Episode Transcript
Proverbs chapter 11 verse 18.
The title of the message tonight is "Uncertain Wages."
That sound is perfect, by the way, brother.
He has got a wonderful ear for sound.
When God created man, he made him to work.
So the desire to work is part of our God-given nature.
We do have a desire to work.
You may not realize it, but we do.
Most people love to work.
The problem is most people don't love the type of work they're doing or the type of work they have to do.
When I ask people how the weekend was on a Monday, often I hear that it was a good weekend, but it wasn't what?
It wasn't long enough.
They say that all the time.
It wasn't that they weren't doing anything when they were home.
They said they were doing what they loved.
They were able to labor in something they enjoyed.
Nevertheless, whether it's something we love to do, or it's something like a hobby, or a Christian ministry, something that we absolutely love, or whether it's something we must do to pay the bills, we're usually working on something.
We usually consider hardworking people people of honor.
We consider hardworking people of honor.
We consider people of honor.
We think of people who are lazy as no good people.
Our text tonight, though, informs us that wicked people work hard, too.
If you look at the text, Solomon said in Proverbs 11, 18, "The wicked worketh."
The wicked worketh.
There is a truth right there that we have to deal with before we move any further.
That is the truth that wicked people work.
A lot of times, again, we think of wicked people as being lazy people, but the truth is just the opposite.
Wicked people work hard at being wicked.
I'm going to say that again.
Wicked people work hard at being wicked.
Just look at how they've infiltrated the various denominations of the church.
They have infiltrated all of them, and they have succeeded in destroying some of them, but they've done it.
It took a lot of work to turn the United Methodist Church into the mess it's in today.
Just look at how they've managed to influence and take over our country.
I'm telling you, that is well coordinated, well planned, and very dedicated work.
It took a lot of work to turn the United States into the mess it's in today.
Look at the corrupt political machine or machines that we have that's destroying our world.
Not just our country, but our world.
Global machines.
Look at how once the wicked, when they're defeated in court, because we see victories like that all the time.
Supreme Court dealt the blow to whatever, and we think, "Oh, that's good."
They don't stop.
They don't settle.
They don't say, "Well, okay, the law's against us on this.
We'll just have to learn to do it a little bit differently."
No.
Wicked people, they just keep coming back for more, again and again and again, until they finally get their wicked way.
The wicked are determined.
The wicked are passionate.
They are tireless, and they work as a team to promote their evil agenda.
At the opening ceremony of the Olympics this year, the wicked put on a sickening display of their filthy agenda, trying their best to influence the world with their wickedness.
When the righteous objected, they did not back down.
A lot of times you'll see righteous people back down.
It infuriates me when someone takes a stand.
Poor old Mike Huckabee.
I love Mike Huckabee.
I remember when he was running for president, and oh, what is that?
Weasley, Mormon Republican.
Mitt Romney.
I remember when he was running, and him and Mitt Romney were running against each other.
They weren't necessarily the two front runners, but they were running against each other in the primary.
I remember Mike Huckabee saying something derogatory about what the Mormons believed, and what Mike Huckabee said was true.
But there was such a great backlash from the public, and they backed Mike Huckabee down, and he apologized.
They were like, "What are you apologizing for?
You said the truth.
Let them own the truth.
Let them deal with it.
If they don't like what you said, they can deal with it."
They can explain their stance, but he backed down.
A lot of times the righteous will back down, but the wicked don't back down.
The wicked don't apologize.
The wicked don't make things right.
They weren't sorry for what they did there in Paris.
You know what they were sorry for?
They weren't sorry for what they did.
They were sorry that we didn't like it.
That's what they were sorry for.
They worked hard at putting that wicked thing together, and they will not stop until the rest of the world celebrates it with them.
You better believe the wicked work.
They often work harder than the righteous.
But Solomon says they work.
Look back in your text now.
A deceitful work.
Ah, that's the key right there.
The wicked work, a deceitful work.
Now, if you'll notice, the wicked work, a deceitful work.
There are actually two different works here.
The first work and the second word, translated work, are two different words.
Okay?
So the first word that's translated worketh is talking about the actual work that's performed.
The wicked work.
It's what they do.
The function that they're performing.
And then the second word that's translated work here is talking about the reward that they receive for the work that they did.
Okay?
So the wicked work, in the sense of what they do, but it is a deceitful work in the sense of what they're paid.
That's the two differences between the two works.
The wicked work, first work, in the sense of what they do, but it's a deceitful work, that second work, in the sense of what they're paid.
The literal translation words it this way.
The wicked is getting a lying wage.
God built into creation this principle of work and reward.
It's a wonderful principle.
I love getting rewarded for my labor.
I love working for my labor.
And it's just, it's this principle of work and reward.
You work hard, you get rewarded for it.
And this principle stands true to this day, except the wicked work for deceitful wages.
We have church members that perform all types of work.
Kelly McCormick.
Does anyone know what Kelly McCormick does?
She does.
She's a registered dietician.
Isn't that cool?
She helps people with diabetes.
Helps them utilize their diet to control their diabetes.
Sorry, Kelly, you may be getting all kinds of calls now.
But she's a registered dietician.
If you do get calls and you get charged for it, then I want to find her, speak, Kelly.
Mark St.
John.
Anyone know what he does?
He's a lineman for the county, brother.
No, he's a lineman.
That's an old song.
Eddie Keaton, school bus driver.
Brittany Wyatt grooms dogs at her business.
And I guarantee you one thing, no matter what job they're doing, they all know what their pay is supposed to be after their work is done.
You know how much your salary is, don't you, brother Eddie?
You know how much you charge to groom a dog?
You don't just groom the dog and say, "Well, now, how much do you think that's worth?"
If you did the customer like that, you'd go broke.
You'd go broke.
And whether we get paid by the job by the month or by the hour or by the mile, we go to work with an expectation of what we will be paid.
We go to work with an expectation of our reward.
And if our check isn't what we're promised, then we're going to demand our honest wages.
And thank God we have laws in the United States that protect our right to receive them.
But it's not so when it comes to the work of the wicked.
They receive deceitful wages.
That is, they get promised one thing, and then they receive another.
They get promised a good reward for their work.
The only problem is wickedness is a terrible employer.
Solomon said the wicked work a deceitful work.
Now look back in your text, "But to him that soweth righteousness..."
Now, let's stop right there just a moment because I'm blending in the past piece of the verse with this new one to help you understand the past.
Now, I want you to notice now, it says, "To him that soweth righteousness," there's this comparison between the wicked that work and the righteous that sow.
So there is this interchangeable use of working and sowing here in this verse.
Why?
Because working is a sort of sowing.
And that's because when we work, what are we doing?
We're investing our time.
We're investing our labor today sowing, expecting to be paid, that is reap what we sowed, at the end of the pay period.
The wicked do the same thing.
The wicked are doing what they do because they're expecting to receive something out of it.
I want to create a world that welcomes me like I am.
I want to create a world that celebrates the wickedness that I enjoy.
I want to create a world that whatever.
Or I want to create this particular outcome that will be beneficial for me.
We work, and then we wait, and then we're rewarded.
My sweet niece, Kelly Mahaney, when she was young, she used to love raising animals.
And she was the Louisiana version of Ellie May Clampett.
And one day a man from her church brought her some turkey eggs.
Remember that, Mama?
Brought Kelly some turkey eggs to raise to see if she could keep them warm, incubate them, hatch them, which she'd be able to do it.
And boy, Kelly was so proud to receive those turkey eggs.
She took such good care of those eggs.
And what was she doing?
She was investing.
She was working.
And she was investing her time with the understanding that with her investment of her time and her labor, the reward at the end would be what?
The hatchlings.
The little baby turkeys coming out of those eggs.
And all that time and that labor and care she put in those eggs, it finally paid off.
The turkeys hatched.
The only problem was they were turkey buzzards.
The man at the church knew they were turkey buzzards and he played a trick on my niece.
Oh boy, I'd still love that brother, but I think I would be taking some buzzards to his house.
But she kept the buzzards.
And they grew up.
And she had some pet buzzards for a while.
But she worked so hard to raise those turkeys.
But she received a deceitful reward for her labor.
You see that?
The expectation of her labor was rewarded with something she did not expect.
Something that she was not promised.
Now, Jesus said, if you're taking notes, in Mark chapter 8 verse 36.
Watch the text closely here.
"For what shall it profit," note that word profit, "if he shall gain," note the word gain, "the whole world and lose his own soul."
Speaking of man, what shall it profit if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?
Now, in Mark 8.36 here we have these three key words profit, gain, and loss.
Profit, not three key words, but three key aspects.
Profit, gain, and loss.
The work of the wicked pays the man the whole world.
That's his gain.
Okay?
So theoretically, as Jesus is speaking here hypothetically, what shall it profit if he shall gain the whole world?
So the man works and the man is rewarded, his gain is the whole world.
You think, boy, that's great.
But you see, then we see that the work pays the man the whole world, but it costs the man what?
His own soul.
That's the loss.
My dad had a business when I grew up.
Brother Shepherds had a business, Brittany White.
Many of you all have had businesses before.
You've got to have gain.
You always expect some loss.
When Abigail sewed that beautiful apron for my wife, she had gain from me when I paid for it.
She had loss, though, through the material, right?
And through her time, but definitely material.
So she had gain, she had loss.
You better have more gain than you have loss.
So here we go, Brother Neil.
If you have more gain than you have loss, then you have profit.
The thing with the wicked, they have a lot of profit.
The thing with the wicked, they have a deceitful wage.
They do gain.
In fact, Jesus makes it clear here, there is the potential that the wicked could even gain the whole world.
So wickedness does have a payday.
If you remember, when I'm talking about the potential to gain the whole world, remember what the devil offered Jesus?
He offered him the whole world.
He offered him the potential that wickedness can offer the entirety of the wicked fallen world system.
The problem is, no matter what you gain through wickedness, it's always a deceitful wage.
It reminds me of "I Love Lucy" episode.
Her and Ethel were trying to sell something, and my daughter will know, she's probably watching right now, but they were trying to sell some product.
For every product they sold, they were losing money because they had more going into that product.
Do you remember that episode, Brother?
They had more going into that product than what they were selling it for.
Someone pointed it out to Lucy and said, "Well, you're losing money on every product you sell."
She said, "Yes, but we'll make it up by selling in bulk."
"Yes, that's what I want to do.
We'll just sell more."
The problem is, what that's going to do is it's just going to cause you to have even a greater loss.
That's the deceitful wage of wickedness.
It will pay you.
There is this reward.
You are going to get the applause in the world right now that you're wanting.
You're going to get that physical, emotional gratification, whatever it is that you're seeking, but there's going to be more loss than gain every single time.
So it's a deceitful wage because every time wickedness pays you, it costs you.
Man, that's a solid biblical truth right here in Proverbs in the Book of Mark.
Here's the kingdom truth for you tonight.
Wickedness always costs more than it pays.
It always pays, but wickedness always costs more than it pays.
On the other hand, Solomon says, "To him that sows righteousness," look back in your text now, "shall be a sure reward."
A sure reward.
Wickedness gives a reward, but it's a deceitful reward.
Righteousness, on the other hand, it gives a sure reward, a certain reward, an honest reward.
If you sow in righteousness, you're going to reap in righteousness.
You will receive a sure reward.
Here's a wonderful truth for you tonight.
It's not a kingdom truth, but it is a kingdom truth, and that is God is a faithful employer.
God is a faithful employer.
Watch this now.
Man, I absolutely love this.
Matthew chapter 10, Matthew chapter 10.
Look with me now in verses 41 and 42.
Watch this.
"He that receiveth the prophet," now to receive a prophet means like that widow was Elijah that came to her, that widow took care of Elijah and gave him a little place to stay and fed him and took care of him.
That's receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet.
He, like that widow that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, what do they receive?
They receive a prophet's reward.
You see what happened?
They did a prophet's work.
They received a prophet's reward.
That's fair wages.
If I work as a sheriff's deputy in Rockwall, I expect to get a sheriff's deputy's wages in Rockwall.
I'm not going to go work as a sheriff's deputy in Rockwall like Brother Shepard and then say, "Well, we're going to pay you dispatchers pay this week."
Brother Shepard, thank you for all the arrests you made.
We're going to pay you on the dog catcher scale.
Is that okay?
No.
He wants a deputy's reward.
Now, let's go on to the next slide, please.
"He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive," what?
An unrighteous man's reward?
No, a righteous man's reward.
You see that Jesus always gives honest wages, not deceitful wages.
He always gives honest wages.
He's always paying as he should.
Go on to the next one, please.
"And whosoever shall give it to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I send you, or surely I send you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."
So he won't lose his reward.
That means, number one, he's surely going to get paid.
Number two, he's going to get paid what he deserves.
So unlike wickedness, righteousness always, God's a wonderful employer, righteousness always pays on time, and it always pays what you deserve.
We have work, rehab, reward.
Receiving a prophet is the work of righteousness, and receiving a man's reward is your, a righteous man's reward is your pay.
God gives a generous reward.
Matthew chapter 25 verse 21, a generous reward, a sure reward, a fair reward, a generous reward.
Matthew 25, 21, "His Lord said unto him, Well done thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things."
So when you sow in righteousness, again, that's an investment, and any time you invest your time, any time you invest your talent, any time you invest your labor into the kingdom of God, you will always receive the reward you're supposed to receive.
You'll most surely not lose it, and the wonderful thing is that investment will always gain in time.
I love watching investments grow.
I've got an annuity.
I know what that annuity pays every day, and I'll still sign in to see it.
I own stocks.
I don't know what they're going to pay, because they can be up and down.
I like following them.
And anyone that has any kind of retirement at all, it's based on the principle of an initial investment in a reward that's greater than what you invested in the future.
That principle was built into our human nature by God.
Remember what Jesus said?
This isn't in my notes.
Remember what Jesus said when he says, "You wicked servant, you unfaithful, you unprofitable servant, you should have taken what I gave you and given it to the exchangers so that when I came back I would have what I gave you, plus more with usury.
I would have had profit with that."
So it's built into our system by God, many with the investment of few.
So from this we learn that God only pays a sure reward, a fair reward, but he also pays a generous reward.
So we close.
We'll close with this.
God's kingdom checks will always be paid on time, will always be generous, will always cash at the bank, and will always gain in value, pay dividends both in this life and in the life to come.
God always gives honest wages.
Wickedness always gives deceitful wages.
With that we'll go ahead and close tonight.
Father, we thank you so much for these solid, solid truths you've given us in the Scripture.
Thank you, Father, for the principle of gain, loss, and profit.
Thank you, Father, that what we may lose in this life will always gain more, Father, if we lose it for your sake.
And what we gain in this life will always lose more if we gained it for the world's sake.
May we, from this day forward, set our eyes and our hearts on laboring in your kingdom and waiting on our sure reward.
In Jesus' wonderful name, amen.
