Proverbs 6 - Promises, Laziness and Lying

Lord, we want to give you this service tonight. Lord, as always, we pray that your spirit would descend upon this place, Lord. Lord, I pray for clarity.

Lord, I pray for precision. Lord, give my words weight because they are grounded in Scripture. Lord, I pray that tonight people will be set free.

Lord, they will be delivered, that they would leave here worshipping you. Lord, that that hard heart of pride and arrogance would be broken at the foot of the cross, and they would leave here soft and humbled by the awe of your love and your majesty. Lord, I also take the time to pray for our nation in these critical times, Lord.

Would you break the pride of our arrogant nation? Lord, bring us to our knees. Bring another revival, another awakening, Lord, that we would just seek hard after you. Lord, we can only build the altar to you that must bring the fire.

Lord, I pray that you bring the fire of your conviction, the fire of the Holy Spirit into our community, Lord, into our church. We don't want these prayers to just fall on deaf ears, Lord. We want you to move.

Lord, wilt thou not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you? I ask this in Jesus' name, amen. You know, it's funny, this isn't part of my sermon, but as we were singing that song, Oh, How He Loves Us, it just really struck me that we have to remember that, because in Bible-believing, truth-preaching churches like this, we can get sometimes caught up on repentance and judgment and holiness and forget the love of God. It's because of the love of God I stand up here today.

It's because of the love of God that Christ hung on that cross. It's because of the love of God that He desires that none should perish, but all come to the knowledge of Him. So we must equally balance truth and love.

And I remember a few years ago, I had a guy tell me, he doesn't like to sing that song, it's not very manly, it seems a little wimpy. I said, man, you don't know about the cross. You don't know the true price that was paid for you, that God had to send His Son to die, to take on the sins of humanity.

And that should put us at this altar weeping. See, we don't know worship like the early church. They didn't have clocks and schedules like we do.

They would sit here and worship for hours because it takes a while for the heart to even break. We start to worship, press in and then lights on, chains up here. We really don't know what worship is.

That's why I encourage you guys to do this at home. Put on worship, turn off your phone. Don't look at the clock and just worship.

It takes sometimes 20, 30, 40 minutes before the heart finally breaks and cries out. You don't realize, but hours have gone by. And I say, Shane, that sounds boring.

It's not boring because you're sitting at the foot of your Savior and He's mending your heart. He's rebuilding your life. He's restoring.

He's breaking. He's molding. He's shaping.

And you come out of there rejoicing because now you're filled with the Spirit of God. And that's one of my hopes for this church. That's why we start worship early.

We start at 515 to get in and pre-worship because you can just feel the presence of God. I want people to walk in and not feel programs and polished sermons and all these things, but feel the presence of God. So when they walk in, they can say, God is truly among you.

That's why we do it. And then on that note, I've got to start in Proverbs 6, even though there's a whole sermon right there that I could have went, took a rabbit trail on. But we are in Proverbs 6. And before I get into that, and I think this is a very important message tonight for many in this room, I want to turn your attentions briefly to the bulletins.

I'm not going to be able to go through it because there are so many different things in here. But before you throw this in the trash, read through it. There's a lot of things changing.

There's meetings after the service for those interested in the women's Christmas dinner. The thing we're doing with Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child is ending on the 10th of November. We're redoing the men's walk.

The women's ministry and the men's ministry. We've got a big prayer and worship service Monday night before the election that we're hosting here. We're just a host church.

And so far, I think we're going to be full based on the feedback that we're getting. That's coming up. You see that we have the first annual meeting for West Side Christian Fellowship on November 19th.

I'm going to paint the vision for the direction of the church, where I see it going. Our main focus, though, is worship, the word and prayer. And I've been kind of missing on that last cylinder of prayer.

And I'm going to discuss how I think we can work that in in the months to come. So look at your bulletin. Next thing I want to challenge you is it's very easy.

Give it to somebody this week. Christians are accused of not caring for the planet, recycling. Well, we just don't worship Mother Earth.

We worship Father God. So we do care about that. And just pass this on.

It's a great way to invite somebody to church as well instead of ending up in the trash. So with that said, now we can start Proverbs 6. Interesting title there. Promises, laziness, and lying.

And it all fits together. Trust me, I'm going somewhere. But before I get to Proverbs 6, verse 1, I'm actually going to read this.

If you see your notes, I'm going to read it from the end of chapter 6 first. And we're going to be talking on this issue briefly of what the Bible says in Proverbs. Beware of adultery.

And some of you, like me, might be saying, what is this guy's problem? Every single week we're talking about adultery, chapter 2, chapter 4, chapter 6. Yeah, we got it. We got it, Shane. Very clear.

What's this guy's problem? Well, let me tell you what his problem is. Number one, he didn't just sit down and write this over the course of a few days or a few weeks. Probably years of writing Proverbs.

Solomon, to his son, wrote most of the Proverbs. And he'd sit down. He'd write.

And he'd see the destruction in life and the wisdom that God gave him. He would write. And then through the course of probably many years, he would write these things.

He'd go back to this issue. Son, this is so dangerous. Watch out for these things.

Watch out for these things. So that's why it's repetitive. And one of the challenges is, I've told you, that for me to do expository preaching through Proverbs is challenging because it's not a book to be read systematically.

It's a book that you usually take topics from and then pull in different scriptures. Because this guy switches. He'll talk about a fool and then wisdom and then adultery and watch out for this and a lying tongue.

It's just everywhere. But I wanted to set out for you what I do at home. I wanted to try to model that here as I do go through it and say, OK, Lord, what are you speaking to us? It's OK to go through the Bible.

It took about one minute and 45 seconds to read Chapter 6. Two minutes. And then you sit and you meditate on it. So that's what we're doing here.

We're going through each chapter methodically. In some chapters, for example, Chapter 7, we've already spoke a lot about that. If you weren't here last week, get the message entitled.

I think it's overcoming sexual morality or something along those lines. We had a guest speaker and I kind of opened up. He brought in the middle, the meat, and then I ended the service.

Go back and watch that. The feedback's been really encouraging. A lot of people are seeing some light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to this issue of sexual immorality.

But before I read, let me talk about that. We talked last week about from 1 Corinthians 6.18. I want everybody to listen up for a minute. Why is this so distinctly different? Sexual immorality, Paul says, flee it.

All other sins that a man commits are outside his body. But he who sins sexually sins against his entire body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? And we would see throughout the Old Testament when the people brought profane things in the temple of God, it upset him.

He says, my anger is a rose against my people until there's no remedy. So we have to handle this topic very carefully. It's not a no big deal.

It's a very big deal. Do not be deceived. Neither adulterers nor fornicators nor homosexuals will enter the kingdom of God.

Along with other things there. But that's pretty powerful. And we read in 2 Samuel or 1 Samuel.

Actually, if a man sins against another man, God will meditate or I'm sorry, mediate for him. But if he sins against God, who is going to intercede? And what happens with sexual sin is we are sinning against our own body. That's why the destruction is greater.

That's why marriage is break apart. Health issues. We feel distant from God because we are profaning the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Now let me bring a word of encouragement here. I'm not talking about a life of perfection. If it was, I would not be up here.

I'm talking about a heart committed to wanting to honor God. There's a big difference between a struggle and a lifestyle. Most men are going to struggle with this issue.

It's just plain facts. And women too. So we have to address this head on.

And we have to look at God's word. What does it say about this? So what I want to do is start from the end of chapter 6. And I'm actually going to do something different here. When I get to the end of this section on adultery, I'm actually going to read chapter 7. Because 6 and 7 go together.

Remember verses and chapters were just added 500 years ago. They would read this sometimes. Sometimes you can read it in length.

Sometimes there's just little nuggets. But I want to conquer chapter 6 and chapter 7 tonight. And then as we go forward, we're going to 8 and 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 and so forth.

Because they go together. So let me open with this. Chapter 6, verse 20.

And let me just say this up front. Try to get everything off your mind that's going on right now. What we have to do later tonight.

How hungry we are. What we're eating. This or that.

Let's listen what God's word is going to say to us. Because you really don't need me up here. If you just read the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I remember Martin Luther was convicted just from Romans. The just shall live by faith. John Wesley was converted reading the introduction to Luther on Romans.

Just by hearing the scripture. So there is so much power in scripture. That I want to get as much of this as I can into you.

It's not what does Shane have to say. Because I could be wrong. Look at what I say according to scripture.

But scripture is not wrong. And it can transform and change your life. If you listen.

But if you obey it. There's many people that are going to hear what I'm saying tonight. But guess where it's going? Out the next.

What's going on? I was just at church. It doesn't matter. The power is in the application.

I say that often. I'll probably say it until the day I die. Because that's the truth.

The power is in the application of scripture. Not knowledge alone. But in the application.

When you apply it to your life. That's when you see the change take place. So with that said.

Chapter 6 verse 20. My son keep your father's command. And do not forsake the law of your mother.

Bind them continually upon your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you roam they will lead you.

And when you sleep they will keep you. And when you awake they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp.

And the law is a light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. To keep you from the evil woman.

And the evil man if I may add that. From the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart.

Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread. And an adulteress will prey upon the precious life.

Can a man take fire to his bosom? And his clothes not be burned? Rhetorical question. The answer is no. Can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be seared? No.

So is he who goes into his neighbor's wife. Whoever he touches. They shall not be innocent.

And he's saying here wisdom leads you. It keeps you. It speaks to you.

When we begin to apply these things. As the seductress. As the adulteress.

And as we learned last week. That could be easily applicable today as pornography. Absolutely.

It's alluring. It's seductive. The look.

Everything is meant to draw you in. That's what the devil does. He knows it looks good.

That's why it's enticing. If it didn't look good. Nobody would take the bait.

And the flesh says. Feed me. Feed me.

So I can destroy you. Remember that. Your worst enemy is within.

A lot of people don't like to hear that. But it's true. Our worst enemy sometimes is within us.

The flesh. Saying feed me more. Feed me more.

So I can destroy you. The flesh is never satisfied. You've either got to eradicate it.

And crucify it. And it dies. Or it continues to grow.

And it will kill you. Every counseling we do. Every marriage I've seen fall apart.

Every person walk away from Christ. I mean everything. You name it.

Sin took hold. As James says. When sin is fully grown.

It brings forth death. Death of a family. Death of a marriage.

Death of your relationship to the Lord. I would say that most young adults. Begin to walk away from Christ.

Because they get involved in sexual morality. Or pornography. And that pull is stronger than the pull of the spirit within them.

Because they're not feeding the spirit. They're feeding the flesh. And you cannot serve two masters.

It's not possible to serve both masters. You will bow to one of those masters. Paul says.

Do you not know yourself. That whatever you choose to obey. Becomes your master.

We choose our master. Christ. Are you my master.

Holy Spirit. Are you my. Will you lead me.

We make those choices. That either build that relationship. With God.

Or it pulls us away. So we have that choice. The power of choice.

Next verse. Verse 30. People do not despise a thief if he steals.

To satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found. He must restore seven fold.

He may have to give up all his substance of his house. But whoever commits adultery with a woman. Lacks understanding.

He who does so destroys his own soul. Let me stop there for a minute. What he's saying here.

I believe. I didn't look up in commentary. So again.

Measure all this. He's saying. Even people don't even despise a thief.

When he steals. If he's truly in need. And he's starving.

His family is starving. Okay. You stole.

I understand why you've got to repay that. But a man who commits adultery. Doesn't even make sense.

He's destroying his own soul. You're allowing the lust of the flesh. To pull you into a snare.

Into a trap that will destroy you. Stolen water is sweet. And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.

But he does not know that the dead are there. That her guests are in the depths of hell. That's pretty.

That's pretty honest. That's what happens. So he's saying here.

Listen. We even understand a thief. When he steals.

If he's poor. But we don't even. You don't even understand.

You lack understanding. If you go in that direction. And there's many people.

This might not affect. This goes out on the radio. Internet.

Some people. You might need to hear this message. In two months.

You might be real. I'll say. I'm a man.

I'm solid right now. I'm great. Be careful.

Because the devil looks for opportune times. He wants to come in. Your marriage is strong now.

He's waiting for that time. When it's not strong. My wife's not building me up.

She's not esteeming she me. She's not a respect to me. She's not doing all this stuff.

She used to. There's this other person. Who's saying all the right things.

Yeah. It's called seduction. And alluring.

And lying. It looks good. They tell you what you want to hear.

So you're pulled in that direction. Sin always looks good. Always looks good.

But if you look down the road. Where it's leading. You'll see the death in it.

That's what he's saying here. Be careful. Verse 33.

Wounds and dishonor. He will get. And his reproach will not be wiped away.

For jealousy is a husband's fury. Therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense.

Nor will he be appeased. Though you give him many gifts. And what he's saying there is.

The husband will come home angry and upset. And this person will lose their life. On that note.

Let me say something. Sin takes you farther than you want to go. It costs you more than you want to pay.

And it keeps you longer than you want to stay. You want me to repeat that? I'm going to try to remember. Sin will take you farther than you want to go.

Cost you more than you want to pay. And always keeps you longer than you want to stay. If you entertain it.

If you follow it. If you're enticed by it. It will take you farther than you want to go.

Cost you more. I never thought it would cost me this much. Yeah, it'll cost you more than you've ever thought before.

It'll keep you there. It'll keep you here longer than you ever thought you'd stay. You'll stay there.

It was what sin does. It's meant to kill, to steal, and to destroy. This is a serious issue.

This is the stuff that put Christ on the cross. That's why I get passionate about this. And people just label me.

Oh Shane, he's hardcore, he's sin, he's repentant. Yeah, absolutely. Paul says flee this stuff.

Get away from this stuff. Crucify. Yet the modern church wants to coddle what we're supposed to crucify.

It's no big deal. The Holy Spirit will change him. Right.

He changes him through the power of God's word. From preaching from the pulpit often. That convicts the heart so it breaks.

And says, Lord, I need you. This is not a time for humor up here. It's a time to preach God's word and the power of the Spirit.

So lives are changed. I don't want to play church anymore. I'm tired of people coming in and not changing.

Let God's word do what it's meant to do. It's meant to convict. Christ said, I did not come to call the righteous.

I came. My whole purpose from stepping down from heaven. I came to save the sinner from death and hell and destruction.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. Therefore at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Christ is Lord. Why is he Lord? Because he took on the form of sinful man, a bond servant, humbled himself to the point of death, even death upon a cross.

That is pretty serious. That's why we preach repentance. That's why we preach judgment.

And that's why we preach the fear of God. Because sinful man doesn't want to hear this so we have to bring him back. To the magnitude of sin.

But please don't hear the pleading of my heart. I don't say this in anger. Oh how he loves us.

He calls us back to prodigal son when he came to himself. Jesus has spent his whole ministry. The woman caught in the act of adultery.

I don't condemn you but don't go and sin no more. I don't condemn you. It's no big deal.

Come on. These guys in church are all legalistic. He said don't do it anymore.

Listen. This is a serious issue. And once you begin to see sin as God sees sin, you can walk in victory.

Because now I see the mouse as a destruction. With that pornography it's going to destroy my marriage and my preaching and my life and my relationship with the Lord. I see the death in it.

It's not a little fun thing to try out now and then. No big deal. We need an outlet.

No you don't need an outlet. You need to break. The outlet should be the cross of Christ and worship.

That's the outlet. That's why so many people, especially men in the church today, are passionless about the things of God. They don't have that relationship.

They have so quenched and grieved the spirit of God that they have no passion anymore for the things of God. I'll have asked for a prayer meeting and a worship night. Four guys will be here.

And that's if Monday Night Football is not on. Look at the condition of our heart. Men should be falling hard after God, repenting of their sin.

It's okay to use that word. Because you know what it does? Repentance is so powerful that if you do not know Christ and you repent of your sin and turn to Him, you are now saved. Repentance is so powerful for the unbeliever that it saves you through faith in Christ.

If you confess Christ as Lord, you will be saved. But repentance is so powerful for the believer because it restores right relationship with God. When you repent, you say, Lord, I'm sorry.

I need you. I confess. This is wrong.

Take this out of my life. And he comes and he rebuilds and restores and you walk in the spirit. But everybody wants to play church.

They want to put on their smile. I'm perfect, bro. I don't do anything.

I'm good. I haven't done. No, you need repentance just as much as the rest of us.

That's why this whole thing is so serious. He's saying it destroys your own soul. We can't take white out.

I don't like that part. I don't like this part. And I don't like this part.

Well, you're going to be white out in your Bible for about a month. But why does God do that? Think about that. Why does he have these difficult messages? Do you remember what I said a few months back right before the fall of Jerusalem? That God sent messengers to his people, warning them because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

But they mocked his messengers, despised his word, and scoffed at his prophets, until the anger of the Lord arose against his own people, until there was no remedy. And I asked the question, what do you do when God says you want it and you got it? That's just Bible. That's just truth.

He loves us so much that he calls us back. But he sends messengers. He sends his word.

He sends a prophetic voice that preaches with boldness. He calls his people back. But when you scoff at that and when you mock that and when you reject it, God has to say, I turn you over to yourself.

Look at Romans 1. He gave them over to a corrupt and debased mind. They suppress the truth and all ungodliness suppressed. They could have received it.

They suppressed it. You have to receive it and embrace it. We would experience revival in the church in America if people would embrace the truth, repent of their sin, cry out to God and begin to worship him.

It would be amazing what would happen. Now let me read chapter 7 real quick. A minute and 45 seconds.

But this is going to be powerful if you take this in. It might take a little longer if I stop and comment. Chapter 7. Now in context, everything I just said, read in context now.

Chapter 7. My son, keep my words. He's always keep my words. Keep my words.

Keep my words. If you do this, if you do that, if you turn from sin, if you flee sexual morality, if you confess Christ as Lord. If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways.

If you keep my commandments, those who say they know Christ and do not keep his commandments are a liar and the truth is not in him. You can tell a real believer by the application of God's word in their life. True believers apply God's word to their life.

And that's what he's saying here. Listen, my son, keep my words and treasure my commands within you. Keep my commands and live in my law as the apple of your eye.

Bind them to your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, you are my sister.

And call understanding your nearest kin that they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with their words. For at the window of my house, I looked through the lattice and I saw among the simple. I perceived among the youth a young man devoid of understanding.

He was passing along the street near her corner. Notice how he was positioning himself right where this seductress would be. It's positioning.

He could have fleed sexual morality or chose to take this path. Once he takes his path, verse 8 says, and he took the path to her house. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and the dark of the night.

Remember, what grows in the dark is killed in the light. Sin loves to keep stuff in the dark. And it grows in the dark.

People do their deeds in the dark. They don't want people to see it's this darkness of covering. Whatever grows in the dark, you will kill it if you bring it to the light.

One of the best ways to bring this issue to the light is to say, Lord, I need you. I repent of this. I'm turning it over to you.

This is wrong in my life. This is destroying me. You are exposing it to the light of the gospel and the light of the cross.

And God's word is stronger than any other thing that we will encounter. You have to remember that God and the devil are not opposing forces. God is sovereign.

He reigns. The devil was a created being who rebelled against God. He has no authority, no jurisdiction other than what he sets under God's sovereignty and control.

So greater is he that is in you than is he that is in the world. No temptation has overtaken you. Nothing.

But what is common to man that God will make a way of escape that you may be able to bear the temptation. Now, with that said, verse 12, at times she was outside, at times in the open square. She was all over the place trying to lure this man, lurking in every corner.

So she caught him and kissed him with an impudent face. She said to him, basically the face, I don't care. I don't care what happens.

I have peace offerings with me. Today I have paid my vows. So come out to meet.

I came out to meet you and to diligently seek your face. See how sin's enticing him? Oh, look it, this is my chance. God must have set this up.

God must have brought you into my life. This is wonderful. Look it, I've been planning.

I've been making vows to meet someone like you. See how it works and entices. He opens the door and it just comes in and looks appealing, looks presenting.

Verse 14, I have peace offerings. Today I have paid my vows. So I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face.

And I have found you. I have spread my bed with tapestry, colored coverings of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Come, let us take our fill of love until morning. Let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home.

He has gone on a long journey. He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the appointed day. With her enticing speech she caused him to yield.

With her flattering lips she seduced him. Immediately he went up after her as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Till an arrow struck his liver as a bird hastens to the snare.

He did not know that this would cost him his life. That's pretty serious. And then it goes on to say, Now therefore, listen to me.

Because of this, my children, listen. Pay attention to the words. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways.

See, you don't even turn to it. When sin, there's an opportunity right there and you flee it. You don't turn to it and let it pull you in because it will entrap you.

There is a moment in time where you say no. If you do not say no, you're basically saying yes. Let me investigate.

What's this all about? And it pulls you in. That's what Steve talked about last week if you get the video. When he walked into that adult bookstore and pornography took a grip, it was like something took over with him because he opened the door.

We see this in the demonic realm when people open the door to these Ouija boards and vampires and witches and spells and we just open the door to it. It's no big deal. Really, it's no big deal.

Darkness should not entertain light. When darkness entertains you, there is something wrong in your heart. Think about that.

What are we allowing into our home? What is entertaining us? Verse 26, For she has cast down many wounded, and all her slain were strong men. See there? All those who have been slain were strong men. This won't happen to me.

I can handle this. No, it won't. The enemy loves to hear that.

It will never happen to me. Yeah, he will. As soon as that... Great is your fall, prideful man.

Great is my fall. The more we think, Oh, it will never happen to me, the better the chances are that it will. You remember I told you about that book I read many years ago that interviewed the top 250 men in Christian ministry that fell.

The top four things. Number one was, It will never happen to me. They all said, It will never happen to me.

I hear the baptismal draining. That's not a good thing. Better check on that one.

Well, it might be all right. That devil is trying to get me off track again. Most of that wasn't even in my notes, so I hope it was a benefit.

But now let's get into the application of that. Remember, the power is in the application. I want to give you guys two things.

I know I'm talking mainly to men, but this applies to women as well. There's something that's called, when this area of seduction, this area when the lust is coming in, you read it in books and things, bouncing the eyes. I know it sounds a little funny, but once you see something, oh, that's going to be enticing.

I'm not going to look that direction again. You bounce it. A girl at the gym, a girl here, a guy at the gym, whatever you're, when you see it, you have the opportunity to allow that temptation to come in and penetrate your heart.

That's when lust starts. See, temptation is not wrong. You see an attractive person, okay, I walk away, I bounce my, that's not wrong, that's temptation.

Christ Jesus was tempted in all points like we are, yet he was without sin. All that's in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life, that's what the enemy uses. So it's not sin until what? James says, when that desire is conceived, oh, attractive, wonder, hmm, and you start to lust in your heart.

Then that temptation now turns into an open door with sin. So that's why we always encourage guys, when you see it, you better bounce, better look the other way, because there's a brief moment in time there, you start to play with that lion, it'll bite you. The other thing when it comes to pornography, the next, what you need to do is you need to, when you see that woman, when you're thinking about that, you think of that little two-year-old girl running to her dad or her mom.

That used to be somebody's daughter, two years old, three years old. If that doesn't break your heart, then something's wrong with your heart. See this as precious little children that have been enslaved in this business and they're using it against you to point, look, the little girl, two, three years old, running to dad, running to mom.

It's all about perception. How do you see, how do you look at sin? And the church is gonna have to tackle this issue head on, month after month, year after year, because it is not getting easier, it's getting more difficult. It's everywhere.

From Carl's Jr. commercials to selling cars, it is everywhere. Why? Because sex entices. So you've gotta be on the guard with that.

And again, it lies in the power of the application. So that's the intro to this, and the exit of this whole adultery issue. Now the message itself, if I have time, is on dangerous promises in the rest of Proverbs 6. Let's pick up at verse 1. My son, if you become surety for your friend, surety for your friend, I should say.

If you've shaken hands in a pledge for a stranger, you are snared by the words of your mouth. You are taken by the words of your own mouth. Do this, my son, and deliver yourself, for you have come into the hand of your friend.

Go and humble yourself. Plead with your friend. Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler. You might say, what is this surety? What's he talking about? Basically that means one who guarantees something. One who guarantees.

You're saying, yes, cosigning would be probably applicable what this is talking about. But the overarching principle still applies. If you say something, perform it.

You're snared by the words of your mouth. I remember just 25, 30 years ago, my dad didn't know anything about signing contracts. It was a handshake, and a man's word was good enough.

Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. James 5.12 But above all else, my brothers, do not swear by heaven or by earth, but let your yes be yes, and your no be no, so you do not fall under condemnation. Now listen, we need to stop here for a minute.

This issue of not keeping your word, and saying things, yeah bro I'll be there, yeah I'll do this, yeah I'll help, and then having no intention of doing that, God does not like that. You are lying. I am lying when we do that.

And it's interesting, if you study this word condemnation, judgment, a lot of times, it's just God removing His shelter, and safety of protection, or of blessing. So when we say, yeah, yeah, yeah, and we become the slick self type person, who doesn't really honor our word, God removes those things, and judgment falls upon our life. We struggle financially for the rest of our life, we'll struggle in these areas for the rest, we'll have these challenges, as a result of judgment upon our lack of commitment.

God takes this very seriously. Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Say it, perform it.

Do it. We have a lack of commitment in our nation today. Nobody wants to do anything.

They'll show up for church now and then, they'll do this now and then, they'll call in sick, work a lot, this lack of commitment is gone. And that's one of the things, as we look for leadership in this church, I am looking for men, leading in the area of elders, that I can trust what they say. Their yes is yes, and their no is no.

I don't care if they have a master's degree in divinity, and have a million dollars in their account. I don't want them leading the church, if their yes can't be yes, and their no can't be no. Let me give you a perfect example of this.

I didn't ask him if I could do this, because he'd probably say no, but yeah, it's a good thing. Last summer I asked, and it's John here, John Bell. I asked him, hey John, would you oversee the men's ministry with me? Help me oversee this area.

And you know what he said? No, I'm too busy. I can't do it right. Oh, thank God.

I told him, I like this guy. Shoot me straight. Tell me, yes, I like that.

I can deal with that all day long. That's honesty. That's integrity.

Now the relationship flourishes. But somebody says, sure, yeah, no problem. They never show up.

No, you just broke our relationship. Now I don't like you anymore. So that was when I told my wife, I like this guy.

I like, shoot me straight, please. Yes or no? I love that. But what do we want to do? We want to be liked.

Sure, bro, I can help out. People please, yeah, I'll be there. We have no intention.

We'll just text them tomorrow. Oh man, I forgot. Not feeling very good.

I know all the excuses, because I use them. And I remember, I'm just going to be transparent. I told you it's dangerous for pastors to be transparent, but we had a season at a church we used to go to where we were not very consistent.

We weren't. It was, I was just, I felt this calling to preach and teach, and I just was not satisfied. Just, you know, I couldn't.

What's going on, Lord? So, kids aren't feeling good today. We just didn't make it. Oh, that's a favorite excuse of many.

I don't want them to get the other kids sick in the childcare. See, oh yeah, I know, we used them. And God would convict me.

We'd go about every other week, every two weeks. This is a true story. I asked my wife.

I said, this isn't right. What's wrong with me? It's a lack of commitment. You can always be sick if you want.

I just don't feel well. A lot of Saturdays, I don't feel that well. The funny thing is now, I told her, once we started the church, I've got to be here.

Barring an emergency or strep throat and the flu and I'm in bed, we've got to be here. There's no other way. There's no other way around it.

A lot of you guys don't know, she was in bed throwing up a month ago for morning sickness. I said, I'll take the kids. She goes, no, I need to be there.

She was there. One word is the reason why. Commitment.

We have to be. There's no other options. I can't text and say I don't feel very well.

Oh well, I need to be here. Now I'm not saying everybody, don't feel guilt. I'm not giving a big guilt trip.

I'm just saying, we have lost this area of commitment and I struggle with it for a few years. I would go and just, you know, the whole thing. But God would deal with me.

Listen, either man up or make different decisions, but let your yes be yes and your no be no. That's how you'll receive blessings because it's basically lying. Yes, I'll be there.

Yes, I'll help. Yes, I'll serve. And you have no intentions of it.

You're just saying, I was lying. That's serious business. Among all the things God says, I hate a proud look.

I hate a lying tongue. I hate hands that shed innocent blood. I hate feet that are swift to running to evil.

I hate one who sows discord among the brethren. And I hate, I hate someone who bears a false witness. A lot of those things have to do with the tongue.

And I'm just telling you, if you can start letting your yes be yes and no be no. I've learned to say no, I don't think I can make that. I don't think that's going to happen.

I don't, no, no. Just say, just say, because you're snared. The Proverbs says, you are snared by the words of your mouth.

You have to perform it. So somehow we've gotten on this thing where we can say something. Oh, I'll be there, make you feel happy.

And I have no intention of going. As if that's okay. That's not okay.

It might hurt the person temporarily, but in the long run, it's much better. Or I'll get back to you. I'll let you know.

Let me think about it. Let me pray about it. And I'll let you know.

I'll give you an answer one way or the other. That's vitally important, this area of commitment. And you know what I've learned too as well? Consistency equals maturity.

Consistent people are mature in their faith, usually. Now there's people with busy schedules and tons going on. I'm not saying, this is not an absolute statement.

God's word is absolute, but not my opinions. But from what I've seen is, maturity and consistency run together. Those who are consistent, what they say and what they do, are often mature in the faith.

That's just a general rule. I put down here, God is honored and you are blessed and we don't live a lie when we keep our word. Think about that.

God is honored, you are blessed, and we don't live a lie. People are so good at saying one, living this double, they'll tell one thing, they'll do another. Their whole life is built around maybe, I don't know, I'll try.

What happens is we commit to something. When that comes up, we say, oh God, why did I commit to that? It's easy to say it, but when the day actually comes to perform, that's where the difficulty is, and that's where some mysterious illness comes into play, and we just, I don't know, I'm coming down with something bro, I just didn't sleep good, and it's right, yeah. So what's the takeaway from this? Repentance.

Here's the takeaway if caught. He says, so do this my son, go to your friend, humble yourself, repent, stop the excuses. Just stop the excuses, repent, listen, I over committed, I'm sorry, please let me, how can I help in the future? Apologize, repent, that's how you get back on track.

It doesn't apply to me, this mess, I don't do that, it's no big deal, I mean, come on, I've got reasons. this applies to all of us. God's word applies to all of us.

So that's the takeaway. If you're caught in this type of lifestyle, is to just begin to fix it. That's the remedy.

Take this seriously, let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Now, ironically, the tie-in is from a lack of commitment, right? Lack of commitment, let your yes be yes. Now he's going to laziness.

Oh, interesting. A lack of commitment to laziness. Do you realize they go hand in hand? Very committed people are not very lazy.

But people have a hard time with commitments, don't do much, don't work very hard, they're very lazy, they go together. So now he goes, and one of my favorite scriptures, because it'll make you wake up, sit up straight in your chair, and go, well, did he just say that? Go to the ant, you sluggard, with an exclamation point. He's basically saying, go to the ant, you snail, you lazy snail, go and look at this ant, consider her ways and be wise.

See, this is always, even though it hurts, he gives us an out. Here, go to the, I'm going to tell you how to repair your life, go to the ant, you sluggard, and be wise. Which having no captain, no overseer, and no ruler, provides her supply in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you slumber, you sluggard, you snail, how long will you rise, and go back to sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man. Now let me say something, I was going back and forth on whether I'm going to say this or not, I'm going to be very gentle, very careful, but it needs to be said. And this is one of the reasons why, when they say the church should not be involved in political things, that the church should be the voice of the nation, and conscious in some things.

This problem that our nation has, and I'm going to bring it back around, so I don't offend anybody, but this issue with entitlement is not biblical. 43 million people on food stamps, social security, all these things, at its core it might be good, because there's people who need it, absolutely, absolutely. Actually guess whose job that is folks? Us, not the government, that's why it's in disarray.

So when you say, I'm going to give you entitlements, money from cradle to grave, there is no work ethic, there's nothing, it's thank you. And what that does, it feeds the flesh, and our nation just keeps filling, so that's why we should say, listen, hello, we need to rework this system, why don't we get it more local, where the church can come and say, listen, you've got three sons, who are in their 20s, and you're 40, let's try to find a job. If you don't work, you don't eat.

Now, unless you think I'm being mean, I'm not, because there are people who need assistance, absolutely, of course, but like anything else, you take a good thing, sin gets involved, and it perverts it. Go on Drudge Report today, the national average for welfare is 60,000 a year. Yeah.

Oh yeah, we've got a problem. The nation is, it's like trying to, what's the problem, what's the answer Shane, you know what I say, that's like telling the captain of the Titanic, hey, you're rubbing up against an iceberg, let's turn around. It's too late, in many cases, you've got to revamp entire systems, but what do you do, you don't just cancel it all, and have all this massive chaos, and people that need it getting hurt, we're sleeping in our bed, basically, but that's why you see this, one politician running on these platforms, that's why we take some of these platforms seriously, because that's not even biblical, you don't just give handouts to whoever, that's not biblical, if you don't work, you don't eat, that feeds laziness, I can sit at home, watch Oprah, and eat ding-dongs, that's what happens, you want to know why, because I struggle with it.

The flesh says, I don't want to work, I don't want to do anything, I just want to retire, and I just want to, yeah, the flesh loves that, the flesh doesn't like hard work, it does not like hard work, I just met this family, and Russell saw the same family, on Avenue L, and by Vons, and 40th Street, this guy and his wife, and little daughter, and I'm like, so I parked, I'm like, what's going on, I can't speak English, we lost our job, I'm like, oh man, how can, you know, I'm trying to help this guy, well, I texted back to John, hey, you need an employee, absolutely, okay, here's John's number, call him, you got work, never heard from him, so see what we've created here, I just gave this guy a job, with his family and daughter, right there, we've created such a system, so it's okay for the pastors, and love, because we have, the church needs to help people, the single mom, with three kids, who needs food stamps, and this is in section eight, absolutely, thank God, let's help, but we need to also, somehow, have the church involved, where they can, kind of, look at the whole situation, well, you got three people, that can work there, that big screen TV, was just 2,000 bucks, I mean, what's, what, come on now, I mean, you see how, that's what the nation is doing, when you hear entitlements, from grave, from crib to grave, or whatever, cradle to grave, they're just giving money, giving money, giving money, that's not biblical, it does not produce, good results, because we are supposed, to work hard, and be blessed, from that hard work, that's why you see, crime rays, that's why you see, people depressed, anxious, wanting to ride in the streets, all this frustration, because we're meant to work, not sit at home, and look at porn, and watch TV all day, that's not biblical, so hopefully, I brought that around, not saying that the whole, everything, and everybody, but I'm saying, the large majority of that, is fostering laziness, it fosters it, not the people who need it, okay, I don't want any mean emails this week, but with 43 million people, you got to wonder, some of those probably, could be working, I just gave a guy, an opportunity this week, so we've just got to be careful, with that, laziness is self-serving, we don't want to work, we don't want to help, just halfway through, I'm going to have, another hour sermon, I'll be done here in a minute, but before I end, I want to talk real briefly, about even retirement, do you know, here we go again, I'm going to make a controversial statement, but I'm going to tie it back around, I don't even know if retirement, is necessarily biblical, in this sense, when I was 25, I was planning to retire at 40, why?

So I could take cruises, buy a motor home, and drive around all 50 states, well Hawaii would be difficult, and Alaska challenging, so 48 states, retire, so now I can ease, now there's nothing, no the Bible, there's much wisdom, in setting aside retirement, saving 401k, using wisdom, gathering, absolutely, but we're meant to be, on the mission field, for the rest of our life, until we take our last breath, we are created to not retire, maybe from a job, but to keep picking up, if the people at this church, who were retired, would just come to me, and say Shane, I can mentor one man, a month, who is that man, we would have our problem solved, in this church, but the guy, with fourth kid on the way, baby girl by the way, yeah, I just forgot about that, but me and a couple other guys, have

the brunt of the counseling, and mentoring, and of course, they fall by the wayside, because nobody has that much time, so if the people who are retired, kids are grown, instead of six hours of television, Fox News, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, I know, I got your number, I told you this sermon, is not going to be a popular one, if they would say, hey, do you have a guy in mind, yeah, I've got three or four phone numbers, I can give you, instead of this focus, and what came from, really where we get this work ethic, is something called, the Protestant work ethic, have you heard that term before, James McDonald, did a great message on that, I included the link, in your bulletin here, I'm going to close on this point, so, I'm going to go quick, the Protestant work ethic, we need

to go back to that, basically, it was hard working, frugal spenders, and good savers, the Protestant work ethic, you hear that word, Protestant, where does it come from, the word, protest, anybody know what's happening, on October 31st, not Halloween, 95 thesis, nailed to the church door, in Wittenberg, Germany, Martin Luther, came against the established church, the Protestant work ethic, protesting, little background, little history lesson here, because it's important, first, second, third centuries, we were all, the church was called, the Catholic church, hear me out, okay, Catholic, in the original language, means the universal, we were all part of the Catholic church, first couple hundred years, then what happened, some emperor decided, to nationalize Christianity, and in the Roman

empire, power and the church, were married, have you heard the term, Roman Catholic church, power, Roman, you could buy the papacy, wealth came involved, as a result, what comes with that, a lot of not good things, what I'm gonna do right now, is I'm not bashing Catholics whatsoever, I went to a Catholic high school, I was an altar boy, however, there are some serious, serious, serious, teachings, in what happened, is Roman Catholicism, Pope's now become, the gospel, and Mary, the perpetual virgin, virginity of Mary, that she never had our kids, she was a virgin, she lived a sinless life, they put her up, as the queen of heaven, she is now our interceder, that's not biblical, you don't find that, anywhere in the Bible, zero, you don't go to a confessional, and confess to a priest, Christ

is now our mediator, and our high priest, we are the priesthood of believers, so what happened, is they would see all this corruption, in the church, buying power, buying indulgence, put a little coin in the coffer, and you'll spring, your friend's soul from hell, all these things crept in, and that's okay, if I would talk to you, I'd say, here's what Roman Catholicism believes, here's why we're Protestant, in love, let's just talk about the differences, I'm not putting down, I'm not hard, I'm just, here's the differences, same way I could take Mormonism, and Christianity, Jehovah's Witness, and Christianity, let's just look, at the differences, why, because truth, invites scrutiny, air run from it every time, why does nobody, want to sit down, from these other places, sit down, let's see

what the Bible says, oh no, no, no, no, we got something else, to tell you what the Bible says, no we don't, so to make a long story short, the church would, the Roman Catholic Church, would be, was built, much corruption was coming in, a lot of things, I don't even have time to talk about, the different popes, making themselves God, and issuing things, that were not biblical, and that's why, it came out of that, the word protest, Protestant, Martin Luther in Germany, Urich Zwingli in Switzerland, John Calvin in Geneva, John Knox in Scotland, and we hear of William Tyndale, John Hus, Whitecliff, these guys were burned at the stake, many of them, for simply declaring, what is in here, this is the truth, this is serious, so they would be called, Protestants, you're protesting the church,

all he was doing, was nailing up the 95 feasts, and saying, let's look at these issues, that challenge this, let's look at these issues, then he's labeled a heretic, but from that Protestant movement, came the Protestant work ethic, where back then, they'd say, oh you're just a peasant, you're nothing, the Protestant work ethic, would say, no God is in what you're doing, your job is your mission field, I'm in a dead end job, no you're not, if you're in the will of God, you're right where he wants you, because the chisel of work, is taking place, he's chipping out of you pride, and arrogance, and all these things, and haughtiness, he's shaping you, and molding you, through this work ethic, he's teaching you hard work, so you're never in a dead end job, as a Christian, you're right where

God wants you, at this particular time, because he's molding, and he's shaping you, many of you know, I started with 24 hour fitness, I'm like Lord, that doesn't make any sense, but it makes a lot of sense, because I had to run 160 employees, I had a $300,000 goal budget, every single month, I had spreadsheets, I had board of directors, I had an answer to, so I know how to run a business, I know how to run a corporation, I can bring these now into the church, then he brings me into construction, which is very difficult, very challenging, working by my hands, coming home with blisters on my feet, going to bed by 7 o'clock at night, what in the Lord I am, no, because he was humbling me, and breaking me, and shape getting all this junk out of me, but I would say, I'm on a dead end job, I

cannot believe I'm doing this, I cannot believe I'm doing this, so look at work, at the Protestant work ethic, your kids are watching, and others are watching on this area, so that's the whole issue, on lack of commitment, laziness, and all titles, and I didn't even get into the wicked man, because we're already, now we're into this, which I'll try to contrast the next time, where he talks about six things, the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him, that whole scripture there, we're going to try to get into, but at this point, let's just stop, because there's a lot that's been said, and we need to stop, and realize that God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, he will also reap, whatever's going on, in all these little areas, this sermon was preached in my heart as well, God is

not mocked, whatever you are sowing now, you will reap later, whatever a man sows, he will reap, and if you look at what I put here, that quote from Oswald Chambers, if through a broken heart, God can bring his purpose to pass, then thank him for breaking your heart, a lot of times we need that, we need what I talked about last week, the hammer of God, to come and break prideful man, because it's not until olives are crushed, until that oil comes out, it's not until Christ was crushed, and beaten and bruised on that cross, that he made the atonement for the sin of the world, so it's okay to be broken by the hammer of God.