If we have something and it’s ours we have a right to private property we have a right to own lands and no one should take it from us without our consent the Christian who is abl bodied and can work but refuses to work is stealing we don’t
Like the way they they spend our money can I give you a suggestion stop voting for idiots our elected officials are facilitating lawlessness and they stole all the yogurt off the truck and that night in the neighborhood everybody was sitting on their front porch eating yogurt we’re in Ephesians chapter 4
We’ve been in a series called spiritual improvements God wants to make improvements in our lives because he loves us he’s conforming us into the image of Jesus Christ he saves us the way we are but he loves us too much to leave us that way how many would say
God’s done a great work in your life that you’re so much different than you were when you first came to Jesus amen glory to God this morning Ephesians chapter 4 gives us some places where God wants to come into our lives and make spiritual improvements and we launched
This message during uh new years’s and we kind of you know hitchhiked off of the world’s idea of making resolutions well when we make a resolution in our own strength by our own agenda without the initiation of God those resolutions are almost destined to fail in fact I
Don’t want anybody to raise their hand but if you made a resolution by now it’s February and most of them are dead gym memberships that happened in January never to be seen again in the gym but when we do what God wants us to do and we partner with the Holy Spirit
Who’s working in our lives and we don’t make resolutions based on our own agendas but we do what God asks from us the Holy Spirit Works in us and changes us from the inside out let me read to you Ephesians chapter 4 I want to read 25 through 32 our Target verse this
Morning is verse 28 we’re going to unpack all of that and what that topic holds father we thank you for Ephesians we thank you for Spiritual improvements that you’re making in the lives of your people Holy Spirit we invite you today to change us from the inside out and to
Do a work in us that none of us would leave this place the way we came but we leave Changed by the power of God father as we read the word this morning open it up to us and allow us to understand it and make application of it to our lives
We ask that in Jesus name and the church said Ephesians 4:25 therefore ridding yourself and we said that’s what the spiritual improvements take the ridding ourselves of certain things the first topic ridding yourselves of falsehoods speak truth each one of you with his neighbor because we are part of one another be
Angry and yet do not sin do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity the one who steals verse vers 28 must no longer steal but rather he must labor producing with his own hands what is good so that
He will have something to share with the one who has need verse 29 let no unh wholesome word come out of your mouth but if there is any good word of for edification according to the need of the moment say that so that you will give
Grace to those who hear do not grieve the holy spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of Redemption all bitterness wrath anger clamor slander must be removed from you along with all malice be kind to one another compassionate forgiving each other just
As God in Christ also has forgiven you this text here though short is packed full of spiritual improvements that God wants to work in his people our Target verse 28 today deals with steal healing and we’re going to look at that in detail but let’s remember where we’ve
Come from we started off with lying and lying is something that God’s people need to get out of their lives if we’ve ever been lied to we know what a rotten feeling that is but if we’ve ever been the person who has given over to lying
Then we know how Soul destroying that is so lying is something that’s got to go then we looked at anger and we’re allowed to be angry was that good news for some people there are some super spiritual Christians who would say a Christian should never be angry and
That’s completely wrong why because even Jesus himself when he walked the Earth showed anger at the beginning and the end of his ministry he made a whip of cords and he flipped over the money changers tables and he drove them out of the house of God he said Zeal for my
Father’s house has consumed me so anger is a legitimate human emotion but we need to learn to express it in a Godly way in a way that’s consistent with godliness most of the time we express anger it’s in the flesh and that just defiles us even more but righteous
Indignation is when we learn to be angry about the things that make God angry moving to verse 28 today as we look at stealing now it should this should be an easy topic for us here I’m hoping that you know that we can find a a fast place
Of agreement it should be easy for us as Christians to just come together and say that you know what stealing has no legitimate place in our society or in the life of a Christian you know that should be like you can’t get a room full of people to
Agree on anything but this one should be easy enough even if you know you you think well I like to steal some things you know my neighbor’s got a nice looking tractor and that weed whacker that he doesn’t use you know you you know that stealing is wrong because if
You’ve ever been stolen from you know what a rotten feeling it is I shared with first service when I was was a young man I remember going to school I went to uh Our Lady of Lords in the heart of pipy on Hamilton Avenue and I
Had my sneakers stolen from me like uh anybody remember back in the day when you got one pair of sneakers for the year come on some of you young people I have 38 pairs of Jordans I don’t know what you’re talking about no we got one
Pair of sneakers for the year and we went and bought them right they stole my sneakers I barely got to wear them I’m like what am I going to do go to gym and loafers I can’t do it I remember also back in the day some of
You who were you know born in the Stone Age when dinosaurs roam the Earth remember that we had something called a Walkman you remember that and you used to put these primitive things called cassettes and you loaded in there like you were loading an AK-47 and you
Sticking in smack it Clos it was like a brick and you strap it to you you put your headphones on and somebody stole my Walkman Tony it was a Sony it was beautiful nice brick shaped wonderful but they stole it and the worst part was I knew who stole it I
Knew who it was and they looking at me never saw it again so remember how rotten it felt to be stolen from so even if we have you know some sort of moral confusion about well you know some people just don’t have and they got it you know we understand stealing is just
Fundamentally wrong because we understand how rotten it feels to be stolen from so we should be able to agree that stealing has no legitimate place in society or in the life of a Believer yet in the craziness of the progressive Godless culture we live in there are some people that with a
Straight face today will argue with you that stealing is fine as long as you steal from people who have more than you because it’s unfair do you know there are cities all around the country now that have thresholds on stealing that if you steal something and it’s less Le than $1,000
They don’t even prosecute you we have legitimized theft in our society and now our society is crumbling because we’ve Fallen back from the moral standards that God’s given us and we’ve made our own standard and now we see in the urban areas in the inner cities you can look
At Walgreens and CVS’s they showed on the news where the shelves are empty they’re wiped clean what happened they’ve been sto and now those businesses are moving out of the cities and the poor people that are stuck there can’t get medicine they can’t get food they can’t get all the necessities of life
Wow stealing is wrong God tells us it’s wrong it’s absolutely a a deal breaker for the Christian it’s 100% sinful and it’s indefensible before God we can’t go before God and say that you know well I still I stole because X Y and Z and be justified No Stealing is always wrong in
The sight of God and categorically we are prohibited from stealing Exodus 2015 the Commandment of God the eighth commandment that was given to us is Crystal Clear I love it it’s so succinct it’s so clear that you can’t argue with it it says Thou shalt not steal anybody need help with that need
To come around you know like when you were in school and and the teacher would say something anybody need help and the teacher would come to your desk and help you and Rick that means you don’t take what’s not yours you you understand yeah understand it’s easy it’s simple it’s
You know you don’t need to do a Hebrew word study on it you don’t need a Bible scholar to interpret it it says Thou shalt not steal yeah when you look at the Hebrew word for steal it’s interesting that word translated steel there from the Hebrew is the word ganab
And it means to take something that belongs to another person without purchase or consent could it be simple simp it’s not yours they didn’t say you could take it you didn’t pay for it it’s not yours so you can’t take it from them without their consent it’s stealing all of us
Can understand what stealing is and its Simplicity and God has made it very clear that it’s wrong now Israel as a nation had explicit instructions on how to deal with theft and how to deal with a thief the the scriptures in the Old Testament were very clear giving kind of
Case detail and and how you know if you got caught stealing what you had to do and if someone broke into your house and they were stealing what you were allowed to do and you know all these things were listed for Israel in Exodus 22 7-12 we
Have some of these you know sundry laws some of these examples of how to handle theft and how to deal with a thief and I want to read you a portion of scripture from Exodus 22 and then I want to point out two common threads that run through
It as principles for us to understand so so Exodus 22:7 says this excuse me if someone gives his neighbor money or Goods to keep him uh to keep for him and it is stolen from the neighbor’s house if the thief is caught then the thief must pay double say double double if the
Thief is not caught then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges to determine whether he laid hands on his neighbor’s property for every breach of trust whether it is for ox for donkey for sheep or clothing or any lost thing about which one says this is it the case
Of both parties shall come before the judges and he whom the judges condemn shall pay double for his neighbor if someone gives his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or a lawn mower or a weed whacker says it in there your Bible doesn’t say
That or any animal to keep for him and it dies or is injured or is driven away while no one is looking an oath before the Lord shall be taken taken by the two of them that he has not laid hands on his neighbor’s property I didn’t steal
It and the owner shall accept it and he shall not be compelled to make restitution say restitution res but if it is actually stolen from him he will make restitution to the owner so there’s more and more uh what scripture says there’s a few common threads in here I
Want to point out uh the the nation was instructed how to handle with theft and how to make you know things right when these things were wrong notice all of this stuff got dragged before the judges because when you’re in a situation where there’s been theft you
Need a third party to broker a peaceful solution the first thing I want to reveal to you about uh these sunry laws that are in the Old Testament is this at its core theft is wrong because people have a right to private property this is important in our
Twisted world because there are those who say well you shouldn’t own anything or you shouldn’t have land or you shouldn’t have more you know people like to say how much money you can make for the work that you do and if you have more than that that’s not fair so we
Should be able to take it we should be able to tax it we should divide it up amongst ourselves that’s what our world does but God’s word doesn’t doesn’t dictate that no if we have something and it’s ours we have a right to private property we have
A right to own land we have a right to have things ours and no one should take it from us without our consent yeah and this is an important principle for us to understand because the lines get blurred in our society because we’ve drifted so
Far away from the truth of what God has taught us uh God has given us principles to have peace in society he’s given us principles to apply to so that we have you know we can live in Civilization without theft and murder and stealing yet we’ve drifted away from these things
And private ownership of property is a Biblical principle that we have to acknowledge a person or a group or a nation that takes something that is not theirs is a thief in fact almost all the violent conflicts that happen between mankind are ignited when someone decides they
Want to take something from someone that is not theirs you can trace it all back to this now look at the current hot spots in the world where there’s war war and there’s you know Nation against Nation the war in Ukraine what is that all about at the
Heart of it Russia is attempting to take from Ukraine its warm water Port its agricultural Bread Basket its Sovereign territory and its ability to self-govern do you realize Russia has no warm water ports they want that one in Ukraine do you realize that the Bread Basket in
Ukraine where they grow wheat can feed all of Europe y y and the Russians want it they want their territory they want to take their right away to self-govern themselves they want to take their freedom so what are they doing they want to steal those things from Ukraine so
They declare war and now two nations are killing each other and what’s at the heart of it theft let’s look at another hot spot in the world we look at Israel Iran backs all the proxies Hamas decides they want to take Israel’s sovereignty away they want to take Israel’s land away what do
You think that little chant they do in our demonic college campuses where they say from the river to the sea that means we want to push every Jew into the water to annihilate them to take their land and exterminate them from the Middle East why because they want their land I
Can show you in scripture where God Almighty said that this land will be Israel’s as an inheritance to the end of days I can show you in scripture where every tribe is given a portion of the Middle East and we have these empty-headed go less people in the UN
And in the Nations that say Israel needs to give up this and Israel needs to give up that I want to tell you something here today Israel will never leave an inch of that land because God promised it to them and the whole world can rage
Against it but it comes down to theft they want to steal from the people of God what God gave them as an inheritance we see the conflict there is horrific when someone decides to take something that’s not theirs when someone decides to to steal something that
Doesn’t belong to them it is theft and it starts conflict and we have the right to private property ownership given to us by almighty God now should we be generous should we share yes but nobody should demand that we share and take away from us and say we’re going to share it for
You that’s where man comes in and plays God and that’s wrong number two God requires a thief to be punished for stealing this is a concept that we’ve lost we’re going to talk about that God requires a thief to be punished for stealing and he requires that
Retribution be made did you hear what I read the text there in the Old Testament talks about making restitution paying back double pay there there are some crimes that you know God lays it out you got to pay back three times four times you you you steal this from them you got
To give four back it a deterrent see punishment is a deterrent from crime maybe this is a strange concept today we’ve become so amoral that I feel like you know I feel like uh I’m trying to you know give pork chops to Jewish people when I’m speaking to this
Generation they just they’re like I don’t want any of that no we’ve got our own moral code we’ve got our own conduct we’ve got our own ideas and you’ve got to understand here today that God’s system was given to man so that we could have CI civility in
Society so we could have order in society when we look at around at our society today is there civility no is there order no when migrants come across our border and beat two New York City police officers almost to death on the ground and then they’re given no bail
And they skip town is that order is that society that we want to live in some of you ain’t saying nothing you’re going to make me mad I’m coming down there look if we don’t as the church get this and stand up for righteousness we are done as a
Civilization if you can’t even get Amen in church when the pastor’s preaching when we’re surrounded by people that are with us how are we going to stand up to the to the culture and say no as for me in my house we’re going to serve the
Lord we’re not doing it this way we’re not rewriting the mor moral code we’re not stepping away from the ethics that no we’re going to stand for righteousness but God demands punishment why to as a deterrent he demands restitution our elected officials are facilitating lawlessness what is lawlessness it’s sin there are cities
That you can steal up to $1,000 and if it’s under a th000 they won’t even arrest you or prosecute you right and so people are walking into stores and they’re filling their bags and as long as they keep it under a grand the shopping is done it’s insane look how far we falling
So fast our elected officials are legislating lawlessness and justifying stealing and it’s it’s something that is making the fabric of our society come apart at the seams and in its Essence it mocks God why because God said Thou shalt not not steal in essence it’s mocking the societal order that God laid
Out for us and saying we know better than God we’re going to do it a different way God will not be mocked forever God will not be mocked forever I feel a tide changing in our culture I feel the people yearning for righteousness once again I feel that
Judgment is coming in a way that people will come back to acknowledging there is right there is a wrong and that God’s way work the best to the Christian who steals we if I’m a Christian and I steal and really I’m making two subtle accusations at God that need to be
Addressed the first thing if I say well you know what I got to steal because I I want to provide my needs and God didn’t provide them then I’m saying that God is Unfaithful and God is a liar why because as a Christian God is my provider
God provides my needs how many out there will say God has always provided for you and always provided your needs amen now there’s a difference between needs and wants sometimes God doesn’t provide all our wants you know you know I need a car God there four tires and a steering wheel
Okay that’s a car you know some of the stuff oh I want this and I want that well if you want it work for it amen if you want it work for it there’s no there’s no law against that in fact we’re going to see that God honors
Productivity and when we use the talents and the skills that he’s given us to work and we produce you know uh we produce finances for ourselves and abundance we can have nice things and we have a right to personal property I all you Communists in here are very
Uncomfortable here this morning all you socialists are going just make me know you say well you’re making me mad just know that that makes me feel like a winner this morning I’m having a good time anyway so when I steal as a Christian I’m saying God is Unfaithful and God is
A liar why because in the Old Testament and the New Testament God has always said he’s our provider look at what the Old Testament says Abraham called god Jehovah Gyra Jehovah Gyra means the many breasted one God our provider amen you get that picture of when he says the
Many breasted one you think of you know a a dog with puppies and you see all the puppies have a place to eat and get filled and get nourished you know I don’t want to get too graphic but you get the idea God’s already ready supply
Amen to a baby being breastfed at its mother’s breast is one of the most beautiful pictures of safety and sustenance amen Jehovah Gyra our provider he provides for us he’s got everything in that mother’s milk is everything that baby needs that’s the god that we serve Jehovah
Our provider Abraham Abraham was in a situation where he had to sacrifice Isaac and God showed his faithful provision in Abraham’s life and we catch up with that in Genesis 22:13 and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold him a ram caught in a Thicket
By the horns and Abraham went and took the RAM and offered him up as a burnt offering in the stead of his son and Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Gyra as it is said to this day in the mou of the Lord it shall be so
Abraham was offering Isaac he lifted up the knife the angel grabbed his hand he said no don’t do it and God provided a ram caught in the thicket look I’ve been in the the woods I’ve been in a lot of places I’ve never seen anything caught
In the thicket where you could just walk I’m waiting for a 10-pointer to be caught in the thicket so you know it don’t happen so this is a miracle all the hunters are going yeah I want the God provided there and Abra Abraham called him Jehovah Gyra and all
Throughout the Old Testament we see that God provided for his people sent Mana from heaven when they were in the wilderness come on that’s the God we serve if he’s got to rain it out of the sky for us he will if he’s got to send Ravens to bring bread to the prophet
While he was at the brook cherith come on that’s the God we serve he’s our provider so if I steal to meet my own needs I’m saying God’s a liar he didn’t provide he doesn’t meet my needs in the New Testament God is pictured as a god of abundance who meets
The needs of his people listen to Philippians 4:19 but my God shall supply all of your needs according to his riches and Glory by Christ Jesus Paul speaking to the Philippians saying God provides for me God will provide for you my God will supply all your needs wow
That’s the God we serve you and I don’t have to steal to to have our needs met you and I don’t have to sin to have our needs met God is our supply he is still Jehovah Gyra he still meets all our needs according to his riches and Glory
Listen there’s no shortage in heaven amen the shelves might be empty and you know the CVS might be wiped out and the stores might be looted but in heaven there’s no there’s no short supply he’s got what you need today now people in life often steal and feel
Like they’ve gotten away with it cuz they didn’t get caught Pastor Mike and I were talking about this you know as stealing as a matter of culture you know and like some of a you you grew up in Brooklyn I’m from the Bronx you know Italians with
The mafia organized crime I don’t want to say too much I’m still under surveillance but you know some cultures just steal I’m going to tell one of your stories once Pastor Mike was telling me there was a yo play truck that came through his neighborhood and it broke
Down and they stole all the yogurt off the truck and that night in the neighborhood everybody was sitting on their front porch eating yogurt I couldn’t believe it I was like a whole a whole block of Thieves a whole neighborhood and it was they were laughing it was funny right we’re we’re
Crazy I want to show you how that’s insane well they think nobody caught us you know that it’ll it’ll get paid for you know they got insurance nobody gets away with stealing well I didn’t get caught so I did get away with it no I want to show you how
No one gets away with stealing and here’s why Zechariah 5:3 tells us that there is a Divine judgment that comes over the life of the one who steals in the form of a curse from God and that curse Falls on everyone who steals whether they’re caught or not oh I got
Away with it they didn’t arrest me I got a whole bunch of stuff yeah and I got you know you didn’t get away with anything and here’s why because Zechariah 5:3 says this this is the curse That Goes Forth over the face of the whole earth for everyone say
Everyone everyone everyone that steals shall be cut off it doesn’t say if you get caught it doesn’t say if you get arrested it doesn’t say if the jury comes back with a guilty verdict it says if you steal you’re under a curse and you’ll be cut off you say well cut off
From what Pastor Rick cut off from the goodness of God cut off from the supply of Heaven cut off from God’s favor from the provision of almighty God when people steal they ensure themselves a life of hardship poverty and lack why do we all know people who steal constantly
And still never have enough because they put a lid over their life and God will not be mocked the person who steals will be cursed and cut off so nobody gets away with nothing a thief literally Cuts them off from the supply of God I don’t know
About you I need God’s favor I need God’s grace I need God’s provision amen I don’t want to try and get it for myself take it for myself steal it to meet my needs I want God’s favor in my life I’m willing to do with a little bit less and
Have the favor of God than to take from somebody that you know I just take somebody else’s and see if I can get ahead in life it’s a lie from the devil you’ll never get ahead you bring a curse on your life and I notice it gets
Quieter and quieter as I preach this sermon and I just want to encourage you it’s going to get worse so if you’re thinking wow stealing’s bad you know I’m glad oh you know I would never do that I never you know some people say I never stole a
Thing you know and some of us stole stuff when we were little anybody steal something when you’re little one time I was I was in the city and I think I was on my grandfather’s shoulders and he brought me into one of those five and dime stores you know you remember those
Things and I was little I was on the shoulders and I saw a pack of batteries that I needed for my toy dog at home you know I had one of those dogs that I was like oh yeah those are the batteries I need so as my poppies pulling me in the
Store I just grabbed him and took him he does his thing you know probably buying cigarettes and walked outside and I and all of a sudden he looks up and he goes where didd you get those like oh on the Shelf I took them I need them for my
Dog so you know he takes me in the store and he’s winking at the store owner and they’re mumbling a little bit and the next thing I know I’m getting chewed out I’m getting threatened with incarceration I’m having my my life threatening the storees own you stole
That I’m going to call the police and I’m like ah I didn’t get it but man I made an impression on me I mean I’m still talking about it today I haven’t got over it so you know some of us you know well I stole when I was little or I didn’t
Understand but you know most Christians would go I would never steal a thing and you know the truth is most of us won’t go into the Super Walmart and get a pack of t-bones and stuff them down our sweatpants and then can I walk out the
Door no we’re not going to do that right but let me tell you something Christians whether they know it or not sometimes we steal in the sight of God and we don’t even know that we do so I told you it’s going to get worse and here it is six
Way that Christians steal now this is a list of six things and I found out by Midway I had no friends left and no one was coming back next week so let’s see how second service does the Christian who is purposely unproductive at work is stealing when you go to work and you
Don’t do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay when you come in late and have somebody else punch you in when you leave early have somebody punch you out when you extend your break you’re taking an hour break you’re taking a 2hour lunch when you spend most of your
Day chitchatting and talking and messing around and not doing work you are stealing from your employer and whether you like it or not God looks at it as theft and it will put a lid over your life why do I never get a break why do I never get a bonus why
Do I never get a promotion are we being productive at work or we been purposely unproductive all right so I got a few friends left number two the Christian and I don’t like this one any more than anybody but I got to tell the truth I’m preaching okay the Christian who cheats
On their taxes is stealing now you say Pastor I don’t agree with they spend the tax money I don’t agree either it’s disgusting if you if you see how our money is spent you can get on websites you can look my wife has done it before we were so they
Spent money on you know a study on massaging mice or something or you know crazy stuff crazy stuff I mean it’s nuts a hammer $25,000 for a toilet seat look at the anybody know what I’m talking about so I get it we don’t like the way they they spend our
Money can I give you a suggestion stop voting for idiots okay there it is these people that do this they get elected over and over again what’s wrong with us as Americans if we ran our house the way they run their house we’d all be broke and in
Jail so the Bible says though that the governments have the right to tax Jesus said who’s inscription is on this coin give me a coin give me a coin oh is that Caesar give unto Caesar what’s Caesar’s but give unto God what’s God’s so the government has a right to tax we might
Not like it you know we need to be active we need to vote for the right people we need to stand up against you know the I mean the just the the corruption is unbelievable I I don’t even know if God can fix it at this
Point he might just take us out of here but we need to at least stand for righteousness but we can’t cheat on our taxes and say you know what I’m not paying that I’m doing it under the table I’m taking it on the lowdown no no that’s theft okay number three the Christian
Who refuses to support the kingdom of God financially is stealing Malachi 38 through 9 would anyone Rob God the prophet talking to the people of God God saying would anybody Rob God yet you have robbed me this is God speaking to the nation of Israel but you say how have we robbed
You in tithes and in offerings you are cursed with a curse isn’t it beautiful when God just gets all snuggly with his people it’s nice you robbed me in ties and offerings you are cursed with with a cursed for you are robbing me the entire nation of you
Wow the Christian who refuses to support the kingdom of God financially with their giving is stealing from God and if you don’t believe me God says it right here in his word if he spoke to his people in the Old Testament that he’ll speak to his people in the New Testament
Like that you and I have a duty to give and support the things of the Kingdom now we’re not taking an offering we already did that today so you know you can’t say well he’s just trying to get in my pocket I don’t care about your
Pocket what I care about is that you are doing the right things before God so you can be blessed so that you can have abundance so you can have your needs met amen but if you rob God you know you know the scripture talks about you know people who rob God and then
They put money with a person a hole in it and it’s like they never have enough I remember there was a pastor an old school pastor Gucci that when people came in for counseling I would never do this but he used to look at their tithing record and if they didn’t give
He’d be like I ain’t helping you I can’t help a thief that’s hardcore I don’t know I don’t I wouldn’t put up with that either but you know I mean that that’s like over the top but but but think about that how can you help someone well I’m I’m a mess and I’m
My finances well you got to stop stealing you got to stop robbing God now whatever God tells you to give whatever you God puts on your heart you do it out of a free will you don’t do it out of coercion but we’ve got to support the
Things of the kingdom and if we don’t if we don’t give it all then you know God says it’s stealing from him number four the Christian who uses all their talent and time and energy to make money for themselves but refuses to use those same gifts in the kingdom is
Stealing God didn’t give you those gifts just to fatten your wallet and your bank account account that’s right all of us have gifts that we could use we could Market them we could bring them out in the world and make money with I refuse to take my instruments out in the world
And play secular music or to entertain crazy people and bar I won’t do it why because I’m not going to prostitute my gift but I am going to use it in the house of God understand we have gifts and they’re not just to make us rich that’s right
When it’s time to do an out reach when it’s time to do the Easter production when it’s time to do a Christmas play how many of us got gifts that no no no I don’t I’m not doing that I’m not spending my time and my energy we’re
Robbing the kingdom of God by this time I have no friends left but I’m going to finish the list the CR oh this is going to get even better let me take a drink you might want to take a drink the Christian who is able bodied
And can work but refuses to work is stealing well you know I my neck hurts or my back hurts or you know I’m on disabil listen if you’re genuinely hurt if you genuinely can’t work we have mechanisms in society the Old Testament even had provision for those but listen
I’m talking about able-bodied people who can work and don’t work and they collect a check and they get free rent and they make babies out of wedlock and the government gives them money for that hello this morning that is ungodly and it is theft that money doesn’t grow on a money tree in
Washington that came out of somebody else’s paycheck that can’t afford groceries that can’t afford to send their kids to school that can’t afford to pay their rent because you refuse to do your part that’s theft number six if anyone survived to six God bless you the Christ Christian
Who doesn’t give the time they owe to their spouse their children and their family is stealing when I got married I owe my spouse my time and my attention I owe her my provision and she as a wife owes me her time and attention to meet my needs a
Husband that gets married and then acts like he’s a you know some sort of frat boy or some sort of you know he’s still a baby and all want to do is run around with your friends and play video games and you ignore your wife’s need you are stealing from your
Wife now in case the ladies got all excited I’m coming for you now you ladies that married a man and all you wanted was a butler somebody to provide your needs somebody to you know do the heavy lifting for you but you have no intentions of meeting his
Needs you are stealing from your husband We Are One flesh you all the babies are starting to cry they know it’s about to it’s about to get real in here we are one flesh we have a debt to each other when we have children and we
Ignore them and we act like we don’t have children and we run around like we’re teenagers and and our kids are left to be raised by you know their their their computer devices or their phones or the TV we are stealing time from our children there are there are people in First
Service as I’m preaching this they’re going I’m never getting married I’m never having kids okay that’s that’s a choice stay selfish that’s fine that’ll work out good but understand something once you do you have a debt to pay and you owe them time and if you don’t give it to
Them and you don’t meet their needs and you don’t listen you know husbands we need to listen to our wives as they talk and talk and talk and talk [Applause] oh take a breath try to look like [Laughter] you my wife listens to me and I know
Like have you ever been talking like I’m boring right now I can’t believe she’s listening she’s listening to me like I wouldn’t listen to me we why because we owe each other that to meet each other’s needs so if you survive through all six of those the good news is I’m
Done but the bad news is the list is goes on and on in ways that we can steal and so we have to bring ourselves before the Lord and we have to choose uh to not allow theft to be any part of what we do but that we give to everyone
To God and to those who are important in our lives we pay the debt that we owe and we don’t steal from one another our text concludes here uh with two things that God says to the one who steals first here’s God’s counsel to the one who steals the one who steals must
No longer [Applause] steal wow that was profound you know sometimes God just has to say it’s so plain if you’re stealing stop if you’re taking things that don’t belong to you if you if you’re doing any on the one out of the six list stop stop being unproductive at work stop being
Selfish with your spouse with your time stop stealing on your taxes stop it well is there a plan B no it’s real simple if we’re stealing we’ve got to stop if we won’t stop we’ll have a lid over our lives and we’ll be cursed with a curse and cut off from the
Goodness of God and let me tell you whatever we think we’re gaining by taking something that’s not ours it is not anything that can be compared to the favor of God in our lives number two the second thing that God says is that we got to stop stealing immediately but we
Also have to choose to be productive look what it says but rather he must labor producing with his own hands what is good did you hear that I said the L word in church labor that means all of us have to be productive you know so many of us are
Such hard workers and people working two and three jobs and people involved in Ministry and it’s like look I know I’m preaching to the choir cuz most of you are very productive but God wants us to be productive because he’s asked us to take the gifts that he’s given us and to put
Them to work and they will uh produce abundance in our lives choose to be productive productivity is a choice buckle down at everything you do do your very very best on your job be the best employee the best worker be the one that can be promoted listen when we have the right
Heart it’s amazing the doors that God will open up for us if we’ll just choose to be productive we live in a lazy world it’s amazing it seems like most of the workforce is looking for a way out oh I hope I hope something falls on
Me today so I can you know I’m serious I work construction there were guys you know oh I hope that I hope that crane hits me today because you know they’re just looking for a way out that’s not what God saved us for gifted us for it’s a beautiful thing to be
Productive to produce something with your own efforts in hands amen an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage well that that make our culture just really we’ve we’ve drifted so far away from the truth so finally in verse 20 28 a closed down as God reveals an interesting fact
About those who steal he says what if you steal you got to stop stealing but he must labor producing with his own hands what is good why so that he will have something to share with the one who has need did you hear that God wants us
To have abundance not so we can fatten ourselves up but so that we have something to give to those who are hurting now let me tell you something about that a thief never thinks about anyone but themselves a thief is not thinking well hey there ain’t no Robin
Hoods out there that was a fictional story The Thief takes it to fatten themselves well let me take this and give it to the poor PE no the thief is always thinking about themselves and here’s why a thief will always think about themselves because the person who steals is cursed and they’re always
Going to have lack and when you steal to meet your need and all you reap is lack you get further and further into debt and poverty and you can only think about your own needs you’re never going to have enough to bless somebody else if you’re
Stealing God’s word teaches us to be the exact opposite of a thief to be a person who doesn’t just take but a person who gives God wants us to have an abundance so that we can have enough to share with those who are hurting there are broken people out there lost people hurting
People people who need acts of kind done to them by the people of God that’s why you and I have abundance that’s why we have more than we need how let’s just be honest in church today how many of us out there have more than we need let me raise my hand we’re
Blessed and even if we don’t think we are you know just the fact that we’re clothed and in our right mind and look doesn’t look like anybody missing too many meals out there you look around the world even our poor in the west are rich compared to the the rest of the
World they don’t even have electricity clean drinking water food so we have an abundance why so we can share you and God wants us to be the answer to somebody’s need the answer to somebody’s prayer and that doesn’t happen when we steal it only happens when we’re productive on purpose and we
Have an abundance so that we can share with others God blesses the honest productive person who refuses to steal who enjoys the provision of God and doesn’t provide for themselves through sin He blesses the honest productive person with more than enough so they have something to give to others let’s bow our heads
Today Father I thank you for these self-improvements and though some of these sting a little bit because our our culture has been so crazy and drifted away from your truths that some of this seems foreign to us some of us is It’s A Hard Sell that we would think well I
Can’t take this and I can’t take that and I got to pay every dime of taxes and you know blah blah blah blah and it’s just like I can’t make it but you’re our provider you’re our provision help us to have enough Faith to trust you to be Jehovah
Gyra help us to realize you supply all of our needs according to your riches and Glory if you’re out there today in any of these areas you’re struggling with maybe you just can’t be productive at work maybe you know you’ve been just not doing your best or you
Know you can’t be honest when it’s tax time whatever struggle that we have let’s just take a moment in God’s presence and let’s just repent today so that the lid can come off of our lives and God can give us an abundance instead of lack let’s just take a moment in his presence
Father in anywhere we need to make some changes in anywhere the holy spirit’s convicted us maybe we’re just not given our spouse the time and detention that they need maybe we just haven’t spent the time with our children that we should maybe we just can’t be productive at work cuz
We’re so beat up and bored with our jobs that it’s so difficult God change our hearts take the lid off of Our Lives let us have abundance and when you bring abundance to us let us be generous in sharing with the lost and the hurting
And the broken let’s not see how much we can collect for ourselves but how much we can sew into the kingdom and into the lives of people who are hurting I pray it in Jesus name amen
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