind About you know where what people I mean if somebody does you a favor pay it back I'm not saying you're never gonna need a favor. That's don't misunderstand what I'm saying You know everybody needs a helping hand every now and then there's nothing wrong with asking a brother or sister a favor But I personally will always err on the side of caution here. I always want to do more for you Then you will do for me, and we should have that culture here We should have that culture look if this guy ever did any any work for me I knew we would be caught in this weird back and forth of like him trying to do stuff for me and then I'd try to it just be this weird battle and I got I didn't want any part of it and neither did hit he I Mean it was it was just a great mutual friendship whenever he did a small thing for me I'd do something for him, and he'd do so I mean that's a great friendship to have I've mentioned this before That's the culture. We want to have here. We always want to do more for each other than we feel people are doing for us That's that would be a great culture of a church, okay, so look I Don't have a huge long sermon tonight Because this is a pretty simple thing right But the bottom line is like if you don't fit the category of someone who deserves help And let me just scan the no one in here does Okay, and people are constantly doing things for you You know you're taking advantage You know you say I don't like hearing this well, you know welcome to church So let's let's think about this let's think about you know This culture that we want to have here, and how we want to be to each other I should always want to do more for you than you do for me and vice versa right I Mean that's a great relationship. That's a great brotherhood that we would have and a great sisterhood that we would have and ultimately Look, I've never seen it. I've never seen someone get you know thrown out of church for something like this But you know what anything's possible If I've learned anything in the last few years is that anything is possible and Let's make sure that we're not you know we understand what honest gain is the Bible's very clear that honest gain is okay it's okay to go out and work hard and get a job and save some money and go buy a car for yourself There's nothing wrong with that You know I mean I'll be the first one to say congratulations You know there's nothing wrong with working hard and growing your business and and moving your family into a nicer neighborhood Nothing wrong with that at all That's you know that's great the Bible says that but don't forget that it's not you that did it It's your you you feared God you did what he told you by working hard, and it's a gift from God I Remember I worked on a farm when I was younger and I remember the guy that I worked for And he was a devout Catholic and I actually you know would go to church with him every now and then To his Catholic mass and You know it was you know I was a kid. You know I was like 12 13 years old Don't don't don't look at me like that, but I go to this Catholic mass And he was like this really devout Catholic He was a hard-working farmer, and I remember he's told me something that stuck with me in my head to this day And you know we came back and we were out on the farm working And we were talking about I was talking about how strange some of the things they did at church were you know the kneeling and the stuff Everywhere is weird you know and and he said to me He's like you know he's like I go to church, and I do what I'm supposed to do He's like, but God doesn't put food on my table That's what he said, and you know that's just one of those things has just stuck with me forever because you know what? You fear God That's the only thing you should fear You work hard you do what you're supposed to do But everything that you are given is a gift from God And if God takes it all away in one day like he took it away from job you say Naked I came in naked I go out Because it's a gift you don't deserve it But the Bible does teach that if you work hard There's nothing wrong with honest gain, but let's be careful about taking advantage of our Christian brothers and sisters because guess what? Most of them will let you take advantage of them So let's just not have that in this church. Let's let's keep a good culture here, okay Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer Dear Heavenly Father we thank you for the Bible. We thank you for Just this wisdom that we can we can pull from Lord We just ask you that you bless this church you grow this church Help us have the the right culture in this church where we're trying to Do for each other Lord, we're trying to do more and more for each other and not the other way around Lord And just keep us aware of that and we love you Lord Please bless the rest of our evening and the fellowship to come in Jesus name we pray. Amen