WEBVTT

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Man, this evening I'm preaching on the subject of financial greed and usury, financial greed

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and usury.

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And in this chapter, Nehemiah chapter 5, just to give you kind of the historical context,

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if you remember the nation of Judah had gone into captivity in Babylon and now God has

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brought them back from the Babylonian captivity.

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They're re-establishing their nation, rebuilding Jerusalem, rebuilding the temple, rebuilding

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the wall around the city and just, you know, they're getting back and getting established.

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But unfortunately, there are people that are just kind of taking advantage of the situation

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and instead of trying to help God's people succeed and thrive and be a successful nation,

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instead they want to just try to just be greedy and get as much money out of people

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as they can and just be lending money to people on interest, predatory lending, etc.

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And what you have to understand is that when the Bible used the term usury, it really just

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means charging interest no matter what the interest rate is, okay?

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Because in our modern vernacular, when we use the word usury in 2026 or laws that have

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to do with usury, they prohibit people from charging really high interest rates.

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Like usually it will cap it at like 30 percent, you know, just these insane interest rates.

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So you'll see credit cards that are charging like 29.99 percent APR compounded, you know,

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every split second and literally that's not a joke.

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You know, it's just continuously compounding interest.

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And you know, the point is that God actually is telling his people not to charge usury period

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and he just means don't charge interest.

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But now we have this changing of the definition of well, just don't charge 30 percent.

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But what you're going to see in this passage, the usury that Nehemiah is upset about is

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literally 1 percent interest and Nehemiah is rebuking it.

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And so this is not a legitimate way to make money.

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And look, all throughout the Bible, what is God teaching us?

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Work hard, go out and give it your best at your job, whether you're working for yourself

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or whether you're working for somebody else.

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Whatsoever thy hand find it to do, do with thy might, work hard, make an honest living

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and have enough money to take care of yourself, take care of your family.

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And hopefully to be able to help out other people that are in need,

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the opposite of that is getting greedy and just wanting more and more money and never having enough.

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What does the Bible say?

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The love of money is the root of all evil.

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Now, here's the thing.

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I'm not, I'm going to try not to get super political in the sermon.

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That's not really the point.

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And I don't want to get super duper economical either because I want to preach through the chapter.

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But obviously there are different schools of thought when it comes to government

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and when it comes to finances.

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And so, you know, we'll typically just in a very vague way talk about like liberals and conservatives, right?

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And in our modern day, typically when we think of quote unquote liberals,

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we're talking about basically people who want to tax us all

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and then give the money away and kind of spread the wealth around,

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tax the rich to give money to the poor.

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And obviously there are tons of abuses of this where you have all kinds of people

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that are just lazy and not working and they're just on welfare and they're just getting free money

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and whatever.

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And typically the liberals want to have like lots of government spending

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and social programs and just have the government provide education for every single person,

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health care for every single person.

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You know, just even how about just giving everybody money?

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Like a lot of people just want a standard basic income just for everyone.

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Just pay everyone money to do nothing and whatever.

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Okay. Now, obviously unfortunately the conservative side is pretty much into big spending too.

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They just like to spend on different things and whatever.

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Then there's a more like libertarian mindset

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or like kind of like a Ron Paul Republican type mindset

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that is basically saying, hey, we need to cut spending, limit government spending.

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People need to work and do things for themselves.

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The government can't provide everything for everyone.

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We can't just pay for everybody's health care,

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pay for everybody's education, pay for everybody's housing.

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You know, people have to go and work and earn it themselves.

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You know, so on the one hand you have kind of this big government socialist view.

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And then on the other hand you have this more like libertarian free market economics kind of a view.

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Obviously the libertarian free market side is the correct side here, okay?

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But here's what's funny is that some people will kind of go too far on that side.

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And I remember when I was a teenager in high school in an economics class

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and you know the spirit of what we were being taught about like free market economics

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and capitalism and everything like that, was true.

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But then they showed us a video about how greed was good.

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And how like actually it was just outright just saying greed is good.

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And this was like kind of an opposite extreme from these kind of left-wing socialists

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saying, oh no, no, no, capitalism and free market.

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And also it's good to be greedy.

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And these greedy billionaires are actually helping society and it's great, whatever.

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And that was kind of like a weird over-correction or like another opposite extreme.

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So what I want to do is kind of go to the word of God and see what the Bible says.

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Because here's the thing, the word liberal comes from the same root as like liberty.

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And the whole point of being liberal means you're being generous, okay?

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So in my personal life I want to be a liberal, right?

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Because I want to be generous.

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I want to be very free with my money and not be like a tightwad, stingy guy.

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I want to be liberal.

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I want to help other people.

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You know, I want to help people out and give and be generous.

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That's what it should mean to be liberal.

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The problem with modern so-called liberalism though is that basically

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they want to be liberal with other people's money.

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So they want to tax us all and then be liberal with the money and just give it away freely.

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And the problem is that they have sticky fingers along the way.

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So a lot of it gets just wasted in government waste and government corruption.

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And that's why we're $40 trillion in debt and whatever.

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So anyway, I'm just kind of talking about this.

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Just kind of give a basic foundation for what we're talking about here

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when we look at Nehemiah chapter five, okay?

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There are a lot of things that are wrong with our society.

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Greed is not the answer.

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Socialism is also not the answer.

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The right answer is that people should have the freedom and the ability

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to make as much money as they want and to become millionaires and billionaires

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if they can and just, you know, make money and have businesses and work hard.

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But that we should, out of our own good conscience and our good heart toward God,

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we should want to be generous and giving and not be greedy.

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And if you're going to get rich, it should only be through real legitimate work,

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not unjust gain and predatory lending and ripping people off, okay?

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Now remember, the Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil.

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And the Bible says, but they that will be rich will means want to be.

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They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare

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and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown man in destruction and perdition.

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So the Bible is warning you, if you're this person who's just like,

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my goal in life is to be rich, that's a bad goal.

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And you're probably going to go down a very dark path

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because the love of money is the root of all evil.

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However, if you're just working hard, building a business,

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and you happen to be successful, you happen to make a tons of money,

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you happen to make millions of dollars or something, great.

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But what do you do at that point?

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You're supposed to be generous and liberal with your money,

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not that the government is going to steal your money

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and give it to someone else,

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but rather that you would have your own volition be generous with your money.

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Let's see what the Bible says about this,

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now that we've kind of thrown around some terms a little bit.

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Look at Nehemiah chapter 5, verse 1, it says,

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There was a great cry of the people and of their wives

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against their brethren, the Jews.

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For there were that said,

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We are sons and our daughters are many,

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therefore we take up corn for them that we may eat and live.

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Some also there were that said,

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We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses

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that we might buy corn because of the dirt.

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So they're in a bad situation here

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because the Jews are trying to get reestablished in Jerusalem

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and there's a famine, there's a dirt.

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The economy is not doing well,

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it would be the modern analog of this.

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And so therefore they're having trouble just feeding their families.

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They're having trouble putting food on the table.

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And so they're saying we're having to go into debt,

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we're having to mortgage our lands, vineyards, and houses

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so that we can just buy corn to eat.

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I mean this would be like if you're taking a second mortgage on your house

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just so you can buy groceries,

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you know, just so that you can actually

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put gas on the tank and keep going.

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So this means you're deficit spending

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and it's because of a dearth or a famine.

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And the thing is it says in verse number one

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that there's a cry of the people and of their wives

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against their brother and the Jews.

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So this is Jews oppressing Jews.

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So this isn't some foreign government that's taxing them

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and oppressing them.

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This is Jews oppressing each other, right?

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And this is obviously wicked.

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It's not right.

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It's ungodly to treat people this way.

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You've got the Jews that are more wealthy

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and they're abusing and taking advantage of the poorer Jews

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by lending to them on interest,

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making them mortgage things and so forth and ripping them off.

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So they're complaining about it.

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And it says in verse number four,

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there were also that said we've borrowed money

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for the king's tribute and that upon our land's invaders.

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So, you know, they're having to pay their taxes

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on a credit card, right?

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And so, you know, they're being taxed

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and they're being charged a bunch of bank fees

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and interest.

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And so instead of just working

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and putting food on the table,

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they're getting gouged by these financial predators,

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government taxing them to death, banks ripping them off,

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charging them a bunch of interest and fees and so forth.

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Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brother in verse five,

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our children as their children and lo,

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we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants

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and some of our daughters are brought under bondage already.

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Neither is it in our power to redeem them

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for other men have our lands and vineyards.

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They're saying, look, we literally are selling

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our children into bondage,

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selling our children into literal slavery

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just because we can't afford to feed them.

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We can't afford to take care of them

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and we need the money just to pay our bills

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and to pay the taxes and pay the mortgage, etc.

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And so this is a horrible financial situation that they're in.

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So it says right here, inverse number,

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I lost my page here.

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It says in verse number six,

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and I was very angry when I heard their cry

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and these words.

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And so, you know, this makes Nehemiah mad.

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And a lot of people, I feel like,

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are frustrated when they see, you know,

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a situation where banks and governments

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are stealing money from people

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and then ordinary people are struggling to get by,

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struggling to pay their bills.

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Everybody's in debt up to their eyeballs

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and just trying to make ends meet and get by.

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And so Nehemiah is upset when he hears about this

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and he's especially upset to hear that Jews

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are doing this to other Jews.

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Like instead of them sticking together as God's people

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and saying, hey, I want all of us to prosper.

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We want to succeed as a nation.

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It's like, no, let me just personally succeed

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at the expense of others.

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So he says he was very angry when he heard these words

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and then look at verse seven.

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Then I consulted with myself

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and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers

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and said unto them,

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ye exact usury, every one of his brother

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and I set a great assembly against them

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and I said to them, we after our ability

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have redeemed our brethren, the Jews,

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which were sold unto the heathen.

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Because remember, they've gone into captivity in Babylon.

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They've been slaves in Babylon and other countries.

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They've been buying people's freedom

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and trying to bring them back to the promised land,

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getting people out of Babylon and these other places,

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only to get there and be enslaved

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by other Jews when they get there.

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And they're going back into bondage.

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Their children are going back into bondage.

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The whole point is we're coming out of the Babylonian captivity

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and then you're bringing us back into bondage.

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And so it says, will you even sell your brethren?

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Verse eight, halfway through,

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or shall they be sold unto us?

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Then held their peace and found nothing to answer.

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So they're ashamed.

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Nehemiah is rebuking them

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and they're embarrassed and ashamed

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that they're putting their own greed

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over the benefit and well-being of the people around them.

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And so it says in verse nine,

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also I said, it's not good that ye do,

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ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God

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because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies.

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I likewise, and my brethren and my servants,

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might exact of them money and corn.

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He's saying, I can do the same thing.

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I'm wealthy.

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I could loan them money at interest

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and rip them off and steal from them.

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He says, I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

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We got to stop this.

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Verse 11, restore, I pray you to them,

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even this day their lands, their vineyards,

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their olive yards and their houses,

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also the hundredth part of the money.

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That's the 1% interest rate that I was talking about.

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And of the corn, the wine and the oil that ye exact of them,

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then said they, we will restore them

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and we will require nothing of them.

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So what we do is thou sayest,

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then I called the priests and took an oath of them

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that they should do according to this promise.

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Also, I shook my lap and said,

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so God shake out every man from his house

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and from his labor that performeth not this promise,

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even thus be he shaken out and emptied.

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And all the congregation said, amen and praise the Lord,

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the people did according to this promise.

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So Nehemiah is saying, look, you got to stop this.

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You're ripping people off.

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You're hurting people.

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You're being greedy.

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You're oppressing the poor.

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You're taxing the poor.

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You're charging interest to the poor and ripping them off.

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And so the problem here is greed.

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The people that are oppressing their brethren

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are already wealthy people.

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They're already doing well.

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They have money.

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The problem is it's not enough for them.

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And the problem is that the Bible says,

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he that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver.

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You know, nobody's ever going to have enough money

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where they're like, okay, now I'm satisfied.

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I've arrived.

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I'm happy now.

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Money doesn't make you happy.

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And so living a life chasing money

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is a bad way to live your life.

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And it's going to lead you down a dark path

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because you're just going to keep wanting more and more

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and you'll do anything to get it

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and you'll become a greedy person.

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Now, I think that this is a big part of human nature

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in general is greed and not just about money.

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But you know, people are greedy of money.

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People are greedy of food, right?

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They eat too much and get super overweight

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because they're just greedy.

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It's like, well, this food's good.

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So I'm just going to keep eating it.

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This is so good.

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And they overindulge, right?

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People overindulge.

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Now, obviously, I don't believe that we should drink alcohol

16:01.970 --> 16:02.970
at all whatsoever.

16:03.350 --> 16:06.810
But yet, even people who do think, hey,

16:06.850 --> 16:08.270
it's okay to drink a little bit, you know what?

16:08.330 --> 16:09.670
They tend to overindulge.

16:10.010 --> 16:11.950
And then you have people binge drinking

16:11.950 --> 16:13.850
and getting drunk and, you know,

16:13.890 --> 16:15.170
becoming alcoholics and everything.

16:15.410 --> 16:17.690
Just showing the greedy nature of man

16:17.690 --> 16:19.790
that he's probably not just going to drink

16:19.790 --> 16:21.490
a little bit of alcohol, right?

16:21.490 --> 16:23.890
They're going to drink another one and another one and another one.

16:23.890 --> 16:25.250
And then it's got to be every day

16:25.250 --> 16:27.950
and then whatever road they go down is an alcoholic.

16:29.050 --> 16:31.050
Drug addicts, same thing, you know?

16:31.230 --> 16:32.630
Gambling addiction, you know?

16:32.890 --> 16:33.970
People are just greedy, right?

16:34.350 --> 16:36.910
I mean, what does God prescribe for us as men?

16:37.550 --> 16:38.570
A wife, right?

16:38.690 --> 16:39.750
We're supposed to be married

16:39.750 --> 16:43.190
and we are supposed to be the two of us,

16:43.450 --> 16:45.030
one flesh, husband and wife.

16:45.270 --> 16:46.370
But then throughout the Bible,

16:46.510 --> 16:46.970
what do we see?

16:47.150 --> 16:50.210
Men who are being greedy and just multiplying wives,

16:50.770 --> 16:51.170
you know?

16:51.270 --> 16:53.490
We see a guy like King Rehoboam

16:53.490 --> 16:55.790
who has dozens and dozens of wives

16:55.790 --> 16:58.030
and then it just says he just wants more wives.

16:58.710 --> 17:00.430
He just desired many wives.

17:00.550 --> 17:02.290
It's like, bro, you already have many wives.

17:02.510 --> 17:04.050
How are you desiring many wives?

17:04.370 --> 17:06.330
You already have scores of wives,

17:06.430 --> 17:08.950
but he just wants more, more, more, more, more.

17:09.290 --> 17:11.010
This is human nature.

17:11.130 --> 17:12.630
And we need to make sure that as Christians,

17:12.850 --> 17:15.110
we don't fall into this trap of being greedy

17:16.150 --> 17:17.630
of anything, you know?

17:17.630 --> 17:22.030
We need to understand, hey, the money that I make at my job,

17:22.330 --> 17:24.670
making an honest living, working hard,

17:25.050 --> 17:27.030
being productive, producing value,

17:27.410 --> 17:28.550
that's got to be enough for me.

17:28.830 --> 17:30.750
It's like John the Baptist preached to the soldiers,

17:31.230 --> 17:32.530
be content with your wages.

17:33.230 --> 17:36.870
Don't go steal and take things that don't belong to you.

17:37.030 --> 17:39.590
He told the publicans, don't exact more

17:39.590 --> 17:40.910
than you're supposed to be exacting

17:40.910 --> 17:42.010
because they're ripping people off.

17:42.390 --> 17:44.210
Instead of just being content with their paycheck,

17:44.630 --> 17:46.390
they have to be stealing as well

17:46.950 --> 17:47.910
because they're being greedy.

17:48.250 --> 17:50.230
We need to be content with the money

17:50.230 --> 17:52.270
that we make at our legitimate job

17:52.270 --> 17:55.530
and not be trying to do something greedy

17:55.530 --> 17:57.270
or unjust on the side.

17:58.430 --> 17:59.830
See, there are legitimate ways

17:59.830 --> 18:00.870
to make money in this world

18:00.870 --> 18:02.890
and there are illegitimate ways to make money, right?

18:03.430 --> 18:05.530
I mean, if you go to your job and work, that's great.

18:05.870 --> 18:06.270
But you know what?

18:06.310 --> 18:09.770
Here are bad ways to make money, selling drugs, right?

18:09.890 --> 18:11.790
This is an illegitimate way to make money.

18:12.050 --> 18:13.030
You're hurting people.

18:13.610 --> 18:15.030
You're destroying people's lives

18:15.030 --> 18:17.370
so that you can make money, okay?

18:17.710 --> 18:20.130
You're also risking obviously going to prison

18:20.130 --> 18:22.110
and having all those consequences

18:22.110 --> 18:25.350
of breaking the law and selling illicit drugs.

18:25.670 --> 18:26.170
But you know what?

18:26.170 --> 18:27.790
People get into this all the time

18:27.790 --> 18:30.990
and they get into things like selling drugs.

18:31.250 --> 18:33.590
They get into just pyramid schemes

18:34.230 --> 18:36.230
and just get rich quick schemes

18:36.230 --> 18:39.310
and they get into just ripping people off

18:39.310 --> 18:42.830
and unjust gain because of greed, okay?

18:42.930 --> 18:44.150
We need to just understand,

18:44.150 --> 18:46.970
hey, let's enjoy the amount of food that we should,

18:47.370 --> 18:50.250
let's enjoy the amount of money that God has given us,

18:50.430 --> 18:52.630
let's enjoy the one wife that God has given us

18:52.630 --> 18:54.190
and not be greedy like,

18:54.250 --> 18:55.430
oh, I have to have a second wife,

18:55.610 --> 18:56.830
third wife, fourth wife,

18:56.910 --> 18:58.210
or I have to have the side piece,

18:58.410 --> 18:59.610
the concubine or whatever,

18:59.830 --> 19:01.970
or go out and cheat on my spouse or whatever.

19:02.210 --> 19:04.130
Hey, be content with what you got.

19:04.590 --> 19:06.490
The opposite of contentment is greed.

19:07.790 --> 19:09.390
And so human nature is greedy.

19:10.110 --> 19:10.930
So these people,

19:11.050 --> 19:13.570
they're already the wealthy stratum of society

19:13.570 --> 19:14.650
here in Nehemiah 5,

19:15.170 --> 19:15.890
but what are they doing?

19:15.950 --> 19:16.970
They're looking at poor people

19:16.970 --> 19:19.530
who are barely struggling to even get by

19:19.530 --> 19:20.610
and they're saying,

19:20.870 --> 19:23.030
let's charge them interest.

19:23.510 --> 19:25.750
Let's make them pay us rent.

19:26.110 --> 19:28.330
Let's get them to mortgage their houses to us

19:28.330 --> 19:30.490
and get them paying rent to us every month

19:30.490 --> 19:32.470
on property that's already theirs

19:32.470 --> 19:34.390
that they already owned and so forth.

19:34.510 --> 19:36.410
And you know, it's just evil.

19:37.330 --> 19:38.810
You know, and so again,

19:39.290 --> 19:41.210
like I'm not trying to be super political

19:41.210 --> 19:42.730
or anything when I talk about this,

19:42.730 --> 19:44.070
but at the end of the day,

19:44.290 --> 19:46.950
there are people out there who are greedy people

19:47.910 --> 19:51.830
who want to take money away from hardworking people

19:52.390 --> 19:54.450
so that they can lie in their own pockets with it.

19:54.570 --> 19:56.150
They pretend that they're giving it to the poor,

19:56.370 --> 19:57.750
like Judas Iscariot,

19:58.130 --> 20:00.670
but really most of it is sticking to their fingers

20:00.670 --> 20:02.910
and a little bit of it makes it to the poor,

20:03.310 --> 20:07.130
but most of it is being used up in the process.

20:07.310 --> 20:07.790
And by the way,

20:07.970 --> 20:10.630
also what we call sometimes poor people

20:10.630 --> 20:13.010
are just lazy people refusing to work.

20:14.010 --> 20:15.650
Now look, I understand there are some people

20:15.650 --> 20:16.950
who are legitimately the poor,

20:17.630 --> 20:19.250
but there's a difference between being poor

20:19.830 --> 20:21.110
and you want to work,

20:21.290 --> 20:22.610
you're doing the best work you can,

20:22.710 --> 20:23.430
you're doing what you can,

20:23.630 --> 20:24.930
and you're a working poor.

20:25.250 --> 20:27.350
And then there's people who are just career

20:28.390 --> 20:29.350
welfare recipients,

20:30.850 --> 20:33.230
career derelicts milking the system.

20:35.350 --> 20:37.070
And so, you know,

20:37.210 --> 20:39.410
I do believe that the Bible is teaching us here

20:40.210 --> 20:42.190
that generosity is good.

20:42.810 --> 20:44.890
Being liberal with your own goods is good.

20:44.990 --> 20:46.810
That's what we're going to see Nehemiah do in just a moment.

20:47.130 --> 20:48.750
And I do think that it is wrong

20:48.750 --> 20:51.250
to go through life just being greedy

20:51.250 --> 20:53.450
and getting as much as you can from other people.

20:53.730 --> 20:55.230
People who've been blessed with money,

20:55.350 --> 20:56.290
if you're well off,

20:56.710 --> 20:57.750
you should be generous.

20:58.290 --> 21:00.510
Nobody should necessarily be forcing you

21:00.510 --> 21:03.510
at the barrel of a gun to give your money to the poor,

21:03.710 --> 21:06.270
but you should want to out of the goodness of your heart

21:06.270 --> 21:08.150
and because of your Christian character

21:08.150 --> 21:10.490
want to help out others and those in need.

21:10.950 --> 21:12.910
So let's see what the Bible says about greed.

21:13.530 --> 21:16.410
Go, if you would, to Proverbs chapter one.

21:16.470 --> 21:19.450
We're going to look at like almost every mention of greed.

21:19.990 --> 21:22.670
We're going to look at every relevant mention of greed

21:23.270 --> 21:25.790
in the Bible and see what the Bible has to say

21:25.790 --> 21:27.150
about being greedy because

21:27.150 --> 21:29.470
I think that's the problem in Nehemiah 5

21:29.470 --> 21:31.430
is just rich people being greedy

21:31.430 --> 21:33.830
and they're just trying to just squeeze

21:33.830 --> 21:35.830
every penny that they can out of poor people.

21:36.510 --> 21:38.250
Instead of being generous and saying,

21:38.310 --> 21:39.590
hey, let's help out the poor.

21:39.970 --> 21:41.110
And Nehemiah is not saying,

21:41.350 --> 21:42.790
give all your money to poor people.

21:42.910 --> 21:43.990
That's not what Nehemiah is even saying.

21:44.250 --> 21:45.370
Nehemiah is literally just saying,

21:45.410 --> 21:46.850
just stop ripping them off.

21:47.230 --> 21:48.890
Stop stealing their money.

21:49.530 --> 21:52.510
Stop charging them interest and charging them rent

21:52.510 --> 21:53.850
and charging them fees.

21:54.170 --> 21:57.110
Just let them keep their own produce of their own labor.

21:57.630 --> 21:58.530
That's all he's saying.

21:59.710 --> 22:01.210
And then the next step though

22:01.210 --> 22:02.890
would be that out of the goodness of their heart

22:02.890 --> 22:04.990
they should want to be helping out their brethren

22:04.990 --> 22:08.730
and actually giving and being generous and so forth.

22:09.450 --> 22:12.810
But look what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 1 verse 19.

22:13.070 --> 22:17.370
It says, so are the ways of everyone that is greedy of gain

22:18.010 --> 22:20.470
which take away the life of the owners thereof.

22:20.570 --> 22:22.410
So, you know, the Bible is talking about people here

22:22.410 --> 22:24.410
being greedy of gain to the point

22:24.410 --> 22:25.950
where they're willing to kill people

22:25.950 --> 22:28.010
in order to get what belongs to them.

22:28.430 --> 22:29.970
Kill people to get the inheritance.

22:30.290 --> 22:32.870
Kill people to steal their money or whatever.

22:33.470 --> 22:36.010
Look at chapter 15 of Proverbs.

22:39.170 --> 22:40.950
Chapter 15, while you're turning there,

22:41.030 --> 22:44.390
I'm going to read for you from Isaiah chapter 56.

22:45.090 --> 22:46.890
The Bible says in Isaiah 56-10 is,

22:46.930 --> 22:48.970
Watchmen are blind, they're all ignorant,

22:49.250 --> 22:51.190
they're all dumb dogs, they cannot bark,

22:51.570 --> 22:53.550
sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

22:53.950 --> 22:55.470
Yay, there are greedy dogs.

22:55.610 --> 22:57.890
Listen to this, there are greedy dogs

22:57.890 --> 22:59.530
which can never have enough

23:00.110 --> 23:02.330
and they are shepherds that cannot understand

23:02.330 --> 23:04.590
they all look to their own way,

23:04.950 --> 23:07.610
everyone for his gain from his quarter.

23:07.830 --> 23:09.590
So, the Bible is saying these greedy dogs,

23:09.910 --> 23:11.830
they just only are just thinking about themselves

23:11.830 --> 23:14.810
and how they can just amass more and more for themselves

23:14.810 --> 23:17.430
and they're wicked, they're dogs, etc.

23:17.970 --> 23:19.450
Look at Proverbs 15, 27.

23:19.710 --> 23:21.970
It says, he that is greedy of gain

23:22.590 --> 23:24.370
troubleth his own house,

23:24.970 --> 23:27.650
but he that hated gifts shall live.

23:28.130 --> 23:30.030
Now, when the Bible talks about hating gifts here,

23:30.030 --> 23:32.890
this isn't saying that your name is Ebenezer Scrooge

23:32.890 --> 23:34.630
or something and you just don't want to get

23:34.630 --> 23:35.430
a Christmas present

23:35.430 --> 23:37.590
and you don't want people to give you a birthday present.

23:37.650 --> 23:38.450
That's not what this means.

23:38.990 --> 23:41.330
When the Bible talks about taking a gift

23:41.870 --> 23:43.810
in Proverbs or receiving the gift,

23:44.110 --> 23:46.170
usually what it's talking about is bribery.

23:46.990 --> 23:49.670
So, the idea here is you're a judge

23:49.670 --> 23:52.230
or a public official or an authority figure of some time

23:52.230 --> 23:54.550
and someone is giving you gifts

23:54.550 --> 23:56.930
bribing you to do evil.

23:57.490 --> 23:59.290
Now, here's the problem with our government

23:59.290 --> 24:03.470
is that many people in government are being bribed to do evil.

24:03.810 --> 24:04.470
They love gifts

24:05.210 --> 24:07.850
and the way that this is referred to in Washington DC

24:07.850 --> 24:10.150
it's not called gifts, it's called lobbying.

24:10.770 --> 24:14.050
And these lobbyists will take these politicians out

24:14.050 --> 24:17.290
and whine them and dine them and give them gifts

24:17.290 --> 24:19.070
and then these guys will,

24:19.130 --> 24:21.030
instead of doing what's right for the American people,

24:21.410 --> 24:23.430
they're going to pass legislation that's going to help

24:23.430 --> 24:25.590
these certain wealthy businessmen

24:25.590 --> 24:28.150
or whatever the special interest

24:28.150 --> 24:32.290
that is paying them through gifts and whining and dining.

24:32.790 --> 24:35.190
Another way that they will bribe public officials

24:35.190 --> 24:37.970
is they can give them insider information

24:37.970 --> 24:40.450
and they can do insider stock trading

24:40.450 --> 24:43.030
and make money at the expense of other people,

24:43.210 --> 24:45.350
hurting other people, you know,

24:45.430 --> 24:47.910
because for everybody who's a winner in the stock market

24:47.910 --> 24:48.750
there's going to be losers

24:48.750 --> 24:50.470
and so these people are cheating,

24:50.870 --> 24:52.050
getting inside information

24:52.710 --> 24:54.830
and making money at the expense

24:54.830 --> 24:56.970
of other people's retirement accounts or whatever.

24:57.450 --> 24:58.830
And then not only that,

24:59.010 --> 25:01.230
but they will give them these speaking engagements

25:01.230 --> 25:04.910
where basically they won't bribe a public official outright,

25:05.170 --> 25:05.750
they'll just say,

25:05.790 --> 25:08.230
hey, I want you to give a speech over here for five minutes,

25:08.330 --> 25:11.930
here's $250,000, right?

25:12.070 --> 25:15.350
So we're going to pay you just this insane speaking fee

25:15.350 --> 25:17.350
and that's why you'll see a lot of presidents

25:17.350 --> 25:18.410
and congressmen,

25:18.630 --> 25:19.950
when they finish their term,

25:20.090 --> 25:21.590
they'll go on these speaking tours

25:21.590 --> 25:22.290
and they're speaking

25:22.290 --> 25:24.650
and they're getting paid these insane amounts of money

25:24.650 --> 25:27.070
because it's already been agreed earlier

25:27.070 --> 25:30.130
that like, hey, you do X, Y, and Z for us

25:30.130 --> 25:31.110
and then when your term ends,

25:31.270 --> 25:32.590
we're going to pay you millions of dollars

25:32.590 --> 25:33.730
to come make speeches for us.

25:35.110 --> 25:36.590
And so there are a lot of ways

25:36.590 --> 25:37.910
that these gifts are given

25:37.910 --> 25:38.770
and what does the Bible say?

25:39.130 --> 25:41.330
He that is greedy of gain trouble at his own house

25:41.330 --> 25:44.270
but he that hate it, gifts shall live.

25:44.370 --> 25:45.230
The Bible's saying, you know,

25:45.450 --> 25:47.370
you should be the kind of person that says,

25:47.450 --> 25:49.190
you know what, I'm going to do what's right

25:49.190 --> 25:51.290
and I'm not going to be bribed,

25:51.510 --> 25:52.910
nobody's going to pay me

25:52.910 --> 25:54.790
to do something that's immoral

25:54.790 --> 25:56.510
or unethical or not right.

25:57.110 --> 25:59.670
I'd rather just live off my paycheck,

26:00.070 --> 26:00.850
live off my wages

26:00.850 --> 26:03.350
than to take money for doing wrong.

26:03.530 --> 26:04.590
And interesting as a preacher,

26:05.250 --> 26:07.070
how this manifests is the Bible says

26:07.070 --> 26:09.390
that false prophets will teach things

26:09.390 --> 26:10.230
that they ought not

26:10.230 --> 26:12.010
for filthy Luke or sake.

26:12.530 --> 26:13.930
So just as the politician

26:13.930 --> 26:15.850
will pass legislation

26:15.850 --> 26:17.450
that is not right

26:17.450 --> 26:19.710
because he's being bribed

26:19.710 --> 26:20.790
and getting gifts

26:20.790 --> 26:22.070
and people are lobbying

26:22.630 --> 26:24.030
and whining and dining him

26:24.030 --> 26:25.330
and paying him for speaking engagements,

26:25.690 --> 26:26.830
giving him insider tips

26:26.830 --> 26:28.070
for stock trading or whatever.

26:28.870 --> 26:29.670
Well, you know what,

26:30.010 --> 26:31.190
the same way as a pastor,

26:31.930 --> 26:33.030
I don't want to get up

26:33.030 --> 26:34.550
and teach a false doctrine

26:34.550 --> 26:35.510
because I know, hey,

26:35.590 --> 26:36.650
this is what people want to hear

26:36.650 --> 26:38.610
and then people are going to donate

26:38.610 --> 26:41.190
money or give me gifts or whatever.

26:41.770 --> 26:43.190
You know, we can't let that

26:43.190 --> 26:44.730
cloud our judgment

26:45.450 --> 26:46.170
as leaders.

26:47.150 --> 26:48.610
So that's what the Bible says,

26:48.730 --> 26:49.950
he that hated gifts shall live.

26:50.670 --> 26:52.130
The guy who is actually

26:52.750 --> 26:53.990
you know, going to do what's right

26:53.990 --> 26:56.250
and he hates the idea of being bribed.

26:56.250 --> 26:57.890
He hates the idea of getting up

26:57.890 --> 26:58.350
and preaching

26:59.290 --> 27:00.670
because there's a paycheck

27:00.670 --> 27:02.730
involved to preach something wrong.

27:03.230 --> 27:04.610
There's nothing wrong with getting paid

27:04.610 --> 27:05.850
as a politician

27:05.850 --> 27:07.290
or getting paid as a preacher,

27:07.330 --> 27:09.150
but you got to be content with your wages

27:09.150 --> 27:10.650
and not say, oh, well,

27:10.650 --> 27:12.350
I want to make the big bucks.

27:12.530 --> 27:13.790
So I'm just going to teach

27:13.790 --> 27:15.470
what's going to make me super popular.

27:15.870 --> 27:17.890
Get me on the New York bestseller list

27:17.890 --> 27:19.430
or what, New York Times bestseller list.

27:19.430 --> 27:21.010
You know, because I'm going to write a book

27:21.010 --> 27:23.030
about how God's not mad at you

27:23.030 --> 27:24.990
and no matter who you are

27:24.990 --> 27:26.370
and no matter what you've done,

27:26.410 --> 27:28.510
God is not mad at you.

27:28.670 --> 27:29.650
Hey, that's a lie,

27:30.010 --> 27:31.970
but she made millions of money off that.

27:32.050 --> 27:33.330
And I'm talking about the female Joker

27:33.330 --> 27:34.630
if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

27:35.010 --> 27:37.170
But look at Proverbs chapter 21 verse 25.

27:38.350 --> 27:40.710
Proverbs chapter 21 verse 25 says this,

27:40.910 --> 27:43.890
the desire of the slothful killeth him.

27:44.490 --> 27:46.850
Slothful means lazy, right?

27:46.850 --> 27:50.390
The sluggered, the slovenly slothful man.

27:51.630 --> 27:53.430
The desire of the slothful killeth him

27:53.430 --> 27:55.610
for his hands refused to labor.

27:57.230 --> 27:59.790
He coveteth greedily all the day long,

28:00.110 --> 28:02.110
but the righteous giveeth and spareeth not.

28:02.230 --> 28:05.270
So notice that greed and covetousness

28:05.270 --> 28:06.190
go hand in hand.

28:06.890 --> 28:08.390
Covening is desiring something

28:08.390 --> 28:09.850
that is not legitimately yours.

28:10.550 --> 28:13.590
And so he covets greedily all the day long.

28:13.910 --> 28:16.370
He's too lazy to work legitimately

28:16.370 --> 28:19.030
but he still just covets greedily all the day long.

28:19.190 --> 28:21.810
Whereas the righteous gives and spares not.

28:21.990 --> 28:22.810
Here's another way of saying that,

28:22.870 --> 28:23.830
the righteous is liberal.

28:24.350 --> 28:25.950
You know, the righteous gives and spares not.

28:26.190 --> 28:28.670
He's free with his possessions, free with his money.

28:29.310 --> 28:32.150
He's not just like greedily coveting other people.

28:32.270 --> 28:34.010
So he wants to help other people

28:34.010 --> 28:37.130
and give and be generous to his people.

28:38.070 --> 28:41.330
Go through it to Psalm 17, Psalm 17.

28:43.250 --> 28:44.790
And we're looking at, like I said,

28:44.790 --> 28:46.870
we're looking at virtually every mention of greed

28:46.870 --> 28:48.010
in the Bible is what we're doing.

28:48.450 --> 28:49.930
You know, because like I said,

28:50.330 --> 28:52.690
I was shown a video in high school

28:52.690 --> 28:53.850
and the guy who showed it to us

28:53.850 --> 28:55.730
was a born again Christian actually.

28:56.650 --> 28:58.410
My economics teacher in high school

28:58.410 --> 28:59.450
was a born again Christian.

28:59.890 --> 29:00.750
He was conservative.

29:01.090 --> 29:04.450
He had a lot of great views on economics

29:04.450 --> 29:06.170
and politics and everything like that.

29:06.430 --> 29:09.970
But the thing is like Bro just went a little too far

29:10.570 --> 29:12.090
when he's showing us a video

29:12.090 --> 29:13.750
about how greed is actually good.

29:13.750 --> 29:16.610
Like that's when you've gone a little too overboard

29:17.230 --> 29:18.330
on that viewpoint.

29:18.750 --> 29:19.010
Okay.

29:19.650 --> 29:22.370
So look at Psalm 17, verse 8.

29:22.610 --> 29:22.810
It says,

29:23.290 --> 29:25.310
Keep me as the apple of the eye.

29:25.690 --> 29:27.470
Hide me under the shadow of thy wings

29:27.470 --> 29:29.210
from the wicked that oppressed me

29:29.210 --> 29:31.490
from my deadly enemies who compass me about.

29:31.910 --> 29:33.970
They're enclosed in their own fat.

29:34.930 --> 29:37.010
With their mouth they speak proudly.

29:37.910 --> 29:40.350
They have now compassed us in our steps.

29:40.690 --> 29:42.810
They've set their eyes bowing down to the earth

29:42.810 --> 29:45.690
like as a lion that is greedy of his prey

29:45.690 --> 29:49.250
as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

29:49.730 --> 29:50.690
Arise, O Lord.

29:51.250 --> 29:52.070
Disappoint him.

29:52.570 --> 29:53.310
Cast him down.

29:53.750 --> 29:57.590
Deliver my soul from the wicked which is thy sword.

29:58.470 --> 30:00.270
From men which are thy hand, O Lord,

30:00.390 --> 30:02.690
from men of the world which watch this

30:02.690 --> 30:04.330
have their portion in this life

30:04.330 --> 30:07.210
and whose belly thou fillest with thy head treasure.

30:07.670 --> 30:08.650
They're full of children

30:08.650 --> 30:12.410
and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

30:12.410 --> 30:15.030
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness.

30:15.410 --> 30:18.210
I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.

30:18.350 --> 30:21.530
So again, he's graphically describing these people

30:21.530 --> 30:23.930
who are enclosed in their own fat

30:23.930 --> 30:26.670
and yet they just can't have enough.

30:27.270 --> 30:27.910
They're just greedy.

30:28.090 --> 30:28.930
They just want more

30:28.930 --> 30:31.150
and they're willing to hurt other people to get it.

30:32.370 --> 30:34.250
And so I hope you're seeing a pattern.

30:34.390 --> 30:36.550
Go through it to Ezekiel chapter 22.

30:36.890 --> 30:37.890
I hope you're seeing a pattern

30:37.890 --> 30:39.750
that as we look up these mentions of greed,

30:39.930 --> 30:41.610
it's always very negative.

30:42.410 --> 30:44.570
This is never a good thing, right?

30:45.310 --> 30:49.610
Greed is people wanting more than is legitimately theirs.

30:50.070 --> 30:51.210
They're never satisfied.

30:51.670 --> 30:53.010
And you know, the Psalmist is saying,

30:54.030 --> 30:57.130
as for me, I will be satisfied

30:57.130 --> 30:58.510
when I awake with thy likeness.

30:58.670 --> 31:01.570
It's like I'm just satisfied to be saved,

31:01.770 --> 31:03.410
to be a new creature in Christ.

31:03.850 --> 31:07.190
I'm just gonna be satisfied to just go to heaven one day

31:07.190 --> 31:09.090
and to be like Christ

31:09.090 --> 31:10.590
and we shall be like him

31:10.590 --> 31:12.750
for we shall see him as he is.

31:13.050 --> 31:15.190
I'll be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.

31:15.310 --> 31:17.670
Whereas these people that are enclosed in their own fat

31:17.670 --> 31:19.130
and greedy like lions,

31:19.690 --> 31:20.810
you know, they're never satisfied.

31:21.690 --> 31:22.950
Their greed is endless.

31:23.190 --> 31:25.930
You know, it talks about this in Habakkuk chapter 2

31:25.930 --> 31:27.790
when it talks about Nebuchadnezzar,

31:28.090 --> 31:28.990
the king of Babylon,

31:29.410 --> 31:33.310
how his desire is enlarged as hell

31:33.310 --> 31:36.810
and is as death and cannot be satisfied

31:36.810 --> 31:38.970
but gathered under them all nations

31:38.970 --> 31:40.170
and heapeth unto them all people

31:40.170 --> 31:42.430
just no matter how much he conquers,

31:42.730 --> 31:43.890
it's never gonna be enough.

31:44.190 --> 31:46.370
It's never gonna be enough wealth and power.

31:46.750 --> 31:49.990
That's the greed of the human condition, unfortunately.

31:50.750 --> 31:52.670
Look at Ezekiel 22 verse 12.

31:53.410 --> 31:57.810
In thee they have taken gifts to shed blood.

31:57.950 --> 31:59.270
This goes back to what we said earlier

31:59.270 --> 32:01.250
about how the gift is talking about bribery.

32:02.250 --> 32:04.930
And here when it says they've taken gifts to shed blood,

32:05.390 --> 32:08.510
the idea here is you could look at it as obviously just,

32:08.510 --> 32:11.570
you know, paying someone to kill someone,

32:11.770 --> 32:13.950
like be, you know, just basically, you know,

32:14.050 --> 32:15.890
paying to have someone murdered.

32:16.390 --> 32:18.970
But also this could be also an illegal setting

32:18.970 --> 32:21.950
where you're bribing judges or bribing people

32:21.950 --> 32:24.590
to condemn the innocent and put someone to death

32:24.590 --> 32:25.570
who's just in your way,

32:25.850 --> 32:27.450
somebody that you want to get out of the way,

32:27.850 --> 32:30.550
a business rival or you want to get the inheritance

32:30.550 --> 32:32.250
or whatever, you know,

32:32.730 --> 32:35.370
and you bribe someone to get that person put to death

32:35.370 --> 32:37.290
wrongfully through false witness.

32:37.290 --> 32:40.270
Like remember the story of Naboth's vineyard, right?

32:40.670 --> 32:43.550
Ahab just really wants his little garden of herbs or whatever.

32:43.810 --> 32:44.870
I mean, he's king of Israel.

32:45.210 --> 32:46.050
He's got a palace.

32:46.350 --> 32:47.630
He's got all kinds of property,

32:47.710 --> 32:51.110
but he has to have this one little special garden of herbs.

32:51.370 --> 32:52.630
And so what do they end up doing?

32:53.110 --> 32:57.010
They end up bribing false witnesses

32:57.670 --> 32:59.570
to testify against Naboth

33:00.170 --> 33:01.630
and put him to death wrongfully

33:01.630 --> 33:03.790
so that they can seize his property, right?

33:04.750 --> 33:06.730
Taking away the life of the owners thereof.

33:06.730 --> 33:08.850
So all of these scriptures that we're seeing,

33:09.330 --> 33:11.830
Bible stories illustrate these principles

33:11.830 --> 33:14.230
that we're reading in Proverbs and in the Prophets.

33:14.470 --> 33:16.470
We see Bible stories that illustrate these principles.

33:16.730 --> 33:20.430
And so it says in Ezekiel 22, 12,

33:20.930 --> 33:23.070
in thee have they taken gifts to shed blood, right?

33:23.190 --> 33:25.770
That's like the people who testified against Naboth,

33:26.190 --> 33:26.610
for example.

33:27.290 --> 33:28.950
There obviously could be a lot of other things.

33:29.350 --> 33:32.310
Thou hast taken usury and increase

33:32.890 --> 33:36.030
and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors

33:36.030 --> 33:40.770
by extortion and as forgotten me sayeth the Lord God.

33:40.930 --> 33:44.290
What is extortion is forcing people to pay you, right?

33:44.710 --> 33:46.390
And saying, hey, you know,

33:46.610 --> 33:49.870
this is the neighborhood safety association

33:50.390 --> 33:52.050
and everybody's got to be a member

33:52.050 --> 33:53.890
because we'd hate for something to happen

33:53.890 --> 33:55.570
to your business, you know?

33:55.990 --> 33:58.150
And so it's like, you got to pay us money

33:58.750 --> 34:00.590
and we'll leave you alone basically.

34:01.290 --> 34:03.750
Pay us money for safety.

34:03.750 --> 34:08.030
It's really just organized criminals stealing your money, okay?

34:09.370 --> 34:10.990
And that's what extortion is.

34:11.130 --> 34:12.630
He says in verse 13,

34:13.070 --> 34:15.370
behold, therefore I've smitten my hand

34:15.370 --> 34:19.370
at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made

34:19.370 --> 34:22.550
and at thy blood which have been in the midst of thee.

34:22.610 --> 34:24.670
He's saying, look, don't get dishonest gain

34:24.670 --> 34:27.710
through extortion, charging interest,

34:28.390 --> 34:31.710
predatory lending, charging a bunch of fees

34:32.270 --> 34:35.690
and ripping people off and stealing from people is wrong.

34:36.390 --> 34:38.870
How about Ephesians chapter four?

34:39.290 --> 34:41.770
You don't have to turn their turn to first Timothy six,

34:41.870 --> 34:42.310
if you would.

34:42.890 --> 34:44.530
Ephesians chapter four says,

34:45.010 --> 34:47.970
who being past feeling have given themselves over

34:47.970 --> 34:51.790
unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness.

34:52.410 --> 34:54.750
So, so far all the scriptures we looked at about greed

34:54.750 --> 34:57.050
were about money, greedy of money.

34:57.410 --> 34:59.050
But in the New Testament in Ephesians,

34:59.050 --> 35:02.330
that's talking about the kind of greed I mentioned earlier

35:02.330 --> 35:04.550
of not being satisfied with your wife

35:04.550 --> 35:07.970
and you know, you're going out and committing fornication,

35:09.910 --> 35:13.310
lasciviousness, uncleanness with greediness, right?

35:13.550 --> 35:17.330
Just being unsatisfied with what God has provided for you

35:17.330 --> 35:20.490
and you want to just go out and be a whoremonger

35:21.210 --> 35:25.170
instead of being satisfied with the God given remedy

35:25.170 --> 35:28.170
which is your wife and you know,

35:28.190 --> 35:29.810
having that physical relationship with her.

35:31.390 --> 35:34.910
So, look if you would at, and then also the last mention

35:35.470 --> 35:38.250
that I found is Jude where he says,

35:38.350 --> 35:40.630
woe unto them, they've gone in the way of Cain

35:40.630 --> 35:44.410
and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.

35:44.830 --> 35:46.310
And again, Balaam's a false prophet,

35:46.930 --> 35:49.810
taking money to do wrong, teaching things

35:49.810 --> 35:51.530
was they ought not for filthy Luke or sake.

35:52.310 --> 35:54.810
So, actually keep your finger in first Timothy six

35:54.810 --> 35:56.470
and let's go finish up in Nehemiah five

35:56.470 --> 35:58.590
and then we're going to come back to first Timothy six.

35:58.790 --> 36:00.630
So, keep a finger in first Timothy six

36:00.630 --> 36:03.210
and let's finish up in Nehemiah chapter five here.

36:03.550 --> 36:06.190
Because first of all, the first part of the chapter

36:06.190 --> 36:10.430
is Nehemiah is rebuking them for being greedy

36:11.210 --> 36:13.970
and for rich people ripping off poor people

36:13.970 --> 36:16.610
and just trying to take as much from them

36:16.610 --> 36:19.670
and just squeeze them for as much money as they can.

36:20.050 --> 36:21.330
And that's obviously wrong.

36:21.470 --> 36:22.690
We as Christians, and by the way,

36:22.850 --> 36:24.390
if you're a Christian business owner,

36:24.390 --> 36:27.010
you should not have a goal to just see

36:27.010 --> 36:28.490
how little you can pay people.

36:30.130 --> 36:30.910
You know what I'm saying?

36:31.170 --> 36:33.510
Like, obviously you got to make money

36:33.510 --> 36:35.590
and you got to have a business that makes sense

36:35.590 --> 36:36.910
and everything, but you know what?

36:36.950 --> 36:39.070
You should try to be generous and pay people

36:39.070 --> 36:40.670
an honest wage for an honest day's work

36:40.670 --> 36:43.210
and not be like, well, how little can I pay this guy?

36:43.490 --> 36:45.450
How can I just squeeze this guy

36:45.450 --> 36:47.610
and get as much work for as little money as well?

36:47.630 --> 36:49.330
I mean, is that really the right Christian attitude?

36:50.010 --> 36:51.310
And then on the other side of that,

36:51.430 --> 36:53.450
if you're the worker, you shouldn't be like,

36:53.450 --> 36:56.410
well, how little work can I do for this paycheck, right?

36:56.710 --> 36:58.190
The way that the world should function

36:58.190 --> 37:01.130
is that the boss is being generous with the employees

37:01.130 --> 37:03.470
and not trying to pay them as little as possible.

37:03.630 --> 37:06.530
And then the employees are trying to work as hard as they can

37:06.530 --> 37:08.130
and not work as little as possible.

37:08.330 --> 37:09.890
They're trying to go above and beyond

37:09.890 --> 37:11.650
and do extra and work hard.

37:11.950 --> 37:12.270
You know what?

37:12.510 --> 37:13.570
That's a beautiful thing.

37:14.070 --> 37:15.070
That's the way it should be.

37:15.950 --> 37:18.390
But instead, this world is filled with workers

37:18.990 --> 37:21.550
phoning it in, patting their hours,

37:21.550 --> 37:24.770
lying on their timesheet, doing as little as possible,

37:25.110 --> 37:27.430
and bosses just trying to pay people as little

37:27.430 --> 37:28.410
as they can get away with

37:28.410 --> 37:31.330
and just the cheapest possible person that they can hire

37:31.330 --> 37:33.790
and paying them as little as they possibly can.

37:35.310 --> 37:37.410
Neither of those are godly situations.

37:38.430 --> 37:41.150
And they're both driven by greed, in a sense.

37:41.790 --> 37:43.150
And so greed is the enemy.

37:44.050 --> 37:45.830
So now let's look at the other side of the coin

37:45.830 --> 37:47.270
because the first part of Nehemiah 5,

37:47.690 --> 37:49.610
he's rebuking the Jews

37:49.610 --> 37:51.530
who are oppressing other Jews.

37:51.850 --> 37:53.170
Now he's going to bring up the fact

37:53.170 --> 37:56.510
that he actually is a very wealthy man, himself.

37:57.070 --> 37:58.150
He's extremely wealthy

37:58.150 --> 38:00.010
and he's actually being generous.

38:00.090 --> 38:01.650
Instead of trying to rip the people off,

38:01.910 --> 38:04.170
he's trying to give and be generous with what he has.

38:04.670 --> 38:05.890
Look if you would have verse 14.

38:06.450 --> 38:08.070
Moreover, from the time that I was appointed

38:08.070 --> 38:10.610
to be their governor in the land of Judah,

38:11.090 --> 38:13.390
from the 20th year, even under the 2 and 30th year

38:13.390 --> 38:14.470
of Artaxerxes the king,

38:14.850 --> 38:15.790
that is 12 years,

38:16.150 --> 38:18.630
I and my brethren have not eaten the bread

38:18.630 --> 38:19.310
of the governor.

38:19.650 --> 38:20.190
What's he saying?

38:20.530 --> 38:21.050
He's saying, look,

38:21.230 --> 38:24.750
I am not even taking some of the pay

38:24.750 --> 38:27.250
and some of the compensation that's due to me

38:27.250 --> 38:28.130
as the governor,

38:28.670 --> 38:29.990
I'm returning that stuff

38:29.990 --> 38:31.490
because I don't want to oppress

38:31.490 --> 38:33.790
people that are already struggling financially.

38:34.290 --> 38:35.950
I don't want to have to tax people.

38:36.370 --> 38:39.030
So I'm not even taking what's coming.

38:39.150 --> 38:40.510
This would be like a politician,

38:41.110 --> 38:42.950
not using his old budget

38:42.950 --> 38:47.290
or not taking his full paycheck or whatever.

38:47.290 --> 38:48.850
And like, for example,

38:49.190 --> 38:52.950
Congressman Ron Paul famously would return part of his budget

38:52.950 --> 38:53.570
every year

38:53.570 --> 38:55.510
and he was the only congressman

38:55.510 --> 38:57.350
who didn't just spend all the money

38:57.350 --> 38:58.890
that he was allowed to spend or whatever.

38:59.750 --> 39:01.430
And so Nehemiah is basically saying,

39:02.050 --> 39:04.950
hey, I have not eaten the bread of the governor

39:05.610 --> 39:08.350
but the former governors that had been before me

39:08.350 --> 39:10.350
were chargeable under the people

39:10.350 --> 39:13.070
and had taken of them bread and wine.

39:13.690 --> 39:14.490
So here's the thing,

39:14.810 --> 39:16.230
it's like the people are struggling,

39:16.230 --> 39:17.130
the people are poor

39:17.670 --> 39:19.650
and these rich fat cat governors

39:19.650 --> 39:22.110
are taking bread, wine,

39:22.490 --> 39:24.510
beside the 40 shekels of silver.

39:25.110 --> 39:27.750
Yay, even their servants bear rule over the people

39:27.750 --> 39:30.610
but so did not I because of the fear of God.

39:30.790 --> 39:33.610
He said, look, former governors have done this.

39:33.690 --> 39:35.730
Now, do you think that there's anything new under the sun?

39:36.290 --> 39:38.510
In 2026, unfortunately,

39:38.990 --> 39:42.450
a lot of leaders will live a really high life

39:42.450 --> 39:44.030
and take people's money

39:44.730 --> 39:48.230
and just abuse the privilege of being a governor

39:48.710 --> 39:50.730
or in government in some way.

39:51.990 --> 39:52.810
He's saying, you know,

39:52.890 --> 39:54.710
the reason I didn't do that is because I feared God.

39:55.590 --> 39:56.130
You know, he's saying,

39:56.170 --> 39:58.050
I didn't do it because it was the right thing to do

39:58.530 --> 40:01.130
to not oppress people that are already poor

40:01.130 --> 40:03.150
and so because I feared God,

40:03.710 --> 40:06.970
I didn't oppress the poor by taking money from them.

40:07.490 --> 40:08.730
And then he says in verse 16,

40:08.870 --> 40:11.290
yea, also I continued in the work of this wall,

40:11.770 --> 40:13.510
neither bought we any land

40:14.070 --> 40:16.250
and all my servants were gathered under the work.

40:16.330 --> 40:19.130
He's like, look, I came here to try to rebuild Jerusalem,

40:19.430 --> 40:20.750
build the wall and help things out.

40:21.030 --> 40:23.530
I didn't come here for like some real estate investment.

40:24.050 --> 40:26.210
So I'm not buying up all the property

40:26.650 --> 40:29.370
so that I can charge people rent to live on the property

40:29.370 --> 40:31.870
and drive up the real estate and have some scam

40:31.870 --> 40:34.770
where I can get rich in some big real estate scheme

40:34.770 --> 40:35.110
or whatever.

40:35.430 --> 40:38.170
He's like, no man, I'm here to work to help everybody.

40:39.550 --> 40:43.130
He says in verse number 17,

40:43.130 --> 40:46.570
Moreover, there were at my table

40:47.930 --> 40:49.850
150 of the Jews and rulers,

40:50.290 --> 40:51.790
besides those that came unto us

40:51.790 --> 40:53.430
from among the heathen that are about us.

40:54.430 --> 40:56.370
Now, that which was prepared for me daily

40:56.890 --> 40:59.830
was one ox and six-choice sheep.

41:00.450 --> 41:02.390
Also, fowls were prepared for me

41:02.390 --> 41:05.190
and once in 10 days store of all sorts of wine,

41:05.190 --> 41:08.150
yet for all this required not either bread of the governor

41:08.150 --> 41:11.090
because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

41:11.090 --> 41:13.750
He said, look, the bondage is heavy upon the people.

41:14.330 --> 41:16.210
I don't want them to pay more taxes

41:16.210 --> 41:17.150
than they're already paying.

41:17.550 --> 41:19.070
I don't want to charge them.

41:19.350 --> 41:21.090
And he's like, I already have money.

41:21.530 --> 41:25.410
Now, this is a pretty impressive amount of food

41:25.410 --> 41:28.190
that is being cooked for him every single day.

41:29.050 --> 41:31.330
Now, you can understand why he has 150 people

41:31.330 --> 41:33.430
over eating of his food

41:33.430 --> 41:36.510
because obviously this is not what one person eats.

41:38.550 --> 41:41.210
Okay, daily one ox.

41:41.930 --> 41:45.550
So this is an entire cow every single day.

41:45.630 --> 41:46.310
Now, I don't know about you,

41:46.370 --> 41:49.630
but like my family, we've bought entire cows,

41:49.770 --> 41:52.250
but actually I think we've never bought more than half a cow.

41:52.990 --> 41:54.810
So we would do these things

41:54.810 --> 41:59.250
where we would actually buy like locally raised Arizona beef.

41:59.750 --> 42:01.570
You know, because you know the rancher,

42:01.690 --> 42:02.790
you know where it's coming from,

42:03.310 --> 42:05.230
you know it's all truly free range,

42:05.230 --> 42:06.350
organic, good stuff.

42:06.790 --> 42:09.490
You're helping out your local rancher business.

42:09.770 --> 42:10.790
It's a benefit for everybody.

42:11.270 --> 42:12.890
So who's ever been to my house

42:12.890 --> 42:15.190
and like got a piece of a cow that I bought?

42:15.750 --> 42:18.330
All right, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

42:18.630 --> 42:20.550
Yeah, so it's not 150, but no, I'm just kidding.

42:20.910 --> 42:22.750
But yeah, so there's like 10 people here

42:22.750 --> 42:24.130
who've been to my house

42:24.130 --> 42:26.990
and when we did these big like beef buys

42:26.990 --> 42:30.410
and we'd buy like a full cow or a couple full cows

42:30.410 --> 42:32.270
and then we'd all split it up

42:32.270 --> 42:34.510
and that would last us for like months.

42:35.230 --> 42:35.550
Right?

42:36.770 --> 42:39.890
This guy's killing a whole cow every single day.

42:40.750 --> 42:43.810
So that's crazy because if we killed a whole cow,

42:44.330 --> 42:45.670
we're gonna, our whole family's gonna eat that

42:45.670 --> 42:47.710
for like months and months and months, okay?

42:48.890 --> 42:51.230
But that's just the one ox, okay?

42:51.670 --> 42:54.790
And then after that, it says six-choice sheep.

42:55.470 --> 42:58.950
So one ox, six sheep, also fowls.

42:59.170 --> 43:00.590
So you know, just on the side,

43:00.910 --> 43:02.850
they got the, you know, the birds

43:02.850 --> 43:06.010
and the chicken and the Cornish game hens

43:06.010 --> 43:08.110
and the geese or whatever they've got

43:08.110 --> 43:09.650
that they're eating on the side.

43:10.110 --> 43:12.990
So one ox, six-choice sheep and fowl.

43:13.470 --> 43:16.190
And then once every 10 days, all, you know,

43:16.250 --> 43:18.090
that's where they get out the fruit punch

43:18.090 --> 43:19.970
and the fruit juices and, you know,

43:20.330 --> 43:21.410
and indulge in that stuff

43:21.410 --> 43:23.150
because that stuff was extremely expensive back

43:23.150 --> 43:24.170
before you had machines

43:24.770 --> 43:26.890
that would actually make the juice and so forth.

43:27.270 --> 43:29.330
And so it had to be made by human labor.

43:29.330 --> 43:33.250
So the bottom line is that he has this massive amount

43:33.250 --> 43:34.770
of food being prepared every day.

43:35.150 --> 43:39.970
So he's sharing with like 150 of the local Jews,

43:40.230 --> 43:42.010
but then also a bunch of foreigners are coming.

43:42.190 --> 43:43.730
So it's more than 150 people

43:43.730 --> 43:47.110
that he's offering just this giant buffet to.

43:48.350 --> 43:49.910
And then he says in verse 19,

43:50.070 --> 43:51.330
think upon me, my God,

43:51.570 --> 43:53.750
for good according to all that I've done for this people.

43:53.830 --> 43:55.890
So he's praying to God and he's saying,

43:55.890 --> 43:58.250
God, look, I'm being generous.

43:58.470 --> 43:59.370
I'm helping people out.

43:59.750 --> 44:01.390
Bless me for doing that, God.

44:01.710 --> 44:02.150
And you know what?

44:02.250 --> 44:03.770
God is going to bless you

44:04.290 --> 44:06.350
when you are generous and not greedy.

44:07.110 --> 44:09.130
If you are generous and helping other people,

44:09.270 --> 44:09.870
caring about other people,

44:09.970 --> 44:10.670
God's going to bless you.

44:12.150 --> 44:12.970
And if you're greedy,

44:13.490 --> 44:14.530
God is not going to bless that.

44:14.610 --> 44:15.990
God's going to curse that if you're greedy

44:15.990 --> 44:20.030
because what did he say in Proverbs 28,

44:20.210 --> 44:20.670
he said,

44:21.010 --> 44:23.430
he that by usury and unjust gain

44:23.950 --> 44:25.110
increases his substance,

44:25.110 --> 44:26.790
he shall gather it for him

44:26.790 --> 44:27.650
that will pity the poor.

44:28.190 --> 44:29.110
So the Bible is saying,

44:29.190 --> 44:30.710
God will take it away from you

44:30.710 --> 44:31.770
and give it to somebody

44:31.770 --> 44:33.770
who is actually a good, generous person.

44:34.950 --> 44:36.250
Now I do want to say this.

44:36.790 --> 44:38.510
Nobody's asking Nehemiah

44:39.030 --> 44:41.030
to live like everybody else

44:41.030 --> 44:41.870
because here's the thing.

44:42.490 --> 44:43.610
If you work hard,

44:45.030 --> 44:47.310
you're entitled to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

44:48.150 --> 44:51.810
So if you go out and work 16-hour days

44:51.810 --> 44:52.910
and build a business,

44:53.110 --> 44:54.730
and look, building your own business

44:54.730 --> 44:56.170
is a lot of work.

44:56.950 --> 44:58.050
It's stressful.

44:58.430 --> 44:59.070
It's strenuous.

44:59.490 --> 45:00.790
It takes a ton of work

45:00.790 --> 45:02.410
and there's risk involved.

45:02.850 --> 45:04.050
So look, if you go out

45:04.050 --> 45:05.830
and actually start a business

45:05.830 --> 45:07.410
and put in all that work

45:07.410 --> 45:09.290
and effort and blood, sweat, tears

45:09.290 --> 45:10.290
and take that chance,

45:10.730 --> 45:12.490
you deserve more

45:12.490 --> 45:13.750
than just some guy

45:13.750 --> 45:15.150
who's just clocking in and out

45:15.150 --> 45:17.250
at McDonald's, right?

45:17.670 --> 45:18.910
So this weird,

45:18.910 --> 45:19.910
commie idea

45:19.910 --> 45:21.270
that everyone should be equal

45:21.270 --> 45:22.550
is foolish

45:22.550 --> 45:23.750
because then people

45:23.750 --> 45:24.810
aren't going to be motivated

45:25.290 --> 45:26.990
to go out and do all this work

45:26.990 --> 45:28.090
and push themselves

45:28.090 --> 45:29.150
so that they can just

45:29.150 --> 45:30.050
be like everybody else.

45:30.210 --> 45:30.690
It's like, well, no.

45:31.030 --> 45:32.850
Obviously, people who work hard

45:32.850 --> 45:34.250
and excel and do more,

45:34.550 --> 45:37.970
they're entitled to have more, right?

45:38.090 --> 45:40.390
And so what we want in our world

45:40.390 --> 45:42.690
is we don't want equality of outcome.

45:42.850 --> 45:45.470
We want equality of opportunity, right?

45:45.570 --> 45:46.390
We don't want to say,

45:46.670 --> 45:48.110
hey, we're going to give white people

45:48.110 --> 45:49.030
more of an opportunity

45:49.030 --> 45:50.630
than black people or vice versa.

45:50.870 --> 45:51.810
We just want everybody

45:51.810 --> 45:52.670
to have the opportunity,

45:53.370 --> 45:54.370
but at the end of the day,

45:54.690 --> 45:56.590
you're going to get rewarded

45:56.590 --> 45:57.290
according to what you do.

45:57.630 --> 45:58.870
And I mean, even Jesus Christ

45:58.870 --> 45:59.990
when he returns one day,

46:00.250 --> 46:01.670
he says, behold, I come quickly

46:01.670 --> 46:03.430
and my reward is with me

46:03.430 --> 46:04.790
to give every man

46:04.790 --> 46:06.510
according as his work shall be.

46:06.790 --> 46:07.890
Notice when Jesus returns,

46:08.010 --> 46:09.250
he's not giving to everyone equally.

46:10.170 --> 46:11.130
When we get to heaven,

46:11.730 --> 46:13.070
sorry, we're not all

46:13.070 --> 46:14.230
going to be the same in heaven.

46:15.710 --> 46:17.390
Some people are going to have

46:17.390 --> 46:19.350
a higher rank and a higher status

46:19.870 --> 46:21.590
and a higher level of reward

46:21.590 --> 46:22.230
than others.

46:22.910 --> 46:24.290
And God is going to reward

46:24.290 --> 46:25.950
everyone according to their works.

46:26.690 --> 46:28.070
We're not saved by works,

46:28.350 --> 46:29.690
but once we're saved,

46:29.870 --> 46:30.490
if we do works,

46:30.550 --> 46:31.970
we get rewarded for our works.

46:32.550 --> 46:33.850
And so when we get to heaven,

46:34.150 --> 46:34.930
it's not going to be

46:34.930 --> 46:36.570
this egalitarian utopia

46:36.570 --> 46:37.670
where everybody's the same.

46:38.090 --> 46:39.010
There are going to be people

46:39.010 --> 46:40.070
who did more for Christ

46:40.070 --> 46:41.350
that are going to be ruling

46:41.350 --> 46:43.170
and reigning and at a higher level.

46:43.370 --> 46:44.190
And then there's going to be

46:44.190 --> 46:46.450
the people who just barely got in,

46:46.830 --> 46:48.910
yet so is by fire, right?

46:49.130 --> 46:50.430
The first Corinthians three types,

46:50.430 --> 46:52.070
like the thief on the cross or something,

46:52.350 --> 46:53.770
he's not going to be in the same position

46:53.770 --> 46:56.570
as the apostle Paul in heaven.

46:58.610 --> 46:59.890
So at the end of the day,

46:59.970 --> 47:00.970
we want to have equality

47:00.970 --> 47:02.090
in the sense of we want to have

47:02.090 --> 47:03.190
equality of opportunity.

47:03.650 --> 47:04.890
Everybody should have the same

47:04.890 --> 47:06.570
opportunities and the same chances

47:06.570 --> 47:08.430
to go out and work hard and make money.

47:09.270 --> 47:11.170
But saying that we all end up

47:11.170 --> 47:12.550
in the same size house,

47:13.010 --> 47:14.170
driving the same vehicle,

47:14.350 --> 47:15.310
eating the same food,

47:15.430 --> 47:17.410
getting the same level of services,

47:17.830 --> 47:19.170
that's stupid and doesn't make sense.

47:19.290 --> 47:19.770
And by the way,

47:19.770 --> 47:21.210
everywhere it's been tried,

47:21.310 --> 47:21.930
it has failed.

47:22.550 --> 47:24.590
All of the socialist systems

47:24.590 --> 47:26.170
of the 20th century have failed.

47:26.550 --> 47:28.770
All of the little socialist utopias

47:28.770 --> 47:29.490
that they promised,

47:29.850 --> 47:30.690
they didn't pan out.

47:31.070 --> 47:32.490
And who have been the most

47:32.490 --> 47:34.970
prosperous countries in the world

47:34.970 --> 47:37.170
over the last 150 years

47:37.630 --> 47:39.470
have been the freest countries.

47:40.070 --> 47:40.850
The countries that have

47:40.850 --> 47:41.930
the freest economies,

47:42.390 --> 47:44.190
free market economics works

47:44.190 --> 47:45.270
everywhere it's tried.

47:45.790 --> 47:48.090
Socialism fails every time it's tried.

47:48.310 --> 47:49.090
It's just that simple.

47:49.090 --> 47:49.630
Okay.

47:50.330 --> 47:52.550
So economically it works out that way.

47:52.750 --> 47:54.270
So I'm not up here saying

47:54.270 --> 47:57.010
that everybody should live the same.

47:57.550 --> 47:59.170
Because let's face it,

48:00.130 --> 48:01.510
Nehemiah is living pretty good.

48:02.390 --> 48:04.190
I mean if it's your table

48:04.870 --> 48:06.610
and you got an ox

48:07.090 --> 48:08.050
and six sheep

48:08.610 --> 48:10.130
and various fowl

48:10.130 --> 48:11.510
being prepared for you,

48:11.590 --> 48:12.850
not to mention all the veggies

48:12.850 --> 48:13.690
and side dishes

48:13.690 --> 48:14.810
that he doesn't even bring up.

48:16.490 --> 48:18.270
You're doing pretty stinking good.

48:18.820 --> 48:19.030
Okay.

48:19.530 --> 48:20.750
But here's the thing.

48:21.210 --> 48:22.150
Is that nobody's saying

48:22.150 --> 48:23.490
that you can't work hard,

48:23.870 --> 48:24.430
build a business,

48:24.810 --> 48:25.330
make money,

48:25.530 --> 48:26.970
and enjoy the fruit of your labor

48:26.970 --> 48:27.990
and have nice things.

48:28.230 --> 48:29.230
But you know what you should also

48:29.230 --> 48:30.250
be doing is being generous

48:30.250 --> 48:30.830
with other people.

48:30.930 --> 48:31.950
And that's what we see Nehemiah.

48:32.290 --> 48:33.210
Yeah, we see him enjoying

48:33.210 --> 48:34.030
the fruit of his labor.

48:34.650 --> 48:35.810
But then we also see him

48:35.810 --> 48:37.170
being super generous

48:37.630 --> 48:39.370
and helping other people out as well.

48:39.810 --> 48:41.410
So go to 1 Timothy chapter 6

48:41.410 --> 48:42.150
and we'll close there.

48:42.290 --> 48:43.310
1 Timothy chapter 6.

48:43.950 --> 48:44.870
So I hope that the sermon

48:44.870 --> 48:45.910
makes sense to you.

48:46.210 --> 48:47.510
I'm not trying to get all

48:47.510 --> 48:48.470
into some political

48:48.470 --> 48:49.850
or economical thing.

48:50.170 --> 48:51.110
I more want to deal

48:51.110 --> 48:52.070
with the text here

48:52.070 --> 48:52.930
that you know,

48:53.410 --> 48:55.950
God is against making money

48:55.950 --> 48:57.590
by lending to people.

48:58.250 --> 48:58.390
Okay.

48:58.690 --> 49:00.170
This is not a legitimate way

49:00.170 --> 49:00.810
to make money.

49:01.610 --> 49:01.910
Okay.

49:02.130 --> 49:03.050
Lending people money,

49:03.530 --> 49:04.470
charging interest,

49:04.650 --> 49:05.710
foreclosing on their stuff.

49:05.870 --> 49:06.870
You know, that's not

49:07.370 --> 49:08.850
a good godly way

49:08.850 --> 49:09.410
to make money.

49:11.630 --> 49:13.530
He wants us to work hard

49:14.050 --> 49:15.150
and produce things

49:15.150 --> 49:16.010
and to be able to help

49:16.010 --> 49:16.510
other people.

49:17.010 --> 49:19.190
You know, that's the ideal situation.

49:19.590 --> 49:20.870
And if you work for your boss,

49:20.990 --> 49:22.230
you should give 100%.

49:22.730 --> 49:24.250
And if you have employees,

49:24.810 --> 49:26.210
you should be generous with them

49:26.210 --> 49:26.750
and love them

49:26.750 --> 49:27.650
and care about them

49:27.650 --> 49:29.470
and pay them a decent wage.

49:30.090 --> 49:31.450
That's what I've always believed

49:31.450 --> 49:33.350
when I was an employee.

49:33.850 --> 49:34.530
That's what I believe

49:34.530 --> 49:35.610
when I was a business owner,

49:35.850 --> 49:36.110
you know,

49:36.250 --> 49:36.910
because it's just

49:36.910 --> 49:38.530
either side of that coin

49:38.530 --> 49:39.210
that you're on,

49:39.630 --> 49:39.830
you know,

49:39.850 --> 49:40.950
you want to do right

49:40.950 --> 49:41.710
by the Lord

49:41.710 --> 49:42.470
and fear God

49:42.470 --> 49:43.550
in everything that you do.

49:45.670 --> 49:46.830
Because the Bible says,

49:46.950 --> 49:47.630
you know, that servants

49:47.630 --> 49:48.510
should obey their masters,

49:48.650 --> 49:49.150
but then it says,

49:49.250 --> 49:50.350
you masters do the same

49:50.350 --> 49:50.930
things unto them

49:50.930 --> 49:51.990
for bearing, threatening,

49:52.310 --> 49:53.350
knowing that your master

49:53.350 --> 49:54.330
also is in heaven,

49:54.650 --> 49:55.290
neither is there

49:55.290 --> 49:56.390
respect of persons with them.

49:56.530 --> 49:57.270
So God's up in heaven.

49:57.430 --> 49:58.330
He's, even if you're

49:58.330 --> 49:59.730
the top dog in your business,

50:00.250 --> 50:01.430
you got to master up in heaven

50:01.430 --> 50:02.990
and he doesn't respect your person.

50:03.630 --> 50:05.110
He sees you the same

50:05.110 --> 50:06.170
as the poorest person

50:06.170 --> 50:07.430
because the rich and poor

50:07.430 --> 50:08.390
meet together

50:08.390 --> 50:09.410
in the Lord's sight, right?

50:09.510 --> 50:10.090
The Lord lightened

50:10.090 --> 50:10.730
both their eyes.

50:12.190 --> 50:13.430
And so in 1 Timothy,

50:13.430 --> 50:14.310
chapter number six,

50:14.510 --> 50:14.990
it says this,

50:15.650 --> 50:16.450
verse 17,

50:16.710 --> 50:18.610
charge them that are rich

50:18.610 --> 50:19.290
in this world

50:19.290 --> 50:20.970
that they be not high-minded.

50:21.130 --> 50:21.730
He's saying, you know,

50:22.190 --> 50:23.270
if you are wealthy,

50:23.410 --> 50:24.190
if you have a lot of money,

50:24.450 --> 50:25.830
don't get prideful,

50:26.170 --> 50:27.130
don't get arrogant,

50:27.590 --> 50:28.350
don't think that

50:28.350 --> 50:28.850
you're better

50:28.850 --> 50:29.610
than other people

50:29.610 --> 50:30.570
because it's the Lord

50:30.570 --> 50:31.550
that gives you the power

50:31.550 --> 50:32.150
to get wealth.

50:32.870 --> 50:33.930
And so you really

50:33.930 --> 50:35.010
ultimately owe everything

50:35.010 --> 50:35.530
to him anyway.

50:36.910 --> 50:37.950
Charge them that are rich

50:37.950 --> 50:38.330
in this world

50:38.330 --> 50:39.350
that they be not high-minded,

50:39.670 --> 50:41.530
nor trust in uncertain riches.

50:42.230 --> 50:42.770
So he's saying,

50:42.770 --> 50:43.530
don't get arrogant

50:43.530 --> 50:44.270
and don't think

50:44.270 --> 50:45.230
that you're untouchable

50:45.230 --> 50:46.330
just because you have

50:46.330 --> 50:46.850
so much money.

50:46.850 --> 50:48.090
Just say, oh, I don't need God.

50:48.390 --> 50:49.650
I can do everything on my own.

50:49.730 --> 50:50.290
I'm untouchable

50:50.290 --> 50:50.950
because you know what?

50:51.230 --> 50:52.490
God can take it away from you.

50:52.950 --> 50:53.690
Riches are uncertain.

50:54.650 --> 50:55.510
There have been people

50:55.510 --> 50:55.970
who thought

50:55.970 --> 50:56.770
that they could never lose

50:56.770 --> 50:57.130
their money

50:57.130 --> 50:57.650
and they did.

51:00.190 --> 51:01.670
Don't trust in uncertain riches

51:01.670 --> 51:03.250
but trust in the living God

51:03.250 --> 51:05.210
who giveth us richly

51:05.210 --> 51:06.190
all things to enjoy.

51:06.850 --> 51:07.830
He says in verse 18

51:07.830 --> 51:08.770
that they do good.

51:09.070 --> 51:09.670
This is what

51:09.670 --> 51:10.830
you should tell rich people

51:10.830 --> 51:12.190
that they should do good

51:12.770 --> 51:13.950
and that they should be rich

51:13.950 --> 51:14.830
in good works.

51:15.290 --> 51:16.610
Don't just be rich in money.

51:16.950 --> 51:18.410
Be rich in work for God.

51:19.130 --> 51:20.450
Be rich in good works.

51:21.090 --> 51:22.710
Ready to distribute.

51:23.870 --> 51:25.270
Willing to communicate

51:25.270 --> 51:26.530
and the communicate here

51:26.530 --> 51:28.490
if you look up that word

51:28.490 --> 51:29.810
it's talking about

51:30.510 --> 51:31.070
donating

51:31.070 --> 51:32.110
and giving money

51:32.110 --> 51:33.310
that's what that actually means.

51:33.750 --> 51:34.510
So you want to be ready

51:34.510 --> 51:35.270
to distribute.

51:36.050 --> 51:37.350
Willing to communicate

51:37.350 --> 51:38.310
meaning that you're willing

51:38.310 --> 51:39.610
to send money

51:39.610 --> 51:40.270
to other people

51:40.270 --> 51:41.410
and distribute

51:41.410 --> 51:42.750
and share the wealth.

51:42.970 --> 51:43.710
So the Bible is saying

51:43.710 --> 51:44.570
that rich people

51:44.570 --> 51:46.290
should be generous.

51:46.990 --> 51:48.190
They should be giving.

51:48.750 --> 51:49.750
They shouldn't be just

51:49.750 --> 51:51.150
greedily hanging on

51:51.150 --> 51:52.050
to everything for themselves.

51:52.510 --> 51:53.270
They should do good.

51:53.430 --> 51:53.990
They should be rich

51:53.990 --> 51:54.530
in good works

51:54.530 --> 51:55.330
and they should be

51:55.330 --> 51:56.550
ready to distribute

51:57.090 --> 51:58.430
and willing to communicate.

52:00.130 --> 52:01.150
Laying up in store

52:01.150 --> 52:01.590
for themselves

52:01.590 --> 52:02.550
is a good foundation

52:02.550 --> 52:03.550
against the time to come

52:03.550 --> 52:04.430
that they may lay

52:04.430 --> 52:05.330
hold on eternal life.

52:05.510 --> 52:06.090
He's saying look

52:06.090 --> 52:06.910
they should be

52:06.910 --> 52:08.110
laying up treasure

52:08.110 --> 52:08.990
in heaven

52:09.650 --> 52:10.510
not on this earth.

52:11.030 --> 52:12.090
And what does the Bible say?

52:12.190 --> 52:13.030
Lay not up for yourselves

52:13.030 --> 52:14.710
treasures upon this earth

52:14.710 --> 52:15.990
where moth and rust

52:15.990 --> 52:16.510
with corrupt

52:16.510 --> 52:17.010
and where thieves

52:17.010 --> 52:17.890
break through and steal

52:17.890 --> 52:19.110
but lay up for yourselves

52:19.110 --> 52:19.890
treasures in heaven

52:19.890 --> 52:21.010
where neither moth

52:21.010 --> 52:21.690
nor rust with corrupt

52:21.690 --> 52:22.230
and where thieves

52:22.230 --> 52:22.850
do not break through

52:22.850 --> 52:23.210
nor steal

52:23.210 --> 52:24.730
for where your treasure is

52:24.730 --> 52:25.750
there will your heart

52:25.750 --> 52:26.470
be also.

52:27.250 --> 52:28.930
And so God doesn't want us

52:28.930 --> 52:30.210
to just be greedy

52:30.610 --> 52:31.890
and just storing up

52:31.890 --> 52:32.430
a bunch of money

52:32.430 --> 52:32.970
on this earth

52:32.970 --> 52:33.750
because then our heart

52:33.750 --> 52:34.610
is going to be on this earth.

52:34.910 --> 52:36.470
Whereas if we're giving

52:36.470 --> 52:37.630
and generous

52:37.630 --> 52:39.190
and helping others

52:39.190 --> 52:40.930
and investing in people

52:40.930 --> 52:42.690
and working for the Lord

52:42.690 --> 52:43.870
then now we're laying

52:43.870 --> 52:44.650
up treasures in heaven

52:44.650 --> 52:45.830
and our heart's going to be

52:46.430 --> 52:46.890
in heaven.

52:47.250 --> 52:48.010
Set your affection

52:48.010 --> 52:48.770
on things above

52:48.770 --> 52:50.270
not on things on the earth

52:50.270 --> 52:51.110
is what the Bible says

52:51.110 --> 52:51.590
as well.

52:52.330 --> 52:53.850
And so rich people

52:53.850 --> 52:54.770
are commanded

52:55.330 --> 52:56.690
to be generous

52:56.690 --> 52:57.610
with their money

52:57.610 --> 52:58.750
and to think about

52:58.750 --> 52:59.250
other people

52:59.250 --> 52:59.830
and to care about

52:59.830 --> 53:00.290
other people

53:01.610 --> 53:03.070
but the problem

53:03.070 --> 53:04.190
that we have in our society

53:04.190 --> 53:04.530
today

53:04.530 --> 53:06.070
is an idea that says

53:06.070 --> 53:07.150
well let's just have

53:07.150 --> 53:07.750
the government

53:07.750 --> 53:09.010
take their money

53:09.010 --> 53:10.030
at the barrel of a gun

53:10.030 --> 53:10.730
and force that.

53:10.810 --> 53:11.370
Is that what the Bible

53:11.370 --> 53:11.890
is really teaching?

53:12.090 --> 53:12.830
No, the Bible is teaching

53:12.830 --> 53:13.630
that this is something

53:13.630 --> 53:14.490
that they should do

53:14.490 --> 53:15.030
as a Christian

53:15.030 --> 53:16.170
that we should do

53:16.170 --> 53:16.450
as Christians.

53:16.810 --> 53:17.570
It's not saying

53:17.570 --> 53:18.670
hey the answer

53:18.670 --> 53:19.430
is that the government

53:19.430 --> 53:20.770
steals from the rich

53:20.770 --> 53:21.470
and gives to the poor.

53:22.070 --> 53:22.950
The problem with

53:22.950 --> 53:23.850
stealing from the rich

53:23.850 --> 53:24.550
and giving to the poor

53:24.550 --> 53:24.930
again

53:24.930 --> 53:26.050
is that the government

53:26.050 --> 53:26.930
ends up keeping

53:26.930 --> 53:27.590
a lot of the money

53:27.590 --> 53:28.290
along the way

53:28.690 --> 53:29.490
and it's also

53:29.490 --> 53:30.670
just not right to steal.

53:31.230 --> 53:31.990
That should not steal.

53:32.230 --> 53:32.730
You know and so

53:32.730 --> 53:33.690
it isn't right

53:33.690 --> 53:35.650
to rob the rich

53:35.650 --> 53:36.950
sorry rob and hood

53:36.950 --> 53:38.090
but it's not right

53:38.090 --> 53:38.990
to rob the rich

53:38.990 --> 53:39.650
to give to the poor

53:39.650 --> 53:40.710
and I know that

53:40.710 --> 53:41.750
the story of rob and hood

53:41.750 --> 53:42.490
is a little more complex

53:42.490 --> 53:42.970
than that.

53:43.290 --> 53:43.350
Okay

53:43.350 --> 53:44.690
but I guess I just

53:44.690 --> 53:45.610
saw the Disney cartoon

53:45.610 --> 53:46.450
okay so

53:47.070 --> 53:47.430
you know

53:47.430 --> 53:48.270
I'll leave it

53:48.270 --> 53:48.910
that's not true

53:48.910 --> 53:49.270
I've read

53:49.270 --> 53:50.550
several rob and hood books

53:50.550 --> 53:51.970
I've read Ivan Ho

53:51.970 --> 53:52.410
okay

53:52.410 --> 53:53.730
but the point is

53:53.730 --> 53:55.370
that we as God's people

53:55.830 --> 53:56.410
you know

53:56.410 --> 53:57.270
even if you don't care

53:57.270 --> 53:58.170
about economics

53:58.170 --> 53:58.990
even if you don't care

53:58.990 --> 53:59.630
about politics

53:59.630 --> 54:00.670
you know you need

54:00.670 --> 54:01.770
to have a right

54:01.770 --> 54:03.170
relationship with money

54:03.710 --> 54:04.530
and you'd have a right

54:04.530 --> 54:05.530
view toward money

54:06.090 --> 54:06.590
and so

54:06.590 --> 54:07.170
if you're

54:07.170 --> 54:08.190
if you're on the poor

54:08.190 --> 54:09.010
end of the spectrum

54:09.010 --> 54:10.510
and you don't have a lot of money

54:10.510 --> 54:11.810
don't sit around

54:11.810 --> 54:12.930
fantasizing and wishing

54:12.930 --> 54:13.590
that you were rich

54:13.590 --> 54:14.950
be content with what you have

54:14.950 --> 54:16.090
work hard

54:16.090 --> 54:17.570
and try to do the best you can

54:17.570 --> 54:18.650
improve your situation

54:18.650 --> 54:19.250
financially

54:19.790 --> 54:20.330
you know

54:20.330 --> 54:21.010
that's all you can do

54:21.010 --> 54:21.270
right

54:21.270 --> 54:22.230
work hard

54:22.230 --> 54:22.710
pray

54:22.710 --> 54:23.830
live for God

54:23.830 --> 54:24.790
let God bless you

54:24.790 --> 54:25.430
and try to improve

54:25.430 --> 54:26.370
your situation financially

54:26.370 --> 54:27.390
and if you are

54:27.390 --> 54:28.170
well healed

54:28.170 --> 54:29.250
and if you have been

54:29.250 --> 54:30.170
blessed with riches

54:30.170 --> 54:31.090
and abundance

54:31.090 --> 54:31.890
you know what

54:31.890 --> 54:33.370
you shouldn't get all arrogant

54:33.370 --> 54:34.110
cocky

54:34.110 --> 54:34.790
and think you're great

54:34.790 --> 54:35.930
you should be humble

54:35.930 --> 54:37.050
and say you know what

54:37.050 --> 54:37.830
God has given me

54:37.830 --> 54:39.110
God has blessed me with this

54:39.110 --> 54:40.450
I'm going to bless other people

54:40.450 --> 54:41.490
I'm going to help people out

54:41.490 --> 54:42.210
I'm going to be generous

54:42.210 --> 54:44.130
I'm going to be giving

54:44.130 --> 54:45.110
I'm going to be

54:45.110 --> 54:46.590
thinking about heaven

54:46.590 --> 54:47.970
and laying up treasures in heaven

54:47.970 --> 54:49.930
and I'm not just going to sit here

54:49.930 --> 54:51.490
and pay my employees

54:51.490 --> 54:54.050
as little as I absolutely can

54:54.570 --> 54:56.650
and just increase my bottom line

54:56.650 --> 54:58.550
and it's not just paying

54:58.550 --> 54:59.590
your employees too little

54:59.590 --> 55:01.330
it's lowering quality

55:01.330 --> 55:02.270
for the customer too

55:02.270 --> 55:02.870
how about that

55:03.990 --> 55:04.470
it's

55:04.470 --> 55:04.830
I mean

55:04.830 --> 55:05.710
look how many companies

55:05.710 --> 55:06.810
get greedy man

55:07.370 --> 55:08.050
it's horrible

55:08.050 --> 55:09.410
like restaurants

55:09.410 --> 55:10.890
will start out really good

55:10.890 --> 55:12.950
and they're making a great meal

55:12.950 --> 55:14.070
and you're paying

55:14.070 --> 55:14.970
and you're happy

55:14.970 --> 55:15.770
to pay

55:15.770 --> 55:16.570
and get that meal

55:16.570 --> 55:17.490
and then it's like

55:17.490 --> 55:18.770
somewhere along the line

55:18.770 --> 55:20.510
some greedy CEO

55:20.510 --> 55:21.410
gets in there

55:21.410 --> 55:22.670
and just wants to

55:22.670 --> 55:23.610
sell you

55:23.610 --> 55:24.410
all the

55:24.410 --> 55:25.890
lower quality meat

55:25.890 --> 55:27.650
and lower quality veggies

55:27.650 --> 55:28.130
and everything

55:28.130 --> 55:29.370
and just ruin the menu

55:29.370 --> 55:30.790
and then these restaurants

55:30.790 --> 55:31.250
you know

55:31.250 --> 55:32.430
in the words of our

55:32.430 --> 55:33.270
young people

55:33.270 --> 55:35.230
they tend to fall off

55:36.430 --> 55:36.950
you know

55:36.950 --> 55:37.750
and they're just not as good

55:37.750 --> 55:38.410
as they used to be

55:38.410 --> 55:39.190
you know

55:39.190 --> 55:40.330
nothing makes me matter

55:40.330 --> 55:41.610
than to buy a drill bit

55:41.610 --> 55:42.210
at Home Depot

55:42.770 --> 55:44.130
and the thing just melts

55:44.130 --> 55:45.290
into nothingness

55:45.290 --> 55:45.690
it just

55:45.690 --> 55:46.850
it just disintegrates

55:46.850 --> 55:47.670
on the first use

55:48.370 --> 55:48.830
you know

55:48.830 --> 55:49.510
I bought a shovel

55:49.510 --> 55:50.530
one time at Home Depot

55:50.990 --> 55:52.230
and I returned it

55:52.230 --> 55:53.250
like an hour later

55:53.690 --> 55:54.850
and the lady said

55:54.850 --> 55:55.670
why are you returning

55:55.670 --> 55:56.150
the shovel

55:56.150 --> 55:56.550
and I said

55:56.550 --> 55:57.250
this is why

55:57.250 --> 55:58.330
and I reached up

55:58.330 --> 55:59.070
with my bare hands

55:59.070 --> 55:59.930
and I'm not Samson

55:59.930 --> 56:00.590
up here okay

56:01.150 --> 56:01.730
I reached up

56:01.730 --> 56:02.410
with my bare hands

56:02.410 --> 56:03.530
and just bent the shovel

56:03.530 --> 56:03.890
and just went

56:05.450 --> 56:06.490
I said

56:06.490 --> 56:08.050
this is why I'm returning it

56:08.770 --> 56:10.350
because I shouldn't be able

56:10.350 --> 56:12.390
to bend the shovel head

56:12.390 --> 56:13.670
with my bare hands

56:13.670 --> 56:14.370
but why

56:14.370 --> 56:15.090
why is it like

56:15.090 --> 56:16.530
why can I bend the shovel head

56:16.530 --> 56:17.430
with my bare hands

56:17.430 --> 56:18.930
it's a worthless tool

56:18.930 --> 56:19.570
why

56:19.570 --> 56:20.790
because they have used

56:20.790 --> 56:22.550
some super cheap metal

56:22.550 --> 56:23.630
because they're just

56:23.630 --> 56:24.430
being greedy

56:25.090 --> 56:25.770
I mean

56:25.770 --> 56:26.450
you know that

56:26.450 --> 56:27.630
they're making tons of money

56:27.630 --> 56:28.850
it's probably some company

56:28.850 --> 56:29.970
and the CEO

56:29.970 --> 56:31.310
is making millions

56:31.310 --> 56:32.570
and the company is making millions

56:32.570 --> 56:33.730
and then they just have to

56:33.730 --> 56:34.770
sell you crap

56:35.330 --> 56:37.250
that's going to just ruin your day

56:37.250 --> 56:38.930
and ruin your life

56:38.930 --> 56:39.590
and waste your time

56:39.590 --> 56:40.050
because look

56:40.050 --> 56:40.830
I know that

56:40.830 --> 56:42.430
maybe some don't understand this

56:42.430 --> 56:43.670
but when you're a tradesman

56:43.670 --> 56:45.430
having crappy tools

56:45.430 --> 56:46.850
is like the worst thing ever

56:48.370 --> 56:50.050
and having the right tool

56:50.790 --> 56:52.870
just makes everything so wonderful

56:53.850 --> 56:55.470
you know I remember one time

56:55.470 --> 56:57.050
I was out in the coal

56:57.050 --> 56:57.650
I was at this

56:57.650 --> 56:59.570
I was working on this gas station

56:59.570 --> 57:00.870
out in the Midwest

57:00.870 --> 57:01.610
and it was like

57:01.610 --> 57:02.650
snowing outside

57:02.650 --> 57:03.950
and I was freezing

57:04.490 --> 57:06.810
and like my drill bits

57:06.810 --> 57:07.910
were all garbage

57:07.910 --> 57:10.170
and I was just cursing these drill bits

57:10.170 --> 57:10.990
and then

57:10.990 --> 57:12.730
the angel of the Lord

57:12.730 --> 57:13.510
appeared unto me

57:14.270 --> 57:15.750
I think this might have been

57:15.750 --> 57:16.750
an angel unawares

57:17.630 --> 57:18.870
I'm out here struggling

57:18.870 --> 57:20.370
and fighting to do this job

57:20.370 --> 57:21.790
and I didn't have the right equipment

57:22.330 --> 57:23.590
to do what I needed to do

57:23.590 --> 57:24.570
and I was so upset

57:25.090 --> 57:26.850
and this man walks up to me

57:26.850 --> 57:28.270
the angel of the Lord

57:28.270 --> 57:29.690
he walks up to me

57:30.270 --> 57:31.670
and he just walked up to me

57:31.670 --> 57:32.730
and it was so dramatic

57:33.330 --> 57:34.350
he just looks at me

57:34.350 --> 57:35.830
and he just goes like this

57:36.290 --> 57:38.130
don't you just want to get the hell out of here

57:38.730 --> 57:40.290
and he just opens his hand

57:40.290 --> 57:42.410
and he just had four of like

57:42.410 --> 57:43.930
the exact parts that I needed

57:44.590 --> 57:45.870
and I was out of there in like

57:45.870 --> 57:46.550
five minutes

57:46.550 --> 57:48.370
and I would have been there for an hour

57:48.370 --> 57:49.890
and I was freezing

57:49.890 --> 57:51.350
and cold and wet

57:51.350 --> 57:52.030
and whatever

57:52.030 --> 57:52.570
you know

57:52.570 --> 57:54.150
and that but you know

57:54.150 --> 57:55.550
God sent his angel

57:55.550 --> 57:57.230
I was so happy

57:57.230 --> 57:57.950
I was so thankful

57:57.950 --> 57:59.790
this guy just had the exact

58:00.410 --> 58:01.870
like self tapping

58:02.470 --> 58:03.590
bolts that I needed

58:03.590 --> 58:05.310
and he just held out his hand

58:05.310 --> 58:05.910
and he's just like

58:05.910 --> 58:07.830
this is exactly what you need

58:09.230 --> 58:10.350
I was just like

58:11.190 --> 58:11.590
wow

58:11.590 --> 58:12.370
and then you know

58:12.370 --> 58:13.450
he went up in a fire

58:13.450 --> 58:14.250
no I'm just kidding

58:14.250 --> 58:15.450
that part didn't happen

58:15.450 --> 58:17.170
but the rest of the story is true

58:18.370 --> 58:19.390
and I ended up

58:19.390 --> 58:19.810
you know

58:19.810 --> 58:21.070
using those four bolts

58:21.070 --> 58:21.730
that he gave me

58:21.730 --> 58:22.530
and it was just like

58:22.530 --> 58:23.450
the perfect tool

58:24.030 --> 58:25.230
perfect thing that I needed

58:25.230 --> 58:26.370
it was great

58:26.370 --> 58:27.170
you know what

58:27.170 --> 58:28.950
but why are these companies

58:28.950 --> 58:30.170
torturing us

58:30.790 --> 58:32.290
with cheap drill bits

58:33.050 --> 58:34.510
why are they torturing us

58:34.510 --> 58:35.750
with shovels

58:35.750 --> 58:37.350
made out of these weak alloys

58:37.350 --> 58:38.750
and selling you tools

58:38.750 --> 58:39.650
that break all that

58:39.650 --> 58:40.610
you know what I'm talking about

58:40.610 --> 58:42.070
you buy those cheap tools

58:42.070 --> 58:42.650
and they break

58:42.650 --> 58:43.910
what kind of a person

58:43.910 --> 58:45.410
manufactures that stuff

58:46.030 --> 58:47.590
how do you live with yourself

58:48.290 --> 58:49.750
how do you even go to bed

58:49.750 --> 58:50.090
at night

58:50.090 --> 58:50.890
when you're selling

58:51.590 --> 58:52.450
bad tools

58:53.710 --> 58:55.510
you just hate everyone

58:57.930 --> 58:59.530
the spawn of satan

59:00.530 --> 59:01.070
I'm just

59:01.070 --> 59:01.790
I'm serious

59:03.630 --> 59:04.110
you know

59:04.490 --> 59:05.110
what is it

59:05.110 --> 59:05.690
it's greed

59:06.750 --> 59:07.470
so you know what

59:07.470 --> 59:08.290
if you were on a business

59:08.790 --> 59:10.310
don't cut the quality either

59:11.170 --> 59:11.710
and look

59:11.710 --> 59:13.110
obviously you got to charge

59:13.110 --> 59:14.290
you got to charge

59:14.290 --> 59:15.130
money to where

59:15.130 --> 59:15.730
you're making money

59:15.730 --> 59:16.350
you don't want to be

59:16.350 --> 59:16.970
one of these people

59:16.970 --> 59:17.950
that charges too little

59:17.950 --> 59:18.910
and then they go out of

59:18.910 --> 59:19.310
business because

59:19.310 --> 59:20.130
they're not charging enough

59:20.570 --> 59:21.230
obviously yeah

59:21.230 --> 59:22.190
you can pay your employees

59:22.190 --> 59:22.630
too much

59:22.630 --> 59:23.530
you can charge the customer

59:23.530 --> 59:24.090
too little

59:24.090 --> 59:24.730
whatever

59:24.730 --> 59:25.490
but you know what

59:25.490 --> 59:25.790
you should

59:25.790 --> 59:27.170
you do quality work

59:27.170 --> 59:29.330
and charge a decent price

59:29.330 --> 59:30.270
make money

59:30.270 --> 59:31.050
but don't get greedy

59:32.470 --> 59:33.390
work hard

59:33.390 --> 59:33.970
make money

59:33.970 --> 59:34.590
and you know what

59:34.590 --> 59:35.970
I'm not against you

59:36.490 --> 59:37.830
making huge amounts of money

59:37.830 --> 59:38.410
and making money

59:38.410 --> 59:39.090
hand over fist

59:39.090 --> 59:39.890
but you know what

59:39.890 --> 59:40.230
when you do

59:40.230 --> 59:41.110
don't get greedy

59:41.110 --> 59:41.990
don't get arrogant

59:41.990 --> 59:43.590
and be generous

59:44.350 --> 59:45.550
and share the wealth

59:45.550 --> 59:46.790
that's what the bible says

59:46.790 --> 59:47.630
that you should do

59:47.630 --> 59:48.910
you should be generous

59:48.910 --> 59:49.690
toward the lord

59:49.690 --> 59:50.910
you should be generous

59:50.910 --> 59:51.890
toward your fellow man

59:51.890 --> 59:53.350
that's what the bible says

59:53.350 --> 59:54.370
let's borrow it's not

59:54.950 --> 59:55.970
father thank you so much

59:55.970 --> 59:57.170
for this chapter lord

59:57.170 --> 59:58.170
thank you for the example

59:58.170 --> 59:58.970
of Nehemiah

59:58.970 --> 01:00:00.690
who was a wealthy man

01:00:00.690 --> 01:00:02.350
but he shared with others

01:00:02.930 --> 01:00:05.690
and he rebuked

01:00:05.690 --> 01:00:07.010
and preached hard

01:00:07.010 --> 01:00:07.730
against those

01:00:07.730 --> 01:00:08.510
who were greedy

01:00:08.510 --> 01:00:10.290
and taking advantage

01:00:10.290 --> 01:00:11.230
of the poor lord

01:00:11.230 --> 01:00:13.190
help us to love one another

01:00:13.190 --> 01:00:14.530
help us to love

01:00:14.530 --> 01:00:15.330
employees

01:00:15.330 --> 01:00:16.830
help us to love customers

01:00:16.830 --> 01:00:17.690
help us to love

01:00:17.690 --> 01:00:18.550
our fellow man

01:00:18.550 --> 01:00:19.670
and to do right

01:00:19.670 --> 01:00:20.330
by everyone

01:00:20.330 --> 01:00:21.290
and monday tuesday

01:00:21.290 --> 01:00:22.010
wednesday thursday

01:00:22.010 --> 01:00:23.290
when we go to work lord

01:00:23.290 --> 01:00:24.770
help us to have integrity

01:00:24.770 --> 01:00:25.510
in business

01:00:25.510 --> 01:00:26.630
and to do right

01:00:26.630 --> 01:00:27.270
and in jesus name

01:00:27.270 --> 01:00:27.810
we pray amen